Recording New York
Every year Shure (the microphone company) holds a contest for audio students. 10 schools compete by recording an original song with a selection of Shure’s top mics, minimum digital processing and no synthesized DI-ed instruments are allowed.
http://www.shure.com/americas/news-events/contests/fantastic-scholastic-7-contestants-judges
Process Description
With an approximate 100 day timeline and a 6 member team we consulted with our advisors (faculty from Michigan Technological University’s Visual and Performing Arts Department) on the style and orchestration of our song. We settled on New York after a complete song re-write and numerous lyric changes. Before diving into tracking we tested out the various mics in other projects: Twa Corbies for example. We also entertained the idea of tracking the drums with a Studer A80 MK – II (an analog tape recorder). At the 3/4’s mark we began tracking on the Rozsa Stage. Each main instrument (drums, electric guitar, electric bass, upright bass) was recorded separately surrounded by student made aural diffusion/dampening towers. Vocals were recorded in a small vocal booth and the Korg synth was recorded by 2 room mics in the Rozsa performance hall while the keyboard played through the PA system. Once everything was tracked (including a selection of street sounds from Minneapolis) the rest of the time was spent piecing together and cleaning up the tracks. We used EQ, Compression and Automated volume and we frequently consulted our faculty to get our perfect mix.
My Role in the Process
In order to work more efficiently in a group of 6 people there were delegated roles for each person. I was in charge of documentation. I wrote down what happened each time our group met including: songwriting, mic testing, tracking, idea consultation. I also drafted the system plots, the tracking notes and organized the mic charts during tracking. It was also my job to research the Studer A80 MK-II, locate a user manual and see if the one available was functional (which it was questionably so).
My other main role was playing both the electric bass and the upright bass (bowed).
Explanation of the Song
New York is a metaphor about basic teenage love. Their relationships are dual in their cool exterior and hot interior. The music is sophisticated with its complicated blend and fluid melody and includes an ambient cityscape intro, but the lyrics are thinly veiled euphemisms for primal passion.
Lyre Bird 