Best 'live' and full band recording facilities in north east?

[Guest Tam o' Shantie]

Have you ever noticed that most recordings these days (even the good ones) sound shit? Is it because of close miking or tacky production or both? Why does every recording up to 1980 sound great, and why does it actually sound like a real band? Does anybody know anywhere in the north east, or at the very least in scotland, that is genuinely capable of 'room' recordings, who will be able to put 3 mics on my drum kit and make it sound like a shit hot, soulful beast? i'm guessing that the studios who get comissioned to do 'big band' or classical recordings would know their shit when it came to this...any ideas?

[Larsen B]

Eek, equating soulfulness with specific recording techniques, wrong, wrong, wrong!

[Stripey]

Eek, equating soulfulness with specific recording techniques, wrong, wrong, wrong!

yeh sound is gay just record everything dry it will be awesome i swear

[Guest Steven Dedalus]

yeh sound is gay just record everything dry it will be awesome i swear

Sir, your grammar has been appaling of late. (almost as bad as my spelling...)

And I think yer missing the point Larsen B was making, to be honest.

'Soulfullness' is not inherently linked to recording techiniques. Have you ever noticed the difference between dub recorded in the 70s and more modern stuff, the difference s incredible. The 70s stuff sounds far better, and it argably recorded more poorly.

Recording techiniques make an incredible difference to a piece of music, but not always in a clinical, technical way. WHich is why I love lo-fi.

I know this isn't quite what you were getting at, but you were being needlessly provocative, sir.

With regards to recording places, I've said it before and I'll say it again, but Mark Nicol knows how to record a band. If you let him know what you're after - and he's into it - you'll get what you want. He knew exactly what I wanted, even to the point where he did stuff that he knew I'd like, and was totally correct about it. A truly wonderful experience of recording, and one that I've yet to top.

[Guest Tam o' Shantie]

Sir, your grammar has been appaling of late. (almost as bad as my spelling...)

And I think yer missing the point Larsen B was making, to be honest.

'Soulfullness' is not inherently linked to recording techiniques. Have you ever noticed the difference between dub recorded in the 70s and more modern stuff, the difference s incredible. The 70s stuff sounds far better, and it argably recorded more poorly.

Recording techiniques make an incredible difference to a piece of music, but not always in a clinical, technical way. WHich is why I love lo-fi.

I know this isn't quite what you were getting at, but you were being needlessly provocative, sir.

With regards to recording places, I've said it before and I'll say it again, but Mark Nicol knows how to record a band. If you let him know what you're after - and he's into it - you'll get what you want. He knew exactly what I wanted, even to the point where he did stuff that he knew I'd like, and was totally correct about it. A truly wonderful experience of recording, and one that I've yet to top.

OK can I rephrase my original question. I'm wanting a place with experience in recording music the traditional way, where not everything is close miked, dry and over processed in pro-tools. I happen to think that this is a SUPERIOR method of recording music, not a dated and obsolete one. I also think that this makes a more soulful and passionate sound, regardless of whether or not the subject is grunting like James Brown or laying down some 'hot funk licks'. Show me a studio where a guy can point 2 or 3 mics at a drumkit and give me an exciting sound that vaguely resembles a drum kit, and I'll be happy.

[Stripey]

And I think yer missing the point Larsen B was making, to be honest.

'Soulfullness' is not inherently linked to recording techiniques.

Nah I'm not missing the point. I wouldn't say all these great sounding records from the 70's were recorded poorly, just differently, there's nothing stopping anyone reproducing that sound now intentionally. Lofi is a term thats bandied about too often and IMO has become a byword for poor recording, as if using some ropey mics to make a heavily saturated mixdown on a C90 fourtrack somehow adds authenticity.

You seem to contradict yourself by saying that recording technique has nothing to do with soulfulness, but then going on to say that it makes an incredible difference and that's why you like lofi. My point is that that difference *can be* soulfulness...and it doesn't have to be a battered halfarsed mixdown or pristine digital audio.

[Jim Stax]

I agree with Steven... Mark Nicol can get a great drum sound! Recorded some drums for faffing about with and as I have mentioned elsewhere some of the beats I put down are on the new FOUND album. Ziggy and Tommy have done very little, if nothing, to the mix simply lifted beats straight into the tracks, after editing and chopping, but the sound is what Mark recorded. Near enough exactly how I want my drums to sound. He didn't use only three mic's though but we cared not a jot about spillage and left the mics relatively un-gated. Go to Ziggy Campbell's Myspace and listen to Reshaping if interested.

Nice track being played by a new artist Duffy. Produed by Bernard Butler. So far, and I have only heard it on the radio, I'm likeing the sound/production. Damn good track too...

[TR!ΔNGL€ T€€TH]

Try and get hold of Steve Albini, he knows how to record a drum kit properly.

[Guest Tam o' Shantie]

any chances of getting some answers that relate to my original post?

[Chris]

any chances of getting some answers that relate to my original post?

Steven and Jim gave you an answer that seemed to directly relate to your post.

Or did you mean to add "aside from exile" to it?

[MTA]

any chances of getting some answers that relate to my original post?

Tom Im sure most places can do this sort of recording, Just need a good room and some good mics, Usually if you dont close mic some people think it might sound weak not punchy etc, But it is easy enough to do with the right room.

[Jim Stax]

Steven and Jim gave you an answer that seemed to directly relate to your post.

Or did you mean to add "aside from exile" to it?

Just no pleasing some people

[Guest Tam o' Shantie]

Steven and Jim gave you an answer that seemed to directly relate to your post.

Or did you mean to add "aside from exile" to it?

Neither Steven nor Jim gave me any information on a studio that knows how to do room recording.

[Guest Tam o' Shantie]

Tom Im sure most places can do this sort of recording, Just need a good room and some good mics, Usually if you dont close mic some people think it might sound weak not punchy etc, But it is easy enough to do with the right room.

Thanks Mark, I figured that it was pretty much down to the room, so in terms of studios with good rooms and mics what are we looking at? I'm pretty sure The Mill and The Byre have decent facilities, but I would reckon The Byre maybe has more experience working with big live bands.

[MTA]

Thanks Mark, I figured that it was pretty much down to the room, so in terms of studios with good rooms and mics what are we looking at? I'm pretty sure The Mill and The Byre have decent facilities, but I would reckon The Byre maybe has more experience working with big live bands.

The byre has a great main room for Drums and live open mic use, a nice valve large diaphragm mic would be my first choice like a neumann tlm103. there are quite a few different ways to mic up in this way it just depends what sort of sound your after. but if you have the time to play then it really does work.

[Stupot]

any chances of getting some answers that relate to my original post?

We often record bands live in our main room. Our approach is to mike up all the cabs with two mics each and then mic up kick and snare along with a couple of overheads. I've found that overdubbing the vocals separately is best too. It lets the back line let rip without worrying about spill on the vox mic.

We've also recoded live to our studer J37. It's a 2 inch tape recorder, ex abbey road. Only 4 tracks but it sounds fat and warm. Sadly, its power supply caught fire but we're sourcing a replacement supply. I use it mostly to master. It gives digital recordings real analogue warmth and power.

[Biz]

http://www.myspace.com/exilestudio

MySpace.com - Exile Studio - 100 - Male - UK - www.myspace.com/exilestudio

[Guest Tam o' Shantie]

The byre has a great main room for Drums and live open mic use, a nice valve large diaphragm mic would be my first choice like a neumann tlm103. there are quite a few different ways to mic up in this way it just depends what sort of sound your after. but if you have the time to play then it really does work.

To be honest what we're looking for is some kick ass demos. We want to just book in to a decent studio for one day and do take after take live, until we get a good one. Either do the vocals live, or do them seperately at home. I think this would actually be cheaper and more efficiant than spending a lot of time with lots of mics doing lots of mixing, but could be wrong.

[Guest Tam o' Shantie]

We often record bands live in our main room. Our approach is to mike up all the cabs with two mics each and then mic up kick and snare along with a couple of overheads. I've found that overdubbing the vocals separately is best too. It lets the back line let rip without worrying about spill on the vox mic.

We've also recoded live to our studer J37. It's a 2 inch tape recorder, ex abbey road. Only 4 tracks but it sounds fat and warm. Sadly, its power supply caught fire but we're sourcing a replacement supply. I use it mostly to master. It gives digital recordings real analogue warmth and power.

Sounds great - who's 'we' and do you have some recorded examples?

[Guest Steven Dedalus]

Neither Steven nor Jim gave me any information on a studio that knows how to do room recording.

I actually think I did attempt to answer your question.

The old Dedalus cd was recorded live in Exile in three hours, with the vocal being done the following day.

Is that not info on a "Live and full band recording facilities"?

[MTA]

To be honest what we're looking for is some kick ass demos. We want to just book in to a decent studio for one day and do take after take live, until we get a good one. Either do the vocals live, or do them seperately at home. I think this would actually be cheaper and more efficiant than spending a lot of time with lots of mics doing lots of mixing, but could be wrong.

Tom, As long as your ready to go Live then its not a problem. you will get bleed but this would be fine if there were no overdubs. I agree that it would be better to do the vocals after not only for the bleed but they are the thing that really need to be right and need a bit of time to do.

[HateEvent]

Element 106 have recorded at Exile for our last 2 recording sessions.

Definitely advised

[Stupot]

Sounds great - who's 'we' and do you have some recorded examples?

I own the recording studio and record label in lossiemouth.

Flash Page main web site

Some tracks up at MySpace.com - Spook Records and Publishing - Lossiemouth, UK - Alternative / Rock / Pop - www.myspace.com/spookrecordsandpublishing

It's a bit out of your way really but we'd be happy to see you.

If you're well rehearsed, you could knock out a good, lively demo at any competent studio but if you do your vocals seperately they'll, quite rightly, want to spend a bit of time on them.

[Guest Tam o' Shantie]

I actually think I did attempt to answer your question.

The old Dedalus cd was recorded live in Exile in three hours, with the vocal being done the following day.

Is that not info on a "Live and full band recording facilities"?

this thread, if you have any comprehensive skills whatsoever, is obviously not about the idea of recording without overdubs. it is about specific recording techniques that were a staple of major label recordings in decades gone by, and ones which I have seen no evidence of being used in the north east of scotland.

[Guest Tam o' Shantie]

Element 106 have recorded at Exile for our last 2 recording sessions.

Definitely advised

totally pointless input