The Recording Sessions
As I have been doing my own bands' recordings over the past two years, I have learned a lot. I start out, programming the click track and laying down some scratch guitar and bass tracks and some keyboards and synth where needed. While working on ideas for lead vocals, synth and guitars, I start drum recording.
Recording the drums for this album, I experimented in my personal studio and also at the garage at my parents' place. All the songs on this album were recorded to a click track and I only tried 3-5 takes on each song, before selecting the one I liked best for each song.
Moving into recording guitars, I had to decided which guitar lines to do direct in and use the computer amp, or to mic the real guitar amp. With simulated guitar amps, there is not any feedback as well as some other niche things that come out of a real guitar amp. I decided to use the simulated amps for more effect-driven guitar tracks as well as plain guitar lines that needed a beef-ed up sound. Using the real guitar amp gave me some nice attack, fuzz and feedback. I used a 1986 B.C. Rich Rave for the lower-tuned songs and a modern Mockingbird ST for most everything else.
Laying down the bass was pretty simple. Most of the time, the bass stayed true to the guitars due the complex rhythms, though during some of the less comlpex guitar lines, I added some little bass walks. I first went with a flat low tone, but the decided to give the bass a brighter tone one about every song on the album but one or two.
Moving onto vocals, I layed down some rhythm and lead vocals on about half the tracks and then had Keeb and Pam do the other leads and rhythms. We did some overdubs and layers on a few parts which was fun.
After finishing the recording process, it was nice to have multiple takes an versions to choose from. I always enjoy the recording process and look for new ways to enhanced the sounds and frequencies being captured. Till next time...
beejay - 10.9.2010
