The recording adventures continue, for part 1 click here

Day 3

Day three of what the boys were calling 'MJEB's Holiday Camp' was the first solid recording day. Despite continuing problems with Clicks, Pops and Hisses, we pressed on with the recording. Here are Mike Rix, Rosie and Paul doing some preliminary work on a song. Cant remember which one.

The environment  around the Bawley Bush Cottages is very pretty, here's a view from the verandah area on the left hand side of the house.

Walking forward you come to the lawn

Down past those trees is the Lake, which meanders towards the sea near Bawley Point.

Looking back, you can see the bush off to the right.

We started the day with Texas Rosie and then moved on to 'She Keeps You Moving On'.

Theo was happy with his drum sound, the amps were performing well in the 'Reactors' outside, and in between takes, the boys discussed musical stuff. Or something like that. Here's a moment of the discussion.

When it was time to do a take, I had to go all the way to the back of the building, to the bedroom where we'd setup the vocal area. Here's me following the cable run, with Pete wandering behind me going 'wtf are u doing?"

I start at the room mike inside the main recording area of the Cockatoo Room and head all the way through the kitchen of the Cafe Cottage to the awesome Brauner microphone we borrowed. That mike was so powerful it could hear the future.

The hi tech vocal booth setup.

I was using my RF in ear monitors to hear the band via the room microphone plugged into the monitoring system. They would drop out every now and again which made things kind of interesting, and in between takes I'd have to scurry back to the main room to go listen to the take.

During the auditioning of the playback we found that half a second of the song (same old blues) was missing and we started scratching our heads wondering WTF was going on.

Was it the power? the laptop? The software?

The problem reminded me of the dramas we used to have in the early days of Non Linear Video Editing on the PC, where the systems would just dump frames when the data throughput got too high for the I/O to deal with, so I downloaded the manual, checked under trouble shooting and wouldn't you know it, it was the same problem -  latency.

In order to run the TASCAM US1800 with Pro tools on the laptop, you have to make sure that your data throughput isn't too high or...you get Clicks (aha!) Pops (AHA!), crackles (!!!) and data dropping! Eureka! We had found the cause of the dramas.

Just by changing the latency settings we suddenly cleared up the data loss, the funny sounds and all was right with the world. Hurrah! Oh. Except for the monitoring system which still had some clicks, but that seemed to be a power issue when the water pumps for the property came on. Still, as long as it wasn't making it onto the track, hurrah!

Despite the problems, by this stage we had already recorded 4 tracks successfully, so it all boded well for the following day.

Day 4

With the click/pop thing resolved, we were now up and running at full speed and the tracks started to go down quickly.

The boys did some work on two songs I hadn't found lyrics and melody for yet (well, I had but I wasn't happy with it) so they just put it down anyway, knowing that I'd have time to sort out the lyrics and melody in the studio or later on during the week.

Here's Mr Rix working on his Bass ideas for 'Hard Times'

As the afternoon wore on, things were moving at speed and we got up to recording 'Feel so blue'.

Just as we finished the take, Theo knocked over a glass, and as we were cleaning it up...DISASTER!!!

I noticed that the TASCAM had disconnected from the Protools box and thought 'hmm, they must have bumped the power cords.'

I tried rebooting but the USB connector light wouldn't come on and a strange and horrible hissing noise was coming from the monitor headphones.

Uh Oh. Ever had one of those moments when you pretty much know something isn't right? As the boys gave me a hurry up to crack on and record the next take, I had to hold a hand up and ask them to take 5 whilst I ran through some tests.

After 10 minutes I realised this was not going to be a quick fix and we broke the session for dinner. Thankfully Theo was on KP for the night (great Spaghetti) giving me a chance to do some elimination testing.

Drivers? Reinstall, check, fail. Cable? change, check, fail. Alternate Laptop? Install software, check, fail.

Uh Oh.

Bill fortunately had a Multimeter and we tested the power supply. 12v, all good. Ok, so its not the power.

After we had checked and tested everything we could, i went to The Google (knower of almost everything) and googled the problem...which was when I found that the users had reported the same problem. The solution? 

Get a replacement unit.

Oh Noes!

Crisis! Woop Woop! Warning! I'm sorry Dave, I can't do that! Danger, danger Will Robinson! (Insert your favourite malevolent computer phrase here).

3.5 hours away from Sydney, 2 hours away from the nearest big computer store, it's 6pm, you're 7 tracks into the recording session with two and a half days remaining, what do you do, what do you do????

Rule # 1 - Don't Panic 

With the words of our wise friend DDJ (engineer of the location recording on 'Carl's Chair's) ringing in your ears like some Yoda flashback voice over

''MJEB....yoooooo werrrrrrr bloooooody luckeee with carls chairrrrr....foooolish...jedi'

you realise that while we think we live in a Star Wars universe, full of good and evil, light and dark, we actually  live in more of a Adamsian-Hitchikers universe, full of infinite improbability, where randomness is your friend and undoing.

AAAAAAyyyyyyyyyy

In other words, 'Sh-t Happens'' - especially in Computer related stuff. Don't sweat and above all, Don't Panic. Summon your inner Zaphod Beeblebrox and remain cool as an Arcturian ice lizard whilst you contemplate your ruin and the likelihood that the band will lock you in the sound isolation cabinet and turn the amps up.

Ahem. In all actuality, it wasn't that bad. We started checking around for replacement recording units, to see if there was something that could interface to Pro Tools, replacements for the tascam, local suppliers, local studios, etc. Anything to reduce the chances we'd have to go back to Sydney for more gear. We also contemplated cancelling the rest of the recording session - we'd already recorded 6..maybe 7 tracks, we could cut our losses.

After Dinner (good option), a cup of tea, retesting the gear once more in the vain hope it would come back to life, Pete volunteered for a Kamikaze Mission back to Sydney that night to go get another unit of similar ilk he had at his studios. After trying everything else we could think of, we bravely accepted his selfless offer and Pete disappeared into the night, a strange light shining from behind his eyes, bound for Glory!

Err...um...ok, he is just a Top Bloke and a Saint and drove home, grabbed the gear, spent the night and drove back the next morning, but where is the fun in saying it as simply as that? Where's the drama?

:-)

Three Cheers For Pete!

For those of us Left Behind after Pete's Rapture (Hallelujah!), it was time to try and rehearse the last few songs we had yet to record (or finish writing), in particular, 'Light In The Distance' - a song so controversial within the band that it may or not make the album (ooh! There's the drama!). We finished by 2am and awaited the morning and Pete's return.

DAY 5 - The Return Of The Saint

Dawn and an uneasy silcence that was broken only by the mournful call of the ....oh hang on. no it wasnt like that at all.

In fact, it was gorgeous. The birds were singing, the bees were being, the other stuff that goes on in the forest was happening, and Pete returned with the required bit of technology. Yay!

It slotted straight in, worked straight away and By Jove, we were BACK! Huzzah!

With 6 tracks done, the first take of track 7 down, we realised that if we pushed for it, we just might make it, and awaaay we went.

Tracks went flying down as the boys roared into action, vigorously doing musical stuff with things, all winding up securely nestled in the arms of the laptop, connected to a new interface. Seen  one Tascam, seen'em all. Yay!

Just as we finished the last song for the evening, the weather started to close in. Stormcellar weather again...

 The dusk brought out the wildlife, and what would one of our location recordings be without the odd marsupial?

Theo summoned up his Dutch Courage and went to go play with the wildlife. At least that's what I think he was doing.

As we finished our dinner break and Marsupial Petting, it was time to keep going, to try and get another track down.

Mr Wizard had been trying out different selections from Bill's Guitar Collection..

 We finished another song and found that we only had two left - Sweet As Pie, which was due for an acoustic, ambient mike recording and the contentious "light In the distance'

Would we have enough time on our last day to get two songs down and do the bass and drum overdubs? 

Day 6

Outside on the verandah, before breakfast we had some very cute visitors.

Day 6 started with a Bang. A literal Bang. Mr Wizard nuked a glass of tea and found that the temperature differential between inside the house and outside the house had a surprising effect on his Glass Of Tea. Yep, music and physics.We're entertaining and educational!

After an early night the previous evening, Pete was up, bushy eyed and Brightly tailed and by 9am, the Bass overdubs were done (The Upright bass needed acoustic miking and we couldn't do it whilst the drums were live in the room).

by 9:30am we had started on Light in the Distance and were up to a 3rd take when the Kick mike started to click.

Ye Gods. The Gremlins were out. However, just as mysteriously as it arrived,the glitch left us, and we finished the song just on midday, leaving time for the other acoustic overdubs.

We packed down the electric recording setup and re-miked for acoustic.

 Mr Wizard and I did  a version of  'Sweet as Pie'  around the ambient mikes, just with Slide and Harmonica, and as we finished, we realised we had completed 13 tracks. We had made it.

Almost...

Rosie and Mr Wizard did some Acoustic Instrument over dubbing until the weather changed again and a Thunderstorm rolled down from the mountain, meaning that the sound of the thunder was too powerful to exclude from the microphones.

Mr Rix and Saint Peter both had prior engagements back in Town(ish) and proceeded homewards with our great thanks, as we began the pack down procedure.

Day 7 On The Road Again.

After a night of watching Mr Wizards favourite foreign films, we arose the next day to repack the van and, in another brilliant idea for ending a recording session, head to another gig! This time, 400 kms away in Oberon.

we returned the Cockatoo room to its former state and with fond memories, a hard disk full of songs and one faulty Tascam unit, we hit the road.

until half a minute past the entrance to the cottages where I spotted a sign for local, small apiary honey and couldn't resist. Taking the Van in a U Turn across the highway is a commitment to local produce not for the faint of heart.

I knew that the local honey would contain the same 'terroir' (for wont of a better term) as the recording - the scent of the local flowers and a reminder of being there.

I stopped at Bee Wise Honey

where Ian Lees has his apiary to check it out and filmed him as he measured out a few jars from a batch of honey taken from his local hives only three days earlier.

i asked him to fill me in on it a little. Ian explained to me the differences between Mass Produced stuff and his small batch stuff.

Ian's daughter Merryn was kind enough to show me some of the hives. I would have got a close up of the bees but one of them decided I was a tad too close and buzzed me, so I got the message and beat a hasty (and wise) retreat.

 Theo and Paul who had seen me do a u turn whilst yelling 'Honey!' thought I had maybe gone a little wackier than usual and had continued on to the next Petrol station, so Rosie and I, and several Jars of Bee Wise Bawley point Honey (it's awesome) headed down the road after them.

As I was driving, Rosie took most of the photos of the long journey from Bawley Point to Oberon, skirting the mountains and national park through Goulburn,  so I'll let him fill you in on the details and pics of that journey - amazing cloud formations, crazy roads, crazy Bike Enthusiasts, potholes, sunshine and rainstorms, yikes.

Suffice it to say that we arrived in Oberon for our evening gig in good order.

Henry was there to meet us and help with the PA, thanks Henry, and we were rejoined by Mr Rix, all the way up from his Kiama gig the night before.

They still haven't fixed that street sign outside the RSL...

As the evening darkened, the skies put on a show.

And as that was what we were there for, so did we.

Cheese to Wendy, Misty, Loz, Charmayne, Steve and all the Oberon locals for dancing their proverbials off.

This brought us to midnight on the 7th day and the only thing that lay ahead was the return trip through a Blue Mountains that had been slammed by thunderstorms.

At a gas station where the toilets AND the eftpos were knocked out. I was tempted to add 'Cellar' at the bottom of this picture.

Rosie got some great pics and vids of the fog and rain we drove back through, so hopefully he'll add thatin his version of the blog for the week.

For my part, I can conclude simply that we had a great week, despite the tribulations, and topping and tailing it with gigs was a crazy but excellent way to spend seven days.

I'd add my thanks to everyone here but I did it in the first part of the blog already (go back and check!)

The boys played admirably, the sounds were good, the company excellent and the outcome?

We're scheduled for our first post production on the 5th of March and we expect to start reviewing the tracks this week. As we progress, yes, you guessed it, you'll hear about it here first :-)

Stay tuned!

MJEB