# Notes about Recording Asia - Sole Survivor
## The Process for this song recording
- When I attempted to determine the song tempo... it moves. I suspect it was recorded without click. So I attempted to find a tempo that felt good.
- Turns out 122BPM felt close to the song feel
![[tempo.png]]
- After figuring out tempo, I had to determine the arrangement... how much of the song I would do... how to end it.
- I kind of learned the guitars on the fly. A typical method I use when recording BOTD Songs...
- I realized early on I am not Steve Howe... some of his incredible guitar parts were not attempted. I could have spent a month learning all of his wizardry! I chose simpler!
- After all was recorded... a standard technique these days is to align to a grid... I don't do this step. I know my drums would be considered sloppy by a producer, and they would want to line up to a grid. I have a different approach. I am someone who admires music from a time where click was not typically used... much less a grid to lock with. And the music feels more organic... because it is! Todays standard says it is sloppy and full of mistakes... I don't feel this way.
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## Microphones
### Drums
- Audix D2/D4/D6 - Small Condensers for Overheads
- Shure SM57 Snare Top
- Audix D2 Bottom Snare
- UA SD-7 Mics with 421 Emulation for Floor Toms![[SE-7 Mic.png]]
---
## Instrument Tracking Order
- The first instruments I laid down were keyboards
- Electric Grand
- B3
- Drums
- I think it took 8 takes to get one I liked
- I ended up comping 2 different takes for sections - I liked a section better on take 7 than take 8... so I comped them together.
- Bass
- 2 takes - two channels thru the Geddy Lee Sans Amp Bass Processor/PreAmp direct to tape (channels)
- Guitars
- Simple rhythm parts first - Double Tracked
- Lead Parts spread out in the stereo spectrum
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## Mix Process
I usually start with drums... getting an initial sound to represent the song vibe.
Then I bring in the bass to lay on top... tweaking the drum sound and bass sounds along the way to get them cohesive. Then in this case... keyboards... then guitars last. Some simple automations to move the guitars and keyboards in and out of the mix at the appropriate time.
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## Here are some of the plugins I used for the mix:
### API Channels on Drums![[API-Channel.png]]
### Busses
- Drum Buss - minus overheads with a little "squish" on it
- Bass Buss to combine the two channels(fat and dirty/clean and crisp) for the right sound and a "glue" compressor
- Guitar Buss - All guitars route through this buss with some compression for Glue
- Mix Buss - SSL Bus Compressor 4:1 - auto-release to glue it together ![[mix-buss-comp.png]]
## Recorded and Mixed with Universal Audio Luna (DAW)
- SSL UF-8/UF-1/UC-1 Controllers![[meter.png]]
- Various Plugins including:
- Sunset Sound ( Sound City plugin) on Drums![[sunset sound.png]]
- SSL Bus Compressors![[mix-buss-comp.png]]
- API Channel Strips on most if not all channels ![[API-Channel.png]]
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## Mastering
I used my goto TC Electronic Finalizer![[finalizer.png]]
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## Instruments Used
- Drums
- Pearl Drums
- Ludwig Black Beauty Snare
- Meinl Cymbals
- Zildjian Cymbals
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- Bass
- Spector Ethos 4 string Bass (with Bartolini Electronics)
- Tech21 - Geddy Lee Bass Processor
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- Guitars
- Epiphone Alex Lifeson Signature Les Paul Guitar
- Friedman Brown Eye 100 Guitar Amp Plugin (UA)![[Friedman-Amp.png]]
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- Keyboards and Synths
- Native Instruments Komplete Controller
- UA Waterfall B3![[B3.png]]
- XLN Audio Electric Grand![[electric-grand.png]]
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- Video
- Zoom Cameras
- Q2N4K
- Q8N4K
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- Editing Software
- DaVinci Resolve
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<div style="padding:56.25% 0 0 0;position:relative;"><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/1060301649?badge=0&autopause=0&player_id=0&app_id=58479" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write; encrypted-media" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" title="Asia - Sole Survivor - With Intro"></iframe></div><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script>