Music I have Worked on Recently

I have had the pleasure of working on some really great music as of late.  I have done a little recording, a little mastering, and some general music assistance.  Here are some of the great projects I have got to have my hand in.  I recorded and mixed the above track for the band Karma Vision.

 I mastered this electronic music LP by Dor-

I mastered a single for my friends Oils on the WhateverForever label (who has a nice compilation in process right now that I am also mastering)

L5- Self Titled EP

I have some friends whose band L5, aka Lumbar 5, I recorded in the fall of 2011 and mixed through the better part of 2012. Tracking was done in a basement in midtown Kansas City.  I had an Neumann U87 in a clothes dryer smushed between a cymbal sandwich and I used it in everyone of the mixes. Vocal overdubs were done at the Roost in Lawrence in a 12ft x 3ft hallway.  The band melted into non-existance right as we were finishing up overdubs.  I had a really good time making this record and I hope by posting it here that at least a few people give it a listen. RIP.

 

Photos after the jump of the sketch house in midtown KC that we tracked in.

Microphones in Places They Should Not Be

Word on the street says Zappa used to put Pignose Amps in all sorts of very uncomfortable places, like filing cabinets.  The last couple of times I have recorded, I tried to put an extra mic in places they didn't belong.  For one group I put a mic in a dryer, covered it with a busted cymbal and turned the gain way up.  In another, we built a little steel sweat box for an amp.  Both created very strange timbres and frequency mashing that I am using in both projects.  I plan on putting more mics in places they shouldn't go.  Samples are below.

Neumann U87 in the Dryer sample

Mini Guitar Amp in Sweat Box sample

3M Wollensak T-1980 Reel to Reel 1/4" T-1980 Links

A friend of mine picked one of these up and is fully functional. ca. 1964-1966, new price in the 60's was $379.  2011 street value= $85.  Reverse and flange tape effects and tape loops here I come.

-Wollensak Recorder History and Guide from Reel2ReelTexas-
-A project using the preamps for guitar pre
-TubularRadio's Take- good pics-
-Gearslutz Opinions on IPS, tape width, ect-

Frippertronics Links

-wikipedia's take-

-Looper's Delight Take-

-ELOTTRONIX XL - Frippertronics VST Plugin-

Alvin Lucier Inspired Recurisive System Experiment- Spectral Degradation

I had recorded a poem or two for a friend of mine (Robert Knapp) the other day and the conclusive best of the lot was one called "Verse Zont".  It was cut up type of reading if I recall correctly.  I had ran across a musical piece by Alvin Lucier from 1969 called "I am Sitting in a Room" (the original recording can be found here on ubu.com's site).  I decided to take the poem and run it through a Lucier inspired recording machine. I copied the instructions for the piece below.  Instead of electromagnetic tape, I used computers with 44.1k-16 bit audio with MOTU 828 mk 1 and Lexicon Lambda audio interfaces. I used a Yamaha HS-10 monitor for playback and a Rode NT1A for recording. The room chosen was my living room (see pic above). I choose 8 as the number of times at first, but I ended up doing 10 cause it was fun.

As this is is an indeterminate piece, I will note some entertaining facts about my particular session.  Date was April 14 2011 around nightfall.  There was a Kansas thunderstorm moving in and you can hear thunder and recursive thunder through out.  My cats was also like "WTF" the entire time and there are a few cat reactions to the experiment on the recording. I varied the volume between takes.  The posted version is a edited level matched version.

----Verse in Ink zontal- Recursive Attempt01 Download-----

Stereo mic'ing and 2 Track Recording links-

This post has information I use and have stumbled across that deals with 2 track recordings, live recordings, and stereo mic technique. My go to choice for stereo is an ORTF set up (110 degrees, 17 cm), at least for live show captures.

Usual Suspects-
-Shure's Stereo Mics Basics- touches on all the basics, XY, MS, ORTF, NOS, ect.
-DPA article in PDF- also a good recourse and overview that is more in depth than the Shure article, touches on Blumein and Decca Tree too.
-A Printable ORTF pdf Template-
-SoS Article 1997- Part 01 and Part 02- This is a good theory based article called "Stereo Microphone Techniques Explained"
-SoS Article 2003-"a practical look at the pros and cons of coincident and spaced stereo miking techniques"
-SoS article from 1996- "First Steps In Direct-to-stereo Recording" and it mentions a cassette deck.
-Bruce Bartlett's Stereo Mic Book- You should buy this if your serious about getting the nitty gritty.

PZM- You can do some strange stuff with PZMs and some Plexiglas-
-A super scientist view on the PZM wedge-
-A cool PZM wedge tabla test-
-Some info on Mapleshade Records use of PZM-
-Tape Ops Board PZM post-
-Tapeop PZM article-
-Crown Soundgrabber II pdf-
-Crown PZM Applications pdf-

Forward thinking- Baffled, Vertical, and Dummy Heads

-Jecklin Disk-a baffled stereo pair
      -Wiki-
      - A gearslutz step by step with Pics-
      -Gearslutz- Main article-
      -Stichting Klankschap Tutorial in pdf- very detailed with good pics-

-Schneider Disk- a variation of a baffled spaced pair- with a sphere in the middle of the disc-
-Vertical Microphone Method- Make mono recordings with a stereo pair.
-Binaural head- DPA's DPA4060 and DPA4061, they say that is the jamz-  and on the cheap-

Pure Data Reverb Project/ Experiment- SSR

I am working on a project that will hopefully be a VST  "environment" plug in when it is all said and done that will take an input, add a very peculiar reverb/room with other sound variables, in order to make your sound mimic it's existence in a specific actual or fictional audio environment (think space stations, submarines, drowning with headphones on, inside a whale with a boombox, ect).  I want to be able to create custom GUI's, change numeric values of absorption coefficients at the lowest programing language possible (C, C++, or Java), but also have the majority of the "programing" done in an object oriented application.  After looking into a couple of options, I think I am going to try out Pure Data for the initial prototype.  It is a software made by Miller Puckette who did development for Max/MSP.  These links are here to serve as a ever changing reference and brainstorming landing page for this project- code named SSR.

Intro
-Extended PD tutorial-
-Digital Artist Handbook's "Diving into PD"-
-SoS Intro to Pure Data article-

Deep Shit
-C++ Objects How To in PD- Article 01 and Article 02
-Pure Data as a VST-
-impulse response (IR) convolution PD object from william brent- convolve~
-EEtimes Article "Building Good Audio Software"-
-Pure Data Hardware- hot damn!

General Info on DIY VSTs
-Super Collider- Programing Language and Environment- an open source project
-Synth Maker and Synth Edit-
-Sound on Sound Article about DIY VST creations- a good intro article.

Reverb Tangent
-SoS article "Advanced Reverberation"-
-Jeremy Wakefield's "Thoughts on Reverb"-
-Ursa Major Hardware Reverb-
-Eventide SST-282 Space Station Plug In-

A Mountain Lion "Field" Recording- Topeka Zoo

-----Mountain Lion at the Topeka Zoo- Jan 2011 .wav-----

I went to the Topeka Zoo with a stereo mic on my mini-DV cam, and captured a mountain lion.  He didn't roar, but he walked about 6 feet from me, and as he was walking he was breathing heavy.  It sounded creepy.

Sennheiser e602

I got this mic cause I needed another mic to capture low end sounds (I already have an AKG D112).  I did some research and figured this was the best bang for my buck (I still want about 18 421's . . . ) as I still needed (and got) a Radial ProDI Passive box (it is the hotness).  I like the e602.  It does the trick on kick and bass.  Placement really changes the tone on this mic, but the sweet spots are pretty wide and easy to find.  Below are some links-

-GearSlutz Board post with the e602 placement tests- This is the post that made me buy this mic.  The samples here will show you the capabilities of German Engineering.  This is a very detailed and in depth page.

-Sennheiser's Spec Sheet-  cause I like frequency response graphs

Joe Meek Links

Joe Meek was a wild, tragic, and interesting musical figure from the 60's.  Read more on him below.  I aint going to tell you shit that other people can tell you better.
-Wikipedia Link-
-The Joe Meek Society- This is a good site, with lots of info an links, and has Joe's Juke Box
-"A Life in the Death of Joe Meek" IMDb page- from 2008
-An article from recordsbymail.com- a shorten version of the wiki post- best quote- "If it sounds good, it is good." - Joe Meek
-Below video- Part 01 and Part 02-  "Originally broadcast in 1991 as part of the Arena series of programs and reshown on BBC4"

Watch The Strange Story Of Joe Meek [Part 1] in Entertainment  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

Watch The Strange Story Of Joe Meek [Part 2] in Entertainment  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

lo fi Links

I have tried too much lo fi in the electronic/ambient music realm, but below are some links I found helpful for using that term in the actually played music world (aka bands?). 

-Top 10 lo fi Records- don't know if I agree, but it is about.com for god's sake
-Mike Bennett Talks lo fi- its gotta video!
-Music Radar 9 Quick Tips for lo fi-
-Bruce Bartlett Article Link from EQ Mag- Pretty much the same as the embed below.

Below is from Practical Recording Techniques by By Bruce Bartlett, Jenny Bartlett

A Field Recording of a Bell Tower in North Atlanta

I used my video camera with a DI/Phantom Rig to get a small condenser mic into the input (I used an AT Pro 37). It was the only thing worth recording in about a 10 mile radius from where I was at. Long live tha suburbs. Below is a mono wav file of the above file.  A nice tilted video shot as well.

----ATL Bell Tower Mono .wav file----

Symetrix 302- Mic Pre

I had purchased a Symetrix SX-202 earlier this year and I liked it (especially for the mods that can be done with it).  I saw one of the Symetrix 302's come up on ebay for a decent deal so I picked one up too. If you get one of these under $100, they are worth it.  Nothing Fancy, but odds are it is better than the pre's on your audio interface (or on most mixers under a $1G).  This one isn't as mod-able as its 202 brother, but now I have a back up pre so I can try and mod that SX-202.  I do like the Power Supply on the 302 much better.

-PDF Manual-
-PDF Data Sheet from Symetrix-
-a review from moosers- and he gave it a 9/10 rating-

Sitar and Hand Drum Track, in 3 Flavors

My buddy Anthony from the Arkestra and I got a bottle of Jameson a couple of Fridays ago, drank it way to quickly, and laid down a little sitar and hand drum mutlitrack jam.  We put a large diaphragm condenser mic up and recorded a hand drum jam with him on djembe and me on frame drum.  He then spent a good while getting my sitar tuned up and we laid a track down with him doing some strumming drone type sounds and me playing a skaker.  We then recorder another shaker overdub while me and my wife tinkered with rainsticks and other random percussion.  I then did three rough mixes in various flavors with a download and streaming link.

----Normal Mix----

----Wet Mix----

----Super Delay Mix-----

RATM Recording Links and Thoughts

"Evil Empire" studio photo taken in Cole's Rehersal- "The pic in the cover makes the room look big" paraphrasing engineer Nick Didia

 I did a recording session the other day and the band wanted to cut everything, vocals, drums, and guitars with no over dubs.  I never got the vocals to sound correct, but the following links give some good info on how Evil Empire was recorded in the same manner.  These links

Cicada Field Recording plus a Tweaked Out Ambient Version

I just moved into a new house and the evening cicada drone near my new pad is amazing.  For hours each night, these bugs crescendo and decrescendo in this heat of summer in Lawrence.  These bugs are looking for love, and their are lots of them doing so.  It is like the booty club in college towns on a Friday after midnight.  I recorded about 12 minutes of this the other evening and then did a tweaked out ambient drone mix of it.  Below is playback and download links to the dry and EFXd 12 minute version, and a download link to a 1 min hi-res wav sample of the dry recording.  Signal chain- NT1A->MOTU 828 ver01.  Remix Signal Chain, I can't remember, but there were lots of flangers.

----A 1 minute wav file of the Cicada Crescendo----

----The 12 min mp3 of the Cicada Crescendo Original Recording----

----The 12 min mp3 of the Cicada Crescendo Tweaked Out Ambient Drone Mix----

Alan Lomax Links

Alan Lomax- a guy who took mics, went around various countries, and recorded people's folk music.  Below are a few links to some bio information, and a little Alan Lomax Television after the jump.
-AB Concerts with lots of links-
-A PDF Bibliography-

Country Studio Drum Test

I know this guy and he plays drums quite well.

so I had him come out to some friends of mine house that live in the country who have graciously let me set up a recording studio in the living room and dining room area.  Nothing major currently, but we do have 8 tracks at one time and a decent room with

Field Recording- Music Department Practice Rooms

-----Murphy hall fifth floor 4-29-10 part 01-----
-----Murphy hall fifth floor 4-29-10 part 02-----
-----Murphy hall fifth floor 4-29-10 part 03-----

So many instruments playing at the same time in Murphy Hall's practice rooms at Kansas Univerity (5th floor), it was like multi-poly-rhythmic and a-z tonal.  I have 3 videos (below) and 3 mono wav files (above).  I mainly like the audio, but my camera does record video while I am getting the recording (I used a 48 volt phantom and AT Pro 37 small diaphragm condenser mic), so I point it at random things.