26 Days to an Album

Whenever I get the chance, I try and listen to the tracks on different types of speakers. The last iteration of the mixes, I noticed the snare drum disappearing into the background while listening on ear buds, even though on speakers it had a nice pop. I think the main issue on that was over compression, and some EQ issues. So I went back to the Insert chain to take a look at what plugins I had in there. Turns out I was using an envelope filter on top of the standard compressor, and it was taking the transient and basically compressing it twice, resulting in a very snappy attack, but very little body. Also the snare was using the same reverb send as the rest of the drums (toms and overheads), and while I want the snare to have a good amount of breath to it, I didn't want the overheads and toms to share that same preset. So I found it best to just dedicate a reverb solely to the snare drum. So my new preset chain looks like this (see above). Drumagog is what is triggering the snare drum sample that we made back in the preproduction phase of the Tama 7x14" maple snare. The UAD 1176LN is the compressor I'm using with a modest attack and release at a ratio of 8:1. Finally there is a nice reverb at the end of the insert chain. I just used a preset that fit the best. The result is a snare that has some good presence and body, but also isn't too dry. Take a listen to the sample below and you can hear the crack and breath of the snare. Keep in mind this isn't mastered or a final mix.
My goal tomorrow? Stay aggressive... It's Saturday. Thanks Pete Sabatini for that suggestion. But I'll be aggressive by sorting through the vocal tracks and assigning them all to groups.

27 Days to an Album

 

The end of the year is approaching, winter is upon us. In my case, January doesn't just mean a new year, it also means the release of the new Dynamis! Album, "The Paradox of Commons". For the next 27 days, I will document (to the best of my ability) the final stages of this album all the way until it's release. Will we get it done by before years end? SPOILER ALERT: probably not, but here's to trying!

 

A quick synopsis. The recording process really began in January 2012, when we decided to just focus on writing songs for the album as a band. This started with making basic demos, practicing, and really laying out the blueprint for how we were going to accomplish all this.  Fast forward to May 2013. After most of the writing was done, and somewhat finalized, it was time to start recording. Drums first, then guitars, followed by bass and vocals. Sounds straight forward right? No. Now, throw in some scheduling conflicts, a handful of business trips, oh and don't forget vacations, and it made coordinating free time quite difficult. But all that aside, here we are, at the end of the road. We made it. Everything is recorded and ready for the next step of this seemingly endless process; mixing and mastering.

 

The time in between sessions I've spent meticulously working on things, all in preparation for this final step. Trimming audio, compression, presets, balancing, sub-groups, FX, reverb, all the necessary bits and pieces that glue everything together.

 

So where to start? How about the track lineup:

1. Gozer
2. The Gozerian
3. Ubiquitous Gaze
4. Anti-Life Equation
5. Enticing the Tyrant
6. Palaver
7. Revolutionary Debris
8. Wanderlust
9. Black Box
10. Venn Diagram
11. Skullduggery
12. Tragedy of the Commons

Last night Anthony, Ferdi and I went through every song making sure nothing was missing and really listening to everything as a whole. The goal now is to get all the tracks to sound the same - volumes, tone, compression, EQ, etc., AND sound good. Like (internet) radio good. The interesting thing about this album is we play in 2 different tunings, and while that might not sound that unique, it makes things a bit more difficult on the engineering end for keeping continuity between guitar and bass tones. In an Indie or Alternative album, this might not be an issue, but usually Metal records have a very cohesive sound throughout an album, and I've been hyper aware of this the entire time.

I think I have a good starting point for everything so far and the mixes that were auditioned last night were pretty close to being final, but mixing can be a bit like a video game; everything is easy in the beginning, but the closer you get to the end, the harder it gets. So to continue with my video game analogy, it's time for the final boss.

 Tomorrow's goal? Updated drums, with some audio samples to boot.

 



Glassjaw Review!

Aside from the torrential downpours, the long wait on line outside (thanks to that jerkoff that stabbed someone the night before at CBGB Fest!), and the usual douches in the crowd (you know...the ones that spend more time talking about their weekend with their friend during the set or recording every single moment of the show with their goddamn phone?), last night's show was amazing!

Before the band started, I saw people all around me yawning and falling asleep where they stood.  As soon as the lights went down, everyone found their second wind and was singing and dancing along to "Worship and Tribute" in its entirety.  The songs were flawless and definitely struck a chord with many folks.  I actually spent a lot of the time watching people on the balcony passionately singing along instead of watching the band to be honest!  That was probably because the tallest people were in front of me and made it impossible for me to even see the band BUT who cares?

Glassjaw played "Worship and Tribute," then left the stage but came back for a 2 song encore.  The show ended a little after 2am with the band playing over an hour (a little short but still pretty standard for them).  I heard a lot of cranky fans in the audience complain about this but I honestly couldn't complain.  The show was solid, the band delivered on their promise to play the album in its entirety, and even had some treats thrown into the mix (like the extra songs at the end, unique merch to commemorate the anniversary, and screenshots on a projector screen prior to the set of what looked to be a new contract with their record label Warner Bros).  And keep in mind...It was past 2am!

In true NYC post-show form, Anthony and I hit a diner up for some late night grub and then headed home.  All in all, a unique experience that I feel lucky to have been part of!

-Gina

Late Night Concerts

WOW! I disappear from this blog for a few months and the entire Blogger layout does a 180 on me! Apologies for being so distant, loyal readers. We at RO3 Audio have been extremely busy recording, photographing, and mastering away!

I (Gina) am writing this on a late Saturday night. When Anthony wakes up from his evening nap (that makes him sound like an elderly vampire, no?!), we'll be heading into NYC to see Glassjaw perform at MIDNIGHT! You see, Glassjaw is playing their legendary album "Worship and Tribute" in its entirety on its 10th anniversary. The original show (scheduled for tomorrow evening at 8pm) was sold out almost immediately. Ticket buyers also had some MAJOR issues buying tickets for this show due to Bruce Springsteen tickets going on sale at the same time (what an a-hole!). To make up for this crap, Glassjaw decided to add ANOTHER anniversary show into the mix on Sunday at 12:01am. And we were lucky enough to score a pair of tickets!

I just heard Anthony's alarm clock scream through the apartment so I can only assume we'll be heading out shortly. I'll try to post my thoughts on the show for you all soon.

In the meantime, what are your thoughts on late night shows? Do you think this is a new trend that we'll see emerge?

5 Pop Acts I Want at Metalfest

New England Metal and Hardcore Festival (NEMHCF) is just a couple of days away. I'm too excited to see and photograph so many great bands (especially Volumes, my newest obsession).

Even though I love heavy music and will be spending a long weekend with it, I'm not ashamed to say that I enjoy a good amount of pop music. I know I'm not the only fan of pop music that happens to love all things brutal, either, which got me thinking...If NEMHCF allowed pop acts to perform, who would I like to see on stage?

Pitbull

Mr. Worldwide himself! I can see him now...Dancing all around The Palladium in his crisp red slacks and white blazer, making all the ladies (all 12 of us in attendance) feel sexy and the men inclined to say "Dale!" every 5 seconds.

LMFAO

I know it's terrible to like their music but I CANNOT FUCKING HELP IT! Shit's so goddamn catchy. They can play some hits (especially "Shots," with Dave Chappelle performing as Lil Jon), buy me some booze, and then get their asses beat.

Flo Rida

Because "Wild Ones" is such a hot song and I want to watch Rida throw down in the pit afterwards...Dude is JACKED!

The Wanted

Only allowed to perform "I'm Glad You Came" for 30 minutes straight because it's so catchy and because it's their ONLY good song (trust me). Keith Buckley from Every Time I Die is pretty like these guys are, too, so he can pull a sweet cameo to keep the crowd pumped.

Rihanna

Because the guys need something, too, and "Birthday Cake" is the hottest, most inappropriate song on pop radio right now (lyrics to this gem are here). We'll need Chris Brown for this jam, but only if a hardcore Mass crew gives him a beatdown after the performance.

The list could go on and on for me but I'll stop right there. What pop acts would YOU like to see at a heavy metal show?

Capturing Redemption

Metalfest 2012 is more than just 3 days of music and photography for me. It's a chance for photo redemption.

This will be my 3^rd time “professionally” shooting Metalfest. The first time, I casually shot some bands I liked on the main stage since I wasn't really sure if I was allowed to shoot with my pass. I was happy with the photos I got because it was my first time truly exploring my camera and shooting with the “pros” by the barricade.

The second time, I was much more serious about shooting as many bands as possible on every stage. I was really passionate about getting the perfect shot for every band and ran around like a fiend the entire time (which probably contributed to me getting bronchitis). I felt confident in my abilities and quickly filled up my memory card daily. However, when I got home and truly LOOKED at my photos, I was extremely unhappy with the results. Most were dark and/or blurry and VERY few stood out from the pack as “winners.” Granted, just getting 15+ good photos per show I shoot is considered a great thing to me (and many other photographers out there) but I don't think I even got 15+ solid photos for the entire FESTIVAL! This is why I haven't put my 2011 photos online yet. I'm not proud of them at all and know they could've been better if I was better prepared.

2012 will be different, though. Thanks to Anthony, I am armed with a brand new camera. I now own a beautiful Canon Rebel T2i with its standard 18-55mm lens and a 55-250mm lens, allowing me to retire (and sell) my ancient Canon Rebel XT.

I've been using my T2i a lot to learn its features and quirks, which something I should have done with my XT. When I got my XT (which was also my first DSLR), I assumed that it was magic; that amazing photos would just HAPPEN every time I clicked the shutter button. Turns out, it is even HARDER to get an amazing photo with a DSLR when you have NO CLUE how to use it correctly!

Buying new gear for my camera has always scared the crap out of me because it can be really intimidating (and expensive). Not anymore! I'm taking another step towards Metalfest awesomeness by researching (and potentially buying) new accessories for my camera, like another lens and a flash. I may go for a flash first, since the one that's attached to the camera isn't very versatile.

I'm also enrolled in a series of photography courses at my local camera store (Unique Photo in Fairfield, NJ), which are already helping me out so much. My instructor is great and doesn't make anyone feel dumb or inferior (unlike my art teachers of years past!). My last class will be the week of Metalfest, which will help keep me in the photography mindset and not lose the knowledge I gained over the past few weeks.

I can say with confidence that my photos at this year's Metalfest will be the best ones yet. I'm looking forward to shooting and sharing my work from the festival with you all later this month!

35 Days Until Metalfest!

So it's almost that time of year. 2012 New England Metal and Hardcore Festival! Held at The Palladium in Worcester, MA every April, it's the biggest and heaviest music festival around (well, at least to me).

This will be the 3rd year Anthony and I (Gina) head up for our romantic weekend away. NEMHCF is like our Mount Airy Lodge getaway (minus the champagne glass bathtub). Lots of music, friends, and photography!

NEMHCF is the biggest event I have ever photographed. It's really fast paced and chaotic but a whole lot of fun. I'm looking forward to shooting this year because I have brand new gear to break in along with 3 photography classes (thank you Groupon!) that I'll be taking prior to the festival to brush up on my technical skills.

I'm going to try to post some entries about bands/artists I'm excited to be shooting up until the festival. Stay tuned!