McParadigm
New member
File this under "low fi and Tom Waits obsessed."
After putting together two records last year, one with a band and one solo project, I felt like what I was listening to and what I was making were so far apart they were nearly irreconcilable. So I decided to create something that would more effectively capture the sound and feel of the basement and garage noodling that often predates the more meticulous, clean final recording. In other words, I didn't want the recordings to sound so goddamn pretty.
So I put the Neumann back in its case, and almost exclusively used AT2020s. Furthermore, I set them near the center of the room aiming at a 90 degree angle, panned them left and right, and often recorded live (or at least rarely recorded a single instrument by itself. For some of these songs, we were all over and where you were in the room is where you were in the mix.
Lastly, I began toying with found sounds and things like that, and tried to accentuate the "in the moment" quality of the songs by often leaving them unfinished (especially lyrics), so that a lot of lines are made up during the take.
I'm back to working on less odd stuff with my band now, but I have the A side of this thing mixed, so I figured I'd toss it up here. A little different than some of what you find.
1. Scab in the Line
3 guitars, drums, horns
2. Jerry's Fire
2 guitars, cowbell, broken toy keyboard
3. Soon I'll Be Home Again
3 marimbas, container of rice, amaretto bottle, organ, beginner guitar, childrens' bell toy
4. Let the Water Run
2 guitars, cowbell, childrens' bell toy, doo-whop singing
5. The Athens of Calabria
Guitar, bass, concertina
6. War Comes to the Urakami Valley
Guitar, cymbal (hit with a fist), whistling, cardboard box
7. A Technicolor Yawn
Two guitars, piano, container of rice, harmonica, dresser drawers
I'll put the other half up when it's ready. I have one session left on the final track.
After putting together two records last year, one with a band and one solo project, I felt like what I was listening to and what I was making were so far apart they were nearly irreconcilable. So I decided to create something that would more effectively capture the sound and feel of the basement and garage noodling that often predates the more meticulous, clean final recording. In other words, I didn't want the recordings to sound so goddamn pretty.
So I put the Neumann back in its case, and almost exclusively used AT2020s. Furthermore, I set them near the center of the room aiming at a 90 degree angle, panned them left and right, and often recorded live (or at least rarely recorded a single instrument by itself. For some of these songs, we were all over and where you were in the room is where you were in the mix.
Lastly, I began toying with found sounds and things like that, and tried to accentuate the "in the moment" quality of the songs by often leaving them unfinished (especially lyrics), so that a lot of lines are made up during the take.
I'm back to working on less odd stuff with my band now, but I have the A side of this thing mixed, so I figured I'd toss it up here. A little different than some of what you find.
1. Scab in the Line
3 guitars, drums, horns
2. Jerry's Fire
2 guitars, cowbell, broken toy keyboard
3. Soon I'll Be Home Again
3 marimbas, container of rice, amaretto bottle, organ, beginner guitar, childrens' bell toy
4. Let the Water Run
2 guitars, cowbell, childrens' bell toy, doo-whop singing
5. The Athens of Calabria
Guitar, bass, concertina
6. War Comes to the Urakami Valley
Guitar, cymbal (hit with a fist), whistling, cardboard box
7. A Technicolor Yawn
Two guitars, piano, container of rice, harmonica, dresser drawers
I'll put the other half up when it's ready. I have one session left on the final track.
There's not too much to say here, if you want a lo-fi basement sound, you got it.
