SuperDave IS super !
SuperDave was the second song we tracked that chilly October '05 evening. We took 8 stabs at it within an hour and I believe we settled for take 5 or 6 ... I shouldn't say "settled for" because I think what we have has a great feel to it. Again, Austin was there to make sure we were happy. The guys were pretty much set with someone else tracking us because they felt it was too much pressure for me to perform & do the tracking duties at the same time. I had done that on the first album and I'd have to agree with them that it's just too much for one person to do and expect everything to be in it's place after all is said and done. Austin would throw out his suggestions when he had them and we all took heed of his comments. As you look back on it, you always wonder if it could have been better ... after all, it was the first night of recording. But we had played Twister & Superdave SO much before, we felt comfortable after the night was over and never looked back. Jim was rock solid as well as Preston's part was pretty much the same take with very little editing done to it.
Dave & I of course have to "re-do" our parts & stack more on top of more on top of more. More is never enough :-). But I do like what we did to start out with Dave's opening guitar work. At Sonic Arts, we have a recording booth that is at the end of a 30 to 40 foot hallway/walkway into our studio space. We put Dave's little Vox amp in the booth and miked it close with a Shure SM57. And then at the other end of the hallway, we put an Audio Technica 4033 mic facing the booth. We double tracked his guitar throughout the song like this. At first, I had his close miked tracks center and then his hallway mics panned hard left and right. But after I threw my tracks into the mix ... it was just too much guitar. I fought for a while with that mix 'til Dave or Austin suggested panning Dave's work left and mine right ... and that's where it is today. Except at the beginning of the song, I have Dave's 1st guitar takes' track close mic panned left and his 2nd takes' hallway track panned right. Can you picture that ? I'm very happy with the sound of that opening ... very roomy !
For me, this was the first time Dave had asked me to take a "lead guitar" part ... so to speak, on this song. I'm REALLY not the soloing type guitar player, but Dave worked something out that fits my style and I'm comfortable playing it. Dave also tracked a lead synth keyboard matched to it that really makes the melody thick & stand out. Plus ... if you really listen hard ... probably best with headphones ... you can hear nice little keyboard parts floating around throughout the song. Dave did some tasty keyboard riffing with hints of "Super Hero" themes.
In traditional Mimes fashion, we built a pretty big vocal track ... especially the ending ... about 1:30 minutes long ... :38 seconds of it being the fade out. Lots of layered vocals, but not as much as Queen this time. Dave usually tracks his lead vocals twice ... once we have a good take settled in ... just as a backup. But while we did the second vocal track, I monitored the first take as well and Dave matched that take SO well, it just sounded right to keep them both up in the mix. Really gave the lead vocals a punch for this song.
Dave's ending vocal of "Up Up & Away" has always been a struggle for him. It just all depends on how his voice is at any given time. This night he NAILED it ..... a few times that is ... LOL ! AAaahh .... the magic of computers. I dare anyone to try and maintain that ending as long as Dave did ! What a trooper.
Dave ... you're OUR Super Hero ... even if you say you "WON'T Come to Save Us" ... you always seem to anyway :-)
Peace & Enjoy
Randy
Dave & I of course have to "re-do" our parts & stack more on top of more on top of more. More is never enough :-). But I do like what we did to start out with Dave's opening guitar work. At Sonic Arts, we have a recording booth that is at the end of a 30 to 40 foot hallway/walkway into our studio space. We put Dave's little Vox amp in the booth and miked it close with a Shure SM57. And then at the other end of the hallway, we put an Audio Technica 4033 mic facing the booth. We double tracked his guitar throughout the song like this. At first, I had his close miked tracks center and then his hallway mics panned hard left and right. But after I threw my tracks into the mix ... it was just too much guitar. I fought for a while with that mix 'til Dave or Austin suggested panning Dave's work left and mine right ... and that's where it is today. Except at the beginning of the song, I have Dave's 1st guitar takes' track close mic panned left and his 2nd takes' hallway track panned right. Can you picture that ? I'm very happy with the sound of that opening ... very roomy !
For me, this was the first time Dave had asked me to take a "lead guitar" part ... so to speak, on this song. I'm REALLY not the soloing type guitar player, but Dave worked something out that fits my style and I'm comfortable playing it. Dave also tracked a lead synth keyboard matched to it that really makes the melody thick & stand out. Plus ... if you really listen hard ... probably best with headphones ... you can hear nice little keyboard parts floating around throughout the song. Dave did some tasty keyboard riffing with hints of "Super Hero" themes.
In traditional Mimes fashion, we built a pretty big vocal track ... especially the ending ... about 1:30 minutes long ... :38 seconds of it being the fade out. Lots of layered vocals, but not as much as Queen this time. Dave usually tracks his lead vocals twice ... once we have a good take settled in ... just as a backup. But while we did the second vocal track, I monitored the first take as well and Dave matched that take SO well, it just sounded right to keep them both up in the mix. Really gave the lead vocals a punch for this song.
Dave's ending vocal of "Up Up & Away" has always been a struggle for him. It just all depends on how his voice is at any given time. This night he NAILED it ..... a few times that is ... LOL ! AAaahh .... the magic of computers. I dare anyone to try and maintain that ending as long as Dave did ! What a trooper.
Dave ... you're OUR Super Hero ... even if you say you "WON'T Come to Save Us" ... you always seem to anyway :-)
Peace & Enjoy
Randy
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