First Artefact - Recording & Mixing - "A Rainy Night In Soho" 'The Pogues'

I invited the local band 'The Temps' to record in the studio. I had a discussion with them. We spoke about availability and we agreed on a date and time. We also agreed that we would record the track 'The Rainey night in soho', originally by the Pogues. Based on our discussion I decided that we would record in Studio One and we would also require use of the live room. I booked the appropriate slot for both rooms and confirmed with them. I arrived one hour before the bands arrival, this allowed me to set up the microphones and the mic stands to best record the specific instruments. In the live recording room, I recorded the drummer, and in Studio One I recorded the acoustic guitar. For the drums I used the XLR cables to connect to the wall and desk. This allowed me to control the gain. I gave myself ample time in the studio to set up and plenty of recording time, giving me the chance to troubleshoot any issue with no time pressures.

I recorded the voices after the instruments to allow the vocalists to hear the tracks whilst they were singing. In the live recording room I recorded the drums and the acoustic guitar, all the cables and equipment were set up in this room. This allowed me to plug amps into the plug sockets, then XLR cables into the walls. I could then control the gain level, the polar patterns and the distance and positions of the microphones. I was able to easily fix any issues and look at my set up notes and where appropriate make adjustments to produce the best possible recording.

For the vocals I used a live setup for the lead and backing vocalist, which is soundproof and easy to set up. For drums I used the Glynn john's technique, resulting in less phase, good phase coherence between kick and snare, which resulted in a punchy snare. With the Glynn john's technique, I ensured that the snare and overhead were equally distanced, I confirmed this by using a tape measure. I recorded each instrument individually; firstly with the drums using the Glynn john's technique, then the acoustic guitar using the XY technique and finally the lead vocals followed by the backing/secondary vocals. I recorded these individually to make it easier for the musicians to keep in time and to negate the risk of bleed, making the mixing process easier.

Before I started to record, I powered on the desk and started a new pro tools session, I created the correct number of tracks and set up talkback and to help the performers stay in time. I used a clicktrack, I also used the talkback to communicate with them from the studio to the live room. I ensured that phantom power was on when needed. Throughout the process I was adjusting the gain levels until I was satisfied.

To summarize: I recorded the instruments in the following order:

-Drums

-Acoustic Guitar

-Lead Vocals

-Backing Vocals

kit sounds punchy, bright, warm.

For my Overheads I added some reverb, this made them sit well at the back of the mix, as well as making them sound more ambient.

For my Drums AUX channel i added a Smack filter, this made the drums feel punchier and more rich in sound.

Also for my Drums AUX channel, i applied a Space reverb to the entire kit. this made the whole kit sound more ambient as well as making it sound warmer and more natural.

For my Acoustic Guitar Tracks, i applied the standard EQ and Compression, as well as:

I added a Chorus effect to my track as I felt it made the Guitar sound brighter and fuller, it also helped the track sit better at the front of the mix.

I also added a Vintage filter to my Drums&Acoustic Guitar tracks, This made the tracks sound warmer and more vibrant.

For the Lead and Backing Vocals, I applied AIR Reverb, I did this as to make my vocal tracks sound more spacious and helps it sit better in the mix, i also applied standard EQ and Compression as well as a De-Esser to get rid of sibillance such as harsh "S" and "T" sounds. The addition of these effects greatly improved my tracks and overall mix