Making a Great Record, Part II: Getting a great sound to disk. By Paul Josephs | April 2008
Welcome back! Last month's article covered how to intelligently prepare for the recording process: now you have a strong group, strong songs, and a recording strategy. You have an assistant whose ears and opinion the group trusts, and who can offer another set of hands to operate the gear.
Unless you've got isolation booths, you have arrived at the conclusion to record the rhythm section first and add overdubs later. This is a great approach for leaving the life in a recording. Splitting everyone up to record individually may be a step toward perfection, but it's more than likely also a step away from greatness. The energy of musicians performing live in a room is an asset for you. In this article, we'll explore how to harness and record it, bringing you one step closer to a great record.
What are you doing?
First things first, let's identify your purpose. The band's job is to sound great while the red light is on – but what are you actually supposed to be doing during that time? Two things: keeping the session moving and keeping the gear from getting in the way.
To be successful, you'll need to realize that only half of your job is the gear. The other, larger, half is the people. If you're to have any chance of catching something great, both will need to work comfortably and efficiently. It's your job to make sure that's happening. Do it correctly, and you'll find that you're one part archivist and one part therapist, with the wit of a comedian and the patience of a saint.
We'll touch on the gear aspect first, then delve into how to keep an ensemble working well when the tape is rolling. So let's get started!
Gear up.
Step one is to get the band's gear set up. Let the players plug in and get comfortable. Meanwhile, quietly start getting microphones out and plugged in, being sure to give everyone the space they need to dial in their respective tones and sounds. Try to arrange the room such that bleed is mitigated as best possible. The most general instruction to this end is just to get everyone's amps pointed away from each other.
Next, start positioning the mics. Mic placement makes a huge difference, so don't take it lightly. Position each mic and record a small clip, then move the mic to a new position and record another small clip. Comparing the two will show you how much of a difference mic placement can make. Trust your ears, and take the time to get it right. (See table 1 below). The core concept is to identify the best qualities of the instrument you're recording, then choose a microphone and placement that highlights them.
Instrument
Budget Mic
Alternate Mic
Placement
Electric Guitar
SM57 or SM58
Sennheiser e609
Sennheiser e906
Slightly off axis, 1 ft from speaker
Electric Bass
SM57 or SM58
AKG C414
Split the signal, send one side direct to the board and the other to the amp. Mic the amp as you would an electric guitar.
Acoustic Instruments
AT 4040
Neumann KM184
For detail, 6-12" from bridge. For fullness, 12-18" from soundhole.
Kick Drum
SM57 or SM58
AKG D112
Shure Beta 52a
Just inside of resonant head port.
Snare Drum and Toms
SM57 or SM58
AKG C451b
1-3" from edge of batter head, varying angles will produce different frequency responses.
Cymbals
Samson C02 (pair)
Neumann KM184 (pair)
AKG C451b (pair)
In an X/Y array above the kit.
Vocals
AT 4040
Neumann TLM103
Rode NTK
AKG C414
With a pop screen, 6-10" from the mouth of the vocalist.
Once you've got the mics and placement right, get the levels right. Gain staging is a critical part of the process that's often overlooked. Recording equipment is designed to work optimally at levels of up to unity gain (0 db). Make sure you have a strong level, but not one that exceeds 0 db. An ugly clip can wreck an otherwise stellar take, so remove the risk.
Once you've got safe, strong signals, it's time to have the band take a pass. Record-enable every track, and run a song from start to finish. It's true that many of the best tracks are first takes, so make sure the tape is rolling, even if the musicians only think they're setting group levels.
This brings up two important points. First, always record. If you do, you'll have everything down. There's no recapturing that post-lunch jam once it's gone, so don't be stingy with disk space. Save often and archive as necessary. Second, you should know that the first take is almost certain to be louder than the individual level checks would indicate, so leave a fair amount of headroom. The group will likely use it.
We're often asked about how to best use compression and EQ. The honest answer is to find the power button, and turn them off! Well-meaning engineers are often compelled to compress a lead vocal and EQ instrumental tracks before they're recorded to the disk. Don't. Unless you know precisely what you're doing and have a lot of experience, you're likely to do more harm than good. Once these qualities are part of the recording, there's no removing them. Compression should be used only sparingly, and only on lead vocals that vary pretty wildly. With the exception of bass roll-off, EQ is for mixing and mastering. At this phase you should be getting the sound with rudimentary isolation, mic choice and placement, and gain staging.
Once you've set levels, it's time to start plowing through the material. Keep an eye on the meters, and make adjustments as necessary, but now your attention should shift from the gear to the people. Here are a few tips on how you can keep everyone on track and sounding their best.
Keep the tension down. The group may be a little nervous because of the finality of making a record. Emphasize that you're not after perfection, only the sound of the band. Remind everyone that there are unlimited takes, so there will be plenty of material to choose from, and that the best takes will come when everyone's relaxed. If you're paying attention, you'll know how each musician is feeling and you'll be able to give them a gentle nudge back in the right direction if they start to get sidetracked. Be ready with a joke, a compliment, or a glass of water.
The group may allow friends to stop by and listen. If that keeps the group comfortable without distracting them, it's fine. However, have something for them to do so they don't get in the way. Video games, darts, and cards are good options, as long as they're not loud or distracting enough to interfere with the recording itself.
Know when to take a break. If you're headed into a rut, maybe it's time to take lunch. If the drummer is getting tired, change gears and work on some lead vocals with the singer who's been waiting patiently in the control room. Singers and drummers will tire more quickly than other musicians, so take pains to keep them within their comfort zones.
Speaking of singers, it's likely that the vocal track will be the most important musical part. Often, it's also the most challenging part to record. The vocalist will need to be comfortable, healthy, and (hopefully) “on." Volumes have been written on eliciting great vocal performances, and only experience will show which approach will work best for you. To get started, just try to coach gently and don't overcorrect. Remember, you're not after perfection.
If there's a seasoned pro in the booth, try to stay out of the way and just let him do what he does unless something absolutely needs to be addressed. If you're working with a novice, readily call out the highlights and don't dwell on the imperfections. Singing is arguably the most vulnerable method of musical expression, so be sensitive to that. Compliment positive vocal qualities and character. Recognize that sensitive microphones can be intimidating to a vocalist - help them to sing better by sweetening the sound that they hear. You can mitigate the starkness by recording the track dry, but warming up the headphones with a little reverb and a slight boost on the low end.
Once the gear and the people are working well, keep things moving and capture as much as you can. Then tune in to our next installment to find out what to do with your hard-earned session files.
