Overall during this project I struggled at first with the tasks that were given to me, as prior to this project I was very inexperienced with setting up microphones and using Logic to mix tracks. However I feel that as the project went on I developed my skills well and adapted to the demands I needed to fulfil.
Personally, I think that this project was the most challenging one so far and there are a lot of ways in which I can improve the skills I have learnt in these past few weeks.
For example I feel slightly disappointed in the lack of different effects I tried on my mixes. In the end I used a mixture of EQ and reverb which definitely improved the sound, however in the future, I’d like to try using effects including delay and compression in order to create a different atmosphere and sound.
Practical skills
During this project I learnt a lot of skills and at many stages I was completely overwhelmed with information. Previously I knew a small amount about the difference between microphones, however I found it very interesting to learn some of the science behind how they work and which microphones I should use for different situations. This also applies to microphone placement and the new information I have learnt will allow me to progress both when playing live and if I do more studio work in the future.
Another set of skills I learnt was setting up a sound desk and using it with a computer to record a live session. This was quite a stressful experience as it was the first time doing it and there was a lot of stuff to organise, however it has given me a lot more confidence in using a sound desk both for recording and for using live.
Mixing on logic took me quite a while to get used to, coming into the project I didn’t understand the necessity of mixing and the huge improvements that it can make for creating a good track as I thought that as long as the musicians were playing to a high standard there would be no need to adjust anything, however mixing in this project has opened my eyes to the skill that it takes to produce and how much it effects the music.
Unfortunately we only had a short slot to record as a band in the studio and although it wasn’t the funnest environment to play in it would be really fun to do some more studio recording in the future.
Overall I think I did quite well in this project as I managed to successfully mix 3 different tracks as well as set up a recording studio and record a band with the help of Blake. I would in the future like to explore some of the mixing aspects much more, however I am very happy with the progression I made in these few weeks.
Hopefully as long as I continue to practice these skills I can build upon them and become more confident in the future.