Board Mix of Funky Club Band

[Freddy G]

Hi all,
Here's a few tunes that I recorded of my friend's band.
Thought somebody might be interested in a "guerilla" style live mix.
While I love recording in the studio....mixing a live band through a PA really gives me the biggest thrill, because there is no room to second guess. What you do right in the moment is what people hear. I recommend mixing live bands to anyone who is interested in recording because it teaches you to be on the ball and make quick, gut instinct mix decisions. The band handed me their set-list which I was able to refer to during the night. I asked them ahead of time who takes a solo in which song etc...
Before every tune I would quickly decide what kind of production I'd apply...usually the simplest thing like deciding how to treat the vocal is the most effective. For example in "Brick House" I knew I was going to leave the band dry...no rev. So I used the SPX90 for a vocal micro pitchshift/doubling sound.
Or for example in "Breakin' Up the House" big time slap back on the vox...just that one element changes the whole overall mood.
In "Play that Funky Music" I put a flanger on the voice for the verses and then switched to a bit of echo on the vox in the choruses. These little touches go a long way because they give drama to the mix.

I mixed this band in a nightclub and my first priority was to make it sound good for the audience, not the recording... that was incidental. What you are hearing is a stereo output of the mixing board. I used just the house PA, it was really basic. All I had was a 24 channel soundcraft 400b console, a Yamaha SPX90 for rev and effects, a mono digital delay, and a stereo compressor.

All of the mics were just basic dynamics...mostly 57s, 58s. There were no overheads mics on the drums because I ran out of channels. But it really didn't matter too much because there were 5 open vocal mics on the stage and they captured plenty of cymbal spill.

Anyone who has ever made a board mix of this kind knows how skewed the resulting recording can be because when you mix live you are more or less giving "re-enforcement" to the stage sound. That means that whatever has to be amplified the most ie. vocals will be loudest in the recording. And vice-versa...let's say the guitar player on stage is blasting his amp straight at me, then I won't feel the need to put much guitar in the PA...it's already loud. But the problem in the recording will be that it's not there at all or it gets quite buried...see where I'm going with this?

Also, I didn't have the room miked for the recording, (which is totally necessary for a real "live" recording to hear the audience and hear the room, without that the recording lacks that "live" sound). Just thought I would qualify that.

So with those things in mind check out some of the tunes I captured.
Cheers!

http://soundcloud.com/freddygabrsek/i-feel-good

http://soundcloud.com/freddygabrsek/givin-it-up-for-your-love-1

http://soundcloud.com/freddygabrsek/brick-house

http://soundcloud.com/freddygabrsek/play-that-funky-music

http://soundcloud.com/freddygabrsek/rumble-in-brighton

http://soundcloud.com/freddygabrsek/breakin-up-the-house

[nicolasrivera]

I like it a lot Freddy, nice work.

[Freddy G]

Thanks Nic,
It was a lot of fun!

[BEDLAM_1]

GRETA JOB THERE FREDDY!,,
The band being very good helps too i guess ;-)

[Freddy G]

Thanks bedlam,
Yes the band being good is crucial....otherwise it's GIGO

I noticed you made the same typo as I always make....greta

[refin]

Great job!

[Aleksander]

You are multitalented person.