Production Advice

A while ago I posted a video where Dave Grohl discussed Foo Fighters decision to record “Wasting Light” in their garage. They also chose not to use computers at all during the recording or mixing process.

Here are some quotes that stood out to me from a great new article on eMusician.com talking about the process and the consequences of that decision:

“If you only have cheap mics and pres on hand, it doesn’t mean you can’t get good sounds,”

“The main rule of thumb is, if it sounds good in the room, there’s a good chance it will sound good recorded.”

“Something happens to the tape, oh well, you have to play it again. God forbid you have to play your song one more time.”

“If you zoom in with Pro Tools and put everything exactly on that microscopic downbeat it’s so perfect that it loses a thickness. If everything is off just a little bit the music just gets wider and thicker.”

“We mixed manually on the API board, with me, James, Alan Moulder and Dave, all eight hands on board, all doing the faders, no automation; we couldn’t even do mutes. So every mix was a performance.”

“You have to be patient and get focused. Sometimes, with the Foos, they rehearsed a lot… You need a band that can play great, and is willing to do that. It’s so easy to manipulate stuff with computers. I don’t know if I will do this in the future. They have to be as good as the Foo Fighters, and play that well.”

(To read the full article, click here.)

That last quote is one of the most interesting, I think. Does it mean no-one should record in this “old-school” way unless they too are as good as the Foo Fighters ?

Regardless of the process they used, the end result of the sound of “Wasting Light” still sounds very slick and clean, to me. I’m not sure I’d have guessed it was recorded 100% analogue in a garage if they hadn’t told us. How about you ?

OK there, I said it. I just don’t get the fuss about LCR mixing.

I’ve been reading Mixerman‘s superb “Zen and the Art of Mixing” book recently, and really enjoying it – not so much because I’m learning a huge amount, but because he has a unique and refreshing take on things. It’s fascinating reading his perspective on issues that I’ve thought about over the years, and seeing where we agree or disagree.

And at times, he brilliantly crystallises something – one of my favourite quotes is his observation that

“Your job as a producer or mixer is simple – follow the song“

Maybe out of context like that it sounds like a no-brainer, but it’s a point that’s all too easy to lose sight of, in our obsession with the mechanics of recording and mixing.

I strongly recommend you get hold of a copy, either real or Kindle – there’s a link to it in the Production Advice bookstore – click here.

BUT I do disagree with him on various points and one of the biggest is his suggestion that

“When in doubt, pan hard or don’t pan at all”

Click to continue »

Recording & Mixing

Here are some of the most popular pages on the site:

Do you make these music recording mistakes ?

Compressors and limiters – how to set them up using cushions

7 crucial EQ bands to help balance your mix

10 simple steps to recording an awesome drum sound

What is mastering ?

If you check out these links and keep an eye on the “related posts” section at the end of each article, you’ll find loads of great info !

“Quick start” eBook

If you’re impatient like me though, you can get all these posts plus another 18 “Best Of” articles in a single downloadable eBook – for more information, click here.

(Image by Robert Parviainen)

Reverberation is a subtle but crucial part of any mix. The wrong choice can make everything sound harsh, messy, muddy or distant. The right choice can bind a mix together, add depth, space, and air, and enhance detail. The trick is knowing the difference.

Once upon a time, things were simple. You either had an SPX-90 or a Lexicon, and you got on with the job. Now, the range of choice is bewildering. In the 21st century there are hardware and plugin reverbs, modelling reverbs, sampling reverbs, convolution reverbs, emulating reverbs… the list goes on.

This post will completely ignore all that confusion, and attempt to cut right to the chase. Later I’ll offer some ideas, hints and tips for getting the best results with reverb, but first we’ll look at:

How to choose the right reverb.

Click to continue »

This post was originally inspired by a great question asked by @joegilder over at Home Studio Corner – I started typing my reply in the comments there and liked it so much I thought I’d make a blog post out of it !

So without further ado, here’s my “Top Mixing Tip”:

Click to continue »