Blue Sky introduced its newest critical listening component at Winter NAMM — the SAT 6.5 EXR, an individual powered monitor with a 6.5 woofer and 1 tweeter for use as a stereo full range monitor.
Blue Sky's SAT 6.5 EXR monitor
The SAT 6.5 EXR (MSRP: $949) is a 2-way, bi-amplified, 200-Watt, nearfield, ported studio monitor featuring two 100-Watt amplifiers, a single 6.5” high-excursion hemispherical woofer, and a 1” dual concentric diaphragm tweeter with integral wave guide for superior off-axis response.
The SAT 6.5 EXR can be used with or without a subwoofer. The rear panel incorporates two completely independent balanced input stages with XLR connectors. The main input is for standard 80Hz bass- managed operation, and makes the SAT 6.5 EXR fully compatible with Blue Sky’s SUB 12, SUB 212 and SUB 15 Universal. This input features an 80Hz high-pass network, with phase correction filter. Because of the unique design of the electronics and the studio monitor, when the 80Hz input is used this ported monitor has all the characteristics of a sealed box.
The second “Extended Range” input is designed to be used for applications where a sub is impractical, or as a second ‘confidence input,’ to allow the engineer or mixer to quickly compare between bass-managed and extended range modes.
Blue Sky also introduced its new EXO2 desktop monitoring system, which will begin shipping in April 2010.
Built on the original EXO system, the EXO 2 combines full-range monitoring with the convenience of a desktop remote control hub, but with a twist.
EXO2’s revamped subwoofer features an even smaller footprint (10”H x 9”W x 11”D) allowing it to easily integrate into even the most compact workspace with virtually the same sonic performance of the original EXO system 14” sub.
As The Black Keys entered the stage of The 55th GRAMMY Awards recently, albeit with much GRAMMY flare that included a horn section and bass drummer, it’s interesting to think, “Has blues rock’s sound evolved that much, if at all? Has blues rock’s popularity once again reached a peak?”
Everything blues is old — and new — again.
Famed musician Eric Clapton once said, “I am, and will always be, a blues guitarist,” and the same seems to hold true for most artists in the genre, both old and new.
Rock’s Roots in the 12-Bar Blues
Since the mid-1960s when the genre emerged from Britain and the United States, blues rock had a way in both style and sound that spoke to the soul. In recent years, the production value, technique, and composition have remained unchanged. In addition to The Black Keys, current artists like Jack White, Gary Clark Jr., and even John Mayer remain faithful to the twelve-bar blues style of writing, with wailing improvisations courtesy of the pentatonic scale that was introduced so many years ago.
Some of the earliest bands to the genre included The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors and The Animals, who took largely from classic blues artists like B.B. King, Muddy Waters, and Jimmy Reed. Hendrix took the world by storm and his timeless talent is still celebrated today, with specific attention given to the forthcoming release of a new album titled People Hell and Angels, which consists of previously unreleased material from the artist.
John Mayall and Fleetwood Mac were also major players in the formation and survival of the genre. The electric sound of blues rock and it’s faster and louder qualities is what separates it from the various types of blues. Producers like Britain’s Mike Vernon, known for his involvement in early and now current blues rock production, were critical in the focus of that naked, live sound that listeners love to hear. The engineer/producer relationship and particularly their love for this style of music has also continued to be extremely important. This factor is crucial in terms of quality and the reason why many great records have hit the shelves.
Hear evolution in action via “Lonely Boys” off of The Black Keys’ El Camino.
Maintaining the Studio Sound
Within the genre, minimal studio work is utilized, a raw sound is encouraged, and the band is, in most cases, recording together in the same room. Most guitarists will use a tube amplifier to secure that rough, overdriven sound that one so often hears from these artists. A piano or Hammond organ is often used to complement the grungy sound and, at times opens up a spot for a new band member. Similarly, a backup guitarist will sometimes tackle the riffs while the lead guitarist will focus on rhythm. However, most blues guitarists are multi-instrumentalists. The popular “call and response” technique, which started to develop in the late 1960s, is often applied by dueling guitarists. Vocals, which often have a southern tone, are often essential, but there are many instances where an instrumental track will suffice.
In the early 1970s, riffs became overwhelmingly popular. At the same time, hard rock began to emerge from blues rock to create the broad category of alternative rock, which was the current trend at that juncture. Blues rock had taken a back seat for the time being, with acts like Led Zeppelin, Jeff Beck and AC/DC (all highly influenced by the evolution of blues rock) getting a bit heavier with their music. This did not stop the dedicated blues players like Eric Clapton and B.B. King, however, who played on.
B.B. King, and his massive influence, remain a blues rock constant.
With blues rock back in play and now in the spotlight, acts like The Black Keys and Jack White are enjoying fame and platinum selling records, all the while sticking to their original sound. Of course if you have followed their discography you will notice slightly cleaner studio work and as much of a polished sound as you can get for blues rock, but that comes with the territory. The fact that these artists can now reach new audiences and keep the newly revived (but never lost) genre alive is the beauty of the music industry. It had even been reported post-Grammys that both The Black Keys and Jack White showed a leap in record sales.
It is also incredible to see both old and new bands working together, as when The Black Keys joined The Rolling Stones on stage in New Jersey at the final stop of the recently reunited Rolling Stone’s 50th Anniversary Tour. In a January, 2012 Rolling Stone interview, The Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach proclaimed, “I wasn’t even thinking about songwriting on the early records, just music and the groove. It was absolutely just fucking around –taking old blues riffs, making up lyrics on the spot, and turning it into a song. Then we started sort of digging into these records that we love, and trying to figure out why it is we love them so much, besides the sonics.” It’s amazing to see how far they’ve come just by doing what they love most.
Back — to the Future
Blues rock has shown us that it has and will continue to be a lasting genre, regardless of the ever-changing culture. As such, while working with blues rock artists in the coming years, a more back-to-basics approach should be utilized by both producers and engineers. Studio enhancements are not always necessary. This raw development style has always been the genre’s celebrated finished product.
Listen to some classic blues rock before hitting the studio and emulate the production value to the best of your ability. The influence and potential of blues rock to build timeless music will always be there. It had transformed rock music forever in the 1960s and we still have the future to look forward to.
What direction will The Black Keys take? What new bands will pop up? Regardless, it looks like we’ll be hearing a lot more twelve-bar blues for years to come.
— Michael Haskoor is a freelance music writer with a passion for music. He currently enjoys writing for Live For Live Music and will focus this series (done exclusively for SonicScoop) around the effect that studio production has had on different genres of music.
Three audio post veterans have left Sound Lounge, and teamed up to form a new full-service audio studio in NYC.
Philip Loeb and Gloria Pitagorsky have departed Sound Lounge to start a new studio -- they are joined by Sound Lounge alum Keith Reynaud (not pictured).
The new facility, founded by Mixer Phil Loeb, Mixer Keith Reynaud, and Managing Director Gloria Pitagorsky, will be located on the 5th Floor of 16 West 22nd Street. Construction is currently under way at the site, but Loeb and Reynaud have already completed inaugural sessions by working out of two studios elsewhere in the building.
The new company is yet to be named, but for now can be visited at the temporary Website have-you-heard.co. Presumably an audio-post centric entity, the founders are looking to create “an exciting next-generation studio that will work on commercial as well as entertainment projects.”
Prior to Sound Lounge, Pitagorsky worked with several of NYC’s other audio post giants, including audioEngine, Nutmeg, and the now-shuttered HSR.
In a joint statement, Loeb and Reynaud said, “These past years at the Lounge have been wonderful and we are very proud of what we’ve accomplished. Tom Jucarone, Peter Holcomb and Marshal Grupp have been instrumental to our careers and we will always be grateful. However, having the chance to build something from scratch is a once-in-a-career opportunity. ”
As NYC’s audio post industry deals with an overall climate of downward pressure on pricing, the timing of the new studio is intriguing. The view of the 5th floor space on the company’s Website gives the impression of a sizable space, indicating that the trio intends to provide some healthy new competition to the city’s established sound-for-picture mix facilities.
WEST SIDE, MANHATTAN: Don’t get too comfortable. When your band is a model of rock song consistency like Fountains of Wayne, there’s only one way to keep your fans on their toes: Make those album releases few, far between, and well worth the wait.
All roads lead back to Fountains of Wayne.
With the release of Sky Full of Holes this week, FOW plays out their strategy to a T. The latest collection by songcraft experts Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger follows the group’s last album by a full four years, giving their followers 13 more of everything they’ve been longing for: 13 hooks to get addicted to, 13 characters to get intimately acquainted with, 13 more three-minute stories to get gloriously absorbed in.
Their fifth full-length release since their 1996 inception, Sky Full of Holes continues on FOW’s tradition with the original lineup of vocalist Collingwood, bassist Schlesinger, guitarist Jody Porter, and drummer Brian Young, smashingly intact. Also on board for a return trip at the Neve 8068-endowed Stratosphere Sound was engineer Geoff Sanoff and mixer John Holbrook, both of whom were fundamental in shaping the sound of classic FOW albums like 2003’s Welcome Interstate Managers.
Schlesinger is the unassuming force behind the band and a laundry list of high-stakes cultural cornerstones. He’s written the star songs of the films That Thing You Do and Music & Lyrics, dozens of TV themes, collaborated on the Cry-Baby Broadway musical, and produced for the likes of America and Tahiti 80. With so many balls in the air, you’d think having a band like FOW to come home to would be a beautiful thing to one of NYC’s master craftsmen – and you’d be right.
This is FOW’s first new studio album since 2007. Does that feel too long, too short, or just perfect? It seems to be the amount of time it always takes us. There’s no easy answer as to why. There’s always a lot of stuff that gets in our way, sometimes professional, sometimes personal.
What’s gone on for you as a producer in that span of time? How did that change the way you approached putting together Sky Full of Holes? I did Tinted Windows — that was kind of a year making that record. I did that Broadway show Cry-Baby, and I did a lot of random productions for TV. I’m drawing a blank right now! I don’t know if those projects influenced our record. I think you learn stuff from every project, whether you realize it or not.
Working on this new record, Chris and I had a few discussions about keeping it a little more organic and open-sounding. We wanted to hear more space in the mixes, not just a wall of guitar. And we had gone out and done an acoustic tour — we liked the idea of having just a little more focus on acoustic guitar and piano, which are the instruments that we tend to write on.
What was different about the way FOW approached the actual recording of this album at Stratosphere? I don’t know if our process changed so much. But I think we’ve gotten better at having a looser quality, not totally ironing out everything to perfection. There are songs on the record where you can hear us fucking around in a good way. “Acela” has a bluesy groove, and that was a loose, improvisational take. We left a lot of that initial looseness there.
The first track, “The Summer Place,” we had done an earlier version of that song, and then played it live as part of the acoustic tour. When we listened to the recording after that, it felt lifeless and stiff. We threw it out, and the subsequent version we came up with breathes a lot more.
It sounds like there’s a lesson in that – what do you find out about songs from playing them live? That is something new for us. We never did that before. I think, that a song evolves after you’ve played it for a while on stage. Things happen on stage that you can’t predict when you’re writing it.
Some of the songs from the new record we still haven’t played live. We’re just in rehearsals this week, trying these songs for the first time on these upcoming shows. We usually find that there’s a handful that work great live, and others that don’t work live — then we just never play them. I think we know going in which will be the hardest to pull off. But we’ve also gotten looser about finding a good live arrangement and not having it match the song on record.
What do you predict will work well at this point? Got an idea yet? We’ll see. I think “Action Hero” will be a little tough. We cheated in the studio, moving the capo around recording the different parts, so I don’t think you can play it through the way we do on the record! But it’s got a lot of texture that I like…by this afternoon I may change my mind.
In addition to the band lineup staying unchanged for 15 years, you’re obviously also in a groove with your in-studio collaborators, Geoff Sanoff engineering and John Holbrook mixing. What’s the benefit of keeping the team together for each album? Is there any danger to this approach – can consistency lead to complacency, or a lack of risks? With those two guys, they just know us so well, and they’re easy to communicate our ideas to. We all have similar tastes as well. It’s a good team. Chris and I have definitely worked with people in the past, where we’ve had a tougher time establishing that easy communication. So when you find someone where you’ve got something that works, hold on to that.
Hey, there’s a song in that Adam! How did you and John collaborate to meet the stated objective of “getting more space in the mix?” By the time we got to John, a lot of that was a function of the arrangements. But we did also talk to him about not feeling the need to have every song punch you in the face with compression and treble – which really isn’t his style to begin with.
What new bands, artists, or producers are out there now that are inspiring you? That’s always changing for me. I listen to all kinds of stuff. A lot of it has to do with what I might be working on at the time. I’m a fan of Greg Kirsten, who’s in a band called The Bird and the Bee. He’s a great producer. He’s worked with Lily Allen, and a lot of other very cool pop records — very sophisticated and always very groovy.
This has nothing to do with any music that I make, but Die Antwoord is a South African group that does this crazy rap performance art thing. On paper it sounds like something I would absolutely hate, but it’s awesome and funny and you would really have to get into it to understand it.
What are the other projects you’re involved in now/recently, outside of FOW? Ivy has a record coming out in September – the first Ivy record in six years. That’s big for me, and we’re very excited about that record. I’m also doing some songs with Emmanuelle Seigner, she’s a very famous actress and singer in France, and she also happens to be married to Roman Polanski. She was looking for a change of direction, and I was recommended by some people working with her.
That’s great – to get calls like that. I’ve always been a collaborator at heart, and never a front person. One of my favorite things is working with a new singer, figuring out what they can put across, and put myself in their head.
It sounds very psychological. That’s a big part of it. There’s the technical part of it, but there’s also trying to imagine being them while being you. You have to be true to both of you: I want to write something I like, but also something they like and want to put across.
With all the music that you make, why does FOW continue to be an important outlet/expression for you? Well, I think at the risk of sounding egotistical about it – Fountains of Wayne is a great band! That’s something I don’t take for granted. It’s really hard to find a great band, and it’s really hard to find that chemistry between people. Even though we sometimes fight a lot and don’t see each other for a long time, we all appreciate that it’s a good band. If we don’t do it for a while, we all start to miss it.
Sky Full Of Holes was released on August 2 by Yep Roc in North America, and by Warner in Japan.
Brooklyn-based record label Temporary Residence Limited — purveyors of post-rock and electro-folk fare by bands like Pinback, The Books, Explosions in the Sky, Mono and Grails — has signed Canon Blue, the solo project from singer/songwriter Daniel James.
Daniel James of Canon Blue
Canon Blue’s will be released a full-length album through Temporary Residence this Fall.
James recorded basics for the album in Copenhagen, then traveled to Iceland to record orchestral arrangements with the string quartet, Amiina, who have performed both on stage and in the studio as Sigur Ros’ string section.
Canon Blue’s 2007 debut album, Colonies, grew out of bedroom electro-folk recordings, with James playing and recording nearly every part himself, and Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear mixing. Hear some Canon Blue at Myspace.
WILLIAMSBURG, BROOKLYN: Chances are, Blue Wilding has something you need. Under his brand-spankin-new, Brooklyn-based joint, Audio Power Tools, Wilding is repping the select audio brands BAE (Brent Averill Enterprises), BlueSky, Burl Audio, Dangerous Music, Mojave Audio, Royer Labs and more to be announced soon — something (awesome) for everyone.
Audio Power Tools reps 'next-level' product from BAE, BlueSky, Burl, Dangerous, Mojave and Royer Labs
“We represent makers of premium hardware for recording, mixing, post and mastering,” Wilding describes, further qualifying, “No do-it-all cheap boxes, ‘just-like’ plug-ins, clunky vintage or frilly boutique. Just quality product with great support right here in NYC.”
Wilding has been consulting users and dealers of top-level pro audio gear for over 15 years. During his recent role with Audio Agent (with previous time served at GC Pro NY and Dale Pro Audio), Wilding helped develop a new representation model designed to create a stronger symbiosis between the manufacturers of high-end audio gear, their dealers and end-users.
With Audio Power Tools, Wilding has now further customized these concepts specifically for the NY and Northeast market. Here’s the pitch, straight from Wilding to you:
“You wouldn’t use a $29 cordless drill to build a house…conversely, you don’t need an $800 imported drill with 400 different bits to do it either — you’re gonna grab that trusty, dust-covered Skil Saw™ that you’ve had for the last 10 years.
I noticed that the common thread between these brands was that that though they cost a bit more than the generic, ‘over-the-counter’ stuff, they represent the best of the “next level” that the user needs to stretch to to truly achieve top level performance and make a good investment without wasting money on unnecessary extras. These products get you there. These are what we feel are the audio power tools.
Also, the products we represent all compliment each other perfectly… People that contact us for one thing will often end up upgrading their whole rig. I’ll take a guy a BAE mic pre to demo, he’ll start talking about mics and out comes my Mojave MA-200, arguably the best mic for a hard-earned grand (please don’t argue with me, you’ll probably lose). Then we’ll discover that the 45-cent volume knob in his $299 monitor controller isn’t allowing him to hear how good the combo is and the Dangerous D-Box clears the ‘lens’ and saves the day!
Dangerous D-Box
Suffice to say, we understand the needs and strengths of each party, (manufacturer, user and dealer) and act as matchmaker in every regard. We create ideal conditions and provide solutions to make “the good stuff” accessible for clients and salespeople right away.
Working on the inside of many of the local dealerships we know the pitfalls first-hand. Though there are exceptions, it can take months before a hot “underdog” product becomes available for display, demo or purchase at a local dealer. When this is the case, pro users should not be banished solely to web-based ‘hearsay’ shopping for these highly personal investments.
Knowing this, we don’t wait for the products to take off on their own…we reach out to our 15+ year pro user client base to try out the gear. These initial demos stimulate local awareness and interest and everyone benefits.
We offer the salesguy that’s buried behind his desk or counter a convenient and simple way to sell this otherwise difficult to obtain gear to their clients. We can facilitate almost any local ‘right away’ need. It’s a ‘stop, drop, and fetch’ system and it works great!”
PRODUCT AND STUDIO CONSULTATION, TRIALS & RENTALS
During his tenure with Audio Agent, Wilding also worked directly with hardware manufacturers, even helping conceive tools, such as BAE’s new DMP Desktop Mic Pre.
BAE's Desktop Mic Pre (DMP)
“The power supply for a BAE unit was sitting open on my coffee table and I thought, is there enough space in there to fit just one channel of pre? Just that simple, and the owner of BAE and I got to sussing it out,” Wilding explains. “Every since my studio rat days, I always wished I could just have the same sound of the pre from the old Neve in a box, to go!”
“It seemed to make good sense for many users…those setting up a smaller “B” rig that still want a 1073 pre for track building …the musician that loves the sound he got in the ‘Neve’ room, that records one track at a time at home…maybe the guy that wants to toss the pre right in the booth for a short cable run, or take it to a live gig andsit it on stage.
“What makes it different from other brick-style pres we’ve seen is that it simply delivers that sound (you know the one) with no shortcuts or constrained headroom at a price everyone can afford.”
Audio Power Tools also offers system design, integration and upgrade consultation, as well as 5.1 / 7.1 surround consultation and optimization.
“Whether you’re looking to expand an existing system with the least change to your workflow, or build a new, correct playback or production monitoring system, we can help eliminate the mysteries and get you listening and mixing with confidence and superb translation,” Wilding assures.
Now what if you need to do 5.1 and don’t want to expand your system permanently yet? Audio Power Tools offers surround rentals! They’ll deliver, and setup a turnkey or expansion system that works with your existing gear, then take it away when you’re done!
In fact, rentals are available on much of Audio Power Tools’ stock. There’s the “try before you buy ” program through which you can demo gear in your own studio environment for a day or two. Then, there’s a rental program, which can extend the trial period (costs may even be applicable towards purchase). Or you can straight-up rent the piece, if it’s available. Contact APT for details.
An audio engineer and musician himself, Wilding genuinely believes in the products he represents and wants to spread the good word. Based in Williamsburg, Audio Power Tools takes on this mission guerilla-style, getting equipment into the hands of local engineers and doing it’s part to improve NYC sound — one set of ears at a time.
It seems like just yesterday that the NYC audio post production boutique Sonic Union launched their spacious facilities in bucolic Union Square Park. But it’s actually been eight years, and with the rapid evolution of audio technology and workflows since 2008, a makeover was in order.
According to longtime Managing Director Adam Barone, the original concept of workflow between rooms, with each of the seven mix suites being technically identical, has remained intact. Mixers can easily work in their own personal setup in any room, with all sessions centrally stored and easily accessed throughout the facility. The result is maximum scheduling efficiency for Sonic Union’s engineers for a wide range of projects including mixing, sound design, radio, voice casting, music searches and an increasing amount of virtual reality (VR) content.
Sonic Union’s upgrade includes Blue Sky Audio Management Controllers and panoramic screens.
2016’s wholesale update include the addition of Avid’s latest Pro Tools 12 DAW; all plugin upgrades; new Mac Pros; and new central and local storage for all of the rooms.
In addition to the Pro Tools upgrade (dubbed a “heart transplant” by the facility) Sonic Union has also upgraded their Blue Sky monitoring systems, with new Audio Management Controllers (AMC) featuring enhanced room correction equalization. With this added capability, the facility was able to revisit its acoustic analysis for a thorough tuning of all the rooms, ensuring proper translation in the viewing environments.
Notably, Sonic Union partners Michael Marinelli and Steve Rosen saw that their streamlined system and pre-existing wiring – plus an “all-hands-on-deck” commitment from the entire staff — allowed for the full conversion of the seven rooms in a little over one weekend.
As practitioners of sound, there is a phenomenon that plagues us all at one point or another in our careers: GAS.
No, I’m not referring to that feeling of discomfort that comes after consuming too many legumes. I’m talking about Gear Acquisition Syndrome.
This familiar complex, which fuels our unquenchable longing to acquire more and more audio equipment, has the potential to be quite expensive and unfortunately, it cannot be cured with any amount of Beano.
With that in mind, I’d like to introduce Mr. Michael Lattanzi, owner of Lattitude Studio South, who proudly embraces his extreme case of GAS. There seems to be no end in sight to his ever-growing gear collection, and he doesn’t seem to be seeking any treatment for his condition.
While the average gear maniac gets excited about adding another pedal, microphone, or piece of outboard to the collection, Lattanzi has bigger fish to fry: He’s a collector of consoles, and not one, but four iconic desks can be found at Lattitude.
In 2011, Michael and his wife, Kathy, relocated to Tennessee, just outside of Music City. It is here that Lattanzi brought his own personal recording retreat to life. This gorgeous 3,000 sq ft facility was built to his specifications by John Carter of Unity Construction and the wiring was designed by Scott Hasson of West Coast Studio Services. Since its construction, Lattitude Studio South has already hosted artists including Megadeath, Hunter Hayes, Thompson Square, Elle King, Blues Traveler, and Brad Whitford of Aerosmith.
A view of the three main consoles in Lattitude’s Control Room.
Nestled atop a hill on the outskirts of Nashville, Tennessee in a small rural village called Leiper’s Fork, Lattitude offers a sense of tranquility and exclusivity that is second to none. With only 650 residents scattered about roughly 1,100 rolling acres, Leiper’s Fork presents privacy and scenic beauty, both in great abundance.
This is one of those refreshing places where you might drive for several miles through winding roads, hills, and trees and not see a single home or building.
Lattitude itself is so far off the beaten path that after a long scenic drive out to the studio, when you finally hear that familiar voice declare that “you’ve arrived at your destination,” you will find that you have merely arrived in front of a big dead oak tree in the middle of nowhere.
Pinpointing the exact studio location from here required this visitor several wrong turns, and a phone call to the studio owner himself. It is a location so remote, that not even Google knows where you are.
Upon reaching the studio, visitors are greeted with an overwhelming sense of peace and calm. But if you thought the hilltop view was ridiculous, wait until you step into the control room.
Control Room
In a world where more and more studios gravitate toward control surfaces, touch screens, dongles, and other doodads, Lattanzi spared no expense to ensure a zero-compromise analog solution in equipping the heart of his studio.
In a horseshoe formation in the center of Lattitude’s nearly 1,300 sq ft control room sits not one, but three iconic consoles: An API-1604, a Neve 8078, and an SSL E/E/G+. And as if the three beastly consoles weren’t enough, Lattanzi’s favorite desk—another early 70’s 40 input API—is stored away in the garage. “I couldn’t fit it in here too. Maybe one day if I downsize, that’ll be my primary desk.”
On several occasions, Lattanzi has been offered sums in excess of a quarter million dollars for his prized Neve 8078. That’s a tough offer to say no to,but Lattanzi couldn’t imagine parting with the desk.
“My pride and joy are drums, and everyone who works here raves about the drum sounds. It’s my favorite drum room hands down,and it just sounds so amazing coming through the 8078.”
Racks of gear at Lattitude Studio South.
Live Room
Natural outdoor light pours into Lattanzi’s studio through large glass windows,offering further warmth to the already-inviting log cabin feel of the tracking area. He says that his little slice of paradise offers differing viewsdepending on the seasons: The summers bring the shade and privacy of the thousands of surrounding trees, and when the leaves fall in autumn, you are exposed to the winding roads below and the beautiful hilly country side.
This facility itself, like the surroundings, comes across as immaculate. The studio is smartly furnished with Latch Lake stands with attached boom arms to minimize clutter. Lattanzi also employs several snakes to avoid the typical studio mess of XLRs all over the floor.
Live Room and guitar collection at Lattitude.
One unique feature of Lattitude Studio South by Nashville standards is its lack of iso booths. Initially, booths were part of the plan, but Lattanzi was getting eager to work and just wanted to finish the studio. Looking back, he says he is glad to have left the large live space untouched, as he’s fallen in love with the big open drum sounds the room affords in its current configuration.
While tie lines exist throughout the structure, meaning that isolation can be achieved for live tracking situations, he doesn’t want to alter the acoustic character he’s come to love, and says that any plans to build “proper” iso booths to accommodate the more conventional Nashville-style approach can wait.
This hasn’t been a problem for Lattanzi’s own approach, as he generally prefers to dedicate days to each of the individual elements of a recording anyway: a day for drums, a day for bass, a day for guitars, and so on.
“Making records, I like to spend a day with the bass player, writing hooky bass lines, and having fun, and getting to know the artist and making an event and experience out of the entire thing. You know, something to remember the rest of your life—a good experience.”
Foundations
Music does form memories, and Lattanzi still remembers his first real exposure to the art form. “My parents took me to see the Beatles at Shea Stadium when I was 4 years old,” he says “and that moment has been stuck in my brain ever since. I still remember it like it was yesterday.”
From that moment on, Lattanzi couldn’t get music out of his system. Some time later, when hew was in the 5th or 6th grade, his sister taught him a few chords on guitar, and he recalls sitting alone in his room trying to develop his newfound passion.
“I went to see my friend Doug Hochlerin and his band Mazarin play, and he got all the women, and stuff, and I was like, ‘I want to be that guy,’ which I hate to admit. But I’d see him play cover gigs, and then I’d go home and try to remember what he played.”
Lattanzi says he pursued music more for the love of the craft than for any promise of money, and remembers his “big break” with some mixed feelings:
A writing and production workstation at Lattitude.
“I thought I’d really made it at first when I got my deal with MCA. I had a top-10 club record come out in 1989, it was along the lines of Depeche Mode, New Order, that kind of stuff…
“I got an advance, you know, and I got a bunch of money, and I’m like oh I got paid, this is cool! But even before that I had songs in TV shows and movies and I had income coming in finally, and I’m like oooh, I’m getting paid for this. Then I saw myself on TV and was like ‘What a stiff!’ I looked like an idiot.”
Feeling discouraged, Lattanzi nearly left the music business all together, “Fortunately I had very supportive friends and family who urged me to continuing working in music.”
It was around this time that Lattanzi’s brother-in-law, the Toronto based producer, Dave Tyson, heard some demos he’d done for a group that would eventually become The Fugees.
Tyson was impressed, and from there, a working relationship was born. One of Lattanzi and Tyson’s first collaborations was for a Canadian artist by the name of Amanda Marshall. The record was a quick success, spawning six top-40 hits in Canada.
“In no time I went from living with mom in New York to being able to buy a house in the Hollywood hills. It was a shock to the system.”
Michael Lattanzi with Megadeath’s Dave Mustaine.
Around that time, Lattanzi reconnected with an old friend from New York, Evan Lamberg of EMI. Through Lamberg, Lattanzi had the opportunity to work with acts including Paula Abdul and Jewel. His reputation as an engineer and producer quickly grew and he began receiving calls from The Goo Goo Dolls, LL Cool J, Smash Mouth, Lindsey Lohan, and even Paris Hilton.
Everything was on the up and up until Lattanzi fell off a cliff while mountain biking in 2006, shattering his spine and leaving him confined to a wheelchair.
Shortly after the accident, Lattanzi and wife Kathy moved to Sedona, AZ, to get out of L.A. and allow him the opportunity recuperate.
For nearly three years Lattanzi kept his involvement in the music industry to a minimum. During his hiatus, he did mix some Chicago and Doobie Brothers projects, and continued to have songs appear in TV and movies, but confesses that his Sedona studio was mostly neglected.
This long departure from his passion left him depressed, and he knew he needed to make records again. Lattanzi decided to roll the dice with his life savings to pursue his passion again, but he admits relocating to Music City wasn’t his first choice. “My wife is from L.A., so she was like, ‘anywhere but L.A..’” When Kathy suggested Nashville, Lattanzi’s first response was, “What are you, nuts?”
Despite his wife’s wishes, Lattanzi began searching for studios and homes in L.A., thinking that when he found the right one, they’d just have to fight it out. But soon after, Lattanzi came to realize and acknowledge that Kathy had been there for him through it all, even acting as his caretaker during this recovery process.
“I decided that if that’s what she wants, I’ll give it a shot.” Fast forward five years and now Nashville feels like home.
Studio Life
I’s been nearly 10 years since Lattanzi’s crippling mountain-biking accident, and while he’s regained a fair amount of mobility, he still faces a everyday challenges:
“At first, I attended therapy regularly, and I was progressing. It’d be ideal if I would just get up every morning like an athlete and workout, then go to therapy, and get myself out of this wheelchair, but in order to do so, I’d have to put the music on hold. I was devastated when I wasn’t working on music, and I’ve even thought, if I had to lose all of this to regain the ability to walk, I wouldn’t trade it.”
Lattanzi doesn’t discriminate when it comes to a preferred musical genre. Speed metal, country, pop, rock, R&B. “It’s all about staying current and knowing what’s out there. If a young kid walks in the door and mentions a band, I need to know who that is, so everyday is an exercise in staying current.”
Lattanzi began working for Arista Records in the 80’s, and it was there that he learned the art of crafting a captivating song. When producing a new act, he says he’ll live in that specific genre for the duration of the project and likes to dive into each and every project with a passion as if it were his very own.
“I’ve kind of gotten spoiled with the luxury of having all the time I want or need to craft sounds,” he says, and prefers to meticulously craft every element in a mix until it is perfect by his standards.
Though he admits he is capable of working very quickly if needed, he says that the ability to focus on the product, instead of the clock, that he is afforded by having his own studio has been very refreshing. This luxury requires him to impose limits on himself, as he often finds himself getting swept up into each project.
“Sometimes I’ll get caught up and spend 5 days on a mix,” and he often prints mixes directly back into Pro Tools as well as his Studer A8 RC MK II 1/2” machine, just to see which treatment works for the track.
“I like to hear the instruments in the environment first, and how they’re reacting with the acoustic space. Then I get back into the control room and try to do that justice.
“One thing I always try to avoid is working in solo,” he says. “It just slows the process down, and prevents you from hearing the big picture. It’s all about context.”
Tricks of the Trade
Though Lattanzi says he never likes to fall into a mundane routine, or apply the same kinds of treatments to every project we all still have our “go to” chains when tracking and mixing, and I convinced Lattanzi to open up about some of his.
One interesting technique that he likes to employ while tracking, is to have the 2-mix from his Neve console feed into his the SSL bus compressor, followed his C Gray custom telescopic EQ’s.
“In this situation I like to compress before I EQ, because I don’t want my EQ to impact how the compressor is working.”
By beefing up the 2-mix right out of the gate, he notes that everything sounds larger than life before employing any further signal processing to individual tracks.
As for his favorite vocal microphone, Lattanzi confesses his lust for a Telefunken 251; but since he’s yet to add one to his mic locker, he notes that the substantially more economical SE Gemini II has been doing thetrick lately.
Even after achieving success as a major label artist and producing and engineering for some iconic acts, Lattanzi still credits Lattitude Studio South as the highlight of his career.
“I’m grateful for the opportunities and the success I’ve experienced, but coming to Tennessee, and overcoming this traumatic accident has been a huge victory for me. I could have given up and sat and cried over spilled milk, and concluded that my life was over, but instead I flipped it and built the best studio I’ve ever been in in my life.”
Lattanzi was emphatic about wanting to share his facility with like-minded musicians. “I’m as approachable as it gets. If someone wants to come here, and for me to produce, engineer, and mix a project; it’s a no brainer.” Though Lattitude serves as Michael Lattanzi’s own private office, where he often produces, engineers and mixes entire projects, he is open to making the space available to other engineers and producers as well.
“I just want to stress the point that I want to share this place. I built it for me, so it’s not a ‘commercial’ facility by any means—I’m not trying to compete with the studios in town, at all. I just want to surround myself with great people who can enjoy this as much as I do.”
If you ever doubt the severity of Lattanzi’s gear acquisition syndrome, Lattitude’s gear list follows below.
CONSOLES
Neve-8078
SSL-SL4000 E/G/G+
API-1604
TAPE MACHINES / DVD / CD
STUDER A827 – 24 track / 2” machine. (30 / 15 ips)
STUDER A80 RC MK II – 1/2” Two Track (30 / 15 / 7.5 ips)
TACAM DV-RA1000
HHB CDR-800 CDR
PANASONIC SV-3800 DAT Machine
TASCAM 122MKII cassette deck
SIGNAL PROCESSING
Lexicon – 960L Digital reverb / Effects
Lexicon – 480L Digital reverb / Effects
Lexicon – 200 Digital reverb
Lexicon PCM-70 Digital reverb / Effects
lexicon PCM-60 digital reverb
Lexicon PCM-42 Digital Delay
Yamaha SPX-90ii digital effects processor
Ibanez -dm-2000 digital effects processor
PRE/EQ/COMPRESSORS
Arsenal Audio MP-20 mic pre amp
Avalon vt-737 sp
Neve 1080 mic pre / eq
(2) Warm audio TB-12 tone beast mic pre’s
(4) C Gray custom Telescopic eq’s
(2) Warm audio EQ-WA eq’s
NYC studio Stadiumred is beginning The “Masters Series” of expert audio panels, feature panels and presentations by industry “Masters” working in Music, Video Game Audio, TV/Film Audio and more. The series, held at the facility, will also include top engineers, mixers, masterers, producers, composers, managers, agents and business executives.
"Avatar: The Game" Composer Chance Thomas kicks off Stadiumred's "Master Series"
For the first installment, famed video game composer Chance Thomas will give a presentation about creating the music and sound for Avatar: The Game. This talk is a Stadiumred East Coast exclusive, having only ever been given twice before on the West Coast. Thomas’ discussion on Avatar premiered at this years GDC (Game Developers Conference), standing as the highest rated talk of hundreds given at the conference.
Additional details on the full presentation are here.
Full Coordinates:
Stadiumred Masters Series Presents
Avatar: The Game Music Score Postmortem By Chance Thomas
Thursday, October 28th, 7-9PM
$40 Admission (Online) / $50 (At Door)
$20 For G.A.N.G Members and for SonicScoop readers. Promo Code: scoopsonic
Stadiumred Launches “Master Series” On 10/28 with Composer Chance Thomas of Avatar: The Game
NYC studio Stadiumred is beginning The “Masters Series” of expert audio panels, feature panels and presentations by industry “Masters” working in Music, Video Game Audio, TV/Film Audio and more. The series, held at the facility, will also include top engineers, mixers, masterers, producers, composers, managers, agents and business executives.
For the first installment, famed video game composer Chance Thomas will present about creating the music and sound for Avatar: The Game. This talk is a Stadiumred East Coast exclusive, having only ever been given twice before on the West Coast. Thomas’ discussion on Avatar premiered at this years GDC (Game Developers Conference), standing as the highest rated talk of hundreds given at the conference.
TC Electronic's PolyTune tunes all your strings at once
Winter NAMM brought on a flood of new production introductions last week. Check out some of the brand-new products, important upgrades and upcoming releases we’re excited about.
TC Electronic’s new PolyTune pedal, a stomp-box sized polyphonic tuner, has been much buzzed about. Strum all the strings on your guitar or bass at once, and the PolyTune will tell you which strings need tuning. Check it out: http://www.tcelectronic.com/polytune.asp
Universal Audio announced the impending release of its Manley Labs Massive Passive EQ plug-ins, in Q1 2010, and the exciting emulations to come via its co-development with Ampex to create “the world’s most accurate and exhaustive magnetic recording tape and tape machine emulations” for the UAD-2 platform.
Another big UA announcement is its newly-inked licensing agreement with the Harman Pro Group. UA will be developing, marketing and selling plug-in emulations of Lexicon, dbx, Studer and AKG for the UAD-2 powered plug-in platform.
AND, UA’s also now working with Dunlop to bring classic guitar and studio effects to the UAD-2 platform. Dunlop is a manufacturer of guitar stompboxes and studio-oriented effects under the Dunlop and MXR brands.
PreSonus announced version 1.1 of its Studio One DAW software, which features a variety of enhancements — you can now draw automation waveforms and lock automation points to selected events, create and modify keyboard shortcuts with the new key-command editor, view your Undo history, and take advantage of dynamic time stretching to change tempos within an event.
The PreSonus Presence virtual instrument has been redesigned, upgraded to 96 voices, and enhanced with effects; the Impact VI now includes Velocity layers, an envelope Hold parameter, and a multimode low-pass, bandpass, or high-pass filter; and the file Browser has gained a MIDI preview player which displays the MIDI fileʼs length in bars and the number of notes in the pattern so that you can quantize MIDI Note ends (Note Off) as well as Note On messages.
Waves introduced the new Horizon plug-in bundle (MSRP: $5,750 Native / $9,500 TDM), which includes over 50 of Waves’ plug-ins — all 30+ plug-ins from the Waves Platinum bundle, CLA Classic Compressors, JJP Analog Legends, Vocal Rider, L3-16 Multimaximizer, GTR3, UM225/226 and more. Waves is also now shipping its WavesLive MultiRack Native, a software application designed to run multiple simultaneous instances of Waves plugins along with live analog and digital mixing consoles.
SSL X-Patch
SSL showed off its new X-Patch, a 16×16 “SuperAnalogue” routing matrix that can be Ethernet controlled remotely from your computer to incorporate analog processing into your production studio. X-Patch can function as an ‘X-Y Router’ or as a ‘Matrix’ (based on its Matrix console) to create complex processing chains. You can build analog processing chains and then place them into signal paths — i.e. your preferred mic pre, EQ and dynamics processors — and then recall that as your vocal chain at a single stroke.
For more information, i.e. to find out how X-Patch can be a powerful stage or stuido live performance tool for guitarists, visit: http://www.solid-state-logic.com/music/xlogic%20x-patch. X-Patch will be available Spring 2010 priced at $1,199.
Moog Taurus 3 Bass Pedals
IK Multimedia introduced AmpliTube 3 (MSRP: $349.99/Upgrade: $199.99), which is described as a “massive upgrade” of the guitar and bass tone gear modeling software. With over 160 precisely modeled pieces of vintage and modern gear available in one package, AmpliTube 3 is said to deliver “more gear, more feel, more power, more tone.” Find out more HERE.
Moog brought out its new Taurus 3 Bass Pedals, which recreate the sound of the legendary Taurus I. Moog says it’s building less than 1,000 of these beauties, so visit the Taurus Bass Pedals product page SOON to figure out if you need one!
Oh, and check out the “Critical Listening” video of the Taurus Bass Pedals being demo’d at Echo Mountain Studios in Asheville, NC: http://www.moogmusic.com/taurus/.
SM Pro Audio introduced the new DiDock Live (MSRP: $229.99), an MP3 player docking station, which allows for easy integration of your iPod with professional live sound reinforcement. The new DiDock Live lets users mix external signals with the iPod audio stream and set mix levels for the combined signals independently at the master and headphone outputs.
SM's DiDock Live
Independent master and monitor/headphone mixes can be quickly created using the L/R input balance control, mono summing switch, and separate volume control for the external signal level feeding the headphone output. Completing the picture are L/R transformer-isolated XLR outputs with independently switchable ground lifts, a Left/Center/Right output select switch, a “charger” mode for making sure your iPod is always ready to roll, and a remote control input for operating the iPod.
Also new from SM Pro Audio is the Jackaroo(MSRP: $699.99; February ’10), what the company calls “a combination cable tester, signal generator, splitter, combiner, and gender bender.” It’s the “Just Test Everything” unit.
Packaged in a 2U rackmount format, the Jackaroo has a number of front-panel inputs and outputs, including Neutrik XLR, DMX, 1/4-inch TRS, 1/8-inch TRS, RCA, 5-Pin MIDI, BNC, RJ11, and RJ45. Any input can feed any output, making it a snap to test cables, split signals among multiple devices, separate left / right stereo signals, and connect equipment with dissimilar I/O configurations.
