Assessment 2

In regard to mastering the track I bounced the track then opened a new file in Logic and used an adaptive limiter on the output to make it sound as close as possible to commercial tracks.

Looking at what I did with editing and the production of the track:

I inserted reverb onto the vocal tracks and guitar to make the piece sound less dry and to contrast with the warm sounds of the cajon. I also added a little delay using Space Designer on the guitar in the bridge section to give it a more atmospheric sound and make it harder to differentiate the source of the sound as it could be a synthesiser effect, something Trent Reznor would do. I added a solo guitar part and incorporated it into the end of the track to make it sound random, similarly to Frank Zappa’s production ideas. The main guitar part throughout I decided to copy and paste 4 times, I panned one far left, one far right and two tracks in between to create a fuller sound. Each guitar has a different effect, with one heavily distorted using the bitcrusher effect and another clean but with a wet reverb.

Trent Reznor influenced the idea of manually distorting the vocals by recording the clean vocals through a guitar amp on a distorted setting. Also I recorded the cajon in different rooms to achieve a similar effect to Reznor and try and recreate his idea of recording drums and putting the tracks together to create a full and different sound.
I also decided to add a keyboard/synthesiser into the track to thicken the sound of the chorus, which is the instrument Reznor will always use in a track to create his industrial feel.

I used less microphones and headed towards the minimalistic approach, looking at Gabriel Roth’s production techniques.

Subtractive EQ is a technique used significantly by Brian Eno which was used throughout editing of the vocal tracks.

Subtractive EQ

In assessment 2 I used a technique used by Brian Eno, Subtractive EQ. I used this on the vocal tracks to cut out unwanted frequencies in the vocal range, particularly as it was a mixture of clean and distorted vocal through the technique used by Trent Reznor in distorting the vocals by recording clean vocals through a guitar amp on distorted settings. I also cut out the bottom end frequencies to cut out the hiss from the distortion.

Recording of Cajon in Conservatory – Rode NT1-A

The same approach is used for the recording in this room also, as this is the best way to capture the sound of the drum I want for my track.

Assessment 2 – Recording of Cajon in bedroom

I am using a RODE NT1-A microphone to record, I used a minimalist approach by using one microphone like Gabriel Roth would, as his ‘drums usually get one or two microphones’ as read in the Sound on Sound article Gabriel Roth: Recording for Daptone Records. The microphone is placed towards the centre of the Cajon with a pop shield to avoid unwanted pops/sounds.

Assessment 2

I was inspired by Trent Reznor’s idea to record drums in separate rooms and merge them to create an overall drum track by cutting and sticking together different sections and sounds. Because my track has more of an acoustic feel I recorded a Cajon instead, recording it in different rooms in my house including my conservatory and my bedroom. The conservatory amplifies the drum sound, adding a reverb effect and accentuating the bottom end, making it sound ‘boomy’. The bedroom however makes the drum sound dry and warm, it is much softer in tone and less reverb. These are two of the sounds of the drums I recorded, I have used EQ on the drum to bring out the bottom end more in the ‘bedroom drum track’ because I wanted it to sound similar to a bass and a snare drum on a drum kit. 

More adjustments on Assessment 1

I have added to my experimental piece of work and have used more techniques from producers to develop the task further.

I have chosen to use subtractive EQ on the vocals which is a technique used by Brian Eno. Known for ‘Discreet Music’ which uses three variations of Johann Pachelbel’s ‘Canon’ in D Major.

I followed on by using more of Frank Zappa’s ideas by adding a guitar solo line towards the end of the piece which is something he has done often: Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention – Inca Roads. ‘Xenocrony’ is again present but this time taking samples from AC/DC – Back in Black including the hi hat rhythm and a famous riff, this was inserted into the piece and repeated so it fitted the timing of the music I had already composed. I also cut up pieces I had recorded through vocals and guitar and repeated them or slotted them into different points of the piece so it sounds disjointed but still flows as one piece. 

I played notes on my guitar and used effects from the Line 6 Pod Farm to create sounds that you are unable to determine the source it was produced from, i.e sounding like a synth sound, a noise perhaps using vocals. This is a technique used by Trent Reznor who makes his pieces around electronic and industrial sounds. 

The main basis for my research has been through using Virgil Moorefield – The Producer as Composer, also many Sound on Sound articles, focussing mainly on Frank Zappa and Trent Reznor as producers. 

 

 

Studio Project Task 2

The photographs below show two sessions in the studio. I decided to record the vocals clean through the Neumann TLM 103, this I then wanted to distort manually like Trent Reznor rather than through the use of pre amp settings or effects on Pro Tools or Logic Pro. The vocals were recorded and played through the amplifier via a splitter box and into the studio with the headphone cable being inserted into the input of the amplifier. I then adjusted the settings to get a distorted sound but brighter. I adjusted the SM57 microphone placement to capture the best sound I wanted, pointing it directing at the speaker cone. This distorted sound in the studio was then mixed with the clean vocal audio whilst in the process of recording, so it was a nice balance between clean and distorted as not to lose the diction of the words. I also recorded an electric acoustic guitar using the Shure SM57 directed towards the 12th fret on the guitar, as not to sound like there was too much bass or treble, I have duplicated the track 4 times and panned it different ways to ensure I get a fuller sound, effects will be added also so there are not all exactly the same. I am planning to have distorted guitar in the piece also or an electric guitar solo so the acoustic guitar does not sound out of place with the distorted vocals.

Vocals – Neumann TLM 103

Used to record vocals in my studio project task 2, which will be recorded and later fed back through a guitar amplifier with a distorted sound similarly to Trent Reznor.

This microphone is capturing the sound of the clean vocals but distorted through the amplifier, the microphone is pointed towards the speaker cone where the brightest and most distorted sound is heard.

 

 

Interesting Articles I Have Read…

To complete the Studio Project tasks I have been reading up on many producers and taking ideas in order to emulate production techniques. I was interested in Aphex Twin’s music and Richard D.James’s method in producing the avant-garde sounds, I found an article: http://thequietus.com/articles/04483-simon-reynolds-interview-with-aphex-twin-melody-maker-1993-warp on his methods as a producer and decided against using these as he claimed his methods were to deprive himself of sleep to create his odd and stylistic sound: ‘My theory is that sleep deprivation has everything to do with the eerie, spaced-out aura of Aphex’s music. Neurologists say that humans have an in-built need to dream.’ (James, 2010) It was very interesting but perhaps not effective in the style of music I want to create, although interestingly he is said to have synaesthesia by correlating colours with keys/chords/timbres.

I also read an article on the production of Michael Jackson’s Thriller album… producer Bruce Swedien with Quincy Jones. http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/nov09/articles/swedien.htm … Swedien has a minimalist approach on his mastering techniques as he states: ‘I’m not a big fan of compression or limiting at all – I can’t emphasise that enough.’ (Swedien, 2009) I thought this would be a method to use as I agree that compression and limiting particularly on a master bus can take the colour out of the sounds and the final track, so I will aim to use as little as possible.

I read an article on Gabriel Roth as a producer, known for recording Amy Winehouse. http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jun08/articles/daptone.htm He has a minimalist approach and typically uses an SM57 on the guitar, this microphone is popular to use and also used by Swedien to record the snare drum, so this will be used in my 2nd Studio Task. He does not use many microphones overall to capture the sound and usually only works on an 8 or 16 track deck, as not to over complicate the overall production.

Studio Project Experiment

We have been looking at a range of producers but the two that stand out and interest me are Frank Zappa and Trent Reznor in particular.

I went away and listened to the whole Nine Inch Nails album Downward Spiral (1994) Reznor produced. I loved the industrial and heavily distorted sound which is something I wanted to try out in my first task. I researched into his technique by reading Virgil Moorefield’s Producer as Composer predominantly and found he used distortion on his vocals by putting them through a guitar amp which I did similarly, processing this within Logic. I tried to do what Reznor would have wanted by recording instruments but making them sound different to the original, so an outside listener would find it hard to recognise the source of the sound. The atmosphere of the experiment should hopefully portray ‘rage’ within it as Reznor would want. 

I tried to emulate Zappas technique of xenocrony as he used an unrelated drum track from ‘The Ocean is the Ultimate Solution’ in ‘Friendly Little Finger’. I did this by taking a snippet of my vocals from Suppertime from Little Shop of Horrors and changed the pitch of it to make it sound peculiar and put it into my track which sounds random but makes up the final composition. I also I also decided to chop up random vocal effects and sounds from War of the Worlds – Forever Autumn and put them into my work.

This is still in working process at the moment, hopefully it develops into a song which is what is intended.