Project 5 Task 3-

Plan of Recording

Objectives for the session

I will go through some key objectives in detail in my plan but I will through them each in more detail. We will all try and aim for,

Properly setting up the equipment,
Setting up Logic Pro,
Recording each instrument and vocals
Finally, making sure we leave everyone as it was before and tidy up after ourselves

Introduction

Within this task, we are recording one of the original tracks that we have created as a band. It's important to have a set-out plan before we all set foot into the studio, to save time and be the most practical and organized. The song we have chosen is from our first stimulus and we all like playing this song because of the surf rock genre that was created. This song is really enjoyable to play and we all like it, therefore we all think it would sound great as a recorded track.

The Objectives For Our Recording Session

Firstly, before we start playing our instruments it's important that we set up correctly and have the right equipment to do so. This will be our first setup as a band, therefore we all must aim to achieve these objectives set out. This first objective paves the way for all the other objectives, for us to start recording. This is a simple step for all of us to achieve quickly as we are all sensible musicians and we have a bit of experience with setting up the recording equipment.
Secondly, setting up Logic Pro would be my next objective. We have all had experience with working with logic and how to set it up and plug in the instruments to the software. Before recording, we will do a test run with the instruments to make sure they sound the way we want them to and check that we are happy. Later on, we will mix and edit the track to fit our wanted sound.
Thirdly, our third objective would be to record each instrument individually, starting with the drums and so forth. This would be a simple step as we have had experience with recording our instruments on logic and setting up the right channel so that we can communicate between the studio and the recording room. This objective will take the longest due to making sure our instruments sound to the best of our ability. To save recording sessions, will spend time on this objective so us not go into another session where we could be moving on to something else.
Finally, make sure everything is packed away nicely and all the equipment is returned to where we had got them from. Also saving our work in three different places so that all of our hard work is not lost.

Timeline-Session One

For the kick drum, we will need a mic that can collect the lower frequencies, such as the D112 AKG Mic. This mic will work smoothly at picking up the deep drum sound and should be placed inside the bass drum facing towards all the areas so it can gather all the sounds which will make our recording more precise.

Finally, we will need to mic up the different toms such as the High Tom, Mid Tom, and Floor Tom. We will set up these areas of the kit with Sennheiser e604 which will again be pointing towards the center of the different drum heads- unlike the other microphones, we do not need stands for as they clip onto the different toms. All 7 mics should be plugged into the inputs with XLR cables. I think the kit can be put up by the majority of us including josh who is very confident with setting up a drum kit.

Recording the drums

Within our first recording session, we will record drums. This is an important part of our song as the drums are the foundation of the track and the main rhythmic instrument. Therefore, if we are recording drums first then the other instruments can follow the tempo. For me as the bassist, I must follow the drums' rhythm for cues and speed. The process of recording drums follows, Josh who is the drummer will use the drums that are equipped by the college. I think if we have time within the session to reord bass with the drums. I think its highly important for both the drums and bass to be tight and on time with one another.

As for the equipment, before the session, we should take all that we need and then set up all microphones around the drum set. Setting up the microphones shouldn't take more than 15 minutes of the recording session, as we have all done the setup before and know our way around putting what mics were. We will need 2 condenser mics, condenser mics are best for drums because they are more subtle in the drummer's performance and capture more high-frequency detail for a crisp, punchy tone. An example that we could use for this is AKG-C100 or Behringer C-2 condenser mics. These mics are really good for recording live sound applications, which will be on stands high up above the drum kit. Additionally, the snare drum needs to be set up, using the microphone Shure SM58. This microphone is great for picking up all sounds of the snare, by placing it into the center, the mic will pick up.

While the setup is taking place for the recording of drums, one person can set up the logic project.

Recording Bass Guitar

Recording the bass will be as follows, I will provide both my lead and my bass guitar. After the drums have been recorded, I will set up my equipment which would take about 5 minutes and I can do this on my own. After getting my bass out I will plug my guitar lead into a D.I box which would plug my jack lead into the input. The D.I. box is the best option for recording bass because it protects your signal from noisy outside interference. The D.I. box will connect to the inputs with an XLR cable. As the bass is predominantly low frequencies, this needs to have phantom power to hear this in the recording. Once the bass is plugged into the box with the jack and then the box is plugged into the input loom the bass is set up from the studio side. To communicate with everyone in the recording suite, we would plug headphones into the stack PA system so that we could hear clear instructions. After the setup, I would therefore hear over the drum track that was played earlier and then I would play my part. Myself and the band are highly confident with this song as we have practiced it many times. Normally the vocals lead us through the song but it's going to be different as we will leave the vocals to the end. As I am confident with the song, the timing should take about 15/20 minutes, as there may be some defaults in myself messing up with the structure getting used to the track with just drums, or a mistake in the recording suite. Therefore communication is important.

After my recording session, I would go into the recording suite to check with everyone that it all sounds good and that I am happy with what I have done. When everything is checked over, I will pack down my bass and lead, ready for the recording of the guitars.

Timeline-Session 2

Recording Fin's guitar

Recording the lead guitar goes about the same process as the rhythm guitar. The jack cable is to be plugged into an amp with the right settings set which sounds the best they can be for what we want in the original. Fin doesn't play in certain parts of the song, such as Josh's drum solo. Fin must know when to stop and then play. Fin will listen to the track without his part first and then he will play his part, we will give him and others cues when the structure changes if either of us is not sure.

The SM57 needs to be placed in a stand and then connected to the input loom using an XLR cable as this means any sound coming from the amp will go through the microphone and into the room where the logic is setup and ready for recording. The microphone again should be placed slightly off the center of the amp so we don't get any noises we don't want.

Recording Guitars

For recording the guitars, it is our main objective to get both guitars recorded in this session. This will take up the whole session because we want to make sure that the result sounds the way we want. Additionally, its important for, Kyran and Fin to set up the guitar recording equipment. The guitar set-up would take ideally no more than 7 minutes, so no time is wasted and we can get onto the actual recording. We would start with Kyran's rhythm guitar. Kyran's capable of plugging in his guitar and will not need guidance, this will not take him long to set up along with checking he is tuned and ready to go.

The dynamic microphone SM57 would be best to use for the recording because It has an extremely effective cardioid pickup pattern which isolates the main sound source while minimizing background noise. The mic will be facing the slightly off-center of the amplifier This should be placed into a stand. Once this is connected to input two of the loom and can be heard through the logic project then it's time to start sound-checking. After the set-up has finished, we will do a test run to see if we can hear the guitar coming through the monitor. We want to record two tracks of Kyran's guitar so then we can phase it both to the left and then one to the right so then we have a fuller-sounding guitar part- this is technically one of the production techniques we have used when recording the song. This does mean that the two guitar tracks need to be practically identical to do this method so this could take a few attempts to get right.

If there is a problem and we can not hear the guitar, one of us will tell Kyran to check if is lead is plugged in right. Kyran is confident with the song and the way around the structure, along with the drums and bass already on the track. We will let him listen to the track all the way through so that he can familiarise himself and then we will be ready to record. Like all the other instruments and vocals, there may be mistakes, so it's important to add time to go over anything that we are not happy with.

Timeline Session 3

Once we have started recording, we will let Izzy listen to the track with all instrumentation components, as well as for a soundcheck to hear the vocals come through Logic. We will need to make sure a consistent wave is coming through and making sure the sound is right. This will take a couple of takes and checking with Izzy that it all sounds right through Logic.

The final objective will be to pack everything down and save our work onto a memory stick and on one drive. Making sure all the mics go back in their boxes and returned to the office. All sessions will hopefully go as planned as we are all keen and confident with the original choice.

For this session, this should be our last session with recordings, then after we have achieved all components we can then begin mixing and editing the sound. The main focus and objective within this session would be achieving vocals and then if we have time begin the mixing process. The vocals will be straightforward to set up and straightforward to record.

The setup for this session is the same as the last two, before we start anything we need to retrieve all the equipment that we need for vocals. This will take about 10 minutes to get the microphone set up and ready to record. For the vocals microphone we will want to use a large diaphragm condenser mic for example the AKG 414 or the Neumann 67, which is more used for picking up the whole different range of pitches we may use for this song. This needs the pop cover in front of it so we can gain that even better sound quality. This mic can be plugged into the loom using an XLR cable and also put on a stand ready to be used for recording the final stage of the recording session.

Additional information

Some additional information to draw upon would be the major issues that could come up. I have named some of some, but to go into more detail.

An issue to address would be faults in setting up the equipment. This can include no sound coming through on Logic Pro, this problem will need to be checked quickly. We would check that everything is connected correctly through the leads and that they are plugged into the right input. Additionally, make sure our instruments are on. If we are still struggling to find the problem we would ask for help, as we are all still learning our way around the setup. I have put a rough guide to how long each setup will take, this will differ if there are problems.
Communication between the logic pro room and recording room is vital- it requires the person in the room ready to record to wear headphones so they can listen to what the music producer is asking of them, sometimes technical problems can happen with this as twice previously before when in the studios. This is necessary to just make communication more swift and so someone doesn't have to keep going in and out of the room. To fix this issue so it doesn't happen, ask for help from a specialist who can check all the inputs for the headphones are correct and the control buttons are set correctly like making sure it's on and the right lights and buttons are clicked. We do have the basic skills to control the recording studio and after some practice, we should know this information.

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