The Crush

Ok. So what do we use and how do we use it?

Let me firstly describe our acutal recording process. In it’s simpliest form we do it like this:

1. The band plays the whole song together and that is recorded on to a stereo track using a  Boss BR-600

2. Jamie then lays down the drum track on to a new stereo track on the Br-600 whilst listening to the original recording through headphones. As many takes are made as is required.

3. Pete then lays down the bass part on to a mono track whilst listening to Jamie’s new drum track through headphones. As many takes are made as is required.

4. Rich then lays down the guitar part to a mono track whilst listening to the drums and bass parts through headphones. As many takes are made as is required.

5. At this point the vocal parts are recorded on to mono tracks. The original recording in step 1 would have been made using a Shure PG-58 for Vox (both Rich and Pete use the PG-58s live). This is swapped for a Behringer C-1 Condenser microphone which is run to the BR-600 via an ART Pro Audio Tube MP preamp (which has been retro-fitted with a Electro-Harmonix 12ax7 tube).

6. The song is then played back using the ‘takes’ that each of us were happy with. Any errors/corrections are then made prior to the final mixing and mastering.

All the above would normally happen in our rehearsal studios. The priority is to get a good take of the drums and vocals. The BR-600 is ultra-portable so bass and guitar parts can be recorded away from the studio, but it’s useful to get guide tracks down for those parts at the very least.

In part three, we’ll look at the kit we use in a little more detail. Keep an eye out for it.

This is where the fun begins.

The Boss BR-600 - A stunning bit of kit

I got a Boss BR-600 in May/June of 2010 as I had loads of ideas for songs but no real way of getting them recorded. I didn’t know whether to go for the BR-600 or the BR-900 but after a good chat with the ultra helpful (and very knowledgeable) chaps at Nevada Music I settled on the 600. After getting it home and having a play around it quickly became obvious that this was a seriously powerful piece of kit.

I’ll be the first to admit that I had to get my head around V-Tracks. The number of COSM effects is amazing as it their quality. The built in drum machine is as versatile as it is realistic and the whole recording process is, after a little practice, a joy.

My one and only criticism is that of the eight tracks, four are stereo i.e. two pairs. Not the end of the world, just a little limiting.

There are two built in mics on the BR-600. Frankly, they are amazing. I recall when I first recorded the band and played the track back through the P.A. We were all blown away by the frequency range that those tiny little mics could pick up.

All the demo tracks that have been/will be posted on the website will have had their drum tracks recorded using the built-in microphone on the BR-600. For anyone who’s interested, when recording, the BR-600 is located about two feet away from the front of the drums and circa two feet off the ground. It’s placed slightly off centre towards the floor toms.

As mentioned in Part Two, We’ll record an entire song played as a band on to a stereo channel. This gives us a live reference for recording each individual part later on.

The drum track is the first to be recorded. Jamie will don the headphones and play along to the reference track. This new drum track forms the back-bone of all the other tracks for that particular song and is recorded on to another stereo track.

After the drum tracks have been recorded and everyone is happy with them, the bass guitar is recorded on to a mono track. The bass guitar is connected directly to the BR-600 and the appropriate COSM setting it selected. Pete likes to have the new drum track at the front of the mix with a hint of the original recording behind for reference.

The same process is repeated for guitar.

Behringer C-1

Next comes the recording of the vocals. Some songs will only have a lead vocal where-as others will have backing vocals. The recording process is the same for both.

Using a Behringer C-1 Condenser microphone connected to a ART Pro Audio Tube MP microphone preamp (which has been retro-fitted with an Electro-Harmonix 12AX7, the lead vocals are recorded with zero F/X to avoid colouration. This helps enormously during the mixing and mastering stages. A pop shield is placed in front of the mix to avoid unwanted bangs and whistles.

The Behringer C-1 is a pretty cheap bit of kit. You wouldn’t know it though judging by the results that we’re hearing from it. Originally I used my mixing desk’s phantom power to run the mic (it need +48v phantom power to operate at it’s full potential) but I was advised that it’s a good idea to use a dedicated microphone preamp.

After some lengthy research I settled on the ART Pro Audio Tube MP to power the C-1.

ART Pro Audio Tube MP Preamp

This little beauty adds another level of clarity and warmth to the already great sounding C-1.

Part of this warmth is due to the replacement tube. I knew that the ART Tube MP would sound pretty good out of the box but it was obvious that the tube it was supplied with probably wouldn’t be the best. More research suggested swapping it out for a Mullens, JJ or EH would yield great results. I plumbed for the Electro-Harmonix 12AX7. If it didn’t sound as good as the original valve then I’d only be down a few quid and I’d probably give the JJ a whirl. As it was, the EH blew the ART supplied tube out of the water.

Electro-Harmonix 12aAX7

The ART Tube MP takes a little getting used to. It’s controls are basic but the results are stunning. Comparing a vocal take that’s been recorded with the Tube MP and one that hasn’t i.e. just using the preamp/phantom power from my mixing desk is like listening to a song being played with the speakers wrapped in cotton wool and then that wool being removed to reveal a very expensive Bang and Olufsen. The contrast is that significant.

The ART supplied tube was OK, don’t get me wrong, but I really do think that for a few extra quid, ART could have fitted a better tube. Also, and this is my only other gripe about the Tube MP, why didn’t they fit an on/off switch?

Despite the above niggles, if it broke tomorrow, I’d buy another one in a heartbeat. If anyone reading this has valve powered home stereos or studio kit for that matter, are you still using the tubes that were supplied with that kit? Is it time for a change? Tube changes are easy but always do a bit of research first.

Ok. All the tracks have been recorded. Everyone is happy with their individual contributions to the song. A very rough mix will be played through the PA at the rehearsal studio. On the whole, it all sounds great. All the tracks fit together nicely. The beginning is tight, the middle is great and the end leaves a lasting impression. There is, however, a significant amount of work to do before that song can be unleashed on the world.

To do the job properly you have to use dedicated monitor speakers. I wasted quite a few hours work before admitting to myself that I’d overlooked this vital bit of kit.

Again, more research. I didn’t know where to start looking. I must have spent a good couple of hours reading reviews and comments for the plethora of monitor speakers out there. You can spend a few tens of pounds or a few thousand!

I settled on the Cakewalk (By Roland) MA-7a desktop monitor speakers. I picked them up from Nevada Music, got them home, unboxed them, plugged in the BR-600, played back a rough mix of REM’s ‘The One I Love’ that we’d recorded a few days previsouly and my jaw dropped! The difference was incredible.

By using dedicated monitor speakers I have found that I can get a significantly better mix of all the tracks.

Mastering is also a real pleasure once you’re using good quality speakers. You know what you’re hearing is going to sound good pretty much where-ever it’s reproduced be it in the car, shower, kitchen, supermarket, where-ever.

During mastering, the Boss BR-600′s internal Mastering Tools come in to their own. Without them, I would have had to spend hundreds of pounds on either software tools or external hardware processors to achieve what’s in the BR-600. How do Boss do it for the money?

Once I have the final master, it’s transfered over to my PC and published to the world. Note, at no point do I use a PC/MAC for recording. Everything you’ll hear on this site has been produced on the BR-600.

The Boss BR-600 has 8 tracks each with 8 V-Tracks. That a total of 64 tracks! This gives plenty of scope for doing clever things with bouncing to make guitars, bass and vocals sound ‘bigger’ and ‘wider’. I think that’s another blog posting on it’s own though.

Thanks for reading.