Band on a budget - the recording process part 17

Ok, not been a lot of progress recently for various reasons but I shall be doing a little more recording this afternoon and our guitarist is coming over in a couple of weeks to put down some more of his tracks. This will hopefully allow me to finish Words and get on with the rest of the stuff.

In the meantime, have a shufti at some more photos from the session that our drummer has just passed across.

Band on budget - the recording process part 9

Well, that's the vocals done. Pretty happy with what I've got over the last couple of days even if it has taken longer than I'd have liked. Not for technical reasons this time, just because I was knackered this morning and didn't get going 'til lunch time and because of the competition recording yesterday afternoon (which went quite well I think, and I now own a shiny new mic, see below:

We'll give that a spin at the next band practice methinks).


As for the actual vocal recording, that's largely been hassle free. Just a case of setting up to try and minimise room noise, getting the mics aligned to minimise phase issues and then setting levels. Very much stuff I've done before lots of times, the only difference being using the Art pre-amp to try and add a bit of colour - to be frank, I'm not sure it's made a great deal of difference but I'll have a more analytical listen later. There's certainly nothing I'm unhappy with there.


Next up is recording my acoustic guitar parts.
Arguably this should be pretty straightforward as well but there are a couple of complications:
1) a couple of the parts are quite complex, particularly Northshoremen, and
2) I've never really been happy with the recorded sound I've got to date.


So for the rest of this afternoon I'm going to experiment with some different mics and placements to see if I can get something better. I'm pretty certain I should be able to. I can't believe that it's an issue with the kit - no matter how budget my set up, I'm sure it's capable of what I'm looking for.


Right, enough prevaricating, let's crack on.

A bit less shit

Is what i hope 2009 will be.
Actually that's a bit harsh, 2008 wasn't all shit, just the bits of it i spend at work. The rest was pretty good actually.
So i shouldn't complain.
But i will, because i'm like that...
But anyway, here's hoping 2009 will not the death spiral that all the papers are telling us it's going to be. I still wonder how bad the recession would be if we didn't have all the media stuffing the disaster down our throats all day. Mind you, if we weren't so morbidly fascinated by the spectacle of misfortune they might actually report some good news occasionally.
But i digress...
So i'm finally shaking off my cold, which means two things, firstly our next gig is now booked! Thursday 8th Jan at the Red Lion in Otley. Dr Jones and I will be supporting TWO and bringing a bit of death and depression to the good people of that fine town. Probably kicking off at about 8:30, get yoursen' down lad...
Secondly, having recovered a bit of my voice means back into the studio for some vocals on the new album. Which is always fun!

It is traditional at this time of year to make some predictions as to the forthcoming year, however i've had a look at my predictions from last year and since i only got one and a half right (one right and one rightish in places) i think i will stick with some more modest predictions this year:
Aston Villa will make it into the champions league at the expense of arsenal who will only manage the Uefa cup.
Gloucester will win the Rugby this year (actually win the playoff as well as just getting more points than anyone in the league. Playoffs? What a bloody stupid idea, that's what a cup is for. And whilst we're at it, who came up with the bloody spelling of gloucester anyway? But i digress, again).
One of the big 4 record labels will go bust and Nadal will win wimbledon.
That's it, just the 4 this year, much eaiser to keep track of...
Stay well all

Gig and stuff!

ok, sorry about the delay from the last blog. The day job has been silly and things have had to take a bit of a back seat. But not all of it, no sir!
So tomorrow Dr Jones and I go into the Studio (here's a picture of her in the studio doing the pre-production session last month - i think she thought it was cold. I think i might be in trouble for this photo...) and then, once we've come out of the studio (otherwise it would be ridiculous) we're playing at the Junction in York.
It's friday the 21st so no work the day after for most of us (get them beers in!) and we'll be supporting local singer/songwriter Thom Piddock and also the eclectic and very interesting Katie and the Questions - they raise, stangely enough, more questions than answers...
But it's getting late and tomorrow i have to be up bright and early to go to the studio (WOOHOO! as homer simpson would no-doubt say). Well, not that bright and not that early, but the principle still holds dammit!
So if i don't see you before then, hopefully see you on the 21st.
stay well
Drew

Se-se-se-Studio

As opposed to sesudio or whatever the hell that Phil Collins track was called.
But i digress. Already. Which is pretty good work by anybody's standards. But i'm digressing again...

So you won't be seeing Hilary and I playing live much in October I'm afraid (unless you want to book us for a house party!) but fear not, we are not, unlike the economy, in a state of terminal decline. No. We have just spent a day in the studio doing a bit of pre-production work for the album we will shortly be working on!
Oh yes, you read it right. Dr Jones and I will be going into the studio to record a full length album. But i probably have to write a couple more songs first. So i'll get on with that rather than blogging here shall i?
Probably for the best...
stay well all

P.S. I should be getting a few of the whitby photos up soon, here's a teaser for the business card