This album is quite a bit different than what I’ve done in the past. I’ve always done all demo and album tracking at professional (and expensive) studios, but I now have a home studio that’s built for tracking drums: vaulted ceilings, isolation booths, and a control room with window into the live room. So I decided to record the Noam record at home with friends, and have the professionals mix and master it. I’d be crazy not to.
A friend of mine was mentioning that I should “re-amp” my guitars for the record. Re-amping involves recording a dry, direct “DI” guitar signal.” I’m just recording DI guitars; the mixing engineer will reamp later, if he wants. This technique will work particularly well in our situation, as the mixing engineer is in LA, and we are in Portland finishing the tracking for the album.
I am playing most sounds on this album through a 1979 Marshall JMP 50 watt, and 1978 Peavey bass cabinet with folded enclosures. It’s a massive sound; the bass cabinet balances out the typical Marshall brightness. Guitar tone is incredibly important, particularly in metal. The engineer may decide he wants a different tone; if I record a DI signal, he can “re-amp” it later on, using this device.
When I finish the album, I have a ton of music recording tutorials to complete for my music students at Whirling Squirrel. I’ll probably video blog and just give the content away for freebies.
-Amanda Machina