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Pulling down frequencies at certain places in the mix

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Pulling down frequencies at certain places in the mix

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During the mastering the guitar solo track became a bit harsh and too sharp, as it was a DI signal this was understandable so for that section of the track I activated a selective EQ and then turned it off for the rest of the track.

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During the mastering process I also used compression on the bounce of my track. I used this compressor as it is modelled on a vintage tube style compressor so will give me a more subtle and softer compression which is ideal for mastering compared to Pro Tools stockdigital compressor for example.

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During the mastering process I used selective EQ bands to pick out any whistling frequencies and pull down in volume

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Another big part of the mixing was automating both volume and reverb on the saxophone. As the instrument is so dynamic, and the distance between the sax and microphone wasn't completely consitent this was an important step.

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During the mixing process I made a general 'room' reverb send. I sent all the instruments to this, at varying levels. This was to create a room atmosphere as I wanted this to feel slightly like a live room recording. Whilst all the instruments were recorded at the same time, the guitar and saxophone were isolated and the keyboard and bass were DI. Therefore there wasnt really any room sound.

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Following the feedback, I made a send from the saxophone, basically duplicating the track, then heavily compressed it. I also applied EQ and a slight overdrive and then blended this into the mix.

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Tutor feedback that will inform my 3rd mix

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Tutor feedback that will inform my 3rd mix

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This is my second mix following my in class production tutors advice on the track, this included using EQ and compression on the Saxophone and making sure the drums (especially the kick) are punching.
I then sent this mix of to my usual tutor, Adam Goodlet for a second perspective

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We used one of the Bond Street 1hr 30 mins session to transpose certain melodies that were written on piano from concert pitch to Eb for Saxophone. This was in preparation for the recording session

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Here I am practicing my DAW piece with my bandmates from PPW, this is in preparation for my studio recording session and to finalise everyones parts.

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The track I have written for my DAW submission has developed through my influence of Vulfpeck, jazz and 70s funk. This track had several iterations, going from more a ballad type way of playing the progression to the much funkier way it is now.

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How Tom Misch Influences me as an Artist

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How Tom Misch Influences me as an Artist

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- Performance:

Tom Misch really inspires me with his fusion of pop/hip-hop and jazz. His clean tone guitar playing for example in songs like his cover of Isn't She Lovely (https://open.spotify.com/track/23H8PpuhyTDHwpqcDm7vS6?si=ad3582ee0d2c4b5) has changed a lot the way I play.

- Technique

I think there is a lot to be taken from the way that Misch plays solos, often sliding between notes rather than bending, slightly mimicking some of the classic jazz guitar techniques. Whilst Misch's playing might not be as fast as traditional jazz guitar, it is used tastefully. As someone who is not a big rock soloist, I take a lot from this. I find mixing this style with the minimalist funk arrangements I looked at from Vulfpeck works quite well.

- Production

Misch also takes quite a minimalist approach to his production however with more of a modern sound, e.g. deep bass and sometimes hip-hop style drum beats. However his guitar tone and mixing definitely influences my writing and recording.

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- Performance:

Vulpeck have a great live feel to their music and their performances are very tight, I plan to incorporate this fun but competent attitude into my live performance playing. Having a very nicely balanced and arranged performance but that still feels live and soulful.

- Technique:

One technique I have taken inspiration from is Cory Wong's rhythm guitar playing. He plays funk parts sparsely and with lots of muting, but keeping the right hand at a consistent rhythm. I have incorporated this into one of my original ideas I have been working on for the DAW track submission.

- Production:

I am a big fan of Vulfpeck's minimalist funk style, which also reflects in their production. Their songs often have a very stripped production, allowing lots of space which often I find the more space the ‘funkier’ songs can sound. This is something I make sure to be thinking about when producing my songs, rather than filling the entire mix but tastefully choosing when to include certain instruments. Vulfpeck also continues their lofi aesthetic in their music, with compressed, trebly bass and a drum sound that reminds you of 60s motown.

I like lots of these similar sounds, for example on my demo I looped a clip of James Gadson playing a shuffle groove and used that as the foundation of the track. I got this idea from Vulfpeck’s Jack Stratton when I saw him do it on a Youtube video.

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- Performance:

Radiohead's album In Rainbows largely influences me, especially songs like 15 Step and Weird Fishes, mixing this 'jazzy' and warm guitar part with other contrasting instruments and sounds. The constant ebb and flow of Weird Fishes especially, how the fingerpicking guitar parts interweave creating this feeling of momentum.

- Technique:

Radiohead are quite abstract in their playing and writing, especially in their later work, often changing keys briefly or creating dissonant guitar parts to mirror the lyrics of a song (e.g. Paranoid Android - Ok Computer). I find this really interesting to listen to and does influence me when creating different sections in a song. Also Colin Greenwood's bass playing in Radiohead, especially on the In Rainbows album, is always prominent. He often doesn't play constantly for a lot of the songs, then adding a part every 4 bars for example. The use of this in Weird Fishes is hugely important as the guitar parts are very repetitive so would be much less interesting if the bass just followed this.

- Production:

Elements of Radiohead's production definitely inspire me, the tones on In Rainbows have a thing of their own, songs like House of Cards with a very dark, almost clean, but slightly overdriven guitar sound. This contrasts nicely with the rhythm Yorke plays. Also Radiohead's approach to combining soundscapes in with lyrical songs is hugely influential, for example with songs like ‘Treefingers’ from Kid-A and ‘All I Need’ from In Rainbows.

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My personal USP:
Most of my interests in guitar playing and music production in general, centre round chord structures and harmonic ideas rather than things like riffs and hooks. I think my approach to using jazz inspired voicings and chords in popular music is different to what I hear alot of people my age doing. Also I equally enjoy listening to different genres like jazz and funk to grunge and indie-rock, I think this kind of genre fusion is quite interesting as I hear alot of bands and fellow students sticking mainly to one genre or style.

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1. My aims were to do an interesting live performance of Stevie Wonder's Isn't She Lovely, highlighting a jazz style, inspired by people like Bireli Lagrene and Tom Misch. Also to create an interesting funk/jazz/fusion piece with vocals ideally to make it more of a full rounded song.
2. The resources I use to record demos and ideas are at home. However for things like live drums I would need a place like the Small Pond recording studio. For the live setting I asked friends to form a band, 1 bass, 2 guitars(including me), 1 drummer and 1 vocalist.
3. I have driven inspiration from the likes of Cory Wong, Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder and Tom Misch.
4. In my recorded demo I submitted you can hear my influence from Tom Misch. The intro and verse consists of a clean guitar rhythm sound with a lead line ('riff') played using octaves to get a bit more a round jazzy tone.

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Live: https://waterbear.instructuremedia.com/embed/7c2a1a00-7dfd-483b-8eea-45c6f0d85383

DAW:
https://waterbear.instructuremedia.com/embed/913f54d3-da3d-4ba5-a497-92ce590cc7d7

Some info about the tracks:
The live performance is of Stevie Wonder's Isn't She Lovely. I arranged a structure for this take which was;
- Solo guitar intro
- Vocal Verse 1
- Guitar Interlude 1
- Vocal verse 2
- Guitar Interlude 2
- Vocal verse 3
- Outro with Solo.
I played the intro, just going round the chords twice, then a played rhythm throughout the verses with guitar interludes inbetween. On the first guitar verse I copied the vocal melody on the guitar, then on the second guitar interlude I improvised a solo. Then on the outro the other guitarist (Josh Bisson) improvised a solo.

The DAW track is just an idea I had and quickly recorded in the same day, I am hoping to create a better more musically interesting track than this, in this kind of style but with vocals.

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Isn't She Lovely - Stevie Wonder

Why: I chose this track as I think it is a good demonstration of technical skill and theory. The song is a slightly more jazzy arrangement with also the vocal line played on guitar. I think this demonstrates a good ear and understanding of the track.

How will I present this: Will be performed and recorded live either with camera and/or into a DAW. Either at Small Pond or the Waterbear Venue. At the moment I have 2 vocalists, a bass player and a drummer involved.

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Isnt She Lovely live performance, arrangment, more lo-fi and stripped than the original.

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Funk/Jazz/Soul:
Vulfpeck
Cory Wong
CHIC
Stevie Wonder
Tomo Fujita
Guthrie Govan
D'Angelo
Tom Misch

Alot of the arrangment and guitar playing/parts influence me from these artists. How the guitar and bass work together and the song can be dynamic with few instruments. I also often more enjoy playing this type of music as the focus is often the music which feels more authentic rather than the lyrics or meaning behind the song.

Rock/Psychedelic Rock/Grunge:

King Gizzard
Jimi Hendrix
George Harrison
Michael Lemmo
The Jam
Love
Delta Sleep
Pixies
Pavement
Mac DeMarco
Radiohead
Sonic Youth
Happyness
Joy Division

Alot of these bands/artists influence me with the nuances and subtleties of their quite lo-fi music. I find a under produced good song compared to a perfectly produced average song much better to listen to. I also think alot of lo-fi artists like Pavement and Mac DeMarco feel alot more authentic and their songs become more relatable becuase of it. Pavement is also a huge influence especially with the creativity within their songs. They use alot of alternate tunings and unconventional song structures, often breaking into bridges and outros that are completely different tonally.

My top 5 musical influences would be:
Vulfpeck
Pavement
Jimi Hendrix
Tom Misch
Delta Sleep

Vulfpeck's and Tom Misch's arrangments will largely influence me creating songs and mixing and helping me mix each instrument in correctly. I think Pavement and Hendrix provide an interesting influence in how to be more creative in structure and texture.

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1.3 Reflection and Targets following Lvl 4

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1.3 Reflection and Targets following Lvl 4

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1. This year I want to improve my recording and mixing, following my feedback from my summative its evident that I struggled creating a balanced and 'in the pocket' recording. I will improve this through peer evaluation ( asking people to listen to my recording for advice) and using existing songs to set a mix target for so I have an idea of how I want everything to sound. I will do this by my formative hand in as I will be presenting 2 tracks, whilst these dont have to be  finished I will aim for them to sound concise.

2. Style and tone, I will improve the quality of my musical output by focusing in on what genre and style of music I want to be playing. Last year I wasn't really sure so my tracks did not have a focus. I also think they didnt focus on the strengths of my playing, for example I think I play better with clean guitar styles like funk and r&b rather than indie-rock or classic rock. I am already acting on this as I have begun thinking of and demo-ing song ideas for my assesment.

3. Collaboration. Similar to my 2nd target I want to be collaborating with more like-minded musicians and ones that can support my track. I have already acted on this as I am thinking of doing a jazz/funk style cover of 'Isn't she Lovely'. This will be performed live and recorded. I believe this will improve my technique and help hone my style.