Playing with the Raw recording files

While I was at the Arvon song writing course, we got the opportunity to record a couple of song that we co-wrote. In my case these were done with Carolyn and Jerry. We had a lot of fun writing and performing and finally recording them. The final result was ok, but had loads of reverb and the vocals were too muddy. Kev who recorded us had to turn around all the work in a few weeks, so I asked him for the original raw master files so I can remix them the way we originally imagined it.

 

Running through a new song in the garden, with Donna and Carolyn

 

Laying down a guitar part in the make-shift studio in the Barn at Totleigh Barton.

 

 

It was great fun watch a new song develop over a couple of days. Even more so, when you heard the songs others had been working on.

 

I have re-mixed the first of the two songs we recorded and just got the raw files into my laptop software to see what we have. I think Kev ended up with about 12 tracks on the second song. The main problem is that a lot of them are fill-ins and have to be positioned on the correct bar/beat. But it really is lovely to bring them alive, as we originally heard them - light and acoustic with a good strong vocal bright and clear in the centre of the mix.

 

 

This is the path down to the river at Totleigh Barton. It was taken early in the morning.

 

This mixing brings me back to starting my own CD now that all the cancer treatment has finished. While the tablets I am taking affect my mood, they don't stop me playing or recording!

 

All the lyrics have been rewritten and tweaked and the changes just need entering into Word. I always write with pen/pencil and paper and only when I have a draft will I put it onto my computer.

 

Both remixes have been done and sound a lot better for it. E-mails to my two musical partners and one of them has already sent her approval back.

 

Now I am working on one of Carolyn's songs and getting one of mine ready for her to sing on. I love this ability to record something here and e-mail/dropbox it to someone for them to add their bit and send the raw files back again. Amazing. I know it's been going on for some time, but I am only just station to embrace the technology.