3 Steps To Vintage Vocals

Vintage is one of those terms you hear thrown around when talking about audio production and musical aesthetics--like warm, punchy, analog, etc. It’s a tough descriptor to pin down and can mean a thousand different things to different people. I think there are a few crucial steps that make something sound “Vintage” and in this video I demonstrate how to apply those to get a retro vocal sound.

Mixing Drums Recorded With A Single Microphone

I ran into a fun mixing challenge this past year while working on an album called “Magical Thinking” for an artist named Windchime Weather. It was recorded in their garage during the pandemic using nothing but Logic Pro X and a couple of dynamic mics. The drums were recorded with a single mic overhead, the Sennheiser MD 421… not what you would typically expect for this application. Despite the apparent limitations of this setup, I am proud of the final product and I think it’s a good reminder that you can still make compelling, beautiful music with even the most humble of studio setups.

In this video, I break down how I approached mixing the drums for the song, “Magical Thinking”. I walk through my plugin chain and talk about my techniques for bringing life and dimension to a muffled mono drum recording.

Be sure to check out the full song on your preferred streaming platform. Here’s a link to it on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/3qZrskBPF7TBZNTo2Zah4Y

-Brian

5 Essentials For Home Recording (Budget-Friendly Gear Recommendations)

There is a staggering amount of content online about building a home studio and gear reviews and I want to spare you the headache of heading down that rabbit hole. You will also find that music gear can get expensive really fast, so it’s vital to identify the absolute essentials vs. the nice-to-haves and avoid the dreaded gear acquisition syndrome that plagues many of us.

Check out my video below about the 5 basic items you need to get started and some of my recommendations on specific products.