tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6885736866816923062024-03-21T12:11:03.856-04:00Drewcifer's Tone ZoneIt's All About The Tone, Baby!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03196898714970261334noreply@blogger.comBlogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-688573686681692306.post-64944500741503160792016-11-23T17:27:00.000-05:002016-11-30T16:01:45.462-05:00Passionate Roots Rockers Girls Guns and Glory release "Love and Protest"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEherQQcuHeFMCvmPqjngN4eOUadK6-PSwW9-Oe-Z3v4MXkvATf62wwvAOAuCRS_1d0F3jG2TAsXykH8ANRuo1qylHfjWhVb8jU3rh4lL3tRdwkQ0VvZfx60A2EN24zRl-xS2dC1Fe0KFZ8/s1600/GGG-Love-and-Protest-cover-999x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEherQQcuHeFMCvmPqjngN4eOUadK6-PSwW9-Oe-Z3v4MXkvATf62wwvAOAuCRS_1d0F3jG2TAsXykH8ANRuo1qylHfjWhVb8jU3rh4lL3tRdwkQ0VvZfx60A2EN24zRl-xS2dC1Fe0KFZ8/s400/GGG-Love-and-Protest-cover-999x1024.jpg" width="390" /></a><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwhR4sSocTm21m5dQzgK1k8EvYAcbn4QrtQ_hLUw2E9X9Zfpkg4oOmB__CU0WSvxtUGz6FTGRgDx-cbc1gOuQ0azrR8IVxjmDf_TOezayWNuEi6Tz2z2TK95p7HCiLYrycJsKKVbpNGgA/s400/RS-GGG-L%252BP.jpg" width="400" /><a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/country/videos/see-girls-guns-glorys-basement-video-for-rock-n-roll-w445748" target="_blank">http://www.rollingstone.com/country/videos/see-girls-guns-glorys-basement-video-for-rock-n-roll-w445748</a></div>
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<a href="http://thedailycountry.com/album--single-reviews/album-review-girls-guns-glory-love-and-protest" target="_blank">LP Review from The Daily Country</a></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03196898714970261334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-688573686681692306.post-89867216321630046772016-08-26T17:34:00.001-04:002016-11-23T17:15:30.550-05:00All-analog love on Girls Guns and Glory’s new LP!<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal;">
<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><i>or</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i>Tape Loving Dudes in Zippah’s Control Room. LtoR: Duke Levine, Josh Kiggans, Drew Townson, Paul Dilley, Ward Hayden</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i>Producer notes by Drew Townson</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Tape hiss. It doesn’t bother me at all. In fact, I think of it as the canvas on which to paint your sounds, or the glue that holds a mix together. You will hear plenty of tape hiss on GGG’s new LP, "Love and Protest," and I’m both pleased and proud of that fact. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Doing an all-analog record for the first time in many years has been well worth the noise. Why? Because we captured real musical performances in a real way. There were limitations, decisions, immediacy, and a commitment to make it good, right then and there. You can’t postpone a decision. A (very destructive) edit involves splicing tape with a razor blade. There’s no CTRL-Z “undo” button. Your creative juices are flowing in to each and every moment, and you get to take a breath while the machine rewinds, making that wonderful burbling sound. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">We had no computer screens, recording with our ears not our eyes. (Have you ever noticed that when a screen is in the room, everybody tends to stare at it?) On the studio’s un-powered flat-screen we taped a hand-scrawled sign that read, “What would Mike Campbell do?” There was no auto-tune; no plug-ins at all. Even the reverb we used was an ancient EMT plate. In fact, the only digital devices we used on this entire record were a vintage AMS RMX16 Reverb and a Lexicon PCM42 delay. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">There was no comping together a deep playlist of vocal takes. We gave Lead Singer Ward Hayden two tracks to do two vocal passes on each song, and pretty much chose the keeper immediately after he sang it. You’re not listening for perfection in a take, you’re listening for energy, emotion, vibe, groove, mojo, balls. That’s what determines whether or not you go back and erase a take forever. Most of what you will hear on this record was performed live with the full band playing together in a small room. Even Duke Levine’s guitar solos were played live with the basic tracks. Our role as recordists was to put up some excellent microphones, hit the big red button, and get the hell out of the way.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Zippah's racks of vintage tube limiters and there she is, Miss Studer A820</i></td></tr>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">What all this means is that we have a record of killer tracks that are completely real with 100% human honesty. Are there human imperfections in the tracks? You bet there are, and thank God for that. One of my long time mottos as a producer is “Don’t mess with the imperfection.” There are imperfections in the recording and production as well. There’s spill from the drums in to the upright bass mic, for instance. But y’know what? We LIKED the way the snare sounded in the bass mic. So we used it to our advantage. Happy accidents happen in an analog session. We ran out of tape near the end of a take, so guess what? That song has now become a fade-out. As it turns out, fading was better than ending on that particular song. We asked ourselves, “Is that hi-hat thing worth re-cutting an otherwise awesome take?” “Is that one spot where the steel guitar isn’t loud enough worth re-doing an otherwise awesome mix?” You’re forced not to over-think or over-cook the tracks. </span><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Guess how many tracks we used for the drums? </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Seven. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">When Josh didn't play toms, it was five. On the Gram Parson’s cover, the drums on the final mix is ONE microphone, a vintage RCA 77. From the gitgo we went minimal.<i> Zippah Studios' Brian Charles and Miranda Giuffrida were instrumental in getting the simple and solid drum sounds.</i> There’s one kick mic, as opposed to the typical two or even three. We summed snare top and bottom mics together to one track. When overdubbing an acoustic guitar, the solution was to use the vocal mic - a U47 - and stick it a foot in front of the guitar and don’t change the vocal chain settings at all. It sounded great that way. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">We used no EQ whatsoever in tracking. We DID, however, use many colors of compression (including the tape itself), whose settings often varied from song to song. When we overdubbed a lead guitar solo by Cody which weaves in and out of Ward’s vocal part, engineer Benny Grotto actually RODE the guitar level going TO tape to make it duck up and down around the vocal. TO tape. On mix, that guitar fader didn’t move. That’s commitment! If we wanted an instrument muted during some parts of the song and playing in others, did we ride a mute button in the mix? Hell no! We went through and </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">erased</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> that sucker where we didn’t want to hear it. Gone-zo!</span><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">When you make a record this way, you know what happens? The songs virtually mix themselves. For real. You capture the songs with microphones on to tape and that’s the record. It’s done! Did I mention we did the whole 12-song record over 16 almost-consecutive days.Yep. Old school. Not enough time to fuck it up. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">In the end, the GGG LP sounds absolutely amazing, noise and all. It was a honey-bath for my ears, and my mind as well. I can’t imagine doing another project any other way but analog now. It’s kind of like having a beautiful summer love affair up at the lake and then having to go back to school. Ugh! </span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">P</span>retty sure we did what Mike Campbell woulda done. </div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">I love you, tape hiss.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Her Majesty of Mixdown, the 827. <br />We printed final mixes on to an Ampex ATR102 half-inch machine.</i></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03196898714970261334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-688573686681692306.post-55841147152767081152016-04-21T11:36:00.004-04:002016-04-21T11:36:58.641-04:00<h2>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>PAD Profiles:</b><br /><b>Producers Jono Manson and Tim Schmoyer revive a legendary studio in Santa Fé. </b></span></h2>
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<i>P</i><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">ro Audio Design provides gear infrastructure to classic New Mexico room - Console, ProTools, plus full patchbay. </i></div>
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<i><b>Feature interview by Drew Townson</b></i></div>
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It would be an understatement to say that <b>Jono Manson</b> has built an impressive career. As a veteran guitarist, producer and composer in his own right, the award-winning Manson has plied his trade on stage and in the studio for four decades. After leaving his native NYC, Manson based his home and musical life in <i>Santa Fe, NM</i>, where he’s worked with the likes of <b>John Popper, Crystal Bowersox</b> and <b>Brothers Keeper</b>. His music has been used in movies by <b>Kevin Costner</b> and the <b>Farrelly Brothers</b>. As one of the busiest musicians in the Southwest, Manson is either touring, producing, or scoring. Working out of his own private <i>“Kitchen Sink”</i> studio just north of Santa Fe, you could say that Manson’s life was already in a really good place. But in mid 2015, a new and exciting opportunity came knocking on his door, and this one was way too juicy to pass up… </div>
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First, we need a little back-story on another Santa Fe studio whose history intertwines with Manson’s: It’s a nearly legendary place called <b>Stepbridge</b>. Indeed, Stepbridge studio was the finest recording facility south of Denver and beyond. Started in the late 1980s by <b>Tim Stroh</b> and housed in a vintage adobe hacienda near Santa Fe Plaza, the multi-room studio had everything a state-of-the-art music facility should have: An SSL console, analog 24 track machine, vintage mics and outboard, and more importantly, beautiful acoustic design with a true Southwestern feel. Stepbridge was a Santa Fe gem. That’s why everything from the music of <b>Robbie Robertson, Dwight Yoakam</b> and <b>The Indigo Girls</b> to the voice-overs of <b>Gene Hackman</b> and <b>Val Kilmer</b> were produced there. (Interestingly, one of the artists who worked out of Stepbridge in its heyday was, you guessed it, a young Jono Manson. But in the mid 1990s, he could only have dreamt that one day…)</div>
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<i>Fast forward to 2015,</i> where we find Manson weaving his New Mexican musical dream near Santa Fe. Meanwhile, Stepbridge founder Tim Stroh, a lifetime ski-fanatic, had moved to Colorado and sold the facility to ADR producer Edgard Rivera, who after a couple of years had put it up for sale again. The former studio was in decline. Santa Fe’s once luminous “farolito” was in need of new flame. </div>
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That’s when an agent of change arrived in Santa Fe, from …. Boston?</div>
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><i>Jono, obviously you had been part of Stepbridge in the past. Tell us about your history there:</i></b><b></b></div>
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I first moved to Santa Fe from New York in 1992. By then I had already been a member of numerous touring bands and my career as an engineer and producer was already well underway. At the time, Stepbridge was pretty much the only world-class facility for hundreds of miles in any direction. During the mid-90s I worked there countless times, as a session musician on other people's records, as a producer, as well as recording a couple of projects of my own. In 1999 I built a small, but well-appointed studio of my own. At that juncture I had less of a need to track at Stepbridge.</div>
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<b><i>Tim Schmoyer recently came to Santa Fe from Boston; how did you meet him?</i></b></div>
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Tim and I were actually introduced by the former owner of the studio, Edgard Rivera. Because he knew we had a mutual interest in the property he thought that it might be a smart idea for us to know one-another and potentially partner on this deal. After a brief but intense "getting to know you" period, it became clear that each of us had something to offer the other, and that between us, the puzzle would be complete. We met, hammered out a partnership agreement, and forged onwards. </div>
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><i>What is Tim’s background and how did he end up in NM? </i></b></div>
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Tim is an accomplished audio engineer in his own right, with a strong background in live sound and location recording. For many years, Tim has been working out of his own home-grown studio in Boston MA, and doing location work, mostly for <b>Blue Man Group</b> in Boston. He is also a drummer, and has toured the US, Europe and beyond with a few bands over the years. He and his wife had been contemplating a move out of the Northeast, and this studio partnership solidified the decision. They will be relocating to Santa Fe in April, when he will become more actively involved in the day-to-day operation of the studio.</div>
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><i>How long had Stepbridge been looking for a new owner at this point?</i></b></div>
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The property had actually been on the market for quite some time. Because of the fact that the studio was built from the ground up, the right way, the cost of repurposing the building to turn it into a restaurant, or condos, or something else was extremely prohibitive. So, real estate investors looking to use his property for something other than a studio were, thankfully for us, scared off. It basically laid dormant waiting for someone to come along with the intention of reviving the studio itself.</div>
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><i>So the stars really aligned, it seems, for you guys to save the old girl…</i></b></div>
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It made sense on so many levels. This is the only facility of its nature in this region and it would have been criminal to allow it to be torn down. Plus, I have been closely connected to the music community in this part of the world for the better part of 25 years. Apart from my work with artists from all corners of the globe, I have also produced countless records for New Mexico-based musicians and have developed a good reputation and an ongoing and loyal clientele here. There was never a question as to whether or not the studio would have business. In fact, at the time that we moved into the facility, I was in the midst of working on several projects, all of which transferred into the new studio. <i>Our business has been in the black from day one.</i> Pretty much a no-brainer!</div>
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<b><i>What is your vision for the studio?</i></b></div>
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Our vision is to restore it to its former glory, and beyond. Santa Fe has long been an oasis for artists and visitors from around the world, and we see no reason why this facility shouldn't be a destination for musicians and producers who are looking for a cool place to realize their creative visions. As producers we know that performance and feel are king. Without them, you have nothing. <i>So</i> <i>we have gone to great lengths to generate an environment which, although the studio is quite impressive, remains down-home and inviting - A place where people can relax, and create.</i></div>
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><i>You carried the “Kitchen Sink” brand over from your former studio. What’s the back-story on that name?</i></b></div>
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About 10 years ago, I bought the property north of the city for the purpose of building a recording studio, but also kept some of the aspects of the house intact, so that artists could come to New Mexico, camp out and make records. Part of what became the main tracking room had once been the kitchen of the original home. I managed to migrate all of the furniture and appliances from the kitchen into another part of the structure but the sink posed the most challenges. So, for the first eight months or so of running the studio there was a sink in the middle of the main tracking room. Hence the name. At this point, the brand has been established, so it's way too late to change now.</div>
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><i>Being that much of the original Stepbridge gear was gone, you brought over some of your own gear, plus you and Tim made a major console purchase from Pro Audio Design. What did you get, and what led to your choice?</i></b><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </i></div>
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Yes, virtually all of my gear including outboard mic pres, dynamics, vintage instruments, and my entire mic closet made the transition to the new place. We established a finite budget for improvements to the new studio, including gear, renovation, and installation, so we had to make careful decisions on how to allocate those funds. </div>
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Apart from a brand-new 32 channel ProTools rig, our main investment was going to be in a new centerpiece <i>analog desk</i> for the studio. Given our fairly remote location, and the fact that there is very little technical support available in New Mexico proper, we decided early that a new console, as opposed to an older desk, was our best bet at the outset. We started shopping around. </div>
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My friend <b>Eric "Roscoe" Ambel</b>, a great musician and producer who's worked with everyone from J<b>oan Jett to Steve Earle</b>, suggested that I contact <b>Drew Townson</b> at <i>Pro Audio Design</i>. In my first conversation with Drew, I discovered that he, himself, had actually worked at the former Stepbridge Studios back in the 90s, and therefore knew the facility very very well. I took this as a sign that we were meant to work together on this. <i>Again, the stars align! </i>We explored many options and, in the end, decided on the purchase of a brand-new 36 channel <i>Audient ASP8024</i> console, with the automation add-on.</div>
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<b><i>Why Audient, and how do you like it so far?</i></b></div>
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When we started investigating the Audient ASP, our interest was piqued from the get-go. I contacted anyone I could find who could talk to me about their experiences working with these boards. Time after time I heard the familiar refrain that these were extremely reliable, great sounding desks, that the EQ was very musical, and that the preamps offered an incredible amount of bang for the buck. So, Tim and I flew to New York so that we could demo one in a studio there. We ran the desk though its paces and pushed it hard. And from that moment on that we were sold. </div>
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We worked directly with Audient in the UK who configured the console to best suit our needs.They have a great, hands-on team. The desk is extremely well designed and very intuitive. The routing is extensive and flexible. I've been spending 12 to 15 hours a day in front of the ASP8024 and I can now honestly attest to the fact that, whether in tracking or mixing, <i>all of the glowing endorsements were 100% true. In short, it looks, feels and sounds great! </i></div>
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<b><i>PAD not only sold you the console but also designed wired and installed the patchbay?</i> </b></div>
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Yes, we worked very closely with <b>Eric Anderson</b> and <i>PAD's design department</i>, who conceived, and built our patch bay. In addition to our DAW, we are also running 24 track and 2 track analog tape machines. Our new mixing console has a classic in-line, split fader, design so there are 72 inputs in total (80 if you include the eight channels from the automation section). So, we really were in need of a comprehensive patching system in which all of the ins and outs as well as each and every insert on our console, all of our outboard gear, the tape machines, all of the inputs and tie lines from the panels and the various rooms in the studio, could be easily accessed. Eric then flew out to Santa Fe and we spent five days rewiring the entire studio. At this point every inch of cabling in the entire facility has been replaced, and every solder point on every panel in every room has been re-done.</div>
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><i>How is it going so far?</i></b></div>
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It's going great! The tracking room sounds fantastic, and our system is working like gangbusters! <i>We couldn't be more pleased with the work that PAD did on our behalf.</i></div>
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<b>What projects do you have going right now, Jono, and what’s coming up?</b></div>
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I am currently producing albums for a couple of regional artists; a pretty loud album with a gifted singer/songwriter named <b>Kito Peters</b> and a new record for award-winning "new folk" artist <b>C. Daniel Boling</b>. In between sessions with them I'm recording all manner of other music. Next on my production docket is an album for folk duo <b>Ordinary Elephant</b> and we've got a Metal band from the Pacific Northwest coming in to track at the end of the month. I'm also just wrapping up mixing on a long-running project with a sufi-rock band called <b>The Sketches</b>, from Pakistan and this summer I'll be producing albums for two serious rock acts from Italy. Oh, and I'm working on finishing up a new album of my own!</div>
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Needless to say, the former Stepbridge is once again abuzz with music, now that Manson and Schmoyer have brought the <i>Kitchen Sink</i> to old Sante Fé!</div>
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<b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">About</b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Tim Schmoyer:</b></div>
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<b>Tim </b>is an experienced live sound and recording engineer currently who has built his career up until now in Boston, MA. For the past ten years Tim has been front of house engineer for <b>Blue Man Group Boston</b> and he has also worked live sound at many Boston area venues, including The Middle East, The Paradise, and Great Scott. Through his homegrown <i>Engine70 Studios</i>, Tim has long provided engineering and mastering services for numerous area bands and solo artists. His own musical interests have always leaned towards the hard-core, punk, metal scene. However, as a recording and mix engineer, he has worked over a wide spectrum of genres, always serving the music and bringing out the best in each project. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03196898714970261334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-688573686681692306.post-80927279125065037812010-11-28T13:08:00.025-05:002010-11-28T14:26:04.992-05:00Blondie's "Heart of Glass" Broke New Ground in Studio Craftsmanship<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTPZh_yTc6gr-vPTuaZUFUmNVooPmIgcjSiHmd2bF-t9bXYDmjHaGFqZ1i_z2d2ejDTAIEj7o1IVJJkCpjwhYlFJ0-S2BJGfoDgWAbFBKEI-1tW2B400hO9wAOFh6AwGuYf6snFjH3prI/s1600/Debbie.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 389px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTPZh_yTc6gr-vPTuaZUFUmNVooPmIgcjSiHmd2bF-t9bXYDmjHaGFqZ1i_z2d2ejDTAIEj7o1IVJJkCpjwhYlFJ0-S2BJGfoDgWAbFBKEI-1tW2B400hO9wAOFh6AwGuYf6snFjH3prI/s400/Debbie.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544676431313278226" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Blondie combined both pop AND art.</span> <br /><br />I was one of those teenagers that actually had heard of Blondie before the <span style="font-weight:bold;">Parallel Lines<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span> LP. I had heard X-Offender on the radio, and had read about Debbie Harry, New York's platinum-headed punk bombshell who wore clingy t-shirts and knee-pads. Knowing she had been a Playboy bunny certainly got the attention of this 17-year-old. <br /><br />Then they hit it big with <span style="font-weight:bold;">"Heart of Glass"</span> in '78. A lot of people said, "Blondie has gone disco," "Blondie has sold-out!" Well that may have been true and I may have even said that myself (to nobody there). However, I didn't know anybody who actually didn't like the song. I mean, I loved the song and went out and bought the album. The whole LP was great, with it's other, much more rock/punk/power-pop offerings. I realized that, no matter what genre they dabbled in -- and they dipped their pens in all colors of musical ink -- Blondie was at its core a great rock-band with excellent musicians. Those cats could play the phonebook and it would sound good. Add to that Blondie's hip image and one of the most beautiful singers ever to ever pout with a microphone, and you have a sure-fire formula for success in 1978.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">With that said, I found this neat video on YouTube, a short little rockumentary on the making of "Heart of Glass".</span> It's really interesting. I especially like how the narrator mentions how this session was during the peak of analog recording, and I couldn't agree more. As a recording engineer I love learning how they built this million-selling crossover hit. As a music-lover with a rose-tinted rear view mirror, It stirs up a nostalgic affection for the song, the band, and the time. <br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2K4zdG0QfOA?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2K4zdG0QfOA?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03196898714970261334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-688573686681692306.post-74977576898903319372010-11-19T16:24:00.008-05:002010-11-19T16:40:13.397-05:00Death of The Dreamer<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7RDVCRSgAdGGyPZ3C8iwNqhGAP0vGVYKN0d0-xuLM3MDTD-1t_X5kLsDDNS0mtXLnNKVF7zNj-8bUViFjnEuAPaUfp8SC4tZlkw9XxLH6Kl8OSVkGRjZ1N2qY0Jly7zbocjGcpXUtk6Y/s1600/marksandman.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 382px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7RDVCRSgAdGGyPZ3C8iwNqhGAP0vGVYKN0d0-xuLM3MDTD-1t_X5kLsDDNS0mtXLnNKVF7zNj-8bUViFjnEuAPaUfp8SC4tZlkw9XxLH6Kl8OSVkGRjZ1N2qY0Jly7zbocjGcpXUtk6Y/s400/marksandman.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541378411488959474" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Sandman All Lit Up...</span><br /><br />Like a lot of people, I've always wondered what caused Mark Sandman's sudden and untimely death back in '99. There has been rumor, speculation, myth and mystery surrounding the tragedy. Was it drugs? Heroin? Coke? <br /><br />As you know, a documentary film on the Sandman story will be released in the coming year. Apparently, and disappointingly, the film chooses not to delve in to an explanation for his death. Maybe because it wasn't mysterious? Maybe because it was just a rare and unfortunate event where a middle-aged heavy smoker dropped dead. These things happen.<br /><br />Apparently, here's the real story about the day Morphine's frontman passed in to the dreamworld: Y<a href="http://michaelazerrad.typepad.com/you_and_what_army/2010/11/real-story-mark-sandman.html">ou and What Army Blog</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03196898714970261334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-688573686681692306.post-36753920648553610312010-11-11T15:59:00.008-05:002010-11-11T16:09:24.177-05:00AES 2010 a Big Candy-Dish of Exciting New Gear!Exciting exciting exciting! Read all about the eye-poopping and ear-bending new gear at AES 2010. We're especially wowed by new gear from Audient, SSL and Universal Audio. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Bazooo!!<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWzR4PzW22Yos2PjR8y_7iGO6o2036XHHgf0q82luGypwL3TI_0I9OO5i94W_U7EkSTA3W6gx2Oss0AXRLdvAUXpYz4lAaBKL8aD9yK8Cu6L2VB-hubzePNdyJvgNKfQBpj0uHPAnJZoI/s1600/ssl_nucleus.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWzR4PzW22Yos2PjR8y_7iGO6o2036XHHgf0q82luGypwL3TI_0I9OO5i94W_U7EkSTA3W6gx2Oss0AXRLdvAUXpYz4lAaBKL8aD9yK8Cu6L2VB-hubzePNdyJvgNKfQBpj0uHPAnJZoI/s400/ssl_nucleus.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538401848140328738" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Nuclear power from SSL</span><br /><br />Read all about the yummy eye and ear-candy here:<br /><a href="http://www.sonicscoop.com/2010/11/10/endless-ear-and-eye-candy-at-aes-2010-tech-highlights-party-down/">Sonicscoop AES wrap</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03196898714970261334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-688573686681692306.post-30471477759277989002010-09-30T10:23:00.010-04:002010-09-30T10:40:46.295-04:00Mojave MA-101 Goes Stellar with Everything Audio!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPZpnds7IQyc50ONylg5qmx6l27N00PDl1XL-GnlDsIGWlP3yaOmXJ_BrKGemxp7TLfpwtwthuYrPsUm_lGYKmIEoQ8ATKD-x_RYfdjguzaFzcKDry_tMctagbnflEV6vNxPjbtME8hY/s1600/Mojave+Double+PiX.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 131px; height: 288px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPZpnds7IQyc50ONylg5qmx6l27N00PDl1XL-GnlDsIGWlP3yaOmXJ_BrKGemxp7TLfpwtwthuYrPsUm_lGYKmIEoQ8ATKD-x_RYfdjguzaFzcKDry_tMctagbnflEV6vNxPjbtME8hY/s400/Mojave+Double+PiX.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522713915393427474" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Rockets to the Stars!</span><br /><a href="http://mojaveaudio.com/MA-101fet.html">http://mojaveaudio.com/MA-101fet.html</a> <br /><br />Mojave Mic's MA-101 small-cap condenser gets a stellar review from the <a href="http://everythingaudionetwork.blogspot.com/">Everything Audio Network</a>, who went so far as to give the mic their coveted "Stellar Sound" award. Nicey nice!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">A Perfect Home Studio Mic For Instrument Recording</span><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">by Dr. Fred Bashour</span><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">David Royer</span>, noted microphone designer and creator of the made-in-USA, high-end Royer ribbon microphone line, has created a line of home-studio priced microphones with professional-grade specifications — Mojave Audio. And from the Mojave line, <span style="font-weight:bold;">the new MA-101fet is one of the most remarkable instrument microphones I have used in the past forty-five years!<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br />In all those years, my mic cabinet has included numerous high-end, small-diaphragm microphone — and many of the large diaphragm microphones as well. These new Mojave mics, however, defy the “small diaphragm vs. large diaphragm” microphone character paradigms. <br /><br />Read the rest of this review <a href="http://everythingaudionetwork.blogspot.com/2010/09/audiophile-professional-mojave-ma.html">here</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03196898714970261334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-688573686681692306.post-41175693313685865022010-08-27T12:07:00.010-04:002010-08-27T12:32:44.371-04:00The Sky Still Cries<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuxw56ChkTHKodZEaMUP7KY3JTDVXcudLVBvtSeQvjdvLJbuW3E6Ib1pwIMq74snMNeAT1zykeHRo-hEdnhdUdDoQKViDRIcK-tsBKY0RL5qTcC-ylbqUK8wFDV54Z3IY2TZfuO-r1ZxQ/s1600/SRV-1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 280px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuxw56ChkTHKodZEaMUP7KY3JTDVXcudLVBvtSeQvjdvLJbuW3E6Ib1pwIMq74snMNeAT1zykeHRo-hEdnhdUdDoQKViDRIcK-tsBKY0RL5qTcC-ylbqUK8wFDV54Z3IY2TZfuO-r1ZxQ/s400/SRV-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510125782574480066" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Stevie Ray Gone...</span><br /><br />Twenty years have gone by since that helicopter crash in 1990. Wow. I still remember getting the news in a room surrounded by boxes and piles all my things, as I prepared to move to a new apartment. I was lucky enough to have a chance to meet Stevie a couple of times, as well as seeing him perform about ten times. He was a nice man; really a gentle soul. Right before he died I had engineered a blues record that had a couple of Austin-based players on it who were close to Stevie. I called one of those guys in Austin the day after it happened. He was shell-shocked, and from the conversation I gathered that Austin was devastated -- a city draped in black. Shortly thereafter I wrote a requiem for SRV, which was published in Metronome Magazine. <br /><br />Here's a short vid piece and article from <a href="http://www.austin360.com/music/gone-20gone-20-years-stevie-ray-vaughan-stands-forever-881973.html?cxtype=ynews_rss">Austin 360</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03196898714970261334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-688573686681692306.post-32121084441265049732010-08-12T07:04:00.039-04:002016-11-28T10:55:14.241-05:00ADK's Berlin 47Au Makes It Big!Sure there are lot of Asian-made wanna-be U47s and 67s and 251s out there right now. I know, I'm a dealer for several of them. A few of these condensers are actually pretty good, especially in-terms of price vs. performance (although if someone calls me looking for an under $1000 tube mic, I'll recommend they buy a Shure SM7 dynamic for under $400, because that mic will sound better on vocals and many other sources than a cheapo condenser). In comparison with the genuine article, however, the Asain "remakes" tend to fall apart pretty quickly.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9v1CD_baub7QadOsjF2-eXJzBkkKxUd58IvzjBVJrE6ICc6H-WYoptCKWCwKLwIYuDtspgiwAjtEkoqGXFI6oYmNBBXjUjTRWodV8bGyxipcCrPMO2iuxjRJWm8DzSyCX5ob3NYb26Hs/s1600/Berlin47Au_Med.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504491407726259522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9v1CD_baub7QadOsjF2-eXJzBkkKxUd58IvzjBVJrE6ICc6H-WYoptCKWCwKLwIYuDtspgiwAjtEkoqGXFI6oYmNBBXjUjTRWodV8bGyxipcCrPMO2iuxjRJWm8DzSyCX5ob3NYb26Hs/s320/Berlin47Au_Med.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 320px; width: 111px;" /></a><br />
<em>I Can Hover!</em><br />
<br />
But now there's a mic by ADK that is so good it's garnering some well-deserved ballyhoo. I use it and <em>own one myself</em>, in-fact, and I personally think it's one of the better-sounding instruments in our entire mic closet. I'm referring to The <strong><a href="http://www.adkmic.com/catalog/customshop/Berlin47-Au.php">ADK Custom-Shop Berlin 47Au</a></strong>, a 47FET type condenser. Hand QC'd and tuned by ADK's Custom Shop here in the USA, the Berlin has a noticeably solid build-quality, and a sound to match. You can use it for all the things you'd employ a vintage Neumann 47FET for; sung vocals, voice-over/announcer vocals, and of course, kick-drum. The Berlin has a classic fat, mid-forward tone with a smoothly rolled-off treble. For a thin and nasally singer like me, the mic is a really good helper. It has that nice puffy proximity boost, and enough presence to be articulate, even subtly airy, without being harsh. It's really a nice, syrupy microphone. I love it. And considering what a used Neumann 47FET goes for now -- I mean, come on, this is more than ridiculous. Most of these mics have been absolutely hammered over the years as kick mics and smoke-blown radio-station workhorses. When they were $1200, even $1500, that was ok. But 47FETS are now fetching between $3500 and $4000. Are you freakin' kidding me? No way in Hell I'd ever pay that much! At $1200, the Berlin is <strong>THE</strong> 47FET to have now, and I'd daresay it sounds much better than many of the cheap tube-mics out there today. In fact, it sounds better than some of the newer Euro-made condensers I've heard lately. When coupled with a good pre -- we've liked it a lot with a UA LA-610 -- this ADK can rock the world. <br />
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In this era of low, and I mean lllooowww budgets, a $1200 studio-condenser might be the biggest microphone investment many little studios will make. I'd buy ADK's Berlin 47Au over many many other choices. It really does have that high-class German condenser sound that will give a track the major-label elegance so often missing in self-produced tracks. (People will hear it and think it's "toob"!)<br />
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But don't take my word for it. Here's what <a href="http://www.recordingmag.com/">Recording Magazine</a> (Sept 2010) said in their recent review:<br />
<em>The Berlin is well suited to sources needing a touch of rounding, such as shrill soprano and alto vocalists, tambourines and shakers, and even bright/harsh guitar cabinets, where it works quite well in multiple-mic setups (I have used it this way myself with absolutely stellar results -- Drewcifer)<br />Conversely, it works well to add punch and girth to sources as well, such as baritone vocalists (especially crooners) and low-end sources like kick drum and floor toms. I really liked this mic padded down and placed about one to three inches outside of the kick.<br />At $1200 street, the Custom Shop mics do come with a higher price tag than you may be used to from ADK, but these models are a serious step up in every way. They compete comfortably not only in their own class, but even with models selling for $500 more.</em><br />
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<a href="http://www.analogplanet.com/shopping/Microphone_Planet/Tube_and_FET_Condensers/ADK_Custom_Shop_Berlin_47_Au/index.html">Buy me here on Analog Planet!</a>http://www.analogplanet.com/shopping/Microphone_Planet/Tube_and_FET_Condensers/ADK_Custom_Shop_Berlin_47_Au/index.htmlAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03196898714970261334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-688573686681692306.post-56727063055980798422010-07-06T12:46:00.025-04:002016-11-28T10:56:14.917-05:00UA's LA-3A Reissue Mixes Mojo and Modern!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-MNCu99Z_b0VP67y8sR4LkPQVF2XZH2uhkung69unq6yrTr29TCADwO28cQkBo9ZYA7T5N351WusVDy5l2Mf9_NuQDQOF8pnmlWtzowB6O6ax0a9ypaaQEvVoJ3ZSXi1QghnwrnGVjpc/s1600/LA3.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490848651768912690" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-MNCu99Z_b0VP67y8sR4LkPQVF2XZH2uhkung69unq6yrTr29TCADwO28cQkBo9ZYA7T5N351WusVDy5l2Mf9_NuQDQOF8pnmlWtzowB6O6ax0a9ypaaQEvVoJ3ZSXi1QghnwrnGVjpc/s400/LA3.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 235px; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<em>Hi. I'm L.A. I Rock. You might want to put electrical tape over my meter.</em> <br />
<br />
Anyone who knows me knows that my desert-island compressor is the Teletronix/Urei LA-3A Levelling Amplifier. This classic opto-compressor/limiter does a great job of squashing, while sounding really musical; big, almost tubey, and definitely full of iron. There was a time when I would not work in a studio that didn't have at least a pair of them. In 1998 I finally bought my own vintage pair, which I still have and vow never to part with (unless you offer me a lot of money -- a LOT). <br />
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For me, when mixing, nothing beats my LA-3s on lead voice and lead guitar. The unit not only grabs and holds, it adds a hot presence to the signal. There's a forwardness and amped-up quality that I like even more than an LA-2A. The LA-3A defines the meaning of set-it and forget-it. You hit the comps big sweet-spot, push the lead vocal fader up till it's sitting right, and you won't have to touch that fader again. <em>They don't call it a <strong>leveller</strong> for nothing!</em><br />
<strong><br />The baby has mojo!</strong><br />
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The LA-3A is hot, with reams of gain. The only down-side of the box is that it's noisy. (The noise never bothered me, and my vintage units are un-modded). That's why, years ago, a so-called "gain-mod" was developed for the LA-3A by, I think, Bob Alac. It makes the gain-structure more efficient, thereby lowering the noise floor. It also cleans the unit up, and while it may make it better spec wise, the mod removes a little of the noisy dirty funky mojo that myself and other LA3 lovers love. <br />
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That's why (how cool is this?), the reissue by Universal Audio is my favorite hardware reissue they make. It has both classic more AND mod mode, available at the flip of a switch. <em>Sweeet!</em><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVNbNFnKTfytZeBD0i3vC9vQQ58GdeeITs7J6x4GI7-4aVnU7AFfmayve3jvs73Tox9LCgn2SqQFFrjkvVijDJVuIS8JHfOMN05dCr51gRZy55Cxb0aI5xKPSd8CKtRXkYMpvFhY7SkSE/s1600/LA3back.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5490849293300231330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVNbNFnKTfytZeBD0i3vC9vQQ58GdeeITs7J6x4GI7-4aVnU7AFfmayve3jvs73Tox9LCgn2SqQFFrjkvVijDJVuIS8JHfOMN05dCr51gRZy55Cxb0aI5xKPSd8CKtRXkYMpvFhY7SkSE/s320/LA3back.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 127px; width: 320px;" /></a><br />
<em>Clean or Cream? Rear image showing mod and gain toggles.</em><br />
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When using my reissue a few years back, I learned the effectiveness of this feature. I kept my reissue in <em>mod mode</em> because I have two vintage ones without any mods. I was doing a mix and the lead voical was going through the new one. I liked the mix and was ready to print it, but something just wasn't happening. That last little bit of sauce was still missing. Then, boing, I thought, "Lemme switch that LA-3A bugger in to 'classic'!" So I did. Wow! That's all it took to give the lead voice that slightly heated, amped-up presence I was looking for. <em><strong>From modern, to mojo!</strong></em><br />
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Review it here: <a href="http://mixonline.com/mag/audio_universal_audio_laa_3/">Mix Field Test</a><br />
Buy it here: <a href="http://www.analogplanet.com/shopping/New_Gear/Outboard_Gear/Compressors_and_Dynamics/Universal_Audio_LA_dash_3A/index.html">UA on Analog Planet</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03196898714970261334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-688573686681692306.post-24041485368119751652010-06-10T10:16:00.025-04:002010-06-11T15:07:09.506-04:00Audient's Zen Desk Has "All Mod Cons" for Natt Weller<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-q1R1_4qN-IjpNPK5t-wmoyFPhFZzQu38y80kjF42EFmFl56OWxHq3JrQ5-TiddHbooY3Th2nq2uXixSGvI3qQqw_2HScDXGN1VJywa8IuE21Boj96_R71NF2N_Fe5MHuqALUqFrWZAA/s1600/paulweeler1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-q1R1_4qN-IjpNPK5t-wmoyFPhFZzQu38y80kjF42EFmFl56OWxHq3JrQ5-TiddHbooY3Th2nq2uXixSGvI3qQqw_2HScDXGN1VJywa8IuE21Boj96_R71NF2N_Fe5MHuqALUqFrWZAA/s400/paulweeler1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481152783114002546" /></a><br /><em>Daddy Was a Pop Star and Mama Was a Rickenbacker!</em><br /><br />Musician, songwriter and producer <strong>David P Goodes</strong> has recently used Zen to record and mix the ultramodern pop track <em><strong>Tallula</strong></em> for rising star <a href="http://www.myspace.com/rockettstunes">Natt Weller</a>. <em>*Scroll down to see Natt's Tallula Vid.</em> <br /><br />Son of <strong>Paul ‘The Modfather’ Weller of the Jam</strong>, Natt is carving out a style very much of his own - not only with his androgynous looks but also in his musical taste. Goodes has worked with Natt and co-writer/producer Judie Tzuke on five tracks so far, and a month after its arrival said of the desk: “Zen has made a big difference sonically. I really love the sound of it; the mixes have more depth and clarity and the top end is cleaner too.<br /><em>“I was mixing in the computer before I had Zen. I now have 16 high quality analogue outputs going through Zen from Apogee DA 16X which show off the desk’s abilities even more.”</em> <br /><br />According to Goodes, Zen’s features are manifold. “I love the built-in mix bus compressor – I use it on all my mixes now. Having faders and mute and solo is so useful for quickly checking things whilst mixing. It’s also really handy to have the busses as well.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEDzwI1sdj9x9I7c2auBKGz45CVchv25Wksq1RMZmd-Fu6EYnIDPCJNc8RT9BECTSrZpMrYl2PZuWEyRSe3c5-5ORQO7eKCUrcnqtoHPHPCEY66_NSBim1xBX6xUbbcsWD3O68iWOj5U4/s1600/Audient_Zen.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 280px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEDzwI1sdj9x9I7c2auBKGz45CVchv25Wksq1RMZmd-Fu6EYnIDPCJNc8RT9BECTSrZpMrYl2PZuWEyRSe3c5-5ORQO7eKCUrcnqtoHPHPCEY66_NSBim1xBX6xUbbcsWD3O68iWOj5U4/s400/Audient_Zen.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481154193592155058" /></a><br /><em>This is the Modern Zen!</em><br />See Zen here: <a href="http://www.analogplanet.com/shopping/Consoles_and_Summing/Sidecars_and_Large_dash_Format_Desks/Audient_Zen_16_dash_Channel_Analogue_Console/index.html">Zen</a><br /><br />“The centre console section is very comprehensive: things like the mono switch, 3-way monitor selection and dim switch really streamline my workflow. The cue section is great too, and means I can give my vocalists no compromise monitor mixes to work with,” he enthuses.<br />“Everything feels more hands on and real, having a proper mixing desk in my studio,” confirms Goodes.<br /><br />Verdict? The ZEN JAMS!<br /><br /><object width="660" height="405"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/x2iGIRqnRok&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/x2iGIRqnRok&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="660" height="405"></embed></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03196898714970261334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-688573686681692306.post-71651048485678901512010-03-31T09:51:00.060-04:002018-01-29T15:58:16.181-05:00The Green GhostOn any journey to discover or rediscover blues, after drilling down in to Muddy, Buddy, the Three Kings and Otis Rush, one should take the exit ramp marked <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Green_(musician)">Peter Green</a>. We all know Clapton, Beck and Page, but Green is the other British Blues Master that deserves a lot more attention and recognition than he gets.<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;"> </span><em style="text-align: start;">The haunted, psychedelic eyes of Peter Green (graphic portrait by Drew Townson)</em></div>
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He is one of the greatest guitarists ever to amplify the blues. The "woman-tone" that he coaxed from that '59 Les Paul rivalled that of all the other greats. With his incredible phrasing, vibrato and dynamics, he took influences like Otis Rush and Albert King and made his own sound. Green's guitar personality is so identifiable it only takes hearing a couple of notes to know it's him. He distilled the powerful and dark essence of the blues into his chops (arguably) even more than did Eric Clapton himself.<br />
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Green replaced Clapton in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers in '66, and shortly thereafter founded Fleetwood Mac, with Mayall vets Mick Fleetwood and John McVie. The three guitar band (with Jeremy Spencer and Danny Kirwan) embarked on a short but intense run of four years, releasing two major albums and becoming superstars in their time.<br />
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The early Mac's sound moved freely between deeply authentic Elmore James style Blues shuffles, soulful rock, and Green's hallmark, chilling minor key originals like "The Green Manalishi," and "Black Magic Woman." The instrumental classic "Albatross," was the group's first hit. Inspired by Santo and Johnny's "Sleepwalk," the single hit #1 on the British Charts in 1967. By 1970 FM's records were outselling The Beatles, The Stones and Led Zeppelin.<br />
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YouTube contains a lot of great stuff from the early Fleetwood Mac, like TV appearances and live concert bootlegs. In addition to marvelling at Green's playing and singing, you'll love watching a young, painfully skinny and perennially shirtless Mick Fleetwood pounding the kit. The level of musicianship is jaw-dropping. Green's Fleetwood Mac was truly groundbreaking, or in today's jargon, "game changing."<br />
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Go to my <a href="http://www.youtube.com/my_playlists?feature=mhw4">YouTube channel</a> and check out my playlist called Blues Guitar Greats and you'll find some really cool stuff, including a Mac appearance on Hugh Hefner's Playboy Club show.<br />
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<i>For your consideration: A priceless 1969 performance of "Oh Well", a track that deserves to be ranked with any blues-riffed rocker on Led Zepplin I. </i><br />
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<em> "Oh Well, Oh Well!" The Original Fleetwood Mac Transform The Blues, 1969</em><br />
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I don't recall exactly when Peter Green became my British Blues Deity. I think it was one night when I was a teenager listening to late-night FM on my Dad's expensive stereo. There I sat, Indian style, with my headphones on, just digging what was coming down the airwaves, when that opening riff of Fleetwood Mac's "Oh Well" began. The station played the full LP version, including the haunting slow part at the end. I was captivated, and a little scared. As a young guitarist, one of my huge heroes was (and still is) Santana. Eventually I learned that Green was a MAJOR influence on Carlos, and that in fact, "Black Magic Woman" was originally written/recoded by Green's Fleetwood Mac. That was big. By 1992 I was recording a Les Paul instrumental dedicated to Green, called "The Demon Everclear."<br />
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When you compare Green to Clapton, you find that EC has a flawless fluid style, never hits a clam, but is very..."studied." His Blues vocabulary is and always has been huge. Green is more sparse, leaves more space and has a very soulful, almost tortured style that goes much deeper than that of Clapton. Green conveys raw feeling; painful emotion, and isn't that what Blues really is? B.B. King famously said that "Greenie" was the only white guitarist that ever gave him chills. Because E.C. had been dubbed the God of British guitar in the mid 1960's, fans of Peter Green began calling <i>him</i> "The Green God." As fragile and short as Green's time in the limelight was, the man seemed to move on a darker, more intense level. Was it a dream? Did I really see that shadow? Did I really hear that whisper? Thinking of Peter Green always gets the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. He was like a spirit moving in the midnight; numinous, otherworldly, supernatural. The chilling minor-key triads and tremulous cries of his '59 Les Paul took electric blues deep in to the dark. Sadly, no one knew at the time that Green's mind was descending in to darkness, as well. In retrospect, songs like The Green Manalishi or even Black Magic Woman serve as signposts pointing to PG's personal highway to hell. <br />
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It's sad to think where Green might have gone had he not fallen in to his nightmare of schizophrenia. (It's often the greatest artists, living on the edge of sanity, who stumble over it: Van Gogh; roky erickson; Syd Barrett). Greenie might have become a guitar superhero; a full-blown '70s rock star. He could have towered up there with Page, Clapton and Beck. But after a very bad LSD trip in Germany, PG became the quintessential "Acid Casualty."<br />
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Instead of being a Hall-of-Fame name in guitardom, Green's legacy is as a ghostly cult-figure whose music threw a long shadow over the guitar generations to follow. Where would Santana be without Peter Green? You hear Green's licks played note-for-note by a young Carlos. Or The Allmans? Billy Gibbons? Gary Moore? Like Gram Parsons and Alex Chilton, Green is regarded as one of the great <em>influencers</em> in rock. <br />
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If Clapton was The God of British guitar...<br />
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Perhaps Peter Green was The Devil.<br />
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<strong>From Wikipedia:</strong><br />
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<em>Green is praised for his "swinging shuffle grooves" and "soulful phrases," and favoured "the minor mode and its darker blues implications. </em><br />
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No discussion of The Green God would be complete without mentioning so-called "The Green Mod", where the neck-pickup on the Les Paul is flipped updide-down, causing a polarity reversal. It causes the guitar to have a unique and extra-feminine tone. Peter did this supposedly by accident. Here's a nice explaination of the mod: <a href="http://www.sweetwater.com/expert-center/techtips/d--10/03/2007">TechTips</a> GREEN'S LP IS WIDELY CONSIDERED THE MOST VALUABLE LES PAUL IN THE WORLD...IN THE 1M$ RANGE. GARY MOORE OWNED IT AND NOW IT IS IS PRIVATE HANDS.<br />
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** Although this may read like an obit, Peter Green is alive and well today. He still plays really well. However, the 1967-1972 flame in his eyes and fire in his fingers reside in annals of rock histoy.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03196898714970261334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-688573686681692306.post-86008443551239613132010-03-18T12:39:00.021-04:002016-11-30T15:42:02.311-05:00Alex Chilton: The Water We Drank.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDooKRKmViVWOjzYaEURBgr57FS6c2pS2sdXbWdpFg7GyRJU7YHqhEx1otK5Mb6YyPMBWTF5BJ45K-z_18GtLCEF0PXOhAiN7bsldsmY4RTmDUY-PBz1er-leh7pKR6UmJ0D5nVGNABKM/s1600-h/alex-chilton-sized.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450022308529688050" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDooKRKmViVWOjzYaEURBgr57FS6c2pS2sdXbWdpFg7GyRJU7YHqhEx1otK5Mb6YyPMBWTF5BJ45K-z_18GtLCEF0PXOhAiN7bsldsmY4RTmDUY-PBz1er-leh7pKR6UmJ0D5nVGNABKM/s400/alex-chilton-sized.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 269px; width: 228px;" /></a><br />
<em>Chilton: Pop Poet, 1950-2010</em><br />
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Coming up in music in the 80's as I did, it was impossible not to be influenced, even if only tangentially, by Alex Chilton. Bands like REM and the Replacements wore their love for Chilton on their sleeves, and demanded their fans notice. Like many at the time, I had the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/1-Record-Radio-City/dp/B0026IZR3Y/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1268931869&sr=1-3">Big Star LPs</a> in my collection. Those records blew me away on multiple levels: The songs, which are among the most perfect pop ever crafted; the guitar playing/tones which brought clean/chimey/bell-like to new (ultra compressed) heights; and the engineering/production by Jim Dickinson (one of my all-time studio heroes. See this blog for my post-mortem on Dickinson), which was WAY ahead of its time. <br />
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Now, sadly, Chilton has joined his old studio mentor behind that big microphone in the sky. He died yesterday at only 59. The news is hitting me much harder than I expected it to. His passing feels like what Obi Wan would call a disturbence in <em>The Force</em>. Like losing the man behind the curtain. Like the passing of The Patron. It's not like you thought about Alex Chilton every day, but if you're a modern rocker like me, his presence was felt on a cellular level. Chilton was in the water we drank.<br />
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In more recent years, I've grown a new appreciation for Chilton's blue-eyed soul days with The Box Tops. I engineered an R&B LP years ago by a Louisiana artist named <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Soul-Deep-Miki-Honeycutt/dp/B000000356">Miki Honeycutt who used the Box Tops' "Soul Deep"</a> as her title track. <br />
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I wasn't the Chilton desciple and evangelist that some of my friends were, but I certainly understood their reverence. Like Gram Parsons, Chilton was one of those very potent underground well-springs that fed the music we call "Alternative" and "Americana" today. <br />
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Here's a Chilton nice piece from <a href="http://music-mix.ew.com/2010/03/18/alex-chilton-obituar/">Entertainment Weekly.com</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03196898714970261334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-688573686681692306.post-78304642230538174072010-01-29T10:37:00.004-05:002010-01-29T10:53:46.237-05:00Twang 'em High! Plays "Longhorn Caddy"<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dPCD6Mjfgd8&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dPCD6Mjfgd8&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03196898714970261334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-688573686681692306.post-84946987395723226502010-01-12T14:11:00.005-05:002010-01-12T14:17:29.846-05:00Big Tones Part 3, the Audio Clip!<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DcenZ-9z9Tk&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DcenZ-9z9Tk&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03196898714970261334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-688573686681692306.post-69775054385637077892009-12-22T16:19:00.006-05:002009-12-22T16:25:06.534-05:00Drewcifer Begins Video Blog:Analog Planet Presents Big Guitar Tones in the Studio <br /><br />Part 1<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TUiePFt77RM&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TUiePFt77RM&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Part 2<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HmQK81TpoeM&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HmQK81TpoeM&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03196898714970261334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-688573686681692306.post-25798986338970206742009-12-05T09:41:00.047-05:002016-11-28T10:41:47.649-05:00Stranger Than Fiction: The Bizarre Journey of Kings of Leon<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikI8w3V475h5hWLNijfrPvp8yZ1v5NsVqgogNr91ej4k2hR2brOaaxFvXMouGK08h2lY5sknlyEKthH9roArw1N-CpzYYnbZ-sJ2bYfvUP_7RXXvGdGSOkkbubCWVRZccXPX35FQJ0Kmw/s1600-h/KingRS-1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411802239992957714" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikI8w3V475h5hWLNijfrPvp8yZ1v5NsVqgogNr91ej4k2hR2brOaaxFvXMouGK08h2lY5sknlyEKthH9roArw1N-CpzYYnbZ-sJ2bYfvUP_7RXXvGdGSOkkbubCWVRZccXPX35FQJ0Kmw/s400/KingRS-1.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 400px; width: 293px;" /></a><br />
<em>Rock Royalty: From Holy Rollers to Rolling Stoners</em><br />
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First of all, I realize I am very late the the KOL party here. I paid no attention to the band at all. Heck, I thought they were from England. <br />
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But lately, my wife has been having a love affair with their music. She's totally in to it; maybe <em>too</em> much (I'm afraid she's going to accidentally call me Caleb one of these nights). So I started paying attention. The music of the brothers Followill is very <em>very</em> interesting. I hear all kinds of diverse influences blended artfully together. In one song I thought I heard undertones of Psychedelic Furs, Pearl Jam and Morphine. Yet it's all very new and original-sounding at the same time. The Kings are drawing me in to thier sound and their...thing; their vibe -- whatever you want to call the intangible aura that true rock music has. <br />
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Finally, somebody got a record deal that DESERVES a record deal. The Kings have talent in spades. And, most importantly, <strong><em>soul</em></strong>, which I believe is sorely missing in most modern music. <br />
<em><br />Maybe their fresh sound in a result of the boys growing up without the usual rock-pop influences; without the pablum of commercial radio.</em> <br />
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So then I read their history. Holy crap! What a story: Their dad was a <em>Pentacostal</em> preacher. I know from my years in Texas what that means. They are the "Throw down your crutches!" people. They are the snake-handlers and the lay on-ers of hands people. From tent to tent the boys went in a purple Oldsmobile while papa preached...while daddy ranted and raved all over the deepest of backwater south. It's the stuff of gothic fiction. <br />
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Now they jet from country to country playing sold out stadiums where people worship THEM as idols. They themselves are <strong>god-like snake-handlers of rock</strong>. Currently KOL are up for three Grammys. What a story! What a great <strong>AMERICAN</strong> story they are. <br />
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While reading their bio I found that they are produced by (and early songs co-written by) none other than my old associate and Boston rock veteran <a href="http://www.umpgnashville.com/spotlight/dsp_spotlight.asp?ID=735">Angelo Petraglia</a>. Go Angelo, Go! He moved to Nashville years ago and has been working as a songwriter and producer with some really accomplished names in Americana, Country and Rock. <strong>Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift, Patty Griffin and Brooks and Dunn </strong>are just a few names on Angelo's resume. I worked with him when he was in Boston with both Face to Face and The Immortals. I overdubbed and mixed the Immortals' "Two Sisters" on the acclaimed <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/North-Northeast-Roots-Rock-Country/dp/B000006LY5">North by Northeast</a></em> compilation back in '91.<br />
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Angelo worked with and developed KOL from the beginning, when the brothers were young and as raw as sugar cane. But he saw the talent and helped them develop it. <a href="http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/kings-of-leon-producer-angelo/">Here's</a> a nice piece about Angelo and his work with the Kings. <br />
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The kids started their lives rallying against the Devil and his deeds. <br />
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Now they play his music. <br />
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The Devil's, that is....<br />
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Awesome!<br />
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Here's a great Sound on Sound Magazine Article on the recording of Only By The Night: <a href="http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/dec08/articles/it_king.htm">Secrets of the Mix Engineers: Jacquire King </a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03196898714970261334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-688573686681692306.post-70263871653569023232009-11-11T20:07:00.013-05:002009-11-11T20:39:51.011-05:00Tyler Crashes Perry's PartyAfter all the buzz coming from both Joe Perry and Steven Tyler about Tyler's immenent departure from Aerosmith, what happened last night in New York stunned everybody, <em>especially Joe Perry</em>. When The Joe Perry Project went back stage at New York's Irving Plaza for a quick pause before their encore, the last person they expected to see was Mr. Tyler himself. But there he was, in the well-worn flesh. Apparently Tyler asked to sit in, and Perry oblidged. From his comments today, you'd gather that Perry did it as a favor to Steven and as a treat for the fans, not because he relished jamming with his old buddy. Once onstage, Tyler shouted something about not quitting Aerosmith, then, as soon as he finished barking out "Walk This Way," Tyler bolted in to the New York night. Today, undeterred, Perry stated to <strong><a href="http://www.billboard.com/#/">Billboard.com</a></strong> that the band is still planning to move forward without Tyler. Check out the full article and Perry's comments <a href="http://www.billboard.com/news/exclusive-joe-perry-says-aerosmith-won-t-1004041884.story#/news/exclusive-joe-perry-says-aerosmith-won-t-1004041884.story">here.</a> <br /><br />Here's the YouTube of the "incident" <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC7EK68tdEY&feature=player_embedded">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC7EK68tdEY&feature=player_embedded</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03196898714970261334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-688573686681692306.post-48436452522431558112009-10-06T14:22:00.009-04:002009-10-06T14:30:34.069-04:00Rockin' New Joe Perry Solo LP Was Produced Dangerously!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDvZwL9Rjf_55rx_YeioW79P_WKq2bIo_HLpQ2iofmhWZLjbIGGzOD4OCoVxYjLNh5P99b7Fub4yi1ukMWE03a1tVLL2vM88DNXovDr4OZvAB4umIY5rkFzan_v_PBZKWhmFiKn4nAScU/s1600-h/JoePerrySG.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDvZwL9Rjf_55rx_YeioW79P_WKq2bIo_HLpQ2iofmhWZLjbIGGzOD4OCoVxYjLNh5P99b7Fub4yi1ukMWE03a1tVLL2vM88DNXovDr4OZvAB4umIY5rkFzan_v_PBZKWhmFiKn4nAScU/s400/JoePerrySG.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389555262132793890" /></a><br /><em>Danger! Joe Perry, Live Wire!</em><br /> <br />Edmeston, NY - October 6, 2009 - Engineer <a href="http://www.audiopiranhagroup.com">Pablo Arraya </a>recently completed Aerosmith guitarist <a href="http://www.joeperry.com/">Joe Perry's solo record, Have Guitar, Will Travel</a>, where he acted as both the recording engineer for the final tracks and the mix engineer as well. Perry's solo album was released today, October 6, 2009. Arraya, a Grammy-winning engineer, brought his newly purchased <a href="http://www.analogplanet.com/shopping/New_Gear/Outboard_Gear/Summing_and_Monitoring/Dangerous_Monitor_ST/index.html">Dangerous Monitor ST monitor </a>controller to Perry's Boneyard Studio in Boston for the project. "The decision to buy the Monitor ST was directly related to working on the Joe Perry album," states Arraya. "His vintage Neve console has an amazing sound, and I wanted to add a more modern and flexible monitoring path. When I came in to the studio, Joe asked me to listen to a lot of Hendrix, Doors, AC/DC, and a lot of early Rolling Stones. He told me he wanted to get that sort of sound and feel. Perry told me 'I don't want it to sound pop-y and modern' - that was his vision at first, and things evolved from there."<br /> <br />On the Monitor ST choice, Arraya says, "Of all the things in a studio, the monitor section is an important one. It was time to do an upgrade to a better monitoring section - I had used the ST at a different studio and I loved how it felt, and Dangerous Music has a reputation for making great sounding gear." Arraya had been speaking with mastering engineer and good friend Dave Kutch, "He literally sold it to me on his recommendation - it was a no-brainer."<br /><br />"When I got the Monitor ST, I hooked it up at Joe Perry's studio first," says Arraya about working on the Aerosmith guitarist's solo album. "I chose the Dangerous Music Montior ST over the Neve consoles' controls. I knew a lot of the mixing we were going to do was going to be like Hendrix-stlye, Doors-style, very 60's style mixing, where your drums are panned to one side, the bass to the other, your vocal shows up half way through the song. So I wanted to be able to have something to mute the left and the right speaker easily. On Joe's Neve console, you can't do that."<br /><br />Comparing the Monitor ST to the sound of a large format console's monitoring, Arraya added, "When you bring the volume on the ST all the way down you still feel the punch of the kick and the power that's coming through the mix. And it doesn't matter what level it's at. That transparency for me is very, very important. <br /> <br />Since the studio does a lot of vocal overdubs, the headphone out puts and talkback get used a lot at Audio Piranha, "One of the things I like about the Monitor ST is that the mic for talkback is very dynamic, the person in the vocal booth can hear real well on their headphones. It sounds great. The headphone amp is really clean too. The Monitor ST is a very flexible box. I love the fact that you can do mono, the Dim function works really well, the ability to add the sub-woofer with the filter - that's a great option - calibrating the speakers is really easy; and the options for the inputs are super easy to use too." Another thing he likes about the Monitor ST, "When we want to update to 5.1, it's adding a box and you're there, you don't have to buy a whole new setup."<br /> <br />Pablo Arraya started his career with Sony Music Studios in 2000 after graduating from Middle Tennessee State University. The Native Bolivian quickly moved up the ladder to become one of the most requested engineers inside Sony's wide stable of talent. His diverse cultural background made him a versatile engineer. His engineering experience brought him to the attention of some of the most demanding international acts leading to a Grammy(r) in 2006 for Nancy Wilson's Turned To Blue album. Arraya leads sessions for all styles of music, and handles any studio situation with ease. He recently opened a new studio with the Audio Piranha Group on Park Avenue in Manhattan. Contact Pablo Arraya through the Audio Piranha Group website: <a href="http://www.audiopiranhagroup.com">Here</a><br /> <br /> Visit Joe Perry's website for the latest news about his solo album Have Guitar, Will Travel at: <a href="http://www.joeperry.com">http://www.joeperry.com</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03196898714970261334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-688573686681692306.post-54213169973940660082009-09-28T23:26:00.011-04:002009-09-28T23:36:39.523-04:00X-Cellent!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhftTqo1MYvDNSX_TgaqJDbxkqRH-GtVMvuWmncn7cpzOdmx6Abc2I93y4AFNuSBBB2dVNr8F_4-ncESIOwjo5tAFb-xDzpsV1DJP5xWNUuchclc5h0BHaZYGu_IZeWMrQeT9CJ_4jQD2g/s1600-h/Mynx_3_quarter_large.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 363px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhftTqo1MYvDNSX_TgaqJDbxkqRH-GtVMvuWmncn7cpzOdmx6Abc2I93y4AFNuSBBB2dVNr8F_4-ncESIOwjo5tAFb-xDzpsV1DJP5xWNUuchclc5h0BHaZYGu_IZeWMrQeT9CJ_4jQD2g/s400/Mynx_3_quarter_large.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386726902179617618" /></a><br /><em>SSL, You Sexy Mynx, You!</em><br /><br />Analog Planet has been tapped as a dealer for the <a href="http://www.solid-state-logic.com/music/section_superanalogue.asp">SSL SuperAnalog Range!</a> That includes the awesome <a href="http://www.analogplanet.com/shopping/Consoles_and_Summing/Sidecars_and_Large_dash_Format_Desks/SSL_X_dash_Desk/index.html">X-Desk mini mixer</a>! How cool is that? More on this later!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03196898714970261334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-688573686681692306.post-76107586167151243172009-09-07T17:34:00.043-04:002009-09-22T10:25:35.771-04:00Annual TEC Awards Will Miss Les PaulWith the annual <a href="http://www.aes.org/">AES (Audio Engineering Society) Convention</a> fast approaching, it occurs to me that there will be a big part of the show missing this year: The presence, participation, and indeed, the spiritual leadership of Les Paul himself. For decades LP was a mainstay at the convention, walking the floor, shaking hands, meeting and greeting, and generally blessing the event like The High Pope of Audio. Most AES goers, myself included, consider Les Paul the father of modern recording. <br /><br />Most notably, Mr. Paul will be missed at the annual <a href="http://mixfoundation.org/index.html">Mix Magazine TEC awards</a> ceremony (which accompanies AES every year), where he always presented the annual Les Paul award. The coveted award is given to the artist who, like Les himself, has most creatively blended musical achievement with the art and science of recording. Les presented the winner with, what else? A Les Paul guitar!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiSieCLLRpCABGI7w2DPVv6eMjFQj-W0OdmXSu7qG8Z3Da9BosTQrkSzOBAXAsE0Be1fDSPEDK_pSXkkQsM9jrd6XnJJfJeImvfrU02OY8gUlYJ7wSZFIGL91ixPGtp-eKd27sljCwCg/s1600-h/LP+Cooper.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUiSieCLLRpCABGI7w2DPVv6eMjFQj-W0OdmXSu7qG8Z3Da9BosTQrkSzOBAXAsE0Be1fDSPEDK_pSXkkQsM9jrd6XnJJfJeImvfrU02OY8gUlYJ7wSZFIGL91ixPGtp-eKd27sljCwCg/s400/LP+Cooper.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378856405316244930" /></a><br /><em>"Wow, this thing's heavy!" Les Presents THE AXE to 2007 Winner, Al Kooper </em> <br /><br />The list of Les Paul award-winners is impressive; artists like Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and Brian Wilson, to name a few. <a href="http://mixfoundation.org/tec/lespaul_winners.html">Les Paul Winners 1991 to present</a><br /><br />Here's a vid produced by Mix about The TEC Awards and The Les Paul Awards: <a href="http://mixonline.com/ms/les_paul/videos_podcasts/tec_awards_les_paul/">TEC & Les Paul Award Highlights</a><br /><br />This year's AES Show is at New York's Javitz Center. Appropriately, the 2009 TEC Awards will feature a special tribute to the beloved Mr. Paul...Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03196898714970261334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-688573686681692306.post-76618471558708217122009-09-03T11:53:00.004-04:002009-09-03T12:00:04.360-04:00Les Paul, The Guitar, The Man, The LegendHere's a good bio/obit of LP from the AP. <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jBD78k8tewQ7FPeiKtJbK8QPmtzAD9A2844O0">Les Paul Dies at 94.</a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGzjSFlPtiwRcM8gacbfhzRy9vHWhkvhK4nF5GEOXG4tDGG5d4__83AinvBmmUrnbX1DdLHx-uQolDhPsoB9lvGBf8e_hdx3mFgrclmZm54F79ChjuAsoKZi1lcU2jySDf1ITuPtN8uzQ/s1600-h/DrewFullColorCropClear.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGzjSFlPtiwRcM8gacbfhzRy9vHWhkvhK4nF5GEOXG4tDGG5d4__83AinvBmmUrnbX1DdLHx-uQolDhPsoB9lvGBf8e_hdx3mFgrclmZm54F79ChjuAsoKZi1lcU2jySDf1ITuPtN8uzQ/s320/DrewFullColorCropClear.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377270880964286226" /></a><br /><em>Yours-Truly with Vanessa, one of my 3 LPs.</em>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03196898714970261334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-688573686681692306.post-58860211375801066082009-08-27T19:50:00.025-04:002009-08-28T11:07:25.062-04:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhChQ3uSvxx4i8lPdUwEuUytswHB5losPnNme7zPzURd7tcxhccL1xco1BLDgyOntL9cylUIMxdQGj3rn2CPcfQvZ5aEwV3rlvK741oUSdyFfVDVycxm_9unmFeyp6kpGnby1n85UlI3Xk/s1600-h/JimD.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhChQ3uSvxx4i8lPdUwEuUytswHB5losPnNme7zPzURd7tcxhccL1xco1BLDgyOntL9cylUIMxdQGj3rn2CPcfQvZ5aEwV3rlvK741oUSdyFfVDVycxm_9unmFeyp6kpGnby1n85UlI3Xk/s320/JimD.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374806761636228770" /></a><br /><em>The Big Man of Memphis! 1941-2009</em><br /><br />As I watch the Ted Kennedy funeral motorcade on TV, I'm reminded that the world lost another great American this month: Jim Dickinson, the legendary musician/engineer/producer of Muscle Shoals and Ardent Studios fame. He was one of the architects of the American sound, and specifically the Memphis sound. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Star_(band)">Big Star</a> Records Jim produced in the early '70s did a lot to change my musical direction, when they re-emerged in the '80s as alternative music prototypes for bands like REM and The Replacements. Those records were way ahead of their time and they sounded really fuckin' cool. <br /><br />That was just the beginning of the Jim Dickinson legend and legacy. The man cast a big shadow.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:fbfwxq95ldte~T1"><strong>Jim Dickinson on AllMusic</strong></a><br /><br /><a href="http://theragblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/joe-nick-patoski-jim-dickinson-was-one.html">A Hot Blog About on a Cool Memphis Cat</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03196898714970261334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-688573686681692306.post-52058317133431287832009-08-18T09:02:00.004-04:002009-08-18T09:15:58.124-04:00How Blue Are You?Although no one would mistake me for being a big fan of Jazz, much less an aficionado, I do appreciate it as an American art-form. When I was younger I'd go to Jazz dates and snap my fingers like a Beatnik. The groovy hipness of 50's Jazz and Bebop works for me. And I dig Dixieland. I like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, Dave Brubeck, Herbie Hancock, and of course there's <strong>Miles Davis</strong>. 50 years ago his <em>Miles-tone</em> LP, <strong>"Kind of Blue"</strong> was realeased. Not only was it a breakthrough in Jazz and music in-general, it was an incredible recording, from an audio standpoint. <br /><br />Here's a nice blog on that topic:<br /><br /><a href="http://blog.belm.com/2009/08/17/kind-of-blue/">BlemBlog: "Kind of Blue"</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03196898714970261334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-688573686681692306.post-45756250670941399082009-08-17T20:59:00.026-04:002017-04-25T09:55:56.058-04:00Soul of '69<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyOHAQi6w8VKwmxwomet8TkjZjpJVeWZz_s4XwyqiY8JsbMBlbTxQT17TX-2gk_L-T1oT1UVG-HK4ERQLumfOxgxewb4KvgzSxeHfWKbbAtGY6bbqLE2yDl06fFII3InPD-jFo1LTcv6E/s1600-h/Santana.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371109821630995250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyOHAQi6w8VKwmxwomet8TkjZjpJVeWZz_s4XwyqiY8JsbMBlbTxQT17TX-2gk_L-T1oT1UVG-HK4ERQLumfOxgxewb4KvgzSxeHfWKbbAtGY6bbqLE2yDl06fFII3InPD-jFo1LTcv6E/s400/Santana.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; height: 314px; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<em>'Stock Stage '69: Santana Sacrificing with his Serpentine SG Special</em><br />
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There's a lot of coverage going on right now of the 40th anniversary of Woodstock. There were some great and historic performances of course -- Hendrix, The Who, CSNY, Sly, Janis, and more. But there was one that for me has always stood out. Not only is it my favorite performance from the festival, I think it's one of the most electrifying performances in rock history. Thankfully, it was captured on film.<br />
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<strong>Santana!</strong><br />
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<em><strong>Soul Sacrifice!</strong></em><br />
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The band was tripping their socks off, and you can tell! Carlos is on fire, teetering right on the edge of losing control. He has famously said that he was hallucinating so hard, he thought his guitar was a snake. He literally couldn't feel the stage under his feet. Yep - playing a snake while hovering - there's one for the ages. <br />
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And the raw spitfire tone of his SG Special and its P90s will raise the hair on the back of your neck.<br />
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The percussionists, Greg Rolie on B3, the teenage Michael Shreve on drums; it all came together in a red-hot explosion of Latin rock. Transcendence was achieved by Carlos and company on that muddy day in Bethel. If you can't feel this energy, you have no soul to sacrifice. <br />
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If you don't believe me, dig the clip, baby!<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnamP4-M9ko&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Egibson%2Ecom%2Fen%2Dus%2FLifestyle%2FFeatures%2Fsgs%2Dat%2Dwoodstock%2D528%2F&feature=player_embedded">Soul Sacrifice on YouTube</a><br />
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<em>And whatever you do, STAY AWAY FROM THE BROWN ACID!</em><br />
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Here's a great little article on Gibson's web-site written by my old friend Ted Drozdowski. <a href="http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/Features/sgs-at-woodstock-528/">"The SGs of Woodstock"</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03196898714970261334noreply@blogger.com0