Tracks of My Peers
I've had the pleasure of working on Tim Carroll's next record these past few months...we just kind of work on it when the mood strikes us, no deadline since his latest record, "The Devil Is A Busy Man" is just out (and getting great reviews). These songs started as demos on a Roland VS1680, got transfered to my computer the old fashioned way - via Hosa RCA to 1/4 8-channel snake - and loaded into Steinberg's Cubase 4.
We've replaced or augmented most of the drum machine tracks with Marco Giovino's stellar drums. Turns out my living room sounds great with a drum kit in it...and Marco behind that kit.
These songs are a bit of a departure, somewhat mid-wifed by the technology that recorded them. When you are as prolific as Tim, getting down the initial inspiration is vital...if not captured, it might get pushed out of the way - and forgotten -by the next song coming through the funnel. We are both really liking what is happening and are getting near the end of the mixing process.
Next up is Cole Slivka's record, tracked on Pro Tools a couple years ago and just now seeing the light of day. We may overdub, re-record or just mix what's on there...can't wait to get into that once Tim's record is finished. Cole and her husband Paul have the 8-track version of the Roland, the VS -880. I look forward to working with their tracks as I do with Tim's.
Marco and his wife, Kylie Harris, are editing her next record at the moment. They have a Cubase SX3 rig at their house, so MG can throw drums on anything I am working on at his place, if needed, and it will pop right into Cubase. Obviously, any of Kylie's demos can be passed around and parts can be added by any one at this point. I think recording equipment will be the one common thread between musicians in the near future.
If you're a drummer, you'll have your drum kit and percusssion trick bag....and a small DAW rig as a matter of course. I'll be able to hire you to play a live gig, record a tracking session at my place, or to throw some drums on one of my sessions at your place...all over the internet, if desired. No matter what instrument you play, you'll need a way to get your music recorded, especially if you are also a songwriter.
posted by Tom Spaulding at 11:07 PM
2 Comments:
How does ProTools compare to Cubase? I primarily use a Fostex 16 track digital HD recorder to record the tracks, then copy them to CD and import them into ProTools to mix. I'm wondering if Cubase might be easier.
I'm also getting ready to record some percussion in my living room. Rafael Vasquez (San Rafael Band) is bringing in a percussionist and will be doing some guitar overdubs. Should be interesting.
As long as you can save your Fostex recorded files as .wav or .aiff files on the CD, you can import them into either. I tend to use and request .wav files.
Cubase is what I learned to record on, DAW-wise, so I am more comfortable with it at the moment. I am learning Pro Tools and I think it's great, too. I like the look of Cubase. The routing in Cubase 4 has improved to where PT is not really the clear best choice for a mix. I have more VST plugins than RTAS, so I still favor Cubase. That may change...
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