Tracking Hotter Than Too Many Degrees and Doin It Sans Jimmy Love

The week before tracking and the night before tracking I got in touch with the writer of Doin' It (Jimmy Love) and the co-writer of Hotter Than Too Many Degrees.  These are awesome songs and I would love to consider them for capstone options.  Throughout the week I worked on building up the bass lines and guitar for the song.  I played my Ibanez Stratocaster and my Washburn steel string acoustic to layer the guitar.  I did that in my project studio.   When I arrived at the SSL studio.  I had time re-track my bass line and also get some snare and kick samples for the song Doin' It.  I used a d6 on the kick, and a SM57 for the snare an inch up and an inch in.  I plugged my bass in to the API 512 Pre with a roll off pad activated and then patched it into channel 25 of the SSL.  The bass was awesome and boomy.  I really liked the sound.  I had also checked out a Mesa Boogie Amplifier and speaker.  I was also fortunate enough to get to use a Gibson Les Paul Supra Deluxe electric guitar to track with for Hotter Than Too Many Degrees.  I miked the top Right cone of the Mesa speaker with an SM57.  The sound cut right through the track just how I wanted it to and made the song sound HOTTTT!  For vocals I had a mid-side technique set up with the NU87 for mid and a MXL2010 as my sides.  I also set up a little booth made of gobos.  I was all prepared for my singer to arrive at 1pm.  Unfortunately he did not show.  I decided to still use the time to record my own version of Hotter Than too Many Degrees.  The vocals turned out very rich.  I am really impressed by the sound quality of the NU87. 

Magic is Alive!! Great Tracking with Danielle Carter in SSL

This week I was able to get my singer Danielle Carter to sing on Magic is Alive.  We did several takes.  We used a Neumann U87 in cardioid.  I kept doing the takes over and over until I could feel her notes in the sweet spot of  my spine.  Then we did a take with 2 MXL2010's in Blumlein, then we did some takes with a R121 to bring out brightness and warmth in her voice..  I also recorded some Kick samples with a D6 and some snare samples with a SM57. 

 

Overall this was a GREAT Experience!!! I can't wait to mix.