ampage Tube Amps / Music Electronics	For current discussions, please visit Music Electronics Forum.

ampage archive

Vintage threads from the first ten years

Re: Warren you crazy cat!!!

:

3/10/1999 1:33 PM
Charlie Escher	Re: Warren you crazy cat!!! >> I recently learned something very important from a big producer. Everytime he mixed a tune he demanded the heads be cleaned after every pass of the tune! A heavy hitter I know demands that the heads be realigned every day or so...he gets great results though.

3/11/1999 3:31 AM

Hey Trace,

Cool web site. Couldn't get the real audio to play. I'm not sure whose side of the fence the problem was on so you may want to double check things.

We seem to be coming from a very similar place with our thought on EQ and compression, and of course our perverse love of stupid mic tricks. Whatever works, that what i say!

I just finished mastering my band's CD so we should have some audio samples up soon. I'll send you the url when we get the page up and running.

Keep those crazy ideas coming!

Warren

3/11/1999 7:54 AM

Warren;

We just finished a quick mastering as well. Mark Wilder at Sony is mastering the one for release. Want to swap CD's???
Our server was struck by lightning so it might have been on our side! (ha, ha) Try it again soon and I'll let our singer know in the mean time.
One of perverse tricks to get a wacky tone is to;

1.) Grab one of those large black 14" oil drain pans from Wal-Mart and place the tip into a mic-clip and mount it on a stand.
2.) But a SM57 up to the tip's opening (it fits wonderfully)
3.) Place the large area right over a 12" speaker (or 10" or whatever size)

Sit back and be amazed! It wacks the mids in a really cool phasey way. I like it on distorted tracks myself but it works on anything.
Try it on the little opening on the outter kick head...whooo mama!

Off to a session;
Trace

3/12/1999 2:58 AM

Oooh, an oil pan! Sounds great for recording those greasy slide tones!

Mechanical filters are extremely cool. Putting a 57 in a card board tube or plastic tubing can give you some of those wacked out phasey tones too. Listen to some stuff produced by Tchad Blake (Los Lobos, Latin Playboys, Suzanne Vega, Mitchell Froom...) to hear some of these kinda sounds.

I like to use empty 5 gallon Sparkletts bottle to get intresting resonant sounds:

Touching the head stock of the guitar to the bottle causes it to vibrate and amplify the guitar in a really cool way.
Try putting the mic inside or use a room mic in a really live bright room (like a bathroom). This can be cool to add a zingy resonance to a track.

Let's definatly swap CD's. Gimme an email and we'll work out the details...

Warren

3/15/1999 8:03 PM

Warren;

Try a Shure Green Bullet Mic on a cabinet for a cool "Lo-Fi" tone. I just recorded a drum kit with one laying near the high hat stand and two open tom mics (57's) WOW what a weird tone!!!!
I also recorded the same drum kit with the over heads open and the Bullet....really cool stuff and it's killer to make samples to loop.
It also work on slide guitar. Use an acoustic when playing slide and it's kinda that old blues tone...almost Doro'ish but not quite the same.

Place a 4/12 face down on four milk crates and aim two mics at each other with one on each side of the cabinet....pretty cool tone

Place a PZM on the back of a guitar with gaff tape (won't stick like duck tape), slap a U67, 414, U87 (whatever) up close to the guitar....and mic the cabinet from 15 feet back....let the guitarist listen to the PZM when he tracks. It's really cool sounding!!!! Try it!! It's kinda lazy, distant but very upfront sounding all in one! (one of my favorites)

Try a Lapel mic on the body of an electric guitar. It's pretty nifty.

Those are some fun ones;
Trace

3/19/1999 11:58 PM
Mikko	For a really lo-fi effect, try a buzzer from Radio Shack- the poor thing breaks up to such apoint you would swear you're in the 30's! Iron Maiden is back! (just to add a thought!)

3/24/1999 12:26 AM

Hey ya'll,
Great forum, great thread. My own two cents' worth is that I really like analog and digital domains, but I think Warren is right, going back and forth causes wierdness. Or at least just mixing digital and analog equipment randonly. I like the definition of the sound on digital recording, but I like the whole analog vibe. Even the tape related sounds are interesting, and out of everything I've ever recorded on my favorite remains the old Ampex 8-track reel-to-reels. They just sound great! But I don't like EQ or compression much in the way people love to use them. I remember when compression was something you tried hard to avoid! BTW, Trace, I really like all the mic placement stuff you've been posting, thanks.
Hi

Page 2 of 3