"M.E.R. under the table" project: "El espejo"

[na_th_an]

Hi.

From time to time I'm building a small fake live audio using the Boss MBR. I'm keeping all the glitches and record the tracks in 1 take to give a better impression of a live performance by a band. Of course, the band is just me.

I usually use the internal drum machine in the BR as a click and record a rough acostic + vocals track which I use as a guide. Then I fill in the other instruments: bass (a very old, 3 strings broken bass), keyboards (old pseudo-analog Casiotone MT-70), percussion (bongos and a shaker) and vocals.

I have these tracks:

T1V1: acoustic guitar guide (+ mild vocals) (onboard mic)
T2V1: bass (guitar plug)
T3V1: keyboards (guitar plug)
T4V1: percussion (onboard mic)
T4V2: vocals (onboard mic)

I mix the tracks in ACID and then master in Audition using the good ol' iZotope Ozone 3. There's extra rythm put together from different sources: the own MBR (808 kit) and the Casiotone keyboard (nice analog synth drums). When mixing, I do some EQ, add tape saturation to the drum+percusion bus, and that's all - in this song I've duplicated some portions of the vocal track and have applied time-stretched pitch-shifting. Natural reverb is added in Ozone while mastering.

Vocals are in Spanish, hope you don't mind. This is track #9, there's only a couple to go until I finish this project. Hope you like it.

[Redler]

Stunning job, na_th_an!! I like the atmosphere of your tune; haunting and a bit psychedelic feel! I don't understand a word, that doesn't matter, your voice is great! Well done!!

Kari

[The Gobi Desert Canoe Club]

Hi na_th_an, and welcome aboard, a well played piece of music with a slightly dark feel to it. Enjoyed it.......Willie

[maxit]

wonderful one here! please let us have some lyrics (my daughter is teaching me 'Grachi' spanish, but I'm sloOOOw LOL)
me gusta el espanol ;-)
bravo!

[Geir]

Welcome na_th_an !!

Glad you decided to join in. This is a really cool song. Love the soundscape you've made here. Excellent production as well !! Dark and interesting !

Looking forward to hear more !

[cuthbert]

I really enjoyed this, na_th_an - somewhat sinister atmosphere, and a very interesting one, too. And I'm a big fan of the old casiotone sound myself. 

[Hook]

Yes sir, I really dig this brother, cuthbert nailed it with "sinister". You did a great job at creating that live feel, I've been striving for the same feel myself in my recordings, not quite as successfully as you have here though! Well done & welcome!
Rock On!

[Burtog]

Cool - really different, love the haunting keyboard line and all round great sound!!

Couldn't understand a word you were singing tho!!

Welcome to the site!

[na_th_an]

Hello and thanks for the kind comments

I've sung in English quite a lot of tunes, but my pronounciation is so bad that it's as unintelligible as when I sing in Spanish 

As for the live feel, the trickery which seems to work is:

1.- Be dirty. I mean, before the song starts, fiddle with your instruments just like live players usually do (to the dismay of the audience).
2.- Use panning: picture the band in your head, then place each track where the player would be.
3.- Use extensively the onboard mic (or something simmilar). I plugged in the keyboards and bass directly as I didn't have an amplifier when I was recording this, but it would have worked better.
4.- When mastering, apply a mild ambience reverb. Warm room presets work great.

[launched]

Mindblowingly awesome production! Love the song too - I get a FrankBlackFrancis kind of vibe.

Well done, love it!

Mark