Young Camelot Studio, Best Practices

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    ----YOUNG CAMELOT STUDIO, BEST PRACTICES---

    BASIC PRINCIPLES

    1. Know your signal path.

    2. Keep track of your tracks.3. Troubleshoot from the end back toward the source.

    4. If you have to crank it past 75%, something is wrong.

    5. You can't fix missing audio.

    6. It will always be louder than the soundcheck.

    7. Plan ahead, then be prepared to throw the plan away

    8. Put it back where you found it

    9. Accept that it's your fault and work around it

    10. Always trust your ears

    1.Know your signal path- The signal starts at the source, then into the mic, then

    cable, snake, and splitter. From there, the signal is carried by one of two cables into

    either the recorder or the board, and then on to the PA and speakers. Know where every

    source is eventually ending up, so that you don't have to question yourself about what

    input to turn down on the PA when the kick is too loud.

    2.Keep track of your tracks- Write down what is plugged into where, even making

    multiple charts for different stages if necessary. If a band wants a second vocal mic but

    you don't have enough stands, you need to be fearless moving the last band's guitar mic

    over to the vocalist and draping a 57 over the new amp, quickly altering the way

    everything is routed and modifying your cheat sheet. You won't be able to remember

    that track 6 is the new track 9, so WRITE IT DOWN.

    3.Troubleshoot from the end back toward the source. You know that if the sound is

    going into the board, it's not a problem with the mic cable. You know that if ANYTHING

    is coming through the PA, it's not a speaker problem, etc. Doing this prevents you from

    trying out 3 different mics, 4 different cables, and 2 inputs before you realize you just

    forgot to push a button on the mixer.

    4.If you have to crank it past 75%, something is wrong- If the signal is so weak you

    find yourself applying way more gain than usual, then turn the track back down and

    reassess the situation. DON'T just start unplugging and hitting switches without turning

    the volume back down! This is how preamps and speakers get blown. Sometimes a

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    weak signal is the result of a spotty cable,and when you set the volume for a loose

    connection you set the audience up for hearing loss when full contact gets made. This

    rule especially applies to the master output, which ultimately determines the loudest

    possible sound that reaches the crowd.

    5.You can't fix missing audio- The absolute worst thing you can do as a Young

    Camelot sound person is neglect a sound source. Always check throughout a set that

    you have every member recorded. Solo every track to identify its sound, don't blindly

    trust faders. Prioritize sources. Take out a snare mic to make room for a second guitar,

    since the snare will show up in the drum overheads. Don't be afraid to bus things

    together, like putting a kick drum, synth, and drum machine on a single track (which we

    did for Ono). If you have two mics to record 3 vocalists and a horn section, have the

    groups crowd around one mic each. Two poorly recorded amps are better than one well-

    recorded amp and one unrecorded amp.

    6.It will always be louder than the soundcheck- The snare might be peaking at -6db

    in soundcheck, but it will no doubt find a way to hit 0 during the performance. So ask the

    band members to play as loud as they can, set the levels, and then take them down a

    couple notches. Like missing audio, you can't fix clipped signals. Play it safe.

    7.Plan ahead, then be prepared to throw the plan away- Before anyone even hits

    the stage, make sure you know what they need, what to look out for, and how they can

    communicate with you. Then be prepared for gear failures, the unpredictable urges of

    showmanship, and random last-minute changes (guest vocalists, a surprise piano

    ballad, etc).

    8.Put it back where you found it- If you use a piece of YC gear, return it to where

    you found it in the same condition as you found it. This simple concept we all grew up

    with takes on increased importance in the studio, since cables are more likely to get

    lost, stolen, or damaged if they don't get put away, and there's nothing worse than

    needing something in an emergency but not being able to find it.

    9.Accept that it's your fault and work around it- There is literally nothing to be won

    by arguing with the performer. You might prove to them you know something, but the

    recording will still suffer and you'll have an enemy for the rest of the night. Don't tell the

    drummer to hit softer, don't tell the guitarist to turn up the treble, and don't ask the

    bassist if he *really* needs a distortion pedal. Sometimes you might need to ask

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    someone to bring down the volume on a DI (since that CAN be totally out of your

    control) but usually there's very little you can do and it's best to just find solutions to

    problems on your end without interfering with a performance.

    10.Always trust your ears- This rule trumps all the previous ones. If you've checkedand double-checked, traced your cables and talked to the artist, yet still can't figure out

    why it only sounds good when you mic the back of the amp and boost the mids, then

    don't worry about the reasons and just leave it be. Maybe you didn't notice the snare

    drum mic was on the floor, but now it sounds pretty sweet that way - don't bother

    reattaching it. Your brain will tell you this is "wrong", and it would be correct, but

    ultimately your ears are the final arbiter. Trust them over all else.