In The Mix

It may not surprise you to know that I’m heading into the studio just forty-eight hours before leaving for my South Carolina wedding.

In addition to the all-star cover of “Do They Know It’s Christmas” we recorded last weekend, “A Holiday Family Christmas” — the benefit album I’m producing with Wes Verhoeve — will feature Christmas tunes from some fifteen singer/songwriters and bands. So Sunday night, Chris Abad, Tony Maceli, Ryan Vaughn and I are headed back to Travis Harrison’s Serious Business Studio to bang out Chris’ version of “Feliz Navidad,” and my version of “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home).”

Meantime, though, Travis has been toiling away on our Band Aid cover, firing off rough edits for my review. So I thought you’d get a laugh out my uber-obsessive compulsive mix notes:

1- Save acoustic til third measure (:04)
2- Save piano til second verse (:35)
3- Re: overall vocals, I’d bump em all up a bit and anything you can do to deepen (bassier) and level (in relation to one another) would be hot
4- in the four part harmony section (:55-1:20), I’d minimize the 180 degree vocal pans thusly so it’s less seperated on the edges but more on the center
5- Save the tamborine for the big finish (2:30)
6- Tuck in” the “ooooh” at 1:42 a bit, and turn down the dude a bit
7- Likewise, I’d tuck in George/Jess’ “here’s to you” and “here’s to them” about 10% (both in volume and pan)
8- I’m not sure there’s much we can do about it, but guitarist John’s delay-heavy from 2:30 on is a hair much. I’d tuck it in 10%.
9- Mike’s piano should sit out the first two “feed the worlds” (2:30) and answer where “let them know it’s christmas time” will be.
10- Finally? Slow fade: start bringin us down at fourth “let them know it’s christmas time” (3:20) and be out by 3:40.

As I said to Travis, “I imagine this’d be easier if I weren’t a closet Pro Tools rat.” Or OCD. But I am. So… there it is.