| Format | Mixing Format | Channel/Track Layout | Brief Technology Overview | Release Format |
| Dolby Stereo SR (Spectral Recording) | 4.0 | | Developed in 1986 to assist in overall dynamic range of analogue media. Used predominantly for 35mm film soundtracks. Sound information is recorded to 35mm film, which is the interpreted by a solar cell, converted as voltage information, and finally amplified. | 35” film |
| Quadraphonic | 4.0 | L/R/Ls/Rs | Introduced in 1970. Quadraphonic recording used an ‘Out of Phase Stereo’ (OOPS) signal which was overlayed onto the existing stereo track, just 90° out of phase. It was then up to a specifically designed ‘matrix’ decoder to recognise this and send the out of phase signal to the surround speakers. | Vinyl, 8 track cartridges, reel to reel releases |
| Dolby Pro Logic II | 5.1 | L/C/R/Ls/Rs + 1 LFE channel | Introduced in 2000. Expands any two channel audio and extracts the information into a 5 channel full bandwidth signal. Mainly used for television broadcast, and only compatible with labelled Dolby Pro Logic home theatre systems. | |
| Dolby Digital | 5.1 | L/C/R/Ls/Rs + 1 LFE channel | Industry and commercial standard for most cinemas and home theatre systems. It is also a film standard, used on 35” film. | |
| DTS (Digital Theatre System) | 5.1 | | | |
| SDDS (Sony Dynamic Digital Sound) | 8.0 | L/Lc/C/Rc/R Ls/Rs + 1 LFE channel | In competitive film sound format by Sony, using 8 channels to enhance the experience of film. The format, while useful, hasn’t taken off and Sony has discontinued its support for it, however some films are still recorded with the SDDS track. | 35” film |
| Dolby Digital Surround EX | 5.1 | L/C/R/Ls/Cs/Rs + 1 LFE channel | The same as Dolby Digital, however, with the addition of a matrixed centre surround channel. Most likely in competition with DTS-ES. | |
| DTS ES (Extended Surround) | 5.1/6.1 | | There are two versions on DTS-ES (discrete, or matrixed). ES Discrete provides 6.1 channels, with an extra centre surround channel, where as the matrixed version has 5.1 channels with an extra matrixed centre surround channel. | |
| | 6.0 | … | Six channel, “multi-digital” system to enhance the overall experience of | 70” film format only in |
Sunday, 28 October 2007
Sound Studio, Week 10 (October, 2007) "Surround Formats"
Wednesday, 17 October 2007
MTF, Week 10 (October 11th, 2007) "Timms Tunes"
It seems our tour this semester have been somewhat divided into two categories; we first visited studios and music production facilities. Now we appear to have finished what seemed like the second half made up of entirely film production content. Completing our travels, we visited a jingle studio, owned and managed my Sean Timms.
Greeted with guest lollies and a comfy lounge, it really felt I was at home ready to begin watching predominantly garbage advertising, then again I mainly watch ABC, however the facilities at ‘Timms Tunes’ were quite advanced. And Sean, gave some really great insight into not just how he makes jingles, but also how to make it in the music production industry, something which we haven’t heard a lot of in our travels.
He began with asking us what we would like to do in the future, as engineers… This created somewhat of a dubious feeling in my mind; I wasn’t exactly sure what I want to do, but I do know I would love to do everything that I can. Moving on though, Sean had a lot of outboard gear, which to my surprise he said he doesn’t really use anymore because digital is much quicker and easier to use, particularly in creating music.We were then introduced to two of his employees, who both had different personalities, but both shared the qualities that Sean specifically looks for in a person when making selections. We were also given the oppurtunity to hear how exactly Sean creates his jingles.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the tour, and it gave me a better understanding of the advertising industry, but most importantly the aspects which you need in order to make it in the music industry.
Thursday, 4 October 2007
Sound Studio, Week 8 (September, 2007) "Automation Modes"
…Doesn’t read automated data at all. Useful for making comparisons of the difference to audio with and then without automation.
Auto-Write:
…Writes automation. This is somewhat of a destructive mode, as is over writes any previous automated data.
Auto-Read:
… Simply reads automation data while in playback.
Auto-Touch
…Applies automated data while the fader is held, once the fader is released, the fader will reset to the previous position prior to automation being written. Handy for when you want to control automation but have it automatically return to the exact previous value. Across a song, this would become useful for things such as changing elements between choruses and verses, etc.
Auto-Latch
…Is the same as Touch mode however rather then returning to the previous position, the fader latches to the last specified position of the fader. Most suitable for human controlled in fades.
Trim modes allow a user to keep the shape of written automated data, but vary its position value. There are various modes which apply to trim which follow a similar path to automation modes. These are useful when you want to keep your automation data, but wavy its value without varying its shape.
Saturday, 8 September 2007
MTF Week 6 (August 29th, 2007) "Film Sound Production"
Film production to my initial understanding was simply a mindless task of placing a camera in front of a scene, and then overlaying it with emotive music to compliment the footage. My understanding of all this changed when this week's MTF guest speaker name arrived and gave the class a run down of the film industry.
It came of no surprise to me when Close described the size and scale of the film corps of
Another fascinating area of the layering of sound, or sounds to create an event. Close gave us an example of how a gun shot sound may be layered to give an impacting sound, starting with the trigger squeeze, soon followed by a rush of air as the bullet exits the barrel, the shot sound, then the sound of the bullet impacting a surface such as wood, which also has a myriad of sounds to accompany it. Again the amount of detail here is immense, and one wonders the patience required of composing these sounds over an entire movie set, of say 2 hours where sound in a really important facet.
After Close’s talk on film, I’m glad many of my questions about sound in film have been answered, and I look forward to hearing what he has to say next week at the film corporation.
Wednesday, 29 August 2007
MTF Week 5 (August 22nd, 2007) "Disk-Edits"
So. After getting a very informative talk from Clark on mastering and his experiences, one thing hit me more than anything -
His advice was somewhat different from other guides from Mixmasters and Paradise Studios. The control room was also different. Instead of a full house console, a rather small console was used, a System6000. This too makes sense as one would usually receive projects in a stereo format, so no need for lavish consoles, and more need for good equipment and good room acoustics. And the lack of ProTools was also a change, with
Being a pre-mastering engineer seems like it would be just as interesting as being a producer, or general sound engineer. And what
References:
Neville Clark, (August, 2007) Disk-Edits, MTF Forum
Other Links
Friday, 24 August 2007
MTF Week 4 (August 15th, 2007) "CD Manufactuer"
CD manufacture is probably one of the most important aspects of the recording and producing process of music – it is the final element which applies the gloss coat and finished product of a recording, after all, what’s the point of recording something which you intend to release and the release it unprofessionally? So I found what I think is what David Grice was looking for on Thursday – the MPO site, which is found here http://www.mpo-international.com/. The site has a “Virtual Tour” which looks pretty childish at first, but is actually quite informative.
Another aspect that we delved into slightly was the way in which to package media. I really like it when an artist takes the time to create something with adds to the audio through; the artwork. Tool are one such group which I know do this very well, and if any of you reading this have any of their albums, you will understand what I mean by this. But on top of this there at many other ways to package media, such as the cute business card like approach, to fill gatefold digipacks, which are quite in fashion at the moment. Even vinyl is making more stance with very attractive picture and coloured LP’s.
I inquired towards vinyl as still being used today, vinyl is a medium which really interests me because I love its feel, sound and clarity. I was also delighted at the amount of worldwide interest in this area. MPO appear to be one leading vinyl manufacturer, and there are many others. My only question would be the difference of producing something on vinyl compared to CD – certainly vinyl would cost more in today’s market, but by how much…
Other Links
“How Vinyl Is Made” - http://eil.com/explore/guide/vinyl_making.asp
“MPO Virtual Tour” - http://www.mpointernational.com/en/virtualvisit/
Thursday, 16 August 2007
Wednesday, 15 August 2007
MTF Week 3 (August 9th, 2007) "Paradise Studios"
Their setup, at a first glance was much more... modern, nothing like the cousey-ness of Mixmaster's studios. It raises the question of how exactly different people like to setup their studios and the way in which the environment greets the guest upon first arrival. "It's about making the musicians feel as comfortable as they can, because if the musos are happy the recording process is going to be much more enjoyable." Even though Mixmasters and Paradise studios had different arrangements to tackle this area they still showed the importance of remembering that producing music is a consumer satisfaction affair. Let's face it, as a musician in a studio paying between $75 and $100 per hour you'd want the whole thing to be as fast and productive as possible.
I enjoyed the feedback on my pseudo-piano recording done very quickly, with just one U87. The advice sent to me from was to use EQ and even compression, something which I would never had expected for such a natural instrument. Other tips which were expressed I liked was to use no reverb while monitoring back to the vocalist, taking as much breaks as possible, keeping sane, and remembering to use the equipment you have at hand efficiently and effectively.
Another thing which I have noticed is the variance of opinion. Some things within the recording industry seem to be givens but others are and appear to have been shaped over many years of let downs, successions, hard work and the environment in which you work in. Dewald, who guided us seemed to not be fussed by the lack of attendance of a tape machine. I wonder what his views on tape and analogue recording were, something which I forgot to ask.
References:
Quote from Dewald Hartzenberg (9th August, 2007) Paradise Studios, Hendon – MTF
Paradise Studios
Paradise Studios MySpace (This has a great up to date list of their outboard gear)
Thursday, 9 August 2007
Wednesday, 8 August 2007
MTF Week 2 (August 2nd, 2007) "Mixmasters"
od and mud brick, the “modified house” looked like the perfect studio, set up in the Adelaide Hills. I was interested at the choice of materials and decided to go a little further with is, as Mick the owner and engineer of the studios, stated that he “searched” for the right materials that suited his ears. The soundproofing was very impressive also, with all walls being backed with compressed carpet for up to six feet behind the wall in places.The advice, expertise and level of knowledge expressed my Mick was terrific, and I could have stayed there f
or hours. I love his explanation of tape explaining, “it seems to have fuzzy edges that mesh and bring all the other elements together, but keeping the sounds in their own pigeon holes.” I really want to get my hands on a tape machine and become involved with analogue recording, simply because this year, we haven’t really been exposed to it, and I would love to be able to develop and gather an understanding of the differences between analogue and digital on a personal level, and for the simple fact that is just sounds like good fun.Mick seemed very open to recording itself saying sometime that the best solution is the simplest, like using a good ol’ SM 57 instead of a Neumann U87 – It just comes down to whether it sounds good or not. He mentioned a couple of times that many musicians have a misconception that the “high end” expensive mics sound better, which of course isn’t true in a lot of cases.
References:
Mick at Mix Masters Studios (2/8/07)
Pictures taken from MixMasters website, viewed 8th August, 2007
http://www.mixmasters.com.au/studio/mixconsole.htm
http://www.mixmasters.com.au/studio/mixcontrol.htm
MixMasters
Thursday, 2 August 2007
Sound Studio, Week 1 (26th July, 2007) Signal Flow Diagrams
Headphone Mix 1
Headphone Mix 2 w/talkback
Listen Back
Mic via Avalon
Wednesday, 1 August 2007
MTF Week 1 (July 26th, 2007) "David Grice Introduction and Student Presentations"
I found it interesting to hear his stories on his life and up bringing into the industry of sound, and was surprised to hear how he is self taught. It was also refreshing also hear his views on tape vs. digital recording, especially for drums and bass. I decided to research further on this, as I knew from previous research involving Kevin “the Caveman” Shirley that he also shares Grice’s views on tape recording. I am sure that there are many others from that generation who feel a somewhat disagreement towards digital itself. I personally feel that I need more time to expose myself towards tape – I am looking forward to going to Mix Masters and discovering how it is done.
We also went through each other’s studio mixes and they were all quite well done. The only issues I saw were the levels. After some thinking I’ve come to the conclusion that our ears while mixing must somehow become accustom to hearing the same elements over and over, so they mildly enhance our perception of the sounds we hear. It makes me wonder how other will perceive my mixes. This takes me back to what Steve Fieldhouse said to us at the beginning of the year saying, “It’s really important to mix close in and then be able to look at the mix on an overall point of view. I forgot this concept until writing this blog, and I now wish I had remembered it while mixing because I believe it would have made mine better. I am sure others probably feel this way also.
References:
Fieldhouse, Steve (2007) MTF Presentation Semester I
Grice, David (26/07/2007) MTF Presentation
mcgrew (2004), Digital vs. analog- which is better?
http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2004/10/8/134958/152
Thursday, 21 June 2007
Sound Engineering Studio - "Creative Project"
Links to the masters and mix downs.
Born To Be Wild
Mix-down
MASTERED
Crazy Little Thing Called LoveMix-down
MASTERED
Recording Documentation
Your Name
Jake Taylor
Date/s of Recording
9th June, 2007
Song Title
Born to Be Wild
Format
Sampling Rate: 44.1 kHz
Bit Depth: 16 bit
Duration: 3:37
Total Time Spent on Recording
6 Hours 45 Minutes
Notes/Issues/Commentary on Recording (Minimum 300 words)
| Monitoring out to headphones became a problem in this song, the bassist couldn’t hear himself properly, and therefore is a little sloppy in the mix. Also, the EMU drum kit to my ears isn’t that great, but it’s all I had to work with. This meant the EQ was pretty crucial towards the drums themselves. The biggest problem was recording the band itself – They were either busy, doing exams, studying for exams, out partying or something else. Next time, I think that more planning could help this as well as meeting them properly before the recording takes place to finalise times etc. Then as a turn of my good fortune, I was notified that the singer was leaving for While trying to set the gain levels for the drums, in future, I must get the drummer in (he was to come into record later in the session For all the microphones, I used online User Guides to form a basis as to where to place each mic, and then used my ears to help define to positioning. |
Production Documentation
Your Name
Jake Taylor
Date/s of Production
17th June, 19th June 2007
Song Title
Born to Be Wild
Format
Sampling Rate 44.1 kHz
Bit Depth 16bit
Duration 3:44
Total Time Spent on Production
7 hours 12 minutes
Notes/Issues/Commentary on Production (Minimum 300 words)
| This was to be a heavy mix. The original was pretty thin I thought, and I didn’t want to replicate that. Ben’s amp was very sweet sounding, and in this song, he was that main focal point. I created three guitar tracks, panned two left and right, and kept one in the middle to get a big sound. I had doubts about doing it, but it worked in the end. Compression and EQ were quite important as the original sounds came out a little thin, or too thick, as with the guitars. The problem I faced was that the guitar was bottom end heavy, and this meant the bass had little room to move, so I added EQ to the guitar to help give space to the bass. For EQ I used a site (see notes “General EQ Guide”), which gave a simple list of what EQ to apply to specific instruments. This helped me greatly, and I also found it was mostly good for my mix. For compression I used a method that I found within Mixing With Your Mind, basically, it was a step-by-step process on how to apply compression. I still find the concept of compression however still a hard area to grasp and I would like to further my understanding of how to apply it. |
_______________________________________________________________
Recording Documentation
Your Name
Jake Taylor
Date/s of Recording
9th June, 2007
Song Title
Crazy Little Thing Called love
Format
Sampling Rate: 44.1 kHz
Bit Depth: 16 bit
Duration: 3:37
Total Time Spent on Recording
3 Hours 30 Minutes
Notes/Issues/Commentary on Recording (Minimum 300 words)
| Drums were pretty easy on this song to record, everything was already set-up, I liked to mix from the previous recording,so I kept most things the same. The biggest problem was recording the band itself – They were either busy, doing exams, studying for exams, out partying or something else. Next time, I think that more planning could help this as well as meeting them properly before the recording takes place to finalise times etc. Then as a turn of my good fortune, I was notified that the singer was leaving for While trying to set the gain levels for the drums, in future, I must get the drummer in (he was to come into record later in the session For all the microphones, I used online User Guides to form a basis as to where to place each mic, and then used my ears to help define to positioning. These were usually correct. |
Production Documentation
Your Name
Jake Taylor
Date/s of Production
17th June, 19th June 2007
Song Title
Crazy Little thing Called Love
Format
Sampling Rate 44.1 kHz
Bit Depth 16bit
Duration 2:56
Total Time Spent on Production
6 Hours
Notes/Issues/Commentary on Production (Minimum 300 words)
| Monitoring out to headphones became a problem in this song, the bassist couldn’t hear himself properly, and therefore is a little sloppy in the mix. Also, the EMU drum kit to my ears isn’t that great, but it’s all I had to work with. This meant the EQ was pretty crucial towards the drums themselves. The biggest problem was recording the band itself – They were either busy, doing exams, studying for exams, out partying or something else. Next time, I think that more planning could help this as well as meeting them properly before the recording takes place to finalise times etc. Then as a turn of my good fortune, I was notified that the singer was leaving for While trying to set the gain levels for the drums, in future, I must get the drummer in (he was to come into record later in the session For all the microphones, I used online User Guides to form a basis as to where to place each mic, and then used my ears to help define to positioning. |
Wednesday, 20 June 2007
Audio Studies A - "Creative Project"
Drum Odyssey
Jake Taylor
4’55
The material for the assignment was recorded into an MBox, using various percussive like samples which overlayed a percussion piece. The samples included a heat sink, wallet chain jingling, and other percussive like sounds. On top of that
A percussive piece was performed on the EMU drum kit, recorded and edited to have the recorded samples placed where desired. The quality of the recordings didn’t vary so much, however some samples did contain clicks, which had to be edited out within PeakLE software.
Within ProTools, the drum tracks were sent via a bus to a Reverb Aux, this created a very large like feel to the recording and made it sound more real. Stereo panning was also utilised to achieve this effect. To demonstrate knowledge within automation within ProTools, mainly volume swells were used, as well fade ins and outs to keep the flow of rhythm moving and not too staggered. Plugin automation was also use on the Reverb Aux track.
MixDown
Tuesday, 12 June 2007
MIDI Studies A – Creative Project
Jake Taylor
5:33
For this assessment task I wanted to create an arrangement of a favourite Chopin Prelude of mine; No. 15 in D flat major. For most of the task I used Sibelius 4 to create the actual music. This is important to me, as I will certainly use if in the future of my compositional career. I began the piece with the strings, as they are the main basis of an orchestra. I found that the LogicPro Vi’s for strings, flutes, and brass sounded quite good however, the woodwinds such as Clarinets, oboes and bassoons didn’t have what I was looking for so I chose not to use those.
The piece begins quite happily, and moves through a rhythmical d flat major ascending scale. It then flows deeply into a very dark section, which is predominated by contrabass and violoncello. In this section I used staccato flutes and violins to complement the dark sound, which then progresses into a very large full orchestra moment.
In LogicPro, I panned each instrument to match an orchestra placement which I found on this website: http://www.rpo.org/s_7/s_8/p_6/Orchestra_Set-Up/. For the darker sound section I mainly played on the Novation ReMoteSL, as I know the song well on Piano already. To achieve the right colouration, I faded out the last note, and gave the appropriate tempo changes where necessary.
MixDown
CompletePrelude(sib3).sib
Right-hand click > "Save File As"
Wednesday, 6 June 2007
MTF Week 12 (May 31st, 2007) "MTF Mix Presentations II"
Lisa also took a minimalist path, however she maintained as many others did that the Afro Celts samples were of high quality. Her mix was much like other compositions that she has already presented to our class in other programs (MIDI Studies and Audio Studies); ambient, spacious and warm/cold subtle variations in sound texture. Even though she had zillions of samples to work with, she still only chose to work with a few.
In opposition to this your have what I call the extremists [sic] - those who showed a use of many samples, sounds, editing and effects. In this group I put Ken Mosman, Brendan Godfrey and Lauren McMohon. Their mixes were quite full, particularly Brendan’s, who use many effects such as Amplitube, delays reverbs but what made his mix different was from ken’s influence on the “Kylie Effect”. This involves pitch shifting a voice 5-10 cents and panning each side left/right while keeping the original signal in the middle. The affected signal can then be shifted to get a singing bird like effect.[1] However I really had to admire Ken’s. He went so far that he managed to push up the tempo of the original mix he did, something that intrigued me.
Again its interesting how musical influences affect what you choose to mix, and how you mix. I know I have said this before but it just seems to be so crucial to remember to not let this get in the way of your customers needs and wants.
References:
1. Documentation from Brendan Godfrey on his mix, presented May 2007, Adelaide University
2. MTF Mix Presentations, presented on May 31st, 2007 at the University of Adelaide
Wednesday, 30 May 2007
MTF Week 11 (May 24th, 2007) "Studio Presentation Mix"
Analysis
Artist: Afro Celts Sound System
Song Name: My Secret Bliss
Duration: 7:04
Musical Genre: World Fusion Electronica
Style: Medium tempo, fairly deep and dark sounding
Key: Unknown
Tempo: 83.98 bpm
Instrumentation: drum tracks, guitars, bass, keyboards, vocals, backing vocals and various miscellaneous sounds such as reverse cymbals
Performers: Larla O Lionaird (vocals), Sevara (vocals), James Mcnally (flutes)
Sound Quality: Very good sound quality, however some of the keyboard samples have minor clicks completing their duration. Massive amounts of reverb and delay have been used on most tracks, apart from the rhythm sections.
References
Stavrou, M, (2003), Mixing With Your Mind, Mosman, 1st ed N.S.W. : Gillingham
Flux Research, 2003.
- I used this reference to get a basic understanding of mixing itself, but for thisproject, I
am referencing the chapter involving compression techniques.
Burdette P. General EQ Guide, viewed 23rd May, 2007
http://www.sirgalahad.org/paul/music/eq-guide.html
- I used this reference to get an understanding of applying basic EQ values to certain instruments, which I used extensively.
Senior M. (May 2000) Sound on Sound magazine, Reverb
Frequently Asked Questions, viewed 20th May, 2007
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/may00/articles/reverb.htm
- I never initially understood the concepts involving reverb, however this article answered
many of my questions and helped my gain a better vocal reverb sound, despite the fact the vocal tracks were already distinctly filled with reverb.
Peck. N, (), 6 Creative Uses of Plug-in Automation, viewed 21st May, 2007
http://www.obedia.com/articles_EM_01.cfm
This article gave me a brief guide into automatic double tracking. This involves the use of minor delay and was first discovered by George Martin while recording the Beatles.
Journal:
Monday, May 21, 2007 2:13 PM
After some consideration I have decided to use the Afto Celts – My Secret Bliss sample, as I believe it showed good dynamic range, good quality and a good use of musical knowledge.
As drums are an important part of a song, I began with the rhythm sections and imported those into a ProTools session. As I have stated, the recording as of excellent quality. However I came into a bump in my workings so I decided I would gather some references.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007 10:27 PM
Late Monday I managed to borrow out Mixing With Your Mind, by Mike Stavro. I must say just the first chapter was like a complete revelation of how I initially thought of sound. It was so easy to read and understand, and I am going to use a few references from this title, such as compression and EQ techniques as I still struggle with both of their concepts.
The mix itself it showing that it’s quite hard, especially on the arrangement side of things. I find I am setting my standard to high and trying to achieve something more epic rather than something that will still show my learnt skills effectively. Unfortunately, this is my personality, and I have to work around it. It is safe to say that I am an ultimate perfectionist.
I also found a really good site on EQ technique. I was basically a list of what equalisation to apply to instruments from the individual drum, to an oboe it was there. I was very helpful for me because often I find I am just scrolling through the EQ settings not finding anything that I particularly liked the sound of.
Wednesday, May 22, 2007 12:43 AM
While mixing, I managed to think up of a few reference sound sources. The sound of the original mix reminded me of my childhood, listening to Enya, and Andean world music. It’s funny, as a child I would listen to these simply because I loved their natural and lush feel, but I haven’t listened to them for over a decade, so it was of great humour to me when I literally had to blow the dust off the covers. I want to use these CD’s a reference material for my desired sound.
The mixing proc
ess is going very well at this point, and I have nearly completed the arrangement. It was much easier than I thought. I have utilised a lot of plug-ins and double tracked flutes drums and guitars.I have used EQ and compression as well as reverbs and delays to capture my desired performance. In the end I think this did enhance the overall sound, however I am still unsure about the drums.
On a funny side, I managed to EQ 1000 Hz thanks to being very used to that particular frequency (I will elaborate on this in my presentation) on the flute section and this alone really enhanced it’s overall sound within the mix. I want the flute to be a driving force in it, one because I like it and two because it’s part of my referencing.
I think that if I were to do anything different in future, I would use my time more effectively, and explore the future possibilities of using other plug-ins than the ones I used.
MTF Week 11 (May 24th, 2007) "MTF Mix Presentations I"
For example, many people used Afro Celts Sound System My Secret Bliss, including myself. To my ears the song was already very well recorded and produced – each track already had most of the effects you would ever want to use. This meant that those who used this song approached to mix from an arrangement point of view. This was confirmed to me when Stuart Johnston, who stated “(All the tracks) went quite layered, I found no need for extra effects” [1] His mix compared to others was longer and much more progressive, which reinforced his statement.
Coming back to musical influences, I think that this was very well demonstrated by Daniel Trembath. His personal musical taste extends into the genres of Dance and Techno. He stated that “a lot of my influences and tastes went into this song” [2] To my ears his mix was dry (in a good way), and very pulse driven, much like techno, with no use of vocals.
Scott Philp mixed Joy’s What You Are. I enjoyed his mix the most, I don’t really know why, it may have been simply because I liked the song itself and its samples. He appeared to approach the mix from an arrangement, position also. I guess when you think about it, arrangement was a key element in this exercise because the samples were more or less already properly recorded and all we had to do was simply mix them.
Scott Herriman and Ben Hawkins used If I Had My Way by Little Axe. As I know these two well, it wasn’t surprising that they chose to mix this song. Ben said that he wanted to do a mix, which represented a bluesy sound; If I Had My Way provided him with this. Scott also seemed to come from a similar area although he was attempting to go for a more country rock oriented.
In conclusion, I think that all those who managed to present this week did well, even if they weren’t fully prepared. They all showed how their influences gave them insight towards their mix. I think that personal taste is a powerful force when mixing, and it raises the question of whether it’s ok to let this factor to impact the artists visions as much as you own.
Refrences:
1. Documentation from Stuart Johnston on his mix, presented May 2007, Adelaide University
2. Documentation from Daniel Trembath on his mix, presented May 2007, Adelaide University
Wednesday, 23 May 2007
MTF Week 10 (May 17th, 2007) "Genre Based Production II"
As a producer is it ok to go against structural cultural systems that determine a particular sound? For instance, take a look at how Kurt Cobain managed to accepted Butch Vig’s ideal understanding of Nirvana’s sound; still Grunge, but polished.
It sort of compliments everything others and I have been saying - finding a balance between too much and too little seems to be the key at complimenting the genre while managing to keep artist relations and financial well-being. However, if you honestly consider Grunge from a general publics point of view, 9 times out of 10 Smells Like Teen Spirit will come to mind rather then Big Cheese. The same applies to The Black Album; hell I bet even Green Day’s American Idiot founded Punk to some people.
It seems that while certain genres have their own characteristics, pop culture drives the ways of some producers. Because of this, people will tend to remember only the things that have a glossed up radio like representation over the original raw genre – in a sense that is what a lot of people like to hear, gloss!
An example:
Steve played us two versions of Wolfmother’s “Woman” and woh what a difference there was. This alone reinforces my beliefs that this effect is very much true to all music, which is driven by public demand. Common elements may include lots of compression and presence, in other words the equation to suck the audience in.
Some musicians “sound like they sound”[1] yes indeed, but when it comes to public demand and record company dogging, I think some producers will go to any length to press the sound into a nice neat little wrapped box.
References:
1. Fieldhouse, Steve, (2007). Genre Based Production II, presented at the University of Adelaide, 17th May
Further Reading:
1. Ken’s blog on being a jack and a master (finding that balance), accessed 21st May, 2007
http://plutoniumunderpant.blogspot.com/2007/05/10507-genre-based-production-styles.html
Wednesday, 16 May 2007
MTF Week 9 (May 10th, 2007) "Genre Based Production"
Each genre has a particular way to bring out the life that determines what that genre is. In this week’s forum Steve Fieldhouse once again went into genre based production. This has already been explored in other weeks for electronic music and hip-hop in particular, but I am always eager to learn all the facets involved in each genre, particular the one’s I myself enjoy.
I touched on the idea involved in genre based production and asked the question of how would a world song sound if recorded using metal/rock techniques[1]. What constitutes the boundaries how far one can go with this? For example: Jazz is acoustical, with little compression, so does this mean that if you record it with compression it will sound unlike Jazz? I think that the area of understanding the ways in which o record styles of music is really important, but I also think that experimentation should always be kept open, and ultimately what ever sounds good, sounds good.
Another interesting element that was mentioned by Steve that American Funk and British Funk are very different. Why is this so? I think that culture has a major role to play in how music is recorded. American Funk is bright where as British is darker – maybe the climates of the two countries have a part to play in this, and I make it clear that I do stand for that point.
Having said that experimentation should be kept open, I think that it’s probably a good idea also to not go too far with it, as genre based production is crucial to recording. As seen with metal and rock, where “size does matter.”[2] Let’s face it; if you recorded rock without having this concept in mind, the whole human perception of “rock” would diminish. The same applies with any genre I think. Funk is beaty, Reggae is percussive, beachy and bright, Metal is big and full, Blues is somewhat acoustical yet overdriven. Forgetting these concepts would render the idea the word genre unusable in the recording arts industry.
References:
1. http://taylormemer.blogspot.com/2007/03/role-of-producer.html Reference from my blog, viewed 16th May 2007
2. Fieldhouse, Steve, (2007). Genre Based Production, presented at the University of Adelaide, 10th May
Wednesday, 9 May 2007
MTF Week 8 (May 3rd, 2007) "The Final Round (Orals)"
As future producers (dare I say it), we should keep an open mind - to everything! I was unaware of the producer Phil Spector, his technique, and his eccentricity. I want to focus on his eccentricity for now at least. Simon Kuchel provided the basic info on Spector, and I was amazed at some of the claims I heard such as:
- discharging his firearm while in studio with John Lennon
- placing a loaded gun at Leonard Cohen’s head while in studio
- and holding the Ramones at gunpoint for many days
Now, all of that is pretty ridiculous, it’s crazy. But why did he do it and why was he so insanely focussed on getting the right takes and sounds? Spector had early success, and also helped develop the “Wall of Sound” technique. He was a highly respected producer. If we ignore his admition of bipolar-ness[1] perhaps Spector gained an arrogant approach to recording because of his success. Perhaps he thought that because he was so successful, that anything in other people’s eyes should not be taken into consideration.
I want to reinforce my previous statement[2] in that producers should keep an open mind not just to technology advances and methods, but also to other ideas, and more importantly keeping a happy relationship with the musicians. Plus, do you think that anyone will want Spector after all of the things he has done? Some will, but not as much. The same I think applies to Bob Ezrin, who’s ego tends to blanket his recordings - as seen with the Deftones[3]. By word of mouth, Ezrin’s reputation to me appears to be diminishing, and as a producer that is something you can’t afford to have. A producer is his/her own business, their reputation for flexibility and open mindedness is essential to the recording arts industry.
I myself have wondered how I would perform. I want to records many styles of music, but I sometimes don’t see myself recording something like rap, hip-hop or pop because I generally don’t like it. I’m not sure I if am letting my personal taste cloud my career goals, but it’s something that I’m intrigued by. I often wonder how open minded I can be towards music and recording it…
Reference:
1. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1469813/20030206/story.jhtml MTV article on Phil Spector; accessed 7th May, 2007
2. http://taylormemer.blogspot.com/2007/05/mtf-week-6-26th-april-2007-second-round.html Reference from my previous blog on open-mindedness; accessed 9th May 2007
3. http://scottbphilpuni.blogspot.com/2007/04/bob-ezrin.html; Scott Philp’s blog on Bob Ezrin
Sound Samples - Phil Spector: Listen for all the overdubs he uses.
John Lennon – Imagine (John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band – Imagine)
The Beatles – Let it Be (The Beatles - Let it Be)
Wednesday, 2 May 2007
Kevin “the Caveman” Shirley MTF Write-Up (26th April, 2007)
The role of a producer is an element within the recording arts which captivates me. When all the other factors of recording taken into consideration, the role of a producer seems minimal; well, that’s at least how I initially felt. But after commencing this individual task, as well as attending the lectures from Steve Fieldhouse, my initial views were radically changed.
Kevin Shirley, also known as “the Caveman” for his Neanderthal-like looks was a great choice for me because he had his own website, which gave me an insight into his own personal views on recording from his own perspective, but also his style helped me further understand this idea of “the role of the producer.” I didn’t come across his particular style until very late in my research, and after finally managing to listen to some of his work on the CD’s I purchased.
Shirley’s story is that of rags to richest, beginning his life in troubled
Listening to some of his earlier work I noticed not so much the lack of experience, but more just how it differs from his work now – sound-wise. His earlier work is tinnier, and in a sense more raw, and the overall amount of production is nowhere near as much as to some of his current releases. It seems that as he progressed through his career, he acquired much knowledge through both mistakes and also time. For example, he mentions that drum panning for a producer can be either good or bad, depending on what you are doing. Throughout Silverchair’s 1995 hit album, Frogstomp, Shirley panned the drums hard left-right. He claims that this was the biggest mistake he learnt from (I tend to agree with him), so on future pure rock recordings, he kept the drum-kit in the middle of the mix, such as Iron Maiden and the Black Crowes. It seems that even the professionals, still learn from their mistakes.[2]
Shirley loves recording in analogue, after all he grew up with it, and for a long time refused to go anywhere near digital, but since the progression of 24-bit technology he has found his own ground on working with ProTools. Now he believes it is essential to recording, especially vocals. However, artists and engineers also appreciate the sound of analogue. As with Journey, the sound of the hi-hats on their 1996 comeback album Trial By Fire, the engineer for the album George Massenberg said “it’s nice to hear a hi-hat again after 15 years.”[3] I think this is what makes Shirley unique – his drums…
Rather than treat the kit as a myriad of cymbals and toms, he tries to keep the drum kit as a single entity within a mix, and as Steve Fieldhouse mentioned to me, the lack of room mics may also have something to do with this effect.
Every performer is entitled to their own headphone mixing desk, time off, and the scheduling of start and finish times too are important to Shirley. He believes that working all day is not the way to go and that the best thing to do as a producer, is to appreciate the other elements that you have encompassing you in your life, such as family and friends. If thought about, this makes sense, and falls back down to the finished product, if everyone is happy, the recording will also be happy.
After heavy research and many purchased CD’s, I now understand what producer means to artists as well as to the producers themselves. Kevin Shirley is a pure example of a producer who can bring people together, record them and get amazing results. He is also skilled in mixing and engineering and his success is simply because of his forward approach to the art of recording. I think that his open mindedness with digital has given him more flexibility and more flare to record with. His passion for analogue, which should not be forgotten as a recording method has given him a signature sound. I think he also demonstrates to aspiring producers the importance of being able to adapt and to try new ways of recording music, and to never forget the importance of outside influences artists and technologies.
There seems to be an unknown when recording music, and this alone excites me. The way you place a mic, the mic you choose, the compression and EQ settings are all factors which have standards, but there is nothing more exciting than being able to experiment with them and see what can be pushed and what can’t. Kevin Shirley is definitely a producer who demonstrates this.
“You cannot forsake your home life. You have to try and be there for the people around you. Don't make the studio the focus of everything, because you just end up shooting yourself in the foot. And you lose sight of the broader picture. Sometimes you're much better when you've just been able to get away from it and think and let things fall into place and get some perspective.”[5]
References:
1. Kevin Shirley, Biography, http://www.cavemanproductions.com/biography.htm, accessed April 30th, 2007
2. Mix Online interview with Kevin Shirley, http://mixonline.com/recording/interviews/audio_kevin_shirley/, accessed April 17th 2007
3. George Massenberg comments on digital vs. analogue http://www.cavemanproductions.com/REVS/gml.html, accessed May 1st 2007
4. Mix Buss interview with Kevin Shirley, http://www.mixbuss.com/article.php?id=37, accessed April 25th 2007
5. Mix Online interview with Kevin Shirley,http://mixonline.com/recording/interviews/audio_kevin_shirley/ accessed April 17th 2007
Interview with KS, on Journey
http://www.journeydigest.com/Interviews/KS/
Below are my audio samples, in both downloadable and streaming form. Note that the streaming audio won’t be great quality, so if you want to hear better audio, download the samples.
Streaming:Downloadable:
