One of my all-time favorites - Blue Öyster Cult's 'Burnin' For You.' This is a custom rehearsal/demo/performance track we 'built' for hire earlier today.
This is my first time engineering and mixing on my own. I would encourage you to read about the tune before listening to it.
So, we begin by loading the studio version of the song into the DAW and the drums are laid down to the original recording. The drums are miked in various positions, including both kick drums and ambient mikes above the drum kit hanging from the ceiling. The levels are adjusted on the console during a brief soundcheck. Once the drum tracks are laid down, they are re-mixed and finally mixed-down into (2) tracks - left & right - and panned out to 20% respectively.
After that, I usually throw down a scratch guitar and vocal track for reference. Then, on this project, I took over bass guitar duties and laid that track down. The bass is a split stereo track panned left and right at 0%. The bass is played more like a guitar in that I employ the higher register and apply more attack during the 'quiet' phase of the verse. Once the guitar kicks in, I pull the bass back to the lower octaves.
This is super noticeable and really gives the song a very unique feel as opposed to just being a carbon copy.
Next, I lay down a good rhythm guitar track, starting with - in this case - the lower octave. I used my 2016 Gibson Les Paul and my Blackstar ID-Core 100 watt 2X10 Combo. Gain was set to 1/2 on 'OD-2' and Bass was at 9pm, with Mids and Treble full up. The guitar tracks are all recorded totally dry with no effect other than the amp's overdrive capability. I deviated from the original arrangement because there are a lot of 'holes' (unplayed sections) in the original song. I created an almost continuous sonic assault which makes the song seem more powerful, IMHO. Next up is the higher octave guitar parts, which are laid down in a single track.
Next, we erase the scratch rhythm track(s) and duplicate the new rhythm track(s) Those four racks are now panned left and right at 60% & 80% respectively and volume is adjusted to balance everything that we have so far.
Next the lead guitar parts are recorded. Here is where I employed a really unique approach.
Starting with the first lead guitar phrase, I began picking each successive phrase harder and harder. The result is an almost 'wah' or 'phase' sounding effect. By the end of the song, the entire tonal quality of the guitar has changed and the volume levels have to be reduced to maintain balance. That's how hard the picking attack was. This was done throughout the song.
Lastly, the actual solo was performed. By now, I had been playing/working most of the day and I was on fire. I played the solo super-aggressively, with fierce attack and lots of pick harmonics.
Now, with all the necessary tracks in place, I start the mix-down process. First I balance all the individual tracks for volume until I can hear each and every track, even if it's subtle. Next, I flooded the right channel with delay at about 400ms with 4 repeats at +3.5Db. The left channel received a generous amount of reverb and these tracks were panned out to 100% left and right.
In the repetitive phrase that weaves in and out of the verse - played as a diad on the 'b' and 'e' strings only, I added a 'slap-back' delay of a single repeat at 125Ms, but only on the 8th successive phrase, which is single picked and dragged out a little. This gives that phrase a unique sounding slap-back effect, but it's subtle, so you gotta listen for it.
At the end of the main solo, I added a delay effect on the solo's final note set for 8 repeats at 600Ms. You can hear this on the left channel as it carries through the break.
The volume of all guitars is reduced by about 4.0Db behind the solo, but I try and shoot for a mix where you can still hear every track - and that's a tougher job than you might think it is. I also increased the volume on the rhythm guitar's last few phrases as it emerges from behind the solo.
You will hear a dramatic ascending phrase (F-E-F-G-E-G-A-G#-A) as the solo is ending (@ 3:22 - 3:24) the F-E-F-G-E-G is not part of the song's original arrangement, but something I added to punctuate the ending of the solo.
So, after a final volume check, I mixed this down to an MP3 and uploaded it so I can share it with all of you.
Backing vocals still have to be added, and we will likely get to that over the next few days.
Enjoy...
80 PROOF REDEMPTION - BURNIN FOR YOU - CUSTOM DEMO STUDIO PROJECT (NO VOCALS YET)
This is my first time engineering and mixing on my own. I would encourage you to read about the tune before listening to it.
So, we begin by loading the studio version of the song into the DAW and the drums are laid down to the original recording. The drums are miked in various positions, including both kick drums and ambient mikes above the drum kit hanging from the ceiling. The levels are adjusted on the console during a brief soundcheck. Once the drum tracks are laid down, they are re-mixed and finally mixed-down into (2) tracks - left & right - and panned out to 20% respectively.
After that, I usually throw down a scratch guitar and vocal track for reference. Then, on this project, I took over bass guitar duties and laid that track down. The bass is a split stereo track panned left and right at 0%. The bass is played more like a guitar in that I employ the higher register and apply more attack during the 'quiet' phase of the verse. Once the guitar kicks in, I pull the bass back to the lower octaves.
This is super noticeable and really gives the song a very unique feel as opposed to just being a carbon copy.
Next, I lay down a good rhythm guitar track, starting with - in this case - the lower octave. I used my 2016 Gibson Les Paul and my Blackstar ID-Core 100 watt 2X10 Combo. Gain was set to 1/2 on 'OD-2' and Bass was at 9pm, with Mids and Treble full up. The guitar tracks are all recorded totally dry with no effect other than the amp's overdrive capability. I deviated from the original arrangement because there are a lot of 'holes' (unplayed sections) in the original song. I created an almost continuous sonic assault which makes the song seem more powerful, IMHO. Next up is the higher octave guitar parts, which are laid down in a single track.
Next, we erase the scratch rhythm track(s) and duplicate the new rhythm track(s) Those four racks are now panned left and right at 60% & 80% respectively and volume is adjusted to balance everything that we have so far.
Next the lead guitar parts are recorded. Here is where I employed a really unique approach.
Starting with the first lead guitar phrase, I began picking each successive phrase harder and harder. The result is an almost 'wah' or 'phase' sounding effect. By the end of the song, the entire tonal quality of the guitar has changed and the volume levels have to be reduced to maintain balance. That's how hard the picking attack was. This was done throughout the song.
Lastly, the actual solo was performed. By now, I had been playing/working most of the day and I was on fire. I played the solo super-aggressively, with fierce attack and lots of pick harmonics.
Now, with all the necessary tracks in place, I start the mix-down process. First I balance all the individual tracks for volume until I can hear each and every track, even if it's subtle. Next, I flooded the right channel with delay at about 400ms with 4 repeats at +3.5Db. The left channel received a generous amount of reverb and these tracks were panned out to 100% left and right.
In the repetitive phrase that weaves in and out of the verse - played as a diad on the 'b' and 'e' strings only, I added a 'slap-back' delay of a single repeat at 125Ms, but only on the 8th successive phrase, which is single picked and dragged out a little. This gives that phrase a unique sounding slap-back effect, but it's subtle, so you gotta listen for it.
At the end of the main solo, I added a delay effect on the solo's final note set for 8 repeats at 600Ms. You can hear this on the left channel as it carries through the break.
The volume of all guitars is reduced by about 4.0Db behind the solo, but I try and shoot for a mix where you can still hear every track - and that's a tougher job than you might think it is. I also increased the volume on the rhythm guitar's last few phrases as it emerges from behind the solo.
You will hear a dramatic ascending phrase (F-E-F-G-E-G-A-G#-A) as the solo is ending (@ 3:22 - 3:24) the F-E-F-G-E-G is not part of the song's original arrangement, but something I added to punctuate the ending of the solo.
So, after a final volume check, I mixed this down to an MP3 and uploaded it so I can share it with all of you.
Backing vocals still have to be added, and we will likely get to that over the next few days.
Enjoy...
80 PROOF REDEMPTION - BURNIN FOR YOU - CUSTOM DEMO STUDIO PROJECT (NO VOCALS YET)
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I suck though.
