The Fritz Files - Snakecharmer-Binaural

Post on Ottmar's Diary



I'm sure most of you have seen this on OL's site, but just in case you haven't, check it out. The Fritz Files/Binaural music from OL+ Luna Negra is now available at the Listening Lounge.

It was a great experience recording with "Fritz" in the studio. It took a bit of getting used to. At first, when we were all sitting around the mic playing, it seemed normal. Then when you start to move, it gets tricky. During Snakecharmer, I stayed planted on my chair. However during a few of the other tunes, I moved to different places in the studio.

The hardest part for me was when Davo and I were at complete opposite ends of the studio. The time delay was really different. To me it sounded like Davo was behind, but to Davo, it sounded like I was behind. Now, picture that and then Jon and Ottmar in the middle between us, then imagine the different sounds traveling to my ears at different times, you do the math. It can be confusing. It wasn't a big time difference, just slight, but enough to make you say... wait a sec, somethings not right here? I had to quickly adjust and learn how to listen differently then what I'm used to on stage. I had to really concentrate on only my playing at certain times and playing in time even though I didn't hear other instruments in time with me. Following me so far?

When I play live with the band, since we all have in-ear monitors, we don't have to worry about how far apart we are. I spend more time listening to everyone else then my self, I still hear my self but it's not the main focus although it can be, For example: If my string starts to go slightly out of tune, I will be listening to my guitar trying to figure out which string it is and think about what part of the song I'll have a chance to quickly reach up to tune to try and get it back to where it needs to be. Other wise, I'm panning around listening to everything, espically Davo's kick and perc. When everything's clickin, I can just zone out and then it feels like magic.

In my in-ear monitors, I have my guitar panned off to the right at about 2 o'clock and OL, left at 11. Davo's kick and Jons bass are in the center and the rest of the percussion panned all around with Davo's over head mic's panned hard left & right. There has been times in sound check where davo has talked close to his right over head mic and I've quickly looked to my right but he isn't there. Funny how quickly you react to what you hear instead of what you know. So in the studio, as Ottmar said in an earlier post on his diary, we all learned to listen differently and very intently.

After the studio sessions, I too was walking around hearing every little thing. A bird chirp, a car off in the distance etc. It's like when you jump on a trampoline, after you get off of it, you still feel like your jumping up and down. It only lasts for a little while. Although, when I was mixing Thira, I think It was about 2 or 3 weeks, I don't remember, but man... You're so in tune with every little neuance and because it was over a concentrated time, that feeling did last for quite a while after words and at times drove me a bit crazy, It was like everything was amplified.

I hope everyone enjoys the new recordings!