Recording sessions with London based thrash metal band Brutai (pics and video)

[tr0n]

Hi all,

As part of my Master's degree in Record Production I got this band into the studios at uni to record a 3-track EP that will become my showreel as I look for assistant engineering jobs and other freelance work. I put up an add and got a response from this band Brutai whose music is a blend of old school thrash and the more modern grindcore stuff. They are in the final 10 of a 200 strong battle of the bands competition and may win a chance to play at Bloodstock festival this year, so I felt kinda honoured to be recording them.

There are no audio clips that I can show as the recording sessions finished only this week and I won't have time to mix them for a while yet. Plus I dare not do it at home but rather on a nice analog desk at uni. We managed to track drums, bass, rhythm and almost all the guitar parts. Vocals will be done in the near future I hope.

I'm the dude wearing the black shirt (and glasses in the pics below), and the guy in the blue shirt is my mate Boris, we took turns at running the show as each of the 3 days were 11 hour sessions. Very tiring at the end but a lot of fun and we got some GREAT sounds from the drums and guitars. I originally miked the cab with the B57A off-axis and MD421 on axis but the MD421 got knocked I think when one of the band members went in the room so it's like you see in the pictures. As it sounded great like that there was no need to fix it.

Here's a couple of vids and pictures. Enjoy.

 

[jrx10]

Hey, good stuff, the set up there looks awesome!

Where are you doing your MA by the way? Currently looking at post graduate courses myself...

 

[tr0n]

Hey, thanks. I wasn't actually using any of the outboard in these sessions as they were just for recording hehe. I'm really hoping to get back in there to mix though and use the Drawmers and stuff.

This is at Thames Valley University in London. The studio I used there is one of the newest and best equipped, although not THE best equipped, as one studio has an Otari Elite console, 1176s, Avalon and more, really gorgeous stuff that probably doesn't get used at all by undergrads. The MA I'm doing is in Record Production, but it's more research based as opposed to practical, so you're looking a lot at philosophy more than what a compressor does. If you want pure hands on hardcore engineering then the sister course 'Audio Technology' is probably the one for you.

 

[jrx10]

Ah cool, I went to the AES convention in Hammersmith today and spoke to a Thames Valley rep about the audio production MA actually!

How would you rate the uni and department if you don't mind me asking?

 

[tr0n]

You were at the AES today?! So was I! I was wearing a TesseracT t-shirt and jeans, maybe you saw me around. What a coincidence hehe.

It's a bit difficult to rate the uni as it's the only I've ever been to, so making a comparison is not the easiest. What I can say about the department is that they are very helpful, knowledgable and very well equipped in terms of gear. There aren't enough studios for the number of students that have access to them, BUT, the same could probably be said no matter how many studios or students there actually are, and studios are enormously expensive things to build. A common thing is that studios will be booked but whoever booked them will fail to turn up on time and then there is free reign to whoever comes along first to grab it. This first come-first serve system isn't ideal if you want to book something to bring in a band of course as you can't go in on the pretence that you might get a studio, but if you're working yourself doing some mixing for instance, it's a good way of getting time, you just turn up and ask if anything is free. Sometimes there is, sometimes there isn't.

As for the uni in general, well, it's okay, the library has lots of good books for audio work but I'm not sure it's the most ideal place to actually do work funnily enough. For audio technology stuff though it is definitely very good indeed. I could say more about the uni in general but this place is probably not the best to do so and it would take me a while to do it.

Are you at the AES on Monday or Tuesday? We should hook up and chat if you want. I'll PM you my mobile number in case you are, drop me a text or call me.

 

[jrx10]

Haha I did see you funnily enough, was walking a bit behind you when I first got there! Unfortunately I'm not there today or tomorrow as I've got to go back to my current uni, was just there for the student and careers events really on Sunday, missing out on all the good stuff

Cheers for the info about TVU though, I might PM you at some point with a couple more Qs if that's alright!

P.S Sorry for hijacking the thread!

 

[tr0n]

Small world huh. I was at that careers fair thing also, shame it turned out to be a waste of time, there was basically nothing there.

Sure, feel free to PM me, I'm more than willing to answer any questions.

All the best.