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Matt Harvey
This week's material was on Tracking different instruments. Tracking is the process of recording each instrument (drums, vocals, bass guitar, vocals, piano, pots and pans if you like) individually and building a full track from scratch. The material explained different ways to properly track each instrument, such as what mics to use and where in the live sound room to place the different instruments when recording them. Luckily, Boo and I have been working on tracking instruments nearly every time we've met for our studio learning session. We've tracked many instruments in different ways. I learn so much from Boo whenever I go to his studio! The material also taught how to properly plan on recording a band getting ready to work on an album in your studio and professional behavior in the studio. Knowing how to properly track instruments and how to troubleshoot any technical issues that may come about are some of the necessary skills required for a successful tracking session. After making another 100 on this week's quiz it was time to go back to Weddington for studio time with Boo!
This week, I had 3 hours of extra studio time! Speaking of tracking, we recorded (or tracked) a drum set part for a project that Boo is working on, a guitar cover of the theme of the 1970's TV show, S.W.A.T.! Boo and I set up the mics after drummer, Loren Bates, got his drum kit set up in the recording room. Once the kit was set up, the mics were in place and a mic check, it was time to start recording! It took 3 plays through for us to get the exact drum part that we wanted for the final product. We mixed the drum part until our ears needed a listening break. We decided to call it a night after that.
For my allotted studio time, Boo and I continued working on his S.W.A.T. theme cover. He had recorded the bass guitar part since we had last met. The task of the day was recording a clavinet part to sneak in with the bass line. Since the track was not recorded on a click track, we couldn't simply plug in the part with a computer mouse. This meant that it had to be played with a MIDI controller. Boo and I both figured out the clavinet part from the original S.W.A.T. theme and played along with the original recording. I even got to play a fast run part and use that for the recording! My 4 years of keyboard experience was put to use in the studio this week! Something great comes from each time in the studio with Boo!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BAiRHr5JtTT/
-Matt Harvey
