Portfolio: Production & Log (MPR4C001R~001)
Student I.D: 25105142
In this production task, I collaborated on creating two individual tracks with a professional band and a production team to demonstrate my ability to record in a studio environment, whilst maintaining a healthy personal working relationship throughout. The goal was to build on individual strengths whilst working closely together between the studio team and the artists, focussing our attention on the miking/recording process, arrangement, sonic quality and performance, capturing a raw production sound.
Method 1 – Live Band/Ensemble Capture
Track title – ‘Crocodile Tears’
Artist – Jeanine
Date – 05-11-25
My role – Assisted with the miking of drums, guitar and vocals. liaising with the band for ideas and needs for live capture. Assisted with gain staging and audio levels in the control room.
I was involved with organising a band to work with us on both the live capture and the overdub production. My contribution began once we met the band for the first time and discussed how ideas from both a production and musicians’ perspective were going to be the focal point during the session. This was essential in making the artists feel welcome and important to discuss any specific thoughts they may have towards the production process, enabling us as a group to factor in both our ideas whilst building a strong relationship that can be both fun and prosperous. I prioritised assisting with miking the drums over other instruments as this would become the most demanding task and was a more efficient way of utilizing everyone’s time. We chose to use an AKG drum mic pack with an additional AKG D112 to allow us to have a kick in and out. The intention behind this was to capture different aspects of sound and create a well-rounded warm tone, preventing muddiness. Whilst some members of the group were working on levels for drums, I proceeded to set up a Fender twin reverb amp with a C414 microphoneset to cardioidin the vocal booth for the artist’s guitar and pedalboard. Because the guitarist was also the vocalist for the band, we decided to use an SM57 in the vocal booth with a pop filter to alleviate mic bleed from the guitar amp. This ensured I had more control with levels and through monitoring in the control room, I could hear from soloing the vocal mic that there wasn’t an overwhelming amount of bleed. The set up of this band taught a lesson that maybe a DI method for the guitarist’s pedalboard would have been a better option for a cleaner and undisturbed sound with the guitarist also being the vocalist. With thoughts on mic bleed, we decided to change the set up of the bass to a DI method to prevent additional bleed by the drums as both drums and bass shared the same room. It was a conversation that had to be had as the bassist was under the impression that he would be using an amp in the live room. By discussing the implications both methods had, it was a good way of managing expectations. An important factor between both artists and producers. By this point, the set up and miking was finished and with a few microphone placement tweaks, we began gaining an overall sound that we all came to a consensus on.
We then moved on to giving independent headphone mixes to the artists to allow them to listen to other members instruments as well as their own and be able to play in time with each other, whilst also allowing us to be able to communicate with them during the process. We asked the band to play through the whole song so we could gain stage correctly and to see if there were any final adjustments or questions from the band before we began the recording process. The intention behind this is to make sure everyone was set up correctly and to utilise the time we have for efficiency. With all above tasks completed, we recorded four takes of the same track and worked together with the band to choose the best overall take. The band left with an appointment in a couple of weeks for the overdub process.
Method 2 – Overdub Production
Track title – ‘Wonder Kid’
Artist – Jeanine
Date – 02-12-25
My role – Set up and assisted with capturing percussive elements into the overdub process and recorded the session in the control room through Pro-Tools.
As a group, we recorded an overdub process using another original piece of music performed by the band ‘Jeanine’. Both the band and my production group thought it would be a good idea to incorporate some percussive elements into the mix. I utilised two AKG – 414’s in stereo set to Omni to capture a wide sound whilst maintaining acoustic texture and had the drummer use egg shakers and maracas over certain sections of the track to add more layers of texture. Next, we moved on to vocals with the use of one of the same AKG – 414’s with an alteration from Omni to cardioid to centre isolate the vocals. We began with the vocalist experimenting with a few different harmonies in addition the original vocal line before we decided to record.
Once everyone was happy to proceed, we recorded the first harmony. The results were a little off due to vocals been slightly flat, but we rectified this with a few more takes. The same process was used for more additional harmonies before inviting the band to have a listen with any further thoughts. Checking in throughout both sessions with ‘Jeanine’ meant we could continue with the freedom to explore different avenues, whilst making sure everyone involved had their voice and opinions heard. One thought arose from the band, that they would really appreciate a saxophone to be added to the overdub process to add another dynamic to the mix. A saxophonist was quickly sourced from the university. We all spent the last hour setting up and recording what was going to be the last element of the overdub project. We used the same AKG – 414 as before to mic the saxophone but found that we didn’t believe it was adding any further value to the song, so we decided not to use it. It’s good to experiment with different instruments but it’s understandable if they don’t work or bring value and need to be removed. With no more sections to record, we concluded, saved and bounced the Pro-Tools session and shared files individually.
Conclusion:
Overall, both the live capture and overdub methods provided challenges that the group and I were able to overcome and taught me valuable lessons moving forward. Facing problems like mic bleed and the need to compromise on artists needs meant that there was an element of problem solving that needed to be addressed on several occasions. Also, how time spent in certain areas, i.e. a one-hour recording session with a saxophonist only to remove from the final project shows how time is valuable and needs to be considered. By demonstrating my own and the group’s ability to prepare and utilise studio equipment efficiently meant there was more time spent on dynamics which I believe shows throughout both tracks. The use of alternative microphone choices like the two kick in and kick out mics used as well as the SM57 with a pop filter for mic bleed showed how different placements offer different tonalities and how taking initiative for experimental purposes can be shown in the mix. The decision to change the bass amp for a DI method and the guitar and vocal mic set up showed the limitations we were faced with which has taught valuable lessons for initial set ups in the future. Moving forward, the experiences have shown how alternative routes can be taken to offer an approach that is best suited to the needs of the artists and has also shown how a collaborative effort has proven to be a staple point in this production, showing how important it is to be invested in the individual roles that have been undertaken. I am proud of how my contributions to the session allowed me to work under pressure, showing capability in a studio setting.
