We just ended the recording phase of the project. I usually call the last day of recording the "last chance" because I don't like to add anything else during the mixing sessions. In this day and age of digital recording, its very easy to get Obsessive-Compulsive. This is because it is relatively easier to add and tweak things at the last minute, compared to the days of analog recording. But this usually ends up only prolonging the agony, and/or the inevitable. There is a point when enough is enough, and one must make a commitment. Besides, perfection is relative. People are not machines. A great performance strikes a balance between technical accuracy and human feel. Our engineer Angie often complains about some artists and producers who are either too obsessive with insignificant details, or afraid to make a commitment. I try to approach each recording as a performance, and in the case of bands, a HUMAN performance. It must strive to be as technically perfect as possible, but it must also contain a delicate combination of quirks, gestures, energy and vulnerability that makes a performance expressive and yes, human. This is why I don't enjoy a large number of popular recordings. These are either sanitized to the point of sounding mechanical, or contain too much ear candy that distracts from the music. While decisions affecting the recording are constantly made from the very start, this "last-chance" session is a turning point in the project. This is because the next stage, mixing, has less to do with the human performances, and more to do with balance and sound processing.
Our day started with just Angie and I in the studio doing microscopic spot tweaks on some of the tracks. I hesitate to call these "corrections" because the changes are applied on things that are not necessarily "mistakes". These are little sounds and gestures that are just enough to bother me, but not enough to make me want to sign off. A little pitch correction on a guitar feedback track so that it fits the harmony, a little nudge on the downbeat of a vocal part so that it locks in with the rhythm section, a little noise reduction on a buzzy guitar amp. Microscopic things. A couple of hours later, the band showed up to do some last minute additions and replacements. Lacking a low distorted guitar on an arrangement? Need a screaming guitar solo for the vamp? No problem. Fire up the guitar amp and burn. Background vocals lack kick? Easy. Plug in the mic and redo. Missing off-beat accents on a complex rhythmic part? Grab a shaker and ........ shake! Again, microscopic things that complete the picture.
At the end of all of these small but significant additions, we reviewed each song and made the all important decision of whether they were ready for mixing. Thank God, majority of the recording stage has been smooth sailing. So making these commitments was easier than we anticipated. Angie then made pre-mixes, which means versions of the songs with all the individual parts present. These were then burned to a CD. I intentionally scheduled a one-week break before mixing. This allows me enough time to take a step back and objectively evaluate the recordings, understand how each track interacts in the context of the arrangements, and formulate technical strategies for the mixing stage.
Whenever I hear the expression "point of no return", I can't help thinking that this carries a bit of anxiety over the unknown. But based on the events of this day, I have no fear. The band, the engineers, and I are confident of the outcome. The next phase will not be a piece of cake, but it will be an exciting and rewarding experience.
