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Studio Days

  • geek
  • technology
By michael lee ⋅ July 17, 2008 ⋅ Post a comment

Chris had a few days free at Eldorado, so he called me to come hang out and track weird, bizarre, science-experiment like music, as an excuse to try out playing and mic’ing techniques that we would never, ever suggest in front of actual clients.

Like what, you might ask? We wanted the sound of a pencil scratch while writing on paper, so we auditioned two different vintage mics, an API vs. a Neve preamp, used a $12,000 Fairchild compressor, and did an A/B test between a full-sized pad and a little 1/4 sized pad with only 10 sheets of paper on it.

If anyone wants to know the ideal way to capture the sound of a pencil writing on paper, I know of two very geeky experts in Burbank that you can call.

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Discussion

22 comments for “Studio Days”

  1. A. How did my guitar sound?
    B. Am I ever getting it back?
    C. What kind of pencil did you use?

  2. Zack, I’ll take a stab at answering your questions:

    A. Like wind from the nostrils of Zues, himself.
    B. Foolish, foolish Zack.
    C. A brand new design made from borrowed guitars.

  3. A. We didn’t end up using it - the whole track ended up being swampy and verby, and the acoustic guitar took it too far outside of the vibe.

    B. No.

    C. Dixon-Ticonderoga #2. We also tried a paper-mate, but it didn’t have the right amount of grit in the sound.

  4. what “lead” you guys to perform such an experiment…?

  5. The Dixon-Ticonderoga #2 is a stellar choice, Mike. Nice job. Decisions like this are why you obviously make the big bucks.

    PS - I am like a ninja. Unreturned guitars will summon my most powerful ninja moves. I’ll creep in to your house, like fog in the night. You’ll wake up, guitar-less, and without pants. Your pets will be stoned, and your kids will have new drum sets. Your wife will feel strangely satisfied and content, but without explanation. The only other evidence of my presence will be the faint odor of Marlboro Lights, and an empty guitar stand. Beware, my friend.

    PPS - I suppose I could swing by your house this afternoon and just pick it up.

    PPPS - Ninjas, Mike. Ninjas….

  6. The guitar is being guarded by a cadre of pirates. Your ninja skills are thwarted.

  7. Roll 3d6 for a saving throw against swashbuckling.

  8. Where’s the link? I wanna hear it.

  9. Pirates? Sheesh…. Bring it.

  10. Unmixed, and unready.

  11. I’m sure they need to sharpen up a couple of things first. Write, Mike?

  12. Oh snap!

  13. AWESOME

  14. I’ll call Chris, tell him to get the lead out and hurry up the mixes.

  15. I’m sure he’s not too busy to pencil you in. I mean the tracks are done. It’s not like they’re rough sketches or anything…

  16. Number 1, I can’t wait to hear it.

    *Number 2*, I’ll check every day ’til it’s posted.

  17. wood you guys stop with the awful puns…

  18. don’t worry, this cant run on forever.

  19. was that from the “blue book” of jokes and puns?

  20. Mike can just erase comments he doesn’t like.

  21. Well, I heard the unmixed results of Mike’s experiment. Very very cool. It’s got a dark and powerful Marc Cohn kinda vibe to it.

    And I got my guitar back, so I sent the ninja suit to the cleaners.

  22. Thanks Zack. And, thank you for the guitar.

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