Here at 3 Leaf Recording we have just wrapped up a week of Post Production on a film getting ready for Sundance.
Produced by Michelle Ilene and Directed by Michael Notrica, “The Choices We Make” runs 28 minutes but with a good run at Sundance, it will hopefully become a feature soon.
A little ADR, a little foley and alot of final Mixes.
Thanks to the production team for a great week.
It seems that every recording software company is making it increasingly easy for anyone to track their songs at home. It also seems that many who record at home feel that no matter how poorly the tracks turn out, whether because of lack of technique, lack of quality gear or lack of preparation, it can be “fixed in the mix.”
Here at 3 Leaf Recording we are getting more calls every day from home recordists who want to bring in their tracks to mix in a professional studio. This can definitely take your songs to a level that otherwise would be out of reach for so many. Rarely, though, are the tracks prepared the correct way.
Here are some pointers to correct mistakes we commonly see. Keeping in mind that each DAW has its proprietary functions, we’ll keep it generic.
* Label all tracks clearly, (Audio 1, Audio 2, etc.) does not cut it. Take the time to rename if need be. Be as detailed as possible. Identify snare top from snare bottom, for example. If your program does not have a NOTES section, you can also send along a separate list for your track comments.
* Make sure all tracks have the same start markers.
* Check that all your tracks are one continuous file. In Pro Tools, you would consolidate regions, in Nuendo/Cubase, you can use the glue tool, and so on.
* Keep a handle on your levels, we cannot undo digitally clipped files.
* Avoid sending stereo files that are actually mono.
* Disable all plugins, especially dynamics. If it is really important, export a rendered version separately. This also goes for any auto-tuning plugs.
* If you concerns, ask your mix engineer before you send tracks and keep the lines of communication open.
This is only a generalized list of suggestions but it will help you save some time and money when getting a professional mix of your songs.
Happy tracking,
Sean Cooney
3 Leaf Post Recording had an opportunity to record finger-style guitarist John Calvert recently.
For this session we decided to try some newer mics as well as a couple of older classics provided by Bob Pachman.
On and around John’s guitar are an AEA R-92, a stereo pair of Neumann M-582s w/ m93 capsules, a Rode NTK, a Microtech -Gefell UM70 and a Soundelux ifet7 (not in picture). The ifet7 was used as a room mic, about 10 feet away.
For our gear-geek friends, and I mean that in the nicest possible way, the preamps we used were combinations of a Avalon 737, a Universal Audio 2108 and a Focusrite ISA.
We had great results with the clear articulate sound of the stereo Neumanns along with the smoothness of the AEA ribbon. Another nice combo was the Gefell about 12 inches of the neck with some of the Soundelux added in for some room.
So many choices is a nice problem to have.
It was a great day of tracking and made even easier by John’s talent.
