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| re: Reply to question asked in 'Dead Ringer' thread | |
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Markus 06:30 am UTC 01/08/10 |
| In reply to: | Reply to question asked in 'Dead Ringer' thread - Jaycee 02:24 am UTC 01/08/10 |
| That was interesting to read. Thank you very much! That explains why people hear something new in most of Jim´s songs now and then. > Further down the board there was a discussion under the > heading ‘Dead Ringer’. > It mentioned the recording of Bat 2 and ‘I’d do anything > for love’ and Ryan mentioned the contact I had with David > Thoener while producing a study peace on the song for my > advanced diploma at SAE. > With out going through and picking the pieces out of the > posts already made, I thought I would just share with you > the initial email David sent me with regards to the > ‘mixing’ of IDAFL. > I hoping it will answer a few of the questions/theories > you guys had. > > I must add that it was Ryan that helped my track down > David in the first place and David was kind enough to > reply to my first email while he was on holiday with his > family. He was due to head back into the studio after his > holiday to work with ‘Weeser’ (sp) and wouldn’t have had > the chance to reply. > ---------------------------------- > David’s email….. March 23rd 2006 > > Hi Jacinta, > I received your inquiry about the song “I’d do anything > for love’…..I was bough in at the mixing stage. I knew Jim > for several years and he thought I’d be able to deal with > the amount of tracks recorded. > There were three analog multi-tracks. Naturally a sync > track on #24 for each multi but still 69 tracks of > information. > We mixed in L.A. at Record One in the valley. I think the > console was two Neve consoles put together. Still it had > only 80 channels. All the songs were roughly 69 tracks and > when you have several stereo effect returns we ran out of > faders. So I used the monitor section to return some of > the effects that didn’t require movement. The console was > automated of course. > > (Just to add: The Record One recording studio was > considered the best of its kind at the time with the most > up to date equipment and facilities. The studio was fitted > out with 2 Neve 8087, 40 channel flying fader automated > analog consoles linked together with 32 monitor tracks > each.) > > It would take about two or three days to get the song > ready to automate. Jim had recorded a lot of parts that > weren’t needed. Sometimes strings and horns would go > throughout the entire song. Decisions had to be made as to > where and when certain things would happen. Jim was so > burnt on the recording process many times he left it to me > to make the decisions. The problem was he knew when > certain string or horn parts happened and I’d make > decisions to take things out and he would come in after > three days of my decision making and say “hey, weren’t > there horns there?” and I say “yes but there is so much > happening in that section I took them out, it needs to > breath a little.” Then he’d ask to put them back in to see > what it sounded like so I’d have to automate parts back in > then when he had heard it he’d say “you were right take > then out” so then I’d have to redo what I’d just done. It > was not as easy as it sounds. Nowadays we have ProTools > and leave the faders open then if we decide to put stuff > back in, just unmute. This was a similar process but more > complicated. The automation was flying faders which was > very primitive compared to todays automation. So by the > fourth day I’d have Jim’s input and finish the final > details and he’d listen at night and we would do all the > different versions on the fifth day. > We would do a lot of versions too. Example, do a mix with > the lead vocals up, then do a version with lead vocals > down, then backing vocals up and down, horns up and down, > strings up and down, drums up and down, guitars up and > down, anyway you get the idea. We would have 20 versions > or more. This all went to ½” analog tape so we went > through boxes and boxes of tape. > The other problem was I am a day person. I like working > 10am to midnight. Jim was a night person, he woke up at > 7pm came to the studio at 8 or 9pm and started to focus on > the song by 10 or 11pm. So the day of him listening and me > making small changes meant I was usually there from 10am > until 9 or 10am the next morning. Yes…24 hours straight. > There were 12 songs I think, so it took about three months > at this pace. ‘I would do anything’ was a long song about > 7 or 8 minutes I think, there were no edits, meaning we > didn’t do it in sections. It went from beginning to end > just as you hear it. The automation was mandatory, faders > jumped up and down all the tie it was very cool to watch > and listen to the final product. > It was a labour of love on all our parts and Meat Loaf was > seldom there. He had to go and take care of business and > meetings and such and it was between me and Jim. > I’m including a picture they gave me when the album went > #1 for you to include in your thesis, if you want. Take > care and good luck. > If you have any questions in particular, let me know. > > Sincerely > David Thoener > -------------------------------------- > I did ask David some more involved audio engineering > questions after I received this email, but trying to pick > his memory on specific details on one particular song from > what was then 13 years ago after having done some 100 > albums since, was a bit difficult. > Some of the other things David did divulge to me with > regards to IDAFL was…. > > Balance in the song…. > Jim came in to listen to the balance of the instruments > and make sure the parts he’d written were loud enough when > he felt they should be loud, but he left all the other > concepts to me. It was a lot of work it took 5 days to > complete. Usually a mix takes 8 to 12 hours. > > Use of Bova Synths…. > We worked Jeff’s (Bova) parts in with the real instruments > many times to fill out or support. > > > Hope that helps settle a few queries.. > Happy New Year > > Jaycee > | |
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