Classic albums recorded at home?

[Love minus Zero]

Hi there this is my first post in the forums but no doubt it will be a memorable one, judging from what i have read you will be queing up for miles to answer, or take a pop at me
Im currently doing a bit of research into possibly recording an album at home. I have done alot of home recording in the past, and have done a bit in studios. I was wanting to know you opinions on how well an album (recorded at home) for commercial release would hold up to say, one recorded in a studio. I ask this mainly because i believe the recording facilities in my city and surrounding areas to be not that good. Lets just say they are affordable.
I dont particularly have much faith in their engineers or their work that i have heard in the past. As a side question i would also be interested in any information you may have on any albums that have been recorded at home.
I should probably start and tell you what I have to work with (rooms and equipment) and what im hoping to achieve with it.
Firstly my music heavily relies on acoustic guitars and ambience. I realise from the start im into the Realm of Room modes and acoustics theory. I am very keen on creating music that is filled with air and ambience. Think a folky pink floyd! I usually like to have windchimes and echoes and the like in the mix. Basically, in technical speak "i like stuff going on".
Ok my equipment. Mics First. I have the follow mics. Some i own and some i can get use of. Shure SM57, 58, Sennheiser MD441 x 3, MD421 x2, Beyer M201, M69, 160x2, Marshall 603, 2003, 990. And quite a few others that my friend has, all old including models from AKG and EV. I cant remember what they are.
Instruments; Ok i play mainly these guitars; Gibson J200, Gibson j200 12 string. Martin d28, 0 18, Washburn jumbo acoustic. Ephiphone Casino, fender strat and tele. Gibson les paul. I also play piano, but that will be recorded using a keyboard and Reason, (which i will talk about later). Fender fretless bass, washburn bass and a mad axe.
Amps' I have a few amps and have the use of a good selection as well mainly; Vox ac10, 30, Marshall Mini blues breaker, silver jubilee, hi gain, Acoustic sound corporation bass amp, some ampeg amps and a few others that i can remember.
recording equipment. ok i am using An edirol Fa-101, A roland MMP-2 pre. And i am recording onto Cubase SX and i also own Reason 2 as well. I also have a Yamaha MD8 and a Fostex eight track. I can also get my hands on some reel to reels. My monitor speakers are Event Tr 5's.
My recording environment is pretty quite, i live beside a mountain and theres not much traffic, im not at much risk of sound leakage to anywhere either. The rooms themselves are not that big, i have done recording in them before for notational purposes only and they sound ok. One room in particular sounds great with my acoustic guitar, so im guessing thats the room for me.
So what im saying is, how visable is it to record at home a top quality album. I realise this is a subjective thing. It all depends on the players and the music. i will be getting the album professionaly mastered and probably mixing it somewhere else, like a studio. How many great albums have been made in this way? can anybody see any real pitfalls or problems ahead.
thanks.

 

[jndietz]

I think honestly, as long as it sounds good, you should be all right.

I know that Metallica's "Garage Inc." album was recorded in Lar Ulrich's garage. Album didn't sell too well, probably because no one likes Metallica anymore. However, it sounds great

 

[gummblefish]

Hey, welcome to BBS. Nice first post it raises some good questions. Firstly i know of a few albums that have had commercial success from being recorded at home. Nabraska by Bruce Springsteen was cut as a demo that he was going to give to the band to learn. That album is actually cited as one of his best. Sure there are anomalies in there and its awash with reverb, but that kinda adds to the atmosphere of the album. Also the Content suits the closeness of it all. I dont know what equipment he was using, but i will say that you have a good selection of stuff there. Also the Basement tapes by Bob dylan and the band was also a commercial success, after it had resurfaced. It was a smash hit as an underground record. There has in fact been quite a trend in albums and tracks being recorded at home. I know the last Mini Driver album was recorded in a garage, and David grays White ladder was recorded in his flat. Im sure there are loads. But then it all comes down to what equipment, how good the rooms are etc.
I sure if you have the ability, the songs and the equipment you can make it work. And if you are going to have it mastered and mixed proffesionally then it shouldnt be a problem, you could always reamp later anyhow. look at damian rices album which was recorded in that way.

 

[Creamyapples1]

IIRC, David Grey's latest was done in his apartment (maybe I'm confusing him with someone else) STP and RHCP have done a few albums from a rented house, but I'm sure they had the resources to apply treatment and take it down before they left (to some extent anyway) Though I know on atleast one track on STP's Tiny Music...... The drum tracks were recorded with the kit sitting in the bottom of an emtpy pool outside.

I'd say the best advice is A) Do some research on acoustics and treatment and hash out a plan that will work for you, your environment and your budget. B) Expirement like a madman, don't be affraid to try something just because noone here has said it. C) If it sounds good to you, noone else can tell you that it doesn't. (They can say that THEY don't like it, but F them, you aren't making music for them anyway)

 

[chessrock]

I kind of have mixed feelings on your question.

I mean ... on one hand, you're asking if it's been done before, and if it's possible. And on the other hand, it seems like you're asking how realistic of a goal it is.

On the one hand, one might ask: "Has a 7 year old ever completed the swim from Alcatraz island?" And if you read the news, the answer would be "yes." So in a sense, you've got a positive response to your question from a certain aspect.

On the other hand, do you feel that allowing any 7-year old kid to attempt that swim is a good idea? Asked that way, you get a very different answer. Now I apologize for being cynical, but honestly, about 99% of the guys on this board are recording in their homes with similar equipment and knowlege as yourself, and I'm afraid that most of the stuff you'll hear from these guys isn't of "comercial release" quality.

So from that perspective, I have to be honest and say that I don't think your goals are very realistic. You can't expect to simply skip all of the learning curve associated with producing a professional-quality record worthy of comercial release ... just because you've put some thought and strategy in to it. It just doesn't work that way. Chances are, the music might sound good but the recording quality will probably suck from a technical standpoint.

Now if you were a professional engineer with a ton of credits under your belt, I would be saying the exact opposite. But then, if you were a hot-shot who knew his shit ... you wouldn't have to ask that question on this board. So I stand by my hypothesis and say your project, if done this way, will probably suck.

.

 

[gummblefish]

read this http://www.bcentral.co.uk/startingup/premises/musicians-who-record-pop-music-at-home.mspx

 

[cephus]

Then again, if you record the tracks cleanly and decently, they can be taken to be mastered somewhere else, right? The mixing and the mastering is where home recording falls flat isn't it?

 

[guttapercha]

The Band - Music From The Big Pink and Bob Dylan and The Band: The basement tapes They're not the greatest sounding albums fidelity-wise, but classics for sure.

Undoubtedly Big Pink was probably a full-fledged recording studio, but it was home too!

If you have this kind of talent, it doesn't really matter where you record.

 

[Cyrokk]

So from that perspective, I have to be honest and say that I don't think your goals are very realistic. You can't expect to simply skip all of the learning curve associated with producing a professional-quality record worthy of comercial release ... just because you've put some thought and strategy in to it. It just doesn't work that way. Chances are, the music might sound good but the recording quality will probably suck from a technical standpoint.

Now if you were a professional engineer with a ton of credits under your belt, I would be saying the exact opposite. But then, if you were a hot-shot who knew his shit ... you wouldn't have to ask that question on this board. So I stand by my hypothesis and say your project, if done this way, will probably suck.

.

That's the key here. It doesn't matter where you record. You need the experience to know what does and doesn't work in your environment and that won't come overnight. This is something you need to understand before you press the record button. If you think you will cut a commercial sounding release with good equipment but limited experience then you will most likely be disappointed with the results, and from my personal experience, such disappointment can overshadow the inspiration in the original performance.

Bonham's drum sound was recorded in a two story house. Many people consider it a good sound (I don't from a recording perspective, but dig it from a compositional perspective), but what is overlooked is the fact that Eddie Kramer was the engineer and knew how to capture the sound that would be worth the tracking of other instruments over.

 

[LIMiT]

I remember seeing something on Incubus, where they rented a mansion somewhere, and recorded mostly playing together in the living room.

I think its the CD with 'Drive' on it...???

From memory,..I think they sold a few of those CD's....

Cheers,

-LIMiT

 

[Elmo89m]

fugazi's 13 songs was recorded in a basement if memory serves me right.

 

[gcapel]

The Band - Music From The Big Pink and Bob Dylan and The Band: The basement tapes They're not the greatest sounding albums fidelity-wise, but classics for sure.

Undoubtedly Big Pink was probably a full-fledged recording studio, but it was home too!

If you have this kind of talent, it doesn't really matter where you record.

man i was going to say this. For sure classic album. The live album "rock of ages" by The Band is the best live recording Ive ever heard. Not only because of the quality of recording or mastering but the players were in the pocket with perfect performances. You know sometimes it is what it is. Moment caught in time. It not only depends on the studio but the players and there songs.

All you can do is what you do best. If its good you;ll have clients nomatter if its in a decked out pro studio or a great home studio.

 

[Love minus Zero]

Ok thanks for the replies. Firstly i would like to say to Chessrock that i appreciate his sarcastic comments about children, alcatras and swimming. No im not a shit hot engineer. But then did i say anywhere that i will be engineering it? I will be bringing someone in. Also you said that i was working with what most guys here have. Im not so sure about that either, i dont know many other people here or anywhere that have a 1963 mini blues breaker. Original 1960's amps and guitars from the 1950's to the 90's. I have been around abit, and like i say i have been recording in studios for a while. I am only interested in what you think of using a house as a shell for a recording project. thanks

 

[Robert D]

Some music is irrepressable, and even a mediocre recording of it will stick in your head. If people just can't get enough of your music, and it has that kind of magnatism, then it may not matter if your recording's technical merits are a little sub par. But if you're not the second coming of the Beatles or Elvis, then a great sounding recording is just one more thing that has to fall in place to get a slot. Can you get there? Maybe, but how long it will take is another question. It's always possible that you may have some natural talent at it that accelerates you up the curve, but more likely is that it will take years to get there, if ever. So be optimistic, but be realistic. If you have a great talent as a songwriter/musician, doing your own recording can be a helpfull tool, or it can become a big concrete block chained to your leg, keeping you from moving forward with your real muse.

 

[Todzilla]

Steve Vai's first solo record was done at home on a (gulp!) Fostex Model 80.

It is a wonderful mess of a record.

 

[andyhix]

My band's first CD was recorded on 4 track cassette in an apartment and the 2nd CD was recorded in a basement. Between the two of them, we've literally sold dozens of copies!!

 

[ripingitar]

creeds "my own Prison" was recorded in their producers house .... they had no label at the time and were self producing a cd like lots of bands do ... mine to be included .. and it sold MILLIONS ... Great songs / great playing
have more to do with it than Gear !

 

[Ironklad Audio]

The mixing and the mastering is where home recording falls flat isn't it?

not necessarily...there's quite a few people out there who have the tools/gear necessary to track/mix/master decent quality stuff, but it's usually a shitty room or mic placement that kills things

I am only interested in what you think of using a house as a shell for a recording project. thanks

many 100% legit pro studios nowadays exist within people's homes, so it's definitely within the realm of possibility

i've always wanted a big-ass basement with an SSL in it, lol

 

[kid klash]

At least one of kd lang's CDs was recorded in her home/apartment, with blackface ADAT's no less. The drummer used a kids-size drum kit too, which was set up in her walk-in closet (aka "isolation drum booth"). So yeah, it has been done. It's the talent and results, not the location and gear, that really counts.

 

[chessrock]

Firstly i would like to say to Chessrock that i appreciate his sarcastic comments about children, alcatras and swimming.

I make plenty of sarcastic comments on this board (probably an understatement), but that wasn't one of them. But you're welcome.

But then did i say anywhere that i will be engineering it?

I apologize, as I must have skipped over the part where you said you wouldn't be.

That was a sarcastic comment, by the way.

I will be bringing someone in.

Good move.

Also you said that i was working with what most guys here have. Im not so sure about that either, i dont know many other people here or anywhere that have a 1963 mini blues breaker. Original 1960's amps and guitars from the 1950's to the 90's.

True, but I do know plenty who have Edirol soundcards, Roland MMP-2 mic pres, Yamaha MD8 and a Fostex eight track recorders, and Event Tr 5's and Marshall MXL microphones. Pretty standard budget homerecer's stuff there.

I am only interested in what you think of using a house as a shell for a recording project.

I think it totally depends on the kind of house ... what kind of rooms it has, how big they are, the height of the ceilings, what kind of surfaces on the floors and walls, etc.

I've walked in to some very nice, open A-frame type houses with hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings and exposed brick and stone walls and said to myself: "Man, I would LOVE to record a band here."

On the same token, I've also been in a few places where I wouldn't put a microphone anywhere near the place.

If your place falls in to the former category (i.e. you have lots of nice-sounding rooms, etc.) then I think the idea of recoridng in a house as a "shell" would be an absolutely brilliant idea ... provided you brought in a competent engineer (with a good arsenal of mobile equipment) to handle the sessions.

Frankly, though, I'm not holding out a lot of hope. Your first two posts have come across as sort of "know-it-all" - ish. Drop all of this "I've been there" stuff, and be open to suggestion. Just because you've been in a few recording studios and own some nice guitars doesn't mean you know jack shit, because I can already tell you don't.

Good luck.
.