Sam Smith
- Pre-recording
Run-through-
Before recording any tracks we went for a run through. This was an important process to complete because it made sure that all of the musicians and artists knew exactly what to do during the recording and to get the correct sound level. For the recording of the pop song, I made sure each musician did many run throughs and takes before the final recording. This helped them identify the components and techniques needed in order to achieve the sound and material I was looking for.
Rehearsal-
Rehearsal was a major process that needed to be undertaken so that the track turned out exactly to what I had planned. This process allowed the artists and musicians to practice each of their pieces and refine their material so when it came to recording in the sessions, they knew exactly what to play. Rehearsals also allowed me as a recording engineer to direct what exactly I was looking for from each of the artists and what sound I was trying to achieve.
Level and Sound checks-
Before undertaking recordings one of the most important parts of the recording process is that you undertake level and sound checks. This needs to be done to ensure you achieve a high quality of sound, to make sure everything is working correctly and to balance out the level of track you want compared to other tracks.
Gain-
The gain level must be set for recording and should be undertaken during level and sound checks. This is to make sure the gain level is set to the accurate rate so the sound waves do not sound distorted or of a low quality.
Stereo recording-
When recording the guitar and piano of this track, I used a method of stereo recording which is where I used two microphones and positioned them right and left side of the instrument to achieve a stereo sound picking up two different sound tracks from the left and right of the instrument creating a higher quality sound.
Track lists-
This had to be completed before recording. This was a sheet of all the instruments I needed for the song and what equipment they would need. It would consist of:
- Piano- condenser
- Acoustic Guitar- condenser
- Vocals- dynamic microphone
- Bass Guitar- DI
Multi-track recording-
I used multiple tracks for recording each instrument so that I could individually manipulate each instrument to get the correct balance and sound and to record them on their own.
Screen/guards/pop shields-
When recording vocals, I used a pop shield and a screen guard to get rid of any unwanted sounds and to get a clear vocal recording.
- Electronic Instruments -
Direct injection/bass-
Direct injection or direct input (DI) is what I used when recording the bass guitar , this allowed me to plug the jack lead from the guitar into the DI box to get a direct sound from the bass guitar instead of using a microphone. This helped me create an accurate sound of the bass guitar without any background noise.
- Recording-
Talk back-
The talk back system was used when undergoing the process of recordings. This allowed me to talk from the recording studio into the recording booth. This is used through a button on the mixing desk allowing me to communicate with the artists or musicians in session but this needs to be turned off during recordings to avoid any conversation being engaged during the sessions.
Headphones-
I gave headphones to the musicians and artists when recording so they could listen to the click track or the other parts of the song so they could follow the structure and the tempo of the track.
Monitors/levels-
To hear the sound of what was being recorded in the recording room we had stereo monitors so we could listen to what was being recorded so that I could make sure everything was going to plan and it represented the sound that I wanted. To get the correct sound levels I used a mixing desk to change the gain and other levels and I also used multi-band compressors to compress the sound and add effects.
Track sheets/identifying tracks-
Just before recording on the software of your choice, which for me was Cubase, I wrote each track out as what instrument they were so that it was organised and it was clear what each track was which made it easier for me to identify each of the tracks.
Overdubbing/listening for distortion-
I used the monitors to make sure there was no overdubbing or distortion. If I heard any of these I would use the mixing desk and to turn down the gain and levels to make sure the levels were balanced and there was no distortion or overdubbing of the track.
Overall evaluation-
Overall I believe the quality of each of the tracks was very successful because of the processes of pre-recording such as levels and sound checks, run throughs, rehearsals and stereo recordings which allowed me to achieve high quality tracks.
Log Sheets of recording sessions:
May 3rd- This was a 2hour session in the recording studios. During this time we did many rehearsals and went over everyone's part so that when it came to recording, everyone knew exactly what they had to play and when. This overall session was to run through and practice for the actual recording.
May 10th- This session was for 2 hours during which we completed the recording of the piano which is the backbone and structure of this project which I will record the track around.
May 17th- During this 2 hour recording session, I recorded the acoustic guitar parts and the bass guitar parts. This took 1 hour and a half. For the last half an hour I ran through all the takes and chose the one that was the best.
May 19th- In this 2 hour session, I recorded all of the vocals for the song and put the tracks together and structured and layered it to the correct time.
May 24th- This was also a 2 hour session where I completed the mixing and mastering of the whole track. This included adding effects such as: delay on the vocals and a slight gate. Using a multi band and EQ I balanced out the whole song which produced a high standard. I audio mixed it down into the MP3 file format. I then finished the song.
https://soundcloud.com/brandon-moss-course-work/unit-48-brief-3-sam-smith
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