Recording Secrets for the Small Studio

493 Pages·2022·25.966 MB·English

by  Mike Senior

Recording Secrets for the Small Studio
‘A perfectly targeted and very readable mine of technical information, practical advice
and real-world home-studio experience […] it’s a book that I’d be very happy to recom-
mend unreservedly to enthusiasts, students and experienced practitioners alike.’
Hugh Robjohns, Sound On Sound
In this new edition, discover how to achieve commercial-grade recordings, even in the
smallest studios, by applying power-user techniques from the world’s most successful
producers.
Recording Secrets for the Small Studio is based on the backroom strategies of more than
250 famous names. This thorough and down-to-earth guide leads you through a logical
sequence of practical tasks to build your live-room skills progressively from the ground
up, with user-friendly explanations that introduce technical concepts on a strictly need-
to-know basis. On the way, you’ll unravel the mysteries of many specialist studio tactics
and gain the confidence to tackle a full range of real-world recording situations.
Specifically designed for small-studio enthusiasts, this book provides an intensive training
course for those who want a fast track to releasing quality results, while the chapter sum-
maries, assignments, and extensive online resources are perfect for school and college use.
■■ Learn the fundamental principles of mic technique that you can apply in any
recording scenario—and how to avoid those rookie mistakes that all too often com-
promise the sonics of lower-budget productions.
■■ Explore advanced techniques which help industry insiders maintain their competi-
tive edge even under the most adverse conditions: creative phase manipulation,
improvised acoustics tweaks, inventive monitoring workarounds, and subtle psycho-
logical tricks.
■■ Find out where you don’t need to spend money, as well as how to make a limited
budget really count.
■■ Make the best use of limited equipment and session time, especially in situations
where you’re engineering and producing single-handed.
■■ Pick up tricks and tips from celebrated engineers and producers across the stylistic spec-
trum, including Steve Albini, Neal Avron, Roy Thomas Baker, Joe Barresi, Howard Benson,
Tchad Blake, T-Bone Burnett, Geoff Emerick, Brian Eno, Paul Epworth, Shawn Everett,
Humberto Gatica, Imogen Heap, Ross Hogarth, Trevor Horn, Rodney Jerkins, Leslie Ann
Jones, Eddie Kramer, Jacquire King, Daniel Lanois, Sylvia Massy, Alan Meyerson, Justin
Niebank, Gary Paczosa, Tony Platt, Jack Joseph Puig, David Reitzas, Bob Rock, Laura Sisk,
Fraser T Smith, Young Guru, and many more.
Now extensively expanded and updated, with new sections on contact mics, software
instruments, squash mics, and ensemble depth distortion.
Mike Senior is a professional recording and mixing engineer who has worked with Wet
Wet Wet, The Charlatans, Reef, Therapy, and Nigel Kennedy. He specialises in adapting
the techniques of top producers for those working on a budget and has been a regular
writer for Sound On Sound magazine since 2007. Mike is also the author of the best-
selling Focal Press book Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio, has a long-running weekly
production-critique blog at TheMixReview.org and creates podcasts, videos, and tutori-
als for the Cambridge-MT.com educational resources site.
Sound on Sound Presents series…
Series Editorial Advisor: Dave Lockwood
The Studio SOS Book
Solutions and Techniques for the Project Recording Studio
Paul White, Hugh Robjohns, and Dave Lockwood
The SOS Guide to Live Sound
Optimising Your Band’s Live-Performance Audio
Paul White
The Music Producer’s Survival Guide
Chaos, Creativity, and Career in Independent and Electronic Music
Brian M. Jackson
Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio
Mike Senior
Recording Secrets for the Small Studio
Mike Senior
For more information about this series, please visit: www.routledge.com/
Sound-On-Sound-Presents/book-series/SOSP
Recording Secrets for the
Small Studio
Second Edition
Mike Senior
Designed cover image: Jorge Otero (Stormy Mondays) and Juanjo Zamorano at Satélite Estudios
(www.sateliteestudios.es). Photo by Carlos Garna (www.carlosgarna.com)
Second edition published 2023
by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
and by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2023 Mike Senior
The right of Mike Senior to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance
with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form
or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission
in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks and are
used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
First edition published by Routledge 2014
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Senior, Mike, author.
Title: Recording secrets for the small studio / Mike Senior.
Description: Second edition. | New York : Routledge, 2022. | Series: Sound on sound presents... |
Includes bibliographical references and index. |
Identifiers: LCCN 2022020350 (print) | LCCN 2022020351 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Popular music--Production and direction. | Sound studios.
Classification: LCC ML3790 .S44 2022 (print) | LCC ML3790 (ebook) | DDC 781.49--
dc23/eng/20220425
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022020350
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022020351
ISBN: 978-1-032-22956-0 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-22955-3 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-27489-6 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003274896
Typeset in Giovanni Std
by MPS Limited, Dehradun
Access the companion website: www.cambridge-mt.com
To my parents.

Contents
vii
ACknowledgementS ...........................................................................IX
IntRoduCtIon .............................................................1
PARt 1 ● one Source, no mics ..................................3
ChAPteR 1 Recording a machine...........................................................5
ChAPteR 2 the human element ..........................................................43
ChAPteR 3 Instruments with Pickups ..................................................83
PARt 2 ● one Source, one mic ..............................117
ChAPteR 4 Basic Vocal Recording .....................................................119
ChAPteR 5 Beyond Vanilla Vocals ......................................................157
ChAPteR 6 Single-mic Instrument Recording .....................................173
PARt 3 ● one Source, multiple mics ......................221
ChAPteR 7 multimiking in mono .......................................................223
ChAPteR 8 multimiking in Stereo ......................................................249
PARt 4 ● multiple Sources, multiple mics ..............275
ChAPteR 9 ensemble Recording with a dominant Array .....................277
ChAPteR 10 Adding Spot Arrays ..........................................................305
ChAPteR 11 ensemble Recording with Peer Arrays ..............................331
ChAPteR 12 going Freestyle ...............................................................369
ChAPteR 13 Conclusion ......................................................................401
APPendIX 1 music Studios and the Recording Process: An overview ...403
APPendIX 2 who’s who: Selected discography ...................................413
APPendIX 3 Quote References............................................................451
APPendIX 4 Picture Credits ................................................................471
IndeX oF nAmeS .................................................................................473
SuBjeCt IndeX ...................................................................................477

Acknowledgements
ix
This second edition is largely a response to direct feedback from readers, so
I’d like to thank all those who queried, heckled, and generally peppered me
with thorny recording questions ever since the first edition appeared back in
2015. The hundreds of updates and clarifications that you’ve inspired have
enhanced the clarity and usefulness of this new edition immeasurably. The first
edition of this book wasn’t the easiest of births, and would not have been pos-
sible at all without the many people who helped it on its way. I’m particularly
thankful for the forbearance of all the musicians who helped me carry out the
numerous practical tests that were vital in road-testing the advice offered here.
I must also express my gratitude to Bruce Lee, Dr Elisabeth Wadge, and Rovio’s
Angry Birds franchise for much-needed motivation during the lengthy writing
process!
In addition, I’d like to applaud all the interviewers who have done such an
immense service to us all by shedding light on top-level studio practice:
Janet Angus, John Baccigaluppi, Tony Bacon, Matt Bell, Will Betts, Howard
Bilerman, Bruce Borgerson, Richard Buskin, Bill Bruce, Rick Clark, Larry Crane,
Eli Crews, Mark Cunningham, Dan Daley, Bren Davies, Tom Doyle, Maureen
Droney, Chris Eckman, Hans Dietrich Faulhaber, Eddi Fiegel, Tom Flint,
Jimmy Foot, Matt Frost, David Greeves, Keith Hatschek, Jason Hiller, Nigel
Humberstone, Sam Inglis, Blair Jackson, Michael Jackson, Mark Lewisohn, Mix
With The Masters, Dave Lockwood, Howard Massey, Joe Matera, Chris Mayes-
Wright, Alex McKenzie, Stephen Murray, Henry Owings, Bobby Owsinski,
Dave Pensado, Joey Ramone, J. Robbins, Andrea Robinson, Anthony Savona,
Jonathan Saxon, Simon Sherbourne, Sue Sillitoe, Dave Simons, Craig Smith,
Roman Sokal, Philip Stevenson, William Stokes, Paul Tingen, Herb Trawick,
Marsha Vdovin, Phil Ward, Pete Weiss, and Peter Wetherbee.
The following engineers and producers have also generously taken it upon
themselves to share their insight into the recording process, and I also offer
them my sincere thanks: Chuck Ainlay, Steve Albini, Ken Caillat, Tom Dowd,
Tony Faulkner, Oz Fritz, S. Husky Hoskulds, Jimmy Jam, Kevin Killen, Gerry
Kitchingham, Daniel Lanois, Roger Nichols, John Merchant, Bob Ohlsson,
Shep Pettibone, Jack Joseph Puig, Phil Ramone, LA Reid, Eric ‘Mixerman’
Sarafin, Al Schmitt, Moses Schneider, Eberhard Sengpiel, Alina Smith, Mike
Stavrou, Ron Streicher, Bruce Swedien, Butch Vig, and Michael Wagener.
Furthermore, many thanks are due to the numerous music-technology authors
who have helped inform my own opinions on the subject of recording: Bruce
Bartlett, Trevor De Clercq, Karl Coryat, Tim Crich, Joe Dochtermann, Wes
Dooley, John Eargle, F. Alton Everest, Carlos Lellis Ferreira, Lynn Fuston,