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Hello! All of us at Recording Magazine are pleased to present SPOTLIGHT.
Featuring one reader’s outstanding song submission each month, SPOTLIGHT will delve into the gear and recording techniques used by the artist. SPOTLIGHT will give you the opportunity to read (and hear) how fellow recording musicians made a good song sound great.
We hope you enjoy SPOTLIGHT. Here’s to making great recordings!
Songs featured in SPOTLIGHT are chosen from the pool of entries sent to Marty Peters for our Readers’ Tapes column. Because the point of Readers’ Tapes is to teach readers how to improve their recordings, in the past there was no place to discuss submissions that were so good Marty had no criticisms for them. These submissions are now being set aside for SPOTLIGHT. Marty will also use this newsletter on occasion to showcase a particular piece that’s a good example of an unusual or important recording technique worth hearing in detail.
“My Surprise ”
Wisdom
Listen to song
Equipment: Roland VS-1680 w/internal effects crds, Avalon VT-737 mic preamp, Neumann TLM103 and Shure Beta 57A mics, Lexicon MPX1 effects (for guitar), TC Electronic Finalizer Plus, Mackie HR824 monitors, Mackie 1202-VLZ mixer, TASCAM CD-RW750 CD burner, Sony A6 DAT recorder.
Instrumentation: Paul Reed Smith Custom 22 and Fender Eric Johnson Strat guitars, MESA/Boogie Triaxis and 20/20 power amp with 4 x 12 rectifier cab, Warwick Corvette FNA bass, Roland V-Drums, Yamaha Motif ES6 keyboard.
Music: “My Surprise” is a male vocal rock song done by Kevin Dalton and Mark Sloan, who play, write, and record music under the band name Wisdom. Kevin sang the lead vocal and played lead and rhythm guitar, drums and keyboards. Mark played rhythm guitar and bass. He also sang background and harmony vocals and co-wrote the tune with Kevin.
Recording: This month’s SPOTLIGHT track manages to succeed in an area that has been historically problematic with Readers’ Tapes submissions. Can anyone venture a guess?
Well, if you guessed “dynamics,” you would be correct.
Over the years we have received hundreds of songs that start with long, suspense-filled introductions that give way eventually to, well, not so much. Thankfully, that is not the case here. Yes we have the (slightly Pink Floyd reminiscent) piano/synth intro, but it actually gives way to a tight groove that establishes a foundation.
This is essential because at 2:05 seconds, the track explodes with an expansive, powerful chorus that takes it to a higher level. Now the formula is set, and it’s all shadows and light from here on out, kiddies, and that is a good thing indeed.
Summary: Well done, gentlemen!
More From:Wisdom (Mark Sloan and Kevin Dalton), Somerset, KY. http://www.musicexe.com.