Poison Worms was recorded in David Kando Studios. See below for some highlights of the interesting gear and techniques that I used during the creation process:
Instruments highlights
- Gibson SG Electric Guitar: I set my SG to the Rhythm setting with both knobs dialed all the way up. My pedal-chain consists of only two pedals in order to preserve tone: an overdrive (Tumnus Wumpler) and an EQ (Boss GE-7).
- Boss Katana Amp: My guitar amp is a Boss Katana Artist Edition. While it's priced for a home studio, it produces a high-quality tone.
- Nord Electro 6D: I wanted a nice electric organ Hammond B3 sound for the solo in this track. I had the Nord Electro on my wish list for a while, so I decided to finally invest in one.
- Addictive Drums: Addictive Drums is a plugin by XLN Audio. While I'm not a live drummer, I've spent time learning enough and more to be dangerous. The Addictive Drums plugin allows me to create full midi drum tracks that sound like a studio drummer.
Recording highlights
- Shure SM57 Microphone: I tracked my vocals with this mic, even though it's more commonly used to record guitar amps. I discovered that it can capture a warmer tone than other more traditional vocal mics in my locker.
- Universal Audio Sphere DLX: This mic is a powerful one that allows me to emulate other high-end mics. The emulations include a plethora of studio-grade microphones including popular Audio Technica, Rode mics, Neumann U87s, and more. I used this to record my guitar amp.
- Natural sounds: To give a live feel, I recorded and layered a bunch of natural sounds: clapping, shaker, and more. I also sampled the crowd talk from my previous band shows, as well as a bird singing.
Mixing highlights
- Dual Hard-panned guitars: I double recorded the guitar tracks - one with a clean tone, and one with a boosted, driven tone. Then I hard-panned each track on opposite ends to create a wide stereo feel.
- Hardware 1176LN: For mono tracks, I have a hardware 1176LN in the studio that I use to add some warm analog compression.
- Hardware Manley VU: For stereo tracks, I have a hardware Manley VU in the studio that I use to add some warm analog compression.
- Pro-Q by Fabfilter: My go to Equalizer plugin.
- Fresh Air: A plugin that allows me to revive the mid-high range of any track. I find that it breathes more life into drums, guitar, and vocals.
Stay tuned for upcoming videos that deep-dive into my interesting gear, techniques, and recording/mixing workflow!