MPR4C001R-001 Production Log Book 1
1500 Words
Method 1 – Live Band/Ensemble Capture
For our live band capture we recorded a Jazz quartet. The group consisted of drums, bass guitar, electric guitar, and saxophone
My main contributions for this project were in the microphone setup for the drums and the positioning of the performers in the live room
For the drum kit we used the “Glyn Johns” method with a Kick mic, a Snare mic, and two overheads.
For the Kick we used an AKG D112 because of its ability to pick up the clarity and punch of the Kick drum
For the Snare we used a Shure SM57 because of the subtle mid-range boost it provides, and its bright sound
We used two Oktava MK-012s for the overheads with one placed directly above the snare, and the other placed by the floor tom pointing inwards to the kit. We measured the positioning of the two overheads so that the distance between the high overhead and the snare was the same as the distance between the two overheads. We used the MK-012s because of their strong warmth and clarity that they provide when picking up room sounds.
When organising the performers, our main aim was to limit the amount of bleed that the microphones picked up. We used a temporary wall between the drum kit and the saxophonist, due to the saxophone being the main lead instrument of the track. The bass was recorded DI through a bass amp so no microphones were used to pick it up, reducing more potential bleed. The two amplifiers being used were situated away from the drum kit to prevent the microphone used for the electric guitar amp picking up distortion from the levels of the guitar and drum kit combined.
Method 2 – Overdub Production
For our overdubbed production, our group did a cover of The Police’s Message in a Bottle. To begin with we recorded the original track into a Logic session and used the stem-splitter tool to provide demo tracks for each individual part. This allowed the performers to play with the rest of the parts, regardless of the recording order. We then transported these stems to Pro Tools to record over.
My main contributions for this project were in the microphone setup of the drum kit and electric guitar.
For the Electric Guitar, we used a Blackstar Silverline amp with a distortion pedal and a chorus pedal, picked up by a Shure SM57 and a Sennheiser MD421.
We chose these microphones because the SM57 provides a mid-range boost and the MD421 is good at picking up louder levels without adding distortion. We needed the two microphones to individually pick up the mid and low levels.
In this recording session we recorded the main electric guitar part and the harmony part that goes along with it, all with the same microphone setup, and recorded the bass part, which was recorded DI.
In another session, we tracked the drum part in Studio 109. In this session my contributions were in the microphone setup, and in the input organisation.
In organising the inputs, I ordered them based on their frequency range and positioning on the kit. This helped with organising the tracks on Pro Tools for a basic mix and pan.
For the Kick drum we used an AKG D112 and an Audix D6. The D112 was placed inside the Kick and the Audix D6 was set up outside the Kick. We used the D112 inside the Kick because it’s good for capturing the power and clarity of the Kick, and because it can handle high sound pressure. We used the Audix D6 outside the kick because of how it picks up the depth of the Kick drum.
For the Snare drum we used a Shure SM57 and an Oktava MK-012. The SM57 was positioned above the snare facing inwards and was chosen because of the bright sound it picks up. The Oktava MK-012 was positioned underneath the snare facing upwards, and we also used one for the Hats, because of the clear and precise sound they pick up.
The MK-012 that was used for the Hats was positioned above the hats and pointing slightly away from the snare, to limit how much of the snare sound it picked up.
For Tom 1 and Tom 2 we used Sennheiser MD421s. We chose the MD421 because it can handle high sound levels, and for this song the toms are used extensively in the fills, so microphones that can handle these levels without adding distortion were needed.
For the Floor Tom we used a Sennheiser e604 because it has a built-in clip and can be hooked onto the rim of the tom.
For the overheads we used the Calrec 1050c. We had two overhead microphones positioned above the drummer, with one facing to the left and the other facing to the right. We used this microphone because it provides a rich and smooth sound for cymbals, with the ride heavily used in this song.
We gave the drummer an additional communication microphone in input 11 to allow him to easily talk back to us and provide a more fluid recording process.
