What Just Happened!?
Well it's Friday! We made it through the week. Man do I need a couple days off! Family time!!
Like I mentioned in yesterdays post, I'm currently working on several songs at once.
Writing parts and getting them down, experimenting and going through the seemingly endless search for the right tones. Then getting it all recorded little by little.
You wouldn't believe how many different Guitar, Amp, Cabinet, Mic and Effect combinations I've run through over the last several days . . . Well, maybe you would. . . That's not even mentioning tweaking every knob to just the right spot. Literally thousands of little adjustments and changes!
Every song is different and every song requires different sounds. Sometimes several different tones in one song. It was easy when I played hard rock because you just find what your sound is and essentially every song is the same from there. Set it and forget it! Metal and hard rock players got it easy! When you do the type of music we're making there is a lot more thought that goes into the process and way more things to consider.
For me, it's all about the song and what I hear in my head for it. Sometimes you have no idea what sound something should have, so you just experiment until you land on something. A lot of happy accidents happen that way. Most of the time I have at least an idea of what I'm gonna shoot for. It depends on the song.
Luckily my vast experience working in a major studio all those years and the production skills I gathered along the way have made me pretty good at getting great tones and more importantly - Tones that work for the song. It isn't always easy and sometimes it takes days and you think to yourself - what the hell!! Even with a lot of experience you don't always achieve what you set out to.
There also comes a point in the day where your ears are fatigued beyond the point of no return. You don't even have to be listening loud for that to happen either. Hours of listening intently will do the same thing. When it hits you and it always does, you're better off calling it a day. If you continue at that point you're in for a lot of heartache and frustration to say the least. It also hits at different times every day. It's never the same. You can't say to yourself - okay, I have 10 good hours, Go!
It just doesn't work that way.
A tone that sounds completely awesome on it's own, often times sounds very badly in the song with everything else. A tone that sounds horrible on it's own, often times sounds heavenly with everything else. I see more musicians blow it right there than anything. They have a preconceived notion of what the perfect tone is and they want it used, then they wonder why their recording sounds like shit. This goes for all instruments.
You always approach tones from the point of view of the song and how it sounds with everything else around it on the recording. Nothing else matters.
Now days, A lot of people will record a completely clean track of everything along with whatever tone they think they want at the time and do what's called "Re Amping" in Pro Tools. This allows them to change the tone as many times as they want until satisfied without ever having to perform it again. Not a necessity in my opinion, but a pretty cool option if you want it.
This technique didn't come along with Pro Tools and digital recording. People were doing the same thing back in the early 90's recording to tape. It's just easier now is all.
There's so much I could tell you, but my only real point is this - I know what I'm doing when it comes to recording. A lot of things are tried and true proven techniques and some things are more subjective, meaning I have my preferences and someone of equal knowledge will have completely different preferences. None is better or worse, or more right or wrong. Still as much as I know, I know nothing. Kind of like life!
I continue to learn and I run up against a wall all of the time with this stuff. Eventually you figure it out. Sometimes you have the midas touch and everything goes smoothly all day, or even all week.
This part I'm talking about here is my least favorite part of the recording process, but it's a necessary evil.
So here I am for days in here probably looking like a mad scientist and suddenly I'm saying - I don't know shit! Nothing is working, frustration is creeping in and I am a VERY patient person!
I'm ready to say F this and just go watch TV or something. For some unknown reason, you just have to try one more combination of this and that before you quit it all. . . Then holy crap, there it is!
When you finally get it, you instantly know it! All of a sudden it's a party. I'm dancin' and celebrating. The wife thinks I'm crazy! I am, but there's no better feeling in the world. Nirvana!
You put a part down and just listen to it over and over again beaming. You go to bed with a big stupid smile on your face thinking you really accomplished something.
The next day you listen and you say - What in the hell was I thinking!?
Back to square one, but that's a whole other adventure!
Needless to say I've been in and out of heaven and hell the last few days, but I am making tremendous progress and what I've actually gotten recorded sounds awesome. Even the next day!
Now that I've completely lost my mind - Have a great weekend everybody!
- Bret
Well it's Friday! We made it through the week. Man do I need a couple days off! Family time!!
Like I mentioned in yesterdays post, I'm currently working on several songs at once.
Writing parts and getting them down, experimenting and going through the seemingly endless search for the right tones. Then getting it all recorded little by little.
You wouldn't believe how many different Guitar, Amp, Cabinet, Mic and Effect combinations I've run through over the last several days . . . Well, maybe you would. . . That's not even mentioning tweaking every knob to just the right spot. Literally thousands of little adjustments and changes!
Every song is different and every song requires different sounds. Sometimes several different tones in one song. It was easy when I played hard rock because you just find what your sound is and essentially every song is the same from there. Set it and forget it! Metal and hard rock players got it easy! When you do the type of music we're making there is a lot more thought that goes into the process and way more things to consider.
For me, it's all about the song and what I hear in my head for it. Sometimes you have no idea what sound something should have, so you just experiment until you land on something. A lot of happy accidents happen that way. Most of the time I have at least an idea of what I'm gonna shoot for. It depends on the song.
Luckily my vast experience working in a major studio all those years and the production skills I gathered along the way have made me pretty good at getting great tones and more importantly - Tones that work for the song. It isn't always easy and sometimes it takes days and you think to yourself - what the hell!! Even with a lot of experience you don't always achieve what you set out to.
There also comes a point in the day where your ears are fatigued beyond the point of no return. You don't even have to be listening loud for that to happen either. Hours of listening intently will do the same thing. When it hits you and it always does, you're better off calling it a day. If you continue at that point you're in for a lot of heartache and frustration to say the least. It also hits at different times every day. It's never the same. You can't say to yourself - okay, I have 10 good hours, Go!
It just doesn't work that way.
A tone that sounds completely awesome on it's own, often times sounds very badly in the song with everything else. A tone that sounds horrible on it's own, often times sounds heavenly with everything else. I see more musicians blow it right there than anything. They have a preconceived notion of what the perfect tone is and they want it used, then they wonder why their recording sounds like shit. This goes for all instruments.
You always approach tones from the point of view of the song and how it sounds with everything else around it on the recording. Nothing else matters.
Now days, A lot of people will record a completely clean track of everything along with whatever tone they think they want at the time and do what's called "Re Amping" in Pro Tools. This allows them to change the tone as many times as they want until satisfied without ever having to perform it again. Not a necessity in my opinion, but a pretty cool option if you want it.
This technique didn't come along with Pro Tools and digital recording. People were doing the same thing back in the early 90's recording to tape. It's just easier now is all.
There's so much I could tell you, but my only real point is this - I know what I'm doing when it comes to recording. A lot of things are tried and true proven techniques and some things are more subjective, meaning I have my preferences and someone of equal knowledge will have completely different preferences. None is better or worse, or more right or wrong. Still as much as I know, I know nothing. Kind of like life!
I continue to learn and I run up against a wall all of the time with this stuff. Eventually you figure it out. Sometimes you have the midas touch and everything goes smoothly all day, or even all week.
This part I'm talking about here is my least favorite part of the recording process, but it's a necessary evil.
So here I am for days in here probably looking like a mad scientist and suddenly I'm saying - I don't know shit! Nothing is working, frustration is creeping in and I am a VERY patient person!
I'm ready to say F this and just go watch TV or something. For some unknown reason, you just have to try one more combination of this and that before you quit it all. . . Then holy crap, there it is!
When you finally get it, you instantly know it! All of a sudden it's a party. I'm dancin' and celebrating. The wife thinks I'm crazy! I am, but there's no better feeling in the world. Nirvana!
You put a part down and just listen to it over and over again beaming. You go to bed with a big stupid smile on your face thinking you really accomplished something.
The next day you listen and you say - What in the hell was I thinking!?
Back to square one, but that's a whole other adventure!
Needless to say I've been in and out of heaven and hell the last few days, but I am making tremendous progress and what I've actually gotten recorded sounds awesome. Even the next day!
Now that I've completely lost my mind - Have a great weekend everybody!
- Bret
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