Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Tape Op 102
Tape Op 102
Tape Op 102
Tom Werman
Poison, Mtley Cre, Cheap Trick
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Catherine Marks
Foals, Flood, The Howling Bells
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Al Schnier
moe. & more
Seth Kauffman
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of Floating Action
Bill Cheney
of Spectra Sonics in Behind the Gear
Music Reviews
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Gear Reviews
Issue
No.
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July/Aug
102
2014
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Hello and
Tape Op
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#102!
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Letters
Bill Cheney in Behind the Gear
Seth Kauffman
Catherine Marks
Tom Werman
The War on Drugs
Al Schnier & moe
Gear Reviews
Music Reviews
Johns End Rant
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14
18
22
26
34
36
46
64
66
p a g e
welcome to
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Editor
Larry Crane
Online Publisher
Dave Middleton
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Cover art assembled by Scott and John. Thanks to Rainbow Electronics for the
loan of the vintage radio transmitter tube from a Japanese submarine.
<www.rainbowelectronics.net>, Ruben Reveles for shooting the photo
<Facebook.com/rubenrevelesphotography> and Kyle Field for the drawings.
<Littlewingsnow.com>
Ryan Barrington Cox, Tom Beaujour, Dave Hidek, Jacob Biba, Jay Blakesberg,
Garrett Haines, Geoff Stanfield, Allen Farmelo, Joseph Lemmer, Kirt Shearer, Steve
Silverstein, Scott Evans, Joel Hamilton, Chris Koltay, Adam Kagan and Jeff Slate.
www.tapeop.com
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c/o www.halleonard.com
Disclaimer
TAPE OP magazine wants to make clear that the opinions expressed within reviews, letters and
articles are not necessarily the opinions of the publishers. Tape Op is intended as a forum to
advance the art of recording, and there are many choices made along that path.
Editorial Office
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(for submissions, letters, CDs for review. CDs for review are also
reviewed in the Sacramento office, address below)
P.O. Box 86409, Portland, OR 97286 voicemail 503-208-4033
editor@tapeop.com
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All unsolicited submissions and letters sent to us become the property of Tape Op.
10/Tape Op#102/Masthead
Advertising
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In your articles, the interviewer (always wellprepared and familiar with the interviewee) will ask
about certain songs/passages of music, to find out how
the engineer got a particular sound. Its a perfect way
to present a question because then the reader can listen
to the specific song/passage referred to in the question.
Perfect! But I am almost always unfamiliar with the
songs/music referred to, so I cant put the response in
context to fully understand it. I wish it was possible for
you folks to have a snippet of the music [indicated in
the articles] posted on your website (just enough for
reference), so that people like me could listen. What an
amazing educational benefit it would be!
K8ch <www.keithhaydon.com/Music.htm>
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In
my opinion,
the recording
community has a
tendency to fixate on the past.
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Behind
The Gear
This Issues Spectre of Sonics
Bill Cheney
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from the company in the late 80s, as I had my own business. With the backing of
Spectra Sonics, I started Applied Technology with my partner Jim. We evolved away
from audio and went to work for large corporate and government agencies, building
communication and weapons test facilities. Then in 07, we started to see what was
happening with the 610. On eBay, they were initially selling for $100 to $200. In 2006
the price had jumped to over a $1,200. I called Bills son, Greg Dilley, and said, Jim
and I want to buy the 610 production rights. He said, Just buy the whole company.
Bill passed away in 03. Greg wanted to continue running Spectra Sonics Aviation, an FBO,
and had little time for the audio part of the family business.
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Again, it was a moral thing with him. Theyd made their money, and they were really careful
with their money. Thats why the family wanted us to pick it up, because they knew
that we wouldnt butcher it. It took us two years to get our first product out because
we couldnt meet spec. We were working on the 610, and there were certain parts that
had to have really tight, high tolerance specs. People will try to copy it, but you cant
just put parts on a board with our stuff. During the process of producing the first 610s,
I called up Greg and asked, How are you selecting this, this, and this? Greg said, I
dont know. Then I get a call one day and Greg said, Ive just found Dads handwritten
notes. So we went back and reverse-engineered everything. It took us two years to
get the 610 to meet spec, and we would not sell them until they did. Theres a picture
of Tchad Blake on our website, and hes got a 610 from 1969 or 1970, and hes got a
2012 unit, and hes using them interchangeably. You cannot tell the difference.
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Jim and I probably could have retired, but we are stubborn so we are going to keep this
up. Recently its been doing a lot better. Were fighting guys who have hundreds of
thousands of dollars in ad budget, with a lot of BS and momentum, and its just
difficult. But we are not going to stop.
JB: I was really impressed when you sent me a 502 to check out.
One of the first things I did was open it up. It had such solid and
beefy circuit board traces and transformers and inductors.
All of our products are designed and built the same way; to last forever.
JB: You just dont see much new gear thats built like this.
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No. It goes back to the way that Bill Dilley would do things. He prided himself on all of
his consoles. Theyd snap together. There was a thousandth of an inch tolerance in all
the milling, so things would literally snap in, even though he still had screws to hold
it. The stuff was built like a tank. Thats just the way he did it. r
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<www.spectra-sonics.com>
bonus article:
http://tapeop.com/interviews/btg/102/bill-cheney-bonus/
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Seth Kauffman
Completing th
e
Myth
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interview and
photo by Ryan
Barrington Co
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Is it easier to explore crazy ideas when I cant repeat myself. Ive gotta do something different, so
youre not wasting anybody elses
Im trying to delicately build some beats and sit with it
time?
for a while. Im getting closer and closer. Theres some
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Tape Op is made
possible by our
advertisers.
www.tapeop.com
Bonus content online!!!
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An Australian architect
ure
studying in Ireland, retu student bumps into famous producer/enginee
r Fl
rn
London and becomes an s home to start playing in bands, and eventu ood while
ally moves to
in-demand engineer an
rather fantastic. I had
to figure out Catherine d producer? Sometimes the truth is
M
met up over breakfast
on a rainy London mor arks unusual career path, so we
ning, off of Portobello
Road.
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Tom Werman
by Tom Beaujour
Ted Nugent, REO Speedwagon, Poison, Mtley Cre, Molly Hatchet, Twisted Sister.
When pitching this article to Tape Op, it was not lost on me that many of the artists that Tom
Werman signed and/or produced in the 70s, 80s, and early 90s are probably exactly what drove
a good number of this magazines readers to create a scene, as well as methods of making and
recording music, that circumvented the commercial rock establishment. But I probably wasnt the
only kid running around the streets in 1987 with a Maxell XLII in his Walkman that had Poisons
Open Up and Say Ahh! on one side of the tape and Hsker Ds Flip Your Wig on the other. Even if I
was, its hard to argue that Cheap Tricks late 70s trifecta of In Color, Heaven Tonight, and Dream Police
all Werman productions werent the high water mark of American power pop. Werman, now
69, stopped making records almost completely in the mid 90s when the alternative rock
revolution resulted in him becoming essentially unemployable, due to his close association with
glam metal. He says, I was already 55 in 1990; time to hang it up, really. How many lifetime
producers work successfully beyond that? A handful. Tom Dowd, Jerry Wexler, George Martin,
and Phil Ramone. Not hard rock guys though. Rather than slog it out, Werman opened a luxury
bed and breakfast called Stonover Farm, located in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts. The
establishment is still thriving, and thats where I visited him on a snowy winters day to discuss his
unusual career arc, unwaveringly pop aesthetic, and, most importantly, what it was like to make hit
records in an era where the budgets were even bigger than the snare reverbs.
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The first artist you signed to Epic was Ted A sense of humor first. The first engineer I ever
latched on to was Gary Ladinsky. When Cheap Trick
Nugent.
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Because they were out in the Midwest Plenty. There are backing harmonies that bands would never When Nirvana came out did the phone
dream of having. For instance, Poison considered
rehearsing, playing shows, and
just stop ringing?
themselves a hard rock band. Listen to the arrangement Yeah, it was pretty quick. Theres an old joke that I tell all
getting good.
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The only thing I really learned was what you could do with
outboard gear. Not how it was done, but just what was
available to modify sound. I had some favorites. When
I started producing, there were three things you could
do: a chamber echo/plate echo, tape slap, and a phaser.
But I was still making records when you could quantize
and pitch correct. That was the beginning of the end,
as far as really good music and really good recording, as
far as Im concerned. But, as I kept producing more and
more records, there definitely were routines that I found
that worked on records that I had done before. I never
recorded a rhythm guitar without doubling it and
spreading the two never! Id double it; it would
smooth it out, or average out the peaks, and I loved
that. I never made one record where you had trouble
hearing the rhythm guitar. Never.
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Well, I guess I did a little bit. But each engineer has his own
signature. Geoff Workman, who did the first two Mtley
Cre and the Twisted Sister record that I did he had a
bigger bottom end than Ladinsky. Duane Baron, who did
the second and third Mtley Cre albums he had another
approach. More balanced, and a little more meticulous.
They really determined how it sounded, to a large degree. I
didnt say, Okay, were going to CD now, instead of vinyl,
so we have to do this. I remember listening to Ted
Nugents first album on FM stereo, in New York. Before I
would produce a record, I would listen on FM stereo, and I
would listen on earphones. I thought, This is good, this is
great. Id listen to the record and Id say, This is as good
as I can make it, but theres definitely something lacking.
It just doesnt sound like all those other records. I finally
heard one of the songs that I produced on WNEW FM with
their compressor and I said, Wow! Is that my record? God,
it sounds good. Compression! So, I had this one mastering
engineer, George Marino at Sterling Sound, and he did
everything that I ever did, basically. Up until the time when
I think he retired. I remember there would be a point in
every project, or every song, when hed give me the
compressor control. Id go way overboard; then Id go off
and Id find the middle.
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<stonoverfarm.com>
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Adam Granduciel
The War on Drugs
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by Dave Hidek
photo by Jacob Biba
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Did you get to a point where you were When you were tracking, was there one One great thing about Lost in the Dream is
thinking, I dont know what Im
particular signal chain or piece of
that theres this tight, punchy rhythm
listening to anymore!
gear that you kept coming back to?
section, and then all of this space for
vocals, reverbs, synths, and guitars. Was
When we were at Echo Mountain, they had a Sony C-37A
that something that came up in
[microphone] that I used on Slave Ambient [TWODs
mixing, or was that something that you
previous album], and I remember the chain was a C-37A
kept in mind throughout tracking?
into an EMI sidecar and into a [Teletronix] LA-2A it
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was so thick. I wanted to go back down there for that That was something that Nicolas Vernhes did in mixing. He
mic to do vocals. We started to do a shootout. They
wasnt familiar with the band at all, but he wanted to
have a [vintage Telefunken Ela M] 251, and of course
make the best illusion possible that it was a band
Jeff was like, We have to try it! So I put it up, and it
playing in a room. Even though we didnt play any of
was kinda bright. No one wants to say that it doesnt
these songs live, and everything was done to a [Roland
sound good. [laughs] Is there a cable shorting out?
TR-]707, he was able to focus the rhythm section into
But I was like, Lets just try that C-37A. We put it up,
that tight sound of a band for a lot of these songs. It
and all of a sudden it was great. Jeff was using the Cwas great. It wasnt something that I had thought
37A into a [Neve] 1073, into a Manley Vari-Mu, into an
about, but you get caught up in the arrangement.
SSL. Once we had that chain, we used it for all of the
Should I have the drum machine in there and then fade
songs. For mixing, Nicolas [Vernhes, Tape Op #20] had
to the real drums? Nicolas was good at putting those
a Universal Audio 175 [compressor], and that was great.
things lower, letting them be subtle, and creating that
illusion of bringing the vocals up a little closer, as well
After tracking, did you go back to your
as hearing performances in the bass or the drums. I knew
studio or Jeffs for comping and editing?
it was all there, but in the moment I just didnt know
Yeah, wed do a lot of comping at Jeffs, as well as a lot of
how all of these songs were going to connect together.
editing of guitars and keyboards. There were only a few
instances where I was taking the hard drive home. I If you were to go back to the outset of this
wanted to have those moments were I could sit with a
record, or even past records, whats
rough mix in my room, play along through my [Fender]
one thing you would tell yourself?
Champ, and come up with little leads or work on lyrics. At the end of the day its really about what comes out of
One weekend I got super inspired and I brought all my
the amp or the piano, instead of what its going into.
amps and all of my rack gear up to my bedroom, and I
Im going to buy a C-37A, but it doesnt really matter.
recorded for about four or five days straight. I rented a
Capture that moment where youre the most confident
Royer 121, and my Champ sounded awesome. I did all of
in a song: when the idea is the most pure, and youre
these guitars; it was super productive.
really excited about the song you have, or the sound
youre working on. That magic comes through if its a
In your comping/writing process, how do
[Shure SM]58 plugged into an Mbox, or a 251 into an
you determine whats working and
EMI channel. Its those tiny things that make the song
what needs to go?
special. Following through on the idea, hearing it, and
If I did ten takes of guitar, Id think, Just let me do one
knowing its right. You dont have to know what youre
more. Even if the sixth one was better, wed always keep
going for, but its helpful to know what you like.
the last one I did for the rough. Like, Well comp them
Sometimes its fun to spend an hour on a guitar sound
later, and you never end up comping. [laughs] In the
and put a [Shure SM]57 up, just to get the initial idea.
moment I feel, I can do better, but theres something
I think working quickly is nice, and theres no right or
about the sixth one that was cool, and theres something
wrong; its just confidence and believing in the art of
about the tenth one thats cool. Its really just about
recording. Why are you recording? Its to capture sound,
building it up, adding sweet tones, or using a pedal and
but also to capture a moment. And that is just as
getting some cool sounds out of it. I think part of it is
important as the sound. r
always listening to rough mixes. The song is always
there, but with different guitar sounds and textures. <www.thewarondrugs.net>
Lead guitars start to reveal themselves and become
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Al Schnier of moe.
by Larry Crane
photos by Jay Blakesberg
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Yup. Weve finished all the tracking at this point. We When you set up a house as a recording
Carriage House and not feeling so
studio did you find yourselves pretty
were working at the Carriage House Studios in
on the clock. Has that been a goal?
distracted with equipment?
Stamford, Connecticut. Wed been there once before,
Absolutely. Every time we try and create these situations
around 2000, working on our album, Dither, with John Not so much. I have a really good friend named Mark
in which we can get the work done. On one of the
Cochi who has his own recording company called RDR
Siket. It was one of those places where we had a really
records we did, we tracked in a theater in Portland,
Location. Hes got a 48-track HD rig with [iZ
good experience and good memory of it. Originally we
Maine. We knew the theater was going to be empty
Technology] RADAR, a Sony digital desk [DMX-R100],
had planned to be on the West Coast to do the
for a couple weeks. We had a really good relationship
48 channels of API preamps and outboard
recording, but for personal reasons we had to do it in
with those people, so we asked them if we could
compressors, and $100,000 worth of microphones. We
the Northeast. It was good to be back there.
move in for a couple of weeks. Its nice for us to work
werent wanting for any gear. The only distraction was
What is it that you like about Carriage
when were left alone that way. Were all fat and old
that several of us were geeking out over the gear
House?
at this point, but we still worked 12-hour days for a
while we were doing the recording.
There are a couple of things. Weve spent enough time
month straight. Once we get into the process of
in a lot of different recording studios, and a lot of Ive gathered that you have a propensity
making a record, were pretty dedicated to it. Its nice
for that, when it comes to recording
different residential situations. Weve even gone so far
to be able to do it that way, rather than have to be
equipment and guitars.
as to rent a house on one of our records, as well as
on the clock, work around a schedule, bounce around
move in all of our own gear to build a makeshift Yeah. Wed be recording a guitar part and say, Why
to different locations, or move in and out of a studio.
dont we do a mic shootout first to see which mic will
studio setup. We want a space thats conducive to
When you go to a nice, quiet town in Connecticut, the
be best? An hour and a half would pass by, until one
getting the work done. It has to be comfortable, but
only thing to do is make the record.
of the guys in the band would finally say, Hey! Are
you also want the right gear. You want everything to
How much pre-production do you guys
you guys done? Can we record this guitar part?
work. Carriage House has the right combination of
do? Do you take songs out on the road
those things. You have a great collection of gear, but You want to understand what those
for a bit and come into the studio to
options are.
also a comfortable place to work. In this day and age,
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Guitar Sounds
in the Studio
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again?
Yeah. Its funny how much its evolved over the years,
because the first recording that I did here started
with me working on a folding table down in the
basement. I had a laptop and my first MOTU 828. I
needed a space to work, and this was before the
basement was finished.
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bonus article:
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http://tapep.com/interviews/102/al-schnier-bonus/
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bx_refinement
harshness control plug-in
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Brainworx
Great River
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www.tapeop.com
Bonus content online!!!
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TASCAM
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was needed to blend the snare nicely while still maintaining its
slingshot propulsion.
I almost wish I had never put the PWM-501s on the drum
overheads, because once they were there, it pained me to think
of having to use them elsewhere. They added such a great life,
warmth, and punch to the kit sound. Several times, I caught
myself going too far with the amount of audible compression,
because it sounded so good in that squishy-squashy way, and it
was fun to see how far I could push the unit. I found the
smallest of moves made the difference in determining the sweet
spot, and in this way, the tonal possibilities of this unit remind
me of a color wheel with fine gradations across the spectrum.
A nice feature on the PWM-501 is the high-pass filter on the
detector circuit, and it is useful when you want to fine-tune how
the compressor is influenced by low-frequency content. This, like
all the other controls, can get very specific in terms of shaping
the sound. I used it with great results on everything from parallel
compression of the drums to acoustic guitar, and I found it played
a part in helping to generate the desired amount of motion.
As a workaround to only having a pair of PWM-501s at my
disposal, I went ahead and printed a stereo drum mix and then
was able to use the units elsewhere. Their versatility lets them
shine on both individual instruments and on stereo subgroups of
guitars, vocals, loops, etc.
I used the PWM-501 following a Burl B1D preamp to record a
Telecaster through an AC30. Before patching the compressor into
the chain, I was fighting a small battle trying to determine the
right amount of the amps Brilliant channel shimmer while still
having the guitar sit down in the track. With the PWM-501, I was
able to shape and saturate the top end in a pleasing way without
sacrificing its clarity or punch. It performed in a way I wish the
amps Cut control would have.
Using the PWM-501 as a peak limiter in a roughly 10:1 ratio
while recording vocals was also useful not hitting it too hard,
but just knocking off the peaks. I quote the manufacturer: The
threshold control is unique in this design in that at low settings
(050) it has the unit looking at the whole signal and acting
more as a compressor, where as in higher settings (50100) the
detector looks for peaks and acts more as a limiter. It did just
what I was looking for very transparently, leaving room for
compression at mix-down.
The feed-forward / feedback feature is a variable control that
lets you decide whether you want the input (feed-forward) or the
output (feedback) as the source for the detector (sidechain)
signal. Uniquely, the PWM-501 lets you choose one or the other,
or blend the two if so desired in any amounts.
Feed-forward results in a more aggressive and in-your-face
sound. This mode in conjunction with more extreme settings is
capable of creating some not-so-nice sounds; so use your ears,
and know that a little goes a long way in some applications. For
example, feed-forward can bring grit and spit to a vocal. It is
certainly nice to control dynamics with the option of not having
it smooth out. I found it especially fun on drums. Going the
other way to full feedback mode produces a noticeably rounder
and subtly softer compression sound useful when I wanted
elements to be smoother or mellow out just a touch. I am not
sure if the name influenced this feeling, but I did feel as though
the difference between the two modes was like leaning forward
or lying back in a chair. Finding some middle ground and then
making smaller adjustments of a little more of one or the other
provides yet another powerful tool for shading and influencing
the feel of whats being compressed and where it sits among the
other instruments in the mix.
The PWM-501 is a very versatile tool. In many ways, it
reminds me of my much-loved, always-employed, Empirical Labs
Distressor [Tape Op #32]. Although the two devices are capable
Eventide
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Eventide bills its MixingLink as a Mic Pre with FX Loop. It is so much more than that! I tried
to sum it up technically:
Its a mic/line preamp. Its an instrument preamp/DI. Its a headphone amp. It has a balanced
effects loop. It has a smartphone/tablet loop via 1/8 TRRS (4-conductor). It has an output to
drive an instrument amp. The main output is switchable (via a recessed switch on the bottom)
between line and miclevel. Its in the shape of a guitar pedal. The effects loop is engaged with
a foot-switch.
But I gave up on writing a list. The practical applications are endless!
The MixingLinks mic preamp is excellent in terms of transparency, and its worth the asking
price on its own. A hi-fi channel strip that costs me three times more beat it slightly for noise
floor and extended frequency response. Admirably, the MixingLinks frequency response is less
than 0.5 dB down at 20 Hz and about 0.6 dB down at 20 kHz and only about 2.5 dB down
at 10 Hz and 40 kHz (the latter being about 0.2 dB down from my measuring interface). It has
phantom power if plugged into the wall with the included mini-wart, but if you dont need
phantom, it can run from a 9V battery. There is no separate battery door though; you have to
remove four screws and the bottom plate to access the battery compartment. The lack of a
battery door is a shame, because the MixingLink would make a great field preamp, but screws
are easy to lose in the field. I did not try battery operation for the review, because I installed
the included rubber feet over the screw holes as soon as unboxed the unit, before realizing Id
need to undo the screws a tip for the bottom-label designers.
The instrument input is equally good and did not affect the tone of passive-pickup
instruments. If anything, a guitar plugged into the MixingLink with pedals in the effects loop
seemed to sound a little better than the guitar straight into the pedal board, but I did not do
any empirical testing in this regard. In general, if you are not relying on current-starving for the
tone, then current-buffering is usually a good thing. The unit does not soft saturate but sounds
pretty good when completely overdriven. One obvious bonus to using the MixingLinks effects
loop is you can enable many processors at once by leaving them on and using the foot-switch
on the MixingLink.
The MixingLink will connect to recording and/or live-processing software in any device
equipped with an 1/8 TRRS jack (stereo out and mono mic/line in) using a single cable. In
theory, a quality smartphone/tablet audio interface that connects to the smart device digitally
would sound better than using the built-in I/O of the device, but in practice, I was impressed
and did not hesitate to use the MixingLink this way. The sound I got from a tablet was at least
as good as the pedals I compared it to, probably better. The simplicity of the one-cable analog
hookup was a welcome trade-off too. The number of sound manipulation apps that you can get
for a few dollars each is staggering, and if you check the reviews, a lot of them are well liked. I
had to search a bit online before I found a male-to-male 1/8 TRRS cable worth buying. The
cable cost me $11, but assembling one myself would have cost more, and I gave up on finding
the appropriate raw cable. Since these cables are not common (and the feature is so cool),
including one in the box would have been a nice touch.
The mic and instrument amp are live at the same time, but theres only one level setting. A
clean-boost pedal for instruments is a good workaround. Tricks like singing along with guitar
lines through an amp were loads of fun. The effects loop and smart-device loop are also
simultaneously active, with a similar limitation in setting levels. Speaking of levels, the
MixingLink handled +4 dBu outboard processors as well as basic guitar pedals quite well. The
effects send level results from the input gain, and I always had some kind output gain control
on the processors in the loop, so in practice, this scheme worked fine. There are three modes for
the effects loop, controlled by a toggle: fixed dry signal with effects gain setting, wet/dry ratio
control, and effects only. The only issue I ran into was when using the MixingLink with a linelevel signal from a DAW interface; with the input gain at minimum, and the Hi/Lo gain button
on Lo, I was still clipping the inputs of guitar pedals which had no input gain control. I was
forced to digitally attenuate the DAC a few decibels, which my OCD would prefer me to never do,
but it sounded fine anyway.
My only complaints are with the labeling. Much of the text is black-on-grey or white-on-grey.
This is exactly mediocre contrast. My bedroom studio is brighter than every commercial studio
Ive been in, but I was using a flashlight to read most of the labels until locations of everything
were imprinted in my memory. The pots are detented throughout the whole turn, but there are
no markings around them, so to repeat settings, youd have to count clicks. Maybe the designers
only meant for the knobs to be harder to knock out of a setting, since it is a pedal, but I found
the knobs easy to turn with my feet anyway, and why not throw in some hash marks at least?
Regardless, this is the ultimate audio signal interface. It never failed to hook up anything to
anything else, always sounding clean and good. The headphone amp is even stereo, and music
piped in through the smart-device loop is stereo. So, with proper cabling, you really could use
this as another headphone amp channel too. As if it didnt do enough already! Id love to see a
dual-mono rackmount version with separate control of all I/O levels, especially effects
send/return, as well as separate levels for mic/line and instrument inputs, but I think the
compromises in the current design are well thought out (other than the minor gripes I pointed
out). I was ready to buy this when I heard that it could be used for sending line-level signals
safely to guitar amps, and it had a mic preamp. For the price, that combination already seemed
like a good deal. Why has this box not come along sooner? Theres no reason these features
couldnt be on mixing consoles and DAW interfaces. Why didnt I think of that?!?! Absolutely
anyone that records could use this box, but new recordists especially should look at this for their
first preamp upgrade. You start with the MixingLinks great preamp, and then you can go hunting
for cheap, used pedals and you end up with an inexpensive creative palette for anything you
record. Or use a smartphone or tablet, or both, at once, and... and... and. The various individual
things this unit does are each worth the asking price, but it integrates many such things in the
space of a pedal. I love it so much, I wrote it a haiku:
Earthworks
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I like gear that makes a statement. The long, narrow aluminum briefcase of the PM40
PianoMic System certainly makes one. That of, Ive got an upscale rifle here an
impression that can come in handy at times. But back to recording...
People have been micing acoustic grand pianos in much the same way for decades. If
youre recording in a studio and have no issues with acoustic bleed from nearby
instruments, then many traditional approaches are just fine. Close or midmicing with
condenser or ribbon mics can be a great way to go. However, in the studio or on the stage,
things can get much more complicated when acoustic isolation becomes a requirement.
Closing the piano lid can minimize bleed, but that is impossible, or at best problematic, if
you are using traditional micing techniques. Front-address mics wont always allow the lid
to close, and the sonic coloration resulting from closing the lid is a liability even with sideaddress mics. Some people have addressed this issue by using either pickups mounted on
the soundboard or a boundary mic (like a PZM) inside the lid. In my opinion, both of those
options can be rather hideous, sonically. Often, a huge amount of EQ is required to make
the sound barely passible. To me, that tradeoff is not acceptable. So, Earthworks has
attempted to create a system that delivers the best of both worlds: acoustic isolation, and
excellent sound quality.
The Earthworks PM40 PianoMic System utilizes a pair of high-quality omnidirectional
condenser mics mounted to a telescoping bar using miniature goosenecks. The bar fits
across the case of the piano and allows the lid to be completely closed. However, there is
a little more to it than that. The mics have a very wide frequency response (9 Hz 40 kHz!)
and are a type called random-incidence. Now, I must admit, I was not previously familiar
with this type of mic. After doing some research, I learned that a random-incidence mic is
designed to have a flatter frequency response in situations where the sound is arriving from
many different directions simultaneously. This supposedly helps the mic smoothly cover
the entire range of the piano. Another impressive specification is the ability to handle
sound levels up to 148 dB SPL.
In order to keep a low profile and allow the lid to easily close, both channels of audio
are carried over one rather thin cable that exits one end of the bar. This cable is plugged
into an aluminum breakout box. The output of the box is a pair of standard XLR connectors.
Installing the system takes moments, not even minutes. Telescope the bar to span the
width of the piano, and tighten down the fittings to lock the bar at that width. Run the
cable out of the side of the piano, and plug it into the breakout box. Thats it. There are
a few choices and adjustments that are possible. Since the support bar can adjust to the
width, it is possible to move it to vary its distance from the front of the piano. Earthworks
suggests positioning the mics 23 away from the dampers as an initial starting point.
Also, although the mics are locked at a spacing of 16 between the capsules, you can slide
the pair left or right as needed to favor a lower or higher string emphasis. The short
goosenecks also allow some alterations of mic positioning.
My first experience with the mics was a rather clinical setting, rather than a practical
one. We set up a listening session with solo piano, just to get an idea of the overall
system performance. The piano used was a Steinway Model B. I set up the PianoMic
System along with other conventional micing approaches. These included AGK C 414 XLII,
Neumann U 87 Ai, and Earthworks QTC40 mics. The QTC40 is an omni mic with similar
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Burl Audio
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Lets start this conversation off by stating the obvious. You cannot properly record or mix
music if you cannot accurately hear what you are recording or mixing. If music is more than
a hobby, and you are working with low to midlevel monitoring with your computer and DAW,
your next purchases should be a high-quality monitor controller and a good set of reference
speakers. Compressors, EQs, and effects are sexy. They do something, and may look stellar
in your rack. But if you cant hear what any of them are actually doing, you are doing yourself
and your clients a disservice.
Once you can hear what is actually going on with your recordings and mixes (and you may
be shocked at what you are missing), you can and will make smarter choices in regard to
matching preamps and mics to sources; positioning mics; and using compression and EQ more
effectively (and sparingly) and less as corrective devices. You will also get to where you are
going more quickly and with fewer detours.
The B26 Orca is an all analog, 2RU-height monitor manager, designed to let you route
your choice of input to choice of output. In back, XLR connectors in stereo pairs provide three
mix inputs, two return inputs, two speaker outputs, and an output for driving external meters.
Theres also a single XLR input for a talkback mic. Additionally, a pair of RCAs is employed for
a consumer-level (10 dBV) stereo input.
Up front, the unit is essentially divided into two halves. The left side, labeled Studio,
serves the artist, while the right side, labeled Control Room, serves the engineer. Each side
has the same source-selection switches (Mix A/B/C, 2 Track A/B, and RCA) and a pair of LEDs
that change color (green, yellow, orange, red) depending on signal level. The control room
level is set with a big knob turning a stepped attenuator, which utilizes audiophile-grade,
0.1% matched resistors, while the artist side gets separate studio volume and headphone level
potentiometers. Each side also gets a headphone jack (Studio Phones and CR Phones). In the
middle of the unit is a button and level knob for talkback, as well as buttons for speaker
selection, monitoring in mono, and choosing studio or control room for the meter output.
Anyone that has had their hands on a Burl Audio product knows that everything about the
construction is top notch, and the Burl B26 Orca is no different. The front panel is well laid
out and provides plenty of options for routing signal. The knobs all have a high-quality feel.
The switches are latching Studer-type buttons, as found on the Burl B32 Vancouver Mix Bus
[Tape Op #99]. They operate with a satisfying click, and when engaged, a small strip of color
is visible, letting you know that the selected feature is enabled. Importantly, the unit boasts
a direct-coupled, discrete, Class A, capacitor-free signal path.
I chose to connect two versions of my stereo mix, summed externally in my Burl B32
Vancouver from Pro Tools stems. Mix A has bus compression and EQ, and Mix B is straight out
of the summing box. It is nice to switch between the two to really hear what the bus
processing is doing to the mix. Unfortunately, the B26 Orca does not have onboard facilities
for calibrating input levels, so level-matching between sources has to be done at the sources
or through other means. This becomes even more challenging if you have two sources that
are at 10 dBV, like a CD player and an Apple Airport Express, since the B26 Orca provides
only a single unbalanced stereo input. (I use an Airport Express for wireless streaming of
tracks from clients phones and computers.)
While mixing, I had to use the Studio Phones jack to monitor the control room source
because the CR Phones jack does not have its own volume knob separate from the main
control room level. BURL felt that adding a potentiometer here would have reduced
performance of the headphone output, particularly in the case of left/right tracking at low
volumes, and adding a second precision stepped attenuator would have been cost-prohibitive.
The downside of BURL's approach is that if you use the CR Phones jack, you may have to turn
up or down the volume as you switch between speakers and headphones.
The talkback feature is straightforward. I wired a Beta 57 to the talkback input, and it
worked as expected and had plenty of level.
I believe it was Theodore Roosevelt who said, Comparison is the thief of joy, and it
certainly rings true in this case when comparing my old monitor controller to the B26 Orca.
When audio first passed through the B26 Orca, I felt like I had a new pair of monitors. My
PMC nearfields, which have always sounded great, sounded renewed. The depth of field and
tonal balance were just fantastic. The bass was full of body, clear, and tight. Center image was
very well defined, and at every volume level, the tone and image remained constant, and there
was never harshness even at more extreme levels. Also impressive was how constant the
stereo image and tone remained as the levels were decreased. Mixing at different levels is
essential for perspective, but on lesser monitor controllers, low-level monitoring does not
always paint an accurate picture of frequency and stereo-field balance. The B26 Orca
performed nicely is this regard. The feeling of this unit is immersive; even at these low levels,
I felt the music was all around me, and it made the sweet spot wider.
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wanted me to try the transformerless box, which uses highperformance Burr-Brown input and output stages for a clean
path. It turns out having a more transparent sound ended
up being more useful across projects. But Im getting ahead
of myself.
The front panel is fashioned from 4 mm thick aluminum,
anodized forest green. All lettering is engraved rather than
silk-screened. Rotary controls are stepped, except for
threshold and gain. Illuminated stereo VU meters display
gain reduction, input, or output. There are illuminated
buttons for power and true bypass, while two toggle
switches allow bypass of compression (but not I/O stages)
and one of the detector stages.
Inside, the unit looks as if you contracted an experienced
tech to hand-build a compressor. Wiring is top-grade Canare;
capacitors are Panasonic, WIMA, and Vishay audiophilegrade; and connectors are Neutrik the whole nine-yards.
The VCA functions are provided by THAT Corporation
integrated circuits. While these may not exhibit the same
test specifications of hand-built discrete VCA circuits, they
are, without exaggeration, a fraction of the price and nearly
all of the performance. In fact, the number of professional
units that rely on THAT ICs represents a respectable market
share. The true bypass is just that, a relay that bridges the
signal path from wire in to wire out. The power supply
features extra filtering to effectively lower the internal noise
floor. This is a very quiet unit in terms of self-noise.
One of my favorite things about the MSL is the detectors
sidechain facility. You can bypass the sidechain, patch in an
external equalizer (or other processor), or set the built-in
high-pass filter from a selection of frequencies 60, 90,
150, 240, or 440 Hz. Anyone who has tracked instruments
such as grand piano will immediately appreciate how high
this sidechains HPF goes. Moreover, trying to use a bus
compressor without a filtered sidechain can be a mess. Every
bass transient can pump the entire mix. I often settled at
the 240 Hz selection on mixes for this reason.
In use, the MSL could be classified loosely in the general
style of an SSL bus compressor, but its not an outright
clone. Most of the time, I used it to catch transients
kind of giving a haircut to the audio on the way into my
mastering chain. When I work on products that were mixed
in home studios, a transparent analog compressor can
really clean things up before I get to work. I really
appreciate the MSLs dual-VCA detectors; and even though
the controls are ganged, there is a true dual-mono path
inside. This means stereo width is not sacrificed when using
this box. There are several compressors that I choose not
to employ because they tighten everything at the expense
of the stereo field. Since I didnt opt for the CineMags, the
compression bypass (the switch that doesnt remove the
I/O stages from the signal chain) was not much use. Thats
fine. The detector bypass button is another story. Engaging
it removes one of the RMS sidechain circuits. This results in
a more aggressive sound. In my tests, it was spectacular on
drum room mics, and I have to say, I wonder how much
better it would be with the transformer option. But most
of the time, I used the standard dual-VCA mode. The attack
and release switches provide a good bit of control, with
auto-release working well on many test tracks. The only
time I coaxed a bad sound out of the unit was when I tried
to use the gain knob fully open. The mix seemed to build
up a lot of 6 kHz nastiness. Of course, I was purposefully
trying to abuse the unit. I doubt real-world applications
would call for overuse of the makeup gain unless a
particular effect was desired.
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Vintage Audio
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Telefunken
We all know that the Shure SM57 and AKG D 112 are pretty
ubiquitous on snare and kick on countless recordings, right? Why?
Because they are affordable and sound pretty damn good! Many an
engineer, myself included, have tried other mics, but come back to
the 57/112 combo because it works. But we still want to find a set
of mics that works better and helps differentiate our recordings a
bit from all the others that use the 57/112 and makes us feel
like we're trying a little harder to not follow the herd. Well, I think
I've found those mics.
I've always been a big fan of Telefunken, so when the M82 was
introduced as a kick drum mic, I was eager to check it out. Well,
guess what, it sounds great! It has a low-mid tuck tailored for kick
that gets it much closer to record-ready than the D 112. I've had
similar success with the Earthworks KickPad inline pad/EQ [Tape Op
#45], but the M82's kick-friendly tuning is built into the mic, which
I appreciate. All I can say is, I've used the M82 for every drum
session I've done for the past six months, and I've been really
pleased with it. I've also used the mic for bass cabinets and the
bottom end of a Leslie with good results.
Robert "Bob" Cheek is a Seattle-based engineer who works in my
Panoramic House and Dock studios. He was pretty stoked when the
M82 showed up. He'd been using one alongside the M80 at Matt
Bayles' Red Room Recording and was really digging both of them.
"You gotta' check out the M80, it's like the Heil but even better."
The Heil that Bob was referring to is the Heil PR 20 [#40], which
has been our go-to snare mic at The Hangar (and now Panoramic)
for years in lieu of the SM57.
I've only used the M80 a few times (with great results), but here's
what Bob had to say about it: "I've been using the M80 in Seattle
and at Panoramic quite a bit. I love it on both top and bottom snare
the main reason being that it seems to require very little EQ
compared to an SM57, especially in the top end. The M82 is also
great and requires less EQ than a D 112. I also A/B'ed it with a
couple mics on bass cab, and it won the shoot out by far. I used
both mics on recent sessions at Panoramic for Band of Horses and
The Tumbleweeds Band."
Bob asked Matt to chime in on the mics: "I find the M80
indispensable now that I have it. I love it on snare less muck
through the low mids and snappier in the upper frequencies as well.
The M82 has some versatility to it. It can be just as snappy but less
"modern" (scooped) than a D 112, which is a good thing, but can
also be set for a flatter sound without feeling dull and thuddy like a
D 112. I also have a pair of M81s, the mellower version of the M80,
and use them on guitar even bass sometimes where I might try an
MD 421 or PR 40 [#56] to combine with an LDC like the Bock iFet."
Thanks Matt! Thanks Bob! Thanks Telefunken! Both mics include
a nice leather bag, a well-designed mount, and a Telefunken mic
cable with a 90-degree female connector for easier placement on
drums. (M80 $249 street, M82 $399; www.t funk.com)JB
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The X1R is a ribbon mic with a few design twists. Its housed in
the same body as sEs X1 large-diaphragm condenser and is
designed to produce more high end, and more output level, than
the average ribbon. sE sent me a pair of these mics to test.
I was tracking an album at my studio with Doralice, who are a
fantastic San Francisco violin and acoustic guitar duo. On violin, I
placed the X1R next to two great vintage mics: an AKG C 414 EB,
and a Bang & Olufsen BM 5 ribbon. Guitarist Yates was playing
some beautiful instruments, including a 1922 Martin parlor guitar
and a Santa Cruz D/PW dreadnought. I set up the second X1R next
to a Lucas CS-1 and a vintage Reslo Pencil Ribbon. On both sources,
the X1R held its own. It was much brighter than either of the other
ribbons and sounded quite nice by itself. I rarely use ribbons
without a second brighter mic, but the X1R would have done fine
as a single mic, particularly in a busy mix. These quiet sources (the
parlor guitar was crazy quiet conversational level at best) also
provided good output level and noise floor tests. I ran both vintage
ribbons through my Cloudlifter CL-2, but the sE mics went straight
to my preamps (API 3124, Sytek MPX-4A). The preamp gain
settings ended up the same for the Cloudlifter-fed vintage ribbons
and the straight-in X1Rs! Thats a healthy output level for a ribbon.
The X1Rs exhibited some low-end noise, but the other ribbons had
a ton of wideband hiss not surprising given the amount of gain
I was running.
Next I had Steve Brooks at my studio to track guitar solos for a
new Torche LP. He played a Telecaster into a Yamaha T50 with tons
of gain through an old Mesa cabinet. The X1R had no problems with
the high SPL, and here it behaved more like a traditional ribbon
darker and funkier than a dynamic (in this case, a nice Shure 546),
but awesome when blended with the dynamic. With a 10 kHz
boost, the X1R opened up nicely on its own and provided a
different tone altogether from the other two mics.
Finally, for fun, I tried the X1R on bass while doing reamps for
Sie lieben Maschinen, an old-school noise rock project from Josh
Newton (Every Time I Die, Shiner) and Steve Tulipana (Season to
Risk). I ran Joshs Electrical Guitar Company bass into a Fuzzrocious
Rat Tail and a cranked Bassman for tons of grind. And the X1R ruled
on bass! It produced huge low end, solid articulate highs, and not
much in the mids but it sounded cool. (The proximity effect was
pretty dramatic, but the net result was scoopage.) My Sennheiser
MD 441 sounded downright small next to the X1R, but was perfect
for filling in the X1Rs scooped mids; so depending on the
arrangement, I had lots of good options in those two faders.
The X1R feels solid overall. Its grille is a little flimsy; I had to
be careful not to push against the mesh while I crammed a Neutrik
XLR connector into the mic. (Like many mics, the X1R doesnt love
the rubber gasket on those Neutrik jacks.)
sE also sent two Isolation Packs thats a $49 combination
shockmount and pop filter that fits the X1 series and a handful of
other sE mics. The shockmount is made mostly of plastic
(intentionally for weight savings, sE tells me), with elastic-band
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sE Electronics
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I honestly dont know how long Vintage Audio can sell gear this
well-built at the asking price. Investigate the cost of a discrete
quad-VCA compressor, then check out the MSL. Not only is the MSL
insanely good for its price, but its also very flexible, since it can
be used on individual tracks, stems, or the mix bus. I recommend
you purchase one while its still available at an introductory price.
I would still be using mine if one of the engineers here hadnt
borrowed it for his own work!
($1199 introductory price; www.reviveaudio.com)
Garrett Haines <www.treelady.com>
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For the first project, I broke out the stems for drums, bass,
lead vocal, backing vocals, keys, guitars, lead guitars, and
effects. Although the Sigma 500 can accept up to 32 input
channels, I limited myself to 16, because I figured most
people would be happy with 8 stereo stems. Level-matching
as best as I could, I printed a master using the internal
summing of Pro Tools and a master using the Sigma 500 with
the Lola modules. I sent the test files to my client, a praise
and worship leader at a large Oklahoma church. He listened to
both versions and solicited the advice of his colleagues and
band members. In the blind test, they chose the Sigma 500
version by a vote of 7 to 1. For Fault Lines, a punky garagepop four-piece, I loaded the Sigma 500 with the Eisen Audio
modules, drove them pretty hard, and attenuated the output
through the A-10. I also summed a mix in Sequoia 10. The
band chose the GAS-powered version. This version glued Jedi
Emily Seabrokes bass line better than all the multiband
compressors and all the plug-in exciters could. (I know this
was not a scientific comparison. I should have played the
Sequoia version through the preamps as well, but in the real
world, I would not patch gear that way unless I had the GAS
installed.) In a third set of tests, I added more outboard gear,
running each stem through a bus compressor before it hit the
Sigma 500. This workflow can be facilitated by a patchbay
with normals from your converters to the Sigma 500, allowing
you to insert gear when desired between the DAC and the
summing circuit. If you choose a summing box setup, consider
adding such patching to your installation. These masters
resulted in the most significant sonic differences, coming
much closer to the feel of a large-console mix.
So, the broader question is: If you have the converters
and the time, is analog summing better than in the box?
Yes? Garrett said so. His clients said so even in blind
tests. But what does better mean? To be honest, better is
not the correct term. Analog summing sounds different.
Furthermore, some styles of music may sound better mixed
in the box. Plus, ITB recalls are a dream. But when I want to
maintain the illusion of hearing the artist perform right in
front of me, I prefer properly implemented analog summing.
Flipping back-and-forth does reveal a wider soundstage with
the Sigma 500 not a vast difference, but noticeable.
However, the major differences were in two areas. First,
elements like vocals, guitar solos, and snare drums tend to
sit in the mix with an uncanny this is exactly where I
belong vibe. You need less processing to blend elements.
Once I was out of comparison testing, I found I was
removing plug-ins from various channels because they were
no longer needed. Second, analog summing seems to place
a big sonic blanket around the mix. Things start to sound
like a record faster and easier than when working within
the world of endless possibilities in a DAW.
Within the world of summing mixers, the GAS Sigma 500
has many advantages. It has lots of inputs. It doubles as a
two-channel 500-series rack. Its got passive mode. And its
construction is sturdy. Of course, you must provide your own
preamps for the final gain stage, but thats part of the allure
of this unit. And if you have access to multiple preamps, an
array of sonic signatures can be readily at your disposal. All
you have to do is pull four screws. But one last piece of advice:
Dont go too far trying to find the perfect preamps, because at
some point, you have to make records.
($750 direct; www.recordingwithgas.com)
Garrett Haines <www.treelady.com>
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GAS Audio
12 Gauge Microphones
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Tape Op is made
possible by our
advertisers.
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Rascal Audio
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studio group
singlefinstudiogroup.com
facebook.com/SingleFinStudioGroup
twitter.com/SingleFinStudio
PORTLAND
NEW YORK
JACKPOT! RECORDING
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MAVERICKS STUDIOS
Jackpot! Recording Studio in Portland, OR, has been in operation since 1997.
The studio features a comfortable working environment, a versatile live room,
and an incredible gear selection, with 2" tape, Pro Tools, a Rupert Neve
Designs 5088 console and an over-the-top outboard gear and mic selection.
Jackpot!'s affordable $300 day rates are designed with freelance engineers in
mind. Artists love this space, and engineers enjoy working here.
www.mavericksrecording.com/ blurry55@gmail.com
www.jackpotrecording.com 503-239-5389
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MARIN COUNTY
SACRAMENTO
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An open studio hidden away in NYC where you'll find a custom API/Tree
Console, lots of Craviotto drums, tape, computers, huge mic selection and
select outboard. Sounds beautifully melt together in a room where musicians
are meant to play side by side. You'll be back in your favorite treehouse.
The Panoramic House is the ultimate VRBO for musicians. A live-in residential
studio overlooking the Pacific Ocean with an API/Neve console, 2 tape,
Pro Tools HD, and an echo chamber. Each room of the house is filled with
musical instruments except for the gourmet kitchen with a wood burning oven
and Wolf range. Plenty of room and solitude to get into a creative space but
only 30 minutes from San Francisco.
Rates start at $350 a day.
www.thedockstudio.com john@onefinmanagement.com
916-444-5241
www.vrbo.com/505782 john@onefinmanagement.com
916-444-5241
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The Dock in the General Produce Building is a 1500 square foot historic brick
building and the studio is built to track rock bands quickly and efficiently.
Producer/engineer Chris Woodhouse (Oh Sees, Ty Segall, Wild Flag) calls this analog
centered studio home base and specd it with an eye to speed and an ear to rock.
Studer A-80 16 track 2 tape, Pro Tools HD, a Trdent Series 65 and Daking
A-Range console in a great sounding space are the key elements in this room.
Rates start @ $200 a day.
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16 channel UA Apollo Converter 10 channel vintage Spectra Sonics console 4 channel vintage RCA tube console
mics, pres, etc. We can set up for you to record yourself, or provide an engineer.
Email john@onefinmanagement.com for more info
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Mastering
& Recording
Services:
All of these studios
support the
Tape Op Community &
would welcome the
opportunity to talk to
you about mastering
your next project. Go
to www.tapeop.com/
mediakit/
to find out about
putting your
studio on these pages.
Warmenfat
The
Pure Tube
Class A Micro Amplifier!
$499
direct!
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856-589-6186 609-636-1789
WWW.ENAKMIC.COM ENAKMIC@COMCAST.NET
@h
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Led Zeppelin
I, II, III 2014 remasters
Its been over 20 years since the original CDs were issued. Since
then the technology has improved, and there are all these new
digital formats out there, so it made sense to revisit the studio
albums, Jimmy Page told me when he visited New York to promote
the newly remastered CD, LP, and digital versions of Led Zeppelins
first three groundbreaking albums. But thats not unique. Everybodys
doing that. So I wanted to make these new versions into something quite
sexy.
In fact, the recent history of Led Zeppelins catalog is a pretty tangled affair, so
simply hearing that John Davis, of Metropolis Studios in London, has tackled not just the first
three Zeppelin albums, but the entire catalog, is welcome news to any fan of the band. Audiophiles can
debate the original 1980s CD versions, created by Barry Diament from vinyl master tapes, versus the
1990s versions, approved by Page and mastered by George Marino (not to mention the abysmal,
brickwalled late-00s Mothership versions). However, these new CD masters, and spectacular heavyweight
LP reissues, will certainly be the gold standard for a long time to come.
Ive done really, really high-resolution files for whatever system comes next, but Im not even going
to tell you the details of that, Page hinted, with a twinkle in his eye. Were prepared for anything
thats to come, which is even higher resolution.
Project consultant Robin Hurley confirmed to me, however, that 96 kHz/24-bit files will be accessible,
via download cards, in each of the deluxe edition box sets of Led Zeppelin and also via HDTracks.com,
over the next 18 months.
Even better, that something quite sexy that Page was referring to are the companion discs of
previously unheard tracks, as well as works-in-progress versions of what amount to alternate versions of
each album (with the exception of Led Zeppelin I, for which there were no outtakes to speak of. This
forced Page to use a live show from October 1969, at the Olympia Theater in Paris. He told me he first
heard it in a bootleg shop in Japan).
I wanted to make sure that whats on the bootlegs that are out there, as best as possible, wasnt
going to appear on our stuff, Page told me proudly of the project. I didnt want it to be anything you
recognized. I wanted to get it right. Heres the thing: Ive purposely laced it, where it gives you the
insight of what was going on in making these albums. These arent subtle differences, because if youre
going to have a companion to the original track, its got to be sufficiently interesting. And, also, the
albums got to hold up on its own.
The companion discs are indeed fantastic; though fans of Zeppelin bootlegs, like Studio Magik, will
surely clamor for more after hearing the pristine sounding, albeit brief, single bonus discs included with
each deluxe set. They are revelatory though, and also keep with Pages idea to give a portal into the
making of the album, without being overly redundant.
As for the sound, the mastering is top-notch. Theres great definition and roundness to the bass, as
well as more clarity in the top end. Cymbals sound clear and far less edgy than the 90s Marino versions.
In particular, the acoustic guitar on Thank You sounds nicely rendered, with more definition and space
around it. Ambience and reverb seem to be more natural throughout, a result of the new transfer with
the better, current analog to digital converters.
Finally, while the Super Deluxe Edition Box Sets are nice, and include books strewn with Zeppelin
artifacts, like Robert Plants handwritten lyrics, the real gems here are the new LP versions. At about a
third the cost of the deluxe boxes (in which the LPs are also included, along with the CD versions), they
may be the way to go for all but the most die-hard fan.
-Jeff Slate <jeffslate.com>
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Rainbow Electronics
5800 Madison Avenue, Ste. G
Sacramento, CA 95841
916-334-7277
www.rainbowelectronics.net
AEA
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When I think of AEA, I think of vintage-styled, classic ribbon mics. The AEA R-series harks back
to RCA ribbon mics in both looks and tonal qualities, while AEAs modern manufacturing approach
includes innovations in internal shockmounting and adding active electronics for higher output levels
and less sensitivity to preamp input impedance. The N22, in contrast, represents the first microphone
in AEAs Nuvo series the new generation of modern mics from AEA. The N22, built in Pasadena,
California, sports a distinctive look, with a sleek, 1.5 diameter cylindrical body, satin nickel finish,
and AEAs familiar cloth screening. Inside, the N22 sports AEAs trademark Big Ribbon technology
and clean JFET active circuitry. Phantom power is therefore required, and care was taken to ensure
that a typical USB audio interface could easily power the mic. Even as their entry-level microphone,
the N22 sports the fit and finish of a much higher priced studio mic. No corners were cut on the
build quality and finish, and the included shockmount provides a solid grip with a unique, low-profile
configuration.
AEAs design goal for the N22 was to bridge the gap between traditional ribbon mics, with their
classic, but sometimes mellow tone, and modern condensers, with their forward high-mids and
rolled-off bottom. On paper and in use, the N22 exhibits a slightly-hyped upper midrange, between
2 kHz and 6 kHz, and a bottom end that rolls off gently, starting at around 800 Hz. The top end also
falls off quickly, dropping about 10 dB from 5 kHz to 15 kHz. The overall frequency response is not
that different from a typical studio dynamic microphone, like a Shure SM57. The N22s ribbon motor,
however, brings a smoother flavor and a bidirectional figure-8 pattern, which provides a bit more
natural ambience to the recordings. High frequencies above 10 kHz are extremely attenuated, so the
N22 will never sound harsh or strident. Fabric screening protects the sensitive ribbon element, and
the N22 begs to be used up close, even for vocal and drum recording. As with all ribbon mics, care
should be taken to avoid direct windblasts towards the capsule, but high SPL sources can easily be
handled by this mic. A simple pop filter would protect the mic while recording vocals or kick drums.
I had the opportunity to put up the N22 in many sessions, using preamps from API, Chandler,
Focusrite, Manley, and Warm Audio, to capture acoustic guitar, electric guitar amps, male and female
vocals, drums, and piano. My first impression of the N22 was that it felt a bit thin and midrange
focused almost too narrow a frequency response for my taste. However, after playing around with
placement on various sources, I found that I could (and needed to) place the mic very close to most
sources. The N22s proximity boost in the low end is mitigated by its inherent frequency response,
so even acoustic guitars and vocals can be close-miced without fear of picking up too much lowend mud, or overdriving the capsule. The slightly-boosted upper midrange coupled with the ribbons
smoothness brought a nice size and color to snare drums, vocals, acoustic guitar, and piano. I would
characterize the flavor as modern, but folksy, in that sources sound natural, but still present.
Overdubbing and recording multiple instruments on the same production all with the N22 resulted
in a coherent blend of sounds that didnt build up in any particular frequency range.
A pair of N22s would provide a great way to record a singer who also plays guitar. Simply position
each mic so that its null point (the side of the figure-8) rejects either the voice or the guitar, and
there should be a good deal of isolation for each source. The off-axis bleed and rear pickup of room
reflections actually add useful ambience and depth to the tracks. The N22 produced a useful and
unique sonic character for almost all the sources I tried it on. Im not sure I would want this as my
only mic, but the N22 paired with a fuller-range mic would be a very capable combo for almost any
recording setting. This mic does not compete with AEAs superb A840 [Tape Op #94] or R92 [#56]
mics, but the N22 definitely fills a void in the affordable all-around studio mic category. I would
compare the N22s usefulness (but not necessarily its sound) to the AKG C 414 and Shure KSM series.
The combination of its ribbon qualities and nicely-shaped frequency response makes the N22 a
winner in its category. ($899 street with case, shockmount, cover; www.ribbonmics.com)
Adam Kagan <www.TemptressThePlugin.com>
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Give Me a Hammer
by John Baccigaluppi
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Software companies and gear manufacturers please take note: I believe there is a market
for simpler, more stable, recording tools. Ive spent so much more money on (now obsolete)
digital recording software and hardware than I ever did on tape machine maintenance and
tape head relapping. I really like working on DAWs, but I wish my tools performed their
functions well and didnt require constant updates.
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I would rather pay my DAW provider a yearly fee to keep my current version working well
on my system, rather than constantly dealing with this. Sure, there are a few features that
seem nice, but in the end Id rather keep working with the tools I have rather than learn
new ones. Of course theres also the issue of all the purchased plug-ins that stop working.
Can I at least get those to keep working? I know it takes a ton of work and man-hours to
keep updating code to work with new operating systems, as well as other changes, and that
work has a very real cost attached to it. Nonetheless, as I was getting a demo of the latest
iZ Technology RADAR system at the same trade show, I couldnt help but be
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Lets take carpentry as an analogy. Ive been getting into woodworking again, several
decades after my last high school wood shop class. One of the primary tools for any carpenter
is a hammer. Once you find a hammer you like, the more you use it, the more you learn its
nuances and how to use it efficiently. After a year or so of using the same hammer, its like
an extension of your arm. I have a spokeshave of which I feel that way about. (This is a
carving tool that shaves thin slivers of wood.) It takes a bit to get the hang of it at first,
but now I know intimately how it will interact with a piece of wood, and with the grain
of the wood. I cant really say that about any audio software, as interfacing with it is a
constantly moving target. It would be like showing up to your carpentry job and being
given a slightly different hammer and spokeshave to work with every day.
Just give me a
hammer.
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