A Little Help

My hero across the pond continues to come to the rescue. Jan Fischer agreed to help me with a couple of mixes so I could gain knowledge as I compare his revisions to my originals. He remixed two of my tracks, and I am stunned by the results.

Here are his comments about one of the tracks:

- try to pull the whole range of instruments across the horizontal line, that is, using the pan to locate it left or right of the center when necessary.
- added on a few instruments reverb to push them a little bit in the backround
- added chorus to one guitar (chords)
- worked with the eq to make instrumenst more recognizable / hearable or to eliminate (for my ear) disturbing frequencies.
- worked on track volumes with hyperdraw.

I think the mix is quite good this way and needs only small corrections.

In my estimation, the last comment is on the generous side. Be that as it may, what a delight to have a veteran's lend a skilled touch. Though the adjustments made were mostly minor, the resulting sound is miles apart from the original slapdash concoctions. Jan, you clearly have honed an abundance of natural gifting into sharp musical talent and skill. I am deeply impressed, and will be working hard to reproduce the refined sound in all other Redline Project tracks.

Looking Glass

I spent the evening back in the leatherette saddle at the helm of Studio Redline for the first time in several days. As you may have read in the last Redline Project blog post, my wife and I made the six hour drive across southern barrenness to spend a few blissful days in coastal Carolina. With nothing but hot sun, frosty iced tea, shady umbrellas, and rolling ocean waves, our time off the grid was utterly blissful and way too brief.

Alas, I have returned to the world of graphic design, non-profit pioneering, and yes, music recording and mixing. Though I miss the lazy nothingness of a sand and surf holiday, it feels pretty good to be back at the Mac.

Three songs got a spit shine tonight, and I am pleased with the subtle differences of fore and aft. Somewhere along the line, I read a rule about EQ changes that said not to add or subtract a certain amount from the equalizer curve. I read a better rule recently that said this: do what sounds good.

Ditching the first axiom in favor of the second has enabled my feeble vocal tracks to pop through the mix more, replacing muddled fog with clean, balanced tone. Swish.

Time continues to be the looking glass of musical truth in this project; as it passes, details emerge from the mix that were once shrouded by flashier elements. Though part of me wants to pull the trigger on the album release already, a wiser half delights in the subtleties of the slow burn.

Nine Day Plan

Starting tonight, I am working through one recording per day, carefully listening, analyzing and making changes to it after several playbacks. The process is nothing short of exciting, as bothersome details are carefully ironed out of the mix.

After these nine days, I hope to invite some trusted friends with good sets of ears to a listening and critiquing party. This means in a matter of weeks, these songs will be unveiled in rough form for the first time. This is nothing short of momentous to me.

Song Report Number One: Sidewalk
The focus of my adjustments has been the vocal track, performing almost an entire rework of the Melodyne effect and adding a more robotic vocoder to the sound. I also shortened some phrases in an effort to tighten up the composition. Certain effects are gone from certain tracks with others added in their place. The vocals have been de-essed using a beautiful compression method found on YouTube.

None of this will mean anything to anybody, and you have my sincere apologies for the bore. I do want a record of it so I can look back and ponder the series of surgeries each of my tracks had to endure.

I must return to the track to make a few last adjustments and bounce out a new mp3 before the night becomes morning.

Collecting Mixing Tips

The daunting task of mixing raw files into balanced audio presentations has begun, and I could not be more lost. Not only is every track of mine clunky and unpolished, but the peaks all redline and the softs are downright flimsy.

There is way too much to learn in these brief months. Curses.

I much prefer to accomplish on my own strength, and it takes me a while to humble myself and ask for assistance. When I finally reach out to a fellow human being for help, I am often stunned by the kindness that is extended.

An example: Jan Fischer, a faithful reader of this blog and a stellar musician, offered to take a look at a track, make some fixes, and describe what he did to achieve a good mix. When I expressed gratitude for his willingness to devote time and talent to the project, he responded, "That's what friends are for."

Another example: I called Nick Akin today, a budding southern gospel musician and recordist for whom I have completed some graphic design projects, to inquire if he offers mixing lessons. Though he does not teach for hire, he invited me to his studio so I can watch and learn as his band hones their latest songs. He spent a half hour on the phone imparting tips and tricks for massaging a recording to aural harmony, all while spouting encouragements like, "Just keep at it, I know your stuff is going to sound awesome." He's never heard me play a note, but I somehow still felt fuzzy and warm.

I am struck today by the generosity of these friends, by the many who dedicate time to reading my daily ramblings, and to the countless who have taken a moment to drop an encouraging line. You are all a marvelous inspiration to a guy who can be stingy with and self-consumed during all available free time. Thank you for reminding me the importance and beauty of generosity.