Midlife Crisis spent a June weekend in Hampshire at Earth Terminal studio, set in a beautiful old Hop Kiln. The setting was inspirational, and the experience was both fun and educational.
After a couple of hours of setting up equipment, we got to work laying down the rhytm section tracks for our 6 songs. Toby (drums), David T. (bass) and David B. (rhythm guitar) played together as a single track. The singer (different people for different songs, as you'll hear) accompanied them, but only into their earpieces, not the recording mikes. This was to help them keep track of where they were in the song and maintain the overall feel of the piece. This step in the process takes a lot of work. This was especially true for us, as it was our first session recording together and the first time we had really played to a click track (which keeps the drummer on a metronomic tempo and subsequently makes the later editing much easier.
That editing itself was a very involved process, as Lewis, the studio owner and thankfully perfectionist sound engineer cut and pasted among multiple takes to get all the best bits put together into one piece, then tidied things up further by moving any notes that were slightly out of time. This was the first eye opener for us of the immense value of the engineering side of things. Having started recording around 12:00, this took us into the evening.
One of the odd things (as compared to when we usually get together for rehearsals, gigs, etc) is that since the entire band was never assembled at any one time, people had lots of 'down time'Those of us not involved in the rhythm section either sang as called upon to do so, observered proceedings from the viewpoint of the engineer's loft or lazed about in the lounge or outside, enjoying the break from our normal London lives.
In the evening, we started the 'layering' process of adding the lead and backup vocals and instruments - violin, lead & further guitars and trumpet. We wrapped up for the evening around 10:00 and strolled through the fields into the village of Odiham for a drink and 'post-match' analysis.
We were all bathed in a glow of artistic genius, and there was a lotta love around the table! In bed by midnight (at least in my case). A lovely open air market in Odiham was worth a wander before we strolled back up past the poppies to the Hop Kiln to complete the adornment of our six songs.
Each piece took on its own personality as we pulled it together.
Go Your Own Way was a bear, with really tough rhythm foundation, vocal harmonies and big guitar solos.
Sorrow required multiple layers of violin, giving string harmony and punctuating 'stabs'. David B. provided both vocals and trumpet.
Sweetest Feeling saw Karen's voice multiplied into a Motown clutch of singing beauties as Lewis multi-tracked here backing vocals.
Our own See This brought together three voices and a funky baseline (around which everything else was built).
Creep was hauntingly clean in one sense with the stripped-down three piece done as one track. Then over-top that we laid mean electric guitar, with Ian borrowing a belter from Lewis to do the trick.
Diamonds just dripped class as it came together, with Karen giving Shirley a run for her money!
By the time we'd got all the inputs laid down, Lewis was a bit-short-changed for time to mix and master. We literally ran out of time as we realised that if we didn't leave, we would miss the last London public transport options and not get home. Having listened to each mix with Lewis, we left him to the final step and headed back to town. As it was, Toby still had to crash at my place.
We got the songs in the next couple of days and are all very happy with the outcomes. Having these recordings makes us feel (rightly or wrongly!) more like a 'real' band.
Here are the end results:
Thanks for the CD.Well done! I thought it was great and so did Jamie and Sarah. In fact, none of my children (and Nick of course) could believe that somebody related to me could sing so well. I am well-known for miming at weddings, funerals and anything else, for fear of emptying the venue!!!!!!!!! It looks like you had great fun in the recording session and we look forward to hearing you perform some time soon. Let me know, happy New Year,
Love Kate xxxxxxxxxx
Posted by: Karen's cousin Kate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | 29/12/2008 at 12:44