Todd Jaques: Project Recording Process

Overview

All of the songs on "instruments for viewing stars" were recorded on a digital 8-track (Yamaha MD8, a machine capable of recording eight tracks simultaneously and one which utilizes minidisc data technology). The MD8 had many features which we did not become familiar with due to time constraints, we essentially used this machine as a glorified [cassette] four track.

Songs which contained computer based beats ("mapplethorpe! mapplethorpe!", "panic in the year zero", "comma 8 comma 1", "auction park", "my god guitar", "2choix") were recorded in two stages. First the beats were manipulated on the computer while another, non-beat related, software program recorded the sounds as a WAV files. These files were then cleaned-up with the help of CoolEdit Pro [software] and recorded from the computer onto the digital 8-track. "Spence Olum" was also based on computer beats but the recording technique differed somewhat, this will be explained in the section pertaining to that specific song.

Songs containing acoustic drums ("2choix", and "the filmography of doctor smith pt.2- san francisco") were primarily recorded at the Peterborough Arts Umbrella during a six hour session on March 25th. Three mic's were used on the kit; one for the kick, one for the snare, and one for the high-hat. Most other instruments were recorded direct to the MD8 at Clay's [Jones] apartment.
 

Equipment used

  • westbury drum kit
  • fender jazz bass
  • fender telecaster
  • epiphone sheraton ii
  • yamaha portasound pss-480
  • yamaha portasound pss-280
  • casiotone 403
  • effects pedals: akai headrush delay/sampler, boss dd-5 digital delay, boss tr-2 tremolo, pro-co rat distortion, electro-harmonix q-tron envelope filter, electro-harmonix frequency analyzer ring modulator, schaller volume pedal.
  • fender sidekick bassman amp
  • fender princeton 112 plus guitar amp
  • L3 guitar amp
  • yamaha md8 digital 8-track
  • various shitty mics and one good one
    • Song by Song Description

    spence olum

  • this song is one that had been written in january by clay and myself
  • the 'original' version of this song was based around a loop of acoustic drums and keyboards
  • this song had previously contained no guitar or bass
  • due to time constraints we were unable to record this song on March 25th at the PAU
  • Clay designed a drum beat and synthesized bass-line on his computer and recorded it live to the digital 8-track
  • an electric bass was used to lay down a new bass-line for the song
  • two guitar tracks were added (one guitar ran through an envelope filter and a delay, the other through tremolo)
  • the sample at the beginning of the song was added after the mix-down stage using the multitrack feature on CoolEdit Pro.
    •  mapplethorpe! mapplethorpe!
  • I had written the beat to this song months before we started recording
  • after dumping to 8-track Clay added a number of keyboard parts.
    •


    panic in the year zero

  • after recording the synthesized drum tracks, a bass-line was added
  • a keyboard tone was then added
  • slide guitar (run through distortion and delay) was added
  • the voice at the beginning was added last and was run through the frequency analyzer
    •


    , 8, 1

  • there were no other instruments added to the original computer based drum beat
  • minor editing was done with CoolEdit Pro
    •


    auction park

  • contains computerized drums and two bass-lines (one was recorded clean the other ran through an envelope filter and a delay)
    •


    my god guitar

  • the samples (taken from an old record) replaced the sounds included in the drum machine software
  • the guitar sample was also added into the software
  • another guitar line (delay) was recorded onto the 8-track
    •


    the filmography of doctor smith: part one - new york

  • the base of this track was a live improvisation recorded to 4 tracks
  • instruments used in this first session were; Casiotone 403(run through a sampling pedal) Yamaha Portasound PSS-480 (delay), and slide bass
  • we then played (again a live improvisation) overtop of the first session
  • the second time around four tracks were used to record two guitars (the first guitar was run through the sampling pedal, the second through a digital delay)
    •


    the filmography of doctor smith: part two - san francisco

  • the harmonic part of this song was recorded direct to the digital 8-track from the sampling pedal
  • drums were added
  • the bass-line was recorded
  • the washy guitar was recorded (volume pedal, delay)
  • lead guitar was recorded onto two tracks- the first- tremolo, the second- delay
  • the bass-line was re-recorded
    •  2choix
  • this song consisted of an acoustic drum track and a synthesized drum track
  • it was cut from the final album
    •


    Mastering was done on CoolEdit pro at Trent Radio. All songs were normalized.

    CD's were burned in a number of locations - Trent Radio, the PAU, and by friends.

    [ends]