Live direct to two-track

[Humphrey Bear]

Have any bands ever recorded a whole album live direct to two-track at Electrical Audio? If so, which ones? I would like to check out a few such recordings.

[rob v.]

i can't recall being around or being spoken to about any full bands going directly to 2 track, but i'm pretty sure phillip roebuck's record was done that way. he plays banjo and sings and has a kick drum/high hat backpack connected to spurs on his boots. the spurs are taken out actually, but the metal holders remain. if you can see him live it's really interesting. the record sounds nice too. and he is a nice man.

[steve]

Robbie Fulk's 13 Hillbilly Giants was all done live-to-two-track.

[Bob Weston]

I did a live to stereo recording, but not at Electrical. It's on a Kahoots record; done at Semaphore.

bob

[Humphrey Bear]

I wish more bands would record live direct to two-track. Nothing annoys me more than when I see something like this:


*Vocals recorded in Studio A in January 2002

*Guitars recorded in Studio B in March 2002

*Bass guitar recorded in Studio C in June 2002

*Drums recorded in Studio D in August 2002

*Everything else recorded in Studio E in November 2002

*Song 1, 3, 6 and 7 mixed in Studio F in February 2003
*All other songs mixed in Studio G in March 2003


Yes I know I am exaggerating but what's the point of recording each instrument in different studios at different times and then glueing everything together on a mixing desk? Most modern music these days sounds like a robot recorded it...very mechanical and dry and with no eye contact between the band members.

[KrisPoulin]

There's a glam/rock/metal band in Chicago called Bobby Stratosphere & the Bloodclub. (Maybe they're just Bloodclub these days.) Anyway, I recorded their full-length LP live to 2-track a few years ago at Acme. We did the whole LP in a day and it was a bit strange recording a "big, rock" record that way. I haven't heard it in a few years, but we were all happy with the results at the time.

[BadComrade]

I believe all of the Frank Black & the Catholics records are done that way. I thought the first album sounded great.

[Tom]

First Rev. H. Heat was recorded to 2 tracl

[andteater]

Bob,

Didnt you do a Boys Life record that was straight to tape? I love that cd.

I'm not afraid to admit I LOVE BOYS LIFE.

andyk

[Mayfair]

The Coctails' first two and a half records (Hip Hip Hooray lp, Hear Now Today lp, Songs for Children ep) were done live to two track... the third (Long Sound) was all live to 24 track... though none of those at Electrical.

[thebookofkevin]

Most (if not all) of the new Lightning Bolt record was done this way as well.

[Bob Weston]

Bob,

Didnt you do a Boys Life record that was straight to tape? I love that cd.

I'm not afraid to admit I LOVE BOYS LIFE.

andyk

Hmmm. I don't think so. I recall that being a 24-track record.

-b

[MTAR]

I recorded the last Coke Dares record live to 2-track. 43 songs in 3 days. A very liberating way to work, as long as the band can pull it off. You can hear a track here, if you like:

The Coke Dares: No Pictures

[Humphrey Bear]

I recorded the last Coke Dares record live to 2-track. 43 songs in 3 days. A very liberating way to work, as long as the band can pull it off. You can hear a track here, if you like:

The Coke Dares: No Pictures

Did you use the Studer B67?

[MTAR]

yes.

everyone was live in one room (gtr, bass, drums). They all vocalized. Gtr amp was in an adjacent room firing into the live room, the bass amp was isolated in the dead room. I think there were 8 mics on the drumset, 2 room mics, one mic on bass and 2 on the gtr amp. 3 vocal mics (one for each dude). All outboard preamps into my old console, a soundtracs topaz, mixed to the Studer B67 running 1/4" GP9 @ +9 dB over 185 nWb/m. NAB.

mike

[eliya]

All outboard preamps into my old console, a soundtracs topaz, mixed to the Studer B67 running 1/4" GP9 @ +9 dB over 185 nWb/m. NAB.

That was the coolest sentence ever.

(Yeah, I know I sound lame)

[andteater]

hmm.

i'm pretty sure the linear notes say something to the effect of "recorded live to 2" tape by bob weston"

it definately sounds like it was recorded live, very dynamic and roomy.

i love boys life.

andyk

Bob,

Didnt you do a Boys Life record that was straight to tape? I love that cd.

I'm not afraid to admit I LOVE BOYS LIFE.

andyk

Hmmm. I don't think so. I recall that being a 24-track record.

-b

[thebookofkevin]

hmm.

i'm pretty sure the linear notes say something to the effect of "recorded live to 2" tape by bob weston"

it definately sounds like it was recorded live, very dynamic and roomy.

i love boys life.

andyk

Bob,

Didnt you do a Boys Life record that was straight to tape? I love that cd.

I'm not afraid to admit I LOVE BOYS LIFE.

andyk

Hmmm. I don't think so. I recall that being a 24-track record.

-b

2" tape != 2 track

My guess is that bob took your "record that was straight to tape" as straight to 2-track.

[drillbit]

edit

[drillbit]

a little different to whats being talked about here, but i have done a few live recordings of my friends band on 2 tracks
with one track an output from the desk and the other a compressed microphone placed behind them, and some of it sounds pretty good...

also, theres a few old tom waits records that were done straight to 2 track and they sound great