Studio Update — November 28, 2014: Vocal Recording Sessions for "Gold Sparkle Sun Design" and "The Velveteen Valleys"

Throughout the last few weeks a great deal of attention has been dedicated to perfecting the vocal tracks for the songs "Gold Sparkle Sun Design" and "The Velveteen Valleys," both of which have developed into sonically massive works with a multitude of layers spanning the full stereo field. As any experienced mixing engineer will tell you, achieving a healthy balance between a large amount of tracks varying in frequency range and panning depth can prove to be a gargantuan undertaking.

Such has been my experience with the aforementioned works in regards to fine-tuning EQ and effects settings as well as adjusting overdub volumes, but thankfully my attention to these details is proving to be extremely worthwhile as the sound and atmosphere I envision begins to take form.

With such heavily-layered pieces, getting the vocals to sit prominently in the mix without overshadowing the rest of the music can be a bit of a trick. It is my estimation that the lushness of the composition of these two tracks, especially in the case of "The Velveteen Valleys" which features heavy use of orchestral elements (timpanis, strings, flutes, etc.) is the origin from which the need to incessantly adjust vocal track parameters derives. I have in effect been finding myself in situations where the adjustment of a gain setting for a particular vocal track or series thereof would influence the overall power of the instrumentation behind it, either weakening or intensifying it, thus requiring me to constantly alternate adjustments between vocal settings and instrument settings alike. 

Should this be the case, it is always a good idea to bypass all plugins running on the offending tracks so as to hear the raw audio without any processing. Working backwards in this manner will allow you to hear the individual tracks in a new light, oftentimes granting you the ability to pick up on aural subtleties and important frequencies of the original untouched audio that you may have overlooked the first time around. When you then reactivate your plugins one-by-one, you will immediately hear how these aspects are affected and can then make the necessary changes based around your new understanding of their sonic nature. I have been taking these steps with "The Velveteen" Valleys" in regards to the orchestral tracks in the song and have noticed quite a positive difference.

It is my plan this coming week to continue to direct my attention to the clarity of the mixdown of both "The Velveteen Valleys" and "Gold Sparkle Sun Design," finishing the final vocal edits and laying down additional overdubs. 

As these songs continue to take take shape I cannot help but be struck with the impression that they will certainly be among the highlights of the album.

—R

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