GETTING IT UP
February 2005
You’ve gotten all of the back story taken care. All the homework’s been done. Now on to the setup.
ROBBY TAKAC’S 7 CENTS
We love saying his last name around here. It’s like firing a machine gun. Or singing that Billy Joel song. Anyways Takac, taking some time off from The Goo Goo Dolls and opening his three-room facility called Chameleonwest Studios in downtown Buffalo, NY is going to help us with our Tip Travelogue. He helps with Tips 24 through 30 and all we have to do is mention that his joint has three Pro Tools rooms with a small o.d. studios, and with each featuring NEVE, TRIDENT and a variety of outboard Pres, EQs and compressors. And what of The Goo Goo Dolls? Well, they’re going to pitch a tent with a remote system in an old Masonic hall in Downtown Buffalo to record through the Summer of ’05. Gotta be nice.
24.Have a good variety of pre-amps and microphones on hand,
even if they’re not all Class A pieces, they’ll all add character to your tracks and add dimension to your recording. Having tube gear helps!
25. Drum rooms are simply pleasant-sounding cavernous spaces. These cavernous spaces exist all around us. Don’t feel restricted to tracking in a studio room; explore other places for remote recordings. Room microphones on your drum set are your key to a “pro” drum sound. Use your room sounds!!
26. Great guitars, amps, and microphones are a must.
27. Crappy guitars, amps, and microphones are another must.
28. Amp Farm, AmpliTube, and Sansamp are useful on just about everything but guitars.
29. Bass amps are generally a phase-wrestling match reserved for the mix room; a good D.I. is always best to track with.
30. GET A REAL DRUM TECH !!!!!!
31.It’s all where you put it.
Miking a guitar amp? Experiment with where you put the mic in relation to the speaker. Closer to the center gives more bass and a “looser” sound, while miking toward the edge of the speaker sounds “tighter” and has a bit less low end.
32.Get a digital cameras and use it.
They’re really handy. Done a great mic setup? Shoot it, and you’ll find it much easier to duplicate the setup in the future. Set up a piece of hardware and want to remember the control settings? Sure, you can write down where the dials point — but a few shots of the front panel might be easier. Recording an instrumentalist? Take a picture. Then, when Guitar Player interviews you and asks “Hey, what guitar was The Edge playing when you recorded U2?,” you’ll remember. Digital photos are the best, because you can store them in the same folder as other project data.
33. Avoid option anxiety.
It may feel satisfying to marvel at racks full of gear, but having too many choices — whether it’s umpteen varieties of tube compression, duplicate types of plug-in effects, soft synths, sample libraries, microphones, or whatever — can become overwhelming and prevent you from actually getting anything done. If you suffer from option anxiety, limit yourself to a small subset of tools to work with. Do this at the beginning of a project, before things get out of hand. Chances are, you’ll find creative ways to get more from less gear.
34.That @#$%^& computer
Having problems with mysterious freezes, long bootup times for some programs, and general instability? Better make sure there isn’t any cracked software on your hard drive. Aside from the ethical considerations, remember that cracked software by definition leaves out some of the original code. This can come back and bite you in various ways.
35. Hunting for updates.
These days, it’s not uncommon to have a bunch of incremental “bug fix” updates for every piece of software in your virtual studio. Hunting these down online after you’ve already downloaded them can be frustrating and time consuming. So keep all update installers in a single location, and back this up to CD-R. If the computer crashes, or you migrate to a new machine, pop in the disc, run the installers, and get on with your life.
36. Backup for the terminally lazy or pressed for time.
You probably have separate drives for your system and data (if you don’t, you should — consider that another tip). And admit it, you probably get a little lax on backing up from time to time. If you don’t have the time to burn to a CD or DVD, then at least create a folder (and preferably a partition) on your system disk called “Safeties.” Copy the file(s) you want to back up over to this folder. Although this isn’t as secure as having your backup in a separate physical location, at least if your data drive fails, you’ll be able to pull a copy off the system drive.
37. Don’t touch . . . or should you?
Manufacturers tell you never to touch a CD drive’s laser lens. So I’ll tell you the same thing. But I’ll also tell you that wiping the lens with a soft, lint-free cloth has bailed me out a few times when my CD drive said “CD? What CD? I don’t see a CD . . .”
PRO TOOLS TIPS THAT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE
TAL HERZBERG (Black Eyed Peas, NELLY, Johnny Lang, CHRISTINA AGUILERA, Counting Crows), the Pro Tools guru of all mankind, between crafting genius and throwing us out of his place, gave us some must-do tips. Ignore at your own peril.
38. ASSET MANAGEMENT:
When I talk about data management I’m really talking about asset management. This includes track and playlist management, clear labeling of all production elements, disk management, and data backup. Consider this Engineering 101. If your assets are damaged or non-retrievable it doesn’t matter if you’re the world’s greatest sound engineer or mixer, you’re failing the very tedious and initial mission of data retrievability.
39. Basic proper backup procedures are:
Always keep AT LEAST one (preferably TWO). And an additional Running Copy of the main data drive (updated daily using backup software).
40. The right storage medium?
Acceptable storage mediums include cloned drives, data tape, and CD/DVD.
41. COMPING:
When we’re dealing with comping (creating composite performances from multiple takes), we live and die by our ability to seamlessly crossfade between audio segments that we are cutting between. Pro Tools offers a wide pallet of crossfade forms, and knowing how to choose the right crossfade for a given cut between two takes dictates the seamlessness of the transition. When I’m comping between multiple vocal takes, I’ll use one kind of crossfade between vowels and a different kind between consonants. Other examples are: Use wider and longer crossfades when dealing with low frequency instruments such as bass and keyboard pads, versus short crossfades when dealing with percussive instruments such as drums and percussions.
EASY STREET & HOW TO FIND IT
JIMMY DOUGLASS (Timbaland, THE NEPTUNES, Mary J. Blige, MISSY ELLIOT, Justin Timberlake) gives you highly detailed directions, scribbled on the back of a napkin, to the avenues of ease.
42. Simple mics, simple miking techniques, minimal EQ, and compression.
And if you must marry the effects you love on something, go back and record it on a separate track because where its ends up being mixed may not have the plug-in or gear you used to get it.
43. Getting the Best Piano Sound in The World:
Start with two U87s and go through the Neve pre amps on the board. Put each mic through an 1176 and a Pultec EQP1A. Run back and forth to move the mics around the various holes in the piano to see what kind of sound’s coming out of the top and bottom. I get the optimum sound near one of the holes. This is my roll n’ roll sound that I really like. I use the 1176s and just do basic compression going in. For the EQ I use something I picked up from the British guys a while ago… on the top mic I add a little bottom, at around 60 to 100 cycles. On the bottom mic I cut the low end and add a little top end… about 7 to 10k. This gives me a psycho acoustic illusion because the low end is now bright and present whereas the high mic is now a little warmer and richer, not brittle, so it smoothes the high lo, left right thing. I play with the compression on both sides to see which one I need. And that’s what I do if I have time to really play around with the piano and get an amazing sound. I would also set up two U47s in the room. Place them far away left and right room, and then super compress those as well. When possible put them on separate tracks, and blend them later to taste at the mix.
You’ve gotten all of the back story taken care. All the homework’s been done. Now on to the setup.
ROBBY TAKAC’S 7 CENTS
We love saying his last name around here. It’s like firing a machine gun. Or singing that Billy Joel song. Anyways Takac, taking some time off from The Goo Goo Dolls and opening his three-room facility called Chameleonwest Studios in downtown Buffalo, NY is going to help us with our Tip Travelogue. He helps with Tips 24 through 30 and all we have to do is mention that his joint has three Pro Tools rooms with a small o.d. studios, and with each featuring NEVE, TRIDENT and a variety of outboard Pres, EQs and compressors. And what of The Goo Goo Dolls? Well, they’re going to pitch a tent with a remote system in an old Masonic hall in Downtown Buffalo to record through the Summer of ’05. Gotta be nice.
24.Have a good variety of pre-amps and microphones on hand,
even if they’re not all Class A pieces, they’ll all add character to your tracks and add dimension to your recording. Having tube gear helps!
25. Drum rooms are simply pleasant-sounding cavernous spaces. These cavernous spaces exist all around us. Don’t feel restricted to tracking in a studio room; explore other places for remote recordings. Room microphones on your drum set are your key to a “pro” drum sound. Use your room sounds!!
26. Great guitars, amps, and microphones are a must.
27. Crappy guitars, amps, and microphones are another must.
28. Amp Farm, AmpliTube, and Sansamp are useful on just about everything but guitars.
29. Bass amps are generally a phase-wrestling match reserved for the mix room; a good D.I. is always best to track with.
30. GET A REAL DRUM TECH !!!!!!
31.It’s all where you put it.
Miking a guitar amp? Experiment with where you put the mic in relation to the speaker. Closer to the center gives more bass and a “looser” sound, while miking toward the edge of the speaker sounds “tighter” and has a bit less low end.
32.Get a digital cameras and use it.
They’re really handy. Done a great mic setup? Shoot it, and you’ll find it much easier to duplicate the setup in the future. Set up a piece of hardware and want to remember the control settings? Sure, you can write down where the dials point — but a few shots of the front panel might be easier. Recording an instrumentalist? Take a picture. Then, when Guitar Player interviews you and asks “Hey, what guitar was The Edge playing when you recorded U2?,” you’ll remember. Digital photos are the best, because you can store them in the same folder as other project data.
33. Avoid option anxiety.
It may feel satisfying to marvel at racks full of gear, but having too many choices — whether it’s umpteen varieties of tube compression, duplicate types of plug-in effects, soft synths, sample libraries, microphones, or whatever — can become overwhelming and prevent you from actually getting anything done. If you suffer from option anxiety, limit yourself to a small subset of tools to work with. Do this at the beginning of a project, before things get out of hand. Chances are, you’ll find creative ways to get more from less gear.
34.That @#$%^& computer
Having problems with mysterious freezes, long bootup times for some programs, and general instability? Better make sure there isn’t any cracked software on your hard drive. Aside from the ethical considerations, remember that cracked software by definition leaves out some of the original code. This can come back and bite you in various ways.
35. Hunting for updates.
These days, it’s not uncommon to have a bunch of incremental “bug fix” updates for every piece of software in your virtual studio. Hunting these down online after you’ve already downloaded them can be frustrating and time consuming. So keep all update installers in a single location, and back this up to CD-R. If the computer crashes, or you migrate to a new machine, pop in the disc, run the installers, and get on with your life.
36. Backup for the terminally lazy or pressed for time.
You probably have separate drives for your system and data (if you don’t, you should — consider that another tip). And admit it, you probably get a little lax on backing up from time to time. If you don’t have the time to burn to a CD or DVD, then at least create a folder (and preferably a partition) on your system disk called “Safeties.” Copy the file(s) you want to back up over to this folder. Although this isn’t as secure as having your backup in a separate physical location, at least if your data drive fails, you’ll be able to pull a copy off the system drive.
37. Don’t touch . . . or should you?
Manufacturers tell you never to touch a CD drive’s laser lens. So I’ll tell you the same thing. But I’ll also tell you that wiping the lens with a soft, lint-free cloth has bailed me out a few times when my CD drive said “CD? What CD? I don’t see a CD . . .”
PRO TOOLS TIPS THAT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE
TAL HERZBERG (Black Eyed Peas, NELLY, Johnny Lang, CHRISTINA AGUILERA, Counting Crows), the Pro Tools guru of all mankind, between crafting genius and throwing us out of his place, gave us some must-do tips. Ignore at your own peril.
38. ASSET MANAGEMENT:
When I talk about data management I’m really talking about asset management. This includes track and playlist management, clear labeling of all production elements, disk management, and data backup. Consider this Engineering 101. If your assets are damaged or non-retrievable it doesn’t matter if you’re the world’s greatest sound engineer or mixer, you’re failing the very tedious and initial mission of data retrievability.
39. Basic proper backup procedures are:
Always keep AT LEAST one (preferably TWO). And an additional Running Copy of the main data drive (updated daily using backup software).
40. The right storage medium?
Acceptable storage mediums include cloned drives, data tape, and CD/DVD.
41. COMPING:
When we’re dealing with comping (creating composite performances from multiple takes), we live and die by our ability to seamlessly crossfade between audio segments that we are cutting between. Pro Tools offers a wide pallet of crossfade forms, and knowing how to choose the right crossfade for a given cut between two takes dictates the seamlessness of the transition. When I’m comping between multiple vocal takes, I’ll use one kind of crossfade between vowels and a different kind between consonants. Other examples are: Use wider and longer crossfades when dealing with low frequency instruments such as bass and keyboard pads, versus short crossfades when dealing with percussive instruments such as drums and percussions.
EASY STREET & HOW TO FIND IT
JIMMY DOUGLASS (Timbaland, THE NEPTUNES, Mary J. Blige, MISSY ELLIOT, Justin Timberlake) gives you highly detailed directions, scribbled on the back of a napkin, to the avenues of ease.
42. Simple mics, simple miking techniques, minimal EQ, and compression.
And if you must marry the effects you love on something, go back and record it on a separate track because where its ends up being mixed may not have the plug-in or gear you used to get it.
43. Getting the Best Piano Sound in The World:
Start with two U87s and go through the Neve pre amps on the board. Put each mic through an 1176 and a Pultec EQP1A. Run back and forth to move the mics around the various holes in the piano to see what kind of sound’s coming out of the top and bottom. I get the optimum sound near one of the holes. This is my roll n’ roll sound that I really like. I use the 1176s and just do basic compression going in. For the EQ I use something I picked up from the British guys a while ago… on the top mic I add a little bottom, at around 60 to 100 cycles. On the bottom mic I cut the low end and add a little top end… about 7 to 10k. This gives me a psycho acoustic illusion because the low end is now bright and present whereas the high mic is now a little warmer and richer, not brittle, so it smoothes the high lo, left right thing. I play with the compression on both sides to see which one I need. And that’s what I do if I have time to really play around with the piano and get an amazing sound. I would also set up two U47s in the room. Place them far away left and right room, and then super compress those as well. When possible put them on separate tracks, and blend them later to taste at the mix.
posted by The Becakers at 8:16 AM
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