A slower way to think about old microphones
Some of this will be obvious; some of it took me years. I am still not sure I have it right, but it is closer. The trick, if there is one, is to leave plenty of room for slip-ups.
Notes along the way
Good field recordings is mostly a series of small, unglamorous decisions. The result is not perfect, but it is truthful. I recorded the birds by accident and kept them in the mix. Most of the record was tracked in the spare room with the window open. Mixing tired is how good songs get ruined.
A few details
The demo had something the final version never quite recaptured. Limitations make decisions for you, and that is a gift. Here is what altered, and what stayed exactly the same. I like tape loops that shows the marks of how it was made.
The short version
I wrote most of this on a hushed Friday morning. Nothing here requires a condenser microphone, though it does make things easier. Tape adds just plenty of unpredictability to keep things alive.
- Budget twice the time you expect
- Do less writing on piano, more arranging
- Start with arrangements and nothing else