Chapter 1
Toward the end of January 2005, the company’s New Year’s party was held.
As usual, at an izakaya nearby, everyone was having a great time drinking heavily while playing games and performing bizarre stunts. As time passed and the alcohol began to take effect, the event organizer for the day, Niya Tomita, stood up and began addressing the group.
Niya Tomita: “I have an important announcement to make to everyone.”
Everyone: “What? What? What? What? What…?”
Niya Tomita: “Actually, I’ve come up with a plan to create a theme song for the bar.”
Everyone: “?????”
Niya Tomita: “Everyone will play a part in it, and we plan to release it on CD and sell it.”
“Who’s going to buy that?”
“...It won’t sell. But even before that, what are we going to do about the song?”
She’s already feeling pessimistic before even starting.
Niya Tomita: “We might not sell many copies. The point is for us all to come together with a common goal, and if by any chance we do sell some, I plan to donate a portion of the proceeds to an organization like the Japanese Red Cross.”
That’s right—we did nothing in the face of the disasters that struck one after another, such as the recent Sumatra earthquake and tsunami and the Niigata earthquake. But maybe we can do something with this. It’s healthier to help out while having fun ourselves than to simply donate money.
Who’s going to buy them? …Me, my parents, and my siblings… It might only be a few dozen copies at most, but that’s okay, isn’t it?
Let’s have fun with this!
So, the project has started, but where do we begin? The project name, composing the music, writing the lyrics, assigning parts, scheduling, recording methods, and so on…
These details will gradually be decided through discussions on our company bulletin board.
For the lyrics and composition, let’s collect demo tracks from everyone and choose one from there. How about “TC Aid” for the project name? We’ll decide on the parts once the song is finalized. For recording, we’ll use Niya and Tomita’s personal “ProTools LE” and “Apple iBook G4.” We’ve gotten permission to use the store’s equipment, and we can’t spend any money anyway.
Anyway, first things first—the song, the song!
Two weeks later, the deadline for submitting demos arrived. The number of demos we received was… two.
Was the deadline too short, or did people just leave it to others?
In the end, it came down to a majority vote, and the one song that would become our theme song was decided. It was composed by Heige Tabe.
So, the song was chosen. From here on out, we’d be moving forward with Heige Tabe as producer and Niya Tomita as head of recording technology.
Chapter 2
Since each member had to choose an instrument they could play, the parts were decided quickly. Just as in the general public, there are a lot of guitar parts, but I guess that can’t be helped.
Guitar Section Meeting
Demossa Ogouchi, Yamete Kogure, Ramen Shikoda, and Niya Tomita gathered. Heige Tabe, who is also in the guitar section, was unable to attend due to the flu, so the first meeting began with just these four.
「・・・」
While everyone waited for someone to speak up first, Yamete Kogure slowly brought over the Fernandez TEJ that was on display.
Yamete Kogure: “I’ll use this! I’m going with the Sustainer!”
What a bold move.
Everyone: “Huh? …Okay, sure, that’s fine.”
Is that really okay?
Well then, let’s start with the backing track.
We’ve got no choice but to leave the acoustic to Heige Tabata, and maybe we’ll throw in an electric guitar too. So who’s going to play it?
「・・・」
The staff are really proactive.
“Let’s decide on the solos first!”
Since the solo part is a few measures long, let’s split it into four parts and take turns...
So, who’s up for the first solo?
「・・・」
They’re raring to go.
“Let’s leave it to Heige Tabe… though he’s not here…”
Everyone: “Yeah, yeah.”
The first performer is set.
That’s totally cheating.
So next up is rock-paper-scissors. Okay, rock-paper-scissors... Oh, it’s Demossa Ogouchi. Then it’s TEJ Sustainer, who’s got incredible destructive power. And finally, it’s Ramen Shikoda.
We’ll leave the song’s ending to Niya Tomita. Alright, that’s settled then. Count on us~.
Vocal Parts Meeting
Okkare Matsui and Swimmer Sen Imoto are in charge.
Let’s harmonize on the C melody… and take turns singing the A and B sections.
Yeah, well, let’s just wing it.
The end.
That was fast!
Chapter 3
Time to record.
First, let me introduce the recording equipment. As I mentioned earlier, the Apple iBook G4 and Pro Tools LE belong to Niya Tomita. We purchased a separate FireWire-connected external hard drive, which is essential. Although USB 2.0 has a faster catalog speed, FireWire (IEEE 1394) actually tends to be faster in practice. Niya Tomita was a huge help to us throughout this entire process.
First up is the drum track. Our engineer, Boochiyaketa Kurosawa, is standing by. By the way, why was he—an amateur—assigned to this job?
It goes back a year… With the goal of “getting some exercise!” he’d been playing live drums in the studio a few times, but he had to give it up after developing tendonitis in his wrist. He wanted to use this opportunity to force himself into a situation where he’d have no choice but to practice the drums.
Can he really do it?
Getting back to the recording, recording an acoustic drum set is apparently very difficult...
Since we hate anything that’s tough or difficult, our eyes were drawn to the Yamaha DT-X electronic drum set on display in the store.
“Let’s go with this one♪”
We connected two cables from the output jacks to the interface plugged into the Mac and started recording.
Oh no—my own sound was coming through with a slight delay. Apparently, that’s just how it works. Is this the fate of computer-based music production? But I couldn’t play like that. So, I decided not to monitor my own sound; instead, I just listened to the demo track and tapped along to it.
Toward the end of the first take,
Heige Tabe: “Um… the bass drum sounds a little off…”
Boochiyaketa Kurosawa: “Oh, yeah. You’re right—I can’t do it like a drum machine.”
Heige Tabe: “...”
And after just a few takes, we were done. “Is this really okay…?”—just as that lingering doubt began to take hold, Boochiyaketa Kurosawa cut in.
“I mean, we can just fix the weird parts on the Mac, right?”
He was relying entirely on software editing techniques.
Niya Tomita: “Huh? Well, technically it’s possible, but…”
“Okay, well, good work today~”
“…Him.”
As it turned out, a Roland TD series electronic drum set arrived a few days later. Since this one sounded better, we ended up re-recording the drums...
According to Boochiyaketa Kurosawa, playing the drums won’t help you get enough exercise!
Next up was recording the Bass. Dakara Yoshiba made his appearance.
Apparently, ever since this project began,
he’d made up his mind: “I’m a behind-the-scenes guy, so I’ll play Bass.”
Given that the staff was overwhelmingly made up of guitarists, this was a sound decision. The logic of “Bass = behind-the-scenes.” Hmm, very much like a repairman.
The setup was a direct line-in; using the Bass amp as a monitor, we started the recording while listening to the click track and the demo track.
Take 1, Take 2, Take 3…
Dakara Yoshiba pulled out his driver and began adjusting the octave. Although he’s skilled, issues with intonation and a bassline that didn’t quite match expectations led to an impromptu discussion with Heige Tabe.
In the end, he switched to a ’70s Fender JB bass and effortlessly played through the bassline that had been decided on the spot, bringing the session to a successful—or so it seemed—conclusion. It appears they performed while respecting composer Heige Tabe’s vision.
According to Dakara Yoshiba, “Simple is best.”
Then came the acoustic guitar. It was Heige Tabe’s turn.
The guitar used was a 1965 Gibson SJ found in the store.
Recording an acoustic guitar requires a lot of attention to details like microphone placement. This time, we used a total of two microphones: one pointed toward the soundhole and one positioned toward the endpin on the body.
As expected, we had a really hard time figuring out the microphone placements. The goal was a clear, open sound that made the most of the acoustic tone. Since it’s a song written by Heige Tabe himself, once the mic positions were set, the rest went quickly.
Since I couldn’t monitor the rhythm track through speakers, I decided to monitor the click track through just one earbud and remove the other to hear my own guitar. After a few takes, we were done.
I learned at that time that this demo track was originally an acoustic song.
As Heige Tabe put it, “Live sound really is the best!”
Next up was Raemen Kanokoda.
He handled the backing and lead solos on electric guitar.
His gear consisted of his own 1970 Fender Strat, a Fender Custom Shop Vibroking combo, plus a BOSS OD-2 and CE-3.
In any case, it was his first recording experience. Since he wasn’t supposed to stand out too much on the backing track, he apparently tried to play in a way that wouldn’t get in the way of the other instruments—while still looking cool, of course.
At this point, there were almost no other sounds, so in a sense, he might have been able to play freely.
And after several hours of recording take after take, I looked at the clock—it was 1:00 a.m.!
I’d heard he was a slow starter, but isn’t this a little too late?!
He said he was just so nervous that he made a lot of mistakes. He couldn’t even play chords he normally has no trouble with—apparently, he was as nervous as he was the first time he went to karaoke alone with a girl.
In the end, he managed to record a take he was happy with and seemed satisfied.
Anyway, a few days later, we decided to record the solo part.
I was in charge of the last four measures, and for once, I really had to think hard about how to end it and how to structure it.
Armed with a Fender Japan Stratocaster modified with humbuckers, a Bruno Cow Tipper amp, and a BOSS OD-2 Effector, I started the take.
It didn’t turn out exactly as I’d imagined, but I was satisfied nonetheless. —Ramen Kashida.
Like everyone else, once it’s over, there’s no end to the “I should’ve done this…” thoughts.
Being able to burn the freshly recorded audio onto a CD and hand it over feels very DTM-like, but it’ll almost certainly result in a “Can we do that again, please?” request. It’s become more convenient, but at this rate, it’ll never end.
It was a good experience, so maybe I’ll use this as an opportunity to get into MTR. by Ramen Kashikoda.
According to Ramen Shikoda, recording is scary
Chapter 4
It was Yamete Kogure’s turn for his solo.
His solo is so memorable that you’ll recognize it immediately just by listening to the song. After all, he plays a perfect single note using a sustainer.
It might sound like I’m just winging it, but I actually paid quite a bit of attention to the timing of the arm movements and the pitch.
It’s the most (laughably!?) original part of this song.
Yamete Kogure asks, “Is it okay if I use the Sustainer again next time?”
While we were talking, it was Demossa Ogouchi’s turn.
He, too, was in charge of the electric guitar solo.
I was more nervous than I expected during the solo part.
That’s because Yame-te Kogure’s sustainer solo before mine turned out surprisingly good.
Since I’d been a bit dismissive of it, I knew I had to give it my all.
As planned, I used the LINE6 POD2 and ran it through a Providence buffer to record directly, but I was a bit concerned about the noise and lack of clarity.
In the end, I decided to connect the BOSS MD-2 and CE-2 to the TUBEWORKS amp to shape the sound.
Since I was going for a unique sound, I pretty much ignored the flow of the song around me during my solo and got lost in my own world.
After a while, Nia Tomita asked, “Aren’t you going to use a wah?” and I snapped back to reality.
“Oh, you’re right! Let’s use it.”
I chose the Jim Dunlop GCB-95Q.
I didn’t want to compromise, but sometimes what I thought was okay wasn’t approved by the others, and vice versa, so things didn’t go very smoothly. by Demossa Ogouchi.
Oh, right—the guitar is my own Strat-style Shacter. I bought it as a leftover from our store and gave it a major overhaul.
After the solo, we recorded the guitar quartet section, but apparently it was difficult to keep in sync with everyone else.
According to Demossa Ogouchi, “Give me four more bars!”
Now that we’ve finished recording most of the guitar parts, it’s time for the vocalist to make an appearance.
Male vocalist Okkare Matsui arrived on set, greeting everyone with, “Good afternoon, everyone!”
When the roles were assigned and he found out he’d be singing, he was thrilled—he’s happy to be able to sing outside of karaoke. Overcome with joy, Okkare Matsui expressed his excitement by doing push-ups.
So, how did the rehearsal before the performance go? The lyrics had been prepared in advance, so he printed them out. After finalizing the parts with his partner, female vocalist Swimmersen Imoto, he focused intently on transcribing his own part into katakana!
And here’s the evidence—confiscated >>
Since the studio was full for our pre-show practice, I headed to a karaoke place with my acoustic guitar in hand. I was a little self-conscious about the staff watching me, but I just ignored them and went into a room. Hey, don’t peek through the window.
I was nervous during the actual performance. My voice cracked, and everything I’d memorized went completely blank. But after recording one take, I felt a little more relaxed and tried to sing as naturally as possible.
“Swimmer Sen’s Imoto-san is so good, so I just tried to keep up with him,” said Okkare’s Matsui.
He was worried that his voice wasn’t suited for harmonizing, but surprisingly, it blended really well. He seemed to be having a good time, too.
She had a great time. “I want to do it again!” she said—though she didn’t actually do any push-ups… but it all turned out great. “Singing is a drug,” she said. “I just can’t quit, can I?”
According to Okkaré Matsui, “Don’t forget to bring your acoustic guitar to karaoke!”
Next up was female vocalist Swimmersen Imoto.
“I was really nervous about taking on the vocal part. Of course, it was my first time recording, and since I’d never sung this kind of song before, it was a fresh experience and a lot of fun,” she commented.
Apparently, she went into the studio alone to practice before the recording. Since she hadn’t been in a band or sung karaoke recently, she said she started by simply warming up her voice.
The two of them practiced the harmonies that were proving difficult to sync up, but no matter what they tried, it just wouldn’t work—they were really struggling, yet the recording session wouldn’t wait.
The actual recording session took place in her own sales area, and she made sure to create an atmosphere where it was easy to sing, so I’m sure she enjoyed it, right?
As for my thoughts after it was over, since we prioritized momentum during the actual recording, it might have come out a little rough. And, as expected, we struggled because the parts where we had to sing in harmony just wouldn’t sync up. That’s right.
As Swimmer Sen Imoto says, “If it doesn’t fit, it doesn’t fit!”
He’s absolutely right.
Chapter 5
Based on the unanimous opinion of Heige Tabe (acoustic guitar) and Niya Tomita (recording engineer), we decided to re-record the acoustic guitar track. At first, I thought it sounded good, but once the other parts were added, I started to worry about the balance and tone, so we did it one more time.
This time, we made several “improvements” to the mic placement and went through a cycle of recording and listening. In this take, we made changes in a few places, such as altering the rhythm pattern and adding some acoustic guitar arrangements.
We had a particularly hard time getting the solo section to sync with the Bass pattern, but in the end, we adjusted it to match the Bass.
And after a few takes, we were done. We’re satisfied—it turned out perfectly.
I can hear a voice from far away… “You should’ve discussed this from the start~.”
Well, that’s true, I guess…
Now, on to recording the solo.
My gear: a Fender J Strat Extrad ’80s—my personal favorite—paired with a Fender Custom Shop Dual Professional. For Effectors, I used my own Turbo Rat, Tube Screamer, Guya Delay, and so on.
Actually, I started out using a Fender Twin, but for some reason it didn’t mesh well with the Rat (the low end was constantly distorted), so I switched to the Dual Professional at the last minute. As it turned out, this worked out pretty well. That sealed the deal on my tone.
He played his four-bar part almost exactly as in the demo. “Out of the four guitarists, mine sounds the most rock-like!” he said.
For the harmony parts, I improvised on the spot to make sure I didn’t ruin the vibe. Apparently, he felt the solo was too short and left him wanting more. Well, it is the guitar’s big moment, after all~.
As we moved into the second half, it was time for the wind instruments to take the stage.
Since our goal had been to “do this together,” it was a bit of a stretch, but since we have a wind section, they simply had to make an appearance.
Leading the charge, Tottankai Mizumoto stood by with his trumpet.
He’d been trying out the sax and flugelhorn beforehand, but in the end, he settled on the trumpet.
By the way, I was wondering how we’d record this, but he brought a condenser mic for brass instruments. He just attached it to the mouthpiece of the trumpet, and that was it. So convenient! ♪
We fumbled a bit with the tuning, but now let’s get started.
Fa~♪ Pa~♪
It’s a bit subdued.
Oh, he’s blowing into the tuner. Looks like he’s playing while checking his pitch.
You’re pretty skilled.
There were a few retakes, and she gradually started to look tired. Just like the vocalist, playing non-stop like this really takes it out of you.
But she dug deep and pulled through—she saw it through to the end.
According to Tottankai Mizumoto, even though I asked for the handle “Mizurichi Yaegashi”—
There’s another repair specialist in the wind instrument department: Sonande Ska Nakajima.
I’ll have her participate on the clarinet.
I tried forcing that condenser mic into the trumpet, but it didn’t work… The balance between the high and low frequencies was way off, so it’s unusable.
Rejected.
Reflecting on how a bit forceful that was, I’ve decided to record with a regular microphone instead.
Now, Sonandeaska Nakajima—she might seem a bit spacey at first glance, but she’s actually an amazing clarinetist @o@
Let’s give it a try!
Bo♪... Bo?
It’s a bit plain.
I can’t move like the girls in *Swing Girls*, after all…
Well, low-key is fine. More than that, I’m looking forward to seeing how this wind instrument blends into the song. I won’t let all your hard work go to waste!
Sonande-ska, according to Nakajima: “Is that it already?”
Chapter 6
Well, the recording process is nearing its end.
Just then, a message came in.
Apparently, the vocal duo has asked to do it all over again.
Wow, I can really feel their motivation. That’s wonderful. It’d be even better if they could channel that energy into their work.
So, this time we’ve decided to record them one at a time.
Since we’ve done this once before, this time let’s focus on the vibe and energy rather than the technical details!
At the end of the day, it’s all about the “vibe,” right?
We ended up with a sound we’re happy with, so Niya and Tomita seem satisfied too.
Huh? Doesn’t it look that way?
Because he can play. That’s the only reason we roped in Okkare Matsui. We’ll have you play the keyboard, too.
Since this wasn’t part of the original plan, we decided to have him improvise on the spot.
Either way, this is his first time playing along with a song. We’re figuring out the arrangement while consulting with Niya Tomita and Heige Tabe.
Of course, the equipment is our store’s top recommendation! It’s the electric piano with the highest turnover rate. We connected the output jack directly to the interface and started recording.
When it was all done, it turned out pretty great! What was meant to be just a side project ended up becoming an indispensable part of this track.
According to Okkare Matsui, electric pianos start in the 30,000 yen range!
Now, one Saturday after closing time, nine staff members gathered to record the chorus.
It’s a crucial chorus that wraps up the song. Unfortunately, two people couldn’t make it, but with this many, we should be fine.
We set up two microphones in a corner of the cramped sales floor; four people gathered around one for the main part, while three others stood by at the other as the harmony team. Bige Tabe, who was keeping the tempo, and recording director Niya Tomita also sang from the back.
Now, onto the rehearsal.
No one’s really projecting their voices… They seem to be holding back quite a bit. I understand they’re shy, but I want them to pull themselves together here. Second rehearsal.
It’s dull… they lack energy…
It doesn’t seem like it’s going to get much better no matter how many times we try, so let’s just go straight to the live performance.
And the first take is over.
Well, I guess that’s about it, but it lacks depth. Okay, let’s do it one more time.
Hmm... Was the last one better??
Just then
Niya Tomita: “Why don’t we layer the two tracks?”
Oh, I see—that’ll double the number of voices!
Great idea, great idea♪
So, we gave it another try in time with the first chorus, then listened to the layered version.
“Whoa, it’s richer now! Is this good?”
“That’s not OK.”
Lesson: At the very least, if you record in layers, it sounds like a big group♪
Chapter 7
Finally, it’s time to record Niya Tomita’s solo.
He’s standing by in the amp corner on the second floor.
This is the first time we’re using a Marshall amp.
His part involves weaving a solo? into the chorus section toward the end.
However, it’s proving difficult to weave the electric guitar into the background of this chorus…
I tried various things, but it just doesn’t mesh well.
I tried it at home the next day, but the result was the same.
Reluctantly, I tried adding some fills with a 12-string acoustic.
I had no idea it would be this hard to play without getting in the way of the vocals...
Since I usually play in a metal band, it’s a bit of a shame that I can’t play a full-on solo here.
According to Niya Tomita, “Let me play a killer solo next time!”
By the way, what about the tambourine???
Oh, right! I totally forgot about that.
And then, the live recording by Heige Tabe began.
We’re not just looping a few measures… no way!
He’ll be playing every single one.
Afterward, apparently his left hand was 1.2 times as thick as his right.
Great job.
Aaaah, it’s done!
It’s finally over! Hooray!!
Huh? Editing?
Oh right, there’s that…
But wait—we didn’t even record the acoustic version yet.
What should we do?
Recording it all over again from scratch... that’d be tough, both time-wise and physically...
Let’s be honest—it’s such a hassle^^;
I know! Let’s do a one-take recording!
And so, the day arrived.
A special recording booth was set up on the third floor of our shop, and the recording of the acoustic version was about to begin.
In a space about the size of a 6-tatami-mat room, Heige Tabe, Ramen Kashida, Swimmer Sen Imoto, and Okkare Matsui were standing by.
The floor was completely covered in cables, with Niya Tomita, an iBook G4, and a mixer taking center stage.
There’s no way to record the sound of two acoustic guitars and two vocalists with good balance in this tiny space.
After some trial and error, rehearsal finally begins.
...Ta-da!
Nia Tomita: “Whoa, 7 minutes and 20 seconds...”
Everyone: “That’s so loooong~”
But the biggest problem was the dreaded condenser mic, which picks up every single sniff—even if just one person sniffs.
“Hey, I can hear your jacket rustling—take it off!”
“It’s so cold~”
“Don’t sniffle during the live broadcast!”
“Don’t walk around so much!”
“Hey, you over there—stop breathing!”
That’s impossible.
“Alright, let’s get this recorded!”
And there we were, taking take after take...
Hige Tabe’s Martin D-18 shatters the silence,
and Swimmer Sen Imoto’s vocals echo through the hall…
When Ramen Kanoko’s Gibson SJ churns up rough waves,
Okkare Matsui’s shouts overload the system…
And just like that, it wrapped up without a hitch.
After everyone finished cleaning up, Niya Tomita and Heige Tabe listened to the sound they’d just recorded.
Ouch...
We did it... Total failure!
The balance is completely off!
I didn’t listen to Niya Tomita’s advice and recorded everything on a single two-track, so I can’t adjust the balance between the different audio sources (sob)
I don’t have the time or energy to re-record it anyway… Well, let’s just accept it as part of a live performance.
Unfortunately, the sound quality is like a bootleg, but I’ve decided to just go with it.
Anyway, good job, everyone.
Final Chapter
We may be professionals in selling musical instruments, but when it comes to CD production (DTM), we’re frankly complete amateurs.
We’ve made demos on an MTR before, but we’ve never created music on a computer—in fact, some of our staff didn’t even have any recording experience to begin with.
This time, we happened to be able to use "Pro Tools LE," a direct descendant and lower-tier version of the DTM software used in professional settings.
We were also able to use the equipment in the store, but when it came to “how to record,” we didn’t have the know-how. Together with Niya Tomita, who had produced a work only once in the past, we figured things out on our own and worked through a process of trial and error.
Each recording session took place after the store closed, which meant that the staff members essentially gave up their personal time—without a single complaint.
I’d like to thank them for their support, and I hope this experience will prove useful in their future careers.
In particular, I’d like to thank Niya Tomita, who was in charge of recording and was present for every session, and Heige Tabe, who coordinated the entire staff and adapted flexibly to each part as needed.
This project would never have come to fruition without the efforts of these two. I can’t even count how many times “0:00” was stamped on their time cards as their clock-out time.
As for the mind-boggling editing process—which involved over 30 tracks even after recording was finished—I had no choice but to leave it entirely to Niya Tomita.
How many all-nighters did you pull for that quiet, solitary, and most demanding task?
As the producer for this project, Heige Tabe was driven by a single desire: to create something great! Driven by that single-minded determination, there were surely times when he had to give his colleagues tough, but necessary, criticism.
I know you were working behind the scenes, helping the performers relax during the live performance and paying attention to every little detail.
We learned a great deal from this experience, both technically and emotionally.
We were able to see a different side of each other and help one another.
We must not forget that we were provided with an incredibly privileged environment—one where we could try out as many of the thousands of instruments on display as we wanted, without worrying about the time.
Let’s continue to work with passion, dedication, and teamwork, never forgetting our gratitude toward our customers.
Finally, I would like to once again express my gratitude to everyone who supported this project.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of our customers.
Thank you very much.
Thank you for reading to the end. Actually, during this project, we not only took photos but also recorded video footage. The video, shot with a commercially available DV camera (SONY PC-9), was edited using Apple’s iMovie and then burned onto a disc with iDVD before being distributed to all staff members.
Although it was originally created as a “memento” for everyone, encouraged by suggestions from the staff that it might be okay to share it publicly, I’m a bit embarrassed to say, but I’m going to share a portion of this “making-of” video.
By the way, even though I say “a portion,” it’s a 16-minute video, so the file size is quite large. Please watch it with determination.