Project Proposal
Production Project Files (80%)
Progress and Management Records (20%)
Overview
My final projects remained close to my proposal, though I reduced the length of the electronic project and made minor changes to my reference tracks following the completion of all demos. There are two sections in my portfolio – a pair of electronic tracks united by an experimental approach to sampling and synthesis and an abrasive production aesthetic. The second section is an alternative rock EP, exploring modern alternative approaches to song-writing/arrangement, drum recording/mixing, synthesis and effects processing. I was largely able to stick to my intended timeline, as it already factored in potential issues with the flexibility allowing for contingency plans. However, the recording and editing stage took longer than anticipated (as I will discuss), leaving less time for mixing/mastering.
Full track-listing and credits
Section 1 – Electronic Tracks
Pre-Production
Both songs were influenced by contemporary electronic producers, such as A. G. Cook, Arca and Flume. These artists’ works are characterized by experimental and abrasive synthesis and sampling. In his own words, Flume (2013) “uses a lot of samples, just random stuff” to form the foundations of his arrangements. Other key features include “setting the rate to milliseconds rather than syncing it to the grid” (Bailey, 2022). Arca’s production exploits granular synthesis to create unique rhythmic textures and timbres, automating “the ‘Grain Size’ & ‘File Position’ to add movement and glitch” (Allen, 2021).
Production
My tracks incorporate these techniques extensively, as well as the experimental aesthetic and approach to arrangement. Key features include: sounds derived from old samples of myself playing saxophone; “random stuff”, such as an explosion sample and recordings of wind; my own synth designs using the software synth Serum; and intentionally harsh/abrasive drum samples. See selected examples below:
GoGo
Squeak
Mixing
With my reference tracks as a guide, I used heavy effects processing throughout the mixes, with a conscious effort to make each sound unique and engaging. This was achieved through extensive use of non-synced LFOs, distortion and saturation plugins, abrupt volume automation and creative use of stereo imaging.
Section 2 – Alternative Rock EP
Pre-production
I created demos between September and January, including detailed arrangements, vocal parts and basic mixes to demonstrate my intention for the sonic aesthetic of each track.
I knew early on that I wanted each song to include live drums and bass parts, so I contacted Fin Smith (drummer) and John Gellersen (bassist) on 30th January to check their availability. Both were very busy, but we arranged to record on the weekend of the 14th/15th March.
To support their practice, I prepared versions of each demo with and without the bass and drums, as well as a structure sheet with performance directions for each song:
Fin and I met on 8th March to rehearse drum parts, and I created notes of all of my performance directions. This was done in 115, so I could play the backing and click through headphones for Fin, while simultaneously recording audio – this meant I could listen back afterwards to check my notes were thorough and accurate:
Recording:
Drums
I conducted research into modern drum/bass recording techniques, taking advice from online articles on Sound on Sound magazine, as well as direct advice from engineer Romesh Dodangoda, and finally the processes of recording engineer Shawn Everett.
Originally, I had intended to explore more experimental approaches to drum recordings, as is typical of Everett, but I decided against any extreme experimentation, since my drummer and bassist could only spare a very short amount of time for the recording, and the risk of something going wrong was too high.
To inform the placement and selection of each mic, I referenced articles in Sound On Sound magazine, which explore different ambient miking techniques, as well as kick and snare recording techniques. Romesh Dodangoda also generously sent me his own article about room miking options for drums, which stressed the importance of reducing cymbal and hi-hat levels in the room mics, and similarly verified points made elsewhere about corridor miking techniques, mono and stereo combinations and more.
I tested my planned microphone set-up in 115 on 5th March, and after attempting to mix the recording, I found that the overhead sound was excellent, but the room mics were more important than I had originally thought. This led me to use 4 room mics in each of my final recordings.
Bass
I found interviews from the bassist on Blackstar (2016), in which he described how bass was recorded “direct via an Avalon DI” and then “into an Ampeg B-15 cabinet”. Discussing his work on Sound & Color (2015), Everett similarly states that “70 percent of the bass guitar sound on the album was recorded with a DI and 30 percent with mics on the cabinet”, emphasizing that “most of the bass sound came from the DI, because the sound had more knuckles”. Therefore I recorded all bass parts using a DI box, with amp and pedal simulator plugins applied only at the mixing stage.
Vocals
I used the SM7B for all of my vocals, to capture an accurate recording with the benefit of slightly reduced high end from the pop filter and no risk of overloading the mic in some of the louder sections of my songs (Podcastage, 2017). I also took advantage of the proximity effect to naturally increase low end during quieter sections and reduce low end in louder sections (where I stepped back from the microphone).
We recorded drums and bass for Sesame, Glistening and Hydrangea in two 6-hour sessions over the weekend of 14th/15th March. During the first session I originally intended to record Nanami and Flavour as well, but we faced significant technical difficulties with the Aurora console which led to a lengthy process of trouble-shooting. The issue was resolved after roughly 2 hours with help from the support team, but we were unable to get a consistent drum take for Nanami in the remaining time. My contingency plan was therefore to arrange a third session on 29th March with Fin, with John recording the bass for Flavour remotely from London.
All microphone choices, positions and associated research sources are listed below:
The references included in this document are taken from relevant online articles and interviews, which are listed in the bibliography. See appendix for photo and video evidence of each recording.
Editing
I comped the drums and bass recordings in ProTools, ensuring all edits were smooth and consistent.
Following this, I used Ableton Live’s warp function to edit the timing of the bass to match the drums more closely in certain sections, then used melodyne to tune the bass, as I found in some sections the bass had inconsistent intonation.
For vocals I followed a similar process, though with far more detailed comping and tuning, as well as manual volume reduction on sibilances.
Mixing
Drums
My reference tracks all featured compressed and saturated drums, with some, such as “Earth Sign” taking this to the extremes. In interviews, Everett discusses his practice of “running stuff through a speaker, into a drum” – “usually an amp… I need a lot of pressure”. I tried this technique by playing my kick-drum recordings through a bass amp, with a kick-drum placed in front and a DM-1B microphone recording the sound from just in front of the centre of that kick drum. When layered with the original recording, this added depth and longer resonance, which was very useful in the tracks Nanami, Sesame and Glistening.
Although each track was mixed differently, Sesame exemplifies the key features of my drum-mixing across the EP. It features two distinct tones – one relatively natural tone, though compressed enough to control and shape the amplitudes of the kick and snare (referencing Ben Levin), and one extremely saturated tone (referencing The Flaming Lips). My intention with all of my mixes was to exaggerate contrasts between sections like this.
Bass
I used the UAD LA-2A plugin to control the RMS amplitude, with an additional compressor with much faster attack and release settings to tame peaks. I then used various audio effects, including a bass amp simulator, a distortion pedal simulator and a chorus effect to vary the bass tones across the EP.
Vocals
The vocals were lightly compressed, with detailed volume automation to ensure it could consistently stay at the front of the mix. Additionally, I used double tracking and delay and reverb effects to add further interest – Hydrangea showcases this well.
Other Elements
All other elements were programmed using a piano VST plugin, to which I frequently added distortion and chorus. These parts were intended to sound blatantly unrealistic, drawing influence from The Flaming Lips. The majority of the synthesised elements were derived from samples, as in my electronic works above, offering their unique timbre. The application of these sounds was particularly influenced by MGMT.
Manipulation Of Space
To exaggerate contrasts between sections, I automated the mixes to switch between long- and short-decay reverb plugins in several tracks – for example Nanami is clearly structured around this motif. I also applied side-chain compression to the vocal reverbs to avoid obscuring any details in my performance.
Mastering
In order to complete the tracks and ensure consistency across all tracks in my portfolio, I applied EQ, multi-band compression and limiting to carefully adjust the tone and levels of each track, after exporting the final mixes into a new project.
Evaluation
Although I had originally intended to make 10 minutes of electronic music, the workload of my other projects/modules was far greater than expected. One issue I faced was that the editing and recording process, particularly for vocals, took longer than I had planned, even with the existing flexibility in my original schedule. Given that I was already occupied with the other roles in the project, I was unable to properly maintain proper singing technique, which led to poor stamina and consistency in recordings. In future projects I would avoid this by allowing more time to practice singing parts, as well as more time to record and edit.
Consequently I was left with very little time to refine my mixes, which meant I struggled with ear fatigue. I managed this to the best of my abilities by taking frequent breaks, mixing with varied monitoring equipment and carefully comparing my mixes with my reference tracks.
Overall, I am extremely happy with the project, as I felt I was able to effectively manage the highly ambitious task of not only recording and mixing the EP, but also composing, arranging and performing as vocalist. I ensured all tracks were high quality through careful referencing; I completed everything on schedule and I believe I successfully achieved the intended goals of both projects.
Bibliography
A. G. Cook (2019) 7G. PC Music.
Alabama Shakes. (2015) Sound & Color. ATO Records.
Allen, R. (2021) Inside Fluidity – Creating The Sounds Of Arca. Available online at: https://touchloops.com/blogs/news/inside-fluidity-creating-the-sounds-of-arca [Accessed 07/05/2026]
Arca. (2015) Mutant. Mute.
Bailey, L. (2022) How to create heavy beats and gritty synths like Flume. Available online at: https://musictech.com/guides/essential-guide/how-to-create-heavy-beats-gritty-synths-like-flume/ [Accessed 07/05/2026]
Ben Levin (2019) Jelly Mound. Self-released.
Brittany Howard. (2019) Jaime. ATO Records.
Brittany Howard. (2024) What Now? Island Records.
David Bowie. (2016) Blackstar. ISO, Columbia, Sony.
Dodangoda, R. (2026) Drum Room Miking. Control Room. Unpublished.
Everett, S. (2015) Inside Track: Alabama Shakes’ Sound & Color Interview by Paul Tingen, Sound on Sound. [Article] Available online at: https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/inside-track-alabama-shakes-sound-color [Accessed 05/03/26]
Everett, S. (2025) Creating The New Miley Sound. Interview by Ryan Lerman and Jack Conte, Dead Wax. [Video] Available online at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ4DaIUYkg4 [Accessed 05/03/2026]
Flume. (2019). Hi This Is Flume. Future Classic.
Howard, B. (2024) Cover Story: Brittany Howard’s Dreamworld. Interview by Grant Sharples, Paste Magazine. [Article] Available online at: https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/brittany-howard/cover-story-brittany-howard-what-now-interview [Accessed 05/03/2026]
Kero Kero Bonito (2021) Civilisation. Polyvinyl Record Company.
Lefebvre, T. (2025) “When I first heard his voice in my headphones, there was that moment of, ‘My God! I’m recording with David Bowie!’” Bassist Tim Lefebvre on the making of David Bowie’s Lazarus. Interview by Chris Jisi, Guitar World. [Article] Available online at: https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bassists/tim-lefebvre-david-bowie-blackstar [Accessed 05/03/26]
MGMT. (2024) Loss Of Life. Mom + Pop.
Podcastage (2017) Shure SM7B Mic Review / Test [Video] Available online at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKcyINVNmkI&t=3s [Accessed 05/03/2026]
Rogers, Neil (2015) Ambient Miking: Room For Improvement. Available online at: https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/ambient-miking-room-improvement [Accessed 05/03/2026]
Senior, M. (2008) Kick & Snare Recording Techniques. Available online at: https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/kick-snare-recording-techniques [Accessed 05/03/26]
Testa, M. (2024) Capturing the Big Picture: Recording Drum Overheads. Available online at: https://www.theaudiopod.com/blog/capturing-the-big-picture-recording-drum-overheads [Accessed 05/03/26]
The Beths. (2020) Jump Rope Gazers. Carpark Records.
The Flaming Lips (1999) The Soft Bulletin. Warner Bros. Records.
