Results 1 to 10 of 10

Thread: Recording experiences

  1. #1

    User Info Menu

    Default Recording experiences

    I thought it would be good to have a thread where people could discuss their positive and negative experiences of recording.

    But particularly stuff like:

    - What were the good and bad points of the studio / engineer / producer?
    - What do you do well (or badly) and how would you improve it?
    - What sort of preparation did you do beforehand?


  2. #2

    User Info Menu

    Default

    I'll start off, with the reason that I thought of this thread:

    I recorded with the metal band I play in over the weekend - in a relatively new studio in town. The last recording I did was in the most established studio in a punk band, and was quite a different experience.

    With the punk band, the entire band ran through the set as a scratch track, and only the drums were recorded (everything else was layered on top afterwards). Setup was relatively quick. We recorded about 5 versions of each song, then the producer cut them all up and used the best bits of each one.

    With the metal band, I went in with 1 guitarist (the band has 2) and no-one else - only the drums were recorded (everything else to be layered on top). Setup took half a day (the kit's biggger, of course, but this guy really did work on the sound - we spent about an hour getting the bass drum sound alone) but only played through each song 2 or 3 times, then the best take was used without editing or anything.

    The metal recording is good (it grooves, it's got plenty of energy, and all the rest), but I can't help feeling that it is 'conservative': it's certainly not the best I've played, I've dropped a lot of fills and flash that I would normally play live. But was working on the principle that I'm there to serve the song, so should probably reel it in a little bit. Although I'm still a bit anxious about how it will sound.

  3. #3

    User Info Menu

    Default

    Is this about just drumming recording, or recording in general, cause I have had experience recording every instrument and it can be tough, it's very hard.

    Considering I don't have drum mics, when our band records our demo, it will only be with a regular vocal mic, and a shure instrument mic. It's hard to get a good sound out if it.
    MY KIT: 5 Piece Westbury, Remo Ambassador Heads and Remo Muff'l Rings on all drums, Sabian AA 20" Metal-X Ride, Zildjian ZXT 16" Rock Crash, Pearl 14" Hats, Pearl 18" Crash Ride, Wuhan 12" China

    Band Website:

    The Torpedo Identity

    http://www.myspace.com/thetorpedoidentity
    http://www.purevolume.com/blacksunn

  4. #4

    User Info Menu

    Default

    ive been to 2 different local studios.. both with the last band that i was in (a metal band)

    the first studio was a pro studio built into a kids basement with separate rooms and all, padded walls, built right.. pro equipment... we went in to do a 4 song cd.. everything had been practiced to perfection so we planned on going in and banging it out in a few hours.. seting up my kit was quick and painless.. i used a roland td-3 with ddrum redshot bass trigger for my kick sound and mic'd the rest... we ran thru the 4 songs with no metranome recording 2 rhythm guitar tracks and my drums tracks at the same time.. then my lead guitar player came in and did his leads and solos over it.. then bass and a few vocal tracks were recorded.. nice and smooth for my first studio recording! the recordings came out sounding great. everything tightly packed into the midrange like i like it...

    now my secong studio experience was with the same metal band about a year later (1 year ago) and we decided to goto a different studio with a larger scale setup and a more experienced technition.. we planned on doing the same exact process only for a 10 song cd... in and out... didnt exactly go as planned... seting up my kit sound was difficult.. the technition didnt know how to get my kick to sound right using my triggering setup.. he had way too much highend in it even though i kept telling him its too "clicky" him and the band kept telling me "thats the new trend for metal drummers!" so we went with it (big mistake) .. we did the same recording process only i dont think i had enuf practice time with these songs so i felt rushed .. we ended up with a 10 song cd that went way over budget and sounded like crap.. guitars had too much low end and treble.. and bass drum had to much treble.. .. when i do home recordings they sound better than what this guy did for us... but the rest of my band insists that it is a better sound than the first studio.. they are convinced that metal albums should sound like dying fetus.. cut mids on guitars and too much high end on bass drum.. (sounds retarded in my opinion) recordings sound like crap unless there packed into the midrange

    anyone want to hear the recordings checkout www.myspace.com/eotd
    arnold for president!!

  5. #5

    User Info Menu

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by deadforaminute
    ive been to 2 different local studios.. both with the last band that i was in (a metal band)

    anyone want to hear the recordings checkout www.myspace.com/eotd
    Man ... there's a lot of stuff in there that sounds familiar to me. The recording I just did, we spent ages on the bass drum because the tech thought it was too 'boomy'. I love a nice big, fat, full sounding bass drum (almost like Bonham), but he kept trying to make it sound clicky (all attack, no punch). Yeah, Dying Fetus almost. I'd be more old school and say 'And Justice For All' era drums - like overprocessed wet cardboard. But we did reach a middle ground. I've only heard the raw recordings, but the toms are nice and open, and the bass drum has attack, but still plenty of low-punch. It's a shame people go for what's in vogue, rather than appreciating a variety of approaches.

    Anyway, still waiting to hear how it comes out.

    But strangely enough, my first recording experience sounded like yours - quick and painless, with a great end product (I'm still the most proud of that one, despite what I've done since).

    PS - Eyes of the Dead ... Nice stuff!!! Sounds freakin' awesome.

  6. #6

    User Info Menu

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by amputechture
    Is this about just drumming recording, or recording in general, cause I have had experience recording every instrument and it can be tough, it's very hard.
    I dunno, maybe I'm biased, but getting the drums down seems that much harder than everything else. I swear, you lug in and spend at least half a day getting the sound right and mics positioned properly even before you try and get a good performance. Guitarists, bass players and singers certainly have to work to get it done, but there isn't all that hassle about getting each instrument (which is what each drum, cymbal, is) sounding the best.

  7. #7

    User Info Menu

    Default

    Ya I agree, drums are the hardest, mixing is the thing I have most problems with lol.

    This may be in part because I don't have a mixer tho lol :P
    MY KIT: 5 Piece Westbury, Remo Ambassador Heads and Remo Muff'l Rings on all drums, Sabian AA 20" Metal-X Ride, Zildjian ZXT 16" Rock Crash, Pearl 14" Hats, Pearl 18" Crash Ride, Wuhan 12" China

    Band Website:

    The Torpedo Identity

    http://www.myspace.com/thetorpedoidentity
    http://www.purevolume.com/blacksunn

  8. #8

    User Info Menu

    Default

    just get a 8 track powered mixer and a 4 track digital recorder and you can do pro recordings at home

    mix all symbols and toms into a left and right separate track with the powered channels on the mixer ... into track 1 and 2 on the recorder.. then track 3 and 4 are for bass drum and snare.. make a metranome track with guitar pro .... record drums...

    bring all tracks into a mixing program on the pc and mix, record guitars with a guitar port...

    simple and easy... and cheap as hell.. plus if your smart and use compression on the guitars pre recording, and noise reduction post, heavy chorus on the vocals .. then u got a pro recording

    cool edit is my fav mixing program


    heres a link to a band that i recorded with a while ago in this method,.. (doing the whole thing myself)
    www.myspace.com/anotheroffset

    this band never went anywhere and broke up.. but they let me do this recording.. i know i could have done better... i had a ****ty bass drum head on there and didnt use a metranome .. but the symbols and snare came out sounding good.... next time will be awesome
    Last edited by deadforaminute; 03-13-2007 at 01:12 PM.
    arnold for president!!

  9. #9

    User Info Menu

    Default

    amp... i listened to torpedo identity.. sounds like you need heavy chorus on the vocals and maybe compression

    the drums sound like they were recorded with 1 mic in the middle of the room??

    also they sound to eckoy.. next time u record, u should use studio rings..
    Last edited by deadforaminute; 03-13-2007 at 01:22 PM.
    arnold for president!!

  10. #10

    User Info Menu

    Default

    Thanks for all the info you're putting in deadforaminute - the singer of the punk band I'm playing in at the moment is keen on doing some DIY recording and the like. So it's good to have as much info as possible.

    Personally, I'd prefer to do recording in studio, but given the nature of the music and the lack of funds of this band, it seems like a good way to go.

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •