I made rough mixes of Lies & Speculation. Then I fiddled with the mix. Then I fiddled again. And again.
No matter what i did, I couldn't make the vocals sound the way I want to. They're pitched properly, but have an awful brittleness that I can't get rid of.
I recorded this album with the same microphone I did Overture with: An AKG 2000B condenser mic (nice, fancy). This time, I've also recorded some last-minute clips with my Shure 58 (industry standard, indestructable average mic) and they sounded much better.
So i've realized that I have to re-record almost all the vocal tracks AGAIN. And i have to do it this weekend, as it's the last one i'll have until mid-june at best. This schedule is brutal....
And of course it's the first nice weekend Toronto has had this year and i'd rather be spending it outdoors. But, this is the choice I've got to make.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Dream Analysis
Permit me to be a little self-indulgent here. Because it’s MY blog… haha.
I’m really loving ‘The Dream’ at the moment. It’s the only song with a decent mix, and it’s getting some incredible reviews. I was just out on my balcony smoking a Monte Cristo, and listening to the song again. Suddenly I saw (imagined) it on another level.
The introduction: steady, like a freight train. If you work hard, you’ll get what you want.
The first verse follows suit: Put your nose to the grindstone, slow and steady wins the race.
The first bridge section: a crash, an explosion: Life gets grandiose, but there’s a trip-up, a stagger. Don’t worry, you caught the beat fast enough and kept to the path.
Guitar Riff: Who’s that cocky bastard that jumped the beat, getting in before the starting gun? Flashy, showy SOB aren’t you?
Second Verse: You’re still following the path, the straight and narrow. But that cocky guitar keeps interrupting, jumping in and out, distracting you. Something’s not right. It’s not flowing as simply as it did.
The second bridge section explodes: Similar to the first graduation, but there’s a little more tension in here. Stumbling again, catching yourself and moving on. But you know what’s wrong.
The chorus: That’s right, this is life. Speak your mind, it’s the only way to get what you want. Need help? Ask for it. Wanna barrel through? Try that too.
Afterwards: What’s this? This is weird, and it’s not comfortable. Pretty isolated and lonely huh? Way to go, you’ve really locked yourself into something haven’t you?
Another bridge section: This one’s got a little more struggle in it. You know what you’ve done wrong, now fix it.
Chorus number two: If this song was a Rocky movie, this would be the training montage. Get yourself back into shape. Remember that man you used to be? The one you respected? Let’s get you back there.
Guitar Riff: Yes, that cocky SOB is back. And he’s not deviating this time, he’s unstoppable. You know he’s going to end it with a balls-out bash! When he’s good and ready.
I hope that wasn’t too arrogant, I just really felt the need to express that. It wasn’t too far from my thoughts when I wrote and arranged it, but some introspection came to me tonight. Maybe it’s the beer and cigar, maybe it’s because I just hit a major milestone in my life tonight (finished my university qualification), or maybe I’m just full of it.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Pre-Release
I'm not a patient man. I can't wait to get Lies & Speculation mixed. So here's a rough mix of 'The Dream.' Enjoy!
Monday, March 21, 2011
The Dream
Yesterday I was in the studio, mixing ‘The Dream’.
It’s one of my favourite new tracks at the moment, and changes constantly. I originally wrote it as a swampy slide-guitar song, set incredibly slow and morose. Then, on a whim, I played an upbeat, almost rockabilly, version. That one was a lot more fun, and exciting. I developed both the fast and slow versions at the same time, preferring whichever one I was playing at that moment.
I suddenly had a brainwave – do BOTH in the same song. A little quick math, and a lot of slow practice, and I figured out how to do make it work.
However, recording two different songs as one means a complicated mix. Lots of settings, equalizers, compressors, and even instruments change mid-way through the song. So it took quite a while to get it right.
And here’s the beauty of self-producing: when my wife came home, I was really excited and asked her to critique the track. She made a good suggestion, EQ’ing out some high-end frequencies from the bridge-section acoustic guitars. A couple of quick knob-turns and the result proved her right. After the song ended, she commented that the lead-guitar ending was too long. She might be right, but I can never resist air-guitaring Keith Richards-style when it gets to the end of The Dream. It’s some great playing, and I can’t bear to pare it down.
With nobody to answer to, I get to write, arrange, and produce my songs my way.
This mixing process is really slow and time-intensive. And every once in a while you need something like this to reinvigorate, to give that electrical charge that makes artists do what they do.
It’s one of my favourite new tracks at the moment, and changes constantly. I originally wrote it as a swampy slide-guitar song, set incredibly slow and morose. Then, on a whim, I played an upbeat, almost rockabilly, version. That one was a lot more fun, and exciting. I developed both the fast and slow versions at the same time, preferring whichever one I was playing at that moment.
I suddenly had a brainwave – do BOTH in the same song. A little quick math, and a lot of slow practice, and I figured out how to do make it work.
However, recording two different songs as one means a complicated mix. Lots of settings, equalizers, compressors, and even instruments change mid-way through the song. So it took quite a while to get it right.
And here’s the beauty of self-producing: when my wife came home, I was really excited and asked her to critique the track. She made a good suggestion, EQ’ing out some high-end frequencies from the bridge-section acoustic guitars. A couple of quick knob-turns and the result proved her right. After the song ended, she commented that the lead-guitar ending was too long. She might be right, but I can never resist air-guitaring Keith Richards-style when it gets to the end of The Dream. It’s some great playing, and I can’t bear to pare it down.
With nobody to answer to, I get to write, arrange, and produce my songs my way.
This mixing process is really slow and time-intensive. And every once in a while you need something like this to reinvigorate, to give that electrical charge that makes artists do what they do.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Fait Accompli. Nearly.
Like George W. Bush in Iraq, I jumped the gun a little calling the job done. Two months ago, I triumphantly posted that Lies & Speculation was complete. I had tracked all the instruments, and was ready to start mixing.
When I was setting up for the mix, I didn't like the vocal tracks. The benefit of a home-based recording studio is that I can be flexible with my workload. So I quickly changed hats from Mix-Master to Iconic Lead Singer. After setting up the microphones, adjusting everything in the room, I pulled on the headphones and hit RECORD.
This is when I discovered that the cat had chewed through the cable. At this point, I decided to back off for a few weeks. I would spend another $400 replacing the destroyed headphones, and at the same time spend more time rehearsing the songs.
For two weekends in February, I re-recorded the vocal tracks to all ten songs. (I also went to Antigua for a week, but that's a different story. )
Then, this weekend, I restarted the mix. And this time, it's GREAT!
I just did a quick runthrough, setting up a basic structure so I can listen to the tracks on my MP3 player. And with each song that comes on, I think "oooh, this is my favourite!" And then the next one starts and I think "ooooh, that's a sexy slide-guitar line - this is my favourite!" and so forth… Maybe it's like children? You can have a few, and love them all equally. When one shines, you're proud. Then the next one shines and your heart melts.
Recording complete.
Next up: Mix
When I was setting up for the mix, I didn't like the vocal tracks. The benefit of a home-based recording studio is that I can be flexible with my workload. So I quickly changed hats from Mix-Master to Iconic Lead Singer. After setting up the microphones, adjusting everything in the room, I pulled on the headphones and hit RECORD.
This is when I discovered that the cat had chewed through the cable. At this point, I decided to back off for a few weeks. I would spend another $400 replacing the destroyed headphones, and at the same time spend more time rehearsing the songs.
For two weekends in February, I re-recorded the vocal tracks to all ten songs. (I also went to Antigua for a week, but that's a different story. )
Then, this weekend, I restarted the mix. And this time, it's GREAT!
I just did a quick runthrough, setting up a basic structure so I can listen to the tracks on my MP3 player. And with each song that comes on, I think "oooh, this is my favourite!" And then the next one starts and I think "ooooh, that's a sexy slide-guitar line - this is my favourite!" and so forth… Maybe it's like children? You can have a few, and love them all equally. When one shines, you're proud. Then the next one shines and your heart melts.
Recording complete.
Next up: Mix
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Cool Again
A couple of weeks ago, I helped out a friend and had a great time doing it.
An extremely talented pianist, he now wants to learn how to play the guitar. He knew enough to spend a reasonable amount of money for a quality instrument, but didn't know what attributes he wanted. So, he asked me to accompany him. Whatever instrument I liked best in his price range, he would buy it. Great for me, I get all the pleasure of shopping but without the cost!
I knew the best options off the bat, so when the salesgirl approached I noted requirements for a built-in preamp and dreadnaught-style body. I played quite a few guitars, and we narrowed the options down to two really nice Tanglewood guitars. I'd never heard of them before, but they're pretty awesome. My next acoustic might just be the same one we bought for my friend.
Checking the resonance and intonation, I was playing chords that involved droning open strings along with frets up at the high end of the neck. For some reason, I started playing "I Wanna Be Your Dog" by Iggy & The Stooges. An old punk classic.
Suddenly our salesgirl, replete with pompadour and shitty rockabilly tats, got excited. This old fart with grey in his moustache and a Blackberry on his hip… was hip! She gave me "props" for "rocking some acoustic Iggy."
For the brief moment that I held some long-lost cred, I encouraged her to buy "Please Kill Me," by Legs McNeil - a compilation of fantastic interviews with 1970s punk legends.
That "cool" feeling kept me going for a few days.
An extremely talented pianist, he now wants to learn how to play the guitar. He knew enough to spend a reasonable amount of money for a quality instrument, but didn't know what attributes he wanted. So, he asked me to accompany him. Whatever instrument I liked best in his price range, he would buy it. Great for me, I get all the pleasure of shopping but without the cost!
I knew the best options off the bat, so when the salesgirl approached I noted requirements for a built-in preamp and dreadnaught-style body. I played quite a few guitars, and we narrowed the options down to two really nice Tanglewood guitars. I'd never heard of them before, but they're pretty awesome. My next acoustic might just be the same one we bought for my friend.
Checking the resonance and intonation, I was playing chords that involved droning open strings along with frets up at the high end of the neck. For some reason, I started playing "I Wanna Be Your Dog" by Iggy & The Stooges. An old punk classic.
Suddenly our salesgirl, replete with pompadour and shitty rockabilly tats, got excited. This old fart with grey in his moustache and a Blackberry on his hip… was hip! She gave me "props" for "rocking some acoustic Iggy."
For the brief moment that I held some long-lost cred, I encouraged her to buy "Please Kill Me," by Legs McNeil - a compilation of fantastic interviews with 1970s punk legends.
That "cool" feeling kept me going for a few days.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Temptation
Last month, I triumphantly reported that tracking had been finished for Lies &Speculation. In a whirlwind of joyous noise, I raced through the 10 songs. Then I took a few weeks off to recover from the stresses of wage-earning, school, Christmas, etc , etc, etc.
Last week I returned to the mixing desk and started digging through the tracks. And they were crap! I was really disappointed with the vocals. On takes where the inflection was right, I was usually singing a little sharp. And where the pitch was right I didn’t like the way I was annunciating.
This is where it got weird. To experiment and play (that’s the beauty of artistic pursuits), I brought an auto-tuner into the track. I clicked ‘on’, chose the key of Emajor, and clicked Play. My jaw dropped. Coming from the speakers was exactly what I’d been trying to accomplish! Pitched properly, with just the right amount of attitude, the singing was perfect. In 3 simple mouse-clicks I had rectified what would have been weeks of re-work.
For about 10 seconds, my jaw agape and eyes glazed, I reveled in the finished product. The album that would define the last few years of my life. Suddenly, like coming out of a bad dream, my eyes went wide. “No,” I screamed as my hands slapped the desk. As fast as I could, I deleted the auto-tuner.
You see, the auto-tuner is the biggest detractor to modern music. Anyone who can’t sing can easily run their voice through one of these and sound like a star. Think Paris Hilton, Keisha, Britney Spears… That’s all you need. No musical skills, just a nice rack and cute bum. Or in Hilton’s case, money.
Even talented stars are now auto-tuning everything beyond perfection. I’ve been told that Justin Beiber can actually sing, but everything I’ve ever heard of him is computerized out of reality. There’s no skill or substance needed anymore, just the packaging. And I just saw how easy and cost-efficient it can be. I’ve been taking singing lessons with a great teacher for 8 months now, and spent days trying to accomplish what I could have covered in 2 hours with auto-tune help.
I pride myself on being primarily a musician. I really do. Not a singer, not a guitarist, not a songwriter, or producer. A musician. I’ve been playing the guitar for over 20 years and am able to play the things I want to hear without much effort. Most other instruments I can warble a basic melody from, if you give me a few minutes to figure it out. And I’m happy that I can actually express myself in this way.
And because of that, I’m uninstalling the auto-tuner, reverting back into pre-production mode, and going to practice, practice, practice. And when you hear me sing these songs, it will really be me. I don’t need perfection, just humanty. That’s what life is all about.
Last week I returned to the mixing desk and started digging through the tracks. And they were crap! I was really disappointed with the vocals. On takes where the inflection was right, I was usually singing a little sharp. And where the pitch was right I didn’t like the way I was annunciating.
This is where it got weird. To experiment and play (that’s the beauty of artistic pursuits), I brought an auto-tuner into the track. I clicked ‘on’, chose the key of Emajor, and clicked Play. My jaw dropped. Coming from the speakers was exactly what I’d been trying to accomplish! Pitched properly, with just the right amount of attitude, the singing was perfect. In 3 simple mouse-clicks I had rectified what would have been weeks of re-work.
For about 10 seconds, my jaw agape and eyes glazed, I reveled in the finished product. The album that would define the last few years of my life. Suddenly, like coming out of a bad dream, my eyes went wide. “No,” I screamed as my hands slapped the desk. As fast as I could, I deleted the auto-tuner.
You see, the auto-tuner is the biggest detractor to modern music. Anyone who can’t sing can easily run their voice through one of these and sound like a star. Think Paris Hilton, Keisha, Britney Spears… That’s all you need. No musical skills, just a nice rack and cute bum. Or in Hilton’s case, money.
Even talented stars are now auto-tuning everything beyond perfection. I’ve been told that Justin Beiber can actually sing, but everything I’ve ever heard of him is computerized out of reality. There’s no skill or substance needed anymore, just the packaging. And I just saw how easy and cost-efficient it can be. I’ve been taking singing lessons with a great teacher for 8 months now, and spent days trying to accomplish what I could have covered in 2 hours with auto-tune help.
I pride myself on being primarily a musician. I really do. Not a singer, not a guitarist, not a songwriter, or producer. A musician. I’ve been playing the guitar for over 20 years and am able to play the things I want to hear without much effort. Most other instruments I can warble a basic melody from, if you give me a few minutes to figure it out. And I’m happy that I can actually express myself in this way.
And because of that, I’m uninstalling the auto-tuner, reverting back into pre-production mode, and going to practice, practice, practice. And when you hear me sing these songs, it will really be me. I don’t need perfection, just humanty. That’s what life is all about.
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