MPR4C001R-003 Portfolio: Production & Log 2 Template
Task 1 – WAV Mixes
Please add your uncompressed audio files to the block below
Task 2 – Production Log Book
1500 Words
Track 1 (Genre Specific Emulation)
We chose ‘Twist and Shout’ by The Beatles (2009 remaster).
Pre Production
- We learned the song separately and booked several hours in the studio to ensure we could get the song performed as a band before recording.
- We originally decided to record the song live as a band, however after close analysis of the recording we realised that the bleed from other instruments was too prominent and there was also some timing errors, making it hard to mix. Due to these problems, we recorded bass, guitar and vocals separately, but managed to salvage the drums from the original band recording.
Recording
- For acoustic and electric guitar we used a Neumann 184, because The Beatles used KM54s for guitars in their early recordings (Recording, B 2021) and we found that the 184 was the most similar out of the Conservatoire’s microphones (small diaphragm cardioid condenser mic).
- For Bass we used an Electrovoice re20. We originally used the 184 on the bass, however it created too much rumble and low end, as the bass on the record it doesn’t have a lot of low end due to the nature of recording for vinyl. We then chose the re20 due to its wide frequency response and its controlled proximity effect.
- We used a T-Bone rm700 for overhead and an Electrovoice re20 for the kick. We chose the rm700 for overheads as it is the most similar mic to the Cole’s 4038 (Recording, 2019) that the conservatoire had due to it being a ribbon mic with a similar frequency response. we chose the re20 for the kick for the same reasons as the bass, also due to its 180 degree rejection, to limit bleed from the other instruments.
- For vocals, we used a Sontronics Orpheus, as we liked how bright it sounded, matching the harsh high frequencies of the original.
- We had the 184 mic on the guitar amp in between the 2 speakers, as that is how The Beatles often placed their mics (Recording, 2021). when recording the guitar again after the live session, we moved the mic back to allow for less muddiness and more high end clarity. We placed the overhead over the snare and the kick mic inside the kick. For the bass, we solved the issue of there being too much rumble by using a different mic on the re-record (re20)
- We took a break in the middle of the session to relieve the stress of the high pressure recording environment. After the live recording and after we analysed it and realised it wasn’t up to scratch, to save time I recorded both electric guitar and bass for the track, and we got Fin in again to re-do the vocals and harmonies. For the harmonies we got him to sing in different ways to resemble different singers, e.g. holding his nose.
Mixing
- We panned the tracks to match our chosen remaster of the track, with vocals hard right and the vocal reverb bus in the opposite direction, and doing the opposite for the rest of the instruments. Clip distortion was added to the vocals to replicate how Lennon sounded on a vintage microphone. A large plate reverb was used on the drums. The high mid frequencies were exaggerated and the lowest and highest frequencies were removed to imitate the smaller frequency response of the mics used in that era. The Haas trick was used on the guitars to make them stand out more in the mix. There is a delayed copy of the guitar instrumental that we matched. We used a bandpass filter on different frequency ranges to match where the instruments were sonically placed.
Project Management
- We recorded the live session early on in the semester which gave us time to analyse it and make plans on how to improve. After the re-records we each did a mix of the track then combined our favourite elements of each into one final mix.
- I did research into the microphone choices and techniques used on The Beatles track and chose similar microphones to use on our version. We picked musicians that we knew well already to play on the track, making communication and session planning easier.
- I had the responsibility of performing on most of the track, and researching which microphones to use, Ben managed the artists and both him and Leah set up in the studio, and controlled the sessions from the control room. Leah also took photos and videos of the sessions.
- To make the mixing easier for everyone, I comped the vocal and guitar tracks and cleaned up the project before sending to each person to mix individually.
Track 2 (Live In the Studio Stereo Recording)
This track is a cover of ‘Ventura Highway’ by America, performed by a guitar trio with 2 vocal parts and an egg shaker.
Pre Production
- All artists learned the song separately and then came together for a rehearsal the day before the recording session.
- We decided that the lead vocalist would play the chords as it would be easier than singing and playing one of the lead parts. Similarly with the harmony vocal part, during the chorus he wouldn’t be playing anything on guitar to make it easier for him to sing the vocal line.
- We tested both an X-Y pair and mid-side microphone techniques and found that we preferred the X-Y technique as it gave a more ‘classic’ stereo effect.
Recording
- The microphones we used were the schoeps cardioid in an X-Y pair.
- As we were in room 422, we didn’t have much room to create a wide stereo image, so we moved the drum kit into the vocal booth in order to give room for the two lead guitarists to sit on either sides of the microphones, and the percussion player to be behind the microphones.
- we adjusted the position of the guitarist with the harmonies to be closer to the microphones to allow for the vocals to be more prominent, and the percussionist to stand further back as it originally overpowered the track after a demo run through.
- We decided that the rhythm guitarist and one of the lead guitarists should swap guitars as the rhythm required a much warmer sound compared to the jangly tones of the lead part.
Mixing
- We decided to do a simple mix, to retain the folk-y nature of the song. We panned the microphones left and right in relation to where they were set up. Then we added some compression to bring the backing vocals, and inconsistencies in the percussion up.
Project Management
- We delegated responsibility to one member of our group to find musicians that would record for our plan of a jazz trio. However due to scheduling conflicts, we thought it’d be easier for two of the members of our group to perform (rhythm guitar and percussion) alongside two lead guitarists.
- I was responsible for setting up the microphones and project during the session, whilst Ben was responsible for managing the other two musicians and running through the track to ensure it was of a good standard.
Track 3 Remix track
Pre Production
- My initial thought was to do a traditional dance remix of our track, however after playing a Ska/Reggae version of twist and shout in a band rehearsal, I thought it would be the perfect option.
- Regarding arrangement, after listening to a lot of reggae I came to the conclusion that most contained a line up of vocals, guitar, bass, organ and sometimes steel pan.
- I used Bob Marley’s ‘Waiting in Vain’ as a reference.
Recording
- I recorded guitar and bass live in the studio. I used different voicings of the original twist and shout chords on guitar, and a single coil guitar to gain a harsh ‘stab’ sound. I used spring reverb from the Fender hot rod amp and recorded it with an AKG 414. For the bass, I chose DI to get a simple clean tone, meaning I could manipulate it with more flexibility in the mixing stage.
- I used the logic steel pan instrument and reggae organ as my synth layers. To manipulate these, I added a filter on the sampler of the steel pan, and I altered the speed of the rotor cabinet on the reggae organ. I used the steel pan as more of a melodic layer than percussive.
- I created a kick by using an SM57 to record my chair leg hitting the floor. I used the bass enhancer on the Phat FX plugin, with a limiter, reverb and EQ to boost the low end and add more high end to get the click of a kick drum
- I made a snare by hitting a metal tin full of guitar picks. I took the tail of the audio to layer on top of the initial impact of the hit to add what would be the wires of the snare. I added Phat FX to both to add depth and an echo delay to replicate snares I heard in various reggae songs.
Mixing
- Most reggae songs sounded very wide and each instrument seemed to have their own space, so i wanted to replicate this within my mix. I panned the guitar hard right, organ left, bass and vocals in the centre and doubled the steel pan, having one hard left and the other the opposite.
- I exaggerated the high end on the guitar with a high pass filter, and did the opposite with the bass. i also added an echo delay on the vocals and guitar.
Project Management
- I gave myself 2 weeks to complete after we finished the emulation, and planned a mixing session a couple days before the deadline.
- Since we recorded the emulation without a metronome, it made it difficult to time stretch everything to a consistent tempo. This was a planning error on our behalf.
References
Recording, B (2021) How To Record Beatles Guitars from 1962-1966 (Video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMr8lnR_O88&t=1s.
Recording, B (2019) How To Record Drums Like The Beatles In 1963 (Video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csoD6S8zOCg
