MPR4C001R-003 Portfolio: Production & Log 2 Template
Task 1 – WAV Mixes
10mins7s
Task 2 – Production Log Book
1500 Words
Track 1 (Genre Specific Emulation)
The song we chose is We Be’s Gettin’ Down by Graham Central Station. This track is a masterpiece of 1970s Funk, led by Larry Graham, who is widely known as the inventor of the “Slap Bass” technique. Our group started by listening carefully to the song and sharing what we thought were the most important elements. I suggested that the violin melody is very catchy and that the organ provides a solid foundation with its fixed chord progression. We combined our ideas and decided to do some research on the song’s background. Since it isn’t a massive hit, there wasn’t much info online, but I found out from an interview with Larry that the song features very complex multi-track vocal arrangements. The frequent “call and response” between the lead and backing vocals was influenced by traditional Black Gospel music.
Before recording, we imported the original song into Logic Pro and used the stem splitter to get different parts as guide tracks for our own recording.
Our group member Isaac, who suggested the song, was responsible for finding the singers and musicians. Our first session was recording the drums. To get the “dry” drum sound like the original, we used physical muffling on the drum heads (putting wallets and towels on the snare and toms). We also used a limited number of microphones to recreate the limited track count of that era. We finished this session in Studio 104, where I was mainly in charge of microphone placement and routing.
Next, we recorded the violin. The violinist had already turned the violin parts into sheet music and practiced a lot before coming in. Noah, Kian, and I took part in this session. Noah and I handled the microphone placement and the mixing desk settings. We used two spot microphones at suitable distances and angles to capture a clear melody, which is also why we chose the small room in Studio 422. Because the player was very good, the session was efficient and took less than two hours. I was responsible for saving the project files afterward.
Then we recorded the vocals with a singer named Seyi. She is a very skilled singer with a great tone and is good at imitating styles. We used the Warm Audio 251 to capture her voice. Because it has a built-in tube circuit, it captures non-linear distortion and natural saturation. This “warm” feeling is a hallmark of 70s Funk and helps cancel out the “cold” sound of digital recording, giving the vocals an analog feel before even entering Logic Pro. Also, since the song has many high-pitched parts, the 251 handles high sound pressure levels well and smoothes out transients. I was in charge of the project and mixing desk settings, while Kian and Isaac handled the microphone placement in Studio 104.
lead vocal
Next was the bass. As a core element of this song, we thought carefully about the equipment. To capture the slap technique and more details, we used a combination of DI + Amp. We placed D6 and DM1B microphones in front of the amp and sent the bass signal to the desk through a DI box. I was mainly responsible for the project and mixing desk settings here.
We then recorded the Organ. This unique sound is essential for the steady foundation of the Funk groove. We used the vintage Hammond organ in Studio 113 with the Leslie rotary speaker. I was responsible for the tone settings and the actual performance, figuring out the chords by ear from the original track. Kian and Noah handled the microphone setup, placing mics at the top (left and right) and bottom of the speaker to capture the full frequency range. The bottom mic captured the specific sound of the rotor spinning, giving it a warm, vintage feel. Since the part wasn’t too complex, we got the takes we needed quickly. Playing this instrument was a new and cool experience for me, and I want to try it again in my future work.
Next, we recorded the electric guitar. The guitar part is mainly rhythm-based, playing a fixed riff. We used two microphones, an SM57 and an Orpheus, to pick up the sound from the amp.
guitar
Finally, we did the backing vocals. Because we couldn’t book a studio for the last two weeks, Seyi came to my bedroom to finish this. I used an SM58; this dynamic mic works well for loud vocals. I also used a pop filter to prevent “plosives” and air noise. Seyi and I listened to the stems to isolate each vocal part and then recreated the harmonies. During recording, I controlled the mix window and did some editing, while Seyi operated the record button and adjusted track positions. To make the backing vocals sound more “3D,” we did some basic panning and recorded double tracks. Seyi stayed quite close to the mic, so the recording sounded very “dry.”
In the post-production stage, Isaac and I were mainly responsible for picking the best takes, while Noah and Kian handled the mixing. My main method was comparing our tracks with the original stems to choose the takes with the highest accuracy. This work was done in Studio 113 and the 108 mixing room. Below are their notes from the mixing stage.
Track 2 (Live In the Studio Stereo Recording)
2. Stereo Recording
We recorded Laudamus te from Vivaldi’s Gloria, which is a vocal duet for two female voices. The biggest challenge was the phase issues that come with a duet. We had to consider mic placement and where the singers stood to get the best stereo effect. After talking it over, we used an XY microphone setup with two room mics for support. For the XY setup, we used two Sontronics STC-3X mics, and for the room mics, we used Sontronics Orpheus. The STC-3X is a large-diaphragm multi-pattern condenser mic known for smooth highs and detail, which fit our need for recording “fancy” classical vocals. We set them both to Cardioid to ensure a clear left-to-right position in the stereo field. The two Orpheus mics are very unique and have a wide, natural pickup range. We have used them as room mics many times in our group projects to capture natural room reverb. Based on the singers’ request, we used the stem splitter on the original orchestral track in Logic so they only heard the orchestra in their headphones. Since overdubbing was allowed, we recorded many takes to pick the best one later. Eliot and I were in charge of mic placement and routing in Studio 113, as the large room reverb there is perfect for this kind of vocal duet.
For the post-processing, I handled the first half. My main idea was to pan the XY microphones and the room microphones to the extreme left and right respectively, sending them to their own buses for EQ. For the room mics, I cut out muddy frequencies below 200 Hz and high-frequency info above 10 kHz. This avoids conflict with the main mics and maximizes the spatial effect. I also deleted silent sections to prevent background noise buildup and added a Lo-fi effect plugin to make the room atmosphere feel softer. For the XY mics, I used the Soothe2 plugin to optimize the high frequencies, making the sound sweeter and smoother. Finally, I added a Limiter to boost the volume slightly. Noah did the second half of the processing after I exported the stems for him. Below are his notes.
Track 3 Remix track
After getting the vocal files, I first started thinking about my remix style. Since I have been listening to Jacob Collier’s album The Light for days, which was released last year, on repeat lately, I began to consider the feasibility of doing a remix in a similar style. I first analyzed his production techniques; most of the instruments and vocals in that album were recorded in his bedroom studio, featuring minimalist accompaniment such as guitar and banjo. These mostly appear as solo instruments, and combined with his signature multi-track vocal harmonies, they create a cozy atmosphere. I believe that maintaining the raw acoustic texture of the instruments and creating enveloping harmonies is key for me.
print vocal
The DAW I used is Ableton Live, because it is very convenient for vocal slicing and crossfading. I mainly extracted two verses from the original song, but because the lyrics are different, the emotional tone varies. Based on this, I divided my remix arrangement into Section A and Section B. In Section A, I used a synthesized piano sound as a pad and applied creative processing to the vocals, such as coloring, slicing, and reversing. Combined with a smaller reverb, the overall texture feels a bit colder. To meet the assignment requirements, I recorded samples of keyboard typing and mouse clicking for the atmospheric intro; these sounds also appear during section transitions and the outro. In Section B, I performed and recorded acoustic guitar in my room, keeping many of the string noises during chord changes to create a texture similar to Jacob’s music. Building on this, I started recording harmonies. My main idea was to achieve an effect where the harmonies surround and respond to the lead vocal. To achieve this goal, I also used methods like EQ adjustments and sidechain compression.
kb sample
mouse sample
1534 words
