7 Horns 7 Eyes tracking begins!

Aaron Smith · April 29th, 2009, 02:29 PM

We're starting our full length this week. Whether or not any of you are interested in or are familiar with my band in particular, I figured I would start a thread where I will chronicle as much of the recording process as possible for you guys, since so many others have done that on these forums and I've always been an eager reader.

We did drum setup on Monday, and spent a full day messing with tuning and mic placement and such. The actual tracking begins today, and we're aiming to get all the drums knocked down in two full days of tracking.

We are doing the drums here: Fastback Studios

It's about two miles from my house. Great sounding room, great gear list, cool dudes working there. Couldn't hardly ask for more! The live room is cool too, shaped really well with a 12' ceiling, and the floor is roughly half carpeted and half hardwood.

Here's a few pics of the drum mic array that I took on a digital camera. They aren't the greatest quality, but they'll do. This is also your first glimpse of my drummer's brand new Paiste setup, for those of you who saw the recent thread I posted about his endorsement.

The input list reads:

Kick 1 > SM-91 > Manley Slam!
Kick 2 (sub) > NS-10 speaker > Manley Slam!
Snare (top) > Audix i5 > API 7600
Snare (bottom) > AKG-414 > Focusrite ISA
Tom 1 > MD-421 > Neve 33115
Tom 2 > MD-421 > Neve 33115
Tom 3 > MD-421 > Neve 33122
Tom 4 > MD-421 > Neve 33122
Hat > Gefell M300 > Focusrite ISA
Ride > Neumann KM100 > Focusrite ISA
China > Neumann KM184 > Focusrite ISA
OH (x2) > Universal Audio 2-610 > AT4051 (different capsules inside, I can't recall at the moment)
Room (x2) > Coles 4038 > Crane Song Flamingo

The toms, snare, and kick are all getting some EQ on the way in, which is nice, although I'm trying to be careful to not take too much away up front and wish later that I had left more for mixing!

I'll get some more pics today. Any requests? There's plenty more to be said of mic placement and whatnot, but it would be easier for me if I just focus on answering specific questions, rather then typing out a huge essay!

The_Shred · April 29th, 2009, 02:31 PM

That kit is fucking immense! + The outboard!

musickey · April 29th, 2009, 02:35 PM

Lucky ass!

Are you micing the China separate?

Aaron Smith · April 29th, 2009, 02:44 PM

Yes, the china is mic'd from underneath (just edited the main input list).

Machinated · April 29th, 2009, 02:48 PM

looks really awesome

what snare is that? how deep is it?

cant wait to hear this

Zack Uidl · April 29th, 2009, 02:50 PM

very cool dude.

GarethSE · April 29th, 2009, 03:10 PM

DRUM PORN DRUM PORN DRUM PORN DRUM PORN DRUM PORN DRUM PORN
That ride cymbal looks pretty kooky. I have no idea what all those dots are for but it certainly looks cool

:O @ outboard aswell
woah
we're expecting clips aaron!

and possibly samples

MonochromaticStains · April 29th, 2009, 03:10 PM

cool setup, all the best with the sessions...

beechstudio · April 29th, 2009, 03:23 PM

Looks great Aaron! Please give us some guitar tracking pics when it happens!

Everybody · April 29th, 2009, 03:25 PM

sweet jesus....

Erkan · April 29th, 2009, 03:42 PM

Quite gorgeous cymbals, and the drums are kinda hot as well

Who do I sleep with to get those mics by the way? Giev!

Good luck with everything!

Metaltastic · April 29th, 2009, 03:43 PM

Fucking awesome dude, and of course the thing on the rack that gives me the biggest chub is the chrome-chassis Racktifier

Can't wait to hear the results!

KeithTidd · April 29th, 2009, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Machinated

looks really awesome

what snare is that? how deep is it?

cant wait to hear this

+1

Also, would it be possible to hear the rough drums versus the mixed drums at some point? i'd love to hear the comparison.

KeithReyn · April 29th, 2009, 05:52 PM

Awesome pics man!!

Necromancer197666 · April 29th, 2009, 07:15 PM

Awesome.

OUr drummer has the near exact same drum config.

egan. · April 29th, 2009, 08:17 PM

Looks cool. Best luck Aaron!

pifos_2 · April 29th, 2009, 08:47 PM

hey good work and good luck Aaron.

and it's stupid but in theses times of pressure.... remember to have fun and to enjoy it!!!

Sean in Silence · April 29th, 2009, 08:47 PM

Looks sick dude!
Good luck!
Keep us updated Aaron!

Uladyne · April 29th, 2009, 09:13 PM

Thats baddass.

lolzgreg · April 29th, 2009, 09:31 PM

Monster setup!

nwright · April 30th, 2009, 09:27 AM

How is the drum rack setup working out? Our drummer uses one, and when we tracked his kit a few weeks back, I had a lot of transmitted resonance I didn't like since everything was hooked together. When he would hit the china the whole rack vibrated and was VERY audible.

lordtech · April 30th, 2009, 11:06 AM

wow! i like the drum setup. Gud luck mate~

Rob Logic · April 30th, 2009, 12:45 PM

Room looks nice, can't wait to hear how those drums sound! Btw, Aaron, what are those rings around the tom heads? I've used G2's before and liked them a great deal. Are those built into the heads themselves or something similar to dampening rings?

Oh yeah, best of luck and stay loose!

Metaltastic · April 30th, 2009, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob Logic

Oh yeah, best of luck and stay loose!

Well said! (not sarcastic, staying loose is excellent advice and often forgotten in circumstances like that IMO!)

Z3R0 · May 3rd, 2009, 03:02 PM

Samples? I'm really curious to hear it dude

April 29th, 2009, 02:29 PM	#1 (permalink)
Aaron Smith Same initials as Andy Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 1,346	7 Horns 7 Eyes tracking begins! We're starting our full length this week. Whether or not any of you are interested in or are familiar with my band in particular, I figured I would start a thread where I will chronicle as much of the recording process as possible for you guys, since so many others have done that on these forums and I've always been an eager reader. We did drum setup on Monday, and spent a full day messing with tuning and mic placement and such. The actual tracking begins today, and we're aiming to get all the drums knocked down in two full days of tracking. We are doing the drums here: Fastback Studios It's about two miles from my house. Great sounding room, great gear list, cool dudes working there. Couldn't hardly ask for more! The live room is cool too, shaped really well with a 12' ceiling, and the floor is roughly half carpeted and half hardwood. Here's a few pics of the drum mic array that I took on a digital camera. They aren't the greatest quality, but they'll do. This is also your first glimpse of my drummer's brand new Paiste setup, for those of you who saw the recent thread I posted about his endorsement. The input list reads: Kick 1 > SM-91 > Manley Slam! Kick 2 (sub) > NS-10 speaker > Manley Slam! Snare (top) > Audix i5 > API 7600 Snare (bottom) > AKG-414 > Focusrite ISA Tom 1 > MD-421 > Neve 33115 Tom 2 > MD-421 > Neve 33115 Tom 3 > MD-421 > Neve 33122 Tom 4 > MD-421 > Neve 33122 Hat > Gefell M300 > Focusrite ISA Ride > Neumann KM100 > Focusrite ISA China > Neumann KM184 > Focusrite ISA OH (x2) > Universal Audio 2-610 > AT4051 (different capsules inside, I can't recall at the moment) Room (x2) > Coles 4038 > Crane Song Flamingo The toms, snare, and kick are all getting some EQ on the way in, which is nice, although I'm trying to be careful to not take too much away up front and wish later that I had left more for mixing! I'll get some more pics today. Any requests? There's plenty more to be said of mic placement and whatnot, but it would be easier for me if I just focus on answering specific questions, rather then typing out a huge essay! __________________ www.7horns7eyes.com Last edited by Aaron Smith : April 30th, 2009 at 06:17 AM.

April 29th, 2009, 02:31 PM	#2 (permalink)
The_Shred Jaymz Join Date: May 2006 Location: Darlington Posts: 4,171	That kit is fucking immense! + The outboard! __________________ Schecter C1 & C7 Hellraisers, LTD EC-1000 Deluxe, LTD Explorer, Jackson Dinky, Mesa Dual Rectifier, Peavey 6505, Marshall 1960DM 4x12, Spector Q5 Pro

April 29th, 2009, 02:35 PM	#3 (permalink)
musickey BOOM Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: INDIANA Posts: 1,446	Lucky ass! Are you micing the China separate? __________________ www.myspace.com/exesion ___________________________ ___________________________ ___________________________ _____________________**** _____________________** _____________________**** Last edited by musickey : April 29th, 2009 at 02:39 PM.

April 29th, 2009, 02:44 PM	#4 (permalink)
Aaron Smith Same initials as Andy Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 1,346	Yes, the china is mic'd from underneath (just edited the main input list). __________________ www.7horns7eyes.com

April 29th, 2009, 02:48 PM	#5 (permalink)
Machinated Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Milton Keynes, UK Posts: 2,744	looks really awesome what snare is that? how deep is it? cant wait to hear this __________________ My Studio Page Drum Quantizing + Reamping available - PM me for details

April 29th, 2009, 02:50 PM	#6 (permalink)
Zack Uidl Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Chicago, Illinois Posts: 891	very cool dude. __________________ Zack Uidl zack@zackuidl.com www.zackuidl.com

April 29th, 2009, 03:10 PM	#7 (permalink)
GarethSE garth aparrently Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 4,906	DRUM PORN DRUM PORN DRUM PORN DRUM PORN DRUM PORN DRUM PORN That ride cymbal looks pretty kooky. I have no idea what all those dots are for but it certainly looks cool :O @ outboard aswell woah we're expecting clips aaron! and possibly samples __________________ Debut EP out soon!

April 29th, 2009, 03:10 PM	#8 (permalink)
MonochromaticStains Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: New Mexico Posts: 51	cool setup, all the best with the sessions... __________________

April 29th, 2009, 03:23 PM	#9 (permalink)
beechstudio Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: North Carolina Posts: 167	Looks great Aaron! Please give us some guitar tracking pics when it happens!

April 29th, 2009, 03:25 PM	#10 (permalink)
Everybody Hail Santa Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: SC Posts: 272	sweet jesus.... __________________ http://www.myspace.com/ariarecording http://www.soundclick.com/ariarecordings -Reaper -Presonus Firestudio Project -Ddrum Pro Triggers -KRK RP8 G2s -Rode NT5 x2 -SM57 x2 -AT3035 -IntelQuad 2.4 -4g RAM -22in Acer

April 29th, 2009, 03:42 PM	#11 (permalink)
Erkan Dude, seriously. erdo.se Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Gävle, Sweden Posts: 2,783	Quite gorgeous cymbals, and the drums are kinda hot as well Who do I sleep with to get those mics by the way? Giev! Good luck with everything! __________________ erdo.se SM57, SM58, JJLabs DK7, Profire 2626, Intel Q9550/4GB Corsair RAM/320+750GB Samsung F1, Pearl Export Drums/Pearl Free Floating Maple Snare, Bosphorus/Istanbul/Masterwork cymbals, Pearl Eliminator Pedals, ESP LTD MH250-NT/EMG81, BeyerDynamic DT-990 PRO, CME M-Key MIDI-Keyboard My Summer '08 Project: MySpace \| Download @ erdo.se Free Collection of Drum/Cymbal Samples: Download @ erdo.se

April 29th, 2009, 03:43 PM	#12 (permalink)
Metaltastic The call of the couch Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: New York, USA Posts: 19,237	Fucking awesome dude, and of course the thing on the rack that gives me the biggest chub is the chrome-chassis Racktifier Can't wait to hear the results! __________________ Guitars: Ibanez Prestige RGA321F (EMG 81's @ 18v); Fender MIM Jazz Bass (Bart's) Amps: Mesa Recto Standard Slant 4x12; Old Mesa Vert. 2x12; Ibanez TS7 Recording: RAIN Recording Livebook; REAPER; Mackie Onyx 400F; SM57; Tannoy Reveal 5A's; Audio Tech. ATH-M50's; LL Redeye; Superior 2.0; Voxengo Elephant Myspace

April 29th, 2009, 05:52 PM	#14 (permalink)
KeithReyn Metal Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: in PA Posts: 231	Awesome pics man!! __________________ Motu 8Pre, REAPER, Reason 4, & EZ Drummer.

April 29th, 2009, 07:15 PM	#15 (permalink)
Necromancer197666 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Jax, Fl Posts: 2,051	Awesome. OUr drummer has the near exact same drum config.

April 29th, 2009, 08:17 PM	#16 (permalink)
egan. daylightdies.com Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: nc Posts: 2,155	Looks cool. Best luck Aaron!

April 29th, 2009, 08:47 PM	#17 (permalink)
pifos_2 des scoubidoubidous wha ! Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Belgium Posts: 1,013	hey good work and good luck Aaron. and it's stupid but in theses times of pressure.... remember to have fun and to enjoy it!!! __________________ New wave of belgian Heavy Metal!!

April 29th, 2009, 09:13 PM	#19 (permalink)
Uladyne Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 710	Thats baddass.

April 29th, 2009, 09:31 PM	#20 (permalink)
lolzgreg Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Long Beach, New York Posts: 2,321	Monster setup! __________________ www.myspace.com/thetomatofarmstudio PM me for reamping: Baron XTC (coming soon) Baron K2 Engl Savage 120 EVH 5150 III (coming soon) Mesa/Boogie Dual Recto (2010) Peavey 5150 EVH Peavey 5150 II (Custom) Peavey Windsor(Friedman Mod) Roland Jazz Chorus 120H Cabs: Mesa Rectifier 412B (V30s) Engl Pro 412B (V30s) Stone Age 412B (K100s) EVH 412B (EVHs) (coming soon) Customers: The Empire Shall Fall, Erase Your Memory, Zombietakeover Media

April 30th, 2009, 09:27 AM	#21 (permalink)
nwright Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: New Castle, IN Posts: 2,245	How is the drum rack setup working out? Our drummer uses one, and when we tracked his kit a few weeks back, I had a lot of transmitted resonance I didn't like since everything was hooked together. When he would hit the china the whole rack vibrated and was VERY audible. __________________ Nate Wright Check out Judgement, http://www.myspace.com/judgementband

April 30th, 2009, 11:06 AM	#22 (permalink)
lordtech Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Brunei Posts: 378	wow! i like the drum setup. Gud luck mate~ __________________ My neobux How \| do \| not \| post \| gear?

April 30th, 2009, 12:45 PM	#23 (permalink)
Rob Logic yayyyyyy! Join Date: May 2006 Location: Newport News, VA Posts: 272	Room looks nice, can't wait to hear how those drums sound! Btw, Aaron, what are those rings around the tom heads? I've used G2's before and liked them a great deal. Are those built into the heads themselves or something similar to dampening rings? Oh yeah, best of luck and stay loose!

May 3rd, 2009, 03:02 PM	#25 (permalink)
Z3R0 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Cedar Rapids, IA Posts: 122	Samples? I'm really curious to hear it dude __________________ www.myspace.com/alpinestudioscr My Studio in Cedar Rapids, IA www.myspace.com/neumatic - Current Band Neumatic