blog.andrelareau.com

Threw the Book at 'Em: BLOG: SciAm Observations
HAH!! In your FACE!

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Posted by dre at 10:12 AM | Permalink

Yesterday we got our CD mastered by Dan Stout at Colossal Mastering. This was my first trip to a mastering studio and I was pretty nervous about my mixes being good enough. Once I got past the nerves though it was a great experience.

He had I think two oscilloscopes going, one on his computer(s) and one in the rack. He did the following that I noticed:

1. Collapsed the stereo image on the guitars, which made the guitars very present but they weren't stomping on the vocals as much. The end result is, it sounds very "three dimensional" compared to the mixes I gave him. How? no idea.
   
2. Added some EQ to the very tippy top end and the low end. He made the bass sound pretty huge and present. Each song had different EQ curves, which I think he did by ear, but the end result is that all the songs sounded like the same CD... I don't know how you'd even approach that, it was completely baffling.
   
3. Made it loud. It's not as loud as, say, the newest Bad Religion CD, but it's definitely way up there. It wouldn't sound out of place in a jukebox or iPod. I think that's good, because any louder and it would be one of those CDs that just hurts to listen to after a while.
   
4. Did crossfades and start points and spacing for the CD. We were probably a pain in the ass about this, we were a little picky but he accomodated us very graciously.
   
5. Cut a master CD with an error report for the pressing plant. This comes with a "PQ" sheet that we give the pressing plant that has all the start/end times, etc. Then we also got a reference CD that was just a normal burned disc.
   

There are a lot of guys out there that don't know any better and they just run your stuff through some compressors, make it loud and call it "mastered" but this was way different. He had great attention to detail (he picked out a barely-audible piano part that we put into one of the songs) and was seriously a wizard when it came to handling that equipment. He moved lightning fast.

There are some inconsistencies in the CD, like in some songs the kick drum is a little louder than in others, but that kind of stuff is really our fault. Next time I sort of know what he can and can't do, and I can try to mix accordingly. The only other thing I noticed is that we didn't do any real A/B listening against other CDs. I would have liked to do that, but in the end it turned out great anyway.

For next time, I learned:

• I think I might need new monitors. Regardless, I need to acoustically treat the basement, because I'm getting a low and low-mid frequency buildup that is making me mix things very bass-shy. Also, when I'm panning things the stereo imaging on my monitors isn't that great so I think I tend to overcompensate by panning things either way out or way in.
  
• My samples for the kick drum were very inconsistent. I think this might be due to the way dfhSuperior automatically turns things down when they would otherwise clip. I think a couple of the songs got affected by that little "feature." I need to watch this next time and make sure those samples are rock solid. Every little thing counts!
  
• Find a new sample for snare. The one I used cut through the mix, but only really turned out good in a couple of songs. I think a more characteristic sound would fit a little better.
  
• I need to find a better way to record Jared's bass. It sounds good, but it could be better.
  
• When in doubt, sing it again. When you love it, sing it again, JUST IN CASE!
  
• Do not fuck with my formula for guitars. They turned out awesome!!

Posted by dre at 04:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Punch It! Studio update

Wherein plans are made to take time off from recording for at least a month, so I don't go terminally insane.

Posted by dre at 03:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

After watching Much The Same record at my house, I came to the realization that we really need a fucking drummer. We need someone who is going to be to us as Jevin is to Much The Same.

Jevin practices for an hour every day with a metronome, so that his timing will get better. And so that when it comes time to play a show, he is solid as fuck. When Much The Same is playing, he's leading their performances. He plays the role of the conductor. Plus, he has raw talent and is creative in ways that complement the band. His hits are consistent, precise, and completely appropriate to the individual moments in a song. He is completely enthusiastic about his band, and I think despite some ups and downs has been a foundation of support for Much The Same since he joined.

We need that, except dedicated to OUR band. While I am an accomplished drummer, and so is Jeff, we both come from the same background, and Jeff has plenty of other stuff on his plate right now. I think there is only so far "filling in" can take us, whether it's me or Jeff or even Jevin.

I know there's someone out there who is both creative AND mature. Someone who has the presence of mind to hold a (somewhat) steady job, but the drive to throw it away when the time comes. An aggressive son of a bitch behind the kit. Maybe frustrated with his current band, or he just left a band or something. He is out there, he probably lives within 15 miles of my house AND I WILL FIND HIM!!

Posted by dre at 06:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

So the doctor thinks I dislocated the peroneal tendons in my right ankle. This is two tendons that go around the outside of the ankle toward the base of the foot. He recommended physical therapy, so I just got off the phone with them and scheduled that.

If that doesn't work and it still hurts... MRI and probably surgery. Fkn scary.

Info: Peroneal Tendon Dislocation

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Posted by dre at 03:12 PM | Permalink

GREEN Maybe None / Is having a child -- even one -- environmentally destructive? ...If everyone on the planet lived the way I do, we'd need three more Earths. As far as I know, they aren't making any more of these.

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Posted by dre at 11:12 AM | Permalink

"The ability to sign and exchange critical documents electronically increases efficiency. It also gives us an irrefutable audit trail for compliance with Defense Trade Control Standards." .Carlos Solarte, IT Director, Recon Optical

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Posted by dre at 10:12 AM | Permalink

A group of atheists at the University of Texas in San Antonio is trying to tempt college kids into trading their Bibles for pornography.

Posted by dre at 03:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

???ROI??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

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Posted by dre at 02:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Salon.com Technology | Courtney Love does the math
Of the 32,000 new releases each year, only 250 sell more than 10,000 copies. And less than 30 go platinum.

Posted by dre at 04:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)