Technical Question for the great Sleeves

[toolshed]

Sherwin (do you mind if I call you Sherwin?),

Can I ask how elaborate your recording setup is? You get great sounds in quick turnaround time. Obviously you are set up for podcasting, but I was just wondering if you were mostly computer-based with an audio interface, or live miking, or if you etch these songs by hand onto the rings of vinyl. Just curious. Love your work.

[EddieMoscone]

Da, Da, Da, Sheriwn's got a Secret. Doesn't want to tell, how he records.

I like to think Sleeve's music is a result of some sort of magic, not of earthly recording equipment.

[moochcassidy]

http://graphicplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/microphone_newspost_0002.jpg
+
http://www.gbaudio.co.uk/images/tk20a.jpg

[Sleeves]

picture of my studio below...with crazy hospital blankets to muffle sounds...it's a tiny little attic space

I mostly use a Yamaha YPG625 keyboard. I bought it right before doing It takes a rube...I was mostly interested in getting something with a really good piano sound that "felt" like a piano...it didn't cost a crazy amount either. The synth sounds are only average.

I sometimes use the built in drum tracks, but recently I've been using loops that I find on the net.

I use Adobe AUdition 3.0 to record and lay all the tracks down...

ALso I have a pretty good mic - a Rode NT1.

THe mic and the keyboard feed into a m-audio fast track pro...so i record directly onto pc...

I do a lot of layering to get the sound I like...and mostly everything is just done by ear. I try not to use effects. Or only sparingly. Usually I'll put a little reverb on the underbedding vocals - just to kind of wash-out the background. But I like main vocal and instrument to sound pretty up front and unprocessed.

The key for me is just messing around a lot and having no expectations. For example - I wanted to do a Christmas song, but I can't do something like that on purpose. So I just sat down and messed around for 30 minutes and forgot what i was doing and then i heard myself singing the la la la la...so it just showed up. I also don't labor anything. I write a lot of incomplete songs - songs I can't figure out. I just let em go.

I rely on luck and i rely on just simply enjoying messing around. I can't do anything on purpose.

http://www.atomsmotion.com/images/SherwinWoods2.jpg

[jetdog]

picture of my studio below...
http://www.atomsmotion.com/images/SherwinWoods2.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/231/512616207_64f34241f0.jpg

[Sleeves]

not really my office...

just something i found on the web...my studio is out in the woods...no walls...just a bunch of snow and a couple old machines...

but i wanted to make it look...yannow...less abominable snowman...

[toolshed]

not really my office...

just something i found on the web...my studio is out in the woods...no walls...just a bunch of snow and a couple old machines...

but i wanted to make it look...yannow...less abominable snowman...

Lock it up. No need to let secrets out.

Thanks Sleeves. You get amazing stuff out of minimal equipment.

I have the M-Audio fasttrack as well, its a cool little gadget.