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 525  Hybrid  Recording  NOTES  
 
WEEK  1:  Scoring  Stage  Orientation  and  review  of  terms
...

What  is  covered  in  this  class?  
 
A
...
 Modern  Music  Production  
• Collaboration    
• Emotion  
• Focus  
C
...

Major  Projects  
A
...
Expressing  emotion  through  your  own  sonic  and  musical  
expression
...
A  musical  production  you  will  build  on  throughout  the  
semester
...
Co  Production  with  production  performance  partner  
1
...
   
2
...
   
3
...
   
4
...
 Describe  an  “elevator  pitch”  for  yourself  as  a  
producer
...
Make  a  list  of  the  top  5  people  you’d  want  to  work  with
...
Pro  Tools  editing  assignments  
1
...
   
2
...

What  is  expected  of  me  
• Be  on  time  
• Help  Each  other  
• Ask  Questions  –  No  Question  is  too  simple  
• Let  Ian  know  if  he  is  moving  too  fast,  and  email  him  at  any  
time
...

Basic  Signal  Flow  
 
 

A
...
 What  is  signal  flow?  
• The  process  that  audio  travels  from  source  to  
destination  in  a  given  system
...
 
• What  is  the  monitor  path?  Anything  in  the  audio  signal  
flow  after  the  recorder
...
 
• What  is  an  A/D  converter  or  a  D/A  converter?  Analog  to  
digital  converter  or  Digital  to  Analog  converter
...
 Any  audio  
program  
B
...
 Only  two  conductors  on  a  wire  to  
create  an  unbalanced  signal
...
 The  ground  tells  that  signal  
where  0  is
...
   
The  TIP  signal  carries  the  signal,  and  the  SHIELD  
wraps  the  wire  and  grounds  it  with  foil
...
 Almost  all  
consumer  level  products  are  unbalanced  audio
...
 But  the  more  surface  
area  you  have  to  cover  the  worse  the  SIGNAL  TO  
NOISE  RATIO  will  be
...
   
• BALANCED
...
 You  have  positive  polarity,  ground  
and  a  negative  polarity  signal
...
 In  a  differential  amplifier  the  
difference  between  the  negative  and  positive  
polarity  peaks  is  (8)
...
 The  
key  for  something  to  be  in  “Phase”  the  must  be  
REVERSE  POLARITY  WAVES
...
   XLR  PINS
...
 Pin  1  is  ground,  pin  2  is  hot  and  
pin  3  is  sleeve
...
 The  most  common  
connection  for  a  TRS  cable  is  for  headphones
...
 

•
•

•

•
•
•

Analog  Audio  signal  levels:    
Microphone  Level  –  Balanced
...
 Mic  signals  are  such  low  voltage  
that  you  need  the  reduction  of  noise
...
 Instrument  Level  
(HIZ)
...
   
Consumer  Line  Level  (-­‐10dBu)  –  Unbalanced
...
 
Pro  Line  Level  (+4dBu)  –  Always  Balanced
...
 Speaker  level  is  so  loud  
it  is  way  above  the  typical  noise  floor,  because  
almost  all  speaker  cables  are  unshielded
...
 SIGNAL  FLOW  
• SOURCE:  Microphone  at  mic  level  
• MIC  PREAMP:  converts  mic  levels  into  line  level  signals  with  
variable  gain  because  the  SPL  at  mic  level  will  change  (singer  
will  change  in  volume)
...
 
• LINE  LEVEL  
• LINE  LEVEL  SIGNAL  PROCESSING:  EQ,  Compression,  etc
...
 (Up  to  
this  point  is  the  CHANNEL  PATH
...
   
• LINE  LEVEL:    
• MONITOR  CONTROLLER:  Allows  you  to  control  volume    
• LINE  LEVEL  
• SPEAKER  AMPLIFIER:    
• SPEAKER  LEVEL  
• SPEAKERS  
• Signal  flow  ends  at  the  listener  (from  DAW  to  here  is  the  
monitor  path)
...


In  an  MBOX  all  these  steps  are  happening  at  once
...
 
• Very  long  security  log  for  the  scoring  stage
...
   
• IF  you  arnt  recording  in  the  live  room,  let  the  studio  superviser  
know  so  you  don’t  have  to  do  the  log
...


It  is  a  digital  console
...
 –  Mark  Twain  
• 1st
...
 
• 2nd  Learn  why  music  that  doesn’t  speak  to  you  can  still  effect  
others
...
   
• 3rd  When  you  create  music  have  an  emotional  goal  in  mind
...
 
• WHAT  AM  I  TRYING  TO  EXPRESS?  I  wanna  dance,  I  want  other  
people  to  dance,  I  want  to  cry  etc  
• WHO  AM  I  TRYING  TO  REACH?  Produce/mix  to  the  audience  
you  are  trying  to  reach
...
 Use  reference  tracks
...
   
• Compose  a  piece  of  music  that  clearly  expresses  that  emotion
...
   
• Due  in  two  weeks  
• Due  next  week:  Pick  the  emotion  and  two  songs  that  utilize  the  
emotion  that  expresses  that  emotion  well
...
berklee  site  or  just  name  the  songs
...
 
• Auditions  are  tonight  
• David  Mash  presenting  at  the  scoring  stage  at  7:00  
• Speed  dating  on  Thursday  night  at  8:00
...
 By  Thurs/Fri  you’ll  know  who  you  are  paired  with
...
 Wednesday  from  2-­‐3,  or  Thursday  
2-­‐3  for  Lab  Time
...
   
• Office  Hours  are  Wednesday  from  10am-­‐12pm  
 
I
...
Review  
i
...
Monitor  Math-­‐  Anything  from  the  recorder  to  the  listener
...
New  Terms  
i
...
 
1
...
 Can  be  in  mono,  stereo,  5
...
1
...
Auxiliary(aux)  Bus:  commonly  used  for  effects  or  
headphones
...
Group  Bus  –  Prior  to  DAWs  you  were  limited  to  track  
count,  but  it  didn’t  mean  you  were  limited  in  the  
amount  of  mics  you  can  use
...
   
ii
...
 Typically  
taken  pre  or  post  fader
...
 One  input  of  
the  track  goes  to  1  output
...
CHANNEL  STRIP  –  A  combination  of  multiple  gain  stages  and  
audio  processes
...
 Input  <>  Preamp  <>  Processing  
<>  AUX  Bus/Sends  <>  Mix  Bus  Pan  <>  Faders  
1
...
 
iv
...
 
Used  to  add  additional  outboard  processing
...
   
c
...
   
i
...
Mic  Input  <>  Channel  Path  Channel  Strip  <>  Direct  
Outpu  or  Group  Box  <>  Recorder  Input  
ii
...


e
...


g
...
Recorder  Output  <>  Line  Input  <>  Monitor  Path  Channel  
Strip  <>  (Aux  sends  to  headphones  and  effects)  <>  Mix  
bus  output  <>  Control  Room  Playback
...
Important  to  always  go  off  the  monitor  path  for  
headphones
...
 
You  should  ALWAYS  listen  back  to  what  you  are  
recording,  don’t  listen  from  the  channel  path
...
   
Two  types  of  Recording  Consoles  
i
...
   So  you  
have  channel  strip  faders,  and  monitor  path  faders
...
IN  LINE  CONSOLE  –  Each  channel  has  2  audio  paths
...
 Able  to  have  2  separate  audio  paths  in  
one  channel
...
 
1
...
 AUX  Sends  are  normally  sent  to  the  
monitor  path  but  it  is  also  selectable
...
Small  Faders  (channel  strip)  and  Large  Faders  (monitor  
Path)
...
Always  operates  as  a  SPLIT  CONSOLE
...
Each  channel  only  has  one  audio  path
...
MONITOR  PATH  
1
...
 Pro  Tools  1-­‐48  is  normalled  from  the  Pro  
Tools  returs  
ii
...
Console  Mic  Pres  1-­‐48  (via  A/D)  <>  Channels  49-­‐96  
(SWAP  LAYER)  <>  Direct  Outputs  <>  Pro  Tools  Inputs
...
Normalled  to  the  Inputs  of  pro  tools
...
System  5  Channel  Strip  
1
...
 (hit  EQ  and  those  knobs  
will  display  accordingly
...
Display  select
...
 are  on  different  pages)  
3
...
   
4
...
 
Patch  Bays  
i
...
NORMAL  –  An  audio  connection  that  is  automatically  
made  from  an  output  of  one  decice  to  an  input  of  a  
second  device
...
TYPES  OF  NORMALS    
i
...
 
MIC  LINES  are  always  full  normal
...
HALF  NORMAL  –  A  normal  that  patching  
into  ONLY  the  input  will  break
...
BREAKING  A  NORMAL  –  Patchng  over  an  existing  
normal  to  make  an  alternate  audio  connection
...
Example  –  If  you  wanted  to  record  an  alternate  
mic  pre  in  studios  a-­‐d
...
 
ii
...
Top  =  Device  Outputs  
2
...
This  keeps  things  in  signal  flow  order  
4
...
   
5
...
   
6
...
     
7
...
 
8
...
 
iii
...
The  Patch  bay  should  flow  from  top  to  bottom  in  signal  
flow  order
...
Utilizing  Normals  –  You  should  be  able  to  run  a  typical  
session  with  NO  patch  cables  in  the  bay
...
 Any  engineer  could  walk  into  the  
studio  and  get  a  session  started
...
The  Scoring  Stage  Patch  Bay  
1
...
 If  doing  a  big  session  you  will  eventually  have  to  
cross  patch  mic  lines
...
 
2
...
 ISO  1  is  the  drum  booth  on  1-­‐16
...
 Just  know  what  number  you  plugged  into  and  
then  patch  accordingly  if  you  need  to
...
   
3
...
   
4
...
   
5
...
)  

6
...
 Patches  for  recording  inside  
the  control  room
...
 Anything  labeled  MIC  
LINE  use  it  for  mics,  but  if  its  not  EVEN  IF  ITS  XLR  you  
should  not  use  it  because  it  is  probably  ground  lifted
...
It  basically  flows  in  signal  flow  order  from  top  to  
bottom  just  like  a  good  patch  bay  should
...
1  and  O  are  not  used  on  a  patch  bay  because  they  look  
like  I/O
...
The  Lab  
i
...
   
ii
...
 Anything  that  is  
an  input  is  ALWAYS  White
...
Control  room  source  button  allows  you  to  choose  an  external  
device
...
   
iv
...
Must  be  48k  in  this  room
...
Also  take  a  picture  of  the  patch  bay
...
Row  H  is  the  Line  inputs  
viii
...
   
ix
...
   
x
...
 Choose  
ST  Mix  under  the  MAIN  PANNEL
...
 This  part  should  only  take  1  patch  cable
...
 
Turn  up  the  channel  and  monitor  paths,  and  the  gain  for  the  
channel
...
 MONITOR  A  
Source  <>  External  <>  Ipod  <>  Turn  Monitor  A  up
...
Part  2:  Bypass  the  console  preamp  by  patching  into  an  
outboard  preamp  and  recording  from  the  SLS  into  pro  tools
...
EXTRA  CREDIT:  Create  an  analog  insert
...
 Patch  from  the  insert  output  into  the  piece  of  outboard  
gear  that  we  want  to  use,  and  then  from  the  output  of  that  gear  
back  into  the  insert  return
...
 So  its  smart  to  
exercise  the  patch  point  by  unpatching  and  repatching
...
   
• Beyer  M100  was  used  on  Questloves  kit  on  the  Booker  T  record
...
   
I
...
Serves  a  few  purposes  
i
...
First  time  to  work  together  
iii
...
Limitation  s  
1
...
No  more  than  two  musicians  
3
...
No  click  
5
...
No  EQ,  Compression  or  Processing  
b
...
Session  Setup  Sheet  
ii
...
A  Photo  of  the  session  
iv
...
Tips  for  the  session  
i
...
Refer  to  picture  taken  on  how  to  get  maximum  rejection  on  
each  mic  for  a  singer/songwriter  acoustic  guitar  setup
...
Mixbus  <>  Stereo  in  order  to  hear  things  back  in  the  control  
room
...
A  441  on  the  guitiar,  and  an  SM7B  on  the  vocal  are  great  for  
an  acoustic  guitar/singer  setup
...
Hit  the  Monitor  A  button  OR  All  Monitors  for  talk  back
...
Make  major  adjustments  at  the  gain  knob  and  minor  
adjustments  in  the  channel  path  fader
...
FN+Return  will  give  you  the  memory  locations  window
...
Analyze  waveforms  during  playback  in  pro  tools  in  order  to  
give  the  musician  the  best  possible  monitor  mix
...
Refer  to  picture  for  placement  of  a  figure  8  polar  pattern  
mic  for  vocals
...
 

 
 
 
 

 
 

 

WEEK  IV:  MICROPHONES  
 
I
...
CAPSULE  –  The  transducer  element  of  a  given  microphone
...
   
b
...
 It  will  alos  
block  DC  current
...
 Can  also  be  used  to  isolate  two  audio  systems
...
PASSIVE  CIRCUIT  –  In  audio,  a  device  that  works  through  natural  
electromagnetic  properties
...
ACTIVE  CIRCUIT  –  In  audio,  a  device  that  requires  additional  
powered  components  (usually  DC)  to  perform  its  normal  
operation
...
PHANTOM  POWER  –  A  DC  voltage  super  imposed  over  the  AC  
signal  of  a  balanced  cable  to  provide  power  to  a  microphone  
circuit
...
+48  Volts  DC  is  the  Standard
...
Most  commonly  needed  for  condensers,  but  used  on  many  
other  active  mics  and  circuits
...

Types  of  Microphones  
a
...
Almost  always  passive  circuits
...
Common  Characteristics:  
1
...
 
2
...
Really  high  gain  before  feedback
...
Usually  very  durable
...
Common  Uses:  
1
...
Drunms  and  percussion  
3
...
Horns  
5
...
Common  and  well  known  models:  
1
...
MD  421  
3
...
SM57  
5
...
Ribbon

 
i
...
   
ii
...
   
iii
...
Good  low  frequency  response,  Excellent  mid  range  
response,  very  limited  high  frequency  response
...
Extremely  sensitive  to  air  pressure!  
3
...
 Pop  filter  is  needed    
sometimes  for  vocalists  and  trumpets
...
Common  and  Well  known  Models:  
1
...
Coles  4038  
3
...
 AEA  makes  better  
version  now
...
Condenser  

 
i
...
   
ii
...
Balanced  low  and  mid  frequency  response  and  
excellent  high  frequency  response
...
Very  sensitive  to  high  SPL  
3
...
 
4
...
   
iii
...
In  the  studio  almost  everything!  
2
...


3
...
Acoustic  instruments  
5
...
Two  amplifier  types  
1
...
 No  external  power  supply  needed
...
Tube  Amplifier
...
 
v
...
AKG  414  (large  diaphragm)  
2
...
AKG  451   (Small)  
4
...
Common  Tube  Models:  
1
...
Vintage  mics  vary  in  quality
...
   
b
...
U47  
2
...
Nueman  M147  
b
...
   

 

IV
...


VI
...
OmniDirectional  
i
...
Subcardioid    
c
...
Supercardioid    
e
...
Bi-­‐Directional    
g
...
Can  be  used  on  guitar  on  a  big  band  session  
Direct  Injection  Boxes  
a
...
Passive:  Conversion  done  with  a  transformers  
1
...
Active:  Conversion  done  with  powered  amplifier
...
Can  cause  a  huge  headache  concerning  noise
...
For  troubleshooting,  use  a  passive  DI
...
Reamp  Box:    
1
...
 
The  Wildcards  
a
...
An  old  studio  trick  that  dates  back  to  the  60s  on  Beatles  
records
...
   
ii
...
 They  are  
basically  pop  filters  and  are  only  used  for  marketing
...
Subkicks  are  a  reversed  speaker  used  to  record  very  low  
frequencies
...
 
b
...
Developed  for  conference  rooms
...
   
ii
...
The  Magnetic  Pickup  
i
...
 Metallic  vibration  of  the  
strings  change  a  magnetic  field
...
The  Piezo  Pickup  
i
...
   
e
...
Popular  with  harmonica  players
...
A  magnetic  capsule  made  of  tiny  carbon  particles
...
Stereo  Mics  
i
...
   
All  the  Microphones  in  the  Mic  Cabinet      

  
 

+For the SUB - LandR into a multi, and the multi into the Dangerous
remote
Week 5: The Rule of 3’s
I
...
Three things
1
...

The back ground
2
...

The fore ground
2
...

Background - rhythmic elements, groove, basic harmony
2
...

3
...

3
...

The listener loses focus
2
...

The information becomes impossible to retain
4
...

1
...

5
...

Any elements that fight each other sonically or tonally
...

Any elements that fight each other rhythmically
...

Unnecessary redundant elements
6
...

More of something does not usually make more of an impact
...
Examples
1
...

2
...
The best example of the rule of 3s
...

Prince - "Kiss"
4
...
The Following songs have many different elements but shifts focus on
them as the song progresses
...

MJ - Billie Jean
...

2
...
Tempo Mapping in Pro Tools
• Pro Tools as a default changes the grid to fit the audio when tempo
mapping, where Ableton warps the audio to fit the grid
...

1
...

Go to the I/O Window
1
...
You can
create paths (1/2) or sub paths (mono tracks)
...

2
...
There are NO subpaths on
the outputs page
...

3
...

Without reassigning all outputs in Pro Tools you can
route the bus page to do that for you if you want
...

4
...

The Default button - If you hold the Option Key down
while you’re importing settings and then hit
default, it imports the Input, Output and Bus
pages all at once
...

Export IO settings - At the scoring stage, hold Option
and then hit Import, then click Scoring Stage
Default
...

ALWAYS delete the IO setup from before
because the Bus window is additive
...

5
...

Select the Stems
...

ALWAYS use Copy All when importing audio into
a session
...
You can Save Copy In in

2
...

4
...


2
...

5
...


2
...

4
...

1
...


3
...

You can also use the audition window to listen to files
to check out tracks
...

When you click Done, it will default save your audio
clips into the audio files folder
...

Need two important tools on to do this:
Tab to Transient
...
Work with this on ALWAYS
...

Link Timeline and Edit Selection
...

Timeline Follows Insertion
...

What to map to
...
At some
point the congas will drop out so you
have to map to the drums
...

Use Cmmd+I, and type in bar 1 at the start of
the downbeat
...

set the grid to Quarter notes
...
Click Apple+I again and set the
next bar
...

Now create a click track
...

Make sure you have the Conductor track
enabled in the MIDI window
...

Option+CMMD{} will change the view size of the

tracks
...

When tempo mapping, keep it in SLIP mode
...

5
...
Make sure you are in grid mode
while doing this because the markers snap
to the grid
...

Now you can begin reducing using the Mute button
1
...

CMMD+M
...

Fade all region mutes
...

3
...

7
...
Zip the entire session and send it
to the google drive link
...
Figure out how to color
code the clips/regions
...
The Next Worktape
1
...

2
...

3
...

4
...
For this
select the Avid Fast Track duo
...
Create 1 stereo track and record the
rehearsal
...
Mic Techniques
1
...

ORTF - 110 Degrees apart, which simulates human hearing
...
This is how you access the monitor path on
the console to control levels and pans
...

Anytime plugging a guitar amp or keyboard in the studios always use the

plugs that are red or have a red light
...


WEEK 6: DRUMS
I
...
(1-1)
• Always flip the phase on the bottom snare mic
• Always flip the phase if micing the beater side of the bass drum
• CMMD+Option to cascade inputs/outputs of Pro Tools
• Shift+Option+Cmmd will cascade only what is selected
...
Same with tom mice
...

• Try to adjust the drum itself before going to EQ
II
...
Electric Bass
• When using DI on bass: The input will send the signal to the mic pre at
line level
...

• Typically you should be fine with just the DI signal (no)
• Check the phase between the DI and the AMP
...

• Check TB mice or drum mics to see if you might want to use them to
track
...
Acoustic/Upright Bass
• Small diaphragm condenser where the neck meets the body, to capture
definition and presence
...

• Alway track with DI on acoustic bass just in case there is bleed
...

• SM7, RE20, and other large diaphragm mics are good for low mics on
stand up bass
• Its actually really hard to isolate upright bass from other instruments
because its a giant piece of wood
...

• A popular option is to wrap a small diaphragm omni mic in foam and put
it inside the bridge of the bass
...

III
...
Cue Sends (Aux Sends)
• Monitor B is your headphone source
...

• ALWAYS have the same headphone box in the control room with the
same headphones, mix etc
...
You never have to worry about overloading the Red Box
amps, you can daisy chain them all together if you need to
...

The impedance is so different between headphones that you could
hurt someones ears or the amp in the cue box
...

• ALWAYS send your Cue Mixes from the Monitor Path
...
You won’t accidentally cut or
solo something and send it to the headphones
...

• TB to headphones
...
TB Level is a separate level but you shouldn’t have to
adjust it
...

B
...

◦
You will wind up just stacking a bunch of takes on top of each
other that have no relation to each other
...
When not using a click track, just treat Pro
Tools as a tape machine and record in a linear fashion
...
CMMD+G will bring up your groups
...

• Setup a Record Group, where you select everything and modify the
group so they are only grouped by record and input monitoring
...
Drum Editing in Pro Tools
Beat Detective when used correctly is great but can quickly become
dangerous and screw things up in your session
...

ALWAYS duplicate the playlist first
...

Then go to the Event Window, and bring up Beat Detective
...

Hit “Capture Selection”
Then select “Clip Separation” and then hit “Analyze”
Turn the sensitivity up and it will find more transients
...

Now hit “Separate” which breaks all of the selections into separate
clips
...
Leave the swing selection off
...

Now Select “Edit Smoothing”
Select “Fill Gaps and Crossfade” which will automatically fade all
those edits
...
But anything
syncopated will be completely ruined by Beat Detective
...


Homework:
Create a floor plan, an input list and a setup sheet for the session
...
Guitar Mic Techniques

A
...
Setup A for steel string
1
...

Put a Small diaphragm condenser at the 12th fret
...

Dont mic the sound hole ever
...

Find the where the low end resonates most (behind the
bridge) and put a large diaphragm condenser there
...

With this setup, make sure you are not getting phase issues
...
If you flip the
phase, all low frequencies should basically disappear
...
You can always replace either mic with a
Royer 121 to get a warmer sound
...

2
...

Mic the 12th fret with matching small D condensers, XY
configuration flipped 90 degrees
...
This way you get a nice
stereo spread across all 6 strings
...
Works very well on nylon string
guitar as well
...
Electric Guitar
• Be mindful of of the where the speaker is
...

• If there are two speaker cones, just pick one to mic
...

• Be mindful of micing the amp on axis or off axis
...
Ribbon mics are ok because you aren’t moving a
lot of air with a guitar amp
...
Using a 414 for distorted guitar is typically not a
good idea
...
57 - Classic sound, with a nice presence boost, which helps boost the
guitar in the mix
...
Royer 121 - Personal favorite, sits well in the mix and has nice mid

range
...
421 - Sounds similar to 57 but would sound better distorted
4
...

On Axis, sounds great clean
...

2
...
Would use more for distorted guitar
sounds
C
...

◦
Come out of the DI at Mic Level
...

◦
Patch from mic line 177 into a mic line in the live room (129)
◦
Leave 129 via XLR to a second DI at mic level
◦
Leave the DI at Instrument Level back into the Guitar Amp in
another room
...

◦
Convenient because you have a ground lift on both ends which
can completely isolate the player from the amp
...
Only use a Passive DI
...

◦
You also must go through mic tie lines
...

◦
Should never really be a problem if using a good DI like a Radial or
a Jensen
...

◦
Before Re-Amp boxes, the method described above was the
standard way to re-amp a guitar
...

◦
Insert sends 1-48 are normalled to the Pro Tools outputs
...

◦
NOW that there are actual Re-Amp boxes there is a different way
to do it
...
)
◦
There are no “Pro Tools Outputs” on the patch bay
...
SO you have to patch from the insert send of the
corresponding Pro Tools input which acts as a discreet Pro
Tools output
...

Mic the amp
The Radial Reamp box is powered so you need a power cable
...

CMMD + Arrow key will move to the next track when naming
tracks
...
Elastic Audio and Beat Detective
• Any time in beat detective starting off, create a new playlist
...
For the
example this week groups are already created, as well as playlists
...

• You must be using a click
...

• Bring up Beat Detective (Review)
• Ignore the first two options under the operation window
...
This will allow the punch
of the drums to come through and it will be much easier to
fade between clips
...

• Under Clip Conform
◦
Turn strength on, and turn down to 70%
◦
Now hit conform, and the clips will get moved and locked closer to
the 1/8th note grid
...

• Under Edit Smoothing
◦
select Fill and Crossfade and click Smooth
...

◦
Open beat detective and use Fill and Crossfade under the Edit
Smoothing Window
...
Turn up the sensitivity, and click conform on that
clip
...

ELASTIC TIME in Pro Tools
The symbol in the edit window under the track name has two
settings: Samples and Ticks
...
Ticks sets everything to a musical grid
...
Click the little upside down
ableton button and turn on Elastic audio
...

Set to 1/8th note, and turn the strength to 70%
...

This is much quicker than Beat Detective for auditioning things, but
its still degrading the audio because its warping it
...

You can also draw in tempo changes and it will follow it perfectly
...

Use Groove Template Extraction in Beat Detective, and hit extract
...
Now in Elastic audio you can
select that glove clipboard and you can quantise the drums to
the bass performance
...

Process the tracks in small chunks of 8 bars
...
Commit

WEEK 8: Tracking Piano, Proper PT Rough Mix, Mic PreAmps
I
...
Context
• First thing to ask: What type of sound do you want? What is the end
result? Get a reference from the artist to find out exactly what the
player is expecting
...

That is a darker, roomy sound
...

• If someone wants a more modern, punchy sound you need brighter
mics
...

• All Pianos sound wildly different, in most recording studios the player
does not own the instrument he is playing on, the same model piano
can sound drastically different, and each player makes each piano
sound different
...
You must pick mics
that allow it to sit in the mix instead of EQing later
...
Mic Techniques
• these techniques are great mostly for recording a piano on its own
...

Phasing issues happen very easily when too many mics are added
...
No grand piano will sound like an
upright, but this will get you closer
...
You get a lot of out of phase information
that typically doesn’t sound that great
...
XY (KM184s) - Great for latin music, and rock stuff
...
A little harsh sounding but great for rock
...

1
...

2
...
Put these mics next to each other on the
side of the piano with the lid up
...
Could also
place the mics closer and with small diaphragm condensors, but the
KSM44s sound really nice and dark
...

Gives you a more balanced sound of the instrument
...
Spaced Pair (Royer 121s) - Figure 8 pattern gives a cloudy stereo
image, but sounds great
...

The stereo image spreads and makes it hard to understand where
things are coming from
...
Great for Jazz
4
...
The cardioid mic is
going to be the “mid” mic
...
You bring in the side mic into channel 2 and leave it

untouched
...
Insert a trim
plugin you flip the phase on the duplicated track
...
Basically you are taking the same
signal, flipping them out of phase and hard panning them left/right
...
This gives you a disturbingly empty sound in the middle, but
that is where the “mid mic” comes in to play
...

This technique perfectly collapses into mono because the mid mics
are perfectly out of phase with each other, which leaves only the
mono cardioid mic
...

All three mics summed together would be called a Matrixed MS
Pair
...

Definitely the coolest sounding, and would be great for solo piano
or overdubs
...

Try using a 414 for the cardioid mic, and a Royer as your side
mic
...

Try this technique on drums as a room mic, and for a horn
section
...
57 in the Sound Hole - Adds a ton of attack, and is great to blend with
any stereo pair you are using
...
Add a bit of compression and its
perfect
...
There is no scientific
way to pick which sound hole if there is more than one on the piano,
just pick the one closest to the middle
...

1
...
Compress it to get a Beatles-esqe sound
II
...

• Put in order of the most transparent mic pre, to the most coloured mic
pre
...
Console Mic Pres - Kind of boomy, but very natural sound of the piano
...
Grace - Sounds nearly exactly like the console mic pre, but adds a bit of
colour
...
Neve 1073 - Surprisingly thin, but has a nice warm sound on the top
end
...
Neve 517 - Slightly more natural sounding to me
5
...
UA 710 Tube Setting - Very loud, and sounds awesome
...
This preamp actually allows you to blend between
them
...

III
...

1
...
Its even
smart to create an “Old Sessions” folder
...
Go to All Group, and put all the faders all the way to zero so you don’t
blast yourself
...
If you feel like moving something without ungrouping, hold CTRL
...
Go renumber bars in order
5
...
Your first un numbered playlist should have
nothing on it
...

6
...
Go to
EVENT, and renumber bars if you need to
...
Hand tool + CTRL Click will drag things back to bar 1
...
Set Clips to GROUPS in preferences, set track colours to groups as well
...

9
...

10
...

Sometimes when delayed by about 100 samples
...
Set the nudge value to about 10 samples in order to get the bass
amp track closer in phase with the bass DI track
...
Always add in a stereo master fader and keep it at unity gain
...

13
...
Signal just passes through
them
...
Always solo
safe your Auxs as well
...
Shift + Send all AUX Send Buses to every channel so its set up just
like a console
...
Click the CMMD key of the Bus and it will give you a small fader
...
FMP - Follow Main Pan
...


17
...


Filter out anything that is fighting low end space
...


WEEK 9: Melodyne Vocal Tuning, Vocal shootouts
...

I
...

• On the market right now, Melodyne is the best option
...

• Do not leave this class as a bad vocal tuner
...

1
...

Realize that when you use Melodyne, you are running another
DAW on top of Pro Tools
1
...
Print the entire vocal at one time,
because the program doesnt do well with punch ins
...

Always make sure your vocal is comped and edited before you
start using it
...

Hit stop, and then Melodyne will analyse the vocal along a type of
midi grid
...

You can adjust both the modulation and the pitch of the singers
voice independently, which gives you the ability to achieve a
more natural vocal
...

ALWAYS give Melodyne the cleanest signal possible, meaning
transfer the dry signal without EQ, Effects, or Compression
...

Melodyne will play any time you press play in Pro Tools, but what
is really happening is your audio is playing out of the
Melodyne plug in
...

Right click allows you to open the tools window
...

The Zoom tool gives you a lot of functionality
2
...

The PITCH TOOL - is your most important, and useful tool
...


5
...


7
...

1
...

10
...
It
sounds un natural and is almost never the option
...

You can also turn off the grid but this is not
recommended
...
Overusing this tool is the quickest way to
make a vocal sound “fake”
...

NOTE SEPARATION TOOL - Melodyne will see two notes
as one note, and this allows you to separate them
...

Amplitude, Timing, and Format tools are note useful for this
weeks assignment
...
If tuning a flat bass, for example, auto
mode is much more useful
...
This is used more often than not
...
You don’t want to make a ton of vocal edits and
then realise that the track is a little flat
...
Vocal Shootouts and Comping Vocals
...
You want to make decisions based on the characteristics of
the mics, not the level differences
...

• When hanging a condenser mic upside down: This is beneficial because
you get less reflections, and most importantly the singers hands are
free to move around
...

• In Pro Tools, go into Options, Solo Modes and select X or Or
...

• If you are beginning to track vocals, always track the compressor in line

•
•
•

•

•
•

with the vocal and print the compression
...
An analog compressor will sound
better than a plug in insert
...
This will give them a much tighter mix in their headphones
...

Always duplicate playlists when tracking multiple vocal takes
...

Go into Playlist Mode in Pro Tools
...

Highlight sections you like from each take, and then press the up
arrow to place them in your comp track
...

Playlist mode is great for a single track like a vocal or a guitar, but never
use it for drums
...

Once you get your comped vocal, make sure to utilize Clip Gain
...
Be careful to not distort the track by turning
something up too much
...

• Booking for the next 3 hr block of recordings are this week
...

• Do a vocal production element to your soundscape due in two weeks
...


WEEK 10: More Melodyne, Word Clock
I
...
Make a “Print Track” when done tuning vocals in order to be
able to turn off Melodyne
...
In order to get rid of the DSP, make sure you right click
and “make inactive” the plugin
...

ii
...
OR, got to the output of the track, scroll down and go to
“NEW TRACK” and name it “Vox Tuned”
...

Record enable and transfer your tuned track into audio
...
This is also VERY useful for printing reverbs,
analog effects and anything else during mixing
...
Turn two tracks into a stereo track
i
...
Bass Amp and Bass DI, highlight them, and
drag them into a stereo track
...

1
...
Make sure you are in Polyphonic mode
...
Polyphonic Mode – Separates each note
...

a
...

b
...
It will not work
unless its on a stereo track
...
You can also use Polyphonic Mode to save
audio as a Midi Track
...

You could use this to double a bass part
with a Midi Synth
...
Digital Audio
• Developed because it is much easier to send a digital
signal through a telephone than an audio signal
...

a
...
How does it work?
1
...

2
...
It states that if you are going to
take a sample of audio you are going to want to
take at least double the rate of human hearing
...
1k
3
...
So 44
...

This then gets converted, essentially, into binary
code
...
You need the audio playing at the same rate
coming in that it is coming out (44
...
For this you
need Word Clock to sync them up together
...
Speed Reference – Tells the DAW what
speed to play back those samples
...
Time or Positional Reference – Time Code,
or a musical grid
...
Bit Depth – Defines precisely, dynamic
range
...
The more bit
depth you add, the more dynamic range
you allow yourself
...
The more bit depth you add, the
deeper your quiet floor is
...
DBFS – Decibles Full Scale
...
-18dbfs is 0 on an analog VU
meter
...
Floating Bit Point – This moves the scale of
bit depth
...
Use this
...
The Way to Syncronize two separate audio
engines is to use Word Clock
...
Broad terms of ways to Sync:
1
...
Pro Tools Master (internal
clock) Console slave (external)
3
...

4
...

b
...
Two Options: You can use the
internal clock in Pro Tools, or the
External Clock
...
With Pro Tools you need a
SYNC HD – Its entire job is to
take external clock sources
and sync them to Pro Tools
...
At Berklee there is a Master
Clock, which just feeds the
SYNC IO
...

3
...

4
...
This is your Session
Setup
...
This is where you can
change the Bit Depth
and Clock Source
...
Under SYNC Setup

i
...
Positional
Reference: LTC
iii
...
) This
is ONLY in
Europe
...
INSANE: Pro Tools will let you track
audio at the wrong clock source
...
Playback then sounds like a
nightmare
...
Pro Tools Work Flow
a
...
Drums
1
...
Kick – Sub
3
...
Side Snare – 414
5
...
Tom 1 – Beta 98
7
...
OHs – KM184
9
...
Bass
1
...
Bass DI – Radial
iii
...
GTR1 – 57
2
...
GTR DI – Radial DI
iv
...
High – 451
2
...
Vocal
1
...
Session Setup in Pro tools
i
...
Name all tracks utilizing CMMD and Arrows
...
Cascade Inputs, and cascade outputs at 1-2

iv
...

v
...

1
...

2
...
This is HUGE
when dealing with a session with a lot of tracks
...

3
...

vi
...
Also create a Click Print track
...
Create a click track
b
...

c
...

d
...

vii
...
In AKSS there is a stereo mix output of the
Console
...
97-98
3
...
Input and Output should be 97-98
b
...
You can A/B between what you are printing
by hitting the ST Return button on the
console
...
This will give you a stereo rough mix of
each take immediately at the end of the
session
...
Once you get to overdubs, just stop printing
the Live Print Track
...
Groups
1
...
This highlights every track that goes into
record
...
Also create individual groups

ix
...


xi
...


xiii
...


3
...
Under Display
i
...
Select Group Colors
2
...

3
...

4
...

Playlists
1
...
CTRL+/ gives you a new
playlist
...
You want your main track to be your comp track
3
...
dup
...
Technically quickpunch takes up twice the DSP,
because it is recording always in the background
...
This means that if you miss hitting record, you
can stop and pull back and you still have anything
you missed
...
But this tends to never matter
...
Never use Destructive Punch or Destructive
...
Change the Bar Number
a
...

For Overdubs always create a new Playlist EVERY
TIME you record something new
...
This gives you an Undo History of every single
punch you did
...
Literally EVERY SINGLE time before you record,
create a new playlist
...

Import Session Data
1
...

2
...

Color Coding Markers
1
...
Select “Always Display Marker Colors”

HOMEWORK:
Finish Melodyne Stuff and The Vocal Thing for the thing
...
Noise Reduction
a
...

b
...
Tape’s noise floor is very hissy because it is
magnetized
...
Dolby developed a multiband compressor, which
basically means that it compresses different frequencies
at different levels
...
To
combat this Dolby developed an encoded signal to put
the high end back in the tape while still minimizing hiss
...

iii
...
Digital Audio and Noise Reduction
i
...
For instance, Wavves was
created by two Islaeli Special Forces to catch people
doing illegal things
...
Noise reduction insanely DSP Intensive
...
However in the last few years, processor speeds
have advanced to the point where you can do
nearly anything with a home computer
...
Types of Plug ins
i
...
Basically allows you
“photoshop” audio, which is insane
...
DSP and Native

1
...

You are using HDX for example
...
This
gives you very little latency
2
...
Running off of your
computers CPU
...
It is still helpful to share your DSP on another
card, but the new macbook pros (this computer)
makes this basically an old system
4
...
This does
not happen in real time
...

You would utilize Audiosuite for plug ins like RX
Suite
...
Using Izotope RX in Pro Tools
i
...
Broadband Noise Reduction – Remove a sound
or frequency under an entire track
...
Helps best if you have the noise by
itself
...

a
...
Go
up to AudioSuite, find De-Noiser, and
select RENDER
...
Obviously a good idea to
do in this situation in to start a playlist
...
Whole File Handle Space – this allows you
in audiosuite to have a number of seconds
on either side of your selection to fade in or
out, instead of just the selected audio
...
Under RX De Noiser, go into Simple
...
Select “Learn” once you
highlight an audio file
...

d
...
You must be careful because it
could actually remove artifacts from your
audio
...

e
...

f
...

g
...

h
...
D is technically
the best but you really have to try out
different ones based on the noise
...
Don’t ever use the presets
...
Spectral Repair
a
...
Allows you to
take out click bleed and other noises
...
Under Audio Suite, select Spectral Repair
i
...
Select Capture
...
Black means no
audio, and orange is the
loudest audio
...

You highlight the clip of click
bleed, and hit repair
...
You
can also hold shift and select
multiple clicks
...
This mode
is great for vocal mouth noises
too
...
P+; will allow you to
maintain the same
selection
...

ii
...
Looks at the previous wave
forms and tries to add
something to the audio
...
De Clipper
a
...

b
...

c
...

ii
...
Sometimes just highlight the offending noise on
the vocal track, and audiosuite using a 1 band EQ
with a high pass filter
...

Download Izotope Rx and complete the example excercises
...


II
...
Option+Shift+3 will consolidate the clip
i
...
You can highlight more than one clip, create
a new folder from the Export window and it will
export all selections separately
...

ii
...

Basics of Mixing: Part 1
a
...

b
...
Mixing is about FOCUS
...
What is the most important thing on this track?
2
...

ii
...
Listen to as many different styles of music as
possible
...
You want
to start with an endgame, knowing where you
are taking a mix from the start
...
Find reference tracks, and use them to your
advantage
...
Context
1
...
But in EDM it is completely the
opposite
...

2
...

iv
...

1
...
Your first line of
defense
...
Panning – Automatically helps you create
space
...
Assume that your audience is
listening to things in mono these days
...
The Phantom Center – When the same
thing is played out of both stereo
speakers at the same volume it appears
to be in the center
...
The PAN LAW – When signal is panned
to the center, it is reduced by 3db
...
This creates space, and
sounds more natural than the same db
level in the center as the sides
...

3
...
It is much

more effective than adding
...

c
...
Starting from Square One
...
Turn everything down
2
...
Start by panning things based on what they
are labeled as
...
Ways to approach a mix:
a
...
Start with the Kick and Bass, and
move “up” from there
...
Vocal Mixing
i
...

Maintain the vocal as the most
important piece
...
Never be afraid to collapse things recorded in
stereo to mono
a
...
Drums are great to mix down
to stereo
...

Sometimes Mono is much better for the
style
...
Start cutting mics
a
...
Hide, and make
inactive if it isn’t
...

7
...
If the same instrument is recorded by
more than one mic and is giving you two
different sounds, utilize the two sounds
where they are needed
...

8
...
Far L/R is stereo piano
b
...

c
...

9
...

ii
...
Parametric EQ – Usually the only EQ you’ll
use in mixing
...
Gain – Allows us positive or negative
gain
...

b
...
Some EQs are not
parametric and have a set Q or
bandwidth
...
Shelves – Boosts everything either
above or below a certain frequency
range
...
Great for
reducing frequencies in bass/kick, or
boosting high frequencies
...
This will sound very
phasey and strange
...
Filters – Cuts out everything above or
below a certain frequency
...

e
...
His
plug in is also very great
...
Using EQ in frequency reduction
...
Start by high pass filtering the bass
...
The kick should live in the 30hz-80hz
range, and the bass should live on top of
that
...
This
allows you to avoid the need of
compression, EQ, or changing levels on
either the bass or kick
...
Find the head resonance on the

kick by sweeping with the EQ
...

ii
...

c
...
High pass filter is
your best friend
...
It doesn’t matter what something
sounds like soloed
...
Be careful with automating
EQs, and sections where things
are by themselves
...

ii
...
Don’t need anything below
about 200hz
...
Use Izotope RX EQ
i
...

ii
...

When soloing tracks, you can see
exactly what is going on
frequency wise
...


WEEK 13: MIX BASICS 2
I
...


Mix Notes from last weeks examples
a
...

i
...

ii
...
It
will add to the latency
...
There is no real reason to use DSP over Native Plug Ins
...
Native Plug ins take load off your computer, but should sound
identical to DSP plug ins
...
HDX plug ins are great because you can track with them on
...

c
...
There are actually two plug ins but are linked by default
...
You can unlink them and then choose which side you would
link to effect
...
If you are using a stereo effect like reverb or delay, it is not a
good idea to use a multi-mono plug ins
...
When mixing, compensate for your own mix tendencies
i
...

e
...

Mix Basics 2
a
...
Think of your Pro Tools mix in Signal Flow Order:
1
...
Inserts
3
...
Aux Tracks
5
...
Pro Tools will ALWAYS be in this order
...
The proper way is to have as many of your
faders as close to unity gain as possible
...


b
...
If you have different average levels on a track, it will be very
difficult to compress something
...

ii
...

iii
...
This is pre fader, pre
compression
...
This
essentially lets you set your mix at unity BEFORE the fader, or
anything else
...
This is a really good way to START a mix, before you
start using anything else
...
This is the equivalent of riding a channel fader into Pro
Tools to maintain level
...

3
...

You can also do this by automating the threshold of a
compressor, but its better to just use clip gain
...
COMPRESSION
i
...
In Modern Music everything is compressed
...
Its something you
can’t really hear until you start using it a lot
...
If you
utilize clip gain in a smart way, compression will sound
much better
...
You may find
that you don’t even need to compress something
anymore
...
Compressor Settings
1
...
Almost more important
than ratio, because it is based on the level coming in
...

2
...

3
...
If you want to
keep transients, you don’t want a fast attack
...
If you back off the attack

4
...

6
...


on a snare you will hear the transients start to come
through
...

Release – How long it takes to release the signal
...
If you want a fat
snare sound you want to make sure the release is
coming before the next snare hit, and the attack is slow
enough to let the transient through
...

a
...
You can get away
with compressing more, by maintaining a
relatively quick attack and release
...

Utility Compression – Not really coloring the audio, you
are just helping the dynamic range
...
You have to be pretty aggressive
with something like this
...

a
...
With vocals it is smart to just
duplicate the track, and mix in the dry signal with
the compressed signal
...
If a compressor has a Mix Knob, utilize
this
...

Auto Makeup Gain – however much you are
compressing, it is automatically adding that much gain
back
...
Try to ensure the compressor is not a gain
stage
...
THIS
is how you should use compression
...
You don’t want your tracks to be
dependent on the inserts to set the level
...
LIMITERS
i
...

ii
...
This will compress
anything over the threshold by infinity
...
Two track Limiters:
1
...
This
way you wont hear the Limiter “pumping”
iv
...
EXPANDERS
i
...
Everything below a certain
threshold will be HEAVILY reduced
...
This is good for getting a snare out of a kick drum mic
...
Generally a much smoother sound than a gate
...
Attack and Release
1
...
You want to gate opening
immediately in order to let a kick drum or snare
through
...
Release – Generally with drums you want the release
to be just longer than the fade out of the drum
...
Hold – Puts a delay between the attack and release
...

4
...

5
...
Basically,
not something seen on a lot of plug ins
...
Depth Control
1
...
Meaning, it wont
turn the signal “off” it just turns it down a lot
...
ALWAYS use an expander before you compress something in
the signal path
...
Expanders are a much more natural way to edit tom mics,
than deleting everything else around it
...
GATES
i
...
Gates typically do not sound very
natural
...


WEEK 14: Basics of Mixing 3
...
Parallel Compression
a
...
Lowers the
dynamic range of the instruments while maintaining the
transients
...
Ways to do it:
i
...
This is great for single instruments, bass,
vocals etc
ii
...
Name the
first one DRY and the second one COMPRESSED
...
Heavily compress the
COMPRESSED bus and mix that fader in with the dry
signal of the DRY BUS
...
BUS SEND – Sending all the tracks you want
compressed to an insert bus send
...
This is the PREFERRED
way to do this
...

iv
...
You can be completely
merciless with bass
...

Distortion and compression always sound awesome on
a bass, especially on a rock track
...
Think of using distortion in the same way you
would use parallel compression
...
Limiting
a
...
It creates a “brick wall” which does not let
anything by it
...

b
...
By setting the limiter AFTER your mix you are basically

ruining hours of work because the limiter changes so much in
a mix
...
Even when sending
someone something to be Mastered its good to have a limiter
on the Master fader (not aggressive settings) just so that you
don’t clip
...

c
...
Any more than that and it will
change your level too much
...

d
...
Very transparent, only $80
...

III
...
Basically, it is dynamic range cropping
...

Dither adds broadband noise that pushes the lowest volume of
the track into a place where the new bit depth can understand
it
...
It is always
a good idea to use Dither when bouncing from 24 bit to 16 bit
...
Time Based Effects
a
...
Reverb and Delay are actually both considered under
the same category, because reverbs are just an infinite
amount of delay
...
Physical Reverbs - In the beginning, the only way to
create reverb was to have a giant room
...

1
...
These were often recorded in
bathrooms, giant stairwells etc
...
Springs – A sound is played which excites a
spring, this is then captured added back into the
dry sound
...

3
...
These are incredibly
heavy, and are usually in a “plate room” very far
away from where the music is being made
because they are highly succeptible to outside
noise
...
Tape Delay and Digital Reverbs
1
...
An
Erase Head, a Record Head and a Play Head
...
Les Paul invented a technique called Sound
on Sound, which is where the erase head is
removed so that he could just record on top of all
the previous tracks
...

2
...
3
...
5ips,15ips,
30ips etc
...

3
...

4
...
Solid state chups
that could create variable delay
...
The
Lexicon PCM 42 is probably the most famous
digital delay and allowed for a lot of variability
5
...
The EMT
250 and EMT 251 were the first pieces of gear
that did this and are still highly sought after
...
Golden Age of Digital Reverb – By the 1980s as
digital circuitry became more affordable digital

reverbs took over
...

iv
...
What if you could take a sonic mold of a space?
How is that achieved?
2
...

Usually a transient event or a frequency sweep
...
Then through advanced processing the resulting
sample is analyzed for its specific reflections vs
the original dry signal
...
Essentially like pouring hot metal into a mold, and
then taking the mold away
...
Due to its intense use of processing convolution
was not possible until relatively recently
...
Plug in Convolution Reverb
1
...

2
...

3
...
All you need to do is to be able to play
a frequency sweep from a speaker, and to be
able to record that speaker in your desired space
with a pair of stereo condensors
...
A series of options will show up in a
dropdown box, so you can select “Sweep played
through a quality speaker”
...
Drag and drop the
recorded file into Altiverb and then it should work
...

HOMEWORK: Record an impulse response around campus, and organize
a file with a picture that will show up in altiverb and the mp3 bounce of the
sample
...
1khz PT session
...


NEXT SEMESTER INFO:
Required class talks more about recording, mixing and tech specs
...

Elective focuses mainly on tracking in AKSS
...
The test may restrict some entrance into the
class
...


Mix Templates
a
...
Allows you to pick and choose from groups, plug ins,
settings, and any other session parameters to import into
your new session
...

ii
...
This is a really easy way to lose
audio files
...

iii
...
This helps fix the issue of Pro
Tools timestamping files playing back at the wrong
speed
...
If you screw up the plug ins once you import the session
data, you can go back into the ISD Window and import
JUST the plug in settings by selecting “Match Tracks”
and only selecting “Plug in Assignments” from the drop
down window
...
Creating a Mix Template
i
...
All tracks routed to Sub Groups, and Sends on the
far left
...
All AUX FX Tracks after that into a Master FX track
3
...
Master Fader into a Print Track

ii
...
You really only need Outputs 1_2 because you are
mixing in the box
...
The important window is the BUS Window
...
Go inside the bus window and start
renaming the various busses to various
things you might use like: Vox, Reverb,
Delay 1, Delay 2, AUX FX, Piano, Guitar,
Drums, Print Bus, and a Master FX bus
...
A Master FX Bus is good for a global
control of the FX on the track so you
don’t have to go in and manually make
a track more dry
...
It is much more preferable to Print into Pro
Tools rather than Bounce to Disk
...
Now make 20 (?) Aux tracks, and when you cascade
your outputs they will all be there
...
Next make a Master Track and a Stereo Audio
Track as your PRINT track
...

2
...

3
...

This is so that IF you need it you can quickly make
something brighter etc
...
Put a compressor on the DRUM COMPRESSION
Sub Group
5
...
Also put a Channel Strip on
the Master Fader Before the Limiter and set a very
subtle EQ to compensate for EQ mistakes you may
typically make
...
The last thing to do would be to Assign every FX
send to every Audio Track, that way it is set up like
a console and all the tracks have immediate
access to that effect for that particular track
...
You can also make Audio Tracks as “Chains” in
your template
...
Create an Audio Track and select a specific
compressor, de esser, EQ chain that you
would typically use on Vocals for example
...

8
...

9
...

10
...

iv
...

1
...
Now you just have to assign your audio tracks to
the proper busses
...


Introduction to the System 5 Console
a
...
MADI stands for Multichannel Audio Digital Interface
ii
...

If you double the sample rate, 48-96k, you will half the
amount of channels (from 64 to 32)
...

iii
...

1
...
But you
cant really send across a far distance
...

2
...

iv
...
Can go Extremely long distances, but is fragile and
very costly
...
Dante
i
...

ii
...

iii
...
Dante in the coming
years should make MADI obsolete
...
Dante can send 64 Channels both directions, where
MADI can only send 64 Channels one direction at a time
...
Introduction to the System 5
a
...
Three Main Components that work together
1
...
Handles all of the digital audio signal
processing and is where all digital audio
enters and exits the console via
connections
...

2
...
Runs the console software known as eMix
...

3
...
Contains the physical faders, knobs and
graphic displays of the DSP processing
...
It is important to note that no actual
audio, digital or otherwise, enters or exits the
control surface
...
How do these components communicate?
1
...

2
...
The computers in the back
have a rotary switch that will physically change the
IP address so that the computers can be assigned

into their networks
...
How does analog audio or non MADI Digital audio get in
and out of the console?
1
...

This means that all other types of audio in and out
of the console must be converted to or from MADI
in order to reach the DSP Core
...

iv
...
Analog Audio into the Console
...
Digital Audio into the Console
...
Analog audio out of the Console (Euphonix MADI
to Analog Converter>Analog Audio>Analog
outboard gear/monitors/headphones
...
Digital audio out of the console ( Euphonix AES
MADI to AES Converter>AES AUDIO>Digital
Effects
v
...
Avid makes a MADI interface
...

2
...
All of this is done with
software and is saved much like a Mix Template
...
Not limited by 28 Channels anymore
...

vi
...
DSP Core, Software (Pro Tools) and an Avid artist
mix
...

b
...
The Control Surface
1
...

Also referred to as Buckets assigned by IP
Addresses
...
CM 401 Center Section
...
This is where all of
the master volume, cues and everything else are
contained
...
402 Groups section, for compression, EQ
...

4
...
1 Section, also where
everyone puts their laptops
...

5
...
If you look on the computer you will see
“Console I/O” and a drop down menu that
shows Sources
...
Producers Desk
...

ii
...
DSP CORE (DF66) – Cards, MADI connections
are all here (very bottom)
...

2
...
Hybrid Computer – Allows you to use the S5 with

Pro Tools, Ableton or Logic
...
Euphonix Converters – about 10 of them
...
This is because if you
are running at 96K you will max out at 28
Channels
...

5
...
Controls headphones,
monitros, talkback etc over serial controls
...

6
...

7
...

8
...

9
...
Monitor Processing and Amplifiers
...
Wallace Notes
a
...
Sounds better once you start connecting things to a
bass to make it sound “bigger”
...

II
...
If you are cool enough to like Dub Robot, then you might be
cool enough to like Reggae
...
Britain was using Jamaica as a colony for sugar and salt
...
In the 60s they decided that they didn’t need Jamaica
which created a lot of political turmoil
...

c
...
They would basically record a record during the day,
and at night go out to the dancehall to see if people
liked it
...

ii
...
You
would have to just keep producing on a daily basis to
make a living
...
According to Scientist, artists would literally line up
outside the studio all day and pitch songs
...
He mixed an Arcade
Fire record in one day
...
All of this happening in the most dangerous ghetto ever
...
Dub Comes to the UK
i
...
Dubstep
could have its lineage traced directly back to Dub music
...
Great Dub music should manage to sound vintage and
futuristic at the same time
...
Utilized modern techniques, with vintage sounds
and timbres
...
The Sub Pack
a
...

i
...

ii
...

iii
...

iv
...

b
...

c
...
You almost hear nothing due to NO air being moved
...
Great for any studio, and wearable so you can travel
with it
...
Musicians Thoughts
i
...
Helps during recording live with a group
...

iii
...
When you have tactile sound and
audio in unison it really helps ease
...
Can help avoid bleed and saves your ears
...
Gives you more headroom in your headphones because
you don’t have to turn the bass up so loud
...

vi
...
Seated Unit Vs
...
Seated S1
1
...
This gives you an
A/B
...
Because you lean against it, you feel the center of
the vibration a little lower
...
Wearable M1
1
...
Just as strong
wearing it on your back
...
Portable
...

3
...

4
...
More of an upper body sensation
...
Calibrating the Sub Pack
i
...
Listen to the track at the recorded volume
2
...

3
...
Be it a club or a mix
4
...
Then when you turn up or down your master
volume you are actually controlling the level on
the speakers and the Sub Pack at the same time
...
Recording Session and Signal Flow
a
...

i
...
Point Mic
...
5 feet in front of the kit
at about torso level with the drummer
...

2
...
Also going through an
analog spring reverb
...
Very thin cloth duct taped over the snare and floor
tom
...
Using a Firefly drum key to
tune
...
MEMPHIS FLAG – Placing a piece of tape with a
folded piece in the middle, on the drum head
...
Scientist would put tape on cymbals to deaden

them
...

6
...

7
...
Great for
reggae, ska, dub etc
...
If there is no access to a wood beater, tape one
quarter to the front of the beater, and one quarter
to the front of the head
...
You want the hard surfaces hitting each
other
...

9
...

The theory is that it doubles the weight of the kick,
and eliminates the shell from moving around and
creating noise
...

10
...
Like Jazz Standards
...

i
...
One Drop – Kick on beat 3
iii
...
Rocksteady – Slow, soft Ska
v
...
Dub Techniques
1
...
Delay
i
...
Spring Reverb
2
...
Use a casset tape as a tape loop delay
...
More Mic techniques
1
...
Point a 57 off axis at the drummers back
towards the floor tom
...

b
...
Pretty
standard snare mic technique
...
Place a D112 right outside the sound hole

of the kick drum on axis
...
Mic the hi tom with 441
e
...

f
...
Throwaway mic, don’t really need it
...
Room Mic, U67 in front of kit, set to cardioid
for drums
...

h
...

i
...
You want no parallel
lines happening in the live room
...
Tom mics, and others are just extra
...

2
...
Sweep for frequencies until you hit a sweet
spot on the piano
...

b
...
Blankets sometimes
wont do enough, and bleed can be
awesome
...
58 in the sound hole of the piano
...
MECHANICAL FILTERING
b
...
Don’t use the Sub Pack when recording horns because
it modulates the air in your body
...

ii
...
U67 – Figure 8 Pattern
a
...
Record that at
the same time into the same mic
...

2
...

4
...


6
...


a
...

PIANO
a
...
To supplement the Piano, play a “Bubble”
...
Also add a separate lead organ line utilizing
a slightly different organ tone
MELODICA
a
...

BUCKET
a
...

b
...
Play on 1&, 2&, 3&, 4& etc
...
Play straight 8th notes
b
...
Drop the tambo like a bawsss at the end

iii
...
You don’t want high level into Pro Tools, you
actually want it kind of low, around -10db
...
When recording the Butt Point technique, you
want the room mic and the point mic to be at the
same level
...
You could just use the butt and point mic as your
only mics and really emulate the Studio One
sound
...
Try using a snare without the spring on as a
timbale drum
...
Make sure the players understand that LESS is
MORE, and there is no room for dissonant chords
in reggae
...
The MIX and DUB
a
...
Bring everything down to -10db
...

ii
...
Always use MONO Busses for Dub
...

iv
...

Label it Drum Bus accordingly
...
DRUM EQ
i
...
Boost it as much as possible, and then gain stage it at
the input and output controls of the EQ
1
...
If you
bring your mix down at the start to give yourself
headroom, and then gainstage at the input and
output of EQ7 in PT, they are actually more
functional than most analog EQs
...
Boost everything under 100hz, and add a little bit of 1k
on the Butt Mic and overhead
...
Use a high pass filter to take out the kick drum in the
Overhead mic, and the snare mic
...
5k in the
snare mic
...
Kick mic – Boost a bit of 50hz and below
...
BASS EQ
i
...

Slight boost from 50-100hz
d
...
Create two stereo aux tracks
...
Reverb
1
...

2
...
Mostly an afterthought
...
However as
an effect, it can be cool
...
Try putting a high pass filter on the bass so
you only get fret noise, then put reverb on
that
...

c
...
Reverb into an EQ
a
...
Make
it pretty long, with a 5 second decay time
...
Make this input of this reverb a bus (Bus
17, Refer to Writing automation section in

notes)
c
...

d
...
Hold down CNTRL+OPTION+CMMD
and click the button right above
where it says “safe” in the EQ top
menu
...
Insert the High Pass filter in the
chain, and set it to 24db/octave
...
Do radical frequency sweeps while
writing automation for Dub
...

e
...
Delay
1
...
Manipulate the actual feedback in the delay unit
for dub
...
Pop the delay in when the drum hits
...
Add another stereo Aux Track to create a
feedback circuit
a
...

b
...
AUX1_SEND_DELAY
d
...

e
...
Keep your insert sends at asymmetrical
levels
g
...

h
...

5
...
Place a low pass filter on AUX1
i
...


b
...
Bring up 1 semitone
ii
...

iii
...

iv
...
Create Stereo Aux Track
2
...
Place it next to the bass track
4
...

5
...
How to do Delay Sends
a
...

b
...

c
...
This
gives you much more expression, and is
where all of the character of dub engineers
is found
...
You pull the send fader back once it starts
to feed back
...
Make sure, as a more efficient way to work, that
you just send your Aux Sends to the Bus tracks
instead of each individual track
...
However, if you wanted more
control you could always make individual sends
...
Skank
1
...

2
...
Move this new track by the drum bus
...
Copy and drag your SEND and VERB sends over
to the Riddem track
...
Melodic (Horns/Organ)
1
...
Click the output of a track and select NEW
TRACK
3
...

4
...
(Send the tambourine to the drum bus)
6
...
You can create more SEND faders if you want, and have them
at different ratios
...
Creating a MIX PAGE
i
...
Drum bus, Riddem, Horns, Bass, Send Verb,
Delay, Aux1
ii
...
Select SHOW ONLY SELECTED TRACKS
2
...
Under Time Properties select NONE
b
...
Name it Mix Page
iii
...
Don’t put the SEND or AUX1 tracks in record
2
...
Make a
stereo track
...

3
...
You are sending the same mix to
two different outputs
...
Name this track MASTER
...

5
...
Make another Stereo Audio Track
1
...

2
...


3
...

5
...

7
...

Solo Safe this track
Record enable
DUB
RECAP
a
...
Should see a plus sign next to the
output
...
Verb and Delay tracks also need to go to
the Master fader and Output 1-2 so do the
same thing
c
...
Make the send on the Delay 13-14,
and the input of Aux1 13-14 so you
only get feedback when you throw
the SEND fader
...
How it works
1
...

2
...
The DELAY
track is the length of your delay
3
...
Again this is usually always done on
a rotary knob, but you can use a fader to
manipulate it too
...
Automation of DUB in Pro Tools
i
...
At this point the SEND, VERB, DELAY, AUX1 and
MASTER tracks are not needed
...

iii
...
Send the DRUM BUS, RIDDIM, and HORNS tracks to
busses 13, 14, and 14 in sends A-E
...

v
...
Send AUX1 to 13-14, AUX2 to 15-16, and AUX3 to 17
...
Aux1 will be Reverb, Aux3 is Reverb with EQ, Aux2 is

delay
...
Keep the Delay feedback level around 75%
viii
...
Send the DRUM BUS, HORNS, and RIDDIM track to
LATCH in Automation mode
...
Now we are ready for automation
...
Start with automating the MUTES
a
...

b
...
Alternate combinations of certain
mutes together
...

c
...

d
...
Now you
can see all the mutes that were automated
...
Find a section that approaches and leaves your
first Mute, and set a loop
...

a
...

b
...


 



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