Tracking vocals today for a new project

[TwilightOdyssey]

With just about all of the songs written and gigging plans snapping into place, I am heading into the "studio" today for a couple of hours to track vocals to our first single/demo.

This project is called FM RADIO and started out as a duo with a guitarist friend of mine. Drummer joined, drummer quit, singer joined, guitarist quit, drummer on the fence ... all the usual joys of being in a band.

Instead of consigning ourselves to an endless train of auditions and future-ex members, the singer (Maddy Durham) and I decided to keep it as a duo and forge ahead, at least for the forseeable future.

I had posted a live playthrough video for the first demo, Violet Skies a couple of weeks ago. Now it's time for the vocals!

We rented a 600 sq foot performance space in Downtown Brooklyn and will be bringing in all the gear needed. I have a 50 lb duffel bag filled with the essentials: blanket, microphones, interface, headphones, and lots of spare cables.

I will post more here as the song goes from set up to tracking to mixing.

The goal is to release one song per month for 4 months whist finishing the remaining songs, then gigs, then complete the first album. Hope we get that far!

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Tracking vocals today for a new project

Getting the stuff into the city today was ... special. Just glad a gun-ho straphanger didn't decide to 'see something, say something'. lol

Equipment punch list:




Here's what my 'terror bag' looked like on the commute into the city:




And once in my office, double-checked the contents in case I need to make an emergency run to Guitar Center or Sam Ash:



DUFFEL BAG CONTENTS

2x Shure headphones
1x headphone splitter cable
1x Focusrite Saffire 2i2
2x USB cables (1 spare)
2x Blue Cranberry mic cables (1 spare)
1x Rode umbilical cable
1x IEC power cord
1x Rode NTK
1x shock mount for NTK
1x Cascade Fat Head II
1x shock mount for Fat Head
1x external hard drive
1x moving blanket
2x spring clamps
1x power strip

STUFF IN AUXILIARY BAG
1x Mac Book Pro
1x power supply for MBP
1x misc connectors, chargers, tchotchkes
1x power supply for MBP

STUFF THAT WON'T FIT IN EITHER BAG!
1x boom stand

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Tracking vocals today for a new project

Session went GREAT. Room worked a treat, too. Low ish ceiling with acoustic tiles and hardwood floor gave just the right amount of room sound. Ended up preferring the sound of the Fat Head. Some careful positioning allowed the null to point at an air vent, eliminating any background noise.

Will post more more photos soon, though there is not much to show.

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Tracking vocals today for a new project

Traveling in style ....




Your average old Brooklyn street ...




This looks interesting ...




Moving blanket to keep out of phase reflections from hitting the back of the ribbon






Keep it simple, stupid!

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Tracking vocals today for a new project

Nice.

 

[Lazarus1140]

Re: Tracking vocals today for a new project

I mean this in the most obvious way it can be taken. I am in love, but my love is in vain. Being as old as I am sucks in more than a few ways.

Good luck with the project!

 

[Lazarus1140]

Re: Tracking vocals today for a new project

This is totally unrelated to my previous post.

What is the purpose for the blanket ... isolating musical gear from the floor?

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Tracking vocals today for a new project

Keeps unwanted, out of phase room reflections from entering the mic.

 

[Lazarus1140]

Re: Tracking vocals today for a new project

Keeps unwanted, out of phase room reflections from entering the mic.

So you drape it over the mic or hang it on a wall somewhere?

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Tracking vocals today for a new project

I usually place it about 12" behind the mic.

 

[dystrust]

Re: Tracking vocals today for a new project

This is totally unrelated to my previous post.

What is the purpose for the blanket ... isolating musical gear from the floor?

Most ribbon microphones are figure-8 pattern, which means that they pick up sound both in the front and in the back. The purpose of the blanket is to dampen reflections from behind the mic.

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Tracking vocals today for a new project

Mix is taking shape pretty fast; forgot how quick it is to mix a 3-minute song with 24 tracks vs a 15-minute song with 100 tracks!!

Gain staging, basic EQ and compression, and panning is done. Now on to delay and reverb, then parallel compression tracks. Finally, automation and final tweaks.