Working Out of a Motel Room?

[JoeMeek12397]

Anyone here ever record/mix in a motel room? I have done numerous projects out of motel rooms and the current project is no exception. We're writing/recording certain tracks at the motel and I'm mixing at my place. The writing isn't a problem, in fact the constant barrage of characters we meet on break kind of add to the atmosphere of the writing.

However, when tracking vocals we are always combating outside noise. Its hard enough to get a good vocal take, let alone not pick up the kids screaming/crying, people knocking on the door to bum smokes, RF waves from the singer's gf manically calling/texting his muted cellphone that he swears is off, the trios of sirens, doors slamming, people arguing about getting shorted, or the loud as fuck radio/tv, all-hour, outdoor parties. The problem is the singer is on parole and if he did his parts at my house we'd have to work around his curfew. So, I've been pinning thick blankets over the windows and the door and I've been recording with dynamic mics. Also, I've been chain smoking like a motherfucker.

Anyone have any tips on working in these conditions?

Nick

 

[Terminus]

Is Wendy there?

My advice: don't get shot.

 

[~BURNY~]

¯\(°_o)/¯ But how do record drums?

 

[JoeMeek12397]

Is Wendy there?

My advice: don't get shot.

There are quite a few Wendys. The last time I worked out of a motel, there was an entire family of them living in the room next door. They lived there the entire time we recorded/wrote. You can meet the most interesting people.

Thanks for the heads up, I'll keep an eye open, but I haven't seen any guns. It seems safe just insane as fuck.

 

[bryan_kilco]

I'd imagine the neighbors are like "WTF?!?" when hearing the singer tracking vocals.

Never really recorded in a motel. And, why is the motel better for the singer if he is on parole? Either way, he has a curfew, right?

 

[JoeMeek12397]

¯(°_o)/¯ But how do record drums?

lol Sorry I should have clarified, I'm only recording certain instruments, like vocals and some guitars there. I record drums at my place or somewhere else.

 

[JoeMeek12397]

I'd imagine the neighbors are like "WTF?!?" when hearing the singer tracking vocals.

Never really recorded in a motel. And, why is the motel better for the singer if he is on parole? Either way, he has a curfew, right?

Yeah people get pissed occasionally. The other day we were recording a screaming track and I went out to smoke a cigarette and could I hear it in the parking lot. We were recording on the 3rd floor.

Shit with his curfew is they randomly check in on him after curfew at his place and he has to be there.

 

[bryan_kilco]

Ok, so I'm still not sure how being in a hotel room instead of your place is benefiting because of his curfew.....I know, it doesn't really matter, but I NEED ANSWERS!!

 

[Line666]

I do recordings in shitty rooms and peoples houses and stuff all the time, my biggest piece of advice if you're not doing it already would be to give up on the condensers and get an SM7b - they have so much room rejection its nuts. Condensers in an untreated space just soak up nasty room reverb and push it out when they're compressed - which is something that should be avoided like the plague because it knocks the caliber of your vocals down a couple of pegs at least.

Edit: didn't read you were already using a dynamic - the SM7b recommendation still stands tho.

 

[JoeMeek12397]

Ok, so I'm still not sure how being in a hotel room instead of your place is benefiting because of his curfew.....I know, it doesn't really matter, but I NEED ANSWERS!!

The singer lives in the motel room and time is an issue so we get together whenever we can. Sometimes this is a few hours before his curfew and sometimes its right around that time, or even after.

 

[JoeMeek12397]

I do recordings in shitty rooms and peoples houses and stuff all the time, my biggest piece of advice if you're not doing it already would be to give up on the condensers and get an SM7b - they have so much room rejection its nuts. Condensers in an untreated space just soak up nasty room reverb and push it out when they're compressed - which is something that should be avoided like the plague because it knocks the caliber of your vocals down a couple of pegs at least.

Edit: didn't read you were already using a dynamic - the SM7b recommendation still stands tho.

Thanks man, I've used an SM7 a couple of times and I do like the way it sounds. Unfortunately, I don't have an SM7. I've been switching between a handful of low-end dynamics on his vocals.

 

[Sloan]

find something hyper cardioid or whatever where he totally has to eat the mic and stay on it.

or just say fuck it and keep the background noise.


i love the idea of recording an album at shit motels and various other shit holes.

 

[AD Chaos]

get an SM7b - they have so much room rejection its nuts.

Do you use some sort of portable screen with it, though? I've been wondering if that could bring about any kind of improvement on the take..

 

[JoeMeek12397]

find something hyper cardioid or whatever where he totally has to eat the mic and stay on it.

or just say fuck it and keep the background noise.


i love the idea of recording an album at shit motels and various other shit holes.

Yeah, one of the mics I've been using is a CAD 25a supercardioid.

It does make for a good time. On the other hand, every single time I've done projects at any motel, anywhere, I end up recording a few rappers.

 

[Sloan]

On the other hand, every single time I've done projects at any motel, anywhere, I end up recording a few rappers.

hahaha, that's awesome

 

[Line666]

Do you use some sort of portable screen with it, though? I've been wondering if that could bring about any kind of improvement on the take..

Have tried a reflection filters and it did work, just not very well, if someone is making a lot of noise then you can still get a fair whack of room sound creeping in when you push the compression. I haven't tried any of the bigger ones but the normal ones seem fairly undersized for the job tbh.