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Danielle
My first week with Recording Connection has been brilliant.
Having a background in Music Production using Ableton, I wanted to take my skills to the next LEVEL (see what I did there). Learning how to adjust the levels of my mix (Step 1) was so much more simple than I expected! That being said, I know it will take a lot of practice and a keen ear in order to consistently create a well rounded mix. When I first saw a mixing desk, some time ago, I was very apprehensive and certainly intimidated, I mean all those buttons and knobs?!
(http://www.freeimages.com/)
It looks like an airplane dashboard!!! Which, coincidentally, I have heard isn't so difficult to operate - once of course, you learn how to - But, actually, that's the key. My local studio mentor, Tara, shared her mixing strategy with me. In one lesson I learned so much more than I expected! It was like I was being given a secret and it was only the first day.
The layout of Pro Tools is so similar to the layout of an analogue mixing desk - take a look:
(Screen grab - Pro Tools version 12.6.1)
Doesn't it look similar to the first picture above? Using a mixing desk at the studio and seeing the changes happening in-real-time on the program made things very seamless and streamline. Unfortunately for me, I don't have a mixing desk at home and I can tangibly appreciate the reason that analogue is still so widely used in conjunction with DAWs in this regard. (There are of course many other things that analogue has to offer in regards to music i.e.. real instruments etc.)
The Chapter I read this week was interesting, I am a very visual learner so it was nice to be able to visualize what is happening when sound affects the particles in the air... it's pretty deep stuff when you really stop to think about it. Someone mentioned, in the interactive textbook, that since there is no air in space, there is no medium for sound to travel through, no particles to collide with one another and therefore no sound, that sort of blew my mind. I guess, if you farted in space, no one would hear it...!
(http://www.freeimages.com/)
Another idea that came to mind during the reading was to do with panning and the way that bands are set up in order to create a sense of depth. I was thinking it might be a fun idea to try creating three tracks with the exact same guitar melody on each one, and then experiment with panning to create a wider sound for the instrument and make it seem like instead of the band having 1 guitar player, there were actually three, albeit each one playing the exact same melody.
(http://www.freeimages.com/)
Anyway, really enjoyed the Chapter reading this week, and it was great to work in the studio with my mentor Tara. Shoutout to Sean Evans for his remote support via the Recording Connection Office in LA.
Until next week,
Danielle.
