Sunday, May 18, 2008

Week 9 Audio Arts - The Viscous Groove of Ska

30 Second Ska Groove by Jamie and Miles

A group of us spent 3 hours recording 4 different excerpts and this was the one I chose to mix. The mics are:
  • 2U87s in omni, spaced pair low over the kit
  • Beta52 inside kick 1 inch from beater area
  • Beta52 outside kick 30cm from resonant head
  • Sm57 on top snare angled inwards
  • Beta57 on bottom snare 2 inches from snare
  • Beta56 on hi-Tom
  • md421 on mid-tom
  • md421 on floor-tom
  • NT5 2 inches from top of hi-hats
  • c414 behind a baffle in the room
  • Avalon DI - Bass
  • md421 perpendicular to guitar amp
  • sm57 facing inwards - guitar amp
  • c414 facing at guitar amp
Mixing
Kick
  • Cut boxy lower mids, boosted bass, upper mid slap area
  • Positioned the kick higher than the bass
  • Gated for less mud
  • Compressed with long attack for slap
Snare
  • Cut boxy mid area
  • Boosted cutting treble
  • Gated for less mud
  • Compressed with moderate attack
Toms
  • Boosted higher frequency slap area
  • Cut excessive bass on some toms
  • Manually gated via editing
Overheads
  • Cut some bass, lower mids to decrease mud
  • Compressed slightly
Drum Bus
  • Compressed for pumping effect
Guitars
  • Blended together
  • Cut chirpy upper mids
  • Boosted treble, lower mids
Bass
  • Cut mids
  • Compressed with slow attack

Master Bus
  • Cut lower mids, compressed slightly
Snare seems to have just enough roominess while remaining clear in the busy fills. Guitars cut without harshness. Bass is rich. I think the kick sounds a little unnatural. Not quite gelling with the bass. Ride bell cuts.

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