Task 1 – WAV Mixes
Track 1 (Genre Specific Emulation)
For the genre-specific recreation, the group decided to go with a late 90’s RnB track using Faith Evans’ “Love like this” as our reference. We set out to achieve a polished recreation, maintaining it’s original characteristics. My role was heavily involved throughout the recording and mixing stages. During the sessions, I handled the desk and patch bay as well as managing gain staging making sure the correct signal levels were achieved. I also dealt with routing hardware for compression and reverb as well as comping multiple vocal takes. Outside of the studio, I took a lead role in mixing to ensure the tracks reference needs were aligned. I recorded the piano parts, which was an essential part of the song’s identity and mood, laying a smooth RnB feel that complimented the genre. As the piano was one of the underlying instrumental layers, I used a grand piano using stereo microphones, to capture a warm sound and support the tracks style and tone. During the first session, we used a ‘Warm audio WA-251’, and I ensured the input signal was at an appropriate level. Using a Neve pre-amp and a Drawmer compressor through the patch bay achieved an overall warm tone often heard throughout RnB productions. Making sure the levels were adequate but not clipping helped maintain a consistent workflow in the later stages of mixing. Originally, our idea was to use an SM7b to record the vocals, however we came across a technical issue were there was no signal coming to the desk. Whilst this slowed down our session, it became an important factor in identifying where in the signal chain the problem arose. We later identified that the wall box in the vocal booth was not sending signal, so we decided to move the set up into the live room enabling us to continue the session without wasting any time. This showed that whilst recording and performance is important, there is a reliance on the technicalities to run a session smoothly. Another role I had was to review multiple takes from the session and choose the best captures through compositing before merging together a selection of the best takes. During pre-production, we used logic’s stem splitter to isolate instrumental/vocal parts and this was used to isolate the vocals for reference points on specific parts of the original, ensuring the vocal’s matched up with the reference.
Mixing
During the mixing stage, I made used EQ and compression across multiple parts to manipulate sounds, bringing it closer to the reference track whilst balancing frequences, leaving space for other layers to shine. Using auxiliary and bus tracks, meant I could apply effects, such as reverb and delay allowing for more control dynamically. The most challenging aspect was mixing the guitar due to its unique sonic qualities. The original sound was bright but held depth and took some careful listening to decipher what was happening tonally. With room for improvement in this area, I feel that it had improved myself and the group’s understanding when it comes to tone shaping.
The vocal recordings were of high quality, so there wasn’t much in terms of effects needed to bring them into focus. A small amount of reverb and echo delay was sufficient, to closely mimic the vocals in the track. I think it’s noticeable that both the artist and the group have focused on vocals as a staple point of this production and how careful listening has generated a satisfactory result. Been responsible for balancing levels and panning tracks, I had made sure that individual parts have sat correct in the stereo field. This has been reflective from previous projects, bringing new knowledge into current work. Overall, this project has shown me that using signal routing, vocal comping and mixing sessions, plays a crucial role in the development of a well-produced recreation and how collaborative effort, and problem solving has created opportunities for growth.
Copy and pastTrack 2 (Live In the Studio Stereo Recording)
Stereo Recording
For the live stereo task, we recorded a folk trio using two stereo mic pairs to capture a natural sound. My role involved recording the session and operating the hardware pre-amps. Because we didn’t have access to a studio with a desk, we relied on the studio’s interface and hardware alone. With these limitations, we recorded a natural sound in a well sized room despite the lack of equipment. I made sure the levels were balanced which took some dialling in, and with both AKG C451B and Neuman KM184 condenser mic’s used, needing a large amount of gain staging, this was monitored closely. Using both stereo pairs helped us create the width of the trio and a sense of space around them. The song had vocals, guitar and mandolin so, we recorded multiple takes and had discussions with the trio about controlling the dynamic range in their voices because there were problems in this overshadowing the instruments. We were able to achieve a well-balanced sound with some different mic placements and, my job was to monitor the input carefully to make any adjustments to the gain staging throughout different mic placements. This helped us achieve an overall balance and maintain a strong dynamic throughout the performance. For mixing, this was achieved with tutor guidance during a lesson which helped me gain an understanding on how a stereo sound could be controlled dynamically with the use of EQ, compression and reverb.
Copy and paste theTrack 3 Remix track
For the remix production, my goal was to use the lead vocals from the recreation track and record a newly composed and arranged idea using instruments I had at home, creating an indie electronic style production. I recorded the song from scratch and completed the final mix using logic pro. Whilst I don’t deem this to be a specific genre, the direction I took was to record some indie-inspired guitar sounds, synth bass lines and a sequencer as well as found sounds for the drums and percussive elements. With the assignment based around the lead vocals, I wanted to manipulate them in a way that still felt authentic but stepped away from RnB, creating something more atmospheric and electronic. The starting point was to change the vocals tempo to a new 120bpm, utilising Ableton’s warp feature to achieve this before moving over to logic for the rest of the recording and mixing stage. I felt 120bpm was a good speed for the vocals to maintain their depth throughout. I also wanted to add a large reverb tail and delay and felt this was easier to achieve than a speedier EDM style track. Building the track around these vocals meant improvising before deciding on the chord progression and melody layers. For the drums, I used found sounds around the house to create a compilation of Kick, snare, and percussive elements, using an SM58 mic to record a hard flight case kick, and a coffee table for the snare. This meant I had to spend time thinking about how to turn non-musical objects into convincing percussion. I lined the kick and snare up to a sample I found on splice as a guide to help me line up the beats and bars. I then reviewed some sample libraries so I could get a picture for how I wanted the drums to be, before committing to the final result. I later decided to use a bunch of keys because I wanted to create a swelling “Woosh” sound which was achieved by chopping up the recording and reversing the one shot. I added a recording of a recycled can to try and emulate a small gun reload effect but struggled to make it sound convincing, showing me that time could be best spent in other areas. The found sounds were challenging for me because there was a lot of processing involved to make them sound convincing but also showed a creative process I would not have thought about. With the use of EQ and compression on the drums I made an unusual sound turn into something convincing. I used a Moog Subsequent 37 for the synth and bass layers as well as the sequencer, giving the track an analogue characteristic, and bringing the song together harmonically whilst supporting the drums.
A limitation was that my original idea was to utilise the university studios to achieve the remix recording, however due to struggles with gaining access to one in time, I continued to lay the final parts at home. Rather than allowing this to hinder the production, I made use of my own equipment to achieve the final result. This made me more mindful in making the remix work through more basic production techniques rather than been dependent on extra resources. The final mix was also done at home with studio headphones, and I focused on balancing levels on the vocals and instrumental parts. I originally used the dry vocal takes instead of post effects stems from the recreation session so I could add reverb and delay in a different way. I created two separate auxiliary channels and grouped the vocals together to affect them simultaneously. This ensured I had the vocals running in parallel, having control over the dry signal. Other mixing techniques included use of EQ on the bass lines and guitar parts as well as a small amount of side chain compression on the kick. I wanted the guitar to be a little brighter, so I rolled off some of the low end to prevent it from sharing too many frequencies with the bass. Side chaining was achieved by mapping the bass to the kick, its subtle but, I felt like the track would benefit from a slight pumping rhythm. Overall, I am happy with this remix, and it has allowed me to explore different musical styles and has improved my confidence in sound manipulation, vocal orchestration, creative process, and mixing.
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