GEAR:
Acoustic Guitar: Alvarez Model AG71OCE
Acoustic Guitar Strings: Martin Marquis 80/20 Bronze – Light Gauge
Amp: Peavey Ecoustic 110EFX
Drum Sounds (and Keyboard on Interlude & Prelude): Yamaha PSR-E403/YPT-400
Vocals Microphone: Rode NT1
Vocal Sound: Boss VE-2 (although I can’t use the harmonist part because the vocal mic picks up the guitar, too)
Live Instrument Microphone: Shure SM58 (for songs recorded 2/18/18, 2/19/18 & 2/24/18)
Recorded on: Zoom Q8 Handy Video Recorder
RECORDING:
1244 Teall Avenue, Syracuse NY, 3rd Floor bedroom on the Melrose Avenue side.
For this album I purchased a Behringer Micromix MX400 Ultra Low Noise 4-Channel Line Mixer, because I wanted to avoid using the live camera mics due to the extra noises they tend to pick up (me bumping something, or turning the camera “record icon” on and off with my guitar pick, or the outside traffic noise – which we have a lot of).
The Zoom Camera has two phone jack inputs, so I ran the Vocal Mic through the Boss VE-2 and directly into the one input, and then the Beringer into the other input.
The Alvarez guitar I used has two outputs – an XLR and a Phone Jack – so I loaded up the Beringer like this:
1st Channel: Drum sounds from the keyboard
2nd Channel: Phone jack line straight out of the guitar
3rd Channel: XLR line from the guitar through the amplifier and then into the Micromixer
4th Channel: Live Shure Mic aimed at the guitar sound hole
For the Interlude & Prelude (no guitar) I ran the keyboard through the amplifier and then straight into the 2nd input of the Zoom Camera (rather than the Behringer).
And again – 100% Live / No overdubs / Whenever you hear a drum fill or the drum sound change (other than the first intro measures), that’s me reaching over with my right (strumming) hand and pressing the button for “fill” or “ending” on the keyboard (and trying to not hit the “stop” button which is right next to the “fill” button!).
Here are two photos of the set up (with chair pulled back). The recording device is on the tripod:
And here is a photo of the effects board on the Amp:
For each song I would slide the EQs into different positions, and then randomly spin the effects dials (on the righthand side) – which also push in for further effects – until I had a new sound that I thought worked for that particular song. Sometimes this took only a moment – other times much, much longer. My aim was to have a variety of guitar sounds from track to track. I never bothered to write down or remember the settings – each time I started a new song it was a new combination of sounds (theoretically).
KEYS:
Prelude – Key of E
Gracious and Merciful – Key of A
Yesterday, Tomorrow and Today – Key of C
Greater Love Has No One Than This – Key of Eb / (Capo on 1)
Soul Anchor: Hope – Key of A
Steadfast and Immovable – Key of F / (Capo on 3)
He Loves Us To Death – Key of Ab / (Capo on 1)
Oh the Depths! – Key of E
Interlude – Key of E
Show Us a More Excellent Way – Key of Bb / (Capo on 1)
He Can Take Care of This Too – Key of D
He Came, He Lived, He Died, He Rose – Key of D
He Is the One (Eyes on Jesus) – Key of Eb / (Guitar tuned down a half step)
Your Mercy Is Divine – Key of F / (Capo on 1)
O My Soul! – Key of G
The Only Holy God – Key of Eb / (Guitar tuned down a half step)