[Request/Challenge] =-= Putting your suggestions into practice...

[Speedy VonTrapp]

I've read several posts suggesting that when going into a studio to record, it's advisable to bring a disk with a group whose sound you like, in order to help the engineer have a good idea of the kinds of sounds you'd like to get out of the recording.

I'd like to take that request with a bit of a twist, in order to help educate myself for just this kind of subject.

How do I apply the suggestion above if I'm the engineer? With this specific example, give me your ideas for specific things that you would try to achieve a specific type of sound, as if someone came to you with a CD and said, "I like this kind of sound, we'd like to have something similiar in respect to the recording sound."

So, here is the request/challenge:

I'm coming to you with a disk that has "Remember" by Disturbed. What sort of techniques would you employ to try and capture the sound in that song with the set up that you'll use with the band coming in?

Be as specific as you feel like. Talk about panning, effects, mic'ing, or anything that you can think of that you'd try, in order to achieve the general sound that song has. Would you use multiple mics on a cabinet, or would your experience tell you to try something different? Or a combination? Would you mic every drum? Or just a few with overheads? Where would you put the rythem guitar in the mix? The lead guitar? The drums? Vocals?

Obviously, experimentation will come into play. I've just heard the suggestion before, and wonder what you would do if my band came to you with that song as a sample of the sound we wanted. (Also obviously, the song that I want recorded should lend itself to being in that style of music to begin with, assume that it is.)

I'm just trying to figure out what someone would initially look for in the mix for "Remember" and what sort of things they'd try.

The kind of equipment, and amount of equipment available is an issue, as not everyone will have the same, but post what you might try with your set up.

Ready....Go!

 

[Fletcher]

There are different ways to look at something like that... you can look at it for "direction" or you can look at it as the goal.

Unless the "artist" has a fairly near infinite budget [I've worked on projects where the focus was trying to get sounds from albums past... which was a drag to say the least... not to mention incredibly time consuming and expensive... but that was what the artist wanted, so that's what they got], then, as an engineer you look for 'direction' from the CD the client brings.

How do the guitars fit with the drums? HOw do the vocals fit with the instruments? Are the drums real? ...or samples? ... or do they seem real but come across as samples? Are there like 8 layers of guitars? ... or are they just double tracked? ... or are they different parts in different tunings?

Then you can get into the realm of impossibility... where the client may have it in their mind that they'd like to sound like _____, but A)don't have the chops to pull it off as players; B)have no idea how to achieve "the sound" they're trying to achieve from the perspective of operating their instruments to get that sound... in other words, they suck.

One of the first things you have to understand as an engineer... after all the plug ins, toys, tools, editing, tuning, shaping, etc... we still can't do alchemy. You can indeed polish a turd [you have to freeze it first]... but the fact of the matter is that it's still a turd [and eventually your nice shiney polished turd will thaw out... when it does, it's still a turd, just one that you put way too much energy into trying to turn into something it ain't].

I'm not familiar with the song 'Remeber' by Disturbed... and if I were I probably wouldn't disect it for you... only because that is a major part of the learning process... much like figuring out guitar solos is part of learning to play guitar, figuring out how sounds were achieved on records, struggling to achieve sounds you hear on records, and expecially the experience you gain through that struggle is all part of the "learning process".

I guess it comes down to: "you gotta suffer if you wanna sing da bluz". Best of luck with it.

 

[gorbyrun]

To recreate vocal effects I listen to the CD in mono with the phase reversed on one side. This removes most of the vocals leaving the effects that were used.

 

[gorbyrun]

To recreate vocal effects I listen to the CD in mono with the phase reversed on one side. This removes most of the vocals leaving the effects that were used.