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This second post in the Session Documentation series will detail a day I watched Steve and Leftover Crack record guitar overdubs and begin mixing. As the majority of the day was mixing, my post will not be as long or as interesting as the first in the series; however, I will do my best. Oh, by the way, I do have the bands permission to use their name, as they have nothing to hide.

As the day started with guitar overdubs, that's what I will talk about first. Leftover Crack has two guitar players: Brad and Sturgeon (who also sings). Brad was using a combination of Sovtek and Rivera amplifiers with a Marshall 4x12 speaker cabinet. Here is a picture:



As you can see, the cabinet was miced using two mics. The microphone on axis with the top left speaker of the cabinet is a Lomo 19a-9 (http://www.electrical.com/item.php?page=147&pic=pictures/147.jpg), the mic on the bottom right speaker is an RCA 74-JR (http://www.electrical.com/item.php?page=145&pic=pictures/145.jpg).

Here is a better look at the microphones and their distance away from the cabinet:



The other guitar player/singer, Sturgeon, used a Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus Amp. Here is a picture:


On the left speaker is a Sony C37p microphone (http://www.electrical.com/item.php?page=286&pic=pictures/286-0.jpg) and on the right speaker is a Coles 4038 mic (http://www.electrical.com/item.php?page=7&pic=pictures/7.jpg).

Again here is the microphones in relation to the amp:


Here is a picture of the vocal mics in the Alcatraz room of Studio A:


The mics you see here are the Sony C48p (http://www.electrical.com/item.php?page=285&pic=pictures/285-0.jpg) on the left and the EV PL-20 (http://www.electrical.com/item.php?page=89&pic=pictures/89.jpg) on the right. These mics were not used simultaneously: the Sony C48p was used as an overdub mic for backing vocals and the PL-20 was used to record lead vocals. The approach taken to record the lead vocals was fairly interesting. The PL-20 was routed into an old Fender Twin reverb amp, which was miced with a plastic cup around the microphone. I can not recall the model of the microphone, I am sorry, but I found the plastic cup technique fascinating. As you may guess, the Fender Twin amp gave the vocals a little bit of warmth and crunch due to the distortion of the amp. However, when I inquired about the plastic cup, Steve told me that it added even more harshness/distortion to the vocals because it pronounced the midrange frequencies. Sturgeon, the guitar player/singer added with a bit of sarcasm, "It makes it sound like you're singing into a plastic cup." And by gone it, he was right, during the mixing you could really hear the combination of the Fender Twin and the plastic cup adding extra growl and harshness to the vocals.

Here are two pictures of the vocal amp and mic set up:





Here is an overview of Centerfield, where all of the amps where located:



Upon completion of the overdubs, Steve and Sturgeon began mixing. This was much less exciting than overdubs and I have no pictures; however, I learned a lot just from watching. Actually, I have one picture, here it is:



I guess that concludes Session Documentation #2. Please tell me what you think: What was helpful, what was good, what was bad, what was unclear.

Oh, one more thing. I saw this on the drive home and it ended up being picture number 666 on my camera, very strange:



-Andrew

Excellent job! I love the irony of the last picture. Strangely enough, there's a very Christian drummer around here who in a roundabout way owes me $666 to the penny.

Do you plan on posting any details about the mix?

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

keep up the good work,Andrew.

I'm thinking of buying a second-hand Sony C-48. I've heard a lot of good things about them and I need a variable-pattern mic that I can also use for vocals with good results. Anyone have anything to add to the description on the equipment page that Intern_8033 linked to in his post?

James.

jlarcombe wrote:I'm thinking of buying a second-hand Sony C-48. I've heard a lot of good things about them and I need a variable-pattern mic that I can also use for vocals with good results. Anyone have anything to add to the description on the equipment page that Intern_8033 linked to in his post?

James.

I've found them to be dull-sounding on both guitars and lead vocals. Dull in a mostly non-exciting or not-very-accurate sense, not just rolled-off top end. They make for a nice character on background vocals, though. This has been my experience, but they obviously work well for some people who know what they're doing.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

hey

i used a C48 (one of electrical's) to record all the vocals on a recent acoustic EP

three people sang, and we all have very different voices

one guy's deep and rumbly, one guy has a real pronounced midrange, i have kind of a higher, scratchy voice

i was surprised to find that the sony worked pretty well on each of us

plus you can power it w/a 9V battery

tm

tmidgett wrote:i used a C48 (one of electrical's) to record all the vocals on a recent acoustic EP

three people sang, and we all have very different voices

one guy's deep and rumbly, one guy has a real pronounced midrange, i have kind of a higher, scratchy voice

i was surprised to find that the sony worked pretty well on each of us

You recorded Tesla's "Five Man Acoustical Jam"? It sounds fuckin' great!

Ok, ok, the record you are talking about does sound quite good, and I think the "pronounced midrange" guy's voice sounds particularly nice. I just bought a C48 myself, and look forward to having strangers spit into it.

mb

Electrical is such a clean studio. Intern8033, you're doing a great job. There's no dust in the corners, and all the woodwork is perfectly polished. The only other place I ever saw which was that clean was Real World, but it was untidy- gear everywhere.

Swordfish,

Electrical is such a clean studio. Intern8033, you're doing a great job.

I hope you realize that there are other interns here besides Intern 8033.

-the other intern named Andrew

I enjoyed seeing how far away the mics were from the amp. I dont know anything about recording techniques, so now i will stop mic ing my amp 1 inch away and start micing it 3-4" away like it is done at EA.