Mal's Gherkin Pram: Recording

Spent a few enjoyable relaxed hours last night recording the backing tracks for two of the songs off the new album, down at the Milltown Hall (where the band recorded its demo last year). I've still got the lease there for four hours a week, so I might as well use it, especially when it comes to playing some bits and pieces of louder amplified music - it won't annoy the neighbours down there. The rest of it all can be recorded easily here at home and sound just as good as if it were recorded anywhere else. i guess it's trying to create some sort-of 'ambiance' using digital equipment, which isn't always easy. I wish my old Tascam 4-track tape recorder still worked... that sounded a lot more 'earthy' than this machine does, but it'll be fine.

I've got another eight backing tracks ready to begin as well... this is gonna be fun.

Recording usually involves a 'click' track (sometimes literally 'tick-tock-tick-tock', that you play away to to keep a time to in your headphones), then two or three acoustic guitars recorded on seperate tracks, usually doubling each other, to make a thicker, more interesting sound. Then maybe a guide vocal track, and maybe some live electric guitar or some percussion. In other words, as it's just me on my own, I have to do it one bit at a time, which makes it all the more interesting and brings some surprising results along the way. The beauty of this recording machine is that if ('If'? WHEN! lol) I make a boo-boo, you can just record another 'take' and keep going.

I can record some bass, keyboards and vocals here at home as i need to - at least that way I won't annoy my lovely neighbours, as it'll all be done using just headphones at a comfortable volume rather than amplification.

It's catch-22... I can hear how differently I'd arrange and record some of these songs in a band, and how it'd sound, but I'll do what I can do. It's not going to be some amazingly life-changing earth-shattering music, singing or songwriting, just a bit of fun. I don't take myself too seriously doing solo stuff, really, I just enjoy it. I just wish I could find other reliable people around here with a similarly 'relaxed-passion' about playing as I do... so many people seem to take things too seriously... oh, blah blah blah.

Today has been a bit of a write-off tho, with endless variations of alternative sounds running thru my subconscious driving me slightly potty. heh heh. I was planning on going out to watch one or two music bands for a bit this evening, but it's too bloody cold to be walking the streets at night tonight - especially when I wouldn't have any alcohol inside me to keep me warm!

Peas be with ewe
Cyalayta,
Mal :)