Jazz Quartet Project

[Mark Richards]

This is the first finished cut from a jazz project I'm working on.
"Sandpiper"

Remainder of project will be 2 more instrumental songs and 4 songs with a female vocalist. One of the vocal songs is close to being finished. If there's any interest in hearing the first vocal song when it's ready, I'll upload it.

Production Notes

Artist: Benedict Jazz Quartet.
Recorded in real time. This is take #3
No overdubs, No punches, No bounces.

Tracking

4 tracks on tape using a TASCAM 40-4 analog MTR with DBX Type I noise reduction
TASCAM M-3 8x4x2 analog mixer​

Mics

Drums: Kick: EV RE-20; Overhead & Snare: AT 811 condensers; Floor Tom: Shure 545
Acoustic Upright Bass: Shure 545
Keyboard: DI
Sax/Flute: EV 1776 Condenser​

Physical placement

Drums in rear (3 sided 1/2 height baffle enclosure, dull side in); in mix, spread across stage
Acoustic Upright Bass to the left of drums; in mix, slightly left of center stage
Keyboard right of drums; in mix, placed center stage/slightly right of center
Sax & flute center and forward; in mix, flute slightly right, sax slightly left, of center stage.​

Analog tracks digitized in real time using a TASCAM DP-24, with some minor EQ and compression during conversion.

Digitized tracks imported to Harrison's Mixbus-7 D.A.W. for balancing; EQ, etc. Mastered using Lurssen Mastering Console software.

Audio

Goal: A pure, "Live", musical experience.
Level: -14 LUFS; Peak: -2.3 dB; True Peak: -1.6 dB
Dynamic Range: 5.4 LU
SPL: 70 dB at optimum listening position and on headphones
Quality: CD Redbook High Fidelity
​

To better appreciate the track, this is a sandpiper
(if you've never seen a bird walk to the timing of 32nd notes)

Constructive critiques, comments and suggestions welcome, as always.

 

[-mjk-]

If there's any interest in hearing the first vocal song when it's ready, I'll upload it.

Is this a trick question? Hell yes, post it!

Was this cut at 15 ips?

 

[Mark Richards]

Yes, 15 IPS - top speed of the 40-4.

 

[Tom Boyles]

Wow... so good. Being a bass player myself... wow... love love love the bass. That is an amazing player. I'm pretty sure that upright caught fire with that kind of fretboard athleticism. It had to have. Thanks for sharing.

Great sounding mix and sounds awesome on my JBL 104 reference monitors!

 

[Mark Richards]

Thanks for the kind words, Tom.

Still perfecting the first vocal mix, mj. Will make a post soon (I hope).

 

[Rene Asologuitar]

Hi Mark,
This is a superb production.
The sound is so crisp, and the music is really good.
Did you record all the instrumentation by yourself?
Love it!!!
Rene

 

[Mark Richards]

Thank you, Rene, for your kind words on both projects. As I indicated in the Production Notes, these are projects that I'm recording, mixing, and mastering for a solo artist and a jazz quartet.