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Generally speaking I'm alone when recording my overdub guitar or vocal parts. Not because of some really sweet artistic motivation but simply because I'm trying to record my parts within the small gaps found between everyday life stuff that actually matters, and logistically it doesn't make sense to have Nat or one of the other guys come over for 45 minutes just to hit the spacebar on the computer and give me positive motivation over the talkback microphone like, "nice job, but I think you have a better take in you."

That said I feel pretty silly pressing the record button then sprinting through the house to my isolated room two closed doors away, picking up my guitar, throwing on the headphones, waiting for the song to get queued up and then hoping I didn't knock over a microphone stand or kill an animal in the process and/or that I actually pressed "record" instead of "play" (I've done that a couple times). I've set my recording software to record a take, then just loop the entire song again so I can record another take (while keeping all previous takes stored), rinse and repeat.

During the song "Get on Yer Horse" I recorded the electric guitar part over and over as the song looped 15-20 times (maybe more). I'm not sure if that's impressive or depressing. I probably could have gone with take number 11, but I had a feeling 17 was going to be special so I kept going. I will admit a couple of the takes were just the sounds of me tuning because I didn't want to get up to stop the loop.

I hope to someday employ a butler who does three key things in my life which no qualified person is ever around to help me with:

1.) engineer the recording process - even if it's only for 20 minutes a day
2.) make unique ice sculptures for my dinner table
3.) spot me when i'm benching 350 lbs.

I think I got off topic.

It was the hottest of summers on record. A string of 100+ degree days not before seen in the Portland are. After days and days of heat finally the rain came down and quenched the earth, and it was good. It was on this day that we recorded at our third location - the building we affectionately call "The Derby House" with a basement full of rock and roll most any night of the week.
 
With Jared Abraham back stateside from Spain, we decided to record the song "In Your Arms". Jared's drum parts have always, in my opinion, made the song. For that reason, I was very excited to have him there to lay down the tracks. And it sounded great. We went with a 5-mic technique this time:  2 overhead, 1 kick, 1 snare and one in the back of the room. I haven't mixed them yet, but the sound is pretty darn beefy. I'm excited.
 
The thing about D.I.Y. recordings is that technical problems seem to be more frustrating - because we have to fix them ourselves. The issue we had was the computer hiccuping in the middle of takes. We'd listen back to the tracks after recording them and hear something similar to a CD skipping, thus ruining the take. Luckily we were able to capture our two best takes between glitches. Now I'm hitting the forums to try to isolate the issue before the next session. Wish me luck.
 
Until next time, keep on rocking.
 
-N8