Both lead vocals were mixed with a HHB Radius 40 supplying the eq and compression. Good unit for this. They were tracked with a ART MP with a Levelar behind it to black face ADAT's with a AT 4033.
About pre production overall. Usually none. This was a project that I was paid to produce, had the producing taken away right when they started tracking, then given back to me after drums and bass were tracked. sigh............. Anyway....
I usually don't get any proper pre production time. With this band, I already worked on a CD before this one, and I go WAY back with all the band members and played in a band with 2 of them.
It is not like I had a whole lot of mics to choose from at the time. RE 27 on the kick, SM-57's on snare and toms, and a pair of AT 4033's for OH's, Tascam PE 125 for HH, and a AKG C-1000 S for the ride cymbal (the HH and ride mics are down about 18dB in the mix, so they aren't doing anything but adding a hair of clarity. ART pre's on everything except the OH's which used a TL Audio Classic pre and the HH and Ride mics used the Soundcraft Ghost pre's.
We used triggers on the toms and snare with a gate going to tape (yes, I am adventurous!!!

). These days, I can do gating with fader automation.
Falling Down has 7 tracks of vocals. I just didn't have time to automate much of anything. Both these mixes are "static" mixes.
Ed