As a producer, mixer, and audio engineer, Sean Beavan has worked with Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, Slayer, Guns N’ Roses, and No Doubt. He uses distressed gear, sampling, and innovative recording techniques to create sounds that haven’t been heard before.
Although Beaven’s work has predominantly been in metal and industrial music, he has recently branched out by mixing actress Jill Hennessy’s country/folk album I Do, as well as making his film scoring and sound design debut on two new indie films.
What is it about heavier genres like metal and industrial that attracts you?
I have always liked the visceral natural of them. There is a big cathartic release of power and energy between the bands and the audience. They speak to each other in a way that respects each other.
The bands and producers are not trying to pull something over on the audience. They are invariably huge fans of the genres, as well as creators, and they are making the music because they are driven by a love for it.
When you were mixing Slayer’s album God Hates Us All, how did you approach the vocals, given all the tuned down guitars and overdrive? How did you manage all that distortion and heft and avoid masking?
I love that record—Thanks for mentioning it. It was an honor to work with Rick Rubin and Matt Hyde on that record. Coming from NIN, my industrial background really helped. Since I’m used to navigating symphonies of distortion, adding artificial vocal distortion to the Slayer lexicon was relatively simple. The tuned-down nature of the guitars lends itself to Tom’s raspy tenor, and to ensure that the upper ranges of distortion weren’t masking each other I tried to sculpt specific points for each of the players.
If I was accenting the 2kHz to 3kHz range in Jeff’s more soulful tone, I was giving Kerry more bigness in the bottom and slice in the 5k range—which left 4k for Tom’s edge and allowed me a bit of 8k for some harmonic “air” as well. The worst thing you can do in those situations is turn up the same range of upper mid frequency on the guitars and vocals. You’ve got to be discrete..
Do you prefer recording drums in any particular way?
Of course, it depends on the vibe and what the instrumentation is going to be and the genre itself. You wouldn’t record the drums the same way for a Jazz combo, or a dark swampy blues band, or a dance pop act, or a metal band. Each has its own distinct expectations and tropes. I like my drums to have drama and impact and character—so I try to apply those three things to the particular genre being recorded.
It gets really fun when a band is trying to create a genre like SHINING did for it’s Blackjazz records. Then you get to create or sound design for something new. Of course you use what has come before to inform where you are intending to go. I like to record to drums to tape using a 16-track head onto 2” tape on a Studer A800 MkIII machine at 15ips for rock. Then, I dump it into Pro Tools to edit. If the budget doesn’t allow for that I prefer to just record into Pro Tools at 48k 24 bit. To me analog or digital is no better or worse. They are just a texture and a choice. Both offer remarkable and terrible things.
When it comes to drum mic’ing, where you place the mics is as important as how you tune the drums and the character of the drums themselves. When you are recording, you’ve got ti make sure you love what you hear before you press record. That way you will never be disappointed later.
Unless, of course, you know that you are going to be doing tons of post work to create unnatural sounds then anything goes. But in the end if you don’t have what you want then make it what it can be. Use your imagination, get inspired. Of course, in order to do that you need to know what you want it to be and that is what makes you an artist.
I know you have a lot of the Overstayer gear, which you don’t see a lot everywhere. What do you like about that line?
Jeff Turzo at Overstayer is a musician and producer first, so his ideas electronics-wise are really musical. Whenever he comes to me with a new piece of gear it feels like he was reading my mind.
I use his new Master and Servant on the mix bus [after] my Alan Smart C1 compressor. I know it does some saturation type effects with the 2nd and 3rd harmonics that just makes it feel like the mixes are bigger than the speakers, and the stereo field feels more detailed and discrete. It sounds like voodoo. It’s magic, which is what you want from gear.
For tracking, I use two versions of his mic pres. One has a FET limiter that I use for practically everything I bring in DI-wise—especially bass. It just sounds like a great clean amp. His channel amp with the Pultec-style EQ is my go to for recording acoustic guitars. Since I got that one, I have not recorded an acoustic without it.
I always use his old stereo FET compressor on room mics for drum recording, but it is also great on the drum buss for mixing. It has a parallel compression circuit with a mix knob so you can crush it and dial in just the amount you want to add. Genius.
You recently expanded your studio, Redrum, to embrace 5.1 surround sound. Can you describe your setup in the control room?
When we moved from The Blue Room last year, we made the decision to create a hybrid studio where I could mix and record music for film as well as music. I have been making the transition to film composition and sound design and mixing for the last few years, and it has revitalized me creatively. Sometimes you just need to stretch your legs and expand your wheelhouse. It was time for me.
Redrum has worked out amazingly. We are able to jam with a full band and PA in the control room and it sounds amazing. [My wife] Juliette complains that her vocals never sound as good through the monitors when we play out. It only takes a flip of a switch and a couple of patches to go from stereo mixing to full dedicated 5.1 surround mixing
We have an old G5 and Pro Tools HD Accel 3 rig with wto 192 I/Os running Pro Tools 7.4 that I have used for mixing music projects for years. It has all my favorite go-to plug ins, and their still hasn’t been a better system made for recording music.
The system is set up all analog through my Neve and it runs though an analog mix-buss insert setup that includes my Alan Snart C1 buss compressor and The Overstayer Master and Servant which I then send back into Pro Tools to record mixes.
For film and TV and certain music projects we have a newer MacPro tower with an HDX setup running Pro Tools 10 and Abelton. We have a couple 192s that are digitally connected via TDIF to an O2R which is set up for drum recording and various live setups for jams etc. Plus, the analog ins and outs are all setup in the patch bays to interface with my old custom Neve console, with 1073 and 1066 mic pres.
It is a best-of-all-worlds scenario. We have a Vintage 1963 red sparkle Ludwig kit setup in one of the booths that is ready to go all the time and an upright piano in a second booth. Our amp room is stacked with a reissue blackface Twin, two Fender Deluxe Reverbs that have been converted to blackface specs, one of which has been additionally modded to the Bob Mould dual preamp specs. We also have a Marshall JMP head, a Roland Jazz Chorus, A Vox Pathfinder, a Galien Kruger bass amp and 4/10 cab, and a 1958 Fender Champ.
What did you learn from your experience working on Guns N’ Roses’ album Chinese Democracy?
Patience. [Laughs] I learned what an earnest artist and loyal guy Axl is, and how funny he can be. He is one of the best joke-tellers I have ever met, and he knows a million of them. Axl was an absolute perfectionist. I respect that.
“Simple Kind Of Life” on No Doubt’s Return of Saturn [by No Doubt] is a great song. What do you recall about working on that track—or the album in general?
Sean Beavan, photo by Denny Ilic
Adrian and I would start by riffing on grooves trying to one up each other on groovaliciousness. I would then go into the control room and Karl Derfler would hook up my wa-wa, distortion, and delay pedals to whatever I asked him to—usually the Snare—which he would bus to me, and I would play along in real time, mutating the sounds as we recorded. It seemed to provide the band with excitement and to help springboard ideas that made things uniquely No Doubt.
They were always really responsive to ideas; like the groove of the hook in “Ex Girlfriend.” They really have no ego when it comes to songwriting. It’s all about making something great. There was so much love between the members of that band it was great to be around. I loved working with Gabe McNair their keyboard player as well, he has a creative musical mind.
How did you approach mixing I Do for Jill Hennessy?Did you make changes in the way you normally work, since you were working with lighter, more acoustic folk and country sounds than usual?
Because the album has a more dynamic “musicians playing in a room together” kinda vibe, I mixed with the idea of giving the musicians’ natural dynamic more deference than I normally would in a heavier rock or pop track.
I usually use compression as an effect really, but here it is used in a more traditional role. Instead of the kind of heavy pumping drum buss compression I would normally go for, I used several layers of compression in a more gentle fashion to create texture, ambiance, and control, but still allowed the players more depth of expression.
Jill’s songs go from a whisper to a Springsteen like roar so it was a lot of fun and a challenge to keep it as real as she is.
Beavan with Marilyn Manson in 2012. Photo by Lindsay Usich.
I understand that you use Source-Live and Skype to work on mixes with bands in other countries. How well does that actually work?
Source-Live and Skype are how Jørgen Munkeby and I make those SHINING records. When we’re demoing material, Jørgen sends me MP3s, and and I throw them into Pro Tools and edit together ideas for arrangements and beat ideas as well. Then we get on Skype and discuss the ideas and work out musical figures. It’s easy to pick up a guitar and relay an idea or change a riff. It is exactly like being in a room together. We do the same when the band is tracking in Oslo. Jørgen can even spin the computer around in the studio and ask me if that is how I want the mics set up.
With Source Live, I can hear what they are hearing in real time in full fidelity. Mostly, we use it for making changes to mixes, and it means Jørgen can have me try stuff and make decisions right away. I usually mix at home by myself and then send the mixes to Jørgen who listens to them in his studio where he is used to the speakers.
When he comes up with ideas about how to tweak the mixes I can just route my Pro Tools session output through Source Live, send him a URL, and he can listen over his system in Oslo.
It really saves the back and forth time of sending multiple MP3s. Plus with his being, in essence, a Jazz improvisor, it provides the opportunity for some artistic synergy whenever we put our heads together.
You recently took on some of your first film scoring and sound design projects, June and Death Valley, What did that entail?
For June, [director L. Gustavo Cooper] was looking for an electronic score that felt a little late 70s early 80s, but also incorporated piano and some modern textures. The idea was to have quite a bit of score that not only did the typical horror film “be scared now” winks to the audience, but also added detail to the emotional arcs of the characters. This half indie art-house, quiet emotional movie, and half big-budget horror movie, so the score and sound design had to cover a lot of ground.
After we delivered the score, we went to a screening, and afterwards I was approached by Gus and the producers to re-approach the sound design elements and do the final mix of the film. Gus and I spent a week rifling through sound libraries at our friend and partner Dave Crocco’s A.G.E. Post soundstage in Burbank, and really had a blast ramping up the scare quotient.
Sound is really the lifeblood in the horror genre, so it was fun to watch the scares come to life. This was my first foray into film sound design but my NIN background helped a lot there too. And it didn’t hurt that I am a superfan of supernatural horror films, so I felt pretty uniquely qualified. Mixing film and music is essentially the same: Get unnecessary stuff out of the way to increase impact. I just went by instinct. And I read a lot of articles by Oscar winning sound mixers—I always do my homework.
For Death Valley, Juliette and I not only scored it, but I did production sound mixing and Juliette acted in it, and was script supervisor. So we were in the entire production from soup to nuts. It was a small and tight-knit crew working long days in Death Valley and everyone was wearing multiple hats and pitching in to make it all work. It was all-in, family style for Director TJ Scott who we love.
There were plenty of times while I was holding the boom with headphones on and I would hear these ethereal desert sounds and know that I wanted the music to make me feel the same way. It really helped to have the production experience when we shifted to scoring in post.
Our workflow when scoring is really simple and straightforward. We walk into the studio in the morning with our coffee and watch the five minutes of film. We talk about themes and what we need to accomplish in the character arcs, and then we search for atmospheres and sounds that inspire us to create the proper emotional landscapes.
For Death Valley’s main vibe, TJ had a list of movies that he loved score wise and so we knew what kinds of ideas he was looking for. He loves a simple repetitive main theme that can be used to evoke emotions in differing ways depending in the style and instrumentation so we used those types of motifs but he also let us get creative and explore other things as well.
What mistakes have you noticed that novice or aspiring engineers make, and what are the best ways for them to improve their craft?
I think the main issue is to listen to other mixes in the genre you are working in. Most beginners don’t listen and compare their mixes to ones they love, and then try to deconstruct and figure out why those mixes are bigger or more powerful, or more open and spacious.
Of course, being discrete with EQ is a big point as well. Think of the orchestra. There are reasons why instruments sound the way they do. They were made to compliment each other. A clarinet and a viola won’t mask each other—their waveforms are completely different as is a piano and a trumpet. figure out what sounds great about the instruments you are given in a mix, and accentuate that. Don’t just try to “fix” stuff. Spend more effort enhancing things and you will get great results.
Also, the best mixers start mixing by making a quick rough of what is there and then make judgements about what needs to change or be enhanced or fixed. Take the time to really listen to what you are doing, and how it effects everything around it, and remember that all of us are prey to “Louder Sounds Better”. It’s just human psychology, so when comparing things make sure they are at equal volumes or you’ll just think the louder one is better. We all do it.
Can iZotope’s Ozone replace the warmth and life of analog mastering hardware? In the past, it never even tried to, instead offering a decidedly next-generation take on the mastering engineer’s toolkit. But with Ozone 7, iZotope has added emulations of some very classic hardware to go along with the more forward-looking updates we’ve come to expect from the brand.
As with previous versions, Ozone 7 allows you to customize your own mix bus and mastering with a variety of powerful and flexible modules. This release continues iZotope’s tradition of providing a slew of useful tools under one hood, with an excellent interface that’s easy to navigate.
The biggest changes to the standard version of Ozone 7 can be found in the updates to the Dynamic EQ and the Maximizer. The Ozone 7 Advanced Suite however, adds a full arsenal of new tools: The “Vintage” family of processors, including a Vintage Tape, Vintage EQ, Vintage Limiter and Vintage Compressor. Plus, mastering engineer and Grammy award nominee Greg Calbi lends his seasoned ears to creating a free set of presets for both versions, including “High Detail Wide”, “Midrange”, and “General Clarity.”
Ozone 7 can also be used on its own as a standalone mastering DAW, that supports third-party AU & VST plug-ins as well in your Ozone mastering chain. With the Ozone standalone App, you can audition your processing in real time, trim the tops and tails of your masters and even export files as MP3 and/or AAC.
To give each of these new features a test, I gave them a whirl in Pro Tools, Logic and as a plug-in a specialized mastering DAW, Pyramix.
Dynamic EQ
Ozone 7’s Dynamic EQ
The new Dynamic EQ’s streamlined layout is eye-grabbing: The gun metal black backdrop and sky blue accents make it easy to spend time with. New to Ozone 7, there are now six, reverse-rainbow-colored EQ bands, adding two more bands compared to the Dynamic EQ’s first iteration in Ozone 6.
While standard EQs can only provide a static boost or cut regardless of what the music is doing, the Dynamic EQ adjusts the amount of boost or cut based on user-definable parameters. This makes it easier to have a more subtle EQ that moves with the music, only taming down problem frequencies when they start to become a problem, or only boosting specific areas when they are lacking.
Similarly, if a performance ranges from mellow to explosive sections, with the right settings your EQ gain could be greater for the quieter parts and less significant for the more intense parts (unless of course, you want the inverse) thus creating a smoother, less jarring equalization.
IRC IV Maximizer More maximizing for the most maximizingest.
Ozone 7’s updated Maximizer module.
The addition of the new IRC IV (Intelligent Release Control) algorithm for the Ozone Maximizer may be worth the upgrade alone for many users alone. With this algorithm, it is possible to achieve the most transparent and “Intelligent” limiting Ozone has to offer.
IRC IV automatically detects which frequency bands would contribute most to clipping, and then gently reduces their level before hitting the limiter, so that the limiter doesn’t have to work as hard.
There are three settings in this mode, each with a subtly different flavor:
“Classic” is based off previous Ozone 7 IRC algorithms, offering a tried and true maximization; “Modern” offers an even clearer, more defined limiting; and “Transient” is perhaps the most aggressive-sounding, but also the clearest and most transient-preserving of the three.
Codec
The new Codec feature in Ozone 7.
Another new feature available in both Standard and Advanced versions of Ozone is the Codec Preview. This allows you hear how your audio would sound once it is digitally converted to MP3 or AAC.
The preview resolutions available range from 96kbps to 320kbps. The “Solo Codec Artifact” performs exactly as described, allowing you to audition the results of what is being removed from the mix by lossy compression.
In order to use this function properly, you must use it at the very end of the chain. You can also export your work in a variety of digital formats such as MP3 and AAC and even add metadata such as track name, artist, album title before each exporting.
“It’s Vintage”
Previous versions of Ozone have been equally celebrated and criticized for their unabashedly “digital” sound. With Ozone 7, iZotope has incorporated four new modules that emulate vintage audio hardware: A vintage limiter, 2-track tape machine, EQ and compressor.
The design for each of these modules is basic—in a good way—appearing solid, with earthy colors. The GUIs are resolutely non-flashy (as they should be) and each control you need is only a mouse-click away, incorporated right into the main Ozone interface.
Vintage Limiter Just a touch of limiter…a little bit.
The new Vintage Limiter in Ozone 7.
A little goes a long way with this gem of a limiter, based loosely on the classic Fairchild 670 tube limiter. It glues the mix together and can add a little extra jazz or smack it to oblivion and level out a wonky mix.
The controls on the Vintage Limiter are almost identical to the ones on the Maximizer: Gain Reduction, Threshold, Character, and it even carries over the True Peak Limiting Function from its more contemporary-sounding cousin.
IRC (Intelligent Release Control) is at work under the hood of all three of its modes Analog, Tube, and Modern, and each of these modes has its own character:
“Analog”, the warmest of the three, is meant for limiting individual tracks or a mix that you want thickened up.
“Tube” mode, originally found in the Maximizer, has moved to the Vintage Limiter. It is backwards compatible with Ozone 6.1’s Maximizer Tube mode, so saved presets will open in Ozone 7’s Vintage Limiter Tube mode. Tube can be used for when you want to warm something up but still need it to maintain some clarity and excitement (more hi-fi).
“Modern” is more defined-sounding than tube, but still maintains the fullness that comes with an analog tube limiter.
Vintage Tape
Vintage Tape emulation is now part of Ozone 7 Advanced.
Using the Vintage Tape module gives your music a little more color. Whether you want subtle analog flavor or rich tape compression and saturation, this module can do it all.
It is based on the character of the Studer A810 2-track tape machine. Simply placing it across your mix can help enhance the depth and width, achieving immediate results.
Choose between two different tape speeds: 15 and 30 (inches per second). 15 ips offers a vibey sound and can sweeten up a lifeless mix, while 30 ips adds clarity to the mid and high ends while still adding a subtle dose of tape “phatness”.
One cool trick is to try is to gently increase the input drive of the vintage tape to add a lil’ bit of extra juice (and overall volume.)
Vintage Compressor
The new Vintage Compressor in Ozone 7.
The Vintage Compressor is a single-band, feedback compressor with all the usual controls: attack, release, gain, ratio and threshold. Automatic gain compensation helps make up for what’s lost from compression.
The sidechain has three editable detection filters: high-pass, mid-peak and high-shelf. However, the detection filter stops at 40 Hz and so you cannot fully turn this function off. This cutoff is based on vintage feedback compressors, as they were not designed to handle and compress the super low frequencies that today’s modern compressors can.
It has three modes: “Sharp”, which offers the most transparent compression; ”Smooth” which provides the most “compressed’ sound and offers the most squeeze; and “Balanced”, which is exactly as it says and offers a nice middle-ground of dynamic and transient control.
Vintage EQ
A new Vintage EQ, inspired by the classic Pultec line.
The Vintage EQ emulates two classic Pultec equalizers from the 1950’s: The Pultec EQP-1A and the MEQ-5. The EQP-1A focuses on the high and low frequencies and the MEQ-5 on the midrange.
While not as surgical as the standard Ozone EQ, the vintage EQ offers a smoother, vibe-ier color. By simply putting it on your master bus or tracks, you will notice immediately that it does wonderful tube-y things, effectively recreating the soft-limiting exhibited by a vintage valve EQ.
Ozone has added a new frequency to the EQP-1A section at 45Hz, which is not seen on the original hardware. As with all other Ozone modules, the EQ can be used not only in stereo but in L/R and M/S operation, which opens the door to many sound shaping possibilities.
To be critical
Ozone 7, and its presets, should not be thought of as a one size fits all solution. Over-doing and over-using it is a common pitfall, and if you fall into this trap, the results can sometimes worse than not doing anything at all. For some users, Ozone should probably come with a warning label advising them not to go directly to the presets as a one-stop-drop-shop for improving the sound of their mixes. They can be a useful starting point, but that’s about as far as it goes.
I’ve seen first-hand at a mastering studio just how much trouble this program can cause when overused at the mix stage. A large percentage of users seem to slap it on their master bus with one of the presets, instantaneously making their mix sound louder, and therefore “better” in a quick sip test. They are glamoured by the results, bounce the mix and use this as a listening reference, sometimes even sending their over-compressed mix to the mastering engineer, expecting them to take it even further in level and hype. This gives the wrong expectations for what good mastering is really about, and tests the patience of your mastering engineer.
Speaking of presets, I would prefer the factory default preset for Ozone 7 to be a blank slate. I found it somewhat cumbersome to have to turn off the modules I don’t want to use every time I open up the plugin. Even if you do want to use all of the default modules eventually, it usually makes sense to start off by adjusting one module at a time as you build your processing chain step-by-step.
When I brought this critique to iZotope, I found out that they had recently introduced a new “preset default” function in version 6.1, allowing you to set the default for yourself without too much difficulty. This little-known feature is definitely a step in the right direction.
As a standalone application, it seems Ozone is still a little clunky, and it crashed on me a few times. Since it’s still so new at this point, I would much rather use a dedicated mastering DAW instead for professional work.
It’s also worth noting that Ozone can be a CPU monster. Even the Maximizer alone is incredibly processor-intensive, especially when using IRC III and IRC IV modes.
Keeping up with all the updates iZotope has to offer can often be a small job in itself, and while updating and frequently improving Ozone they actually took a feature away that has been missed since Ozone 5: the “amount slider”. This helpful knob used to let you blend in a desired amount of the effected signal, giving much more flexibility and control.
Conclusion
The physical modeling in Ozone has come very far since the beginning. While not identical to the classic gear they were inspired by, the Vintage modules are pretty close and offer a somewhat convincing “analog” flavor.
The real hardware units that the plug-ins emulates are very expensive, exclusive and powerful. The fact that iZotope has created these plug-ins at an affordable price truly helps all users, no matter what stage they are at, and gives the already-flexible Ozone suite even more useful options than before.
iZotope offers a free 10 day trail of Ozone 7, so check it out for yourself and tell us what you think in the comments below!
Ozone 7 Operates with:
Windows: 7, 8, and 10 Mac: OS X 10.8–10.11 (Intel only)
Plug-in formats:
Pro Tools 10-12 (RTAS, AudioSuite, 64-bit AAX), VST 2, VST 3, Logic Pro X, Ableton Live
Price:
iZotope Ozone 7 Mastering Suite $249
iZotope Ozone 7 Mastering Suite- Upgrade from Ozone $99
iZotope Ozone 7 Mastering Suite- Upgrade from Ozone $199
Or purchase Ozone 7 Advanced in the iZotope music production bundle along with the Alloy 2, Nectar 2 Production Suite, Trash 2 (Plus Expansions) and Insight for $599
While there’s still a lot to love about vintage-style synthesizers like the Minimoog Voyager, Roland Jupiter or Korg MS-20, there is now an undeniable trend toward creative next-generation controllers underway, and it is helping to shape the future of music.
From pad-based interfaces like the Ableton Push 2, to the plushy “keywave” surface of the ROLI Seaboard Rise, join us as we take a look at some of the coolest new controllers and instruments that are changing the way that music is made:
ROLI Seaboard & Rise Controllers
The ROLI Seaboard and Rise are one of many new controllers that are helping to change the shape of music.
If you follow music technology closely, chances are that you have already heard of the ROLI Seaboard by now. And if you haven’t been acquainted with this stunning new instrument just yet, you are in for a treat.
ROLI has developed a revolutionary line of MIDI controllers that feature a squishy black silicone surface filled with anywhere from 25 to 88 “Keywaves”. The benefit of this unique playing surface is that this controller features 5 dimensions of touch and expression: Strike, Glide, Slide, Press, and Lift.
“Strike” is the velocity with which you initially hit the note. “Glide” is the horizontal movement from one side of a keywave to another that affects pitch, allowing for full and continuous glissando from note to note. “Slide” is the vertical movement up and down a keywave, that you can map to filter cutoff, volume, or in theory, to any parameter. “Press” is the pressure applied to a keywave after the initial strike, and finally, “Lift” is the speed of release from a keywave, either of which can be mapped to the parameter of your choice.
These new dimensions of expression allow you to apply glissando to full chords, add vibrato, or modify sounds in almost any way imaginable all without having to reach for a knob or foot controller.
Additionally, the more cost-effective Rise controller comes with ROLI’s Equator software which, in itself, is a powerful instrument and sound design tool. Starting at $799, the smallest ROLI Rise controller is reasonably priced, but if the 25 or 49 keywave surface seems too limiting, Roli also makes a Seaboard Grand model in three sizes: 37 key [$1,999], 61 key [$2,999], and 88 key [$8,888].
The Grand series features a higher-quality keywave surface and built-in sounds, meaning it can be used as a MIDI controller or standalone synth. Although much heavier and more expensive than the Rise models, they are truly unique expressive instruments.
Recently, Roli released their new iOS app, NOISE, which is very similar to the Roli Rise and Equator synth, making use if the new iPhone 6S’s pressure-sensitive screen and allowing you to make expressive music on the go. You can even hook up a Roli Rise to the App over bluetooth, and effectively using your phone as a portable sound module.
Ableton Push 2
Ableton released their new Push 2 controller late last year. It features pads as the primary playing surface, and unlike the ROLI line, it features many knobs, buttons, and even slider. This makes sense though as the Push is designed to only work with Ableton Live. (Though you can rewire the Push to work with Logic, it’s not really recommended).
Push 2 makes using Ableton a really interactive experience. You can use the controller for finger drumming, sequencing beats, playing samples from your computer, playing melodies and/or chords with the pads, manipulating plugin parameters, and adjusting the volumes and panning of individual tracks.
If you are interested in electronic music, looping, or remixing, the Push 2 should be high on your list of musical goodies to check out. Starting at $799, the Push 2 is tied in price with the Roli Rise and both do incredibly unique things.
Roger Linn Linnstrument
Roger Linn, is the creator of the Linn LM-1, the first programmable drum machine to use digital samples of acoustic drums. The second variation of it was the LM-2, also called the Linn Drum, and it was used by artists including Prince, Michael Jackson, and Kraftwerk, and it helped to shape the sound of the 1980’s.
Now, Roger Linn is showing off his new “Linnstrument” to the world, and it has been getting press from major media outlets including Forbes, Harpers, Wired, as well as the usual myriad of music magazines.
At first glance, this MIDI controller appears to be a simple pad controller, much like Push 2. However, once you hit a pad, you’ll quickly notice that you can slide your finger for vibrato, bending the note like you can on a guitar.
The melodic layout for the instrument is more similar to the Push 2 than the Rise, and unlike the 5 dimensions of touch found in the Rise, the Linnstrument only offers control over timbre, pitch, and velocity & loudness.
One of the key benefits of the Linnstrument is that it is relatively easy to play it standing up, and, if you are not already familiar with piano and have no prior piano technique, the Linnstrument may be faster to learn to play than the Rise. Unlike the Push 2 or Roli Rise, it sports a simple onboard MIDI In and MIDI out connection. At $1500, this device is almost twice the starting price of the Roli Rise 25 or Push 2, but combines some of the best of both worlds.
Numark Orbit and XY MIDIpad
Unlike the Push 2, Numark’s Orbit isn’t a controller you can really write melodies on effectively, but it allows you to trigger notes, effects, or really any parameter within Ableton.
This relatively cheap ($40 approx) controller can be used wirelessly. Check out the video below of Ableton instructor Dan Freeman using one attached directly to his Sadowsky bass so he can have more control over his Ableton Live sets. Jump to 8:25 below to see it in action:
This simple setup allows Freeman to have creative control over Ableton in real-time, processing his bass or vocal sounds as well as launching pre-loaded clips. MUSE’s Matt Bellamy takes a similar approach with several of his custom Manson guitars, adding an XY MIDIpad that is similar to the Korg Kaoss Pad. An added benefit of these two controllers is the added built in light show for live performances.
Matt Bellamy of Muse manipulates an XY MIDIpad installed on his guitar. Image courtesy of Flickr user moses_namkung.
iPad/iPhone
There are so many MIDI controller apps for iOS devices today (and even fully fledged recording programs) that you could even consider completing professional music productions right on your phone. Here are just a few of many that are particularly groundbreaking:
MorphWiz: This app, developed by Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater. allows you to play your iPad as a synth. The built in sounds are great, and Rudess even uses this app live and in the studio with Dream Theater. You can also set the scale that each synth loads up when you start up a preset and you can either choose to set it so that
touchAble: This app allows you to essentially transform your iPad into a Ableton Push. It can be hooked up wirelessly or via a USB to your computer, and it can actually be nicer than a Push 2 in some cases as certain iPad models have a touchscreen that’s even bigger than the Push.
TouchOSC: This iOS app allows you to control practically any audio program in your computer from Mainstage 3 and Logic Pro X to Ableton Live. Simply download the app on your iOS device of choice and then download Live Control on to your computer from the App Store. You can then open up the TouchOSC Editor app on your computer and start controlling your DAWs using your iOS touchscreen device.
Garageband for iOS: Apple recently updated their Garageband iOS app, adding a “loops” section that is very reminiscent of Ableton’s Clip viewer. This new version acts as a fully functional DAW with multitrack recording capabilities. If you come up with a song idea while playing one of the many virtual instruments within it, you can record it right there on your IOS iPhone or iPad. From here, you can export your Garageband file to your computer and fully expand the idea on a desktop version of Garageband, Logic, or convert it to work with practically any other DAW.
Throughout history, new technology has driven the shape that music will take. In at least this fundamental way, music in the 21st century is sure to share a lot in common with the past. Even if you do find yourself jamming out on a holographic synthesizer while flipping an ollie on your hoverboard some day.
Fresh off his double #1 hit of the song “Estrellas Rotas” from Kalimba’s latest Cena Para Desayunar (Sony Music), James shared his 5 can’t-miss-mix tips and a lot more in our “Making the Mix Room.”
James feels a consistent instinct to share, which is why we’re following up with Part II: an in-depth breakdown of the gear in his room, where classics and new blood alike — germanium compressors to MoogerFoogers — are inside. James details not just what he’s got, but often why it’s there – inspiring insights on how a smart studio setup can hone your mixes.
Get oriented: Michael James explains exactly how he uses his tools.
And if you want mucho mas mixing tutorials from this platinum mixer, head straight to his blog at MichaelJamesProducer.
Mix Room Equipment List
Mixing Console
1 Sterling Modular Plan B 72 RU Mastering Console set up for mixing.
3 Dangerous Music 2-Bus 16×2 Analog Summing Mixers. For Bus A, B, C submixes. Mastering quality, pristine neutral coloration.
1 Dangerous Music 2-Bus+ Next-generation 16×2 Analog Summing Mixer with added assignable Harmonics, ParaLimit and X-former tonal effects. Amazing crosstalk specs!
1 Chandler Mini Rack Mixer. 16×2. For analog summing of Busses A, B, C. Classic Neve-esque tonal coloration. Technically, EMI is a more accurate descriptor, but its vintage British either way.
1 Dangerous Liaison. Instant gratification when auditioning vocal and mix buss chains. Six programmable inserts. Tons of headroom and clarity.
1 Patchbay. Comprehensive. 150 Mogami TT patch cables.
Analog EQ
24 Tonelux EQ4P. These are so good that you need to hear them yourself. Just do it! You can boost with impunity.
1 Avalon AD2055 EQ 2-channel. Excellent surgical EQ with a unique character. Powerful tone shaper. Typically used on my vocal buss.
2 Dangerous Music Bax EQ 2-ch. The filters alone are worth the investment. I use them on “bass & drums” and “guitar & keys” busses.
1 Massenburg GML 8200 2-channel EQ w/8355 power supply. The original, the classic. I use the MDW plugin now, mostly for cuts.
An epic collaboration of audio giants: the Focusrite ISA 110 Limited Edition
2 Focusrite ISA 110 Limited Edition . George Martin and Rupert Neve collaborated on the 110. Very useful filters; hard to recall.
2 DBX 215 2-channel graphic EQ. I have no idea how they actually sound. I only use them to filter compressor sidechain inputs.
Analog Dynamics
5 Tonelux TXC Compressor. Versatile. Internal parallel routing and “Tilt” sidechain filter. Bass, drums, mix buss–even at 20:1 if you dare…
1 Manley Labs Stereo Variable Mu Limiting Compressor. Mix bus monster! Mine has HP sidechain filter. I use it unlinked, dual mono, calibrated.
1 Manley Labs ELOP Levelling Amplifier 2-channel. Opto magic on vocals, bass, acoustic guitar…and even mix buss when a 3D effect is desired. Sidechain filter version makes it versatile.
1 Dangerous Compressor 2-ch. Ultra low distortion. Mastering quality. Can be transparent or grabby. Mix bus and drums!
2 Chandler Limited Germanium Compressor. Very versatile and vibey, with mix blend for parallel compression. Hip blue LED GR meters.
4 Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor. Swiss Army knife of compressors. Great knobs make it super easy to recall. Parallel drum compression.
2 Purple Audio MC76 Limiter. Painstakingly modeled after 1176 E revision. Lots of character. LED meter light upgrade is a godsend.
2 Universal Audio 1176LN Limiting Amplifier. A bit cleaner than vintage units. Just as good, if not better.
2 Universal Audio LA-3A Audio Leveler. The curve more than makes up for the noise. These are classics for good reason.
2 Avalon AD2044 2-ch Opto-Compressor. Great for drums, bass, vocals and mix buss…variable attack and release make it very versatile.
2 Empirical Labs EL-DS DerrEsser + EL500 powered chassis. My favorite de-esser ever! Very musical and surgical.
1 SPL 9842 4-ch Transient Designer. Paul Wolff was correct when he said it should have been called The Ass Saver.
2 SPL 9629 2-ch De-Esser. Works quite well on 9 of 10 voices; not so effective on the other 10%.
Mic Preamps and DIs
A second set of ears is essential to James’ workflow.
1 Avalon AD2022 2-ch. Punchy, clear, modern sound. Vocals, guitars and Fender basses come alive through it. Variable impedance is useful.
2 Chandler Limited Germanium Preamp/DI. Old school thick Neve tone. Adds rock attitude to guitars and bass. Makes acoustic guitars sound like ’70s recordings.
2 Focusrite ISA 110 Limited Edition. Tough to go wrong with these. The EQ is very useful.
1 Apogee Duet2 USB. For laptop field recording. Sounds pretty good.
1 Radial JDI passive direct box. Excellent direct box.
2 Radial X-Amp. Excellent reamp box.
1 Little Labs Redeye 3D Phantom. Idiot-proof DI & reamp device. Sounds great!
Outboard and Pedal FX
1 Eventide H8000FW 8-channel Harmonizer. Can do anything you can imagine! Used every day.
1 TC Electronic M3000. Natural sounds; can be used subtly to good effect.
1 Lexicon PCM60. Crunchy old school reverb. Rarely used in recent years. Saves feeble snare drums.
1 Yamaha SPX90. Haven’t used it in years.
1 Yamaha D1500 Delay. Cool modulation FX. Almost never powered up, but once a year, it’s just the right thing.
1 MoogerFooger MF-101 Lowpass Filter. Not for the uninitiated–this is a serious tweaker’s pedal.
1 MoogerFooger MF-103 12-Stage Phaser. Wide range of sounds. Excellent.
1 MoogerFooger MF-104 Analog Delay. Dark tone is nice for vocal slapback effects.
1 MoogerFooger MF-105 MuRF. Multiple Resonance Array Filter with sequencer. Awesome!
1 MoogerFooger MF-107 FreqBox. Moog “synth” tracks guitar playing.
1 Fulltone Soul-Bender. Makes Strats ooze with character.
1 Fulltone Full-Drive 2. For slide playing. Adds sustain without masking the tone of the guitar and amp.
1 Fulltone Clyde Deluxe Wah. Sounds credible right out of the box. No mods necessary.
1 Fulltone Tube Tape Echo. Love it on vocals. Sold it to a friend, but listing it to remind me to buy another one.
1 CAE Freddy Fuzz. Strats dig it.
1 CAE Black Cat Vibe. Coveted by many, possessed by few. Studio quality UniVibe.
1 Chandler Limited Germanium Boost. Boutique boost for discerning tone fanatics.
1 Chandler Limited Little Devil Colored Boost. Boutique boost for discerning tone fanatics.
1 Chicago Iron Octavia. Hendrix-esque octave fuzz. Requires finesse to dial in the sweet spot for different guitars.
1 Demeter Compulator. Opto in a pedal. Changes your tone for the better, even without gain reduction.
1 Demeter Tremulator. Ry Cooder-esque tremolo. Instant vibe.
1 Boss DD-5 Digital Delay. Has reverse mode. Lives in a dedicated bypass loop box because it has to.
1 Boss FT-2 Dynamic Filter. Old-school envelope filter.
1 EBS Octabass. Octave below. Tracks well-enough for guitar.
1 Sho-Bud Volume Pedal. Vintage pedal steel volume. Very sweet tone when it’s working.
1 Ernie Ball Volume Pedal. Basic, bomb-proof.
1 Ernie Ball Jr. Volume Pedal. Basic, bomb-proof.
1 Maxon AD80 Analog Delay. Short maximum delay time, but warm and sweet.
1 Rocktron Banshee Talkbox. Won’t blow up your guitar amp!
1 Sonic Research Turbo Tuner. My favorite tuner. Tune to the attack…unless you’re playing a slow ballad with long tones.
1 Peterson Strobo-Flip. Handy strobe tuner with Buzz Feiten Tuning offsets.
2 Custom Audio Electronics Power Supplies. Very clean and reliable.
Speakers, Amps and Monitoring
2 Focal Professional SM9. Incredibly revealing and not fatiguing at all, my favorite speakers ever.
2 Focal CMS40. Good for vocal rides in pop and rock mixes.
2 Genelec 1031A. 15 years without a glitch. Very reliable. Don’t be afraid to use the EQ switches on the back panel.
2 Auratone 5C Mixcube. Single driver, no crossover, no phase cancellation. Revealing of midrange detail and vocal levels.
1 Dangerous Music ST/SR Analog Surround Monitor. The remote controller is a Star Trek Enterprise-worthy work of art. Sounds great.
1 Dangerous Music Convert-2. Great sounding DAC that inspires confidence. Compare apples to apples–four sources, one DAC.
2 Custom Made Ken Goerres Dual Speaker Stands. Goerres really hows how to get a control room sounding great.
1 Truckload of acoustic treatment. Small room now sounds good, courtesy of Ready Acoustics and Chris Pelonis products.
1 Neumann M149 + “Vintage” Power Supply#2. Low noise, good detail. Every vocalist loves the sound
2 Neumann KM184. Bright, useful condensers. I like them on acoustic guitars.
1 Royer R-121 ribbon mic. Changed the way I record electric guitar amps. If your rig already sounds good, this mic is the ticket.
1 Shure SM7B. Love it on bass amps and hard rock vocals.
1 Shure Beta 52. Inexpensive mic that sounds good on kick drums.
1 AKG D12. Venerable kick drum mic that I loaned to Cynthia Catania, who uses it with good results on guitar cabinets.
1 Shure SM 57. Swiss Army mic, required for snare drums.
1 Audix D3. Has a 421-ish thing with guitar amps.
1 Sennheiser MD409U3. Love it on guitar and bass cabinets!
1 Sennheiser MD421. Lives on a 4×12 cabinet.
1 Stedman N90. Large diaphragm dynamic mic. 155 dB SPL. Good for electric guitar cabinets. Inherited from John Walker.
Analog Instruments and Amplifiers
1 Tom Anderson Hollow Atom. Les Paul meets Gretsch
1 Tom Anderson Hollow T Classic. Stays in tune and play like a dream. My favorite Tele by far.
1 Tom Anderson ClassicStrat. Like a vintage Strat without the quirks.
1 Tom Anderson Cobra Special. This was the first TA LP Special/SG with P90 pickups and a pickguard. Very groovy.
1 Yamaha SBG2100 w/ Buzz Feiten Tuning System and stainless steel frets mods. Instant late ’70s vibe. Les Paul killer. Long sustain.
1 Lakland Joe Osbourn Signature USA bass. USA made; best Jazz bass I ever played. Lindy Fralin pickups.
1 Taylor 714ce Acoustic Guitar. Plays great, stays in tune, sounds balanced for recording.
1 Gretsch Historic Resonator “Dobro.” Cheap guitar with a pro aftermarket resonator that has The Sound for slide playing. Instant vibe.
1 Yamaha Classical Guitar Model G-170ca . Solid top. I bought it from a rock climber as a favor, and have composed many songs on it.
1 Gibson ES 335 w/ Tone Pros bridge mod. Instant early ’70s vibe.
1 Wurlitzer 200A Electric Piano. Rebuilt by the master, Ken Rich. It’s so good that I actually learned how to play it!
1 Rhodes Stage 73 Electric Piano. 1977 with pristine harp and excellent action…for a Rhodes. Maintained by Ken Rich.
1 Alessandro High-End English. 20W pure Class-A take on the ultimate AC30, custom built by George himself.
1 Top Hat 2 x 12 Speaker Cabinet. Burgundy/Gold, loaded with Celestion 15W Alnico Blue Dog reissues.
1 Mesa/Boogie Mark 1 Hardwood Combo Amp. Custom wired Class-A triode. Runs NOS Svetlana 6L6s for ’70s Fusion tones, or 6V6s for Blackface-on-steriods vibe. This amp sounds BIG.
1 Mesa Royal Atlantic RA-100. Inspired by Orange and Marshall amps. EL34 tubes. Wicked clean tone with good sustain for single-note soloing.
1 Mesa TransAtlantic TA-15. Lunchbox mini amp with Vox, Fender and Mesa tones.
1 Mesa/Boogie Mark V head w/ custom leather. It’s like a museum of Mark-series Boogies. I grew up on Mark tones, so this amp works for me.
1 Mesa ElectraDyne 1×12 custom combo. Simul-Class power section adds a halo around the notes. Wishnefsky liberated this amp from me.
1 Mesa ElectraDyne 2×12 extension cabinet w/ Celestion Gold speakers. Sweeter than ceramics, but not as sweet as 15W Blue Dogs.
1 Mesa Lone Star 1×12 open back speaker cabinet. Mesa Celestion 90. Jack of all trades speaker in a great cabinet. May change the speaker….
1 Mesa Traditional 4×12 slant cabinet. Custom tangelo croc embossed leather, tan grille. Celestion V30 speakers. Killer!
“Fantastic” fatness: Mesa Bass Prodigy Four:88
1 Mesa Bass Prodigy Four:88. All tube power amp with intuitive tone stack and fantastic sound.
1 Mesa Powerhouse 1×12 speaker cabinet. Good articulate bass tone for recording studio.
1 Morgan MV45 Custom Shop: Script Logo. Boutique take on Plexi crunch tones. Limited edition of 20 made.
1 Goodsell Super 17 Mark 4 Custom. Unique take on EL84 amps, inspired by Hammond organs.
1 Morgan TV12 Custom. Gibson, Fender and Vox mashup with reverb and retro TV style. Only 20 made.
Recorders, Computers and DAWs
1 Avid Artist Mix control surface. For moving fader automation.
1 Avid Pro Tools 11 HDX. 64×64 analog I/O. Mac Pro 4,1 Nehalem multi-track mix source.
1 Avid Pro Tools 11 HD. 8×8 analog I/O. MacBook Pro 8,2 used as mix destination when deliverable sample rate must differ from source.
1 Universal Audio UAD-2 Octo PCI-e card. For classic reverb emulations. Adds ridiculous latency to Pro Tools HDX. Not an issue for mixing.
4 Lynx Aurora 16 I/O converters. 64 analog I/O and 64 digital I/O.
4 Lynx LT-HD-G Pro Tools Interface. Four of these can connect to one HDX card for 64 channels of I/O.
2 Dangerous Music Convert-8 converters. State of the art, 8-channel DA converters for pristine analog summing.
1 Apogee Rosetta 800 192k A/D/A Converter + Firewire Card. 8 more analog I/O for printing hi-res mixes to Logic or Pro Tools on a separate destination recorder.
1 Apogee Big Ben Word Clock. Rock solid.
1 Apogee Duet2 USB interface for field recording.
1 Apple Mac Pro 4,1 Nehalem. 20GB RAM. SSD. Once a Mac guy, always a Mac guy. As expected, this thing works flawlessly.
1 Apple MacBook Pro 8,2. Intel Core i7. 2.2 GHz. 8 GB RAM. SSD. Mix destination. Replaced optical drive with SSD.
1 Apple MacMini. FTP server for files and mixes.
2 Glyph Studio Raid 8 TB. Striped RAID 1 for mirrored recording to two disks simultaneously.
1 Glyph Studio Raid 4 TB. Striped RAID 1 for mirrored recording to two disks simultaneously.
3 Glyph Studio Mini 1 TB. Super portable. Great for traveling! 7200 rpm, so you can actually work on it.
1 Glyph Dual SCSI Hot Swap Rack. SCSI rules, but this stays mostly in the closet.
2 Glyph Trip Quad SCSI Hot Swap Rack
10 Glyph GT050Q eSATA drives. eSATA works just as well as SCSI for me.
1 Vanguard RAID5 tower running BRU Server. For backups and archives. Semi retired.
2 Sony ES Cassette Deck. I think I remember what a cassette tape sounds like…
3 Kriz Kraft ATA Flight Cases. Original cases built by Stinns Svensson. The best, by far.
1 Tascam DA-30 DAT Recorder. It still works!
2 Panasonic SV3800 DAT Recorders. Last powered up around the millennium. Want to buy one?
— Michael James, Producer/Mixer at michaeljamesproducer.com
At SonicScoop, we gravitate to the studios and engineers who are in it for the audio – and that’s exactly what you’ll find at Salant Sound. Nailing great tracking for their clients is what it’s all about at this Canarsie facility, which serves as a vital recording resource for South Brooklyn.
Indie artists have an ally in facility founder Josh Salant, a drummer who knows first-hand the power of a big drum recording for rock, funk and more. Surrounding the skins at Salant is a live room with space for the whole band, which is one reason why the studio has a growing reputation in this no-nonsense neighborhood.
The other big reason is the Salants themselves – founder Josh, his brother Sean, and their father Michael – a musical family that really cares about great sound. So if you’re seeking a secret weapon live space that’s right off the L Train, look no further.
Neighborhood Advantages: South Brooklyn has a very vibrant music history, dating back to the days when the famous rock club L’amours reigned king in Brooklyn and NYC rock and roll.
National touring acts would come through to the Dyker Heights/Bensonhurst area and would bring flocks of teens and all music lovers alike, and also gave a shot to local bands to perform as opening acts. There are still tons of people who were fans of the club, and of course musicians, who are still playing regularly. The music scene is still a tight knit and strong community.
Today, South Brooklyn’s music scene is very expansive, whether it be the alternative rock scene in the Bay Ridge bar scene, rock, hip hop, soca, neosoul, and gospel in Canarsie, art rock, folk rock and the singer songwriters. This includes neighborhoods in South Brooklyn such as Marine Park, Bergen Beach, Sheepshead Bay, and Gravesend. The music scene is thriving!
There are not a lot of recording studios here, and a classic, Electric Plant Studios, which was ran by a good friend of mine, Vin Cin, has recently closed down. I am always busy recording all kinds of original music, anything from delicate violins to death metal, and everything in between. And I have recently been doing some goth opera and some noise rock, which are always fun and are styles that push the limits of the conventional recording studio.
Some of the advantages of South Brooklyn is that everything is in close proximity, especially by car, but definitely possible through buses and trains. Bands live near each other, and eat together; there are tons of kick ass pizza places such as Canarsie’s Armando’s pizza and Original Pizza or other South Brooklyn staples like Rollnroaster, Brennan and Carr, or Sonny’s Heroes, and it’s a real local thing.
Some of my clientele come to the studio by the L train, which is only two blocks away from me, and goes through some of the most creative spaces in Brooklyn, Williamsburg and Bushwick. I worked at Sam Ash Music right by Kings Plaza for eight years, and I was fortunate to meet some great local musicians and make some great connections. It’s a small world we live in, and the music scene in Brooklyn is no exception – it’s like a big family, most of the time!
Date of Birth: The studio has been slowly building for the last 14 years, but we went into business as of early 2013.
It started out as a practice space for me and my brother, and quickly became a spot for our band to record, (with two boom boxes!), and it slowly grew from there. We “upgraded” to a 16 Yamaha MG live mixing board going into a two-channel interface, micing up the drums with Shure SM58’s, and has since worked its way up to many upgrades. Currently it’s a 24 channel fully functional recording studio.
Facility Focus: At Salant Sound, our main focus is tracking, whether it be a five-piece rock band or a single vocal overdub, tracking is our thing.
I have set up the studio to cater to tracking bands together, using 24-channel simultaneous recording, and a large enough live room for all musicians to comfortably track together. I love this way of recording, because bands are used to playing in the same room together. Its gets a tight performance with a killer vibe!
I have the amps isolated in iso booths to keep things clean for editing and mixdown, but everyone is in the same room, recording their takes together as one unit. I have also installed the Hear Technologies Hear Back personal monitor mixer systems, so everyone can nail their own cuemix with their own personal mixers to get exactly what they want to hear and get their best performance.
Having good monitoring while tracking helps immensely: With today’s digital technology, as many overdubs as needed is easily possible, and all the amenities necessary to make records are right at our fingertips.
Josh Salant in control.
Drums/Mics/Amps: As for drums, being a drummer myself, I wanted the most flexibility with drum sounds as well as to satisfy one of the pickiest drummers I know, MYSELF! My main kit is a late 1990’s Yamaha Stage Custom, which is a mixed wood, birch, mahogany, and falkata woods. I love that because you get the “cut” and low end from birch, with the mellow resonance and sustain of mahogany.
The configuration I have is 22 x 17″ kick, 10 x 8″ 12 x 9″ 13 x 10″ rack toms and 16 x 16″ floor tom. My metal guys love the big kit, and because of the various sizes, a fusion or funk player can choose the sizes they want to use. I also have my father’s old 1965 Kent Japanese jazz kit, with a 22 x 14″ kick, and 13 x 9″ 14 x 14″ toms and a matching 14 x 5″ snare. This kit has an awesome classic sound with super warm mahogany shells, that I outfitted with newer Yamaha tom mounts and some serious bass drum spurs. Now the kit has the sound of a classic with the dependable hardware of a modern kit, and it’s my main kit for the road.
Besides the Kent snare I have a 14 x 5″ Ludwig Supraphonic chrome snare with a blue and olive badge from the ‘70’s and a modern all birch Pearl Vision snare, both of which are a favorite for sessions.
I mic the drums up with 11 mics: an AKG D112 inside the kick, a Yamaha Subkick outside the kick, a Shure SM57 on the snare top, and on the snare bottom and on the top of all the toms, Sennheiser e604 mics. For overheads, I use the Rode NT5 pencil condensers, and a Cascade Fathead II ribbon mic as a mono room mic.
For guitars amps, I have a Ceriatone Marshall Plexi clone, which is a killer amp, as well as a Marshall JCM2000 and Peavey 5150MKII for high gain. I also have a 1979 Fender Twin Reverb Deluxe – it’s great for cleans or blues crunch, and it’s the go-to amp for the Rhodes Mark 1 in the studio. I even use my dad’s old Silvertone amp, which is a beast!
For bass I’m running a Hartke 2500 250 watt head into an old Acoustic model 402 215 cab, and a Peavey 115 Black Widow cab mic’d up in the bass booth.
My good buddy Isaac “izzy” Friedman, a local producer/guitarist here in Brooklyn works with me a lot, and we change out drums, move mic positions and adjust dampening frequently to suit the song being recorded. We get anywhere from classic funk/jazz sounds to deep fat hard rock tones with the kits in the studio. He has amazing ears, and together we get the tones we want.
We are definitely “fix it in the source” kind of guys, and we don’t mind spending a little time getting the sound right to save us a wild goose chase mangling tones in a mixing session.
Mission Statement: My mission statement is to provide musicians a local, comfortable environment to record and be creative, without paying obscene unattainable price tags for studio time.
Clients/Credits: Monster Over There, Taylor and the Apes, Sean Salant, Teagan Taylor, Yellowcake, Isaac Friedman, Deeno Green, Wayne Manor, Dave Maldonado, Friday’s Nightmare, Alexis Karl, Idle Edsel, Raw Dogs, Josh Freeburn, Mike Burns, Sikbellamuerte, Daniel “Chud” Chudnovski, Robert Bertrand, Josh Batista, Zen Anton, Rhino house band, Orange Burn, Eulogist, Ben Patelsky, Dorian Grace, Leo Freire, Vitale, Möbius, Paris, Chris Manasia, Mike Cassano, etc, etc, etc!
Key Personnel: Josh Salant, my brother Sean Salant, my father Michael Salant (both who help me out immensely), and Isaac Friedman
System Highlights:
Universal Audio LA-610 channel strip
Universal Audio 4710d preamp/interface
Golden Age pre73
Focusrite Liquid Saffire 56
Focusrite Pro 40
M-audio Project Mix IO
Hearback hub
Logic X 10.2
And all of the Slate Digital plugins, that stuff rocks!
Distinguishing Characteristics: I have a ton of posters, stickers and articles of bands on the walls (both famous and local!). People love that because it reminds them of their teenage bedrooms — seeing your rock and roll favorites on the walls trigger inspiration!
Don’t sweat the technique — another angle on the drums.
The building is on fire, you only have time to grab ONE thing to save, what is it?
Definitely my hard drives, that’s hours and hours of work I always revisit and would hate to lose.
Rave Reviews: I think one of the things clients like most about my studio is the comfortable vibe. They don’t feel like they are in a clinical space, but rather a room in a home just as they are used to.
People always comment about the gear and the sounds, especially the drums and guitar amps. With a focus on a good analog front end, and the flexibility of a digital system, people love that they get the best of both worlds of analog and digital. Its keeps the sessions fun, smooth, and sounding killa!
Most Memorable Session Ever: I had the pleasure of working with professional drummer John Macaluso while he was back in town from Rome for a week. We were getting an amazing snare sound, and I was jotting down preamp and compressor settings to be able to get the sound again in the future, only to find when I went to the live room after the session, that JMac was hitting the snare so hard there was a HUGE dip in the top head.
The sound was all him, and it rocked! It shows the importance of the player, and getting the right person for the job.
Session You’d Like to Forget: I had a client who accidentally broke my “stop” button on my transport while I was tracking drums in the live room. He was so used to recording in analog that when he pressed the record button he thought he was overwriting his work, and freaked out! Nothing a little studio “engineering” couldn’t fix though, and I got it going good as new.
Dream Session: My dream session would probably be to record the Red Hot Chili Peppers, with John Fruciante. Blood Sugar Sex Magik was a huge influence on my playing when I was starting out, and I’d love to see Flea and Chad vibe out the parts and nail the takes!
The DIG Dual Delay, provides two simultaneous, integrated delays with the captivating rack delay voicings from the 1980s and today, for incredible expressive potential. With it, you can Effortlessly create your own world of intricate and synchronized echoes, along with hypnotic and atmospheric repeats that blur the line between delay and reverb.
The blueSky Reverberator takes a powerful SHARC DSP and dedicates it to doing one thing only: producing a lush, majestic and stunning-sounding reverbs. blueSky provides three different reverb types, each with three modes, for a total of nine unique reverb experiences. blueSky even delivers an extremely versatile plate reverb, a rarity for a stompbox pedal, and a full pre-delay and damping section provide deep reverb tone shaping. Coupled with 24-bit 96kHz converters and 115dB typical signal to noise, blueSky is equally at home on top of a studio console as it is in front of a tube amp.
Try these out and more at The Deli’s annualBrooklyn stompbox exhibit, September 19th and 20th, 2015.
Did you ever want to meet a benevolent clutch of creatures from outer space? This Sunday is your chance.
The Ozric Tentacles are coming, in fine 2015 form.
Even better than their extra-terrestrial status is the fact that these beings are especially gifted at music. They land in the form of a band called the Ozric Tentacles.
To experience the Ozrics in their element, arrive at B.B. King Blues Club in NYC this Sunday, June 14. And be prepared for an out of this world experience. Makers of space rock of the trippiest order, the Ozric Tentacles center around its founding member, who’s been there since they formed in 1983: Ed Wynne.
Throughout 29 studio and live albums, plus countless tours, Wynne has steadily built a reputation as one of the world’s great rock guitarists. To those in the know, Wynne represents the very upper echelon of six-stringers – his playing is a grand convergence of creativity, skill, speed, technique, and adventure.
Hearing him is amazing, but seeing Wynne shred live has a magical thrill all its own. Experiencing guitar mastery like this in person is unforgettable for anyone who considers themselves an aficionado of the instrument.
“Technicians of the Sacred” brings Ozrics fans 11 new tracks for 2015.
Even better is how Wynne gives it all away. He feeds deliciously off of his band members, always a highly talented crew that generates intense jams for sharing generously with everyone in attendance.
This NYC show will be extra special, with the Ozrics capping off a long international tour in support of their brand new album, Technicians of the Sacred. Freshly recorded by these UK-expatriates in their adopted homeland of Colorado, Technicians was recorded in a “studio in the sky.” You can hear the altitude – Technicians is filled with the groovy gears, pulsing synths, and soaring guitar explorations that the band is beloved for.
Although King is leaving behind a legendary Manhattan facility – the 5,000 sq. ft. space currently contains two studios and one of the most respected live rooms anywhere – he is at peace as he exits his latest sound salvo. “I’m moving out of the place, and I’m so happy I could die,” King said. “It’s the finest sounding studio I’ve ever worked on in my life. The problem is that the mentality of the music business has changed: People are not willing to pay the rates for a big room.
“The record companies have no money,” he continues. “I didn’t get a single record company PO in the last year. So the business wasn’t there to be able to pay the insurance, plus city/state/local taxes, and the landlord. It very quickly got to be about $25,000 a month to keep a room-and-a-half going.”
At Chung King’s first location, John King built his business– along with a controversial reputation as a driven but volatile audio guru — hosting the likes of Russell Simmons, Rick Rubin, the nascent Def Jam label, and budding artists like run DMC, the Beastie Boys, and LL Cool J. On Varick Street, his “Blue,” “Red,” “Green” and “Gold” rooms, outfitted with large format Neve and SSL consoles, was the recording home of everyone from Phish to Depeche Mode, Maxwell, Moby, Lil’ Wayne, Kanye West, and myriad more platinum.
But King admits that his loyal following became less dependable at the 37th Street location, despite its pedigree. “New York City is very difficult to do business in nowadays – it takes forever to drive equipment in and out, which is a pain in the ass,” King notes. “I did sessions for Fergie, Prince Royce, Busta Rhymes – all my old clients – but they came through for a day, not a month like they used to.”
When SonicScoop interviewed King in 2012 in an article on the launch of the 37th Street Chung King Studios, he expressed enthusiasm for focusing on just two rooms, as opposed to the two floor multi-suite facility he had overseen in Tribeca (“I wanted something more manageable.”). Following his experience uptown however, King now realizes that his optimism may have been misguided.
“You’re better off with the grocery store than you are with a bodega,” says King. “The one-room studio is more of a producer’s studio. It was too expensive for me to sit there and produce things, and it really got down to the point where people only had $150 to spend on something. So I was doing a lot of two- and three-hour sessions – it just wasn’t enough to pay the bills.
“The big difference was that at the larger (TriBeCa) studio I could design and produce, and I didn’t have to be there all the time. I had great people there taking care of the studio, and I didn’t have to be the day-to-day person. In this particular case, I had to take care of everything.”
A Swift Transition
The closing of Chung King does not mean the end of 36 W. 37th St. as a studio, however. Quite the contrary, the space is already spoken for: It will be taken over by Steve Salett, who founded DUMBO’s Saltlands studio complex in 2007, and plans to carry over the business model – in a rare reverse commute – from Brooklyn to Manhattan.
The live room at 36 W. 37th Street produces a distinctive hit sound.
At Saltlands, Salett has honed a popular paradigm by renting a number of production suites to independent producers, alongside a separate commercial studio. “Saltlands has been a good way to work, because you create your own ecosystem – your own mini-economy,” Salett says. “It’s just naturally a more stable situation to work with a group of people, then it is in one single space. It’s a happier environment, where people want to come and work. Music is a collaborative art form, so this approach lends itself to that.”
According to Salett, Saltlands will continue to operate in DUMBO, and that location is expanding. While the new name of the 37th Street studios has not yet been determined, Salett expects to simulate his Brooklyn system there.
Meanwhile, he is totally tuned in to what makes the room at 36 West 37th Street unique – a quality which has led studio owner after studio owner to give it a whirl. So far, the space has had five names since it first opened in the 1970’s: Skyline Studios, Alien Flyers, Chung King, Skyline Recording Studios, Chung King again, with each owner enamored of the 1500 sq. ft. live room + control room – a classic combo that has recorded and/or mixed Babyface, David Bowie, James Brown, Mariah Carey, The Cult, Miles Davis, Duran Duran, Mick Jagger, Meatloaf, REM, Talking Heads, and Frank Zappa, along with Jellybean Benitez, Frank Filipetti, Scott Litt, Hugh Padgham, Phil Ramone, Nile Rodgers, Ron St. Germain, Don Was, and Hal Wilner, to name just a few.
“It’s a legendary room – it seemed like there had to be a way to make that space work,” says Salett. “I don’t have any interest in cutting up the live room and control room, which are very special – the goal is to figure out a way to make it sustainable. I don’t know if I have the magic bullet to do that, but I believe in trying to build musical communities.”
Recording artists worldwide should be relieved to know they will still have access to the main room at 36 West 37th, which Salett will continue to offer as a commercial facility. In the meantime, with high-quality production space constantly in demand by independent producers and mixers, it’s safe to expect that these new rooms in Midtown will get claimed quickly. “I can’t say for sure how things will be divvied up,” Salett says. “There’s a lot of work that has to be done first. I have a cadre of producers – it’s going to take a few months to set things up.”
As for Salett’s unusual move of going from Brooklyn into Manhattan – when so much of the audio traffic has been flowing in the opposite direction – he rejects the idea that this is a sign of the Brooklyn studio bubble finally bursting.
“I don’t think Brooklyn is played out,” he states. “There are a lot of good reasons to think about Brooklyn if you’re starting a studio. But I see Manhattan studios being in distress because of the same pressures that Brooklyn has, which is real estate prices going up and up. So if there’s a chance to take over a flagship space in Manhattan, which doesn’t have much room for growth, that’s an opportunity to take.”
Long Live the King
John King maintains that the Chung King tradition of discovering new sounds will continue.
As for John King, recording will most definitely continue. Some of it will be in a residential studio and a private high-end facility in Hollywood, and some of it will be via a TV series called “Songs” which he’s been planning for years, and whose time may finally have arrived.
“Chung King will live on,” King confirms. “I’m not sure which form it will live on in, but right now one of my guys and I are looking around Brooklyn, in search of the next perfect room. I’m also going to be recording, and I do have some TV deals.
“I’m still the same John King I was back in the day. I like new music, and I like to change it up: a little old, a little new, a little borrowed, a little blue.”
Cakewalk is making a strong break with DAW tradition — the company has launched an evolved audio software model with their new SONAR Membership program.
This is NOT a subscription, which according to Cakewalk actually amount to rental programs. Instead, after 12 months anything acquired during the membership is fully authorized and never expires, even if the membership is not renewed. Throughout, SONAR users will be constantly updated to the latest ‘version’ – with SONAR Membership, software will always be the latest and greatest.
The SONAR family is available to us in a whole new way.
Here’s a brief look at Cakewalk’s new Membership model:
Annual Membership fee (12 months) or monthly Membership payments
No more software ‘versions’
Content and software updates approximately every month
Canceling Membership: Everything acquired up until the point of cancellation is fully authorized, and will not expire, even if a user decides on a Membership renewal down the line.
New users will receive 12 months of Membership for free, while existing users will get a ‘Membership renewal’ – same monthly software updates, priced similarly to a lower cost product upgrade.
Cakewalk has also announced new versions of the Windows-based DAW – SONAR Artist ($99 MSRP), Professional ($199 MSRP), and Platinum ($499) MSRP.
This is just a handful of what Cakewalk is bringing to the table in 2015. They have taken the plunge and other audio software companies may soon follow suit with a model that grants more buying freedom to the users.
Will the audio universe warm up to Cakewalk’s way? Only time will tell — in the meantime here are more details on the new deal from Cakewalk:
The three new versions of SONAR are more clearly differentiated to focus on specific recording needs. All three offer the same high-tech core features—Touch control, unlimited tracks/FX/Sends/Busses, VST3/VST2/DirectX compatibility, video track, support for high-resolution audio via DSD compatibility and sample rates to 384 kHz, enhanced MIDI editing, Mix Recall for switching quickly among different mix options, advanced publishing options, innovative “one-stop solution” effects chains, amp simulations, advanced comping, and much more—while the award-winning Skylight User Interface contributes inspiring and efficient workflow.
SONAR Artist ($99), the most feature-packed recording software in its price range, adds to the sophisticated core feature set with 19 bundled effects and 11 virtual instruments that focus on music creation and songwriting.
SONAR Professional ($199) folds in the analog-style, expandable ProChannel Console Strip that allows creating/customizing virtual console architectures, as well as Melodyne Essential pitch correction with ARA integration, and Addictive Drums 2 Solo Edition—50 effects and 18 virtual instruments in total, including the vintage sound of Blue Tubes effects, convolution reverb, and the surgical precision of linear phase EQ and dynamics. Its performance exceeds many of the “flagship” programs from other companies.
SONAR Platinum ($499) features a spectacular array of tools, plug-in effects, and instruments to offer extreme flexibility to pros who need to handle any kind of recording or mixing production. With advanced tools like Console and Tape emulation, VocalSync for tightening vocals or matching dialog to picture, 21 virtual instruments, 57 effects for mixing and mastering (from vintage to cutting-edge), convolution reverb, step sequencer, and improved audio quantization/stretching, Platinum provides power tools that complement the superior workflow.
Surrounded on three sides by the CBS Orchestra, with special guest Jimmy Webb, composer of the circa 1968 psychedelic orchestral epic sitting in on keyboards, Will, wearing a “stripe-ed pair of pants” (coincidentally, not unlike those described in the second verse of the song) transforms the kitschy butt-of-jokes tune (specifically, the infamous “cake out in the rain” metaphor), into a coolly earnest love song while simultaneously entertaining and stunning Late Show viewers. For the crescendo, a mammoth prop cake appears on the set and then, without missing a beat, Will ascends the ladder to the top and nails a tonsil-baring Bb in his falsetto for the final note.
Why this song of all the songs in the world?
Because Dave “wanted to see if we could pull it off, so we gave it our best shot,” Will replies.
They sure did.
Will Lee was fully focused on “Love Gratitude and Other Distractions.”
It’s just another adventure in the the creative world Will resides in. After five-and-a-half decades at the top of his game, having played with three of the Beatles, he zooms around the world performing with The Fab Faux, his Beatles “cover band,” and remains one of the most in-demand bass players on the planet — Will is always game for wherever the muse may lead him.
Recently it led him to write and produce his first albumin 20 years. Entitled Love Gratitude and Other Distractions (LGOD), it was released to critical acclaim, and features a megawatt cast of musicians including Pat Metheny, Chuck Loeb, Billy Gibbons, Allen Toussaint, Narada Michael Walden, Bob James, Steve Lukather, the late Hugh McCracken and Chrissy Amphlett to name a few, lending their talents to an eclectic mix of six original songs co-written by Will, and an assortment of collaborators, as well as covers of personal favorites such as the Motown oldie 1,2,3, Allen Toussaint’s Get Out of My Life Woman (a duet with ZZ Top’s Gibbons). Paradoxically, a soulful instrumental of “Smile, “ recorded live as a bass-guitar duet with guitarist Chuck Loeb, closes the album.
SonicScoop sat down with Lee in his Chelsea, NYC, apartment where after a guided tour of his home studio, AKA The Beatles Museum, and a viewing of his cool collection of Beatles metal lunchboxes hung gallery-style on the wall above the console, he gave us the inside track into the steps in the sonic chain leading up to the final mixes of LGOD, and how he cast the amazing musicians and vocalists who appear on the project.
After all, when you know everyone in the biz, as Lee does, how do you choose who plays or sings on your music when you can have practically anyone?
What was the impetus for making this album?
After not doing anything creative on my own for some time, and being available to work for everybody else, I was starting to fill up with ideas and rather than physically explode, I thought I should start getting some of these ideas out of my system.
I had made notes on napkins, on the subway, but no matter how great an idea you have, it’s going to go away if you don’t put it down somewhere. If you don’t seize that moment, it’s gone.
Which idea or song came first?
The album began with one song. Somebody, unbeknownst to me, was recording a songwriter circle I was performing at in the Village, and played the tune back for me. It’s a real honest autobiographical song, called “Miss Understanding.” I played the recording for a friend, Tommy Allen, who liked it so much he put a new drum track down on it. I wiped off all the live performances after that and started putting new instruments down to the new drum track.
Suddenly, I thought “this could really be a thing. “ I overdubbed some more instruments and liked the way the track came out; it was better with the new drummer because whereas originally he had been following the live band when he put down the new drums, but then, when we overdubbed to his new track, it was like he was driving the bus and the subsequent overdubs had more punch. I hadn’t thought about doing an album yet; but I liked the way that song came out a lot. I thought about just putting it on iTunes.
Singing “Get Out Of My Life Woman” with Billy Gibbons at The Beatles Museum studio. (Photo Credit: Sandrine Lee)
So what was the next step?
There was no master plan or theme. Things evolved organically. I just let each song take shape and looked at each one as its own little journey; it really had to have something to say on its own. Because that’s how you experience a song anyway.
Then I thought well, I have this other song, an instrumental version of Charlie Chaplin’s classic “Smile” that I figured out to play with bass and harmonics. It was just me and guitarist Chuck Loeb playing live in the studio.
“Now I have these tunes that have nothing to do with each other, “ I thought. The joke was this can’t be an album because there’s nothing relating these two tunes to each other. There’s no blanket theme going on here, except they’re all songs I like.
The master bassist’s input of choice: The Khan Audio All-Tube D.I. Lee: “The perfect direct box for bass and anything else!”
So what was the game plan after that?
Most of the conceptualizing was done in my home studio, aka The Beatles Museum, with me playing to a beat or a click and overdubbing. Next, I would put down certain instruments that I didn’t want to replace with real cats. Then think, “okay who would be perfect for this part of the song? “ I had them come over or I’d send them the tracks and say “please do your thing on top of it.”
A lot of cats stepped up to the plate and it was gorgeous. It would have been another kind of album if I was so organized that I could have booked a couple of days with a bunch of guys and we played together.
And THEN what happend?
Once I had an accumulation of 4-5 songs I played them for people and the dilemma was there was no overall theme connecting them. But I just wanted to do stuff I liked, and it didn’t matter that they didn’t match or fit together.
The feedback I got was that there was a thread, a similarity between the tunes because it was me doing them all. So, when I had enough tunes, I gave it a name and called it an album.
What was the producing and recording process like?
Playing “Smile” with Chuck Loeb at The Beatles Museum studio. (Photo Credit: Sandrine Lee)
In my home studio, the process begins with a tempo because that’s what gives the song some sort of direction. Next comes the groove.
One of the luxuries of working at home is I get to look at the three dozen basses on the wall and contemplate which one is right for the song. But if I’m stuck in another studio and I’ve taken a gig bag with two basses and I wish I had the Höfner and all I have is the Fender and the Sadowsky, I’ll be sad knowing the music speaks to me about using a certain bass that not’s here.
That’s a great luxury of working at home and doing sessions there. I love when people send me their tracks; that guarantees that I’ll have the right bass handy. It won’t make or break the song, but when a song is presented to me, it speaks to me about what’s needed.
Pat Metheny plays a beautiful solo on your tune, “Gratitude.” How did that go down?
I took a chance and wrote a horn section over a great bed where the solo would go. It just felt like Pat to me. I love when he does that “synth horn-like sound” with his Roland GR-300 synth guitar. I thought that would be the perfect soaring sound for that section of the song.
I sent him the tracks and he recorded his solo in his home studio in New York. He asked me what I imagined him playing on it. I requested his synth guitar and he went to town on it. What he sent me is what ended up on the record.
Another great guitarist, Steve Lukather solos on “Natives,” a tune derived from Horace Silver’s “The Natives Are Restless Tonight.”
What’s the musical brief on that?
Steve Lukather played an amazing solo that he recorded at the CJ Vanston’s studio in LA. In his case, I had put together a solo section for him to wail on thinking he’ll know exactly what to do.
But he actually missed having someone to bounce off of. It hadn’t occurred to me that he needs the interplay. He would have wanted to bounce ideas off of me in person. Luke actually went in to the studio on two different days to nail the solo on his own accord, as he wasn’t satisfied, so “Thanks, Brother Luke!”
The heart of Lee’s studio isn’t a console, but a Mackie Big Knob. “It’s a simple solution to monitoring, recording, and playback scenarios, as well as having a built-in talkback mic!” he says.
Let’s talk about some of the vocals. You sing lead on all the vocal tunes; how did you choose who would sing the duets with you? What made you choose them?
I woke up one morning with “Get Out of My Life Woman” in my head. I was singing it to my wife, Sandrine, when Billy Gibbons [lead singer with ZZ Top] called and said he was in town.
I said “Billy, I have an engineer coming over tonight” and invited him to come over and sing the song with me. He answered, “I have a terrible cold. I want to get this recorded before it goes away.” Any other singer would have said, “Not today”! (Note: Billy inducted Will into the Musicians Hall of Fame, in January 2014. Check out the video to hear the results, and see more of the studio in action.)
How did Akiko Yano end up singing a duet with you on “1,2,3“?
Singing “1,2,3” with Akiko Yano at The Beatles Museum studio. The mic is a Charter Oak. (Photo Credit: Sandrine Lee)
Akiko is someone very special to me. I’ve been on lots of her solo works and we go to Japan each summer for a small tour. We’ve done quite a bit of duo-singing on her shows.
She and I were backstage in Tokyo a couple of years back talking about how much we liked the song and I had always felt it would make a great ballad done in a soft-Brazilian style. So I hit on Giulio Carmassi to help make it a moody, cool groove & he went to town. I guess you could say he gave that song “a Brazilian.” (laughs)
What about the backgrounds?
I asked New York City-based vocalist Tabitha Fair to sing on “Shahara.” She comes from Oklahoma and both of her parents are preachers. She’s real soulful and game for anything.
I sang this sort of Arabic scale to her and she claimed ownership instantly. She started singing this wailing North African riff. She is very musical, very instinctive. On the out chorus, she and another great singer, Neal Coomer, can be heard singing a two-person choir with multiple overdubs. They are both very rangy and came up with all sorts of great parts.
What mics do you have in the Beatles Museum?
I have U87s that were great for the other singers on the CD, but for my voice — which is really thick- I use a Charter Oak. Second choice is AKG413. I have most of what you need including Sennheisers and Neumanns.
Key pieces in The Beatles Museum include the Apogee Rosetta 800 & Big Ben along with Great River Preamp/DI
It sounds like you had an outstanding group of people to go along with the gear.
Even if you are credited as producer, as I am on this CD, usually when you make a recording, there is a team of producers making decisions along the way including the musicians and tracking engineers. (Glenn Ianaro tracked most of the project, Frank Filipetti and Ken Freeman mixed, with Fred Kevorkian doing the mastering).
Of course, it’s great to have a wife, as talented as mine, photographer Sandrine Lee, who can make people look their best for album photos, publicity shots, etc., and graphic artist Ann Lee (no relation), who designed the CD package. These are the people who make songs into a real palatable album project.
What are you working on now or next?
Working it out with The Bluebirds of Paradise (Photo Credit: Sandrine Lee)
The Fab Faux continues to be a huge passion and a mainstay. I’m continuing sideman work and writing a bunch. I’m also starting to produce again, now that Letterman is coming to an end. The first production project I’ve accepted is “Bluebirds of Paradise,” which is the team of Ari Hest and Chrissi Poland, two great songwriters. I’m really excited about it!
Thanks to SonicScoop – which I’ve been reading faithfully since the beginning!
Credits
Bob James recorded his keyboard solos n Papounets’s Ride at home in Traverse City, Michigan, while Narada Michael Walden laid down drums at his studio in San Francisco.
Steve Luthaker recorded his wailing solo on “Natives” at The Treehouse, LA, recorded by CJ Vanston.
Other studios the LGOD tracks passed through and the engineers who recorded various overdubs include Glen Ianaro at Downtown Studios, drummer Shawn Pelton engineered his own tracks at SP’s Beat Palace, Aaron Walk at Puck Productions, Jim Reitzel at Tarpan Studios, San Rafael, CA; and Zach Danziger recorded his own drum tracks at Deetown, New York City.
Producer: Will produced the lion’s share of the project and credits his engineer, Glen Ianaro, as contributing producer whose input throughout the evolution of the tunes proved invaluable. “We call Glen, the ‘Quiet Man,’” says Will. “On a one-to-one basis, he’s great, never intrusive, and has great chops when it comes to Pro Tools and Logic. “Engineer(s): Glen Ianaro (on tracks recorded by Will; various others as noted above for solos and other overdubs done by artists who performed in the comfort of their homes studios).
Mixers: Frank Filipetti (2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10) and Ken Freeman (1,4)
Mastering Engineer: Fred Kevorkian at Kevorkian Mastering.
Label: Will’s Sinning Saint label
See more photos in the gallery below!
— About the author: Roberta “Ro” Lawrence came of age in the recording studio and had the honor of producing sessions with some of the most talented musicians on the planet including Will Lee, Herbie Hancock, Bob James, Mike Brecker, Chris Parker and Steve Gadd. After co-producing “Nightwind” with engineer Larry Gates, and seeing it climb to #5 on the Billboard charts, she opened Roberta Lawrence Media, a public relations and marketing consultancy catering to musicians, studios, pro audio and post production professionals. In January, 2015, she launches Soundcheck PR, a PR and marketing consultancy armed with a highly-motivated and savvy team of publicists who are wholly knowledgeable about publicizing and promoting everything connected to music and sound. Ro also writes about music and postproduction for various publications, or is in the studio working on various projects. Visit her at Soundcheckpr.com and on Facebook.
Will Lee’s go-to vocal mic is the Charter Oak Model 538b (Photo Credit: Sandrine Lee)
Always on hand: Lee’s Sadowsky WL Model bass.
What it’s REALLY all about — jamming. From the Musician’s Hall Of Fame Induction jam in Nashville (l to r: Randy Bachman, Will Lee, Billy Gibbons, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Peter Frampton). (Photo Credit: Sandrine Lee)
Give a look and listen to “Fooled Him”, the lead single off of LGOD:
