One crazy day of recording in Essex! Group vocals, group djembe and brass for the David Simon album. It was a race against the clock but we managed to get it all done despite getting a bit silly during the group vocal recording… After a 5am wake up call and returning at 10.30pm, Dave Seck and I were definitely shattered.
Poems
Today has so far been spent editing some recorded poems (64 to be done in total) for Pearson education. Another great voice artist, and really good poems, but some really depressing ones!
Tonight will be producing songs for Matthew Davies, a client here at the Holloway. I look forward to doing some music after so much voice editing.
Will Dave has been laborously working on our live room construction, I’ve spent a little time measuring up for a false ceiling over half of the control room, which will be filled with rockwool to further improve the acoustics in there, although it might make it feel a little smaller…
The End
I think we’ve reached the end of Nelson Thorne A-Level Science revision guides… I mixed the final track tonight, and, if no change requests come back to me, that’s the end of the project – huzzah.
To Everest and Scotland
Today has been spent recording Oxford University Press / Bookworms audio books at Tom Dick and Debbie in Oxford. Two stories, one on Scotland and the other on Everest, read by two very good voice artists. Nice to be paid to have people read you stories!
I used AKG C414 B-XLS on both voices – not a particularly exciting sounding mic but it does the job. I often find it almost too sensitive for the job as you hear every little part of a persons mouth… jaw cracks, spit squelches, tongue slaps, and even nose whistles. I’d like to use a dynamic mic like an RE20 or SM7b sometime on a voice over – I’m sure there’d be less editing afterwards.
String theory
We’ve now arranged string parts for David Simon’s album, and sent them off to the string players – hopefully we’ll able to get them recorded pretty soon, as the rest of the album is basically finished!
Record and refurbish
Dave’s out giving our live room a new lick of paint – much needed! We’re also building a mini stage and putting in a false ceiling above, to minimise sound leakage and improve the acoustics in there. Can’t wait to get it all finished.
Today I finished the mixing of “Romeo and Juliet” and “Warmness on your soul” for Ryan and Helen’s wedding, now I just gotta burn 50 copies! The SM7b (through GAP73) was definitely the right mic for Steve’s singing – his voice sounded thick, yet clear and present; loverrly. The distorted electric guitar was recorded with an Audix i5 and an Avantone CR14 ribbon mic – I was so impressed by the fatness of the CR14 that I didn’t even mix in the i5 – it seems to really tame the harshness of guitar distortion.
Oli Whitworth 