Dive! - Days 2 and 3

The next phase of working with this track involved some more re-recording and also wrestling with the sound levels. Vocals were getting buried under the wall of sound I was creating, yet the "punch" still wasn't quite there. Much E.Q. futzing and tweaking took place before I finally arrived with a mix that I could live with.

Next, the addition of a screaming dulcimer solo in the section that I left especially for that purpose. One of the challenges of writing in the studio is that you're not as familiar with a piece as you'd like to be - you truly have to pull the music out of thin air. After several runs at it, I laid out a solo that captured the mood of the track.

Finally, a few bits of atmosphere - a distorted dulcimer buzz at the beginning and doubling of the main riff and pre-chorus half-steps. I separated the "Dive!" call and response sections and put them on channels E.Q.'ed to have an AM radio voice effect, like the commander of a submarine. Finally, to punch home the whole visual, I found a pretty cool sub klaxon and split them into left and right channels with some delay. When this tune kicks off - it's a sonic assault, giving you a taste of the intensity to follow.

Now, I'll let it sit and simmer while I wait for the bassist to learn the part and then I'll be adding real bass into the mix. In the meantime, I've started working out the chords for the next tune - and will probably get around to recording sometime this weekend.

Tonight

For now, though - it's off to Downtown Eustis for the First Friday Street Festival with Mohave (featuring said bassist, Tom Sharp.) Three stages of bands, lots of food, drinks and fireworks on up until 10 pm tonight. If you're in the central Florida region, we hope you'll come out and join the party!