recording 1

23 December 2004
7.30 am up and showered cant sleep. Nervous and excited as always when recording vocals. I am off to big bear audio to hire a really nice preamp to add to my average microphone. Hopefully it should all sound good. I am getting a good deal on it as I am hiring over Christmas, every penny counts in the world of the indie muso. It all works out as I’m recording in my bed-sit in Dublin and all the other people living in the house will be taking off for Christmas dinners at home with their families etc. Hopefully I will get at least two good recording days for vocals out of it. I have recorded all the guide guitars to clicks bar one which I have to do today, I still haven’t finished the ending on one, its 90% there. One of these songs will be culled from the album, I wont be sure till the end. It’s pissing down outside and gale force winds; I’m not looking forward to the walk there and back. I am paranoid about catching a cold or flu. I have been off bread and dairy for a few days now and will be off it till I finish all the vocals. The voice is a weird instrument and it sounds different every day. Volatile is the word. Fingers crossed.
Decided yesterday that the working title for the album is “a touch of cold water.”

LATER: well I managed to get the gear all hooked up and found a sound I liked with the microphone in the room. I lashed into “song of a thousand birds” and put down 3 or 4 takes. I am trying to use complete takes for the vocal rather than cutting and pasting bits I like. So there will be the odd syllable or note I don’t like, but that’s the way it works sometimes. Perfection is for the purists. I just want to be able to get close to the vibe I have in me head for these songs. Intimate.