Project 5 Task 5

Studio Production - Recording Live Sound

Project 5 Task 5 Recording Live Sound - Assignment Brief

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Project 5, Task 5: You will learn to use the recording studios and studio equipment. You will then need to plan the recording of one of your original songs you have developed in your band. Individually design a series of sessions for recording this song, including: -

Objective(s) and a timeline for the session with job roles assigned to people in your group.
A list of recording equipment required for the session with an evaluation / justification.
Include in your recording plan a risk assessment, identifying potential issues you might run into and how to minimise the chance of them happening.
Record one of your original songs in the recording studio, demonstrating and documenting on your blog the recording and studio production skills and knowledge you employed.

Deadline: Friday 7th Feb 2025 (Week 19)

Evidence required: Evidence of understanding and application of recording techniques. Recording plan and all the processes leading to and including the recording of your track added to blog on website, Project 5 Production and Performance Blog. Unit 5 LO2.1, LO2.2

Project 5, Task 6: You will then edit and mix your final track using a range of post-production music software techniques on Logic. You will document this process in your blog, demonstrating the function and effect of key editing and mixing processes.

Deadline: Friday 28th February 2025 (Week 21)

Evidence required: Screenshots and MP3 /Wav Audio of track documenting the creation, editing and mixing of the track added to Project 5 Production and Performance Blog

Unit 5 LO2.2

Use links below for Task 6 - Digital Production Techniques

Levelling and Panning

EQ Techniques

Task 5 - Studio Recording Techniques

Studio Hardware - Microphones and Microphone Recording Techniques

Task 1: In your research blog, present your own research into the different types of microphones used in recording live music in a studio recording. Include photos of different dynamic and condenser mics, microphone polar patterns, examples of setting up microphones correctly in the recording studio, etc..

Useful Resources

The following playlist of YouTube Tutorial Videos will help you understand and guide you through the following:

Task 1: Preparing for a Recording Session

With your band, create a documentary style video to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of studio recording and production techniques, including knowledge of the different types of microphones and their uses in live recording

1) Before you enter the studio assign roles for setting up and recording (live room and control room)

2) Set up for a live band recording in a recording studio (using instrumental and vocal mics, interfacing with Logic You must demonstrate a clear awareness of: -

Mic placement, signal flow and effective use of logic in the recording process.
Health and Safety considerations
excellent communication between between live room / control room

What some audio Stems to practice audio editing and mixing? Go to this site and scroll down, you can download audio for projects.

During Editing / Mixing Sessions we will work from the same demo project. Download it here: Mixing Demo Projects

Setting Logic Up for Recording

This article shows you how to set Logic Pro up for recording. There are some more advance things to be aware of such as buffer sizes, sample rate, bit depth, nominal recording volumes etc.

Signal Path

Signal path for inputs and monitoring.

Stereo Acoustic Mic’ing and phasing issues.

Tracking Tips & Techniques

Gain Staging

Comping with Take Folders

Naming and Organising

Cycle Recording

Recording Guitars

Basic Guitar Amp Recording

Short Article about guitar recording.

Long Article about guitar recording.

TASKS: Look at the diagram from the Shure recording guide. I would like you to set this up in the studios using the instructions below:

Get a guitarist to sit / stand in the Control room (room with the computer) and use a jack lead to connect their guitar to the rack where you put the Headphone cable last week.
Go into the Live Room (room with drums in) connect a 2nd jack lead from the wall (same socket as on the rack in the last instruction) to a guitar amp.
Get the guitarist to play in the Control Room and you should have routed their sound through the wall to the amplifier and hear sound - now use the amp settings to get a nice sound.
Place a SM57 dynamic mic on the edge of the speaker cone about 2cm away from the grill / amp cloth (never touching).
Place a large diaphragm condenser mic such as one of the Rodes or Audio Technica's in a Shockmount pointing at the amp speaker but half a meter back as these mics are very sensitive.
Route these 2 mics back to Logic using XLR cables and ensure you have sound (remember you need to connect the rack, ensure on the virtual desk those tracks are on 'mic' input and the condenser has +48v turned on!
Add a drummer track and start recording guitar - try different pickups, different amp tones (clean / dirty)
Once you have some electric guitars recorded listen back to the 2 mics separately. The SM57 should sound gritty and harsher. The Condenser smoother and fuller. When recording guitars like this it gives you the options to use one sound, or the other sound, or a combination of both sounds!

DI Electric Guitar / Bass Guitar Recording

Bass guitars can be DI'd straight into the Interface with a Jack lead, but it is better to use an external DI box in between. DI boxes need power from either a battery or phantom power from the desk / interface.

For decades electric guitars have always sounded better micing an amp than DI'd. However modern guitar amp modelling systems have changed that. Alot of guitarists today use systems such as this Kemper Profiling system

or this Axe FX system from Fractal Audio.

Some have even done away with hardware and use software emulation of real amps.

What do you think the pros and cons are of mic'ing a real amp vs. these modelling systems? Compare and Contrast!

If you wanted to try this out at college we have some Helix Stop pedals which will give you the idea.

Check this video for Top Tips, (Example of the Axe FX Modelling System) and advanced - QUAD TRACKING!

Recording Drums

Gylnn John's Method

We are going to look at drum micing this week, including the Glyn John’s method. Check out the following article about this technique:

https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/want-a-big-guitar-sound-try-the-glyn-johns-technique

Here is a longer read about general drum micing. https://www.musicradar.com/tuition/drums/13-correct-ways-to-mic-up-a-drum-kit-209119

Here is a really long read about drum mic’ing: https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/recording-drums

A + B are a pair of large diaphragm condensers. The should be equal distance from the snare.

For C use a normal kick drum mic for now.

Close Mic'ing Method

I want you to mic the following:

Overheads: pair of large diaphragm condensers – pan these hard left and right.
Bass drum – use special kick drum mic (egg shape)
Snare: SM57
Toms: clip on dynamics.
Optional – long shotgun mic for high-hat.

Discuss the Pros and Cons of Glyn Johns Vs. a Close Mic'd kit.

Recording Vocals

Vocals

Please watch these videos about vocal recording. We will go through the first video in the session however you should check the others out for homework.

Part 2

Part 3

Proximity Effect