So how does a major band today record with ProTools?

[alphajerk]

pick up fu manchu's double live album. not only is it LIVE, but is was recorded into PT at 24/96. it sounds AMAZING, especially for that heavy rock and competes with anything analog they have done in the past, and IMO sounds better.

 

i dont know if its your style, but its all digital and killer sounding.

 

another is Clutch 'Jam Room' that i really like, all digital all the way through. so is robot hive/exodus [KILLER album], though that might of been mixed analog, i know it was recorded to PT. i like its sound better than their newest release done all analog.

 

 

sounds to me like you had mix issues and mastering issues and a total difference of opinion... and not all major label releases sound that great. i recently remastered Janes Addictions ritual album because it sounded like ASS originally. i boosted up the bottom a bit and tamed the overbearing highs... sounded like they were all coked/smacked out mixing that thing. now it sounds WAY better and totally listenable for me.

[Phil O'Keefe]

So do you have examples of albums recorded entirely in Pro Tools? I want to hear some examples.

 

Here's one I did - Recorded 100% with Pro Tools, but mixed hybrid PT / Yamaha digital board.

 

www.julieday.org

 

http://www.myspace.com/juliedaymusic

[Lucky #9]

I go into the computer, and then back out on to 1/4" tape (two tracks), and then back into the computer... And if I really need it, out with the stereo master into the tape and back to the computer again (or skip the first step and just do this at the end). I'm definitely not a major band though. No examples presently available for how it sounds though.

 

Nick:

 

I'm interested in what results you get. While I don't see having access to a 2" machine in the near (or distant!) future, I do have a 1/4" Teac 4000D reel-to-reel that's in good shape, although I've never used it in my home-based setup for recording.

 

I was thinking of using it for the tape saturation while recording miced guitars off an amp, thinking that it would thicken up the sound nicely , but haven't got around to doing it yet.

 

Let us know a bit more about the results you get from using the 1/4" tape.

I know I'm interested.

[bubbleboyjones]

Here's one I did - Recorded 100% with Pro Tools, but mixed hybrid PT / Yamaha digital board. www.julieday.org http://www.myspace.com/juliedaymusic

 

Nice

[bubbleboyjones]

As far as your recording goes, I gave it a listen on my el cheapo computer speakers (I couldn't see any place to download it so I could take it to the studio and listen on really good speakers). I thought the song and performances sounded pretty good. Now with the caveat that I don't like to be critical of other engineer's work (if I wasn't there to see and hear what they had to deal with / work with, it's not completely fair of me to do so - no offense to you, but for all I know, they might have worked absolute MIRACLES with what they were given to work with - and without having been there, I have no way of knowing what the quality and sound of the instruments and performances were like before they started working on it, what the time and budget limitations were, etc. etc.), and again, considering I am listening on a pair of $15 computer speakers, I thought it might be a bit top (high frequency) heavy, and a bit bass-shy. Even taking the cheap speakers into account, I thought that maybe the drums and bass could have been brought up a bit in the mix, and a little more of the lower frequencies of those instruments brought out in order to fill out the sound and provide a bit more foundation and support to the mix. I also thought the 'verb treatment might have been a bit heavy on the drums; remember, heavy reverb makes things appear to be placed "back" further in the mix and makes them sound "further away" from the listener. But overall, I didn't think it was horrible or anything like that.

 

 

There is an option to download the song now on there...its encoded at a 262 k VBR

 

 

Since you already listened to the track I was wondering if I could get an opinion about the actual song itself. So far 2 out of the 7 reviews said there needs to be vocals over the instrumental power chord chorus at 50 sec mark(it repeats a few times throughout the song) ..... In your opinion do you see that as a major problem?

 

http://www.garageband.com/artist/fatherramfacade/songs

 

Review Nice mix, clear and well balanced. Vocalist a bit shakey, and I'm not crazy about the sound of his voice, but music is very tight. Great tune, great dynamics, tight musicianship, but the vocals need some attention. - simiasescape from Middletown, Rhode Island on 1Jul2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1979 The bass-guitar brings back the sound of Brixton 1979. Nice acoustic guitar in the background. Apocaliptical Peter Gabriel voice. - AnthonysAttic from Hamburg, Germany on 1Jul2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- if two dozen pigeons all sneezed at once... The song starts off with a kind of laid back ska feel, the vocals suprised me a little bit because of their sharpness and nasaly sound. I don't like the instrumental chorus it isn't strong enough to stand on it's own without any vocals. I would throw in a good hook there but that's just a suggestion. The song isn't too original it just kind of does its thing and then dissolves. Nothing here provokes much thought, but the energy is decent. Good luck in the future, - SolePrisme from Boston, Massachusetts on 30Jun2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Powerful This song is a great song. The start is a bit slow but at the end the mood rages out. (By Vloss of ZanGeist) - ZanGeist from Hinesville, Georgia on 29Jun2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- good but needs a hook Vocals are somewhat like Ozzy... cool. I like the light acoustic laced in there-- adds a nice touch. There doesn't seem to be much of a hook, though. Add a few catchy lines, a chorus, to grab the listener's attention. When you play the main riff power chords, add vocals over that! The mix is great. - cattlehead from Scott, Louisiana on 28Jun2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- awesome Nice big 80s stadium sound on the drums. Straight up rockin! Singer sounds a bit like Jane's Addiction. I like the incorporation of the acoustic. Song is a little on the longish side, but i didn't get bored - awesome stuff and great guitar riffage. Is that a tele? - RadiocureA from Boston, Massachusetts on 19Jun2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Throw Down Street Nice querky bass and solid drum intro lead to bif sounding indie rock song. vocal is okay but not outstanding. Has character but misplaced in the song somehow. The lead rythmn guitar are well played and support the song well. Performance is pretty good and the production too. The song is fairly engaging and theres a nice hook in there starting at 2:05 which is my favourite part of the song. - toykult from Montreal - London, Canada on 19Jun2007

[Phil O'Keefe]

Nice

 

Thank you. She's got a lot of talent IMO - especially in that genre, and at her age.

[Phil O'Keefe]

There is an option to download the song now on there...its encoded at a 262 k VBR Since you already listened to the track I was wondering if I could get an opinion about the actual song itself. So far 2 out of the 7 reviews said there needs to be vocals over the instrumental power chord chorus at 50 sec mark(it repeats a few times throughout the song) ..... In your opinion do you see that as a major problem? http://www.garageband.com/artist/fatherramfacade/songs

 

I just D/L it, and I'll take it into the studio tonight and give it a listen, and will get back to you tomorrow regarding my thoughts / suggestions.

[bubbleboyjones]

Thank you. She's got a lot of talent IMO - especially in that genre, and at her age.

 

 

 

Yeah she seems very mature...excellent vocals

[bubbleboyjones]

I just D/L it, and I'll take it into the studio tonight and give it a listen, and will get back to you tomorrow regarding my thoughts / suggestions.

 

 

 

Ok cool. Thanks man.

[gregovertone]

Here's one I did - Recorded 100% with Pro Tools, but mixed hybrid PT / Yamaha digital board. www.julieday.org http://www.myspace.com/juliedaymusic

 

what type of yamaha board???

 

 

great thread

[blue2blue]

Biggest issues I have with your recording is the combination of a lot of 'verb on the drums combined with a drum miking and mixing that makes them already sound a bit distant. I'm not one much for dry kick / wet snare but that amount of 'verb on the kick makes for a pretty distant feel.

 

The other issue I have is overall brightness... back in the day we struggled to get tape bright enough... now it seems like a lot of people have to struggle with being too bright when they work straight to digital. You can't approach digital tracking like you do with tape -- by a million miles. I could also stand a bit more spread out bump/warmth from the bass. The kick is pretty naked and I feel like the bass is more a cloud... I wonder if besides a different EQ scheme some artful attack and release on a compressor might give the bass a little more rhythmic drive. Maybe it just needs to be a wee bit louder.

 

In fact, on a second listen the brightness overall and the grindy/grit of the guitars really is problematic for me.

 

It'd be best to fix those issue in the mix but an artful ME could probably warm the bottom while taming the mid/highs.

 

Anyhow, I certainly think it's overall a perfectly acceptable recording that hopefully captures your band's feel. But I think I wouldn't use that ME again, myself.

[bubbleboyjones]

 

Biggest issues I have with your recording is the combination of a lot of 'verb on the drums combined with a drum miking and mixing that makes them already sound a bit distant. I'm not one much for dry kick / wet snare but that amount of 'verb on the kick makes for a pretty distant feel.

 

 

 

That seems to be almost a universal opinion so far. I think person said they liked the old school burying the track we reverb lol

 

 

 

The other issue I have is overall brightness... back in the day we struggled to get tape bright enough... now it seems like a lot of people have to struggle with being too bright when they work straight to digital. You can't approach digital tracking like you do with tape -- by a million miles. I could also stand a bit more spread out bump/warmth from the bass. The kick is pretty naked and I feel like the bass is more a cloud... I wonder if besides a different EQ scheme some artful attack and release on a compressor might give the bass a little more rhythmic drive. Maybe it just needs to be a wee bit louder.

 

 

Yeah I 100% agree. The low end there seems to be a problem.

 

The place we recorded it at was pretty low budget studio ran by 25 yo guys just starting out in recording. When we originally got the mix they said they would do the mastering themselves(I'm sure some plug in on the Mac) and the song sounded flat. So we took the mix to an actual mastering facility and they manage to get some life into the song....though after listening to it a while it is bright.