Facts on WHERE IS MY HEART (Released in May 2021)
My second Pro Tools album. I've had plenty of time this year to write songs, and this album will contain 15 songs (14 + bonus).. 4 of the songs are basically a-capella songs, though I added som stamp-clap magic to a couple of them, and "experimental" bass on a third. I gave a second go with some wannabe-steel guitar, hoping to improve for the better as the years/albums pass by!
New lessons
<Creating space> After my last recording, I heard (comparing my songs to others) my vocals was sharper/closer than what seems to be normal. In my opinion my songs were more uncomfortable listening to, so I tried to find out some methods to change this. I guess you could simply change the microphone, add a different filter, or increase the distance between mic and lips, but I also came across some other tools;
Turns out it's normal to use multible reverbs while mixing, also adding delay, and lowering high (>4k) frequences. When using reverb, the Pre-Delay added a feel of distance. According to Google-teachers, it's normal to use two types of reverb; A "plain" type like Plate, and Ambience (or a similar reverb). The theory behind lowering high EQ can be explained using the thunder and lightening example. Thunder usually sound further away than lightening. By lowering the high EQs, you can make the sound appear further away than what the reality is.
I tried out multiple reverbs plus the delay method with this album. The end result is not yet where I want to be, but again I am one step closer to the distant vocal sound.
<Bad Frequences> I struggled with a lot of bad frequences this time around. I noticed this during mixing, mastering and listening from different devices, and I just couldn't understand how this could be - My earlier records were nowhere close to this bad. It took me a while to understand that there was a change in the recording setting this time; I had put up a small furnature on the wall right behind the microphone, where I had placed a porcelain plate (amongst other things). This caused unfortunate reflections created bad frequences for the vocal tracks in perticular. I simply had to start recording the vocal tracks (and some guitar tracks) all over again. No fun experience, but I learned a lot! AND when adding x amount of extra hours to a mix, it always turns out better, as you start noticing a whole lot of issues/potential problems.
Funfacts
For "I Know", I used spoons for the first time (nothing complicated, still fun). I also used a mix of car keys, spoons and a scissor for extra rythm. I love how simple items can help creating the sounds and feelings you miss in sertain songs.
