In this project I took on the recording mixing and mastering of a four track EP for my band Rock Dove.
We had some obstacles on the way in terms of commitment issues with musicians within the band and, because we are a new group the obstacle of getting to know each other as a musician and as a person, but quickly we began being coordinated with each other.
Recording for this project started in the end of January just a couple of months after the band got together, all the recordings were made using my own home studio and the limited equipment available, as opposed to using a professional recording studio, where more equipment is available to hire (for a significant cost).
For that reason, I believe there are a few things we could have improved on in terms of quality of recording mixing and mastering also due to using limited plugins available in logic.
Upon the completion of the EP, we had written 10 original tracks, out of these we chose 4, which we believe tell the story of the enigmas of life of a shell-shocked soldier ready to roam on another military deployment.
The remaining 6 tracks have been left in the form of demo, and we have the intention of revisiting these for a different project.
In the process of recording different elements one of our obstacles was the limitation in number of microphones that we had so we researched and agreed that the sm57 was the most appropriate microphone we could get “Essentially, the Shure microphones SM57 strikes the perfect balance between rock-solid build quality, consistent recordings and total reliability.” (Corfield 2021).
The quality of our recordings improved very much after acquiring this microphone.
The research made for this project was done with the help of Rob Groucutt, who kindly helped throughout the project pointing me in the right direction, this was done by viewing videos from Youtube.com to understand more about mastering, I also researched techniques on how to place microphones in front of the guitar amp “The closer you move the mic to the centre of the speaker, the brighter and more present it will sound. Conversely, as you move the mic toward the outside edge, it will sound darker and bassier.” (Kosche 2012, line 7).
For techniques on how to record drums, we used a Yamaha EAD10 and referred to manufacturer's instructions, Yamaha.com.
As we acquired more microphones, we also explored the Glyn Johns method using Musictech.com tutorial.
In my opinion we have created a good conceptual EP which easily transmits the emotions we envisioned. This project has made me grow, both as a musician but also as a producer, not to mention the knowledge and experience gained in the music business industry.
From studio/recording skills to knowledge of different microphones, mic placements, live music monitoring, to the simple skill of how to adjust the sound of my guitar during a live show and using that same skill to make sure my guitar solos are heard and stand out in the mix.
The shows we organised, marketed, and perform in have given me and the band a whole new spectrum of how the music industry works and of what it is looking for when it comes to new and upcoming artists.
In the next year of this UAL course, I look forward to developing even more skills, and hope to delve more deeply into recording, mixing and especially mastering. My intention is to follow a music production course at DB institute in Bristol, or BIMM in Birmingham.
Corfield, C. (2021) Shure SM57 Review, MusicRadar. Available at: https://www.musicradar.com/reviews/shure-sm57-review (Accessed: 03 March 2023). Main website page, Line 6
Cleyn, C. (2022) How to master a song in Logic Pro, YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C863dVB_7vI (Accessed: 27 February 2023).
Verghini, V. (2021) How to do basic mastering using gain and limiter effects in Logic Pro X., YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ud0z4NlHcj4 (Accessed: 27 February 2023).
Lord, C. (2020) Mastering like a pro with stock plugins (Logic Pro X), YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXStJgXpZKc (Accessed: 27 February 2023).
Kosche, J. (2012) Killer Guitar Tracks: Mic Placement and Amps, guitarworld. Available at: https://www.guitarworld.com/blogs/killer-guitar-tracks-mic-placement-and-amps (Accessed: 02 June 2023). Main website page, line 7
(No date) EAD10 owner’s manual - yamaha. Available at: https://usa.yamaha.com/files/download/other_assets/0/1133900/ead10_en_om_a0.pdf (Accessed: 20 February 2023).
Pickford, J. (2018) Technique of the week - glyn johns method, MusicTech. Available at: https://musictech.com/tutorials/technique-of-the-week-glyn-johns-method/ (Accessed: 23 April 2023).
