"Love Yourz Cover"
This song is the perfect song for my portfolio, J. Cole is one of if not my biggest influence in music. “Love Yourz” carries personal and work-related weight for me. I love conscious hip hop and for J. Cole’s entire junior album 2014 Forest Hills Drive he keeps this cinematic theme that encapsulates you in the story and the music. A lot of the research I found for this project was based on engineer notes, the producer’s analysis, and listening extensively to the music.
The Blue Print
Love Yourz
The Original
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Tracking Pictures
Tracking Info
General Approach:
Used original track as reference for musicians. Emphasized phase coherence and proper gain staging. Managed unavoidable noises like pedal squeaks and room ambiance.
Drums:
Green Pearl kit with Sabian Cymbals in blue room. Mics: Shure SM57 on snare, AKG 214s overhead, AKG D112 kick-in, EV Re320 on kick shell, AKG C414/Shure KSM44 for room. Processed through Audient ASP 880 for clear, big sound.
Guitar:
Used Dakota's Schecter Omen Elite-7 Multiscale Electric Guitar with Positive Grid Spark Smart Amp for a clean, ambient tone. Mics: Shure SM57, Cascade Fathead Ribbon with Cloudlifter. Warm, clean, round tone achieved.
Bass Guitar:
Squier Affinity Series Jazz Bass V tracked via D.I. on Audient. Warmth and richness are maintained naturally.
Piano:
Choir room Steinway & Sons Grand piano. Mics: AKG c214s (XY), Shure KSM44, AKG C414 (stereo room). Additional piano melodies are tracked to fit the track's vibe.
Vocals:
Recorded at home using Aston Spirit mic and SSL 2+ interface (4K engaged). Clear, forward vocals with a touch of bite added.
Editing/Production pictures
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Editing/Post production and mixing
Organization:
Instruments grouped with sub-master and color coding. Tracks arranged from source to "2-BUS" for cohesion and saturation.
Drums:
Compiled best takes, time-corrected for groove. Processed through A&H gl2800 and DBX 166XL for saturation. Added EQ and compression with Waves plugins. Layered kick with 808 sample.
Guitar:
Warping and phase correction for consistency. Used tape machine plugin for warmth, Alesis MV4 for reverb. Added LA-2A and 1176 Rev E for dynamics.
Bass Guitar:
Compressed for consistency, added presence and grit with parallel send. Used EQ and dynamic EQ for space. Added character and saturation with Magma BB Tubes.
Piano:
Spliced and corrected for tonality. Added vintage feel with tape saturation plugins. Utilized Avalon 737 for tone and EQ. Applied high pass filter and EQ for clarity.
Keys:
Included subtle drone note. Added space with Super Plate.
Vocals:
Trimmed silence, adjusted peaks with clip gain. Used EQ and DeEsser for clarity. Utilized Avalon 737 for tone. Added effects like plate reverb, digital reverb, delay, and doubling/panning.
2-Bus:
Applied SSL Bus compressor for glue and punch. Used Studer A800 for tape saturation. Utilized Waves Abbey Road Studios TG Mastering Chain for final touches.
FINAL
Thoughts
FINAL
Thoughts
In conclusion, this mix was large and quite daunting but when I broke it into pieces it was easy and fun to do. I think I put a cool spin on one of my favorite songs of all time while staying true to the meaning of the mix and artistry. I went for something dark, warm, and huge and I think I accomplished this sound well.