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Has anyone ever tracked in a room that sounded killer that had very little
to no treatment. I've just got permission to use a old victorian styl home
built around 1890's. The only thing thats in the room are some very thick curtains over 4 huge windows and a big rug over part of the hardwood floor. 12 feet ceiling and two fireplace's on each end of the room. I get the room late nite hours but that's fine with me. No one lives in that house, he built a new house up by the road. It's just for recording.
Wished it was mine. Oh well, I'm just glad to be able to use it.

This room blew me away tracking and in a live setting. Must be the old ass seasoned wood.

Peace. .Scoobie

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anonymous Thu, 11/09/2006 - 17:14

Vintage Tone

Check the walls, see if they have scalloped bracing. Also is it the orginal finish on the floors or have they been refinished, this is important.
Good luck and don't break anything or wear out your welcome, and try not to turn it into a crash pad for the local outta' work musicians. What do you call a musician who breaks up with his girl friend? ......Homeless.
OK, pick up your beer bottles and McDonald wrappers, and try to aim so that you hit the bowl more than the floor, and if the own is married try no to hit on his wife, at least not in front of him.
Happy recording

Scoobie Thu, 11/09/2006 - 18:32

I 'm not sure what scalloped bracing is. The walls have slat's and plaster.
Not dry wall like you see today. I helped rewire the house. I didn't want to get in the wall so I put in all floor outlets. He had all the walls insulated by a company that filled the walls with what looked like old ground up newspaper.
It was blown in with some fire retarent stuff. Something that I've never seen before. But works real good. For sound too.

The hardwood floors are the orginal wood but it has been refinished. When he bought the place the floors had been painted. Looked like hell. Someone he got to refinish the floors did a great job. All the old trim wood has been tooken down, refinshed and put back up. Chair rail, Crown mold, window trim, base board
fire place mantel, Stairs and hand rail. The old plaster walls remain, they still look good. A new coat of paint and some mud work here and there.

I'll keep the place clean that's for sure. His wife would shoot me if I didn't.
I've known them for years. Very good friends, We played in a band together for years. High school in the 70's up to 87.

Peace................Scoobie

anonymous Thu, 11/09/2006 - 22:27

Just Joking

I was just joking with you. You mentioned the good sound might have something to do with the seasoned wood in the house....so I made a joke about scalloped braces which is a big ta-do in vintage Martins, some people swear it's all about the scalloped braces, but that is a whole topic unto itself...............
The other stuff was just the ususal musician type jokes.
Actually, I bet it does sound good in there. I record at home and I've been trying out different rooms to find what one sounds the best, I not really hoping for much, just whatever one works best.
I've heard it said, in particular on this forum too, that a good room can go long way into the making of a good vocal track.
Good luck with your endeavor .............

RemyRAD Fri, 11/10/2006 - 01:20

Back in the 1970s James Taylor recorded a couple of his albums in old houses in Massachusetts. As I recall, they used an API console that was brought in and it included this newfangled noise reduction thingy called DBX into an 3M M16 (which was a heck of a lot lighter than an Ampex MM 1000-16)? I always loved the way those recordings sounded and a nice drive through Massachusetts will tell you why.

You don't no stinkin' acoustic engineers
Ms. Remy Ann David