SOUND ON SOUND

[BigAl007]

Hi Everyone

Looking for some advice for my project. I have been learning and practicing mixing for a while and now taking the plunge doing my own solo album. I'm making a 60s/garage rock/psychedlic/surfy kind of album. Where I am a bit stuck is with panning and reverb. Obviously back in the 60s it was mostly mono or the stereo mixes were very extreme which can sound disjointed to me. So I guess I'm going for something fairly mono. A more modern band who have a similar vibe I'm going for are the Allah-Las (especially the first Album) but to me it dosnt sound quite mono. Most of my songs will be

Drums
Bass
Electric Guitar (sometimes 2)
Acoustic Guitar (some tracks)
Vocals
Backing Vocals
Percusion ( some tracks)
Piano/organ (some tracks)

Most things will be recorded with ribbon mics, i will be using waves abbey road bundle for tape emulation, eq, compression and saturation.

So reverb. Is my thinking correct. If I send all of the tracks with some pre delay on (to help mimic a band in a room) to a reverb, abbey road chambers? With just a small amount to get a live feel. Then use a second reverb to drench some stuff, perhaps a plate reverb? All reverb to be mono?

Panning. In the past I have practiced more modern stuff with duplicate guitars, stereo drums everything big and wide. I really don't want a massive wide mix so...
Drums - All dead centre (mono overhead, mono room, kick out, snare top. however I will also have access to stereo overheads, stereo room, snare bottom, kick in and all toms should I need them. I may pan tom mics just 5% each left and right.

Bass - dead centre

Guitars, pianos etc panned 25% each side. Guitar solos/riffs dead centre if no vocal present.

Vocals dead centre

Backing vocals - 10% left and right.

Percusion - wherever it fits best.

Does that sound like a good starting point for reverb and panning? These are always the two bits I struggled with the most. Or do I just go full Mono?

If anyone has advice on the above it would be much appreciated or if you have done anything similar and can highlight anything else that would help that would be great.

[desmond]

Sounds like you have a plan for the aesthetic you want..

I'd go with it, and see how it goes - you can always revise a bit if you don't like where it's going...

[James Perrett]

I just had a listen to the Allah Las - it very much has the Toe-Rag/Gizzard studio sound although possibly with a bit more reverb and a bit more laid back. On some songs they've gone for more subtler panning that you would have been able to do with the typical 4 track that would have been used in the 60's while on others there's the typical LCR panning.

Your reverb ideas sound sensible - there would have been quite a bit of spill between instruments in the studio although vocals were often done in a separate booth.

One thing with these type of recordings that I've mastered is that they tend to be all analogue and they push the tape pretty hard. There is also plenty of compression and don't be tempted to make it sound too nice.

[Zukan]

You're missing bell bottoms and an Afghan waistcoat. This right here is your problem.
If you need some style tips message me Al.

[CS70]

Sounds good enough - just as a note, you can use the same reverb but different predelays (or send certain tracks to a delay bus first) to position things in the room.. even if a studio recording would have been pretty flat overall.

As of bell bottoms, I love them and I'm really struggling to find some. Ordered some online but turns out their definition of "Large" size was more of the Asian sort... I could probably use them as odd swimwear.

If anybody has hints on where to find proper, large flare bell bottoms I'm all ears!

Helps the music to no end.

[blinddrew]

This was not the direction I expected this thread to go in...

[BigAl007]

Thanks for all the replies, seems like I'm on the right track with my approach.

As for the clothing I'm pretty sure I have some old boot cut and flared jeans that should be suitable along with my large collection of paisley shirts and shades. However my baldness isn't a great look for the genre so I may have to invest in a wig.

[CS70]

This was not the direction I expected this thread to go in...

I have the Bell Bottom Blues! :lol:

[Zukan]

However my baldness isn't a great look for the genre so I may have to invest in a wig.

This is why they invented hats. You will note that all SOS forum members over the age of 50 wear hats. It's not a style choice. It is camouflage.

[Zukan]

Just out of interest: which reverbs are you using?

[BigAl007]

Just out of interest: which reverbs are you using?

I will be using waves Abbey Road Chambers & Plates

I also have Native instruments RC25 & RC48 although they are more 80s/90s kind of verbs. May come in handy though for specific things but going try to stick with the waves ones.