What's the verdict on one mic recording? I remember the fuss regarding the Cowboy Junkies records, and it produces a good sound on the slower songs. Has this been attempted at EA with a full band, and if so, what were the results? Any rock records/tunes done this way in the modern era (post 1990)?

We did some one mic recording with Robert Schneider (Apples in Stereo) in a friend's garage in kentucky a few years ago. most of the details on the process are Here. band to one mic, vocals overdubbed. i think the kick drum sounds like a basketball, but in general, we were really happy about it.


and here are the recordings:

United Snakes

the New No. 1 / 1001

Toos

first and last are keyboard/keyboard/drums, the middle are guitar/keyboard/drums.




enjoy.



Faiz

i don't want to kiss your ass... but... mwah... united snakes is a very fine song

Thanks for the info. Faiz, I dig toos's production. I think you nailed that one.

thanks, you two.

I think one of the keys in making it sound okay was the "three instruments/speaker" at a time thing. there wasn't too much information to capture, and physically measuring the band in an equilateral triangle around the mic (Neumann U87) made things easier.

We spent a month and a half in our space rehearsing to a shitty one mic, just to get gross relative volumes down. That way, when the compressor actually did "hit," we lessened the wow of the recording. I think it really taught us how to play without playing over each other. Not competing for sonic space is a good thing, methinks.


Faiz