A video journal of the making of my record!

[James Lugo]

Watched the last couple of vids, very cool to see the layers and hear them both solo'd and in context.

I'm glad you dig it.

 

[IHateRap]

Love these videos. I think they are great examples of starting with good, solid, simple song ideas and then building them up with creative, well placed layers. The songs become much more than its individual tracks.

 

[skoora]

This is turning out awesome Mr. James!!!!!!

Thanks Jerry.

Here's a video from tracking harmonies, second video is uploading, will post later:

What amp or amps were used in that song especially for the hard riffing pre-chorus? After a few listens the "pretty" chorus definitely grows on you. The harmonies really do cement it nicely. I know this is a guitar players forum so I'm biased but the C section or Bridge as I heard you call it where there's no harmonies and just you going for it on the lead V seems like it needs a lead line or higher voiced guitar part that moves around a little underneath. It's really coming together pretty sweet though. Maybe you should just go full on Bowie and make a record that goes from piano songs to hard rockers and in-between. Could this era of listeners handle it?

Oh God, I'm such an armchair producer

That song in video 7 at 11:30 or so is very nice power pop tune. I could hear that on the radio in a second. You get a little Myles Kennedy sounding but not nearly as nasally/pinched as he gets. Maybe you should have the Slash gig instead

 

[James Lugo]

I sang a few quick harmonies yesterday and start mixing tonight. Set up a mastering date with Stephan Marsh for Monday the 28th.
http://www.stephenmarshmastering.com

 

[tonmazz]

Good luck with the project James. I still listen to the version of Around the World you put out. Killer guitar and vocals. Look forward to the final product.

 

[gbsmusic]

Great stuff! Cant wait for the finished product!

 

[James Lugo]

Day 1 of mixing.

Audio clip, unmastered:

 

[James Lugo]

Here's an update of changes:
Mix 1.14.1 - Don't Leave A Light On

 

[Jimmie]

Here's an update of changes:
Mix 1.14.1 - Don't Leave A Light On

James, Bravo! Congratulations. It sounds amazing

Jimmie

 

[James Lugo]

Here's an update of changes:
Mix 1.14.1 - Don't Leave A Light On

James, Bravo! Congratulations. It sounds amazing

Jimmie

Thanks man.

Here's a new bounce, turned up the bass slightly, backed off the top end slightly on the heavy guitars in pre chorus, turn vocals down in verse and reworked the vocal/harmony blend in hook. We also ran this one down to 15ips with 456 on out Studer and just threw an L3 on after the bounce to get it louder. No mastered:

 

[Jimmie]

Here's an update of changes:
Mix 1.14.1 - Don't Leave A Light On

James, Bravo! Congratulations. It sounds amazing

Jimmie

Thanks man.

Here's a new bounce, turned up the bass slightly, backed off the top end slightly on the heavy guitars in pre chorus, turn vocals down in verse and reworked the vocal/harmony blend in hook. We also ran this one down to 15ips with 456 on out Studer and just threw an L3 on after the bounce to get it louder. No mastered:

When you were A/B-ing the mics and Pre, you initially thought the 1073 was working better with the U87, then somehow you went over to the API? I don't know if you caught any of the other recent threads I've been discussing the U87 in, but damn you make it hard not to gas over a vintage Neumann...

Also, have you had the chance to check out the new NEVE 1073LB? Vintage King is three weeks out before the next batch come in...

 

[James Lugo]

Here's an update of changes:
Mix 1.14.1 - Don't Leave A Light On

James, Bravo! Congratulations. It sounds amazing

Jimmie

Thanks man.

Here's a new bounce, turned up the bass slightly, backed off the top end slightly on the heavy guitars in pre chorus, turn vocals down in verse and reworked the vocal/harmony blend in hook. We also ran this one down to 15ips with 456 on out Studer and just threw an L3 on after the bounce to get it louder. No mastered:

When you were A/B-ing the mics and Pre, you initially thought the 1073 was working better with the U87, then somehow you went over to the API? I don't know if you caught any of the other recent threads I've been discussing the U87 in, but damn you make it hard not to gas over a vintage Neumann...

Also, have you had the chance to check out the new NEVE 1073LB? Vintage King is three weeks out before the next batch come in...

Good eye! Yeah the 1073 was the ticket till we added the tape machine then the 1073 and the Studer together were a little to warm. The API and the Studer were the perfect balance. The vintage API312 is a little stealthier then the Neve and really made the vocal pop with tape.

 

[James Lugo]

Here is the video from the past few days of keyboards, running things to tape and mixing

 

[luxxtone]

It's coming out awesome James! Can't wait to a buy a SIGNED copy!

 

[James Lugo]

It's coming out awesome James! Can't wait to a buy a SIGNED copy!

You get 2 copies!

 

[James Lugo]

Here's a bass up at 15ips, 'Don't Leave A Light ON':

Here's a rough of 'Rely On' @ 15ips, still needs work:

 

[Jimmie]

Here's a bass up at 15ips, 'Don't Leave A Light ON':

Here's a rough of 'Rely On' @ 15ips, still needs work:

Intro on "Don't" has an older "Billy Howerdel" vibe to it, which I happen to like a lot. Harmony mix stands out better as well in my opinion.

Do you hear a more compressed sound coming out of the 15 ips vs the 30 ips? Is that your goal for recording tape slower? The reason I ask? Wouldn't the Mastering session give more variable in accomplishing that affect over sending it out pre-compressed at 15 ips?

Sorry, am just trying to learn the tricks of the trade..or at least gleen the rational behind the choices you're making.


Thanks

 

[skoora]

If I remember correctly, running at 30 ips gives you a lower noise floor but it also shifts upward the bass frequency at which you get a natural bump from tape. Some people prefer where the bump is at running 15ips.

 

[Jimmie]

If I remember correctly, running at 30 ips gives you a lower noise floor but it also shifts upward the bass frequency at which you get a natural bump from tape. Some people prefer where the bump is at running 15ips.

Thanks, is it the freq response that changes? Its been forever since I learned this stuff (back in the 70's on a two track deck) and sadly have forgotten it all, now am intrigued by it again. In my Career, I switched over to recording digital audio in the late 80's, layering sound on 68705P3 Motorola EPROMS.

 

[James Lugo]

15ips is bassier with more low end and a little more hiss, 30ips is a little more hi fi and brighter. For most things 15ips sounds sweeter and more rockin to my ears. For solo instruments it's good sometimes to use 30 for less hiss, like acoustic guitar or piano if they are featured solo with a vocal in a track. Drums usually sound sweeter at 15 to me. On this record everything was 15 except lead vocals and piano. My voice was to fat and weighty at 15. We are using Quantegy 456 with a Studer A800 MKI w/transformers (16 track 2")...Yummy!