Recording photos.

I recorded most of my guitars and basses for my demos about a week ago. Here are a few photos of how it went down.

I've had MIDI tracks sitting around for awhile now, and I started solidifying the songs by trying to get some vocal tracks done in the RV. Almost all of the tracks will probably need to be re-recorded, since my voice is so out of shape, but I needed real vocal takes to make a bedrock for the guitars and basses. I hung up blankets to try to dampen the RV's melamine echo, used a thicker blanket to try to cover up the noise from the computer tower. 

My friend Seth played guitar on "Don't Know How You Found Me." He took the panorama above on his phone after his takes. I had the two amps on opposite ends of the RV and sat in the middle while he recorded. I almost completely killed my ears in the process, but it was well worthwhile. Seth played my brother's PRS, which you can see on the right side of the photo.

After Seth did his part, I started working on my own guitar tracks. There was this weird, infernal ticking that the pickups were, well, picking up, but the oyster pickup didn't do that ticking, so I recorded a couple acoustic tracks. Although I'd recorded a couple acoustic tracks a week earlier, most of the acoustic work on the album was set up through the stereo amps. It gives the thing a wonderfully gritty tone.

On a day that some arborists were working next door, I decided to record some piano for "Soothe Me" and "Don't Know How You Found Me."

The next night, Nicola Linde came into the RV and recorded some sexy vocals. I'd post the photo, but they're on her camera and I haven't had her send them to me yet. 

For the next few days, the clicking became unbearable. My brother had gone camping with his family, so I moved the equipment inside his home. I put the amps in two separate bedrooms and recorded most of the remaining guitar parts indoors. I didn't want it to be this way, but, well, that's how it goes sometimes. 

I got to use my brother's PRS One guitar for a few of the lead guitar tracks. It's much easier to play wild and out of control solos on a guitar with light strings. My strat's still working with the flatwound Chrome .13s. 

Finally, it came time to record the bass. I moved the setup downstairs and recorded it sitting down.

And that's where I'm at. I've got all that big, loud stuff done.

Now I have a few other things to do:

• Record the Rhodes parts.
• Record the remaining synthesizer parts.
• Record some harmonica here and there.
• Get a couple of other vocalists for some parts, including my wife, who will sing a bunch of the duet-like takes and harmonies.
• Work out my own voice and re-record the parts that sound too weak for comfort.

However, life happens so I need to focus on getting ready for the upcoming school year first. I have a bunch of new courses to plan for, and I have to move my family over to the Mainland. That means that I probably won't get much else recorded until October.