Production Log
Project: CAB DRIVER
Date: 11/11/2025
Location: Studio 113
Role: Recording Engineer
Session aim:
To capture the drum kit and electric guitar with sufficient tonal and dynamic range within the track’s respective genres using close-miking and room capturing methods.
Technical setup:
A conventional multi-microphone drum setup to capture the natural ambience of the room. The electric guitar recording from this session was deemed unsuitable for final production due to tonal and technical limitations. Subsequently re-recorded in a later session. Mics provided in Appendix A.
Key production decisions:
A conventional multi-microphone set-up was used for the drum kit, including close mics on toms, snare, and kick, additionally with overhead and room microphones to capture ambience and the stereo image of the kit. This session was conducted in Studio 113, a large live room, to make use of its acoustic qualities, which are appropriate to the track’s genre. Also, the overdub track was employed to ensure that the structure and dynamics of the track were followed correctly.
Project: CAB DRIVER
Date: 18/11/2025
Location: Studio 113
Role: Recording engineer
Session aim:
To capture an electronic guitar by recording a DI signal and re-amping through a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe amplifier.
Technical setup:
A Di signal from the Fender Stratocaster was recorded and re-amped through a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe amplifier. Dual amp microphones were employed to provide opportunities in the mixing stage to create ideal blend of warmth and articulation. Session conduced in Studio 113 to take advantage of the room’s acoustics. Mic list provided and signal chain provided in Appendix A.
Key production decisions:
Dual amp microphones were used to capture both on and off-axis articulation, allowing tonal decisions to be made during the mixing stage. The re-amping approach provided control over gain staging after initial performance. Conducting the session in Studio 113 provided a natural ambience, strengthening the spatial depth of the recording.
Project: Jazz Ensemble Capture
Date: 26/11/2025
Location: Studio 113
Role: Recording Engineers
Session aim:
To capture a live Jazz ensemble using multi-miking techniques, while ensuring dynamics and tonal honesty within guidelines of the genre.
Technical setup:
The session was recorded in Studio 113, using the live room’s large size to cater to the ensembles need. Drums were recorded using a Glyn John setup with kick, snare, and overheads. Guitar and double bass were recorded with two mics each to capture tone and detail. Sax and vocals were recorded with a single mic, and the organ was taken via DI. A pair of room mics Blumlein set up were used to capture the space and how the band sounded together.
Key production decisions:
During the session, some microphones had to be changed due to a shortage at the equipment desk and a few extra microphones were added to get a better sound for certain instruments. For example, we swapped some overheads and adjusted positions to reduce phase issues to capture a clearer drum image. An Extra mics were added to the cajon and a percussion mic was provided. These decisions were made on the spot and did cause some minor hassle as the mic list input changed dramatically, through out the session we maintained calm and focus to ensure that enough time was allowed for recording and that an honest performance was captured.
Project: Jazz Ensemble mix
Date: 2/12/2025
Location: Studio 113
Role: Mix engineer
Session aim:
To mix the recorded jazz ensemble track using the mixing desk, maintaining the natural feel of the genre and cohesion, ensuring tonal balance and clarity.
Technical Setup/Process:
Mixing was done entirely on the mixing desk. The onboard EQ was used to boost and cut frequencies, low passing and high passing to clean up the mix. Little compression was added for glue, this was to preserve the dynamic range and keep the performance as honest to the genre as possible
Key production Decisions:
For this mix session i wrote down all the tracks on paper and placed them below the channels to keep the session organised. EQ was used on the ASP8024 desk to boost frequencies, especially with the organ, I as found it to sit rather dull in comparison to rest of the recorded instruments. Minimal compression was applied to maintain the natural dynamics of the ensemble, this allowed us to keep the track as honest to genre as possible.
Project; Jazz Ensemble mix
Date: 9/12/2025
Location: 104
Role: Mixing Engineer
Session Aim:
To continue and finalise the mix of the jazz ensemble, adapting the equipment changes while maintaining the mix decisions from the previous session.
Technical Setup / process:
The new studio did not have the exact same compressor or reverb as studio 113, so we made do with the equipment that was available. Flyn handled the patch bay while I set up the desk, making sure that all levels and settings matched what we had in 113. The mix continued as before, with minor adjustments to account for the change in compressor and reverb. The session was finished with fading out the track once the balance and tone were achieved.
Key Production Decision:
We aimed to preserve the sound and feel of the previous session despite the different equipment and studio. Adjustments were made mainly to account for the drum kit and room differences, keeping EQ, compression, and reverb usage minimal to maintain the natural presence and core emotional feeling of the performance. Writing down the tracks, inputs, and having pictures helped maintain organisation and speed through these sessions.
Project: CAB DRIVER
Date: 12/1/2026
Location: Home studio
Role: Mixing Engineer
Session Aim:
To create a clear, punchy, and dynamically balanced mix that preserves the analog characteristics of the original recordings while also allowing each instrument to live in its own space, most importantly the interaction between kick and bass, and ensuring the vocals sit prominently within the mix and all else around it.
Technical Setup:
The session was conducted on Logic Pro, with track stacks created for all instruments. Parallel compression was applied to individual tracks and groups where necessary. Sends were set up for long and short reverbs, delay, and saturation. Drums were noise-gated to reduce bleed. Room reverb was used on the drums, with a bright hall applied to the snare. Plate reverb and bright hall were used on the vocals. Vocals were automated throughout the track to achieve the feel in-line with the requested reference tracks. All instruments were gain-staged to preserve at least 6 dB of headroom while maintaining the analog feel of the desk used for recording.
Key Production Decisions:
The bass track was duplicated to create my desired custom tone, with side-chain compression applied between the kick and bass to allow the kick to cut through the mix. The punch of the kick was boosted, and overlapping frequencies in the bass were reduced to create more space. The rhythm guitar parallel compression was low-passed to add depth and leave space for the vocals. Saturation and delay were applied selectively across tracks to enhance warmth and texture. Mix automation was used on the vocals to maintain expressive dynamics throughout the track. Overall, the workflow prioritised organisation, space, and the preservation of analog character while leveraging digital tools for selective creative decision making.
Project: HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE
Date: 14/1/2026
Location: Home studio
Role: Mixing & Production Engineer
Session Aim:
To remix the cover track with a disco/funk feel, correcting timing and pitch within the vocals, while creating a tight dynamic arrangement that shows groove, harmonics and electronic production.
Technical Setup:
The session was conducted in Logic Pro. The original vocal was analyzed to determine its tempo (approximately 81 BPM) and then time-stretched and sped up to align with the track’s final tempo of 110 BPM. Vocal timing and articulation were corrected to ensure proper alignment with the rhythm section. Reference track Outstanding was used to guide drum arrangement and groove. Layered instrumentation included duplicated bass and guitar tracks that have been high pass and low passed to create my desired tone. Strings were added to the arrangement, with automated volume for expressive dynamics. Sub-bass was added during the chorus to increase low-end weight and punch of to the meaning of how deep is your love. Additionally, high-hat and snare samples were layered to enhance rhythm, feel and tonal character. All new elements were processed through dedicated mix buses for consistent parallel compression, reverb, and delay treatment.
Key Production Decisions:
The vocal track was carefully time-stretched and pitch-corrected to fit the track’s tempo and key, ensuring all notes were in D major and that the phrasing aligned with the track. Automation was applied to the vocal using latch mode, to give it dynamic expression and personal feel. The bass and guitar were duplicated, with one track of each filtered to remove highs and lows, creating a custom tone that sits clearly in the mix. Strings were added to the arrangement, and their volume was automated to provide movement and build tension throughout the track. Snares were layered to create a distinct tone that complements the disco/funk style. The drum arrangement was guided by the reference track Outstanding to maintain a tight, driving rhythm, and all elements were carefully balanced through mix bus processing for parallel compression, reverb, and delay to create a cohesive and polished final mix.
