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Update

Been a minute. Here's an update.

Just bought a new mic. It's a Baby Bottle by Blue. Haven't tracked anything yet but I'm going to blog a mic shootout between the Baby Bottle and the Blueberry soon.

Finished tracking drums on a couple songs with The Attraction. Kyle is a beat wizard. He's also a great engineer. I absolutely love how the Sennheiser 421s sounded on the toms. We begin bass in the next week or so. Likely going to track everything direct here (while modeling using Line 6 Pod Farm) and then take the direct signals to the real amp farm. Well, not quite an amp farm, but The Attraction's rehearsal/recording studio is in a barn. There IS an outhouse. And you can pet horses. Like this one.

Speaking of animals, Mic One is almost finished with this huge single called Hurt Me So Bad. We had the hook vocal down with the basic chords under it but we just couldn't seem to find the right voicing and instrumentation. Then I finally stumbled upon trying to make it sound like a modern oldie. It's like Bruno Mars meets Amy Winehouse. I get chills every time I hear it. I used Massey's free TapeHead plugin, some of Logic's plate reverbs, a motown sounding bass, a vintage modeled piano, and a vintage modeled drum kit and that was it. We have the sound. Mic tracks the verses in a few days and we go to final mix. This is probably the closest thing to a hit single I've ever been a part of. Very excited about it. Mic can't even contain his excitement, as you can see from our last session.

I recently started producing a podcast for Stories From A Scene called SkyCast. It's going to be a Chicago music-focused podcast that will feature local music news, concert highlights, interviews, tracks, and live performances. I've never worked on a podcast before so it was very interesting. I'm actually bouncing the final mix from Logic now before I throw it in GarageBand (yes, I actually get to use GarageBand for something) to lay in the picture tracks and chapter markers. Here's what a podcast session looks like in Logic. Or at least my first podcast session.

That's it for now.

Create!

-J

#Logic Pro #Mic One #Microphones #Plugins #Podcasts #Producing #Recording #SkyCast #The Attraction #Logic Studio

jessechristenson-deactivated201

Man vs Machine (editing drums)

Producers, engineers, and musicians: When editing drums, do you prefer Pro Tools’ Beat Detective / Logic’s FlexTime for it’s (usual) ease of use OR do you prefer cutting and crossfading for complete control?

The Attraction drums are edited.

#recording #logic studio #logic pro #editing #drums

Ambience.

#recording

Jon from The Attraction laying down the bridge in 'Stay'.

#The Attraction #recording #bass

Jon from The Attraction riffing while we dial in great tone from his head. Fun fact: This is Pierre's new 8x10's first recording.

#The Attraction #recording #bass

Kyle from The Attraction. Drums sounded amazing before we even turned a knob.

Dialed in some killer tones for The Attraction drums. Kyle is a master of his craft. Getting comfy and ready to track.

#The Attraction

Midcoast Audio: We're your freakin' eagle, mang.

jessechristenson-deactivated201

Take A Ride: 5 tips on preparing for the music production journey.

midcoastaudio-blog

jessewashere:

My friend Mike Racanelli asked me to guest write on his blog. This is what I wrote.

1. Where ya headed?

When I’m producing a song, my default destination is Hollywood. I’m talking a Jerry Bruckheimer summer blockbuster. High gear, slick, top 40, world domination, radio rotation, tv and film placement, top 5 songs of the year status updates, and on DJ Earworm’s end-of-the-year mashup that rolls around every December.

That’s the goal anyway. My goal. Every song. Every time. I’ll be sure and let you know when said goal is reached.

However, an independent glitch core screamer/songwriter with a DIY work ethic, purist bias to the recording approach, and a laundry list of artists I’ve never heard of as their greatest influence might have a different vision for the zenith of their precious little GarageBand creation.

Knowing where the song is headed will help guide you both in the same direction. As you wouldn’t head east on your trip from Chicago to LA you probably wouldn’t drop subby Massive dubstep bass lines in the bridge of the track by your wide eyed Stevie Nicks gonna-be.

2. Check the map.

Where ever your destination may be, people have been there before you. Luckily for you, they left you a map.

Heading to Ke$ha’s party? Go 2 blocks and turn left on MonoSynth Lane. 4 more blocks and turn right on Four On The Floor Drive. 8 blocks then hang another right on Autotune St. and continue onto Melodyne Way. Last house on the right.

The complete catalog of the artist or artists you’re artist wants to sound like is online. Consider it your atlas. Google it. Listen to it. Emulate tones. Structure similar arrangements. Explorers had cartographers. Bands have producers.

The pioneers have blazed you a trail. Find your way through others until you’re hot enough to blaze your own trail.

3. Fuel up and check the oil.

Nothing kills the buzz of recording like creative fatigue from running on no sleep, showing up hungover, or working all day without eating. Take care of yourself. It’s easy to setup a detuned guitar or replace a tube in a head. It’s not as easy to get hair-raising takes from a singer who’s hungover. It’s even harder when you’re the one who feels like the vomited Taco Bell.

I digress.

Take care of yourself and it will show in your production.

4. Gear up

As you’d pack warm in the winter and cool in the summer, pack the workspace or studio with the right mics, the right guitar, the right amp - all of it - set up and ready to go. If the artist doesn’t have the right instrument or you don’t have the right mic, go rent it. Borrow it. Whatever you can have on hand to make the trip smooth, the better.

5. Drive

Step on it. Get moving. Take turns if you have to but hit the road. Maybe you don’t even know where your song is headed. That’s okay. If only for the journey, go. Sit at the piano. Pick up the guitar. You’ll get there. Even if you don’t know where “there” is yet, you’ll get there.

Bonus: Lost on your way? Nothing like asking a crazy bum for directions. I give you Oblique Strategies.

Mic One | Welcome To Chicago

Welcome To Chicago/Bang Bang (Just Move) by MicOneChicago

Here are the first 3 cuts off Mic One's new album.

We hope you enjoy them as much as we did making them.

Download them for free here.

If you like what you hear, you can check out Mic One live at The Abbey on March 19th.

jessechristenson-deactivated201

Eli Chen from The Attraction laying down some guitar on Stay.

#The Attraction

Greetings

Hey Everyone,

Jesse here. I wanted to take a minute while I'm at my desk to update you on how Midcoast has been going, but first I want to thank you for reading this and looking further into what exactly Midcoast Audio is.

2010 was the beginning of Midcoast Audio. I started it out of a need for an affordable studio to write and record my own ideas for The Aesthetic. After starting it, I saw an outpouring of interest from friends and local artists that also wanted to work at a more affordable rate in a non-traditional recording studio environment.

Since it's inception artists from all over the country have had their music created, destroyed, reconstructed, or defined in this humble little project studio in Rolling Meadows, IL. From Flurish in Los Angeles, CA, to Vanity Theft in Dayton, Ohio, to the many artists in the Chicago area, I've seen just how talented and diverse artists can be when they think outside the box of a traditional recording studio.

Joining me in 2011 as Assistant Engineer (to few's surprise) is my friend, bassist, and hype man Pierre Allison. He's sat in on many sessions already, bringing his unique taste and flavor to every project. I look forward to us sharpening each other's skill sets and broadening each other's minds in regards to music and audio production.

Going forward, this will be our home base online. Check back for pictures, videos, and updates on what were doing and who we're doing it with.

CREATE!

Cheers, Jesse Christenson

Currently Listening To: Mic One | Welcome To Chicago EP

#update #pierre #jesse

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