New music

[mysticjim]

Hi Guys

First new recording session for a few months, and made a few steps forward!

These are a young band from in and around Bristol, Uk, only done about 6 rehearsals and yet to gig, so you heard 'em here first!

We did two tracks at my studio this weekend, I'm really pleased with all of the music, and I think I've finally made progress with getting a more 'rock' snare sound at last! Both songs were mixed in a bit of a hurry, so apologies if any problems leaps out, we were up against time at the end, so I'm not 100% about the vocal takes or the placement in the mix.

Not crazy about the songs, but they're young guys and will have time to refine their music in future, more interested in feedback on what works or doesn't work within the music, ideally from a mixing point of view!

Enjoy

http://www.myspace.com/theottawahoax

thanks

Jim

 

[eddietellis]

What is your setup for this?

 

[eddietellis]

Meaning recording equipment haha

 

[ido1957]

Typing while listening....mix is good - no problems there.

Suggestion - click track, and tell the singer to work on his cookie monster so he doesn't blow out his vocal chords....he has a good voice which would be a shame to damage. There are vocal methodologies/lessons out there for it...
He sounds like he's straining a bit.

The song starts out well then sputters a bit on the first part of the instrumental. Then it seems to settle down a bit and get back in the groove.

The contrast between the raunchy stuff and the mellow stuff is cool. The return(s) to the raunch are good and takes the song back up to where it should be to finish.

For listening it is a bit long but in a live situation it should go over well...

 

[mysticjim]

Ok, responses

Hi ido1957

Thanks for the feedback, I certainly agree about the vocals - the kid is 18, smokes like a trooper and had a nasty cold when he was recording the vocals. I'm of the opinion he'll do his throat in before he's 21! That vocal style seems to be very common in my part of the world at the moment, had at least 3 bands doing that sort of thing in the studio this year. I don't mind his singing voice, he does a passable Muse impersonation, perhaps without the very upper reaches in the range, but I do find the subject matter of his songs a bit average though.

I try and avoid using click tracks whenever I can, and to be honest, most drummers have problems playing to them. In this instance, with all the tempo switches and stuff, it would have probably taken longer to program the click track than record the songs!

Glad you liked the mix, was worried that the songs get a bit congested when the drummer is doing his double kick stuff??

And eddietellis;

My studio is fairly basic. I record with an aging 3.2ghz specialist audio PC with 1gb of Ram, through an RME Fireface 800.

For this recording, on drums I used the 4 preamps on the Fireface, and an additional 4 inputs via a Spirit M4 mixer. Guide tracks were laid down alongside the drums via the final 2 available inputs on the Fireface, although I've got a Behringher ADAT8000 for an additional 8 input via adat if I need them.

All mics pretty much go direct to the interface without processing on the way in, can't afford any fancy outboard preamps or anything!

On the kit I used a cheap bassdrum mic from a Samson drum mic set for the kick, 2 more dynamics from the same Samson set for the two toms, a pair of matched CAD budget condensor mics for the overheads (taken from a cheap CAD drum mic set), an obscure and battered AKG dynamic mic(can't remember the model) for the top of the snare, a shure SM57 for the bottom - and my secret weapon for big, deep snare sounds, my prized Neuman Condensor mic about a foot further back and half a foot higher than the AKG.

For Bass I took a DI and mic'ed the amp with same bass drum mic used above, for guitars I used the SM57, the bassdrum mic(again) for close mic'ing and the Neuman further back. Finally, vocals - you guessed it, that Neuman again! I have to make a little bit of gear go a long way!

I record using Cubase SE 3.something-or-other, the aging, bug riddled cheap and cheerfull version of Cubase, I use T-Racks for rudimentry mastering, but otherwise most of my plugins, certainly all my compressors and reverbs, are good old freeware.

And thats about it!

Jim