Forever my Home Analysis
Within the song, the overall aesthetic we were going for was a mellow, soft indie pop sound. Using techniques such as repetition in the lyrics and melody meant that it had a more pop sound, but the lead rhythm guitar gave it more of an indie feel. Alongside this, the same two chord progressions were used throughout the song, giving it more repetition. The song ‘Sleepwalk’ by Deaftones includes some of the same sounds as Forever My Home. Along with ‘Cornerstone’ by Arctic Monkeys. The audio FXs and scale used in that song is similar to the one used within Forever My Home. All the recordings were done in Studio 1 in the University, whether it be in the live room or within the studio itself through an interface. Logic Pro was used within the studio to capture the recordings, as well as to mix the tracks.
When it came to recording the bass, we recorded it straight into the desk in studio 1 using the interface. We found a bass sound through the pre-amps on logic that we already liked compared to the amps we had available within the studio at the time and felt it fit better with the song’s mood. The pre-amp we used was a Bass amp modular. The tone we managed to capture was simple but effective and fit well within the song.
The minimal synths we added were originally not what we had in mind, but I personally think it brought the song together and added something extra that the song was missing. This was also done within the studio after we had recorded everything else.
Recording the guitar was a case of trial and error. We experimented with various mics and placements to try to achieve the soft, warm tone we were looking for. We ended up choosing the Shure SM58 and placed it in the middle of the left cone within the AC model VOX amp. We chose this as it was the microphone that gave the best sound that fit the tone we had in mind. The guitar used was a Mexican Fender Telecaster and when recording, we used the neck pickup. On the amp, we had the mids and bass turned down slightly compared to the treble. There was also no reverb on the amp when recording. This was added after when mixing.
Vocals were done in one take. We used the Shure SM7B as we found it suited George’s voice best as it has a wide frequency range compared to other mics we used. Meaning that it could pick up a lower male voice like George’s. Harmonies were also recorded for the chorus using the same mic. The style that George was aiming for within the vocals was similar to that of Chris Martin during Coldplay’s debut album, Parachutes.
We went all out for the drums, using 10 individual mics. As we were all so enthusiastic to experiment with a range of different drum mic positions, and we found that we preferred using the spot micing technique. Along with the cardioid pickup pattern for the overheads. The mics we used consisted of an ‘Audix D6’ for the kick in and a ‘beta 52a’ for the kick out. For the snare we used a shure 57 and a shure 58a for the bottom snare. We used the Sennheiser MD 241ii for the floor and mounted toms, as we knew it has clear sound reproduction and reliable bass control that we used to our advantage. With the hi-hat we made use of an Rode NT5 . Lastly we included an AKG C414 XLS multipattern condenser mic for the overheads in cardioid pickup pattern to get an all around sound for the symbols and the kit as a whole.
After recording was finished, I started mixing the track on logic, I started with the main rhythm guitar adding some dry reverb, delay and chorus. I felt this really complemented the songs setting and overall feel. I added a similar effect to the lead guitar riff in the chorus, as well as adding slight overdrive to give it a bit of a punch. We had an additional lead guitar that plays discreetly throughout the tracks. I didn’t add much to these quiet but fundamental licks, other than a slight reverb and delay. Equing and compressing didn’t take long as the track itself was recorded to a high standard and personally I didn’t think it was necessary to add too much of anything to the guitars. I mainly used the Vintage VCA Compressor that is pre built into logic pro to compress the guitar to really achieve a nice, mellow sound. I made sure to add a bass boost eq for the bass guitar as well as using a compressor to get the bass guitar to sound like it was recorded from a real bass amp.
As we had different mic channels for each individual drum, we could then utilize that to our advantage during the mixing as it gave us the option to mix each drum separately, leading to a great balanced drum that was sonically pleasing to the ears. Finally, I ended the mix with the vocals. Adding a hint of reverb to the main vocals and a minimal amount of delay brings everything together as it achieves a very ‘live’ element which makes the track feel homely and authentic.
My experience being a part of the recording of this piece taught me a lot and has really expanded my knowledge and understanding with using different mics and techniques when in the studio, recording and mixing different instruments. Not only did I learn a lot, I also really enjoyed the making of it as well as enjoying the song a lot itself.