When it comes to recording, I don’t have a set way of doing things.  For one artist, I might record everything live and mix it all later.  For others, I’ll multi-track, edit, and mix.  It really just depends. 

Any engineer works differently than another.  Those who have found a lot of success in the recording world and who are willing to share their secrets are always great resources.  Recently, I stumbled upon a great learning tool:  Multi-Platinum Pro Tools, a DVD set that walks the viewer through a real, live 8-hr mixing session…all done in Pro Tools. 

I highly recommend the mixing session DVD to anyone who wants to improve his knowledge of gain structure, using plug-ins correctly, bussing, and how to get the best fidelity out of a computer based recording system.   See www.multiplatinumprotools.com for a complete list of instructional videos.   What makes this particular video great isn’t necessarily the rudiments, it’s the particular mixing engineer’s secrets and preferences.  

Anyway, I always like to apply a new knowledge set to a real application.  Recently, I mixed John Gillespie’s new project using the MMPT methods of bussing and gain structure.  We were both pleased with the outcome.  Immediately, I noticed that all of the mixes had an improved overall pre-mastering “loudness” that is ever so desirable now a days. 

I was also pleased with the vocal sibilance.  It was present without being piercing.  This was a direct result of lining things up in a signal chain in an almost unconventional way.  Most of my mentors, who learned on analog systems, would never have chained things together this way…MMPT works under the assumption that digital isn’t inferior than analog; it’s just different. 

John’s new record is different from his last two in that he’s opted to return to a more “acoustic” sound.  The ten-song set is largely just his voice accompanied by at least an acoustic guitar and at most one or two other instruments.  We finished two songs that were left over from the False Idol’s sessions, but they were omitted at the end.   These two songs were “band based” and changed the flow of the album.  Although, these band songs also sounded outstanding with the MMPT mixing method.  John Merchant (the mixing engineer on MMPT) does well to walk the viewer through phase and gain issues that always arise when a full drum set enters the equation. 

I’m very pleased with the low end that we achieved on this album.  It’s very difficult to get it just right if you aren’t monitoring properly.  The number one reason I’m building a control room is because I want to have an accurate low end picture when I’m working.  Most of the design is tailored to low-end accuracy.  Because I mixed in Pro Tools, I only used plug-ins on the bass (beyond the basic limiting I usually do on the way in).  I either used the Smack! Plug-in on OPTO mode (which behaves like an EL8 behaving like a LA-2A) or the BF-76 plug-in on 3, 5, and 4:1 with no more than 6 dB of gain reduction. 

I have enjoyed using the TL Space convolution reverb on most of my projects these days.  MPPT does well to illustrate how the “in the box” reverbs that come with Pro Tools can also be just as effective.  I used the D-verb plate on many of the acoustic guitar tracks on John’s record. 

All in all, it’s an exciting time.  Digital is alive and well.  And, it’s sounding better than ever.
 
 
 

I have had every intention of updating my blog more regularly. Unfortunately, sometimes technology gets in the way of technology.

For just about the entire month of March, I’ve been using the public library to check my email. The convenience of having a computer in my house had been long taken for granted. I got used to it after a few days.

Around the beginning of March, my wife and I began to notice a purple line running just right of center down our new iMac’s LCD screen. After doing all of the “recommended” fixes for the problem, the purple line persisted. We had just bought one of those new all-in-one iMacs not even two months before the line appeared.

And so, the next step was to take it to an authorized Apple repair center. The nearest Apple store was 60 miles from my house. The nearest AARC was 30; I opted for the closer repair option.

For the minor shortcoming of this computer, I was satisfied that Apple holds all of their products under an automatic one-year warranty from the date of purchase. And, unlike most warranties I’ve purchased, there was absolutely no hassle or challenge to having our computer fixed “under warranty.”

The draw back to this problem was that we recently did away with our older computer; which would have been a great back up in this situation. I have a Mac that I use for studio applications, but it’s much older than this new Mac and it doesn’t go online unless it absolutely has to. Coupled with a rather long wait time (about 3 and a half weeks) I found myself in a stagnant situation with my new blog.

The old blog was entirely web based, so updates from the library would have been easy. This new system (a Mac only system) is not web based. I’m sure I could have figured out a way to update this, but I’m really not that code literate. I like the WYSISWYG method. And so, I waited.

I was finally able to pick up my iMac from the repair center a few days before Easter weekend. I got it home and plugged it in. Wow! No line in the middle. Problem solved. Warranty valued. Great situation, right? OK, now, let’s pick up where we left off by importing some of my wife’s files that are on a CD. When I attempted to insert the CD, it wouldn’t load. Rut-Roh.

And so, after a short discussion with the repair store, I was back in the car going to get this new problem checked out. When I dropped it off, they were a bit defensive in saying “there’s no way we would have caused this problem.” I never claimed that they did…I just dropped it off, politely, and requested that it be expedited because it had just been in the shop.

On Monday afternoon, I called to check in with the repair store…just to see if any progress had been made. The computer was fixed. And, it only took just a few days.

When I picked it up on Tuesday morning, the problem had been solved. It turned out that a wire had been connected improperly when the LCD was replaced. That error was causing pressure on the optical drive. Hence, it didn’t work. The problem was corrected.

I understand that things break down. I understand that things, if they are to be fixed, sometimes take time, too. I also understand that because humans often fix things that are broken, they can also make mistakes. And, because I’m in a fantastic mood today, I’m not really upset with having to drive all that way to get my Mac fixed. It is fixed. What is done is done. All in all, I appreciate the facility’s honesty.

And so, until this thing breaks down again (which, I hope isn’t for a while) I hope to update this blog more often. Thanks for reading. Have a fantastic day!