TASK 1 – Pre-Recording
Run-through – I ran through the track to make sure of tempo
and subtle sounds that would enhance our recording.
Rehearsal – We made sure to go through the track before
recording.
Level and sound checks – Before recording, we tested all the
sounds to make sure they were at decent volumes.
Performance – We made sure to run through the track multiple
times to get the best out of the instruments.
Gain – We made sure that the gain on each track was at a
balanced level to ensure a better listening quality.
Stereo Recording – I made sure to create two tracks within
Cubase and put a mic either side of the instrument to create stereo sound.
Multitrack Recording – This ties in with how I used two
tracks to record a stereo sound.
Connections – I made sure all mics were plugged in properly
and that Cubase recognised them.
Proximity effect – We put the microphones around 8 inches
away from the instruments, as this is midway through the industry standard.
Live Recording – We recorded all our instruments live with
no editing.
Screens/Pop shields – We didn’t have to use pop shields, as
we had no vocalist.
TASK 2 – Electronic Instruments & Recording
Direct Injection – We didn’t use direct injection, as we had
no use for an electric guitar or altering within Cubase directly from the
instrument.
Synthesiser – We only used a midi synthesiser and not a physical
one to contribute to our project.
Electric Guitar – We didn’t use an electric guitar, we opted
for acoustic to contrast the main part of the track with all the midi tracks.
Bass – We didn’t use a bass because we added a sub bass in
digitally through midi.
Keyboard – We used a Grand piano instead of a keyboard to
give a more ‘filling the room’ sort of vibe.
Electric Drum Kit – We used a midi device to program in some
“Groove Agent” drums.
Monitors/Levels – I made sure to note that all levels were
balanced and correct.
Headphones – I used a combination of headphones and speakers
whilst mixing and mastering to truly get the best sounding end product for my
track.
Fold Back Systems – We utilised the fold back systems so
that the performers in the studio could hear what they were playing for better
quality overall.
Talk Back – I used the talk back feature in the studio to
relay what I wanted played on the instruments and how it sounded to me.
Track Sheets – We didn’t need any track sheets, as the
melody of the song was quite simple to remember and play.
Identifying Tracks – I identified tracks by naming them
different things based on the instrument and colour coded them on similarity.
Overdubbing – We didn’t do any overdubbing apart from adding
the midi tacks over the top of the existing recording.
Listening for Distortion – I did this by thoroughly going
through the whole track and focusing on whether any elements were of a lower
quality.
Checking Playback – I went through and checked if any parts
skipped or didn’t sound correct, and apart from one or two hiccups the track
was fine.
