Hi there!
Fireworks are colouring the sky above, and I'm really glad, looking behind and seeing what did 2009 bring. On my personal life I found my soulmate (and wiped out the evil women). And artistically speaking, the last year was a benchmark. The former "War Machine" band turned into LOUD! and we began composing our tunes, hardworking on them and decided to bring to life an full album. I started to write lyrics. We grew solid, massive, sounding like never before. That's it.
So, we wish you all the best. Everyday is a new year's day, we all keep runnin' round the sun, but for the record, we would like to thank you all that supported us, that loved us. We wish you a 2010 full of accomplishments, good health, love, joy and friendship.
H A P P Y N E W Y E A R !
L.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Hi there!
Actually, we started the sessions at 2pm (Mr Garcia played a 3h full gig the night before and only came back to life one hour after he crossed the studio's doors), but in fact I was setting up the whole thing since the day before, when me and Thiago arrived with the drumset. Saturday by the morning, I've set up the kit meanwhile mr. Magalhaes (Studio Beer owner and tech producer) picked up the guitar/bass/vocals base tracks and put on the computer using ProTools. Then, we began miking the whole thing...and we got a hell of a sound. Really. The bass drum sounds boomy but also with lots of presence, it's like a bonham / van halen crossover. Ans most of all, the whole kit sounds like one instrument alone - not as a bunch of drums and cymbals recorded separately. I took care to not let the sound "colours" split up, carefully positioning the room mics. After all, the kit sounds the way I like - the drums "sing", the harmonics breathe.
For the tech geeks, here are the specs:
Drums: Pearl Export EX vintage - 24x16"bass, 12x10", 13x11" rack toms, 14x12, 16x14 &18x16" floor toms.
Snares: 14x 6 1/2 steel 83' Tama Rockstar / 14 x 6 1/2 steel Yamaha 9000 (only in "One More Time")
Cymbals: Paiste- 2oo2 24" ride, 2oo2 20" Medium, RUDE 18" (x2) & 19" crashes, Signature 15" medium hats, 2oo2 11" splash; Wuhan - 18" & 18" w/rivets Traditional China
Hardware: DW 5000 pedal w/ wood beater; BMA rack; Raul / Bauer booms; Pearl snare & hats stands
Heads: Remo Ambassador Coated (toms batter, and 13" tom reso also); Evans G1 clear (toms reso); Luen Heavy Coated (bass batter) and Coated (bass reso); Evans G1 coated (snare batter), Evans Response (snares).
Sticks: Vic Firth Rock model / 2B model
Tuning: I tried to replicate a classic, vintage tuning, medium to high pitched. Since I was using single-ply, coated heads, special care should be taken to control the overtones, but not "choking" the drums. I do not muffle the bass drum, except for a fabric stripe inside the resonant head that helps to focus the sound, killing excessive overtones. Snare and toms have no muffle at all. The 13" rack tom I tuned batter and bottom heads in unison (same pitch).
Miking: The plan is to get the sound mainly from the room mikes ( Neumann 103, Rode NT2A), and become adding focus with the close mikes (Shure SM 52 / 57 / 56) and some stereo imaging with the overheads ( shotgun mikes - I dit not get their specs, sorry!).
I have to say, some songs I played really hard, but tried to keep some atmosphere in the tunes, using dynamics and grace notes. Hope you all like it, and, as you, I can' wait to listen the work completed.
Some sticks got hurt or died during the making of this record :(
Loudest cheers!
L.
Actually, we started the sessions at 2pm (Mr Garcia played a 3h full gig the night before and only came back to life one hour after he crossed the studio's doors), but in fact I was setting up the whole thing since the day before, when me and Thiago arrived with the drumset. Saturday by the morning, I've set up the kit meanwhile mr. Magalhaes (Studio Beer owner and tech producer) picked up the guitar/bass/vocals base tracks and put on the computer using ProTools. Then, we began miking the whole thing...and we got a hell of a sound. Really. The bass drum sounds boomy but also with lots of presence, it's like a bonham / van halen crossover. Ans most of all, the whole kit sounds like one instrument alone - not as a bunch of drums and cymbals recorded separately. I took care to not let the sound "colours" split up, carefully positioning the room mics. After all, the kit sounds the way I like - the drums "sing", the harmonics breathe.
For the tech geeks, here are the specs:
Drums: Pearl Export EX vintage - 24x16"bass, 12x10", 13x11" rack toms, 14x12, 16x14 &18x16" floor toms.
Snares: 14x 6 1/2 steel 83' Tama Rockstar / 14 x 6 1/2 steel Yamaha 9000 (only in "One More Time")
Cymbals: Paiste- 2oo2 24" ride, 2oo2 20" Medium, RUDE 18" (x2) & 19" crashes, Signature 15" medium hats, 2oo2 11" splash; Wuhan - 18" & 18" w/rivets Traditional China
Hardware: DW 5000 pedal w/ wood beater; BMA rack; Raul / Bauer booms; Pearl snare & hats stands
Heads: Remo Ambassador Coated (toms batter, and 13" tom reso also); Evans G1 clear (toms reso); Luen Heavy Coated (bass batter) and Coated (bass reso); Evans G1 coated (snare batter), Evans Response (snares).
Sticks: Vic Firth Rock model / 2B model
Tuning: I tried to replicate a classic, vintage tuning, medium to high pitched. Since I was using single-ply, coated heads, special care should be taken to control the overtones, but not "choking" the drums. I do not muffle the bass drum, except for a fabric stripe inside the resonant head that helps to focus the sound, killing excessive overtones. Snare and toms have no muffle at all. The 13" rack tom I tuned batter and bottom heads in unison (same pitch).
Miking: The plan is to get the sound mainly from the room mikes ( Neumann 103, Rode NT2A), and become adding focus with the close mikes (Shure SM 52 / 57 / 56) and some stereo imaging with the overheads ( shotgun mikes - I dit not get their specs, sorry!).
I have to say, some songs I played really hard, but tried to keep some atmosphere in the tunes, using dynamics and grace notes. Hope you all like it, and, as you, I can' wait to listen the work completed.
Some sticks got hurt or died during the making of this record :(
Loudest cheers!
L.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Hello guys! First day in studio. We started the recording session at 3 PM and Mr. Mello spent 7 or something hours drumming perfectly. Here some pics to help you to understand how things were during our first day of many in the final stage of our new album. I'll upload some videos and post'em here asap. Hope you like the results up to now.
Loud cheers!
R. Garcia.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Hi there!
Tomorrow we set our feet in studio. Finally, the time has come. I must say I'm a bit nervous, anxious, whatever...everytime I sit behind the drumkit to put down the tracks, for me is as special - VERY special - occasion. It's the time my music turns from something eterial to a material thing, the soul becomes embodied. It's magic, I cannot explain using my fingers on a PC keyboard...
Yesterday I've changed the drumheads to record. I usually play coated heads on the batter side and clear, thin heads on the reso side. It gives me warmth, response and sounds so lively, one can say the drums heard on the record are being played right next door. Errr...someone said "Bonham"? ;)
Working schedule begins at 10 a.m. and goes till the drums are fully recorded. Possibly the percussion parts (timpanies, tambourines, cowbells, gongs, etc) I will do later. I'm trying to focus in the drums only, doing other things would jeopardize all the shit.
That's it. Well be shooting all the session, and then we'll post pics and vidz here.
See you!
Loudest cheers,
L.
*Pessoal, perdão por não ter postado o ultimo também em português. Faltou tempo, sobrou tarefa...mal mesmo! Logo logo reposto.
Tomorrow we set our feet in studio. Finally, the time has come. I must say I'm a bit nervous, anxious, whatever...everytime I sit behind the drumkit to put down the tracks, for me is as special - VERY special - occasion. It's the time my music turns from something eterial to a material thing, the soul becomes embodied. It's magic, I cannot explain using my fingers on a PC keyboard...
Yesterday I've changed the drumheads to record. I usually play coated heads on the batter side and clear, thin heads on the reso side. It gives me warmth, response and sounds so lively, one can say the drums heard on the record are being played right next door. Errr...someone said "Bonham"? ;)
Working schedule begins at 10 a.m. and goes till the drums are fully recorded. Possibly the percussion parts (timpanies, tambourines, cowbells, gongs, etc) I will do later. I'm trying to focus in the drums only, doing other things would jeopardize all the shit.
That's it. Well be shooting all the session, and then we'll post pics and vidz here.
See you!
Loudest cheers,
L.
*Pessoal, perdão por não ter postado o ultimo também em português. Faltou tempo, sobrou tarefa...mal mesmo! Logo logo reposto.
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