Christmas Album - Canadia

Canadia came over to record their song for the Christmas Album, we tracked Drums and Bass live to a guide electric guitar and vocals from Ashley in my bathroom. Then we recorded an array of guitar and vocal parts over the top.

The guide guitar sound was really cool with the vocal mic capturing the room sound so I left the vocal mic in there for when we tracked the main electric guitar part. (Ashley posted a picture on his blog here it kinda just cuts out the kiwi set up recording the room sound) Later we recorded the other electric parts through my princeton for its lush reverb. 

Christmas Album - Josie Tuck

Just recorded a christmas song with Josie Tuck (and band) live with no overdubs and its great. I really like to record like this sometimes (dependant on band and song etc) I like a bit of bleed between mics.

I switched the ribbon in the picture above to be another pencil condenser (as seen below behind the beta 57a) on Bruce's banjo after hearing the first few takes and that the ribbon wasn't really sounding very good and that the banjo was lacking something. I think once I'm going to end up using the condenser on the banjo, although it didn't have as much body it sounded more open and natural which is what we're going for.

Ellens bells were more than loud enough to cut through everything and didn't need miking up. I also played jingle bells from my desk, again they didn't need miking because they were meant to be quiet in the mix and the roomy bleed in to the other mic's was more than enough!

Also because there was no click everyone opted for no headphones which was how some of my favourite teacups recordings got done, theres something nice about just capturing people playing naturally.

I also got them to record a very special refrain at the end (which you'll hear in due time)

Chelsea Jade Recording

More Chelsea Jade recording, arranging, editing today. Tracked some vocals and some acoustic and James and I played some bass.

Chelsea Jade

I love this piano wholeheartedly. We've had it since I can remember. The pedals squeak and clunk and the hammers make little noises, I find myself sometimes sticking bits of felt all over it and spaying it with WD40 and one of my brothers stuck note names all over the keys years ago but it sounds so rich and full of character.


Jonathan came and recorded some more piano for a new song in the morning and then the afternoon was spent tracking drums on "Mountain Song" from Chelseas one week ep. The drum+piano recording on the original were done live in one take apparently. But both have been so difficult to recreate for this recording. I've grown quite fond of the original and getting all the great spontaneous moments and then improving on the parts in the new takes has been a bit of a challenge but definitely worthwhile.


We tracked the drums on Mountain Song in two halves, using Alex's kick on the second louder half and then my marching band kick drum on the more ambient first half. Ever since I've had the marching drums I've wanted to try the bass drum as a kick in a drum kit, it worked so well!

Alex ended up moving the snare and bringing the rack tom in closer as seen below but this photo shows his kick pedal on the marching drum. Yum.

Christmas Album - Glass Owls

Just finished recording Glass Owls christmas song. I think they showed up with it in mind of being quite folky and had ideas to record cello and violin etc... By the time they left it was sounding more Smiths/Cure/Joy Division-y.



I played drums and listening back to them now I'm actually really surprised at how well that worked out. I used a cymbal and hi hat sample from another song I'd recorded recently. Then the drums are just a floor tom and snare with the Beatles trick on the snare drum (top skin almost fully loose with a teatowl half covering it). We also made a sample of a snare hit with tambourine on top of it which I doubled the end snares with. No photos or video of me playing drums fortunately (I probably looked ridiculous)


Michael came to and played some casiotone organ DI'd through my sansamp to get it a bit dirtier sounding. He also features in the gang vocal...

Christmas Album - Bearcat

Recording the "choir" we tracked each part a few times for a big group vocal. Lovely.

Just recorded the Bearcat song for the Christmas Album which will probably be stuck in my head all week, thanks Dan and Josie. I just need to record my bass on it and it'll be done. What a nice weekend spent with friends. 

Oh look some photos!

Theo is not usually this angry. 

room mic for the drums

Christmas Album - Tono

Another Christmas song in the bag, this time with Tono who usually comes with his band the Finance Company.  Ribbons and large diaphragm condensers are probably 2 of the worst mic choices for an acoustic guitar, yet I go back to them over and over when songs don't want a pristine sounding acoustic guitar (like I could get if I used my KM184s, oh boy they make an acoustic sparkle). Its a bit annoying because I know I am going to get a really resonant low end frequency with the LDC or too much low end with the ribbon and depending on the song maybe not bright enough. I think I'll probably end up using the LDC, I'm actually really happy with the acoustic sound.

We didn't have much of a plan of what needed to be recorded so we started out recording Acoustic to a click and then doubling some Acoustic on Tonos Guitar before adding Vocals, Electric Guitars, Bass (my Hello Kitty Bass with the rag stuffed under the bridge, see Artisan Guns post) Piano, Tambourines, Shaker, Marching band bass drum, Organ (done on the Hammond) and then added some hand claps and a few electronic drums. What a productive day. 

Georgie Craw Photos

These Maracas are some of my favourites, they came in a box that says "Mexican Maracas" in big font and then smaller underneath it says "made in Taiwan"

This is my good friend Georgie, she had heard about my marching drums and wanted to take photos of them (see below) they looked so great that she ended up taking some photos of me for my bio.

LOOK AT HOW GOOD SOME OF THE PHOTOS ARE! Seriously, there were too many great shots to choose from. You should hire her to take photos of things you want to have on photographs or the internet or something like that. 

  

once more incase you missed the links above http://georgiebird.blogspot.com/

Artisan Guns - Crowded House Cover

This room mic on the Piano sounded great, its a shame its very quiet in the mix.

Had quite a long day recording Artisan Guns covering Crowded House song "Private Universe" for a Crowded House covers compilation album.

Reuben played a really cool muted pick bass part, for a slightly more even controlled mute over all the strings I stuffed a cloth under the strings at the bridge

lots of Drums were recorded, we started with a base of kick snare and floor tom and then Alex added Shaker, Tambourine, Woodblock, Cymbals, Hi Hat and a Tom pattern on top.

Later we doubled the Snare for a thick Phil Spector-esq multiple drummer sound.

I mixed the song late last night and today to get it sent away on time to be mastered. Phewph.

Christmas Album - Great North

Great North came over to record their Christmas song for the Album, we tracked Drums, Bass, Acoustic Guitar and Vocals live with a guide Keyboard track and then overdubbed Piano, Glockenspiels, Backing and Group Vocals, Percussion, Organ and Toy Piano.

I'm really pleased with how this song is sounding. Haydens coming back to record some trumpet in and Strahan (who was up north while we were recording) should be over soon to record his guitar.