#154 - 12th September 2024 - Thursday is rehearsal day

... but the drummer is still sick.

Quick question:

Why did the sick drummer go to the doctor?

Because he couldn’t beat the flu! 🥁😷

Sometimes, the truth hurts.

So instead of rehearsing, we recorded vocals for the first time in three months.

a) We re-recorded the chorus vocals of Socrates, the next release. After all the back and forth about the right pitch for two notes in the chorus, we settled on the obvious choice: the minor third. But pitching with Melodyne did not do the job, so we had to do a new recording.

b) We recorded new takes on a track called Summer Nights. That one has been marinading for quite a while now. We started working on it in December '23. The vocal line did not fit too well sound-wise. It's a bit like choosing the wrong guitar or guitar pickup.

I tried to mix the old vocal line to death but it would just never sound like it sat in the mix well enough. So we worked on that, changed it up a bit and played with backing vocals. I've got a good feeling about this new version.

This also means I got homework for the weekend.

This and my annual tax statement...

One more thing: The vocal chain is Neumann U87 Ai -> Neve1073 -> UAD Apollo X8 -> Softube CL-1B Compressor.

Supposedly, this (but with another mic) is the golden vocal chain of US rap vocal productions. You might wanna change up the comp if you go for a more aggressive sound, but this is it. And what can I say? I think it works brilliantly.

The only caveat that cannot be emphasized enough: The U87 is brutally honest. You get what you give in. And if that is great, then the result is great. If your technique isn't good, you'll hear it.

Sometimes, the truth hurts.