Mr. Collins, your response gets my vote for Best Post of the Week. Succinct and well-reasoned, with a reference example of how well-managed bleed actually sounds.

Of course, the key phase is "so long as you know what you're doing". For most of us hackers, we're probably better off leaning toward dry isolation. The challenge with bleed is you only get one shot at getting it right; it can't be removed later!

Yeah just one of other elements missing from my latest work(s)! 

+1 to James Collins ;)

Getting that cohesive 'live' sound and 'feel' that occurs naturally when a band records together. The best recordings I have done was live with the band. 

MakeShift


Danny and James, thank you for your responses this is great information.

My room probably does not sound good enough to enhance mic bleed and I know that I am not at the point where I know what I am doing with it.  I may mess around with the process in my spare time just to see what it does and learn a thing or two about capturing mic bleed to add depth.

I was just really fascinated by listening to these old tracks.  In some of the guitar tracks,  especially the McCartney stuff, you could here a lot of sloppiness to the guitar work.  Even in the vocal tracks you hear him kind of carrying on with his little vocal noises that are n't part of the lyrics.  Yet, in the finished mix, they are almost inaudible, or at least for me, I  have to really focus in to hear this stuff when the song is playing.  

Now I know that this particular set of songs he has thrown up there at Rude Studio are more of a home recording style after the break up.  Some were recorded on a 4 track Studer at his farm home in Scotland.  However, they really sound great for the time, as a completed piece of work.  

So the lesson that this kind of reinforces for me is;

a.  Great song writing wins over.
b.  Talent out weighs the recording process.
c.  Unpolished and imperfect doesn't always sound bad. 

You're welcome Mike.
 
a. YES!
b. YES!
c. YES!
 
If it sounds good, it is good. There are times when the feel/mood of a piece far outweigh the production animal. Sometimes just a mic, your voice and a guitar are all that's needed. :)
 
-Danny

Beagle


if you think about it that makes perfect sense.  the bleed is going to be from headphones normally, and the instruments are going to be ON pitch bleeding into that mic, but when you pitch correct the vocals, the bleed thru of the on pitch instruments gets distorted.  

Zappa would have probably hyped the effect.

Fo anyone interested in some of Al Schmitts recording techniques- he is taking questions at  http://www.gearslutz.com/board/q-engineer-al-schmitt/

He has already detailed some interesting stuff.