Category: Recording

Categories
Gear Recording

More analog techniques & secrets

The vast amount of knowledge I have in analog recording technology is immeasurable. I’ve decided to open up my brain vault of information and techniques just this once to show you some of the amazing skills and knowledge I have in the analog world.

This image shows what is called the “put the screwdriver under the pinch-roller pin and pry it up so it pushes against the capstan hard enough to make the tape travel moderately at the correct speed” technique.

Only here can you get such precious and valuable information about the dying world of analog technology.

Categories
Boneheads Random Recording

Proper techniques for storing analog tape

A client brought in some old reels from the 50’s or 60’s. These are cherished recordings of his now deceased mother performing plays back in her college days. These tapes show some new ways of storing irreplaceable analog recordings.

The two newest and best ways of storing analog reels are:

  1. Partially wrap the reel in aluminum foil. Be sure NOT to completely wrap the reel as the desired “effect” will not be achieved. It is also best to use foil that was previously used to wrap your last remaining piece of pizza when you went out to dinner the week before. The grease from the pizza serves to coat the tape with a lubricant which ensures smooth running operation of your old Teac 4300 reel machine.
  2. Stuff toilet paper into 2/3 of the reel. It is crucial NOT to stuff the toilet paper completely around the entire reel, or the desired “effect” will once again not be achieved.

Categories
Musicians Recording

Feel sorry for these guys

I got a call from a desperate band manager yesterday. They were recording in another “new” studio in town. Great, another shitty studio to compete with…

They wanted to pull the project and finish it somewhere else because the band “didn’t like the engineer.” It’s hard to get a quality album or recording done when there is tension between the engineer and the musicians.

I inquired about what the status of their recording was and what format it was recorded in. He couldn’t tell me what format so I couldn’t be sure if I could help them. Then he said something that shocked me: “All we have left to record is the drums.”

It was at this point that I realized their recording is probably bad. I informed him that typically the drums were the first thing to be recorded and you’re putting the cart in front of the horse. I pointed out that I had doubts about the studio and engineer they’re working with if the last thing they need to do is the drums.

He said “yeah, and he’s now saying the drum tracks are going to cost another $1200 than he originally quoted us.” These poor guys. They not only spend a bunch of dough for an obviously shitty studio and engineer, now they’re bait and switch victims that will have to fork out another $1200 to get their bad recording done…

Then again, it may be their fault for trying to save a buck by going to the “cheaper” studio to begin with…

Categories
Rants Recording

4 reasons to stay out of the recording business

Here are four reasons to stay out of the recording business.


Yes they are all bounced checks. One is for 18 bucks and one is for 5 freaking bucks. My bank charges me $30 for each bounced check I deposit. So that $5 check cost me $30.

Frigging musicians….

Categories
Boneheads Musicians Recording

New Way To Write Vocal Tracks

I’ve had this one client for years. He is very cool. He wants SO bad to be a rock star. He hires great musicians for his albums and the tunes are pretty good. There’s only one problem. He has no ear for pitch and he can’t sing.

It is a nightmare trying to get a take out of this guy. For years it has been like throwing darts in the dark and hoping you hit something. We’d try lines over and over again, hundreds of times until we found ONE good one to keep. Then move on to the next line.

Thanks to today’s technology we have a new way for this guy to write and perform his vocal tracks in the studio. Most everyone knows about “Auto-Tune” hardware/software. I prefer to call them pitch correctors. You basically punch in the key of the song and it automatically makes every note the person sings fit a note in the key, even if they are way off. The most famous misuse of this is in Cher’s “Do You Believe In Love” where her voice starts to sound like a robot. That is what the pitch corrector sounds like when it is set too high.

Anyway, enough background. So the new way we have to get vocal parts written and recorded for this guy is just plain sick (in a good and bad way). I’ll basically run the track and he’ll just sing the words as best he can (which isn’t very good). He’ll just freaking butcher the vocal parts but he’ll get through the tune. Then we’ll put the auto-tuner on his voice and set it to the “Cher setting.” That thing takes all of his bad notes and puts them in tune.

Then he goes through over and over again, singing to his new found notes and melody. Then he lays down the track, as close to the pitch corrected version as he can. After that track is down, we take out the old one, and auto-tune the new one. Voila! New vocal part!

To me pitch correctors should be used only sparingly, to tweak great vocal parts that just need a little help. But in this case, the auto-tuner just plain helps me get the job done.