So there has been a snag with the order unfortunately.  The CD I sent my music on was damaged so I needed to send Nationwide Disc (the nice people who are printing my album!) another copy.  I dropped the CD off at 2:30 PM today in the fine town of Weymouth, MA and it is guaranteed to be in Richland Hills, TX tomorrow by noon.  Is that progress or what?

Well, I'm taking a step backwards on this whole process, but about three more steps forwards.  Jeff Hall is going to help me mix the EP over the next few weeks before I send it in to get mastered.  It should be a quick process.  I did finish mixing it previously, but I wasn't stoked with how it came out, so I figured I should take a step back.  Its going in to be mastered on August 10, so it gives us a few weeks to tweak it and make it better.  More info soon...

  

  I condensed the last two weeks into one entry because frankly, there was not much to write about after last weekend. I took a well deserved break and relaxed with family and friends, as I hope you all did too!

     However, this week I was back at it. Everything is recorded at this point, so its just a matter of mixing it down. Artwork is well under way, and I'm starting to put together merchandise and promotional schwag to help get this thing out there. So, I guess this will be the last weekly update for a but until this thing is in the bag. Thanks for sticking around for the ride. Details will be up on where to get the album here, and at www.chadgosselin.com.

Peace,

Well, this project is quickly and cleanly coming to a close! I finished recording all of the pedal steel guitar parts this week. I was using a Sho-Bud Maverick through my Dr. Z MAZ-38, miced with an SM-57. The sounds were simply superb. Overall, I could not be more pleased with the project to date. I plan on finishing the mandolin and vocal parts in the coming week, which only leaves the mixing and mastering phases left.

If you checked out last week's blog, you may remember my praises to the Alvarez Yairi guitar I recorded. I loved the guitar so much I went out and bought one this week. I am looking forward to years of recording on this wonderful instrument.

I have two gigs coming up this week if anyone is interested:

Thursday, May 21, 2009
Abington Ale House
Abington, MA
9:30 PM

Friday, May 22, 2009
The Mill Wharf
Scituate, MA
9 PM

I hope to see some of you there!

My apologies for sending this out a week late. I got a cortisone shot in my right shoulder last weekend and as a result, did not get a big chance to record anything last week. However, I was back at it this weekend. On Saturday, I recorded all of the acoustic guitar parts, as well as some of the lead vocal tracks. If things keep on going along at the clip they are, we are looking at an early August release. I should have songs downloadable on the web beforehand though.

If anyone is curious, I recorded this guitar, the Alvarez Yairi DYM94 with the RODE NT1-A condenser microphone. The sound of the instrument is simply stunning, and the mic did an examplary job of capturing the natural beauty of the instument. A special thank you goes out to my good friend Ed McMenimon of Road Soda for lending it out for the day! Its going to be hard to return this one to him...

Have a good week ahead everyone!

-Chad

    

What a week! So the basics are done for every song, as well as all of the rhythm guitar parts. I have begun working on all of the lead and harmony guitar parts, but thus far have only finished Ohio in its entirety. Tracking guitar was a lot of fun (obviously my favorite part.) For all of the guitar tracks so far, I have put my amp in the bathroom and just cranked it. I am playing a DR. Z MAZ-38 Sr. with a G&L ASAT Special. For mics, I have only used the Shure SM-57, but the results have been great. I plan on getting the acoutic guitar and mandolin parts done this weekend, and possibly some pedal steel if time permits it. Pictures will be up soon, (including the guitar in bathroom pics).

Have a great week ahead everyone!
Chad

      Its been a bit my friends, but I am back at it. The last week has been very productive for me. I have finished the basics to Emily, Tired Horses, and Ohio. All three of the tracks have rough guitar and vocals, and completed bass and drum parts. I plan on getting the basics done to Familiar Places tomorrow, and then see where I am going to go from there. I am a bit besides myself on picking the fifth song for the EP, but I have it narrowed down to a few. ( I guess we'll have to see what I am in the mood for that day!)

Spend some time outdoors, and check back next Sunday!

Peace,
Chad

      Wowzers, there's a lot of snow out there! Well, I've finished recording all of Ohio,
so I'm just mixing it down and putting on some final touches. The drum
takes actually went great yesterday. It took me a little bit to find a
sweet spot for micing, but all in all it was easier than I expected it
would be. For a drum set, I am using a Cajon drum and a tambourine.
If you are not familar with the Cajon, its pretty sweet. Its a
Peruvian folk instrument, and basically looks like a giant wooden box.
Just trying to stick with the DIY spirit of the album, I thought it
would be a cool alternative, especially since I can not play a
traditional drum set to save my life.

Hopefully I'll have the final mix ready for listening some time
next week. No promises though, it being the holiday season and all.
Until then, have some fun in the snow!



Peace,
Chad

      I am almost done recording Ohio. Today, I finished recording the electric guitar parts, the rest of the acoustic parts, and redid the mandolin parts. This only leaves the pedal steel, bass, drums, and a final vocal left. Hopefully, I can do that in one more recording day, but we will see how that works out. Somewhere half way through the tracking for the electric I realized how much I do not enjoy the sound I have had for the last few years. I have been playing a G&L ASAT Special through a Dr. Z Maz-38 Sr., and the sound is becoming a bit too bright for me. Maybe its time to shop for a new amp...
      Defying all logic, I am recording everything before I record the drums and bass, saving those for last. In place of the drums in the mix right now, I am using the Cakewalk Session Drummer 2 plugin to keep a beat for me while I lay everything else down. This could end up being a horrible train wreck, but I guess we will find that out in next week's edition of: The Recording Blog!

Peace,
Chad

Friday, December 05, 2008

Recording the EP: Week 1
Category: Music
So here it goes, the very first blog. Is everyone excited? So, I have started recording the EP. Yesterday I tracked the vocals, acoustic guitar, and mandolin parts for Ohio. So far, so good. My "studio" consists of a bedroom in my apartment with a handful of microphones, the Line 6 Tone Port UX2, and Cakewalk Sonar 7, the Producer Edition. It took me a few months to get the handle on the program, but I feel fairly confident enough to tackle the project. I'll post some pictures up later on of the gear, location and what not. Until then, sign up for the mailing list!

Peace,
Chad