Post your favorite production tricks!

  • Thread starter Thread starter rpc9943
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Try re-micing

If you have a track such as an acoustic guitar that was recorded direct that sounds ok but very lifeless and flat.
Try re-micing the track playing it back through the studio monitors. You have tons of options to experiment with such as mics, placement, EQ and panning. Anyway I like to pan the original track hard -10 and the re-miced track hard +10. This will add a little dimension and air to the track.
I've gone as far as re-micing the entire mix for a similar effect.
It's fun and safe for the entire family, Give it a try!

C
 
Silo

my fav production trick is not my own, but that of a great band called my morning jacket. they use a grain silo as a reverb chamber, with a speaker in the bottom and a mic in the top. it sounds amazing.
 
mcolling said:
my fav production trick is not my own, but that of a great band called my morning jacket. they use a grain silo as a reverb chamber, with a speaker in the bottom and a mic in the top. it sounds amazing.
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Dude, I just looked through the entire Musician's Friend catalog and couldn't find the grain silo section!
 
the problem with getting a silo and using it for reverb is that, sure, it's great at first, but then you want longer or shorter delay on the reverb. Suddenly you've got 2 silos in your suburban backyard. Then 3 or 4. Sooner or later you wife is gonna notice.

It's just like guitars - how many is enough?!

But at least I know where to buy them - thanks MM

:p
 
Here in California, we might be able to pass it off as a water storage tank.

Honey, we really need 2, think of all the money we are saving!
 
Mumbus said:
Stupid question... What does adding reverb to a reversed wav do that would be different than applying reverb to the original wav? Can you site any specific parts of a Tool song as an example of this technique?

Thanks,
Mumbus
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on Lateralis i beleive you can hear this effect when parabol kicks into to parabola, also used by Ozzy on the song perry mason, and using a delay on hurt by nin when it goes into the chorus...i can't think of any more examples right now...

my favourite studio trick is chemical indulgence..heh ha ha....oooooh
 
Mumbus said:
Stupid question... What does adding reverb to a reversed wav do that would be different than applying reverb to the original wav? Can you site any specific parts of a Tool song as an example of this technique?

Thanks,
Mumbus
Click to expand...

Tool uses it yes..you can hear it on Stinkfist at the beginning of every verse..You can notice it MUCH more in SilverF*** by the Smashing pumpkins. It's on their Siamese Dream album. Right in the middle of the song when bill starts saying "bang bang you're dead...hole in your head"...very obvious and makes a huge intro into the serious rocking that follows.

I believe they also use it on the little girls voice in poltergeist...when she's in the tv.

dlv
 
mcolling said:
my fav production trick is not my own, but that of a great band called my morning jacket. they use a grain silo as a reverb chamber, with a speaker in the bottom and a mic in the top. it sounds amazing.
Click to expand...

That's cool.

I've often thought about starting a thread asking about MMJ's reverb sound. It sounds very obviously reverby but not cheesy, just a lot of atmosphere.

Thanks for that. :)
 
The Seifer said:
Same effect as the whisper track:

Mic an unamplified electric guitar playing the rhythm and then mix it deep in the mix with the distorted rhythm parts. Sometimes I add a clean track too. Does anyone else do this or am I the only one?
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No, you are not the only one who does this. I like to thicken the parts by recording two or three tracks, the main dirty track in the middle... clean, same notes to the right or left.... and then an octave down or up clean, to the opposite ear. makes a nice wide and thick tone.
 
I like to have the guitarist mute just the emphasis parts in the main segments of the song. In other words if the guitar part is a cha-chunnnnnnng he just plays ch-ch. Kind of scratchy. Then I mix that low in the mix. It gives it a heavier feel.
 
I got an interesting sound by recording two clean rhythm parts, panning them hard left and right, then flipping one the parts out of phase 180 degrees. It gives it almost a chorusy sound.
 
Mmj

yeah, my morning jacket are sweet. their reverb is done in many ways, apparently, not just in the silo. but the you can really hear the silo on some tracks. they record in the bathroom, too.

there is something we could all try-- use the bathroom as a reverb chamber. i've never done it. anyone?
 
Nice easy one for me. Basically just stereo delay, but you do it manually. You get the guitar track, split it into two (copy mono wave, pan one left one right, whatever) and shift one of them a few miliseconds to the right or left. Then you have the reverb use a mix of the both as the source. Makes a good "wide" sound :).

I have to say I've never used a bathroom as a reverb chamber, but I have used a garage. Stuck some old PA speaker up one end, and I think a MD402 sennheiser? up the other end. Sounded like they were playing in a garage (funny that eh?). Not exactly a desirable effect in my case, because they sound like a garage band anyway! lol!
 
goldfish said:
Nice easy one for me. Basically just stereo delay, but you do it manually. You get the guitar track, split it into two (copy mono wave, pan one left one right, whatever) and shift one of them a few miliseconds to the right or left. Then you have the reverb use a mix of the both as the source. Makes a good "wide" sound :).
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That's a trick I learned after listening to Alan Parsons. It basically sounds like one instrument source, until you listen in a good stereo field, like headphones, where you can really feel the 3D effect. I've done this w/ guitar parts, & it sounds great.
 
goldfish said:
Nice easy one for me. Basically just stereo delay, but you do it manually. You get the guitar track, split it into two (copy mono wave, pan one left one right, whatever) and shift one of them a few miliseconds to the right or left. Then you have the reverb use a mix of the both as the source. Makes a good "wide" sound :).
Click to expand...

sounds like the stones did that on "brown sugar"
 
what's that for?

The most important thing to remember is to use things and equipment for purposes that are contrary to their intended use :D.
 
Hehe this won't be new for most of you, but I found it out today. I recorded backing vocals today and I used two voices, but they sound like much more. I panned the first vocal part 70 left; and an lower octave 70 right. Wooow it rocks! Simple but beautiful :)
 
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