Jean-Paul De Roover
So it’s been a long time since I updated the recording blog…I personally blame the fact that I no longer have access to high speed internet, as well as the fact that I was supremely swamped while working on my MA thesis.
Regardless, we’ve added tons of new things, and we’re even starting vocals today!
This is how excited myself and Chris Dorota (audio engineer mastermind) are right now.
More updates soon!
So after 7 days of working on both acoustic and electric guitars, they are all done! However…there is still one more thing that needs to be done with them: I need to royally abuse my old Fender, by laying it down on a baffle, attaching some mics to it, and slapping away like it was a hand drum. For those of you that haven’t seen me live, I used to beat that guitar into submission all the time, using it for ‘kickdrum’ sounds. I would also slap and tap the neck of the guitar to get percussive ‘handdrum’ sounds as well as a variety of other stuff. That’s all that needs to be done, BUT…I’m taking a short break from recording in order to focus on some other things:
the MA thesis is still being worked on. My transcribing machines finally arrived from the States the other day, so I’ve been diligently working my fingers every day, either by typing out hours of interviews, or laying down tracks for the album.
Secondly, I’m also working on another soundtrack. This short film is called ‘The Drink’ and has been put together by Apple Wagon Films. I also happened to be one of the 2 main actors, so it’s really neat to add atmospheric music that compliments the visual foreground.
After the 7th day in the studio, I’ve been able to finish a whole bunch of additional guitar layers.
My friend Curtis Jensen (of Apple Wagon Films) was there for a most of the evening, filming segments of the recording process to be used for the final DVD’s “making of” segment. We’re using performance content from the studio to make up a video for one of the songs, called How Come No Bones, which will feature a drum solo from Reggie Modin.
Also there tonight was Shannon Lepere, snapping some photos! [see left]
As the recording process continues, certain things are becoming more obvious as we move along. For example, some of the standout tracks are becoming clearer, but at the same time, I’m also feeling more confident about some of the other tracks that I thought might be cut out. The tracklisting includes 14 songs, with the idea that several of them could potentially be cut. The original list of 14 was already reduced from close to 20 tracks. This means: that the tracks that make the album will be quality! It’s all for you, the listener!
On day 5, I managed to get one of the 14 tracks completed in terms of electric guitars, and I’ve managed to get 2 sweet amps to use:
Marshall TSL-100
and
Fender Super Deluxe Reverb
I’ve also been using an Ibanez Tube Screamer to help create some fantastic tones that I can’t wait for you to hear. I’ve never used one before, but some magic is happening.
Tomorrow, more electric guitars!
Well, this is more of an attempt at recording…! Day 4 came and went without much advancement, however, Reggie left for London today, and I discovered that my Fender Stage amp, just won’t cut it for this album…So I’m going to borrow some gear from friends and see what I can come up with!
Sadly,…I don’t have much to say about today’s adventures in the studio, however, I managed to get a good 50% of all the acoustic guitar tracks I needed to have done. I was also fortunate to have my good friend Josh Hogan (pictured) come out and do a little bit of drumming for 2 tracks on the album as well. He currently plays in the band Norris, which really showcases the unreal talent he possesses as a drummer (his work in Norris is far more technical than ANYthing on the upcoming CD. Meh, both projects have their own merits).
Tomorrow, I’ll spend several hours working on electric guitar sounds to see what will work for the different tracks on the album. ‘Til then!
