tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30034451431643269122024-03-06T22:18:57.617-06:00Get YoshedBetter Tracks For Better MixesYoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856010691112800401noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003445143164326912.post-7800199783998340112018-03-14T09:48:00.002-06:002018-03-14T09:55:01.158-06:00 Capturing The Bass In A Live Performance <br />
Capturing The Bass In A Live Performance - (these tips can also be used in the studio)<br />
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1. The Performance<br />
It all starts with the performance. This is ultimately what matters the most. You want a good player who knows the songs well. Otherwise you will end up spending more money to fix things after the fact. <br />
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2. The Instrument<br />
The next step to a great bass recording is the Instrument. You want to use a quality bass that is in good condition (no fret buzz, bad jacks or pots, well intonated, etc.) It is also important to keep the bass in tune between songs. Fresh strings can be important as well but it is recommended to change them a few days before the show since they can be too bright and noisy when first changed. Also, planning ahead and having a backup instrument can save a show from disaster. <br />
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3. Di or Amp?<br />
Should you use a direct box or mic the bass amp? It is recommended to always use a direct box in live situations so you can have a bass signal free of bleed. If the bass amp is well isolated from the stage and you have the ability to mic it in addition to the direct box, go for it. Just be aware that if you are mixing a bass amp and direct box together, there will most likely be a slight timing difference between the two tracks. The Direct box will be very slightly ahead of the amp since it has a shorter path to travel. This can cause phase issues and cancel out the low end of the bass. You will have to phase align the two tracks in your Digital Audio Workstation after the fact. You can also always apply a bass amp plugin or send the direct recording to a bass amp and record that in post production. <br />
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4. EQ and Compression<br />
Subtle EQ and compression can help bring out the dynamics of the performance. If not done properly however, it can also hinder the recording. If in doubt, bypass any such effects. From experience I’ve encountered bass recordings that sound very thin even though they sounded fat on stage. This could be caused by many factors. Sometimes a bassist is misled by the sound coming from the bass amp. As a result they tend to drop the low frequencies on the instrument thinking there’s enough low end from the bass amp only to realize that the recording had little to no low end. Again, If in doubt, capture the recording with no processing. <br />
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5. Monitoring<br />
Always keep an eye on the input signal. Even if the signal was not clipping during soundcheck, there is a good chance the player will be playing harder during the performance. In the digital domain, you want to avoid clipping as it can ruin a recording. Recording too low is preferred to clipping in the DAW, so leave yourself plenty of headroom. One way to help prevent this is to make sure that the player has enough of themselves in their monitors while they are playing at a reasonable volume during soundcheck so that once the band starts they don’t struggle to hear themselves and start playing louder. The bass player could also be clipping his amp/direct box before it gets to the engineer, so use your ears as well to tell you if there is a problem. One issue often overlooked, is the proximity of the bass player to their amp. Low frequencies are heard best from a distance since they have long wavelengths. Standing too close to the amp can actually give the impression that there is not enough low end. If possible have the bass player move farther away from the amp until they can hear the true tone of the amp. <br />
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In conclusion, meters are crucial but let your ears be your ultimate guide.<br />
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by Daniel Ayittah Yoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856010691112800401noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003445143164326912.post-70945080684038296102018-02-11T02:31:00.000-06:002018-03-14T09:50:57.098-06:00Capturing Drums in A Live PerformanceCapturing Drums in A Live Performance<br />
-by Daniel Ayittah<br />
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1. The Drum Kit.<br />
Your choice of the drum kit or instrument for that matter will greatly influence your recording. This is because each instrument sounds different sonically depending on the material used to build it. The choice of kit is as critical as the microphones used. If your drums are cheap you should expect a cheap sound in your recordings.<br />
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2. Performance<br />
The first step to getting a good drum recording is to use a good drummer. A bad performance cannot be fixed later in post production. If you’re willing to invest in a live recording you might as well invest in a good drummer.<br />
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3. Tuning and Changing heads.<br />
Second on the checklist is to make sure your drums sound good using your ears first. The drums have to be tuned appropriately to achieve this. Tuning your drums properly will help them to blend in the mix properly. It’s also preferable to change your drum heads prior to a recording. You should also have spare heads available. If you don’t know how to get your drums to sound good, get a drum technician or a professional drummer to help. You can’t expect to record a bad snare with a good mic and expect the microphone to do the magic. Many a time I find people making the mistake of using the “we’ll fix it in the mix” path. That’s a trap for failure. Check drum parts for unnecessary noises which can affect the recording. An example is the rattling of snare wires. These can be silence by adjusting the lever on the side of the snare else you can place a towel or cloth in between the wire and the bottom of the snare. It is also advisable to have spare snares available. Squeaking drum thrones can be dealt with by applying some oil to the joints.<br />
Cymbals cannot be tuned unfortunately so you may have to replace them if they don’t sound good.<br />
Dampen your drum heads where appropriate to avoid unwanted resonance. You can put a small cushion or padding at the bottom of the kick mic to deal with too much sustain. However don’t stuff your whole laundry into it. Padding it too much will change the sound of the kick drum into a less interesting thud.<br />
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4. Placing microphones<br />
Proper mic placement will help you to get a good signal from your drums. This is a wide topic but a rule of thumb is to have the mics for the snare and toms pointing to the Center of the drum heads instead of the sides. Overhead mics should not be too close to the cymbals as well. It is also advisable to do a test recording of the kit and adjust mic positions till you get the right sound. There are several resources online about drum miking techniques which you can check out if you’re not sure of what you’re doing.<br />
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Using good microphones is crucial to the fidelity of your recording. If you use cheap mics you should not expect a pro sounding recording.<br />
There are many mics to choose from hence we’ll not dwell on that. However it goes without saying that a shure sm57 has been an all time favorite for snares. Speaking of snares it’s always preferable to record the top and bottom of the snare. You can get away with using a single mic for the kick but make sure you’re doing it right. If in doubt consult a professional recording engineer. Your FOH(Front of House) engineer would be the best place to start.<br />
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5. Drum Enclosures<br />
There's usually a debate about whether to use enclosures or not, also popularly known as a drum cage. I would suggest that if you have a lot going on the stage, it may be advisable to use an enclosure. Same goes if your stage space is too small. The enclosure not only helps to isolate the drums but also prevents the drum sound from bleeding into other sources on stage. That's worth taking note of. <br />
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See you in the next episode...Yoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856010691112800401noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003445143164326912.post-26598298775507523482013-02-08T17:19:00.000-06:002018-02-11T02:35:05.789-06:00Classical Piano Recording: Update<br />
A couple years ago, in honor of my late brother, Frank (an avid Chopin fan), we did a short series on piano miking. A big thanks to my good friends and excellent engineers Randy Poole (Anita Baker, Michael W. Smith, CeCe Winans) and Kevin Edlin (Nashville Symphony, Kings Singers) for contributing their techniques and tips to the GetYoshed blog! <br />
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The project Kevin was recording while writing this blog was a solo piano album for acclaimed pianist Agnes Wan (http://www.agnes-wan.net). This album has recently been released and we wanted to share it with you to listen to while you're reading Kevin's post and thinking about your own piano recordings. The album can be found on <a href="http://www.soundset.com/cd_detail.php?disc=162">Soundset here</a> or <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/romance-at-the-piano/id601052637?uo=4">iTunes here</a>. Here's what Kevin wrote:<br />
<blockquote style="font-family: Helvetica;" type="cite">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Thanks for having me, I really appreciate it. As far as classical piano recording techniques go, here are some of my thoughts. The first thing to consider is the type of piece you're going to record - whether it's a work for solo classical piano, or rather a piano concerto (a piece written for piano and orchestra) with the pianist as the featured soloist. Further consideration needs to be given to the approach of the recording, i.e. a live concert as opposed to a closed session. As you may know, in classical music the aesthetic is generally for recordings to be made in somewhat of an audience/listener's position, but yet having more clarity and detail than seated patrons can observe. </span> </blockquote>
<blockquote style="font-family: Helvetica;" type="cite">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">For purposes of this discussion, I'll leave out anything related to recording a piano as only a part of the orchestra, where it is only an element of the music and not a featured instrument. I'll also only include non-studio techniques, as most classical recordings are made on location in different concert halls and performing arts venues. </span> </blockquote>
<blockquote style="font-family: Helvetica;" type="cite">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">For a solo classical piano piece, the first thing one should do is make sure the instrument is in a good spot on the stage. The sound of the piano as it resonates in the hall it's played in can change greatly if moved from the front to the back of the stage. Generally, you'll want to have the instrument somewhat in the center. This however can vary slightly though, as some performers like to have the center of the sound board directly in the middle of the stage, while other prefer to have the hammers and action in the middle, thereby putting the keys and the performer in the center as well. Sometimes this is done for acoustic reasons, and sometimes it may be done like this just for the sake of appearances. After this has been decided upon, it's a good idea to talk with the performer about past experiences he or she might have had playing in that hall (if they ever have before) to gain any insight from them, and just to make sure they're comfortable. It's </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">also paramount to do a little moving of the instrument from upstage (closer to the back wall) to downstage (closer to the audience) - and a lot of critical listening while the performer plays through a few excerpts of the material at hand. I can't emphasise this enough. Sometimes, just a few feet in either direction can make a big difference in finding a particular spot on the stage where the sound blooms. </span> </blockquote>
<blockquote style="font-family: Helvetica;" type="cite">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">When it comes to equipment, I would normally start with a spaced pair of omnidirectional microphones positioned 4 to 5 feet over the opening of the lid at full stick, with the angles of the mics generally at the same degree as that of the open lid. This would be used as the main pair of mics, and for the most part be responsible for capturing the instrument and the overall sound of the recording. For this, my preference would generally be the DPA 4006. I have however had good results using a pair of high quality cardiod or sub-cardiod microphones, such as Schoeps or Neumann, in an ORTF position or something similar. I also try and use the cleanest, quietest, and most neutral preamplifiers available, typically by manufacturers such as Millennia, Grace, or Lavry. The Millennia HV-3D 8 channel unit is very commonplace for this application. For a solo piano, I might also put up a pair of flanking omnidirectional microphones, with each one being 6 to 8 feet </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">or so to the left and right of the main pair. This is primarily to capture the reflections of the stage and to allow for a greater width to the recording. Lastly, I almost always have some sort of ambient hall pair of mics. These are usually omnidirectional as well, and could be anything ranging from the DPA compact series to some sort of high quality large diaphragm condensers. Using these allows one to capture the natural reverberation of the hall. They can be placed anywhere from the far left/right corners of the very back of the hall and high up near the rear ceiling, to mid-way down the isles near the stage and fairly close together - or anywhere in between. The exact position can depend on the size the room, whether it's a small recital hall or a large concert venue, and the given rooms acoustics. </span> </blockquote>
<blockquote style="font-family: Helvetica;" type="cite">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Another major factor involved in classical mic technique that I have yet to mention is whether or not an audience is involved. This can be much greater factor than most people first imagine. In live concert recordings, microphones are often times not allowed to be placed on stands on the stage during performances! Depending on the venue management, the performer and/or music director, and what the audiences of that venue are accustomed to seeing, equipment such as mics, stands, and cables on stage can be thought of as cluttering and unsightly. It can therefor be necessary to suspend them in the air somehow from the ceiling, rafters, or architecture of the building. This could mean hanging them from the overhead grid or catwalk railing of a performing arts center, or even through the rafters and attic of a church. Naturally, this can pose some problems. The ways and means of doing this could be the subject of an entirely different essay, and would well go </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">beyond the scope of this one. Suffice to say, in a live audience situation, a good classical recording engineer must be able to get the microphones in the best spot available despite the possible adversities. So, whatever mic placements you have decided are best from your acoustic experiments and critical listening, you may now have to suspend in mid air and secure properly so that all performers, patrons, and backstage personnel are safe from any falling equipment! The placement of ambient hall mics are a good illustration of this. While in some occasions no one will care if the main or flanking pairs of mics are attached to stands on stage or not, it will always be against fire codes to put equipment in the isles or seating area of a hall during a performance. Mic stands, cables, or anything that could be a trip hazard will always be completely off limits when a live audience is present. This however becomes a non issue during a closed session! One </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">then has the freedom to choose to narrow the focus of the ambient pair, as opposed to hanging them from the one accessible beam found in the back of the hall. This however can even affect the mic choice of the main pairs as well. For instance it is usually easy to hang a pair of small diaphragm condensers on a stereo bar in front of an audience, while it may be nearly impossible to suspend a pair of Neumann M 50's or M 150's (with their accompanying tube power supplies) safely in the same hall. </span> </blockquote>
<blockquote style="font-family: Helvetica;" type="cite">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">This concludes many of my thoughts on recording a solo classical piano piece. I'll leave the topic of recording a piano concerto to another essay. And while I know that I have recored Chopin pieces before, I can't recall which ones, or exactly when or where. I'm sure I've recorded the Nashville symphony performing the music of Chopin in concert, and probably also the Aspen Festival Orchestra as well. And while I have never recorded an album of his music, I am never the less both humbled and thrilled to be included in your blog."</span></blockquote>
Yoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856010691112800401noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003445143164326912.post-91942130858364007092011-07-21T10:14:00.001-06:002011-07-21T10:17:50.167-06:00Best Sounds Ever<div class="MsoNormal">My good friend, Ed Wyborski, recently wrote to me, posing the question of the “best ever” sounds. What is the best snare sound, trumpet sound, mandolin sound, etc. Of course, “best” is always subjective, but so many great sounds are very distinct or unique. Here’s what Ed wrote; please add to the list and comment on your favorite sounds and, if you know, how they were created. We will be at the AES booth at NAMM this weekend asking people for their input as well. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>The Question</b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> - What is the best ever use of an instrument (or close to an instrument) in songs we know at this point in time, if you believe in a linear timeline. What is the thing that gets your attention when you hear a song that makes you say “I know that song – it has a great…?). You can pound to it, dance, and jump or just yell out. “Ya baby – I remember when this came out – it was soooo cool” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">So, I open for debate, to honor all those great musicians, recording engineers and producers that have captured these incredible sounds. What is the best ever – What, Who, When, Where and now the hard part “How?” </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The virtual phone is now open. Please add and expand in every direction.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="ListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"> - Hand claps – Buffalo Springfield, For what it worth</div><div class="ListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"> - Leslie speaker with organ – Devil with the blue dress?</div><div class="ListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"> - Leslie speaker with guitar – John Jaszcz, Detroit 1977, hot night, cool drinks, great song – no idea what it was but it was cool (note: This speaker got me a “A” at Wayne State in the Psychoacoustics of physics class 500 level)</div><div class="ListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"> - Leslie speaker with other – Good Question</div><div class="ListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"> - Cow Bell – Mitch Rider and the Detroit Wheels? – Little Susie was only 5 years old – rock and roll? </div><div class="ListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"> - Bongo - must be Santana – Soul sacrifice – a long time ago (extra points for the place)</div><div class="ListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">7 - Something cool – Ride with me - some kind of sound at start</div><div class="ListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">8 - Best “hey hey hey” - Don’t you forget me Simple minds?</div><div class="ListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"> - Saxophone – Deacon Blues?</div><div class="ListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"> - Talk Box – Rocky Mountain Way </div>Yoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856010691112800401noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003445143164326912.post-28156949068560910482011-04-05T18:14:00.000-06:002011-04-05T18:14:20.729-06:00Kirk Franklin: Hello Fear<div style="color: #777777; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Kirk Franklin is a phenomenal producer and choir director, and together with his production team, incredibly talented singers, and Fo Yo Soul Records, he created a masterpiece entitled <em>Hello Fear</em>, that Yosh had the distinct honor of contributing mixes. </div><div style="color: #777777; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #777777; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Certainly congratulations to Kirk are in order after a huge first week, selling nearly 90,000 copies (making it the 4th best selling gospel album of all time) and debuting No. 1 on the Billboard Gospel Chart as well as No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and appearing in top spots of several other charts as well. Even amidst all this success, however, what makes Kirk Franklin Kirk Franklin is his heart. As he told <a href="http://ugospel.com/" style="color: #66aa33; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank" title="UGospel">UGospel.com</a>, "I am just humbled. It is a blessing to know, that after all these years of making music, God continues to give me songs that people want to hear. I knew going into this project that God was not as concerned about what I do in the process of this album but what I become in the process of this album. I am hopeful that Hello Fear reaches the hearts of everyone who purchased the CD and helps them along their process of becoming who God would have them become." </div><div style="color: #777777; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="color: #777777; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">If you haven't heard the album yet, it is available in any record store, or <a href="http://www.walmart.com/ip/15806277">Walmart</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004MYP10O/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=getyos-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004MYP10O">Amazon</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=&l=as2&o=1&a=B004MYP10O" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />,<br />
as well as <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/hello-fear/id421399122">iTunes</a>. He is also on tour with Steve Harvey - a show definitely worth seeing.<br />
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Check out one of the single's "I Am"<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/qorbzNxDXHQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
</div>Yoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856010691112800401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003445143164326912.post-72400580046393820602011-01-16T22:37:00.000-06:002011-01-16T22:37:08.452-06:0011 New Years Resolutions for 2011<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">There are always ways to improve oneself, and the beginning of a year brings a renewed inspiration to make oneself better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So whether your new years resolutions have a tendency to fade mid-February or become habitual, we thought we’d compile a list of ways we Audio Engineers can improve our work and ourselves.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Add your own tips in the comments below and let us know what you think of ours!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In No Particular Order... </div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>1. Check crossfades prior to consolidating.</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal">It can be as simple as doing a batch fade (highlighting across multiple edits and hit Command-F in Pro Tools), but neglecting to crossfade edit points will cost hours of work later trying to remove clicks and pops from the track.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before consolidating, we always duplicate the playlist in case something is wrong, and crossfade all the edit points.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know from experience, trying to copy/paste audio, or drawing with the pencil tool to remove clicks is a tedious and frustrating process.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>2. Check disc allocation.</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In today’s audio world, sessions are constantly moved from hard drive to hard drive and worked on by different engineers, in different locations, at different times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With all this change in location, Pro Tools sometimes gets a little confused as to where it should place your audio files and fade files.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is very good practice to hit Setup-Disc Allocation and be sure every track will write to the proper drive so sometime down the road you don’t get a call asking for a drive that should be located on your “Macintosh HD/user/desktop.” It is also great practice to keep the drives you’re not writing to in “Transfer Only” mode.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the Pro Tools workspace, keep your audio drive on “Record” and the others on “Transfer.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>3. Name Audio Tracks.</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Don’t press record on that audio track you just created until you name it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s never convenient to look at a session and see Audio 1, Audio 2, Audio 3, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Big Synth, Ac Gtr, Ld Voc, is much easier to know, at a glance, what is on that track.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, the name of the track is what Pro Tools will name the audio file you record on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So when we lose an audio file, It’s good to know what it is that’s missing and have a name that makes sense in order to find it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>4. Back up… and do it again.</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Music is expensive to create, and it can never be recreated exactly. Thus, when you put your heart and soul into a recording, take the time to back it up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many have said, “it’s not backed up unless it exists in 3 locations.” Great advice, but <i>at least</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> have it in two!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If your hard drive breaks, or is lost, or you accidentally delete the wrong folder, save yourself the time, money, and stress by having it backed up.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>5. Print it.</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So you just spent an hour and a half with the fancy new delay plug-in you bought and came up with the <i>perfect</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> delay for that one word in the bridge. You love it and listen to it on your rough mix for weeks while you send your session to your mix engineer, who then hears the delay in your rough and has a feeling you want it there, but has no idea how you got it and doesn’t have that obscure delay you use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Simple solution, print the effect – on a separate track of course; the mix engineer still needs control, but give him what you have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chances are, if it’s really that good, he’ll want to keep it, but you can allow him more time to make the other parts of your song sound great if he’s not spending all his time recreating your delay.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>6. Stay in Touch.</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">With the majority of music happening in home studios and project studios these days, an engineer can go weeks or even months on end without talking to other engineers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don’t see them in the studio lobby because you’re not in the commercial studio that often.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Call them up, have lunch, do whatever it takes to stay connected with other professionals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Community is a great tool for learning, staying current, and creating more business for yourself and your fellow audio engineers.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>7. Study Music.</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">If music is your business, make it your business to know music.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re a young engineer and know all the current Top 40 hits, but don’t know the history, don’t know where that music came from, you’re not getting the full picture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Likewise, if you’re an engineer who’s been doing this awhile, but somewhere down the line lost interest in pop music and don’t know what the current guys are doing, you can’t stay relevant, and you can’t be your best. Make it a goal this year to improve your musical repertoire. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>8. Do it right.</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Whether in a major recording studio, a live recording session, or a bedroom with an Mbox, a good engineer will take the time to get their levels set correctly, make sure the sound is good, and make sure there’s no noise on the channel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The same is true through every step of making a record; if this audio is going to be heard, even if it’s only by those who made it, then it’s worth taking the time to make it right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is your craft and your job, and your name will be on it, make that name stand for quality work. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>9. Stay Organized.</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It can get very difficult to stay organized as life gets very busy, very quickly, but it can really save you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Know where your sessions are, know where the backups are, know how you label things, and where you put things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Consistency and organization will really help when that client calls that you did one song with 3 years ago and asks you for a file, and it can save you a lot of costly and time consuming mistakes.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>10. Never Say “No.”</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">You may <i>absolutely know</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> that your client’s idea is simply not going to work, or completely disagree with their request to change something, but they’re the client, and if they’re making a request it’s because they hear something that they think can be better and “better” should always be the goal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So maybe they are wrong, and maybe it feels like a waste of time, but just maybe something better will come out of trying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>11. Be healthy.</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Getting in Shape” is such a cliché New Year’s Resolution, but it’s a good one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The music business is hard on one’s health.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the sitting in front of a computer or a console all day, to being on the road all the time, to the never-ending supply of coffee and soda they have at the studio, to the long, long hours, it can do wonders for your future to eat healthily and exercise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And don’t forget to keep your ears healthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wearing earplugs to concerts, and not listening at full volume for too long will help keep your ears functioning properly much longer. </div><!--EndFragment-->Yoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856010691112800401noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003445143164326912.post-88643743012720493652010-08-30T09:01:00.000-06:002010-08-30T09:01:58.676-06:00The Attitude of Engineering - by Grant Greene<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Get Yoshed is excited to welcome back Grant Greene in this week’s post!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Hi everyone! It’s been awhile since you have seen me on getyoshed.com. A lot of things have happened since Yosh’s and my first blog. In what may seem a bit of irony, I have gone back to school to finish up my undergraduate degree. If you recall, Yosh suggested that I needed to take a ProTools training course. As it turned out, I did have to take a hard disk recording class as part of my degree. While it might seem there isn’t a lot to learn in an intro to hard disk recording class for someone that has been working with ProTools and other hard disk recorders for over 15 years, I did learn a few tips and tricks, but what I learned the most was a few perspectives of the up and coming engineers in this business and the instructors teaching these students.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">During one of the first discussions of the class, the instructor asked the class what made each student hirable in the industry. Most of the students answered that their personality, or good attitude, made them good candidates to be hired at a studio. The instructor quickly dismissed these claims and said that to him, as a studio owner himself, knowledge and skills were more important than anything else. While I agree that you need to be smart and have a knack for learning quickly, I disagree with him that attitude takes a back seat to how well you know how to record, mix, or wire a studio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the past 11 years, I have learned A LOT watching Yosh work. I can’t recall once where he told a client that something couldn’t be done. You give Yosh a problem, he will find a solution. While this might seem to validate the opinion that knowledge is more important to attitude, it is actually the opposite. It’s Yosh’s attitude that drives him to come up with a solution to any problem. He might not know the answer immediately, but he will come up with one, if not five. This is what makes a great engineer in my opinion.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Over the years, Yosh has had many interns and I can tell you this, while most had the “chops” to be successful recording engineers, few had the right attitude. The right attitude makes up for any lack of knowledge. Back in the “day”, there were no schools for recording. Those interested in breaking into the business didn’t walk into a studio with the knowledge to run a large format console, multitrack tape machines, and all the outboard effects gear. They weren’t expected to be able to record a full band or mix an album on their first day either. What they were expected to do was to make coffee, answer phones, get things for the clients, clean the studio, and keep their mouths shut. So you might ask yourself, how did they learn? Well this is where attitude comes in. Those with the drive and determination found a way to learn. If they were told there was a session at 10 a.m., they would arrive at 8 a.m., or earlier, to be sure everything was in order and help the client set-up for the session. If they were told that they only had to work until 5 p.m., they would stay to 2 a.m. to help the assistant engineer tear down. If there was no session happening at the studio, they would ask the studio manager if it was o.k. if they used the studio to hone their chops. Those with the right attitude can always learn something they don’t know. Working in an industry where things are rapidly changing, we are constantly having to learn. There is no way we can know everything about every piece of gear or software out there, but we can have an open mind and a drive to educate ourselves and add more tricks to our arsenal.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In my next appearance here on getyoshed.com, I’ll touch on things interns should and shouldn’t do in the studio.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- Grant Greene</div><!--EndFragment-->Yoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856010691112800401noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003445143164326912.post-34259296275397244812010-08-24T06:48:00.003-06:002010-09-11T21:19:15.224-06:00Shure SRH840 Headphone Product Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgftVfY_QmADlMhkrgC_AZDrRodXuUo1_k_49H9AulIT2-fk-d-6y0U9xQjJbv1-LxlD5U6MXE_UWrSWQfKXZTS_4Q6BL5aNpz0QL6FXOrK-q9eKq88sjziJIY04I1BNjI_FUtcIRAtzA44/s1600/Picture+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgftVfY_QmADlMhkrgC_AZDrRodXuUo1_k_49H9AulIT2-fk-d-6y0U9xQjJbv1-LxlD5U6MXE_UWrSWQfKXZTS_4Q6BL5aNpz0QL6FXOrK-q9eKq88sjziJIY04I1BNjI_FUtcIRAtzA44/s200/Picture+2.png" width="195" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">These days, it is always good to reference your mixes on headphones. Sometimes listening to your mix on an iPod with earbuds just isn't enough…<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Recently I had the opportunity to try out a pair of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shure-SRH840-Professional-Monitoring-Earphones/dp/B002DP8IEK?ie=UTF8&tag=getyos-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Shure SRH 840 headphones</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=getyos-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B002DP8IEK" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />. Shure is a company known for quality, durable, professional products. We know that about their microphones, and their headphones are certainly set to the same bar. Before you even put them on your head, the SRH 840s stand out. Opening the box reveals sturdily built headphones that come with a convenient carrying bag, nearly <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shure-HPACA1-Replacment-Headphone-Headphones/dp/B002Z9JWYO?ie=UTF8&tag=getyos-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">10 ft. detachable cord</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=getyos-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B002Z9JWYO" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> (love that length!), <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shure-HPAEC840-Ear-Cushions-SRH840/dp/B002Z9JWZS?ie=UTF8&tag=getyos-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">replacement pads</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=getyos-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B002Z9JWZS" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /> for the ear cups, and a high quality, gold plated 1/8’’ to 1/4’’ adapter.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">If you want your investment to last, the replacement pads are a great benefit, and even if you wear both included sets out, you can buy more pads sold separately for under $20.00, or swap them out for SRH440 pads if you like those better. The detachable cable makes a big difference as well. It makes replacing the cable of the headphones both amazingly easy and really affordable. Of course, with Shure-like robustness, they made certain the cable won’t fall out of the headphones mid-take with a special bayonet clip. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Decidedly, the importance of sonic quality heavily outweighs all this out-of-the-box appeal, and the SRH 840’s sound live up to the same standard of quality. My first impression was that there was a clarity and tightness in the bass, and still a consistent balance of all the frequencies in the mixes I referenced. When producing headphones it’s easy to screw up the bass, the high end, and the mids, and it’s a great treat to listen to a pair with such accurate bass, smooth highs, and a midrange that creates a good mix, consistent with my reference speakers. So many headphones have a scooped out midrange that sounds hyped, but as a professional, I don’t want hyped, I want precise. I need to know what frequencies are being produced. Professional grade equipment should absolutely be different from consumer gear, and Shure’s SRH 840s were truly built for the professional engineer or musician. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Certainly, if you’re in the market for a new pair of headphones, the SRH 840’s are a worthy candidate. Comfortable enough that those long hours of headphone use won’t leave your ears in pain, one of the best headphones sonically I’ve ever heard, and the same durability the Shure name is known for. These headphones are an incredible bargain, as well. Priced at only $199.95, the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shure-SRH840-Professional-Monitoring-Earphones/dp/B002DP8IEK?ie=UTF8&tag=getyos-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">SRH 840</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=getyos-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B002DP8IEK" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />’s are a <i>sure</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> bet (pun intended). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I’ve outlined a few specs for you below. Have any of you used the 840’s? What do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Transducer Type: Dynamic neodymium magnet<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Frequency Range: 5Hz – 25kHz<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Max Input Power (1kHz): 1000 mW<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Impedance: 44 Ohms<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Sensitivity: 102 dB/mW<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Driver Size: 40 mm<o:p></o:p></div>Yoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856010691112800401noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003445143164326912.post-52002602349731335162010-07-30T08:47:00.002-06:002010-08-06T22:16:11.599-06:00Piano Miking 3 - Kevin EdlinThis is Part 3 in a series of blogs dedicated to my late brother, Frank Jaszcz who passed away earlier this month while fishing in Yellowstone National Park. My brother was such a fan of Frédéric Chopin. He would always try to play his favorite piece, the Polonaise in Ab Major, Op. 53, and though he wasn't the greatest pianist I've ever seen, his passion was a joy to watch. In light of his love of classical piano, this week's blog posts are all about recording piano. We started with some of our thoughts in <a href="http://getyoshed.blogspot.com/2010/07/classical-piano.html">Part 1</a>, got opinions from Randy Poole in <a href="http://getyoshed.blogspot.com/2010/07/piano-miking-2-randy-poole.html">Part 2</a>, and this is Part 3 with special guest Kevin Edlin.<br />
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Kevin is an extraordinary engineer who has done many classical recordings for the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, Aspen Festival Orchestra and has done recordings of Gershwin's <i>Porgy and Bess</i> for Decca Records, and the Liszt <i>Piano Concerto No. 1</i> on Naxos among many others, in addition to his role as a guitar player and sound designer for his band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/sevencycletheory">Seven Cycle Theory</a>. My Brother would have loved him because he obviously has a genuine love for classical music. He was kind enough to offer GetYoshed his thoughts on recording classical piano:<br />
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<blockquote style="font-family: Helvetica;" type="cite"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Thanks for having me, I really appreciate it. As far as classical piano recording techniques go, here are some of my thoughts. The first thing to consider is the type of piece you're going to record - whether it's a work for solo classical piano, or rather a piano concerto (a piece written for piano and orchestra) with the pianist as the featured soloist. Further consideration needs to be given to the approach of the recording, i.e. a live concert as opposed to a closed session. As you may know, in classical music the aesthetic is generally for recordings to be made in somewhat of an audience/listener's position, but yet having more clarity and detail than seated patrons can observe. </span> </div></blockquote><blockquote style="font-family: Helvetica;" type="cite"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For purposes of this discussion, I'll leave out anything related to recording a piano as only a part of the orchestra, where it is only an element of the music and not a featured instrument. I'll also only include non-studio techniques, as most classical recordings are made on location in different concert halls and performing arts venues. </span> </div></blockquote><blockquote style="font-family: Helvetica;" type="cite"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For a solo classical piano piece, the first thing one should do is make sure the instrument is in a good spot on the stage. The sound of the piano as it resonates in the hall it's played in can change greatly if moved from the front to the back of the stage. Generally, you'll want to have the instrument somewhat in the center. This however can vary slightly though, as some performers like to have the center of the sound board directly in the middle of the stage, while other prefer to have the hammers and action in the middle, thereby putting the keys and the performer in the center as well. Sometimes this is done for acoustic reasons, and sometimes it may be done like this just for the sake of appearances. After this has been decided upon, it's a good idea to talk with the performer about past experiences he or she might have had playing in that hall (if they ever have before) to gain any insight from them, and just to make sure they're comfortable. It's </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">also paramount to do a little moving of the instrument from upstage (closer to the back wall) to downstage (closer to the audience) - and a lot of critical listening while the performer plays through a few excerpts of the material at hand. I can't emphasise this enough. Sometimes, just a few feet in either direction can make a big difference in finding a particular spot on the stage where the sound blooms. </span> </div></blockquote><blockquote style="font-family: Helvetica;" type="cite"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When it comes to equipment, I would normally start with a spaced pair of omnidirectional microphones positioned 4 to 5 feet over the opening of the lid at full stick, with the angles of the mics generally at the same degree as that of the open lid. This would be used as the main pair of mics, and for the most part be responsible for capturing the instrument and the overall sound of the recording. For this, my preference would generally be the DPA 4006. I have however had good results using a pair of high quality cardiod or sub-cardiod microphones, such as Schoeps or Neumann, in an ORTF position or something similar. I also try and use the cleanest, quietest, and most neutral preamplifiers available, typically by manufacturers such as Millennia, Grace, or Lavry. The Millennia HV-3D 8 channel unit is very commonplace for this application. For a solo piano, I might also put up a pair of flanking omnidirectional microphones, with each one being 6 to 8 feet </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">or so to the left and right of the main pair. This is primarily to capture the reflections of the stage and to allow for a greater width to the recording. Lastly, I almost always have some sort of ambient hall pair of mics. These are usually omnidirectional as well, and could be anything ranging from the DPA compact series to some sort of high quality large diaphragm condensers. Using these allows one to capture the natural reverberation of the hall. They can be placed anywhere from the far left/right corners of the very back of the hall and high up near the rear ceiling, to mid-way down the isles near the stage and fairly close together - or anywhere in between. The exact position can depend on the size the room, whether it's a small recital hall or a large concert venue, and the given rooms acoustics. </span> </div></blockquote><blockquote style="font-family: Helvetica;" type="cite"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Another major factor involved in classical mic technique that I have yet to mention is whether or not an audience is involved. This can be much greater factor than most people first imagine. In live concert recordings, microphones are often times not allowed to be placed on stands on the stage during performances! Depending on the venue management, the performer and/or music director, and what the audiences of that venue are accustomed to seeing, equipment such as mics, stands, and cables on stage can be thought of as cluttering and unsightly. It can therefor be necessary to suspend them in the air somehow from the ceiling, rafters, or architecture of the building. This could mean hanging them from the overhead grid or catwalk railing of a performing arts center, or even through the rafters and attic of a church. Naturally, this can pose some problems. The ways and means of doing this could be the subject of an entirely different essay, and would well go </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">beyond the scope of this one. Suffice to say, in a live audience situation, a good classical recording engineer must be able to get the microphones in the best spot available despite the possible adversities. So, whatever mic placements you have decided are best from your acoustic experiments and critical listening, you may now have to suspend in mid air and secure properly so that all performers, patrons, and backstage personnel are safe from any falling equipment! The placement of ambient hall mics are a good illustration of this. While in some occasions no one will care if the main or flanking pairs of mics are attached to stands on stage or not, it will always be against fire codes to put equipment in the isles or seating area of a hall during a performance. Mic stands, cables, or anything that could be a trip hazard will always be completely off limits when a live audience is present. This however becomes a non issue during a closed session! One </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">then has the freedom to choose to narrow the focus of the ambient pair, as opposed to hanging them from the one accessible beam found in the back of the hall. This however can even affect the mic choice of the main pairs as well. For instance it is usually easy to hang a pair of small diaphragm condensers on a stereo bar in front of an audience, while it may be nearly impossible to suspend a pair of Neumann M 50's or M 150's (with their accompanying tube power supplies) safely in the same hall. </span> </div></blockquote><blockquote style="font-family: Helvetica;" type="cite"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This concludes many of my thoughts on recording a solo classical piano piece. I'll leave the topic of recording a piano concerto to another essay. And while I know that I have recored Chopin pieces before, I can't recall which ones, or exactly when or where. I'm sure I've recorded the Nashville symphony performing the music of Chopin in concert, and probably also the Aspen Festival Orchestra as well. And while I have never recorded an album of his music, I am never the less both humbled and thrilled to be included in your blog."</span></div></blockquote> Thank <i>you</i>, Kevin! What an insightful and informative post.<br />
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My brother, Frank, was also a professor of Biology at Mount Mercy College in Iowa. The college has set up a scholarship fund in his name. To learn more about his legacy there and to contribute in Frank's honor to the scholarship, please visit <a href="http://www.mtmercy.edu/index.php?id=391&newsitem=243">MtMercey.edu</a>.Yoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856010691112800401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003445143164326912.post-1459192845305902242010-07-28T09:58:00.002-06:002010-08-06T22:17:32.818-06:00Piano Miking 2 - Randy PooleThis is Part II of a blog in tribute to my brother, Frank, who recently passed away while fishing in Yellowstone National Park. After spending a weekend in Iowa with my family remembering his life. One of those memories was his love of Frédéric Chopin, so it is in his honor that we wrote our <a href="http://getyoshed.blogspot.com/2010/07/classical-piano.html">blog on recording classical piano</a>, and in his honor we are posting this follow-up today.<br />
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<a href="http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:d9fixqrgldhe~2~T40B">Randy Poole</a> is a good friend of mine, and also a marvelous engineer. Working for such artists as Take 6, Natalie Grant, Smokie Norful, and Anita Baker, Randy has gained a reputation for quality engineering.<br />
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Of course, every engineer will have a slightly different take on mic techniques, choices, and placements, so we asked Randy for his thoughts on miking a piano. Here's what he said:<br />
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For pop piano recordings I use Neumann 582 tube mics with omni capsules in a spaced pair arrangement pointing down at the soundboard at about 45 degree angles. I space them about 10 -12 inches about, making the backs of the mics connectors within a few inches of touching. They are placed about 6-7 inches (both mics distance must match) above the strings about a foot inside the piano, at least 8 inches away from the hammers on the left (high side). I run these through Avalon 737 mics pre's, then straight to tape (DAW).<br />
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Solo piano starts off the same as pop, except the piano lid is taken off, and the mics are about 2 feet above the strings, again matching (left/right) the exact distance from the strings. Then I add bottom mics, like AKG 414's in stereo or mono underneath the soundboard, slightly less than 2 ft from the soundboard with the phase reversed. I also add some room mics preferably in MS about 6 - 10 feet from the piano depending on the size of the room and the effect wanted. I record all these mics to separate tracks to be blended later, the majority of the sound in the mix is the spaced pair 582's then the other mics blended in for the final mix, with the underneath mics blended the least and closer to center in the mix.<br />
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Another great engineer's perspective and techniques. If you have any questions for Randy or about the techniques he uses (i.e. What is the MS stereo miking technique?) comment on the blog or post on the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Get-Yoshed/319526871777?ref=ts">Get Yoshed Facebook page </a>and we'll follow up!<br />
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To learn more about the impact Frank has had and to contribute to the scholarship fund Mt. Mercy College has set up in his honor, <a href="http://www.mtmercy.edu/index.php?id=391&newsitem=243">click here</a>.Yoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856010691112800401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003445143164326912.post-23469581564241345032010-07-27T13:01:00.006-06:002010-08-06T22:17:57.675-06:00Classical Piano<div class="MsoNormal">My brother, Frank, recently passed away in Yellowstone National Park. A biology professor for many years, he retired this year at age 65 and was doing what he loved most… fishing. I spent the weekend in Iowa with my family, celebrating the life he lived and the lives he touched. So many memories were re-lived, and one of my favorites was his love for Frédéric Chopin. I’ve seen him attempt to play the “Heroic” Polonaise in A Flat Major countless times, a piece he truly loved. It is that memory that inspired this blog entry on the recording of classical piano.</div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">The piano is one of the most powerful and dynamic instruments: grandiose, yet intricate and delicate simultaneously. Especially in classical music, the tone of the piano, the sound of the room, and the musicality of the player need to be maintained impeccably through the recording process, and, of course, microphone technique is absolutely crucial.</div><div class="MsoNormal">When recording classical music, most often it is preferred to record the piano in stereo several feet from the instrument itself, allowing the sound to “mature” and resonate. The common stereo mic techniques would be A-B (two cardioid or omni microphones set apart from each other making sure the distance between each other is three times that of the distance to the sound source), ORTF (two cardioid mics facing at a 110 degree angle, with the diaphragms 17 cm apart), and XY (two cardioid microphones placed so the diaphragms are directly on top of one another, eliminating any timing differences, and at a 90 degree angle), but of course there are others, and only listening critically will determine the proper technique for each individual situation. The important things to listen for, however, are stereo imaging, clarity, and tone. If the microphones are too far back, there will be no clarity; it will get washy. If they’re too close, the piano may get too bright or harsh for the style of music, though the imaging may get wider. </div><div class="MsoNormal">The room is a crucial part of any classical recording given the distance the microphones are from the source. When you’re in a great room, many would choose to set up a second pair of microphones further back to capture the room, which can be mixed back in later as a natural reverb. This, of course, can be useless if the recording is done in front of an audience, as they have the tendency to cough, adjust their seat, browse through the program, pass candy, snore… etc. </div><div class="MsoNormal">We mentioned the piano is very dynamic. While this makes for a very dramatic live performance, and keeps the music exciting, it can be difficult when you’re the engineer and have the task of recording hot enough to get good clarity above the noise floor, during the quiet parts, but not so loud as to distort anything when the performer accurately depicts the composer’s <i>fortissimo</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> notation. A couple things to mention about this: first, if at all possible keep the noise floor low. Obviously, impossible during concerts and recitals, but if the performance is solely for the recording, get a quiet room. Secondly, the engineer’s go-to tool when dynamic range is great is a compressor. However, though some </span><i>light </i><span style="font-style: normal;">compression may be a good idea and can help protect those dreaded red LED’s from illuminating, no classical musician will want a recording that sounds like it’s been compressed. So, set the settings carefully and choose a quality, transparent compressor. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal">Since we’re talking about gear, what about microphones? As with the technique, the microphone choice will depend on the room, the piano, the piece being performed, and on the performer. Regardless, choose a quality microphone. Usually, a clean, transparent mic will best capture the sound of a good piano in a good room. Typically, I would think first of Schoeps, DPA, Neumann, or Royer for a darker, smoother sound. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Have a favorite way to mic a piano? Comment on our blog, or post on our <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Get-Yoshed/319526871777?ref=ts">Facebook</a> page and tell us about it! And stay tuned to Get Yoshed, later this week, we’ll have more thoughts from Kevin Edlin and Randy Poole!</div><div class="MsoNormal">And in honor of my brother, watch this video of Chopin’s <i>Heroic</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> Polonaise. Mt. Mercy College, Frank’s former employer has set up a scholarship fund in his honor. If you would like to read about his legacy and contribute to the scholarship, please visit <a href="http://www.mtmercy.edu/index.php?id=391&newsitem=243">mtmercy.edu</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-style: normal;"><br />
</span></div><object height="344" style="height: 344px; width: 425px;" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KZGi49Bnghs"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KZGi49Bnghs" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Yoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856010691112800401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003445143164326912.post-60924347527546730412010-06-15T17:03:00.013-06:002010-08-06T22:56:28.868-06:00The Beats: LM-1 and LinnDrum<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">I was trying to remember exactly when I saw my first LM-1.. I remember seeing it on a session that I was setting up for as an assistant, but I couldn't recall the artist. I checked in with one of my engineering mentors, Greg Reilly, at the Disc ltd. in Detroit. Greg started out at Holland Dozier Holland when he was barely out of high school. He has an R&B history that is longer than the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway.. He informed me that the first sessions that were done with Linn drum at that time were with a group called One Way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were a local Detroit R&B band that came into the studio in late ’79 or ‘80.. I believe at this time there were only 40 of these LM-1s in existence.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Once the more compact LinnDrum was actually released we saw them more frequently and their popularity peaked around ‘84 when Prince did "When Dove's Cry." Leave it to Prince to eliminate the bass line and still get a hit!<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">My early experiences with the Linn were with a group called RJ's Latest Arrival.. </div><a name='more'></a>During this era it seemed like we were always trying to make it sound like anything but a Linn Drum! Also, during this period, we were able to start buying chips to replace the sounds with more innovative sounds. To put this into perspective for all you young guys.. In order to change a snare sound one had to physically unscrew the box and remove the chip that controlled the snare sample and replace it with a new chip... talk about time consuming!<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The LM-1 was the first drum machine designed by Roger Linn and was the first drum machine that used digital samples.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That feature, along with functionality yet unrealized in drum machines, made the LM-1 quite popular after its 1980 release.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The LM-1 was programmable, not just playing back pre-set rhythms, included the ability to produce swing notes (the “Linn shuffle” has been widely recognized as the most natural sounding), had a 13 channel mixer and individual outputs for implementation into multi-track recording, and even had individual tuning pots on each channel.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The LM-1 made a huge impact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It helped to legitimize the drum machine as a musical tool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The quality and functionality of previous drum machines kept them more as a consumer toy or demo helper, but after the first Linn drum machine, professionals began using it and the TR-808 (talked about in last week’s blog) in quality productions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The quality and sound was so good, in fact, that many session drummers were concerned for their jobs, and some, including Jeff Porcaro of Toto bought their own LM-1’s and began offering “programming services.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The drum machine became more than an embellishment or accompaniment, it became the whole rhythm track in many ‘80s acts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The LM-1’s characteristic sound is was a used prominently throughout the ‘80s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Linn was quick to make improvements to the LM-1 with his 1982 release of the LM-2, or more often called the LinnDrum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This updated model came with more sounds including the addition of cymbals, introduced step programming, and had 5 inputs for external triggering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was also released with a price tag roughly half that of the LM-1 two years earlier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, despite many upgrades and new features it never was as revered as the LM-1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the reasons for this was the lack of tuning pots on each channel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Additionally, it was simply made with less detail to keep the cost of production low.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As such, the LM-1 is much more highly sought after than the LinnDrum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">By no means did Roger Linn lose his touch however.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Linn also designed the Akai MPC, a widely used sampler with MIDI sequencing and the ability to sample one’s own sounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today, Linn Design produces a guitar pedal series called AdrenaLinn, used by such artists as John Mayer, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>AdrenaLinn sparked M-Audio’s interest and together they partnered to develop the Black Box guitar multi-effect/recording unit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is also currently developing what he calls the LinnDrum II.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div><!--EndFragment-->Yoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856010691112800401noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003445143164326912.post-48436141788474625082010-06-03T09:12:00.007-06:002010-08-06T22:24:34.257-06:00The Beats: Roland TR-808<div class="MsoNormal">Twenty -five years ago the powers that be said hip-hop and rap music was a fad and it wouldn't last. Seemed to me at the time that I was witnessing the beginning of a new music era that would last a lifetime. There was too much passion for it to go away! Whether you are into the music or not, the one thing that we can all agree on is that the sounds that were used permeated all music including Rock and even Country. The basic sounds that were used then and used now come from the same sources. I remember the first time I saw an 808 drum machine. Dave McMurray, saxophonist for Was Not Was had just purchased it and was programming up a storm... It was like he had taken up a new percussion instrument and he was becoming intimate with every nuance of the piece. Up until this time musicians who had a penchant for rhythm but didn't play drums had to wait until they could get with a drummer and percussionist to work out the rhythm.</div><o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Now, one guy could sit at home and come up with the whole concept of the song with new and interesting sounds to boot! On first hearing those sounds it was a little unnerving because we had all been listening to natural sounds. What were we to do with such a thing? Why is it that the bass drum is sounding like an oscillator? The snare sounds like a toy drum!? Well, it soon became apparent that once a drum machine was laid out it inspired all sorts if sonic creativity.... </div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<a name='more'></a>So where did all these sounds come from.... the sounds of the “808” come from 1980, when Roland began production of the TR-808 Rhythm Composer (the TR initializing Transistor Rhythm). Roland released it as a tool for making demos, however it was an analog drum synthesizer that was released right after the first digital sampling drum machine, the Linn LM-1, and thus was considered inferior to the more natural sounding Linn drum sampler. Nevertheless, like all new technology, sometimes the <i>best</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> isn’t necessarily what sells. The 808 sold for about $1,000 and the LM-1 was $5,000. Needless to say, the 808 became rather popular simply do to the price point. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal">As always, technology progressed and more and more realistic drum machines were released and the TR-808 was discontinued in 1984. As these newer drum machines became popular, the 808’s price dropped considerably and gained a whole new life for hip-hop artists as it provided rhythm at a cheap price. It became a staple in hip-hop and rap music developing at that time and is still used today. In fact its popularity has put the price of this particular analog drum machine at roughly the same as a new one in 1980 after inflation adjustments. </div><div class="MsoNormal">It’s still used today in hip-hop, rap, R&B, and all sorts of electronic dance music to provide a very distinct low frequency boom. If you don’t know what it sounds like, click the audio sample below (though you may not actually be able to hear much of it on your laptop speakers), and be watching for next weeks blog about the Linn drum!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><embed autostart="false" height="50" src="http://www.theyoshman.com/blog/KickDrum0005.aif" width="250"></embed></div>Yoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856010691112800401noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003445143164326912.post-1044037987282397462010-05-17T16:51:00.003-06:002010-08-06T22:19:44.684-06:00Nashville Flood<div class="MsoNormal">Last week Nashville saw its worst flood any residents had ever witnessed. After 18 inches of rain in just two days, the local rivers just couldn’t contain the massive amounts of water. I’m very thankful my home and family are safe, but many lost a great deal of priceless items and more than 20 people lost their lives as a result of the flooding. Though the damage to the music community’s items don’t come close to comparing to those who lost their homes and family members, many priceless instruments and an incredible amount of gear was lost during the flood.</div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">The first Fender guitar ever made was lost in the basement of Opryland, whole tours were lost at Soundcheck Nashville, the largest rehearsal space and cartage company in Nashville, hundreds of professional musicians lost their entire collections of instruments, the Nashville Symphony lost two Steinway grand pianos in the basement of the Schermerhorn, the Musician’s Hall of Fame lost many of their items including a Jimmy Hendrix Stratocaster, and the list goes on. </div><div class="MsoNormal">Ways you can help? Donate to the <a href="http://www.nashvilleredcross.org/index.asp?IDCapitulo=78T3Z2WSK0">American Red Cross</a>, volunteer with <a href="http://hon.org/HomePage/index.php/home.html">Hands On Nashville</a>, donate to <a href="http://www.grammy.com/news/musicares-nashville-flood-relief-fund-efforts">MusiCares</a>, and keep Nashvillians in your prayers as they sift through the damage and rebuild over the next several years.</div>Yoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856010691112800401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003445143164326912.post-35998115523163090072010-05-05T18:16:00.003-06:002010-05-05T18:24:07.776-06:00Conversation with Jaebets<div><p class="MsoNormal">I sometimes receive questions about mixing, music, and audio; I do the best I can to answer these questions and help out other engineers and students.<span> </span>Jaebets Honore (pictured at bottom) is a young engineer in Montreal, Canada.<span> </span>He and I have been emailing sporadically.<span> </span>This blog posting is our stream of emails.<span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">Jaebets works for IBM during the day, but at night, this multi-instrumentalist is working hard to make it in the music industry. He plays, records, and mixes gospel music, and studies at Musitechnic in Montreal.<span> </span>Like many from Montreal, his primary language is French, and his English is a little choppy, but his questions are very valid.<span> </span>This is an ongoing conversation: Remember.. read with French Accent!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Jaebets:</b><span style="font-weight: normal; "></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">Hi<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I’m a young musician and mixer from Montreal, somewhere in Canada, and<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">a fan of your work and want to learn from the best.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I listen a lot of your mixing and would like to know what is your<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">approach or how you dealing to mix a gospel song that you have to mix<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">from any one, other words, like the tye tribbett live album, or the<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Israel one, did you take all the tracks from the live show or a lot of<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">the tracks are remake on studio...</p><p class="MsoNormal">and if you want to give something to encouragement me to never give<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">up... im here to learn...</p><p class="MsoNormal">thanks ...</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Yosh:<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Hi Jaebets,<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>The answer to the live recordings you are talking about is this:<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>They are usually a mixture of live tracks from the original recording and complimentary studio tracks that are recorded either before the live show or after.</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>For instance on Tye.. the drums, bass, many of the keys, guitars, lead vocals, and background vocals are from live.. But additional<span> </span>background vocals are rerecorded and blended with originals and certain lead vocals are repaired in the studio.. They also may have added more keyboard parts and guitars... There is no formula.. Just whatever needs to be bigger is made larger than life..</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>As far as encouragement ... If you love music there is no better way to enjoy it then by working in a studio.. So mix on my friend and have fun with it. Don't ever be too serious and miss the joy in the music!... And.. remember to take time to be with your family!<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>John</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Jaebets:<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">Ya, i do read all your stuff, it wonderful!!! U a lucky guy to have<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">that chance to mix all those tracks and albums.</p><p class="MsoNormal">For my concern, the work on a good studio it<span> </span>so hard, or all the<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">studios are full of assistants, now i try to run some gospel and r&b<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">projects but the money running low and the quality of the singers are<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">poor in my entourage, they do not like to push themselves. but i know<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">God helps me.</p><p class="MsoNormal">How ever, more technical, I like the idea to blend the live with<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">studio, but after, that's mean you could finish with 40 tracks for the<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">vocals... WOW! but what are your favorite tools to make a good gospel live<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">sound, you use a neve console, api, plug ins and hardware?.... and the<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">reverbs? ..</p><p class="MsoNormal">ALSO, the presence of the PIANO!!!YES, WHY THE PIANOS ON ALL THE<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">GOSPEL TRACKS ARE THAT FAR IN THE MIX, AND I FEEL LIKE YO DO SOME<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">AUTOMATION TO LISTEN SOME MELODY NOTES...</p><p class="MsoNormal">AND FOR THE BRASS SECTION, EXAMPLE ON THE CLARK SISTER PROJECT, THE<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">BRASS SOUND COMPRESS TO THE MAX... AND ALL THE GOSPEL CD SOUND THE<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">SAME ON THAT POINT, IT IS THE CLIENT WHO ASK YOU TO MAKE IT SOUND LIKE<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">THAT... FOR A GOOD EXaMPLE : LIFT HIM UP FROM HEZEKIAH WALKER...<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Yosh:<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Didn't mix the Clark sisters cd.. just tracked it.. Not my work</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>How do the horns sound on Kirk Franklin? Or Check out the horns on the latest Ken Reynolds cd " One World/one God" (Integrity). You might like..<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>But yes sometimes the producers do want things overly compressed and sometimes there can be problems with mastering after it leaves me.</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>About the track count....after you record the vocals bounce them in stereo pairs .. Tenor, alto, soprano to make them more manageable ..<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Anytime you can make decisions like that ...the easier it is to mix..<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>John<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Jaebets:<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">Nice Drum mix on the Ken Reynolds project; compress to the max ...<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">like that... and brass sound a little bit more musical... like that...</p><p class="MsoNormal">but you didn't answered about the gear that you like to use to mix<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">vocals or instruments for gospel... and the piano have to be always on<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">the back ...</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Yosh:<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Gear is not that important.. I use what's available.. As far as pianos.. In today's gospel there are way too many elements competing for each other.. I love the piano to be up front but can't always have it.. If there is just b3, piano and guitar then of course the piano will be prominent ..if people would go back to the roots then piano would be paramount again.. You should start a new trend and go back to minimalist gospel.. And as far as horns and strings are concerned they should be used minimally on a CD 1 maybe 2 songs ... Go listen to "Oh Happy Day".. That's minimalism at it's best.. Your comments have nothing to do with mixing ..no disrespect .. What I mean is that the things that bother you about gospel mixes are the arrangements .. If one is going to use all those instruments there must be a sense of arrangement.. A good example of how to use all those instruments if one chooses to do so is by listening to any Sinatra tune.. Listen to how everything falls into place.. There are moments when instruments are featured.. And when the vocalist sings.. Nothing competes.. If you want a great mix find a way to blend a great Gospel song with a great arrangement and the mix will mix itself.<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Jaebets:</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; ">wow this was good, u right... sorry for my misunderstanding, i forget</span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">the arrangement part. like jazz big bands...</p><p class="MsoNormal">Just to clarify, the arranger is with you when you do the mix, right.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Sorry but i taught that we have to do the in and out of every<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">instrument that we want to be hear at a specific moment, like<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">movies...</p><p class="MsoNormal">I will do some good mix with the material that i have and tried to<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">push me more and listen more music ( i already listen on repeat<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">tracks). but my mix for now will never sound like yours... i have to<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">practice more and try to fine a good studio to accept me has an<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">assistant...</p><p class="MsoNormal">I like the example that you give me to pay attention; could you give<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">me some more... to learn...<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">thanks.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Jaebets:<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Hi,<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I did a arrangement for next week and i use the same approach that you<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">told me, and it's good, for it's so hard to influence people to be<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">that professional, but it's a good start for them.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Just like that, i read something about the LA-2A; that machine could<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">boost you sound about 40 DB!!! My question is : Did you use a lot of<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">compression on your mix?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Did you like hardware compression module or Computer like the Waves<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">plug ins? (I know that you told me you use what's available, but be<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">precise)</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">And give a example of somehing that you compress a lot and something<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">that you don't have a lot, and your point of view.<span></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Yosh:<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Bravo on trying to make the arrangement better..<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>About the LA - 2A.<span> </span>I doubt that it would boost your mix 40 db ... But it is a great compressor/ limiter.. Used mostly on vocals and bass.. There's a switch on the back that goes from compression to limiting.. I use it mostly on compression for tracking vocals.. It is very smooth.. Have never used two on the two mix, though..</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>As far as mixing in the box I use McDsp compressors and Mcdsp Filterbank eq's and some waves stuff including the SSL strips and two-mix compressor.</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>I also use some plug-ins from a company called PSP audio;<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Vintage Warmer, and some of their other eq's and compressors</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>For efx... I use all the stuff from Sound toys.. Echboy, tremolator, filterfreak, etc...<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Verbs... I rely on TLspace and Waves Rverb..<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Hope this helps..<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>John<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Jaebets:<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">this will help...<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">This week end i will rec a church service with the 003 plus and<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">externable device to have 16 inputs, I am limited but i told my self if<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">in the past people were able to record with a 4 tracks... i could do<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">it ... and i will do my best to make this sound good...</p><p class="MsoNormal">What that i learn from you, it's that's you trying stuff, you not<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">stuck to one plug ins, but you use everything that you could have in<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">the hand.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">For now i will buy a APA32 from waves to run the RTAS from them and<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">also I have a UAD-1 from UA. And I like the sound of the Pultec on<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">drums and some instrument.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">But the Best Plug ins made for me it's the Waves Plug ins, With the<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Vintage and the SSL ( but I never tried the API but people said they<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">sound good.)</p><p class="MsoNormal">And also Im trying to Buy a TC Electronics M-One XL for the RVB and<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Delay, for my live sound and Studio...</p><p class="MsoNormal">I think with all i got now i could do a good Job, and practice.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Jaebets:<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">BY THE WAY, WHEN YOU LISTEN SOME THING BEFORE YOU MIX WHAT DO YOU PAY<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">ATTENTION OF... THE CHEMISTRY AND WHAT ELSE...<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">AND I READ FOR THE BASS AND THE KICK, WE HAVE TO PUT A GATE ... HOW<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">WILL YOU DO IT?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">THANKS FOR THE ATTENTION YOU GIVE ME.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Yosh:<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>I pay attention to the song and the vocal performance to see where it leads me.. Once I understand the structure I tear down the structure and build it back up.. Most times that means starting with drums and bass and making that foundation solid.... Then add the rest of the instruments.. But you have to put the vocal in soon after to make sure there is space for it..<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Not a fan of gating bass.. Kik sometimes.. Depends on what you are going for.. You could use the SSL plugs for gating if you wanted to experiment.<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>John<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Jaebets:</b><span style="font-weight: normal; "><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">Now I’m working on a mix, and never satisfy with the sound but i have<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">waves plug ins ( V comp, SSL... ) I trying to make it sound good. My<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">question is:</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">how many hours you could put on a mix... To be satisfy, and when you<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">feel like you finish to mix that song.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>Yosh:<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span></span>As far as your question about how long to spend on a song..<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>To start it is best to try to do the initial mix as quickly as possible.<span> </span>I generally am able to get the basics of the mix together in 3 to 4 hours or faster.. Then I take a break and rest my ears and then dig into the details.. Usually my first mix instincts are the best and the rest is just "icing in the cake." if I spend too much time in the first part of the mix I could miss the whole point of the song..<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b>The whole process should take 8 to 12 hours spread out over a day and a half.. But you have to know when to stop.. Sometimes it may only take a few hours..<o:p></o:p></b></p><div><b><br /></b></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60mS9PzigVhRJLwE2YgrVENFvu8L2cxRgtRsTtgUso7hSpYUtBTpqR4d5cJhLMDNaJu3xai5pKOdyLOAgRzDnrZwOl13BdF0QPK1ot23kv3BreiXKDdVgUaM7r5ntPjOhCkrSaJDwV6lA/s1600/Jabby+on+Live+Console.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60mS9PzigVhRJLwE2YgrVENFvu8L2cxRgtRsTtgUso7hSpYUtBTpqR4d5cJhLMDNaJu3xai5pKOdyLOAgRzDnrZwOl13BdF0QPK1ot23kv3BreiXKDdVgUaM7r5ntPjOhCkrSaJDwV6lA/s320/Jabby+on+Live+Console.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467945836007875890" /></a><br /><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></b></p> <!--EndFragment-->Yoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856010691112800401noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003445143164326912.post-13214543121847660842010-04-12T06:21:00.000-06:002010-04-12T06:22:53.233-06:00Spring Mixer 2010<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">April 15<sup>th</sup> is more than just tax day here in Nashville; it’s also the date for the AES sponsored annual event known as the Spring Mixer, a mixing competition for audio engineering students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The participating students will be given the multi-track for a professionally recorded song, a studio at MTV’s downtown Nashville facilities, and eight hours to mix the track.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>They’ll then anonymously submit their mix to a panel of industry professionals, volunteering their time to support these students by offering their critiques and advice, and by judging the competition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This year the students will mix a song entitled “Wall” by the hip-hop artist Da’ T.R.U.T.H. from their Grammy nominated album <i>Big Picture</i><span style="font-style:normal">, originally mixed by John Jaszcz and produced by Freddy Washington Jr.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>They will be judged by a great lineup of judges: Chris Stevensn<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>(Carrie Underwood, Matt Kearny), Otto Price (Natalie Grant, Barlow Girl), Ken Love (Switchfoot, Toby Keith), Brett Teegarden (Veggie Tales, DC Talk), and James Waddell (Vickie Winans, Donald Lawrence).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>A big thanks to all of these Nashville engineers for their time and holding the responsibility of awarding the coveted “Top Mixer” trophy for the school who’s representatives create the best mix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Schools participating this year will include Belmont, MTSU, SAE Institute, International Academy of Design and Technology, and the Art Institute of Nashville.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The goal of this competition is education.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It is an invaluable experience for these students to work and be taught by some of Nashville’s finest engineers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Thank you to these recording schools for facilitating their student’s educations and allowing them to participate in the event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">You can go listen to the mixes and hear the judging at 7:00 p.m. after a 6:30 social.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>More information is available at <a href="http://www.aesnashville.org">http://www.aesnashville.org</a>. It’s a great opportunity to support the engineering students of Nashville and is a great AES event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Yoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856010691112800401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003445143164326912.post-34826992806740578752010-03-29T15:49:00.000-06:002010-03-29T15:53:21.218-06:00Studio Monitor Controllers<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">Home studios are growing hugely in popularity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Smaller budgets for projects and far cheaper professional equipment are making the home studio more and more appealing for many engineers today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We do quite a bit of Yosh mixes at home.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We wanted to talk about one important component of a studio: the monitor control section.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The monitor controller has a number of important jobs in a DAW based studio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It allows the engineer to control the volume at which he listens, select reference monitors, select inputs, provide talkback, cut the speakers, listen in mono, and (maybe most importantly) convert the audio to the analog realm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">An engineer’s ears are his greatest tools and he has to be able to trust what he hears.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This is why engineers buy very high quality monitors and keep them around for years after they “get used” to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It is also why high quality processing is key.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A signal path is only as good as it’s weakest component.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Here at French Beach Studio, we use the PreSonus Central Station.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>One of the main reasons for this choice is its completely passive circuitry. It provides a very clean signal path, allowing the listener to trust the mix being heard is the actual mix, not the mix through another box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The Central Station also allows flexibility to use powered monitors, a power amp with passive monitors, a cue system …whatever the studio requirements are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We use their digital input and high quality converters to feed our powered Adam A7 monitors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Before we get too carried away selling one particular unit, however, there is one issue with it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We have used the Central Station in many studios, including our own, and have been very pleased with it. Nevertheless, we recently purchased a second unit, and found the folks at PreSonus made a change.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The “dim” feature, and single button to pad the output, now attenuates the monitors by a whopping 20dB, rendering it pretty useless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It’s very convenient to listen on dim and then press one button to listen loud for a while, and go back to the previous level, without moving the knob.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>With a 20dB attenuation though, there’s just no use for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>If you start at a reasonable volume it’s practically inaudible when engaged, or blasts your ears if you disengage it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It is a severe disappointment in the unit, and PreSonus was less than helpful with the issue.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">When shopping for a control section, it’s important to find a product that you can trust to process your audio and has all the functionality and flexibility that you need in your studio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Thankfully, there are many great products available today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Besides the PreSonus we have, there is the ever popular Mackie Big Knob, JBL makes a handy little desktop model with built in “room mode correction technology,” and there are even really affordable models such as the Samson C-Control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Whatever you choose, the unit has to work for you and aid in how you work, have the right inputs and outputs, be easy to use, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We’re mostly happy with the PreSonus, except for the new one.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It doesn’t adequately aid in how we mix music, in the workflow.</p> <!--EndFragment-->Yoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856010691112800401noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003445143164326912.post-28610307308614040592010-03-09T12:46:00.002-06:002010-03-09T12:47:39.045-06:00Nashville Recording Workshop and Expo<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">I had the distinct pleasure of attending the Nashville Recording Workshop and Expo hosted by the Audio Engineering Society last weekend at Belmont University.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The two-day event featured panels, master classes, and demonstrations with some of the industry’s dominant professionals, and during any downtime between these events several companies and organizations were represented to exhibit their products.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">NRW+E was kicked off in great fashion by renowned artist and producer Ben Folds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He delivered the keynote address; discussing the making of his new album he is just finishing now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>From the recording techniques he and his engineer, Joe Costa, used for the strings, to his process for writing some of the songs, and struggles he had to complete his first major album without record label deadlines, Folds captivated the audience with humor and great insight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">From the moment the keynote ended, the cast of amazing music professionals began delivering information rich presentations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The list is too long to give credit to everyone deserving, but to name a few: Nathan Chapman (Taylor Swift, Jewel), Lynn Fuston (DC Talk, Michael W. Smith), Trina Shoemaker (Sheryl Crow, Iggy Pop), Mills Logan (Toby Keith, Rascal Flatts) Bob Bullock (George Strait, Reba) … I feel bad leaving so many out, but the list goes on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The discussions covered a lot of ground.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There were panels to discuss mixing, recording electric guitar, long distance collaboration, and developing a song in addition to several others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>John Mayfield, well-known Nashville mastering engineer gave a master class on the basics of mastering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>John Storyk, internationally known, New York based studio designer gave a presentation of practical acoustics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>AES Nashville’s own Mike Poston gave a master class with Michael Fleming on home studio tech essentials.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Several retailers attended the NRW+E to exhibit their products and services as well as many manufacturers.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>AEA Microphones, Mackie, Endless Analog’s C.L.A.S.P., CAAB Audio, Whisper Room … Harrison, the legendary console manufacturer was there to demonstrate their audio editing and mixing software Mixbus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>All in all there was a fairly decent turnout of exhibitors supporting the workshop.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">For engineers it was a great opportunity to network with other professionals and catch little tips and tricks that may be of use.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>So often people in the same line of work don’t have the chance to talk with one another very often because they’re working at different places, but the benefit of seeing others work and hearing other’s viewpoints is undeniable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>For students it was a huge learning experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The wealth of knowledge represented was staggering and information was freely given.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I and the community owe the Audio Engineering Society Nashville Section a huge thank you and a round of applause for their highly successful second annual NRW+E.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I would encourage you all to attend the 2011 edition. -Jon Blass</p> <!--EndFragment-->Yoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856010691112800401noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003445143164326912.post-90798614305185206552010-03-03T12:40:00.001-06:002010-03-03T12:41:52.085-06:00Recording Drums... a few tips.<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">The drum recording can make the mix a joy or a gigantic hassle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The drum kit is one of those key elements of a mix that really make great music shine, but it all starts with the recording.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>What mics, where are they placed, how does one get the amazing drum sound they’re after?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">First of all, it doesn’t matter if it’s a live recording with audience, a PA, and far too loud floor wedges, or if it’s a studio recording in any of the best drum rooms in the world, the most important component of a great drum sound is the drummer. Get a good drummer! He’s got to feel the pocket and hit the drums the way only a true drummer can.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Additionally, a good drummer knows his instrument; he knows how to tune the drums, how to play the right cymbals, how to hit the drums, and how to make the kit itself sound right. Without a good drummer, any of the following advice may help, but won’t get that sound your mind craves.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Let’s start at the bottom.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The kick drum is crucial. Ask any two engineers what the right way to mic a kick drum is and you’re sure to get at least two different answers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I’ve miked a couple kits with Yosh and he is not one of those engineers with “one right way.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I’ve seen him use an RE-20, and MD-421, a Beta 52, an Audix A6… It really depends on the drum and on the style.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It takes a good engineer to know the microphones, know how they’re going to respond, and know how the sound they pick up will translate in a mix. The Beta 52 is a really consistently good microphone inside a kick drum, however, and Yosh likes to use it, especially in coordination with the Yamaha Subkick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It gives nice support for the bottom.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Next in line: the snare.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Usually double miked, one from the bottom and one from the top, the snare is another really crucial part of a recording.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>As such, usually the snare, along with the kick go through the choice pre’s the studio offers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Yosh sometimes even brings his own favorites, Neve 33114’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>These pre’s are from an old Neve broadcast console and really help punch out those elements of the kit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Typically the top snare mic is a SM57 or sometimes a good pencil condenser like a KM 84 that has a 10 dB pad and high SPL handling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Typically this would be angled in from under the hi-hat, keeping it as off axis to the hats as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The same mics make excellent choices for the bottom, angled in at the snares to get that sizzle.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Speaking of the hi-hat, Yosh often mics it with a small-diaphragm condenser, but not too close.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He keeps it a good 3 inches, or so above the hat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Toms are usually MD-421’s, a classic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Again, don’t put them too close, the tone of the drum needs a little space to develop, but we’ll typically put one of these on each rack tom, and then on the floor tom we put one above and one underneath the drum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This technique really allows the power of the floor tom’s lower end to come through and fully impact the sound of the kit. Make sure that the bottom mic on the snr and the floor tom are electrically out of phase by inserting the phase switch on the pre.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s important to remember when dealing with a drum kit that the kit itself is an instrument as a whole.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Each drum is not treated as an instrument but as part of the one instrument.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This is one of the reasons why the overhead mics are really an important part, and often a good place to start listening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Though overheads are used primarily for cymbals, it makes such a difference when the engineer is careful to make sure the whole kit sounds good through them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The overheads can help a tom drum sound full and big and can add the perfect ambience for the snare track.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The method Yosh uses for his overheads vary, once again, on the style, situation, and room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In a studio situation, he typically uses two large diaphragm condensers, one on either side of the kit, above the crash cymbals. Quite often he’ll keep these rather low and close to the cymbals. Of course, with this technique, take great care to make sure the microphone can handle the high SPL of being so close when the drummer feels inspired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Another problem that can arise if the engineer is not listening attentively is the whooshing noise of the air as the cymbal moves after being hit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Really good microphones such as U-87s make great selections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Another technique we sometimes use is the XY pattern over the drummer’s head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This is a bit more spacious and doesn’t always achieve the same stereo width, but is sometimes the right method for the situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>However, in a live situation, Yosh uses three condensers: left, right, and center.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This allows him to bring them in rather close to the kit to achieve as much isolation from the live elements of the PA as possible without losing the center in the mix.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>This is done because sometimes vocals are fixed in the studio and by keeping the original vocal out of the overheads it it is easier to repair the vocal without the bleed. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Where to put the room mics completely depends on the room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We try to find a place in the room to put two microphones that will capture the sound of the room and add reality and great space to the kit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Often, Yosh will select a pair of good ribbon mics that respond smoothly and evenly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Beyond that, it’s up to the creativity of the engineers to get the sound they’re looking for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Sometimes what’s needed is the sound of a 57 pointed at the glass and then run through the worst sounding guitar amp the studio can manage to find.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Most importantly, use your ears.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>If it doesn’t sound good, don’t do it because you read it in a textbook or on a blog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Each day in each room with each kit is going to be so different that there is no one right way, the only right way is the way that sounds great.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This will be an ongoing discussion with some more interesting techniques to follow.</p> <!--EndFragment-->Yoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856010691112800401noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003445143164326912.post-16221241805627345152010-02-22T13:04:00.003-06:002010-02-22T13:27:35.122-06:00Tracking at Westlake<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;">Best part about coming to LA are the restaurants. My favorite hang is Canter's! Not only for the food but for the Seinfield like atmosphere!<br /><br />Only a mile from Westlake on Santa Monica, it certainly beats breakfast at the hotel..<br /><br />Speaking of Westlake... They are still one of the best studios in LA.. Unlike some studios they stay up with the technology and make sure all their PT systems are up to date with the latest software.<br /><br />Not only that, but they still have a fantastic mic selection.. Their Neuman M-149 turned out to be the best fit for our vocalist that Kurt Carr was producing.<br /><br />I also had the opportunity to work in studio D, the room that "Thriller" was done in, recording the 11' Yahmaha.. Boy did that piano sing! Since there were several tracking sessions going on at the complex and the mic selection was running low I used two AKG C 414's running through a pair of Neve 1073's. Of course it didn't hurt that Kurt Carr played on one song and Michael Bereal on another!<br /><br />After that we went on to record Kurt's background singers... Always a treat.. The room souned great using some Neumann U-67's .. but, because we do multiple passes and to avoid buliding up too much room we placed some baffles around the vocalists to minimize it.<br />All in all, it was a great session.<br /><br /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;">Yosh</span></div>Yoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856010691112800401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003445143164326912.post-61833851367571610392010-02-09T16:48:00.000-06:002010-02-09T16:49:17.749-06:00Endless Analog<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to record rhythm tracks to analog tape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This isn’t something we do often; the ease of Pro Tools so often trumps the vibe of good ol’ magnetic tape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>However, this session was a little different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Chris Estes of Endless Analog (<a href="http://www.endlessanalog.com">www.endlessanalog.com</a>) was kind enough to bring a little box he calls C.L.A.S.P., or a Closed Loop Analog Signal Processor. We recorded to a Studer 24-Track analog tape machine while simultaneously recording into Pro-Tools HD in the A room at Nashville’s own Quad Studios on Music Row.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The technology was truly amazing. It worked effortlessly with playing along to tracks already in Pro Tools and even Quick Punch worked perfectly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Missed a punch, just drag it back, just like using an all-digital rig.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It was a lot of fun and a truly impressive box and the tracks came out great.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We recorded the band Like Candy Red (<a href="http://www.facebook.com/likecandyred">www.facebook.com/likecandyred</a>), a seriously talented band with three fantastic female vocalists backed by the ZodLounge music production team (<a href="http://www.zodlounge.com">www.zodlounge.com</a>). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Be sure to check out a couple of the tunes we cut at the band’s Facebook page.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Yoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856010691112800401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003445143164326912.post-27195359722583649562010-02-09T13:19:00.002-06:002010-02-09T15:00:26.628-06:00A Motown Medley<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(119, 119, 119); line-height: 18px; font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">History is a crucial part of music.<span> </span>All of today’s music comes from a long history of development and sonic art.<span> </span>Last weekend we had the opportunity to work with the MTSU Record’s (<a title="MTSU Records" href="http://www.mtsurecords.com/" style="cursor: pointer; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFCC66;">www.mtsurecords.com</span></a>) class to pay tribute to one of the great eras of modern music: Motown.<span> </span>The class is shooting a documentary of Detroit’s famed record company, and as a part of that documentary, we made a trip to Michigan to see the Motown museum and record a medley of Motown hits with some of Detroit’s top players.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Though we arrived late (a long story involving two flat tires, a tow truck, an assortment of state troopers, and an hour at the Walmart tire center), the majority of the group received a tour of the Motown museum by Musician’s Hall of Fame member and renowned Motown string arranger, Paul Riser.<span> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">The medley, a conglomeration of ten Motown hits juxtaposed by the class’ instructor, Dick Williams, was recorded at Studio A (<a title="Studio A Recording" href="http://www.studioarecording.com/" style="cursor: pointer; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFCC66;">www.studioarecording.com</span></a>), one of the area’s best recording facilities and the studio where I used to work while living in Detroit.<span> </span>The musician’s were top-notch: Louis Resto, keyboardist for Eminem, 50 Cent, and others; Donnie Lyle, the musical director for R. Kelly; Dave McMurray, saxophonist for Kid Rock; Ray Burton, bass player for the Spinners; and Ron Otis, drummer for Earl Klugh.<span> </span>It was truly an honor to sit on the other side of the glass from such phenomenal musicians. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">MTSU graduate student Adam Price is leading the project with help from cinematographer Dacosta Jenkins.<span> </span>It will feature vocal performances by Jason Lane, Christina Adams, and Charles Collins, all undergrad students in the class.<span> </span>The rest of the recording will take place in the college’s recording studios and engineered by students.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">It is exciting to see the development of this medley and documentary and the hard work the students put into them.<span> </span>The end result will undoubtedly be a quality production.<span> </span>I’m proud to be a part of this documentary helping to preserve the history of the Motown story.</p></span>Yoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856010691112800401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003445143164326912.post-63778427083399141662007-01-28T20:05:00.000-06:002007-01-29T12:55:00.768-06:00Recording Vocals<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jaszcz</span>: Grant, how long is it going to take you to import that vocal? Do I need to do it?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grant</span>: You? Import something? You don't even import your own reverbs. Anyway, do you want the vocal to be somewhere in the ballpark or do you want the artist to be singing the verse where the chorus should be?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jaszcz</span>: I think you need to go take one of those Pro Tools training courses they advertise on our site. You know you might have the aptitude to be Pro Tools "certified".<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grant</span>: Very Funny. It isn't my fault the vocal isn't referenced to anything. Wait to you hear it, timing is the least of its problems.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jaszcz</span>: What do you mean?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grant</span>: You'll see.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jaszcz</span>: Great! Another bad vocal track that sounds like it was recorded using two cans and a string. We need to give our readers tips on recording vocals and preparing them to import into a mix session(since many times vocals are being recording while someone else is mixing the song).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grant</span>: Yeah what's the point of a great rhythm track if the vocal doesn't hold up? You would think something like recording a vocal would be a simple matter. But you would be surprised.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jaszcz</span>: And we really aren't talking about the quality of the singer, although that is an extremely important part of the chain. In fact it is the most important, but for this article we are going to focus on <span style="font-weight: bold;">what you can do</span> to capture a great vocal.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grant</span>: So besides a great singer, what do you need to record great vocals?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jaszcz</span>: Well besides a great singer you need a decent recording space. This is one of the most overlooked aspects. For vocals, the recording space is almost as important as it is for drums and guitars.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grant</span>: Yeah you don't want a "slappy" room when you record vocals. You want a nice tight sound that doesn't give you too many reflections. Unless you want your vocals to sound like they were cut in a bathroom.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jaszcz</span>: But by "tight" we don't necessarily mean a really small room. Small rooms can be some of the worst rooms for vocals unless treated properly.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grant</span>: I like bright colors for the walls and a nice hardwood floor, and for the couch. . .<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jaszcz</span>: Alright! Back on topic.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grant</span>: In many cases you can make a bad room into a passable one by using baffles to control the reflections. This helps your vocalist sound more "intimate" by eliminating much of the room sound.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jaszcz</span>: Don't go too far though. A little room sound gives some air to the recording.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grant</span>: Now that we have a great singer and room, we need a great vocal chain to record through.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jaszcz</span>: Everything in recording is subjective, including recording vocals. So you have to experiment with microphones, mic pre-amps, and compressors to find out what best fits your singer. Not everyone is going to sound great on a $12,000 Neumann U-47 microphone through a $20,000 Fairchild compressor/limiter.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grant</span>: Exactly. Some people sound better on a $125 dollar microphone than a more expensive one. You just have to use your ears and find out what fits with a particular singer.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jaszcz</span>: Whatever your vocal chain ends up being, be sure that you don't destroy the sound by doing stupid things.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grant</span>: It's the stupid things that will kill a good vocal. You wouldn't believe that we actually get vocals that sound like they were recorded on the wrong side of the microphone.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jaszcz</span>: We aren't kidding folks. This has happened more than once. Be sure you have the microphone turned the correct way.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grant</span>: The distance the singer is from the vocal mic is important also. Too close and you end up with a muffled sound, too far back and you lose the presence.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jaszcz</span>: A great vocalist knows how to work a microphone. They will back up or get closer depending on how loud they are. They are in a since, compressing themselves. Watch someone like Michael McDonald sing. It's like going to school for vocal mic technique.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grant</span>: Speaking of compression, WATCH YOUR LEVELS!!!!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jaszcz</span>: What Grant is yelling about is just because the meter in Pro Tools doesn't go into the red, the vocal can still be to "loud" or "hot". Analog consoles and outboard gear don't have the headroom to handle the really high levels that digital recording allows. What you get is distortion, and unless you are going for that sound, it's bad.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grant</span>: Also don't go into the red. Many times we get vocals that look like square waves(that's bad). Recording is not a matter of putting up a microphone and pressing the record button. You have to constantly watch your levels(in Pro Tools, on your mic pre-amp, and your compressor).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jaszcz</span>: With vocals, the level in Pro Tools should be between 50% and 75% of the meter range. Occasional peaks that almost reach the top are o.k. as long as there is no distortion.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grant</span>: Since we mentioned compression, don't over compress your vocals unless that is the intended effect. You want your compressor to catch the loud peaks and attenuate them(usually around 3 to 5 dB). If you squash the vocal while recording, you are going to be stuck with that sound on the record.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jaszcz</span>: Be sure to solo the vocal and be sure there aren't any problems. You can't hear many problems when you have the music covering them up. So solo it to be sure you don't hear too much headphone bleed, electrical hums, room sound, or distortion. I know, I know. No one listens to a song with a solo button. But you never know when a producer might decide to thin out a mix and then these problems will reveal themselves.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grant</span>: Also check for bad punches. You can't always tell if a punch is good unless you solo the vocal. The solo button is your friend, use it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jaszcz</span>: After you are done recording your vocal, check all your punches to be sure they have crossfades and consolidate it from either the front of the session or from the same starting time as your reference track.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grant</span>: After you have comped your vocal, save a copy of the session with all the vocal takes. Then in another copy, get rid of all the vocal takes and playlists except the Final Vocal Comp. This eliminates the chance of the wrong vocal being used in the mix.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jaszcz</span>: If you are going to export the vocal so you can give it to someone else to tune or put into a mix, be sure you give them a rough mix and be sure the vocal and rough mix are consolidated from the same starting point. That way if the time stamp on the audio file gets lost or changed, the vocal can still be lined up using the rough mix.<br /><br />Well that's it for this week. We hoped that you found this week's article informative and entertaining.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grant</span>: Hey if you guys have any questions or comments be sure to let us know. We have a <a href="http://www.myspace.com/getyoshed">myspace page</a> where you can leave us messages or you can leave comments by clicking the comment button below.<br /><br />And for further reading, check out Jaszcz's <a href="http://www.eqmag.com/story.asp?storycode=14914">interview</a> in EQ Magazine.Yoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856010691112800401noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3003445143164326912.post-41883791341424419002007-01-20T21:41:00.000-06:002007-01-20T22:01:18.283-06:00Welcome to GetYoshed!<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jaszcz (aka Yosh)</span>: Well Grant it’s a new year and we have a new web site.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grant</span>: Yes happy New Year to everyone and welcome to www.getyoshed.com. I guess we should explain to our visitors what the site is about. So what is it about Jaszcz?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jaszcz</span>: We created this site to help our clients(current and future), producers, musicians, students, and anyone else out there record better tracks so that they can have the best possible mixes.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grant</span>: So you’re going to give out your phone number and offer free 24 hour tech support! That’s great!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jaszcz</span>: Well actually I was planning on giving out your phone number.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grant</span>: I already get enough “emergency” calls at 1 a.m. with people having computer problems. I don’t need any more!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jaszcz</span>: Seriously, our goal is to help people record better tracks and we hope to accomplish this by giving you hints and tips on this site.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grant</span>: And our first tip really doesn’t have anything to do with recording but rather preparing your session(s) for mixing(assuming someone else is mixing your project).<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Jaszcz</span>: You know Grant there really isn’t anything worse than getting a Pro Tools™ session where the tracks are all called Audio 1, Audio 2, etc., or having 6 tracks all called “Lead Vocal” and no indication of which one is the correct one to use.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grant</span>: Sure there is! What about getting a session and finding out that 24 audio files are missing and they are on some drive called “Skip 250gig Backup” and no one knows who Skip is?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jaszcz</span>: Yeah that is pretty bad, and unfortunately common. Hopefully we will help our visitors avoid these problems. So let’s give some tips on preparing your sessions for a mix.<br /><br />The first tip that I have is to be sure to label all of your tracks properly. Tracks that are just called Audio 1 and such are not very helpful when someone else is trying to sort out your session. Be descriptive and be sure to use the comment boxes that Pro Tools provides.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grant</span>: Deactivate and hide all tracks that are not going to be used in the mix. If you are absolutely positive that they will never be used, go ahead and delete them from the session(be sure you have a session with them saved just in case).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jaszcz</span>: Check all your punches and edits. Check them while you are recording your overdubs and be sure they have fades and crossfades, then consolidate the tracks after you are done with the overdubs.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grant</span>: Exactly! This helps out in so many ways. One, if the punch is bad(which sometimes you can’t hear unless you solo the track), it is easier to fix while the musician/singer is still there. Also if you consolidate your overdub tracks, it makes it less likely that audio files will end up missing. It is easier to keep track of one Lead Vocal audio file than 60 or so.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jaszcz</span>: Be sure to name all your sessions properly. For example if you just did guitar overdubs, name the session “guitar overdubs” so you can go back to this session if you have to.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grant</span>: Which leads into only have the latest, relevant session in your project folder. That will eliminate the chance that the wrong session gets used.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jaszcz</span>: Which in turn leads into being sure that all the audio files associated with your project are actually on the hard drive that you are sending to the mix engineer. There are several ways of checking this, but the foolproof, easiest way is to go out and buy a brand new hard drive just for the mix and follow the procedure below.<br /><br />1) Format it accordingly (Mac OS Extended for us mac guys).<br /><br />2) In the Mix ready session, be sure to remove any unused audio regions. To do this,<br /><br /> a) Go to the region bin and select unused regions (Shift-Command-U).<br /><br /> b) Clear the unused regions (Shift-Command-B) and when the dialog box pops up on the screen, click Remove<br /><br /><br />3) Save a copy of the session to the new drive<br /><br /> a) With your session open in Pro Tools, go under the File Menu and select “Save Copy In”<br /><br /> b) Select your new Mix Hard Drive as the destination, Session Format should be “Latest”(unless the mix engineer is using a version of Pro Tools prior to 7.x you shouldn’t change this). Leave your Audio File Type and Sample Rate the same as your session.<br /><br /> c) Be sure in the “Items To Copy” field that the “All Audio Files” box is checked(if you don’t, then you won’t have any audio files copied over).<br /><br /> d) Be sure to name the session with a descriptive name (i.e. “Song Title ready for mix”)<br /><br /> e) Click the save button and watch the little blue progress bar.<br /><br /><br />4) After the session is saved to the new drive, close down your current session and unmount all audio drives except the new “Mix Drive”. You can do this in Pro Tools by going to the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Window Menu>Workspace</span> and highlighting any drives and clicking the little toolbox icon in the upper left corner and selecting “Unmount. “<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Note: Everyone should take this moment and make the computer’s internal hard drive(the one usually called “Macintosh HD”) as a transfer only drive. This will ensure that no audio files ever get recorded to this drive. To do so, in the Workspace window, where you see the column with the “A” heading, click on the “R” letter by your internal drive and change it to “Transfer” only.</span><br /></div><br /><br />5) Now open up the session you just saved to the new mix drive. If everything was done properly, the session will open up and you should get a dialog box saying “The Original Disk Allocation Cannot be used . . .”. Just hit the return or enter key and your session will open up and all the audio files will be found.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grant</span>: Now you can be confident that all your files are in the proper place and you won’t get that 9 a.m. call from the engineer asking where the Lead Vocal is.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jaszcz</span>: Good now we can all sleep better at night.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grant</span>: Sleep? What’s that?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jaszcz</span>: You know! It’s what you do on that couch all day while I’m working!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grant</span>: Not True!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jaszcz</span>: Well we are out of time. We hope you all find this site useful and if you have any questions or comments feel free to e-mail us.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Grant</span>: Tell your friends about the site and see you next time. Don’t forget to bookmark this site so you can come back!Yoshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05856010691112800401noreply@blogger.com3