!WARNING! Trade secrets revealed. Get -that- sound.

Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2005 7:38 am

part 1 (This is long)

((Fair warning, this is a monstrous post that I really didnt think would take two minutes. Its now nearly 5am and im sort of high from the vast ammount of orange juice I have drank. After many questions/compliments about the sound I get on S.E.A I thought id tell you how to do it. God forbid...any of you attempt it. Its really, not worth it. Im sure there is an easier way, trust me.))

People wouldnt believe how I get the sound I do. I dont think -anyone- would honestly think I was telling the truth if I told what gear I use. Seriously. Its the most bodged, mocked, bastardised, makeshift, jury-rigged system ive ever managed to accomplish without blowing my house up in an electrical storm.
Here are the tools of the Engine I use -and- for the most part...keep it running. Mostly. These are not essentially trade secrets. Nor do I worry about being all cloak and dagger. Im not protective of any methods or shy to tell people how I manage to make the audio mess I end up with. Its more fun this way...I promise you, the way I -get- my clarity is too much hassle for anyone else to re-create. Your better off buying saucepans instead of Tama, or a banjo instead of that Ibanez K-7.

You'll soon understand what I mean.

Guitars = Cruiser Series (By Crafter) cheap but sturdy RG600. This baby has been with me for ages now. I play this 100% of the time when recording. Really is as cheap as you can get for what it does and is. I'd had it for almost two years and had many different set-ups before I settled on the way I have it everytime now.

Tuned down to C for Pulse, Deadside of Life & Modern Faith.
Tuned down to B for Chaos is Born & 13th Step.

I use good ol English strings made by Rotosound. Use 11-48 Mediums for most of the Rthm guitars in C, anything like the ambient chords from 13th Step to the Arpeggio guitars at the start. Whereas I use Dean Markley 13's (Heavy Guage.) when tuning to B to make sure there is no fret buzz when I slam on the quad riffs. Then its just a question of fighting with the bridge for an hour to get them sitting right. Because my wrist locks out in downstrokes quicker than upwards, I have to get them sitting perfectly otherwise I snap them...or wear plectrums in a few hours of playing. If I could afford a 7-string guitar, I would deffinately have one. But still, it seems to be working thus far.

For effects, it really is back to basics. Ive used the Zoom

505 for an easy six years. Its not great, but has that S.E.A sound I have grown to love. Havent got the heart to get rid of it now. That and I simply cant afford too.

Pedal cost = £80 (These days, you'll get it for £20. Thats $100 brand new when it was "Revolutionary", $35 now.)
Guitar cost = £179 (roughly $200 for everything including two sets of strings, decent lead -By Venom for reduced noise- and carrying case. WHOOO!)
So, to get the "S.E.A" guitar sound, it costs £259. Or roughly $480. He he. Told you.

Ok! Now, bass.
Its a 5-string I borrow from my friend. Its -so- cheap, I cant even remember its name. Probably...er...what was it. Hmm. ENCORE! Thats it. Yes! An Encore 5-string bass. With, dodgy electrics. I quote; "Nah, give it a knock mate and it'll drop back into place. You'll lose that buzz then."
Give it a knock, he told me. Seriously.
Bass cost = (I never use effects. Bass is bass) = £150 however probably worth less than the total ammount of coins I have swallowed in my lifetime. Thats 5pence, by the way. Just one 5p piece...im not that stupid. Mostly. ($200)

Drums! - Been playing the drums for about 9 years now. When I tried out for my other band (Divided By One) I actually tried out for drums. I was playing around with the P.A. when I was collared and subsequently sacked/hired all at once. So vocals was the next step.
Anyways. I used a Pearl Export kit for YEARS. Im talking 6 years of my youth banging on this white and steel (They called it chrome. That was until the paint flaked off) monstrosity. Influenced by Mr Bordin from FNM and Mr Vinnie Paul, I perfected the kick drums long before I learned how to hold the sticks properly. Eventually, when my hands broke on the cymbals and I passed out from lack of blood...a dude called Pete Boterill picked me up off the floor and said "My friend...there is an easier way."

First off, a few facts. Firstly. I dont own a studio. I own a house. In fact no I dont, I rent this small crowded English Terraced house and can neither store let slone set-up a full sized kit. I could, but the mob would be out chasing me with pitchforks.
So, I went into the studio for -one- day. Sidewinder studios I call it. Why? Because its a wobbly shed at the end of my moms garden. In I went, recording individually each drum under tutalage of my friend.

ENTER THE MACHIIIIIIIINE!

Part 2 coming up.

Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2005 7:38 am

Part 2 (Still with me? Jesus. You are bored!)

For S.E.A there is no human alive that is able to play what I want. Not even Raymond Herrera. No Nick Barker, no Chris Kontos no Dave McClain. I made it this way. Why? Because at the end of the day, if I -have- to submit to using the Programmed (Pre-recorded from my old kit) drums I might as well utilise the unlimited (in-human) sequences that come as benefit.
I use the world famous (HA, right) Majix Beatbox...

...no seriously. Thats it. The recording program is included and away I go!

Majix Music Maker 2005 Deluxe Edition = £150 <<Thats my studio sound right there.)

Now, onto how I record -into- my PC.

Goes like this.

Guitar >> Effects Pedal >> Headphones. (Then) Mic from PC, placed into the ear-piece of the headphones, wrapped in a duvet (Im not kidding, I have photos) to which the dampening sound comes straight from the pedal, then into Majix. Its real-time recording that creates a less than desirable sound as it loses certain frequencies.
Now, ive been using Majix for about seven years, but the 2005 edition for six months. I have now (Because I am a geek) memorized the exact frequency levels I lose on recording transfer. Then, as I bring up the recorded guitar part I place back -in- all the frequencies I lost.

(Still with me? God I hope not...)

After that! There is one thing you'll need. Patience. Lots and LOTS and LOTS of patience. TAKE YOUR TIME and go through -each- and every single lone second of your music. Get rid of pops, clicks, work-ins and fades by adding/minusing in fact keep going until this happens;

A/It all sounds the same volume.
B/You cant hear BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ on the silent parts. I use an awesome Noise-gate, which is the BEST thing for a guitarist. Otherwise, on parts where it is supposed to be silent, I use digital silencing. So nothing gets through.
C/It sounds like you -want- it too sound. Be honest, be self-critical. Rip yourself apart without quitting. Then your there! (Me for example. My vocal recording methods SUCK. Recording vocals should always be done in a sound-proof room with a proper mic. Cant do it at home, but I cant afford otherwise)
D/You fall asleep...

At the end of the day, you dont have a shedule to run too. With no limits, use the boundries and borders of every possible moment you get to keep it fresh in your mind. Go over it for a week, then leave it for a few days. when you go back too it, you'll hear things you didnt notice before. Problem with trying to do it all at once is your mind begins to track the music into your head. You'll know key points are coming up and focus on them, missing any pops, clicks or random phone calls (Its happened to me) that appear on your audio.

Now. After the track is finished. I spend about a week on the Post-production of it. This is basically when I have everything clean, tidy and neat as I can get it uploaded onto my arrangement screen and start testing out different panning effects, fades and additional effects. Echo, Chorus, reverb, fuzz, etc etc.

Then, get yourself a decent MP3 encoder. Do three or four to see whats happening to your track after you change it from a Wav. Brace yourself, its usually not the best of transitions on your first try. (If you see my playlist of Project A-6 music, I have 4-5 versions tagged onto the same song of different edits, cuts and graphic equaliser levels. Volumising and blah blah. Other crap I could list that is only technical rubbish)

Were almost there!

Lastly, find a dude. Honest one, friend if you have them. (I dont, so I play to my fish whom always seem to like it. This represented by slamming there heads into the glass) Give him three versions of your track. Tell him to pick the best. Reasons why and all that.

The one he gives you, if you dont like it, give it to someone else.
Ive updated Chaos is Born to version 2 since its been up there because I thought its quality didnt match the rest. I now hate this version due to the honky parts when the riffing gets bassy. I shall now change it.

BEFORE you stick it on a CD. Remember, anything -anything- at all thats itching your back about a certain track. Sort it out. Rip it apart. Find the problem and get rid of it. Otherwise you`ll cringe after its finally sent out and you say "man, I hate that bit. It goes...ugh." Too LATE i`ll tell you!

Anyways. MAN what a message. Hope you had fun and I completely appologise for wasting vital minutes of your life. You may write a song about it if you wish...although, I wouldnt recommend using the same methods as me.

~AK
P.S. If you got -this- far, god damn...must be what now, Boxing day? GET TO YOUR PARENTS AND EAT!
P.P.S I only got...20 points from this post. Yet, lost hours of my life. For any whom wish to re-emburse me for the loss I like coffee, Mini-pizza's from McCain and Angelina Jolie.

Bye!

Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2005 4:28 pm

What a post! Thanks for sharing. It's good to let folks know that good sounds don't have to cost a fortune. The magazines and music stores would have you think that the key to a big sound is more expensive equipment, when in fact blood, sweat and tears - and a lot of trial and error and effort - can go a long way for those of us on a budget.

Do I understand correctly that you play all of your instruments? I'd think your style of music would work well with a full band so you can all work out the parts together.

BTW - I'll donate you some more points for that long post <g>

smili

Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2005 5:17 pm

No Angelina Jolie then Smili? Damn!

Yeah S.E.A is a lonely affair. I guess you could call me the first true Solo Metal artist. lol, or something.

Thanks a lot for the donation man, I was only kidding when I complained! Sorry!
More than appreciative of reading it though. Its trial & error and just taking your time really.

Thanks for replying!
~AK

Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2005 8:56 pm

jesus - i can't believe your method of recording the guitars. thats INSANE!

but it sounds awesome. thats a fuckin killer sound for that kind of setup - and we who spent shitloads of money going into the studio and paying to get it mixed and mastered and crap.
i feel inadequate now....

-Seneki

Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2005 9:01 pm

Jesus christ you read all that? I didnt think anyone would!

And yeah...it is truly insane. Im -sure- there is an easier way. But to be honest, there is nowehere for bad sounds to go too.
Dont get me wrong though, by the time it comes to clean-up im there for AGES getting rid of crappy frequencies and replacing them. It takes time, but its just knowing to keep going until I get the sound I want.

Sound, is sound at the end of the day. You can b**ch-slap it into anyway you want it too as long as you have the right idea in your head.

If all else fails, I er...wing it.
~AK

!WARNING! Trade secrets revealed. Get -that- sound.

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