Demo magazine by martin-thewebkitchen

The Creative Music Recording Magazine

Dan Auerbach

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The Black Keys, Easy Eye Sound

Daniel Lanois Catching Up with The Master

Neko Case

Finding Studio Possibilities

Tony Bongiovi

Power Station, Motown, Disco Hits!

Ben Fowler

Working at Power Station

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Third Man Pressing Jack White Makes Vinyl

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Gear Reviews

Issue

No.

Oct/Nov

127

2018

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Hello and

welcome to

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#127! (d

Letters Third Man Pressing Plant Neko Case Daniel Lanois Tony Bongiovi Ben Fowler Dan Auerbach Gear Reviews Larry’s End Rant Online Only Content: Ben Fowler extended interview

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12 16 22 30 34 46 52 62 86

Tape Op

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Months ago I was asked to produce a track for an artist who had previously done all of his own recordings himself. He sent me some tracks to overdub on, and I hired musicians and a vocalist to add parts under my guidance. When it came time to do a simple triangle overdub (it was a bossa nova styled tune) I grabbed two mics that had been used as drum overheads, and had the percussionist play in front of the stereo pair. When I sent off my first mix of the song, the artist noted, “I really enjoyed the movement of the muted triangle. It drew my attention in different directions, whether it was panned or not, which was enjoyable.” I felt that he assumed there was some sort of intentional, or automated, panning going on, when all that was happening was the percussionist leaning slightly left or right as he played. With the proliferation of plug-ins, online tutorials of processing overkill, and in-the-box everything, – like recording percussion in front of a stereo mic – can create so much interest, and captivate the listener. Many times it pays to remember that simple techniques often work best, and have the most impact.

sometimes forget that the simplest act Larry Crane, Editor

people

“Organising is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.” – A. A. Milne Very organized writing utensil space at Power Station. See interview on page 34.

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The Creative Music Recording Magazine

Editor

Larry Crane

Publisher &!Graphic Design John Baccigaluppi

Online Publisher Geoff Stanfield

CTO & Digital Director Anthony Sarti

Production Manager & Gear Reviews Editor Scott McChane Andy Hong

Contributing Writers &!Photographers

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Gear Geek at Large

Cover photo by Lia Darjes <www.liadarjes.com> outtake from Nils Frahm photos in Tape Op #126 Tom Eaton, Joel Hamilton, Adam Selzer, Chris Mara, Scott Colburn, Jason Hatfield, Bren Davies, Brian T. Silak, Alysse Gafkjen, Joseph Branciforte, Pete Weiss, Dana Gumbiner, Adam Kagan, Garrett Haines, Greg Gordon, Harris Thurmond, Scott Craggs, Tom Fine, Scott Evans, Scott McDowell, Alan Tubbs, and Gus Berry.

Editorial and Office Assistants

Jenna Crane (editorial copy editor), Jordan Holmes (reviews copy editor), Thomas Danner (transcription), Maria Baker (admin, accounting), Jay Ribadeneyra (online)

Tape Op Book distribution c/o www.halleonard.com

Disclaimer

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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

(For submissions, letters, music for review. Music for review is also reviewed in the San Rafael office, address below) P.O. Box 86409, Portland, OR 97286 voicemail 503-208-4033

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All unsolicited submissions and letters sent to us become the property of Tape Op.

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Advertising

John Baccigaluppi 916-444-5241, (john@tapeop.com) Laura Thurmond/Thurmond Media 512-529-1032, (laura@tapeop.com) Marsha Vdovin 415-420-7273, (marsha@tapeop.com) Kerry Rose 415-601-1446, (kerry@tapeop.com) Printing: Matt Saddler @ Democrat Printing, Little Rock, AR Subscribe online at tapeop.com

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Postmaster and all general inquiries to:

Tape Op Magazine, PO Box 151079, San Rafael, CA 94915 (916) 444-5241 | tapeop.com Tape Op is published by Single Fin, Inc. (publishing services) and Jackpot! Recording Studio, Inc. (editorial services)

www.tapeop.com

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It all starts with people, and we’re all wired differently. I’m honored you shared this with us. -LC

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We are always looking for a variety of interviews in every issue. If there are ideas for living recordists you think we should interview, please drop us a line! -LC Your interviews about Gotye and Stephen Masucci [#124] rescuing the Ondiolines was fascinating. It did remind me though, that the first time I heard one played was under the hands of the legendary Al Kooper [#73], who used it extensively in the sixties. Also, the new format of the print edition is quite nice. Terry Maraccini <terrym10@me.com>

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I was discussing hard drive set ups with a fellow home recordist the other day and realized that, while I’ve added and removed many different pieces of gear and software from my studio over the last couple of decades, I have not changed the basic architecture of my hard drive setup. I run a Mac, with a dedicated system drive, a dedicated recording file drive, a sample drive, and a local backup drive that doubles all of this. I also have a NAS [network attached storage] setup that duplicates the whole home studio, and I dump everything onto a cloud service a couple of times a year. But the question is: is this a reasonable modern set up? Since I’m running mostly SSDs [solid state drives], do I still need all these different drives? How long do you let drives run before retiring? Christopher Stewart <conifermysticsuitkill.bandcamp.com>

Larry, your advice to “focus on music first” to the young man who wrote Tape Op for advice about building an allanalog studio [#126] was spot on. Music comes before recording. Recording is a dull bunch of gear and wires without great music front and center. Spend your dough on music lessons, u s e t h e b r a v e n e w streaming world before you, and listen to everything. Do some reading on music history, figure out why certain music has very wide appeal and other music not so wide, find out why different music resonates with different cultures, and so on. Go listen to live music; especially live acoustic music. Figure out how different instruments sound in front of your ears, and compare how they sound in recordings. Walk around outside, and listen to the sounds around you everywhere you go. Listen to the w i n d a n d ra i n , and listen carefully to the background noises in the air, as well as the air itself and your heartbeat in your ears. All of this tunes your aural senses. Acute hearing, combined with musical knowledge, is what you really need. Getting, learning, and using gear is easy. Being a musically-skilled careful listener is a whole other level. It’s a worthy aspiration; both because it will set you on a path towards a viable career and, more importantly, it is a way to feel completely alive and experience the full depth of emotions inherent to great music. Tom Fine <tom.fine@gmail.com>

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Some of us out here would like the articles to include people that play, engineer, and produce music other than pop and rock. I include a lot of categories in pop and rock. What I’m referring to is classical, jazz, world music, Latin, reggae, and so on. I would love to read interviews with some of the people still alive that recorded classic jazz records. Rudy Van Gelder [Tape Op #43] is gone, but an article about him or others in that field would be great. I know there have been some articles about such people, but I would like to see more. Jerrold Weinstein <weinsteinjerrold@yahoo.com>

I assume it’s obvious, but the inspiration to start Tape Op was to have a forum for inclusion and not exclusion. We don’t need to hear that records are only made in $3000 per day studios. We want to hear that great art can be made by people like us, on limited budgets, with a lot of creativity! -LC

I enjoyed the piece about “The Aesthetics of Remastering Reissues” [#125]. It’s nice to see this type of work being recognized, and I think the engineers did a good job of covering the important issues. Remastering and audio preservation are separate disciplines, but they share many of the same concerns. I think even collectors who treasure their favorite records appreciate cosmetic improvements, if they can be made transparently. I’m now remastering rhythm & blues records from the ‘50s, and most of them benefit greatly from the re-balancing of poorly recorded vocals. Plus, in many cases, filtering to reduce narrow-band distortion. I liked Jessica Thompson’s advice, “Learn to listen to, and love, noise.” Training the ear to recognize the different types of noise is the first step in reducing it. Doug Pomeroy <audiofixer@verizon.net>

You just never know. I have a friend whose power went out while he was archiving, and he lost three drives at once... all three copies of his project. I would suggest never having all your backups powered up at once, and I would also suggest (based on personal experience) that SSDs fail massively when they fail. I have had two die on me, and I couldn’t get a spec of data off either afterwards. I would add one “only attached when backing up” drive to your local system and use it weekly. And, just to be safe, take your NAS offline while backing up to it. You just never know. Tom Eaton <thomaseaton.com>

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There is real potential

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I wanted to compliment you on the Gary Numan interview in #125. As a fellow synth nut and stubborn solo artist, Gary was always one of those enigmatic icons to me, but I never knew he had Asperger’s Syndrome. This made me start thinking about the power of “neurodiversity” in our industry; a term that simply identifies conditions that might lie along the Autism spectrum as differences, but not necessarily disabilities. You can almost consider it “playing to your strengths,” in certain cases. Bringing these amazing minds into all aspects of the music business could broaden perspectives and bring fresh insights to what we’re doing artistically. Now, as the father of a 10-year-old son with Asperger’s Syndrome, I see his amazingly different brain managing things that I could simply never do. His ability to collect information, focus on content, stay on task, and ignore what might be influential, has yielded some amazing results over the years. I armed him with my old MacBook, a MIDI keyboard, a basic CAD USB condenser mic, a halfscale electric guitar, and 12-watt Marshall amp, as well as some software and unlimited access to all my musical toys around the house. Let’s just say I never know what he’s going to churn out next; it’s always mind-blowing and completely original. I couldn’t ask for a better collaborator, and I’m immensely proud of him. Thanks for another compelling article that’s about a lot more than just cool gear and records. It all starts with people and ideas, right? Chris Mehalso <chrismehalso@hotmail.com>

I recently discontinued a longtime subscription to a major glossy music publication, and tossed the first issue of a new one I decided to check out into the recycling bin after a quick skim. Over the years, I’ve subscribed to pretty much every major recordingrelated publication out there and they always follow the same editorial formula: an interview or two, some gear reviews, a couple of How-To columns, and an op-ed. And then there’s Tape Op. The focus on real people, making real music in real-world situations, gives me all the same information the glossy mags do, but in a context than actually means something to me. It also gives me a sense of being part of a tribe: I feel as though I could walk into a room full of Tape Op subscribers and instantly feel like I belong. Most importantly, it gives me inspiration. When I finish reading an issue of Tape Op I get up out of my chair and go make music. Thank you to the whole Tape Op crew for creating this incredible resource! Steve Chiasson <mainemusic.me>

I’ve been reading Tape Op forever, and I love every issue. But lately your interviews have been hitting as close to home as they can for me. Julien Baker [#124], Nils Frahm [#125], and Taylor Deupree [#125]? It’s like you guys are reading my mind. Or at least buying my music streaming history from Facebook. Whatever it is, keep doing it. Alex Luquet <www.sailclothsounds.com>

12/Tape Op#127/Letters/(continued on page 14)

Without a doubt you want redundancy. I recommend [Apple’s] Time Machine on a dedicated enterprise grade rotational drive, then using your NAS for deeper storage, as well as some sort of off-site storage that is a snapshot of the NAS. This works well for me, and I am admin’ing for about 15 users at a multiroom facility. I have dedicated servers, a few NAS, and then I also have it migrate at night to offsite. In short: Redundancy is best. Joel Hamilton <www.joelhamilton.net> I have had about three SSD drives fail on me since they became more ubiquitous. My current practice is to just have the sessions on two separate drives of my own (if it’s for a client, then I just keep one and give them one). But I’ve been thinking it may be a good idea to create a copy of each session with just the active audio files, and then backing that up to the cloud. That way, if all else fails, at least I could retrieve the session to make any tweaks using the keeper takes without taking up too much cloud space. Adam Selzer <www.adamselzerworks.com>

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It seems you’re doing a pretty good job on the backup side of things. I will say that I budget new drives every 18 to 24 months, and cycle them out as a cost of doing business. With hard drive prices so low these days, I’d hate to inform a client that I lost some of their work because I was too cheap to keep fresh drives in service! Chris Mara <www.welcometo1979.com> I ran a similar system for many years, and I would replace the hard drives when the warranty expired. I would then use them for the final resting place for completed projects. Currently I run a mirrored RAID system with an external backup and just let the drives burn out before replacing them. Scott Colburn <www.scottcolburn.com>

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Just a quick message from a new subscriber to say thank you for all the hard work you do towards compiling an amazing magazine. I’m a composer and songwriter; I just received my first copy by mail, and it’s a delight to read. I’ll be sure the spread the good word as far as I can. Dave Smith <davidgeorgesmith@gmail.com>

Thanks so much for the recent feature on Chip Young [#124], a legendary behind-the-scenes talent and a true gentleman. Also, I love the new look of Tape Op! Craig Dobbins <www.craigdobbins.com>

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When I pulled issue #125 out of my mailbox, something immediately caught my eye: Matt Chamberlain! As a veteran of the audio industry, and a lifelong drummer, I was excited to see that my favorite audio magazine had interviewed one of the greatest living session musicians. Matt is a sideman that not only plays the perfect part to a song, but also adds a signature sound that separates him from the generic. Rob Schnell <drummerob@me.com>

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I learned about some of the recent artists we've interviewed via contributors and readers of Tape Op. Are there people we should interview? Drop us a line! -LC

14/Tape Op#127/Letters/(Fin.)

Send Letters & Questions to: editor@tapeop.com Tape Op is made possible by our advertisers.

Please support them and tell them you saw their ad in Tape Op.

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Making Vinyl in Detroit

Third Man Pressing

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Musician and entrepreneur Jack White [Tape Op #82] has opened a brand-new storefront and vinyl record ‘80s hardcore scene. There’s The Old Miami; a bar that’s pressing plant in the historic Cass Corridor section of Detroit, a place that’s been home to artists and musicians for been supporting the music scene for years. This is the decades and is now experiencing a renaissance. Third Man Pressing helps fulfill the increasing demand for vinyl hub of many different generations of music in Detroit. records, plays a vital role in the resurgence of vinyl culture, and contributes to the rebirth of Detroit. White also That’s what the murals in the front of our store represent. founded Third Man Records, which has also released music by his bands, The White Stripes, Dead Weather, There’s a big MC5 mural, of them playing at the Wayne The Raconteurs, as well as his recent solo album (Boarding House Reach). White has produced countless records, State [University] football field, which is right down the released scores of records by many artists on Third Man Records, written a children’s book (We’re Going To Be block. Then there’s The White Stripes playing at the Gold Friends), and put out other authors’ work on Third Man Books. He’s also helped support music education for kids, acted in films, and created the unique Blue Room; the only live venue in the world where artists can record live-to- Dollar. And then the next one is The Gories playing at an acetate. Detroit’s Third Man Records and Third Man Pressing Plant feels like a small, family business. Workers earn old art gallery, which was on the same block as us right a living wage of $15 an hour, with full benefits, and the company eschews traditional job titles. Instead, most now. When the opportunity came to get right here in the everyone can jump in to help wherever work needs to get done. David Buick was kind enough to give me a tour of heart of it, Jack, of course, jumped on it. the pressing plant and tell me a bit about what goes on there, and Roe Peterhans, who runs the Detroit operation, How many manufacturing jobs will the chimed in during our conversation. pressing plant supply?

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The Third Man Records store has been DB: This is the center of the Cass Corridor, which was re- DB: What are they saying, Roe? How many jobs will there branded “Midtown Detroit” about ten years ago to try to be when we go to three shifts? open in Detroit since when? David Buick: We opened to the public on Black Friday of 2015, the day after Thanksgiving.

And the Third Man Pressing plant? DB: The end of February 2017.

Can you talk about the history of the Cass Corridor neighborhood, and why you chose to put the store and the plant here?

16/Tape Op#127/Third Man/

fancify the neighborhood. But, since way back with blues Roe Peterhans: About 40 to 50. and soul musicians, it’s always been a hub of artists, DB: We’re in the process of adding a full second shift. And musicians, poets, sculptors, painters, drug addicts, then once that starts running smoothly, we’re going to prostitutes, and bad guys. It was always the seedy, add a third shift. And at that point it’ll be about 40 to creative, free-thinking neighborhood. Gold Dollar was a 50 [manufacturing jobs]. And we have about 15 in the venue where the White Stripes first played, which is not front of the house. It’s a sizeable amount of jobs. even a mile south of us. Zoot’s Coffeehouse venue was a What are the different jobs, and what block away. The old Freezer Theater and the Clubhouse does each position entail? were nearby, and they were the main venues for the early

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an interview with David Buick & Roe Peterhans

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DB: As a company, our theory is [to have] no job titles. DB: We were test running and then pressing product for a If you look at my card, my job title on there is month and a half before the opening. No one that “Romantic Comedian.” Jack feels if you give someone a started the plant – other than our customer service title, that will limit what they’ll do. But Randy is the whiz, Jessica, who came up from United Record person that oversees the whole plant, and then his Pressing [Nashville] – had any experience in a pressing right-hand man, Brandon, is like the foreman. There are plant. Some people had experience working with other people QC-ing [quality control], people that are running injection molds and other factories. Everybody was the presses, and people running the packaging and the learning, because it’s not just pressing buttons. shrink wrapper. But, for the most part, those rotate. What were the first records you guys There are some skills certain people feel more pressed here? comfortable with, or are better at. But everyone can DB: Opening weekend we pressed the first two White hop from job to job. Stripes records [The White Stripes, De Stijl], a deluxe version of the first Stooges record [The Stooges], and a After you get up to three shifts, reissue of the first MC5 record [Kick Out the Jams]. Those how many records can you were all on Third Man Records; we licensed those last manufacture in a day? two, and of course we have The White Stripes. Our friends DB: We estimate, if all eight machines are running from ESP [Essential Screen Printing] set up in the back, completely smoothly, about 5,000 a shift. So that and they were live silk-screening the covers for those. would be 15,000 for a three-shift day, eventually. On another machine we had a gospel reissue project. We I read that you bought new presses from don’t just do Third Man records here. We also had two Newbilt Machinery [a German 7-inch [presses] running, which was for Derrick May and company]. Are they all up and Carl Craig. Those are two of the pioneers of the Detroit running? techno scene. Typically, their records are pressed on DB: Yeah, all eight are up and running. 12-inch [vinyl], so it was an exclusive thing. When did you get them working?

What was the gospel record? DB: The gospel record was by The Johnson Family Singers. Our friend, Mike McGonigal, is doing a Detroit gospel series – I believe he’s pressed seven of them here. It’s called the Detroit Gospel Reissue Project. Mike’s a writer [Detroit Metro Times], and does magazines [Chemical Imbalance, YETI].

Is there a rough percentage of in-house Third Man Records pressings, versus other label’s records? DB: It’s been random; whatever is in line. It’s not always Third Man projects. We’ve been doing small, independent things, as well as a few major label runs. Third Man had a couple of really big projects, so there was about a week or two there where all the machines were Third Man, because we were doing The American Epic Sessions soundtrack albums for the PBS special.

What was that?

DB: That was a four-part series on PBS that Jack coproduced with T Bone Burnett [Tape Op #67], Robert Redford, and a couple other fellows. Epic Records, who put it out, did an actual soundtrack that was like a “Best Of.” We did a full companion soundtrack to it.

Third Man/(continued on page 18)/Tape Op#127/17

There’s also a soundtrack that Epic [Records] put out in partnership with us that’s available all over as well. Our presses were bogged down with these for a couple weeks. The last episode was all modern-day musicians recording in the same style as these early sessions were recorded. The lathe is actually powered by a weight, and when the weight hits the ground it stops spinning and cutting. You have one single ribbon mic in a room. That’s what the last episode is. There’s also a record of that, but we didn’t press that here. We pressed it down in Nashville. We work with United Record Pressing down in Nashville.

What is the Vault?

and direct to tape sometimes. We have a whole series of live 12-inch LPs with Mudhoney, The Melvins, Willie Nelson, Jerry Lee Lewis, and a lot of crazy, different people. The engineers get the levels right, and the band will record one song just to make sure everything’s cutting correctly. They pause, and then a light goes on that says “Cutting” and the band plays. They play for about 20 to 25 minutes, take a quick pause while we put on a new lacquer for Side B, and then play for another 20 to 25 minutes. All those records out there, they’re not all flawless. There’re some flubs here and there, but it’s totally 100 percent live and mixed on the spot. It’s a fun thing people are encouraged to clap, applaud, and yell.

to an electro-plating place; you get this nickel and silver–coated disc, you peel off the nickel and silver, and you get a reverse of the lacquer. Those go in the stamper in the presses, and they transfer the grooves to make a vinyl record with the grooves that match the lacquer. Most places don’t record directly to lacquer; we eliminate several steps with that. One time we did the world’s fastest record, where Jack White did a live-to-lacquer session down in Nashville, and Ben Blackwell – who’s one of Third Man’s cofounders – took the lacquers and raced them across town to United Record Pressing. United made the stampers, put them on a press, and pressed up records. He drove back with records in under an hour. We call that the world’s fastest record. People who were at the show got to go home with a record of the show. If you go online at Third Man Records, you can find the whole story of the world’s fastest record.

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DB: It’s a subscription/membership. We announce one, what the current Vault package is going to be, and then And who are the engineers? people have a certain amount of time to sign up for DB: Joshua V. Smith and Vance Powell [Tape Op #82] are that one. Or you can have a year or lifetime down there in Nashville. George Ingram cuts the lacquer subscription to it. It’s for the diehards and collectors. in Nashville; he’s been doing it for years. For our Detroit They always get a couple live or unreleased demos, or team, we’re still hashing that out. I read about some unusual work you’ve a 7-inch. It’s always different. Fancy, nice, deluxe If it’s live to tape, do you make masters done in the grooves of the records. packaging. They don’t go back in print. They’re only and then press records from those? Is DB: We’ve made them so you play them from the inside available in the Vault packages. that the process when you cut live to out, like on Jack’s Lazaretto record. One of the sides acetate? Do you use the acetate as a plays inside out on that, and then one of the songs, I wanted to ask about the live recording depending on where you put the needle, there’s a master to press records? to acetate that you can do in different intro to the song. There’s two side-by-side Nashville. Can you only do that in DB: No matter what, if we’re doing it live, if someone’s grooves that eventually go into the same one. There are Nashville? bringing in a digital file, a tape, a CD, whatever, once essentially two different songs. And then we’ve put it’s all mastered and all the levels are right, it gets cut DB: We’re in the process of getting that set up here. grooves on the label. Those are the big ones we’ve done on the lathe. You cut an acetate or a lacquer – the We’ve been getting our studio in order. But yeah, we so far: playing from the inside out, and having multiple lacquer is a coated aluminum disc – and you do one have a lathe, so we’ll be able to do that here. There’s a songs on the same side of a record. There have been a lacquer for each side of the record. You send that off lathe in Nashville and you can record direct to acetate,

18/Tape Op#127/Third Man/(continued on page 20)

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Is there any actual vinyl in vinyl records?

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few people over the years who have done side-by-side Like having an old tape machine. tracks. Depending on where you put it, there would be DB: Absolutely. It’s nice that we could stock up on some a whole different song. But no one had ever done it of the parts. And for others, if we need them, it’s a where it’s a different beginning that merges into the matter of days to get them. In the past a machine could same song. And you can’t tell; it’s very smooth. be down for months, or even years, until you tracked I noticed that you’re making 180-gram down the part for it. There’s another company in Canada vinyl. What are the different weights that’s started making presses since Newbilt. Newbilt’s you can do? are manual and the Canadian company’s [machines] are DB: We offer 180 and 130. Nowadays, that’s pretty automatic. But the machines themselves are basically standard. the same idea as the ones from 40 years ago, just What’s the difference? streamlined. The main difference between the old ones DB: It [180 grams] will be less likely to warp, as well as and our new ones is that the hydraulics, the chilled less vibration for the record when it’s spinning. water, and the steam were all attached to the machines Where do you think the demand for vinyl before. Now we’re on a closed-loop system, so we have is coming from these days? a chiller room, a hydraulics room, and a steam room. DB: I think it’s just the overall experience. There was a When you’re in the actual plant, there’s hardly any plant long time where it was dying. Then, in the past ten noise. There’s no smell, and the temperature is very years, it seems like people are more into real objects comfortable – it’s very non-plant-like in there. And the that you can hold. Because there’s no argument that it’s machines look a lot smaller because all that isn’t a more personal and intimate experience to take out and attached to them. put on a vinyl record, rather than scrolling through What about the comeback that’s something digital. happened, and is happening, in

Detroit in the past decade or two?

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DB: We use PVC pellets, so that’s polyvinyl chloride. DB: There’s a lot happening. It’s very evident in the past RP: I can show you the record “seeds,” as we like to five years or so. I’ve lived in the same house about a call them. mile away from here for 22 years now. There’s always And you melt them down? been people opening stores and restaurants. The DB: Yeah; they’re warmed up, and then a puck is formed, majority of them in the past didn’t really stay; they depending on what we’re doing and what size. That struggled because a lot of the people that were visiting gets put in the stamper, the presses. You press a the city would come down for work and then go back button, the book mold closes, and it applies 3,000 out to the suburbs. In the past the word got out that pounds of pressure. Then steam heats them up, warms you could buy a house for a dollar. That wasn’t ever truly them up more, and then the vinyl spreads out and fills the case, even though a few people got lucky. But, it’s in the grooves. a very easy and affordable city to live in for your artist[Roe comes over with a bag of pellets.] type people that don’t really have a giant income. You RP: This is what it looks like. Black, or whatever color vinyl could live comfortably, as well as have time and space you’re doing. That gets pulled through an extruder and to do whatever it is that you were doing. More and more squeezed like toothpaste. It comes out, and that creates people started coming, and independent businesses an organic form, called a puck. We call it a puck, but started opening, surviving, and thriving. This biscuit is probably the most ubiquitous term in the neighborhood, especially since we came in a couple of industry. That then goes on the press and gets smashed years ago, is really taking off. You come up to this into molds on the stampers. neighborhood and there are families cruising around DB: And then, after a certain amount of time, cold water with their kids, people walking their dogs, and people goes in and hardens the plastic. They come off; you trim coming down to shop. Five years ago, this off the excess PVC, and then they’re ready to go. neighborhood was abandoned r

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What about Newbilt [Machinery] and the <thirdmanpressing.com> <www.thirdmanrecords.com> presses they make?

20 /Tape Op#127/Third Man/(Fin.)

DB: Newbilt were servicing and making replacement parts for presses for a few decades. They’re German-based. A few years ago, they noticed that no one was building new machines, and they thought they should start building new machines. They were the first company to start building new record presses in 35 or 40 years. We bought eight of the first ten that were made. The gentleman from Newbilt came over [from Germany] and spent a lot of time helping to set them up and helping us learn how to use them. They’ve come over here several times to be involved and make sure they’re running smoothly. The thing that’s nice about having new presses is that a few years ago, if a record plant had ten machines and one of them broke, it would be broken until you could track down the part or figure out how to manufacture a new one.

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Neko Case on Songwriting, Production, and Being Real

by Bren Davies photography by Brian T. Silak

We got to sit down with Neko Case at Brooklyn, NY’s The Honey Jar recording studio to discuss her career so far, as well as her production experiences while tracking and mixing her most recent release, Hell-On. Neko was gracious with her time, and we covered a lot of what she’s learned about tracking her own voice and staying creative in the studio.

But I have to say, your albums sound It sounds like you feel most creative, and most in the flow, when the phenomenal on that cell phone engineering process is transparent – speaker. when you’re able to express yourself, Thank you. I have to give a lot of credit for that to Peter and not worry about what’s going on J. Moore, who masters my records. He started in the in Pro Tools or “in the control room?” world of vinyl. He’s one of those people who can tell

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what kind of tape he’s using by smelling it, but he’s Exactly. If it’s something as simple as using an ADAT machine and tracks are armed, that’s fine for me. I also worked in the digital world for just as long. He’s can do that. But with really deep, multi-screen really good at finding the middle ground to satisfy displays and super tiny buttons you can flip on that both things. He deserves all the credit for that. you don’t remember you have on, my brain doesn’t Have you always been aware of the stereo work that way. I enjoy coming from outside of a spectrum, or has that developed over really technical place, from more of a musical and the years? instinctual place, and applying that in the studio. It’s I’ve always known about it. My dad was a stoner with a very rewarding. I love working with people who aren’t nice pair of headphones, so I listened to a lot of music used to it, like Lasse Mårtén [who mixed Hell-On with that way as a kid. It was an exciting journey – going Neko]. He’s a great mixing engineer, maybe one of into another world. I [was always aware of] those the best in the world. I remember going in there, and things, [but] I made a lot of records before I really we had such a great time. We get along and started thinking about the way things are placed [in communicate really well. He told me, “This is the first the stereo spectrum]. There were a lot of things that time in about seven years that I’ve worked on a k.d. lang did in the studio that were interesting [on record that doesn’t have a click track!” the case/lang/veirs album]. We’d have a problem with something rubbing, and she’d say, “Just flip the As I listen to your recordings in chronological order, from the positions of me and you in the stereo image.” That earliest Cub to Maow recordings you would fix it. It was crazy! Just these strange little drummed on, up to the present nudges can really make something exciting. Recently, album, the evolution of your sound I heard Beach House’s “Black Car.” They used a seems very natural and organic to me. keyboard sound like [the beep that] a car door makes when it’s opened. They [positioned it in the mix] That’s because I was learning in front of people. I didn’t have any idea what was happening. It’s just the desire where a lead vocal would normally be, and then put to do it that you don’t even understand. the vocal way off as a kind of ambient sound. It was Did you have any idea at the very really interesting. I didn’t expect it at all. I was excited beginning when you were playing to hear somebody getting playful and experimenting drums that you would end up making with the stereo image.

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Well, I think there were a lot of years where I didn’t realize that that’s what I was doing, even though I went to art school. When you go to art school, you have to ask yourself all the time, “What is art? What am I doing?” The really important question I got from art school was, “Does my project say what I’m trying to say to the viewer?” You think about that all the time. It’s a really deep question. From that question, you take away a billion answers; but, basically, you’re trying to express something inexpressible. You have to invent a new language made of a collage of other languages that will hopefully reach people in a way that they don’t expect. You can’t reach everyone. You can hit, like, 60 percent of the mark… probably. There are a few people who will get more out of it. It’s not because your audience doesn’t get it. It’s because maybe you haven’t pushed the idea far enough. I don’t know how it’s evolved. [But] I’ve never stopped thinking about that particular question. I’m a little too close to things to see how it’s evolved, per se. I tend to think of songs very cinematically. I think of songs as trailers for movies, in a way. You know how sometimes the [trailer] can be really great, but then the movie isn’t so great? I’m always obsessed with getting to the movies before the trailers. There’s something about the trailers that I really love, because there’s so much possibility. You don’t know [what’s going to happen]. It generates a feeling of excitement. [With] songs, I always want to have plenty of space. I want the transitions to be interesting. I want every strange part that happens during the recording to be audible later. It doesn’t so much affect what mics I use, or specific gear, so much as it makes me spend a shit ton more time editing and making sure that things poke out or get compressed a lot more so that they really are audible.

I like to make people excited in that way. Even though I’m not a fan of low-quality MP3s, at least there’s still something that somebody can hear that’s interesting on headphones. I think a lot about that. It’s part of the job, but you’ve got to make sure that it sounds decent in a crappy pair of headphones, or on a computer. I can’t get really excited about a cell phone speaker, though.

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In one of your bios, you speak about “inventing a new language through [your] music and lyrics in order to express [your] creative vision.” How did this evolve over the years, writing-wise and recording-wise, from your earlier projects to Hell-On?

I’ve had a lot of problems with confidence. I am a person who’s very immediate. There are a lot of people who are very methodical, who learn every single aspect and every single fact about something they’re working with. Let’s say we’re talking about Pro Tools, for example. I don’t have time to wait for the result. I’ve been that way all my life. Like in art school, I never made drawings. I never made notes of things. I never made sketches or plans. I had to work on the final version right away. It’s taken me a lot longer to learn things than some people, but I have a valuable perspective from outside of the more academic way of looking at it. I have enough lingo, as well as enough skills and engineering [knowledge] to be able to communicate well with an engineer. [I can] trust them to take the reins so that I can experiment with things. I think that’s my favorite way to work. There’s a desperation to get to the music, the musicality, and the feeling that you’re in that moment.

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So Much Possibility

You mean individual performance parts?

a name for yourself as a songwriter? There was a fire at your Vermont farm while you were tracking vocals for It’s not really different. The desire and the ambition to do things – the need to do things – isn’t different. It’s still the new album in Sweden. How have very DIY, because I’m a control freak who’s in charge of changes in your personal life affected what I do. I’m not really good at relaxing – which is kind the recording and mixing processes of of good, and not good at the same time. It’s good if you your albums over the years?

Yeah. If somebody’s fingers slipped off a string at some point and it sounds really interesting – a lot of those moments are really valuable. I don’t want them to be lost. I love using [the] stereo image to create space, have a business, but it’s not good if you don’t want your as well as allowing things to move – or placing things Well, the fire didn’t affect it very much, except that adrenal glands to dry out like little raisins or something. things took a little longer. We were about two weeks in a space where you don’t expect them to be. Whether It seems to have been productive for away from finishing, at that point. I actually ended up people know it or not, they understand stereo image. your musical output. staying in Sweden a bit longer. Over the years, I think 22/Tape Op#127/Ms. Case/

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Ms. Case/(continued on page 24)/Tape Op#127/23

completist. I don’t like to leave any stone unturned. We worked hard on that. k.d. and Laura [Veirs] are That makes people nervous sometimes. Time limits are master harmony singers. They’re both incredible time limits. People don’t want to go in without musicians, and they know what they’re doing. They knowing what they’re going to do. I really enjoy going make me look good. in and not knowing exactly what I’m going to do. But In addition to your various studio and that doesn’t invalidate the other way of working, live recordings, you released because that’s an incredible discipline and I envy Canadian Amp in 2001, which was people who can do it. I also learned to stop beating comprised of home recordings that myself up because I couldn’t do that. you did in your kitchen at the time. So when people have been asking that question during interviews, it’s as if You co-wrote most of the songs on Hell-On I did that on an 8-track ADAT machine. It’s productive, for the most part, although it’s really weird. When I get interviewed, people say, “You haven’t put out a record in five years!” Like I’ve been off growing a beard or something. No, I’ve been in three other bands. People make records really fast, and I don’t know if that’s the way to do things, necessarily. I don’t enjoy making a record really fast, with time limits. In fact, it makes me kind of unhappy.

they’re only seeing Neko Case the with your longtime writing partner, How did your experience of recording solo artist, and not looking at The guitarist Paul Rigby. What is your demo an EP in your kitchen differ from the New Pornographers and other process like? Do you record the first larger studio productions of the more projects you’ve done in between as an version of a song as you write it? recent albums that you’ve released as expression of your creativity. a solo artist? Often the [initial recordings] happen at my house. I just

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I thought I was going to be doing that so much more, and I didn’t have that much time. When I finally got an ADAT machine, it was too late and it shit the bed on day two. I tried to deal with it and get it fixed, but I didn’t have enough time to commit to it – even though I love recording that way.

It seems like home recording would be really up your alley. You might want to consider trying one of the more basic USB interfaces out there that record pretty good song quality and fidelity.

I would love that. Maybe it’s the answer to my question of not knowing if I’ll be able to make a record again, because I don’t know if I’ll have money to do it.

You’ve recorded quite a few albums with Craig Schumacher [Tape Op #10] in Tucson, Arizona, as well as with other producers and engineers over the years. What did you learn from those previous recordings, production-wise?

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sing things into a recorder, which is now my phone, so I think bands are pretty much expected to put out a I have snippets of things. I used to have an Aiwa record every two years. I don’t know who made that portable cassette recorder that was my favorite, but it up – probably record companies. I can see why. eventually ended up dying. Financially it makes sense, but I would be dead from some sort of stress-related hemorrhaging. These snippets are a cappella? Some things take time. I like to take time to do it; Yeah. Probably about 65 percent of the time it’s just a it’s important. Maybe I’ll never get to make cappella. Sometimes I play guitar, or make a melody [another] record again. I don’t know. I hope that’s on piano. I can’t play piano for shit. Paul is a trained not the case, but it’s entirely possible. I do take a jazz musician, and I am an untrained intuitive while to make records, and there’s no such thing as musician. I’ll generally have pieces; some aren’t really advances anymore because of streaming. Who related, if you listen to them as pieces. But I will knows what’ll happen. I might have to open a think that they relate thematically, or would pair with restaurant or something… something. So I’ll say, “Paul, this part and this part here; will you play me every single note that could go Lyrics take time. Making good music between to put them together?” He’ll be like, “Yeah!” takes time. Life takes time. He totally gets off on playing every possible note. It does. And I don’t Auto-Tune anything. I actually make Sometimes I’ll find a note, but he’ll go, “You gotta sure I sing it right the first time – or the fiftieth time hear the rest of the notes!” We do a lot of that. We – depending on how long it takes to get it right. like to find the chord less used, or things that aren’t Sometimes you change things… Ear fatigue is real. usual but [which] also aren’t necessarily going to There’s a certain point in the day where every punch you in the face like we’re trying too hard. I frequency in my voice has a witness protection sometimes have different time signatures that need program box over it, and I can’t hear that frequency to be wedded together, so we’ll figure out how to do any more. It’s time to go. It’s like when you look at a that. Then there’s the process of what chord would certain color too long and all you see is the opposite work under [a certain word or phrase]. How can we color on the spectrum because the cones in your eyes make that sound sadder? I don’t want that chord to have become fatigued; they cannot maintain that resolve – I want it to be more of a question. There’s level of intensity anymore. also a lot of belly laughing. Paul and I have known Let’s talk about the wonderful each other for years and years – we’re close friends. crossroads where songwriting and The thing that I love about Paul is that he’s still production meet. Were you more fucking amazed by music. There’s no jadedness. We’re focused perhaps on songwriting huge fans of music. We’ll listen to other music and be earlier in your career, and more like, “Can you fucking believe that they fucking did aware of song production later on? that?” Or we’ll watch The Staple Singers in The Last I think it just took some time to figure out that I’m a Waltz. How the fuck does Pops Staples make the collage person. I had to look backwards to figure it guitar sound so huge when he only plays three notes out. I’d often come to the studio with three or four at a time? Things like that. We’re both very amazed. songs fleshed out – maybe some that the band and I We really love it, and we think that music is the had toured and we’d had a good feeling of, as well as greatest thing to ever happen to humanity. And some that we had practiced. There would be lyrics and harmony singing, the feeling of making an actual, moments that would just happen in the studio. I physical force with your human body and another started to trust that and be okay with not knowing [in person’s human body… It’s one of the most amazing advance] where everything was going to go, and feelings in the world – that vibration, that resonance. knowing that it would be formed in the studio. Studio It really is the greatest feeling I can think of. Sadly, and live are so completely different. Taking that time I’m not a great harmony singer because I’m so nasal to get inside, and play with the machines and the and I don’t blend well. technology, and see where that might push something is always really exciting. Indulging myself But the case/lang/veirs album has some in serious rabbit holes. Ideas make other ideas. I’m a wonderful, tight harmonies.

24/Tape Op#127/Ms.

Case/(continued on page 26)

Well, I would have to take it back a little further to recording with Darryl Neudorf, who is basically my mentor. He had a studio in Vancouver called the Miller Block, and I recorded my first few records with him. I think I was like, “What’s a producer?” He looked at me and said, “Well, you’re producing right now.” He was always teaching me, answering questions, and encouraging me to ask questions. Frankly, he’s one of the greatest feminists I’ve ever known in my life. I got so much confidence from him. Much like Paul Rigby, he was always excited to get into new sounds. He was interested in every technology, and he’d always know about the new things coming out every time we’d get together to record something. He was excited to work with new people, and to meet people. He was just excited to learn. I realize I’m saying “was” like he’s dead. He IS a rabid teacher and learner at the same time. The man loves what he does.

Do you still keep in touch with him?

Oh, yeah; absolutely. I have every intention of working with him again. When we were recording, we were still using really big mixing desks. We used an SSL, which is my favorite console. We had to do manual fades. We had to ride the faders and do things in real time.

It’s a choreographed dance.

It really is. He’s a great musician, and an incredible drummer. He has really great pitch. It’s always a fun

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really feels like. It feels really good! It’s another option; confidence when you’re pushing into the microphone. an Oblique Strategy. Give up control!” I came out of that Most reverbs are okay for monitoring in the headphone and I thought, “I’m so sick of my voice. What can I do mix, as long as they’re long enough and there’s no pre[with Hell-On]?” I loved what Björn Yttling does with delay. I like a small room; a small hall kind of sound. I choruses. I thought, “Wow, that could be a really good can’t ever use plate reverbs, because I’m too nasal. It place to go.” I do big choruses with the New sounds metallic, like there’s a distortion. I try to tell Pornographers all the time, as well as with my band; but engineers when I go to a studio, “Please don’t bother it’d be cool to get a new take that on in a different with the plate!” place. We met and got along. He said something really So many people have the EMT 140 and great. I was talking about transitions in songs, like they want to use it on everything going from a bridge to [another section], and he said, because it’s super cool for their studio. “Why do people always have to have transitions? How Exactly. But use it for something else. I’ve used a lot of come sometimes the hook can’t be the whole song? I digital reverbs. I love the Wendy Carlos Altiverb [plate just want the hook!” That’s so fucking obviously genius. convolution reverbs]. I just do – I love it. I never liked Being introduced to Lasse Mårtén as well. He’s one of the Lexicon. People love the Lexicon, but I can’t get into the greatest mixing engineers out there. It was such a it for some reason. It has a saccharine, diet soda joy to work with someone who’d done things that were aftertaste to me. I see why people like it, and I think it super Top 40 – and then not do them Top 40. has a place – but for vocals, I can’t do it. I love the [1970s EMT 240] Gold Foil [plate] reverb, but you can There’s a versatility there. never find one. I had the opportunity to buy one when It’s like having a Formula One racecar, and you’re like, “I I was in Toronto years ago, but I didn’t do it. I still kick just want to drive around Lake Michigan in it.” It was so myself, because they’re really expensive now. I don’t much fun. I think it was fun for him too. I’ve kept all of need a Gold Foil reverb at my house anyway. our emails. A lot of the mixing I had to do was via email. We had to go out on these crazy limbs to describe How many takes do you tend to do for a certain things, which was really fun. lead vocal before you feel like you’ve

got enough to comp? What is your I understand that your personal mic of workflow and process like? choice, on at least four of your solo albums, has been the Audio-Technica For the sake of air and breathing, I generally go verse by AT4050 in omnidirectional mode. verse. I’ll sing a verse five times, maybe six times. Then

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I’ll move on to the next verse. Maybe all my records. I go between omni and cardioid. I’ve been doing cardioid a lot more lately. My voice is not So not the whole song, but the verses one gentle on ribbon mics or plate reverbs. I just think that at a time, in order? the Audio-Technica 4050 is invisible. It can handle a lot Not the whole song. I want to have something left. It’s so of power, and a lot of nasal frequency. physical. I always write songs that are too hard for me to sing at the time. This goes back to our discussion earlier

about a transparent recording process, Which is probably why they sound so during which you can do what you do genuine and emotional. and not be concerned with gear or You learn to hit the notes as you’re doing it. It’s such a equipment settings. physically demanding process. I’ll generally [record a

Exactly. The omni setting on the 4050 is almost like an HD nature show.You suddenly have the hearing of a fucking bat.

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26/Tape Op#127/Ms.

pass] and then be like, “Chris, let me hear that back.” He’ll often say, “Just nuke it and do it again.” Both Chris and Craig have fantastic intonation. They save me a lot of fucking time.

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I was going to ask you how involved you get with decisions about microphone choice or reverb choice. It’s become When you’re tracking and you are going obvious from this interview that you to comp a final vocal from five or six have very strong opinions and passes, do you notice that there’s any interactions with both concerns kind of pattern of success to your vocal during tracking and mixing. takes, where it tends to be an earlier one out of the five, or the last one out Well, the 4050 is my friend and ally. Live, I like to use a of the five? [Shure SM]58. I’ve also used a 58 a few times on this

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experience. I got the same experience recording with him as I got with my bandmates being in a band – that immediate need to learn something and to satisfy curiosity. Rabbit holes were not looked down upon. They weren’t treated as frivolous. We would bring music in and try to dissect what was happening. He had so much knowledge about keyboards and synthesizers. He could always get in there. I learned so much from him, and I still learn things from him. Then going to WaveLab – Craig [Schumacher] is just such a musical person, and he’s also really excited about technology; especially analog technology. We had a really good thing going, because I could trust Craig to tell me if something wasn’t right. People can be really polite, and people can also want you to finish doing things and hurry up with it. Craig was very patient. I’d be like, “All right, tell me when it’s not sharp.” He’d be like, “Sharp, sharp!” He knew I wanted it to be good, and he wanted it to be good. Then Chris Schultz started working there, and I’ve been working with Chris Schultz through the years. Between the two of them and their enthusiasm for everything – and just straight-up nerd-dom – there was never any sort of seriousness going on in there. It was always a total mixed bag of men and women. Craig also teaches a lot. I’ve been very fortunate to work with engineers and producers who never once mansplained something to me. They appreciated my curiosity – and, again, I was coming from outside and had ideas they might not always think of. They understood the fresh ears concept. I’m not saying that I’ve done anything fucking revolutionary; but it really helps with storytelling, and it really helps with creating a cinematic space. The sound of your voice can only go so many ways. There are really great singers out there, and I’m not comparing myself to these women – or just comparing myself to women, because that drives me crazy. Björk and PJ Harvey are great at doing this thing where they have these huge ranges – but they’re also not afraid of making their voices sound ugly, or being more of a character than something that’s expected of a woman’s voice. I like seeing women’s voices used in different ways, and I love a low range. Women who can sing in a low range are rare. I guess different peoples’ voices do different things, over time. But when you’re the one using it all the time, you get fucking sick of it, frankly. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to go to Sweden and work with Björn Yttling [Tape Op #65]. After working with case/lang/veirs, we were three control freaks getting together to cede control. That was our goal. We wanted to make it hard. We wanted to write songs from the ground up, and all have a say in each song. We were three control freaks who went to “Give Up Control Island.” It was hard! It was scary. We had to serve the song by democracy, in a way. Also, Tucker Martine [Tape Op #29] was our honorary lady. He’s part of case/lang/veirs too. He did most of the production. He was our great fourth member, but not attached to anything, because he didn’t write the parts. He’s also great to work with. He’s such a fluid, hilarious person who really wants to be there. And that’s the key: people who really want to be there. Anyway, after that experience, I was like, “Okay, that’s what ceding control

recording. I love the straight-up 58 – the Betas drive me Things that are really emotional tend to come earlier, and fucking crazy; I can’t use those. If you’re a person who things that require more physicality tend to be the later moves off the mic, [the Beta 58] is no good. That’s takes. Things that require power or stamina are generally another thing the 4050 is great for: if you want to move not the last ones, but maybe around take four or five. It off [axis] and come back to it. I like to hear the sound all makes sense at the end of the day. Things that of my feet on the ground. That’s when I know there’s require a bit of breath or tenderness are generally the enough presence. It’s got to be pretty hot. There’s just earlier ones. Or the things where you’ve never sung no way to recreate what your voice sounds like to something before – that can be really interesting. We yourself without your headphones on. You damp all of keep all of that stuff. Then we’ll comp a vocal. If there’s these places in your skull that vibrate when you sing, so a word or two that doesn’t seem right, I’ll do five more you have to make this weird, artificial world to get your passes of that section. I also change the words a lot, so tuning and what have you – so that you have that factors in. It happens now and again where I don’t

Case/(continued on page 28)

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How did you decide which songs the two of you would co-produce?

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I gave him the option. I said, “Which ones speak to you?” I was going into a completely unknown situation where I was about to cede control on a lot of levels. I did that specifically because of what I got from the case/lang/veirs collaboration – and then I went to speak at the WOMANPRODUCER conference in Brooklyn, NY, which was the first of its kind in the world, which is fucking ridiculous. We say representation matters, and it’s absolutely true. I went there and met all these women. I’m a really shy person when I first meet people. Khaela Maricich and Melissa Dyne [of The Blow] put it together on a tiny budget. It was incredible. I’m so beyond proud of those two. We all shared one dressing room. It was, like, six of us. You know how you’re polite with people you’ve never met? We got in there and every woman in the room – all of whom were pretty shy – we exploded into conversation. We didn’t realize how starved we were to have dialogues about technology, recording, and science. We didn’t know how starved we were to have that. There we all were representing and simultaneously seeing the representation. It was too much. I’ve never felt that way before. I don’t know if I’ll ever feel that way again. I can only imagine it’s akin to what somebody feels like when they win an Oscar for a movie they wrote or something. Melissa and Khaela did an incredible job of getting women from all over the world, from all different backgrounds, and most importantly, from all different age groups. It was the last time Pauline Oliveros [Tape Op #41] performed, for example. I’m so glad she got to go to the first WOMANPRODUCER conference before she passed. Between case/lang/veirs and “Okay, ceding control works,” to the WOMANPRODUCER conference, it’s like, “You know what? I don’t have anything to prove.” Serving the song and ceding control, I think that’s a great way to go. Doing it with confidence made it so that I showed up to that situation completely present. More so than I’d ever been, I think. It was such a strange and validating experience. I really hope they get a shit ton of grants and can reproduce the WOMANPRODUCER conference all over the world. It was one of the greatest nights of my life! And it wasn’t because I was talking and having a moment. It was because, holy shit, this is real. r

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whole record, because I like there to be some variety. I The way that she would describe what she needed spoke also like to work with engineers to find out what they to the people who didn’t understand music as a written like. Unfortunately, I’m not good with the Neumanns, language. Untrained ears and trained ears alike got it which makes me so sad. Everybody has a beautiful and could fall in line. We all got it from one thing that Neumann that they want to bring out. I’m like, “Don’t she would explain. She knew what she wanted. She’s set up the Neumann.” I’ll try it, but I’m too nasal so it such a natural. I asked her if she produced things for doesn’t really work for me. The 4050 is a workhorse. It other people. She said, “No.” I asked, “Why?” She’s like, takes a lot of abuse. “I don’t want to. I don’t have time.” Fair. Knowing what Since you’re singing so far back from the you want is fair, but the world of production is missing AT4050, the sound of whatever room a fucking superstar. I’ve heard some very large, powerful you are recording in certainly comes voices in my life. I’ve stood next to Elton John and John into play. What are some of your favorite Fogerty making these sounds come out of themselves. spaces where you’ve recorded vocals? It’s like, “Holy fuck! You are a crazy – I don’t know WaveLab is a big one, because the control room is not what!” But pitch, strength, projection, everything – [k.d. separated from the live room. It’s one large room. My lang] buried them. Without any amplification in a room, own studio, which is in an old movie theater – a small with a concrete floor where nothing moves naturally, one, like 87 seats or something – sounds so fucking she could move it! It was like a geyser in a National good. The sound of a human voice moving something is Park. So, she doesn’t have to produce projects. She’s the most beautiful thing. I remember seeing this old TV walking around with this in her, all the time. It makes footage of Tina Turner singing “River Deep, Mountain sense. Plus, she should get to do what she wants to do. High.” When her volume comes up, you can hear the That’s true. Everybody should get to do wood in the room. I’m sure that has to do with TV what they want to do. camera compression or something. But it brought me to But just knowing it’s possible – not in a jealous way, but tears. The power of this woman moving something was in a “holy shit, human beings are fucking miracles” kind so beautiful. Obviously it’s Tina Turner; she’s fucking of way. Human beings are really majestic animals. amazing. But I just remember thinking that the sound We can produce some amazing forms of of a human voice moving a space created by human expression. beings – making this thing that is breathing, as well as If people are allowed to have confidence, and have love moving the ribs of a larger creature that you’re creating and support, they can indulge these things in with all of these other people – it was such a profound themselves that they can find so much joy in. They can thing. I’m sure that I’ve been trying to achieve that magnify it. It can become like a Tesla coil of something sound forever. Maybe that’s when my journey into being completely different. Wow, my metaphors are terrible. a producer really started.

I co-produced six with him.

high enough so you can hear the You have referred to k.d. lang’s sound of your toes in your shoes. production approach on 2016’s Yeah. It’s crispy. I’m like, “Okay, don’t move your feet!” If case/lang/veirs as one of the most you want to make a trail on that word in falsetto, you’ve natural you’ve ever worked with. How got to turn your head in a doppler effect kind of way to did her production knowledge and make a trail with your voice. I never use the 4050 for a style influence your own on Hell-On?

They’re good. Talking about your collaboration in the studio with Björn Yttling on Hell-On, there’s a split on the album with you having produced some of the songs yourself.

know why [something] doesn’t make sense to me. Then Your awareness of this is probably I’ll do it without the bass once and it’s like, “Okay, the what has contributed in recent tuning of the bass is what was throwing me off.” Or, years to the power of your recorded “When I get to that spot, take everything out. I’m going vocals. A lot of singers might not to record it a cappella.” It’s weird stuff like that. It takes have as deep an appreciation for me a while to get there. I used to feel really gross [about the physical experience of moving it]. In Motown, they’d just do it in one take. the air in a room. When you’re tracking the “bigger” vocals Everybody sings for different reasons. People use the term that you have become known for – the “vocal gymnastics” a lot. It’s usually used as a semimore powerful ones, as opposed to the negative term, but it’s a superpower. It’s not a superpower whispery ones – how far are you because you’re good at it, or as Björn Yttling would say, standing from the mic? “It does not mean that you are ‘The Queen of Singing!’” I’m not good at feet, but if the mic’s here, I’d be standing It’s because you can do something physical with your over here [she stands up and demonstrates]. body, like how I was talking about making a harmony So you’re four feet away, sometimes? with another person. It’s the same natural phenomenon Sometimes. I’ll be here [she stands about 4 feet from the that tore apart the Tacoma Narrows Bridge when it mic], and then just move back. There’s a lot of [playing vibrated at a certain frequency. Feeling that vibration and with the axis of the mic when it is set to cardioid. Or resonance is heavy. It’s why a lot of times, a large group moving further away and turning her head or body to of people singing, even if they can’t sing, will make you the side to capture distance dynamics in the recorded start crying. It’s such a massive, unique way to vocal, when the mic is set to omni, per Neko’s communicate. It’s really heavy. It’s something that people demonstration]. used to understand a long time ago that we don’t really And you can do that from four feet away understand anymore. On a scientific level, sure; but I don’t because you have the preamp gain set think we understand it as a species anymore.

28/Tape Op#127/Ms.

Case/(Fin.)

<nekocase.com> makeup by Claudia Lake for C Lake Organics, hair by William Scott Blair Bren Davies is a singer and recording artist living the dream in Brooklyn. <www.brendandavies.com> Brian T. Silak is a professional photographer in NYC. <www.briansilak.com> Thanks to Devin Greenwood for allowing us to use The Honey Jar for photo shoot and interview. <www.honeyjarbrooklyn.com>

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Daniel Lano s

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Daniel Lanois’ career reads like an enviable work of fantasy. From his early projects with Brian Eno and Harold Budd on their genre defining “ambient” recordings, to a pivotal role on U2 classics like The Unforgettable Fire, The Joshua Tree, and Achtung Baby, to his work with Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, Aaron Neville, as well as his body of work as a band leader and solo artist, Daniel Lanois has continued to look forward – and stay inspired – by being at once a master and student of his craft. His latest release, Daniel Lanois x Venetian Snares (a collaboration with Canadian electronic musician Aaron Funk), keeps the tradition of not just pushing, but ignoring boundaries. Online publisher Geoff Stanfield caught up with Daniel to discuss this latest release and what’s happened since we last interviewed Daniel back in Tape Op #37.

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You have a new record with Venetian I see this as part of a trilogy. Working backwards, I made a nice record with Rocco DeLuca called Goodbye to Snares. I was curious how that Language on the steel guitar. Flesh and Machine was prior collaboration came together.

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to that, and now Venetian Snares. I see this as a chapter A mutual friend introduced me to Venetian Snares’ music of time. I’ve seen these before when I first went to New about 7 or 8 years ago. I thought he was a master at Orleans; we made a Dylan record and then a solo record his craft. He did a show in Toronto about two years of mine. They belong as a little grouping. I think what’s back, and I went to hear him. It sounded really great. sweet about groupings, is that you get a philosophical We met afterwards; there was a bit of a hang at my spillover from one to the other. As long as the one has studio in Toronto and we started jamming. Out of one its integrity intact, that’s the kind of spilling you want to jam came a lot of material, so I said, “Why don’t we be operating by. I don’t know that I’ll make another keep going here and see if we have a record?” It was record that’s as steel guitar driven as this and Goodbye that simple. Not a lot of words were spoken – we just to Language, but I believe they belong together. started playing together. Much of what you hear is based on jams and ad-libs that emphasize the more Can you talk a little bit about the physical setup? thematic moments. That’s the basis of the exchange. How does Aaron help reframe what Yes. Well, from the audience’s perspective, if they can be looking at the two artists in profile, that’s okay. You get you do? to see what we’re doing a little bit more. But, that aside, Well, I wouldn’t have thought it was any kind of formula proximity has been a friend to me. The closer people are to operate by. His thing was so far out and so far away together as players, the better they play. We’re just from what I do. But it seemed to be welcomed from taking advantage of the fact that it’s how we sit in the Aaron to allow more of the gospel part of what I do recording studio. Let’s do the same thing live so we’re to be part of the magic carpet ride here. I hope we not suddenly sitting in different directions and losing managed to succeed in a few spots where two the communication power we built in the studio. It was different forces came together – to be stronger than Aaron’s suggestion. He said, “Why don’t we play sitting they would be in isolation. down, and take what we have in the studio and bring it Your past few records have been focused to the stage?” on the pedal steel, and they make me

think of a utopia – they’re very With something like breakcore, one of Aaron’s genres, were you drawn to that transportive. This collaboration is very because it was something that was so contemporary and contextualized in a out of your wheelhouse? way that’s current of the times, with Well, that’s part of it. I realized that Aaron knew a lot that all the madness in the world.

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I didn’t know much about. But the specifics of breakcore Well, you’re not too far off. That’s how I started looking aside, that’s a long time ago. We’re trying to bring what at it, as Aaron was introducing these angular it is of that that we appreciate and admire into this body injections into the beauty of what I do. I have no of work. What I do like about breakcore, and what choice, at a certain point, other than to just follow his Aaron’s up to in these times, is that there’s high-fidelity conducting. It’s jagged, exciting, and arresting. It’s in his sounds. There may be times when I get kind of not anything you’d put on to have something in the murky on my steel guitar, because the steel guitar background to do the dishes by. You definitely want comes through an old Fender amp, so you’re never going to put on this record if you’re looking to have to get the kind of sparkle that tiny speakers in earbuds something shaken up in you emotionally. It’s the job generate. I’m happy to be in the company of somebody of art, isn’t it? I love Barry White’s “Can’t Get Enough who’s taking care of the high-frequency details, and also of Your Love, Babe.” It’s great, and I welcome it, but that great hip-hop bottom. Those are my favorite colors this is like, “We’ve got a little bit too much of in hip-hop and in reggae. No matter what speaker you something here, and I’m ready to stop myself in my hear Bob Marley on, there’s always something sweet at tracks.” Maybe a couple other listeners agree with us. the top. We are afforded that luxury on this record. It’s meant to be angular, and there’s meant to be some bottled-up emotions, anger, and mistrust; just I was fortunate enough to spend some time with Lee “Scratch” Perry pushing the envelope to the point of where I imagine recently. I know dub music has been a jazz players got to in the ‘50s when they splintered pretty big influence of yours for a very away from big band. They were angry young men, and long time, in terms of your approach to it spawned the likes of Elvin Jones, John Coltrane, mixing, deconstructing mixes and Miles Davis – people like that. They wanted to shatter sounds, and building them back up. the mold and take the music to another dimension – Was that also part of the way that you that was the responsibility they took on. I’m not made this record? suggesting we’re Elvin Jones and Coltrane here; but we’re driven by similar values, in the sense that we’re Well, I’m glad you brought up Lee “Scratch” Perry, because he’s a hero to all of us for his innovation. I do dubs but, looking for something beyond familiar prescription. as you know, we talked about my technique. The I get a lot of that from this record and “Scratch” dubs are a little further out, and based on the your music. Especially on your Flesh triplet echo tradition that we all love. My thing is that I and Machine album a few years ago. extrapolate, manipulate, and stick [sounds] back in. It’s What are some of the differences not a very good live technique; it’s something I do in the between those two projects?

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I wish I could tell you that I was planted in any specific place, for any length of time. I try, but I keep moving. The Silver Lake studio had nothing to do with this record. We thought, “We’re both Canadian. Maybe we’ll do it in Canada this time around.” I still love the Silver Lake studio, even though I’m hardly there. I was there a few weeks ago with a productive session – unrelated to Aaron Funk. I did a record with a couple of buddies; Brian Blade and Chris Thomas, the bassist who works for Brian. I wanted more of the Mississippi River sound, and those fellas grew up on the Mississippi. It was really my way of paying respect to how much I learned from America and the South. To this day I can’t say enough about it, and I was lucky enough to provide a Grammy award to a couple of national treasures, including Bob Dylan. I feel like I’ve done my duty as a Canadian visitor. But hey, these are pretty interesting times. There’s so much cross-pollination going on. It’s a great time to be alive, and a great time to be doing music. I can carry an entire multitrack in a tiny drive now, and they don’t bother me at customs the way I used to when I carried 2-inch tapes!

Are you based in Toronto now more permanently, or is this just a fresh environment after being in Silver Lake [Los Angeles] for so long?

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We try to pick fascinating locations. Music can be made in all kinds of places now, as we all know. You can make a record in the bathroom of an airplane with the right computer. Portable, battery-operated Ableton Live, and off you go. I wanted a shop in Toronto, because I didn’t want a studio in my apartment anymore. This Buddhist temple came up. The monks were moving out, and I felt there was obviously a spirit in the walls. It’s in an old Polish neighborhood of Toronto, with family-run businesses around the corner. We like the life and blood that has come before us here, certainly by the Polish and the monks. It’s a nice neighborhood, and I feel I’m part of a community here. That goes a long way. It doesn’t mean to say that we might not go to some hidden mountain in Tibet to make the next one, but this has served pretty well for now.

You’ve done a lot of records in sort of nontraditional spaces, and you did this one in a Buddhist temple that has been made into a studio. How does location add to the end result?

There was a time when I might have produced a record for It seems over the last decade you’ve focused someone like Aaron; but now I’m involved creatively, and on doing your own projects rather than we take it to the stage. I like that these times have taken being heavy in the producer world. me far away from being a wallflower. I can quickly set up How would you look back on that a tour, we hit the stage, and bring our wares. I think it’s chapter? Secondarily, how do you keeping it real for me. I like the challenge of playing live, choose what to do next in terms of as well as the responsibility. We sound good live – his thing people approaching you? is so rock solid. The bigger the PA, the more magnificent Well, looking back at records I made as a kid, there are so he sounds. His line level is really, really punchy. It reminds many. It brings me to tears the amount of time I’ve me of some of the King Sunny Adé I’d seen as a kid, where spent in the chair. I don’t know that I could ever do that it sounded like a cannon coming out of the PA. I’ve got to again; it was an absurdity of devotion. A lot of the keep up with him. Plus he takes a feed off my steel guitar records I made when I was a kid people don’t know and starts sampling me and manipulating the sound right about. I’ve been involved with thousands of albums, on stage. I’ve got no choice but to follow my new and some of them were just one or two days in the conductor. I hadn’t felt that since when I was a kid in my studio per album, with gospel records and so on. I first psychedelic band; that loss of control where the sound wasn’t really in a geographical location where there was takes over and decides where you’re going next. that much going on, so I just did more and more of the It must be liberating for you when you’re regular daily work. I was looking at it as a day job. I’m often otherwise tasked with being the glad I made the records I made, with some pretty smart boss in many situations. artists in the ‘80s and ‘90s, including Dylan. I don’t Well, I’m pretty used to being the boss as the know if I could be that person ever again. It belongs to secretary/treasurer. Now I like this feeling of, “Muzzle a certain chapter of my life, or several chapters back me, send me to the stage, electrocute me, and then then. But I love music more than ever. But I don’t know see what happens.” that I could get in the hot seat for two years in a row How do you stay inspired? ever again, unless it’s a collaborative record. I see It’s necessary to stay inspired. I’ve bumped into folks who younger producers who have the same spirit I had as a made popular records back in the day, but stopped kid, and I wish them the best. Super-smart people with making records. “Why should we keep making records? new techniques. A lot of pop record makers. I’ve been Records don’t sell, and nobody cares,” and all this. It’s meeting a few of those folks in L.A. these days. They probably true, except that’s not a good sign of being don’t want to touch anything if it’s not going to be a inspired. How can you not be inspired by life, and by hit. I don’t know if I love the music all that much, but music for that matter? There might be a bunch of songs I admire that they take that position. Part of me wants on the radio that make you angry, and make you want to to make a hit with Rihanna. I’ve got a couple of tracks; create better music. That’s a bizarre inspiration, but an maybe I’ll give her a call. I think she’s a great singer. inspiration nonetheless. Could I diplomatically say that You’ve mentioned several times over this I’m not chained by duty? My kid’s grown up, and he’s in conversation the word “gospel.” You his 30s. I don’t have to change any diapers, or go to any even mentioned that this new record class reunions, or crazy shit. All my other friends have, allows you to access the gospel side of “Oh, I’ve got to take Rita to basketball lessons” or your playing. I was curious what your something. I’m a free spirit; I’m as single as I’ve ever definition of that is, and what that been. I gave up a lot domestically, but my devotion to means to you? my craft and skills has never wavered. I like to think that Well, I guess the term gospel has evolved considerably, at least I’m doing some of my best work, consequently. in my mind. I play in a gospel band with Brian Blade in How do you perceive limitations in music? Shreveport, Louisiana, called The Hallelujah Train. Brian’s Limitations by skill are pretty obvious. Maybe you’re excited father [Brady Blade, Sr.] is a great singing pastor. We’re by a certain approach and just getting good at something regrouping in September to do a couple of shows. I have for a while. You might be excited about harmony and my foot in the Zion Baptist Church music. That aside, it’s a vocal arrangements, and that’s what you do for a while. loosely-used term to suggest that the steel guitar takes me In regard to processing and effects in the studio, I usually to that place of hymn or contemporary melody, that we have only three boxes going; whatever I’m excited about might hear as an Appalachian melody or an all-Irish melody. at any given time. Those old-school AMS [Neve] That part of me that can go [sings], and those kind of Harmonizers, the Lexicon Prime Time [delay], and then a guttural country melodies; they come from vagabond songs more modern box, like an Eventide snazzy processor with from people who travel, are questioning life, and are 200 sounds. I do what I’ve always done. I feed one effect wondering what secrets the universe might hold. That part into the other, then back to the first, and then maybe of us as artists who question – and questioning is necessary into a third. By introducing unexpected modulations, I for evolution to even happen – lives on in me. It lives on pick up a little bit of humanity along the way, such as in tradition, and it lives on in wanting more than just more opera-like voices. As always, if I’m lucky enough to melodies from the past or traditional ways. I respect hit upon a sound I just described, I try and print it. I tradition, especially if it gives me access to the future. But don’t really use plug-ins, so it makes it harder to get back the gospel thing is alive; I’m using it as a loose term for to things that might have a complicated chain of something that’s grounded and has ancient emotion still regeneration. Then I’ve got it and I can bring up those tangled up in there somewhere. r tracks as special effects in my mix. <www.daniellanois.com>

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studio. I’ve sat with Lee “Scratch” Perry at a nighttime bar. I don’t know if I could use the word proximity one more time, but by proximity I felt that the master had spoken; student Lanois gets to go off now and hopefully find his own voice. He’s done so much – he can be as far out as he wants. The further out, the better. I don’t want to know his technique; I just want to feel his spirit.

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You’ve had this incredible career as a producer, and you’ve also been incredibly prolific as an artist and performer. How do you reconcile those two?

Back in the ‘80s the boxes were even more segregated. I was either producing a record or making one of my own. What’s happened with recording equipment, and my life, is I’m living closer to the studio now, and it’s all mixing together. I’m glad it happened the way it did. In these fast times, we can quickly switch hats. I’m enjoying collaboration, as was the case here with Venetian Snares.

32/Tape Op#127/Mr. Lanois/(Fin.)

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Tony Bongiovi

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Back to Power Station

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by Larry Crane photos by i John Baccigalupp

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The legendary Tony Bongiovi was the engineer, owner, producer, and studio designer behind New York City’s Power Station studio. Power Station opened in 1977 at 441 West 53rd Street, helmed by Tony and his partner, manager Bob Walters. In 1996 it was purchased and became known as Avatar Studios, but in 2017 it became Power Station at BerkleeNYC, where it now functions as a studio and a training ground for Berklee students. Tony regaled us for hours, with even such stories as his parents making macaroni for Mick Jagger, and we wandered all over the building. At the end of our talk, he told us, “You've probably gotten the most thorough interview I've given in a long time.” Enjoy the tour!

Mr. Bongiovi/(continued on page 36)/Tape Op#127/35

Is it interesting being back at Power Station?

became an integral part of making the record. They would go in there, edit, and then put horns and strings on everything.

Yeah, to say the least! When I sold it I had nowhere to go. My friend, Jim Czak [Tape Op #49], owned NOLA How did you end up visiting Motown’s studios when you were young? Recording Studios; I used to go there. When the owners [of Avatar] came here, they didn’t want me around. I still own the Power Station name, all the blueprints, and everything you see here is all documented. I just turned it over to Berklee, and I’ll start working with them on the formulas. I was trying to find the formula to calculate the resonant frequency of those [control room] doors. When I [designed] this, I had a slide rule and a calculator that could barely multiply.

Did you have to teach yourself all of the acoustical math back then?

Tony still carries his Motown ID in his wallet

meter. I cut off the incident sound, and I just left the reverb on there. I had to slow it down to a second, because the ballistics on the meter couldn’t track a half a second. I slowed it down and I played it. I watched the VU meter. I calibrated it to zero, and I watched it. It was down 15 dB at a half a second. That means at one second, it’s down 30 dB; and at two seconds, it’s down 60 dB. That’s the threshold of hearing. I wondered if that’s what they were doing. I went underneath the garage, and I had a stopwatch. I was going to try to make it sound that way. Hit it first, and it’s three and a half seconds. I started wheeling the boxes in and opening them up to absorb the sound until I got to two seconds. I said, “This must be what they’re doing.” I turned the bass and treble all the way up on the Fisher amplifier, because I was trying to match what they had done. I sent the sound from where it’ll go out into the room with a short decay time. I had a one frequency [band] equalizer that Bob Lifton designed for me. He said, “What frequency do you want?” I said, “I’ll take 5 kHz.” I added that. What happened was I started to reintroduce that echo on The Supremes’ record. I said, “This sounds exactly the same. I’m just making more of it.” I put a Smokey Robinson record on next. Then I took The Toys record “A Lover’s Concerto.” That was a record made in New York, and it was an attempt to do the Motown sound. I put that EQ on there, because the Motown records were very bright, and I added that echo. Sure enough, it started to sound like Motown. I recorded that onto my little Wollensak tape recorder. I also did “1-2-3” by Len Barry. I said, “These records are starting to sound like they were done in Detroit.”

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There are some mathematical expressions where my discipline didn’t go that far. In New Jersey, where I When I was in high school, in New Jersey, I wanted to get involved in the studio. In 1965, right up until lived, there were no books. Audio Cyclopedia [by about 1968, studios had reverberation chambers; they Howard M. Tremaine], was all that was available. My were rooms. At that time, I used to take off from mathematical disciplines were limited to high school. school, play hooky, and go into the studio. I’d look at The best thing I did there that really helped me was the album covers at the record store, and I’d see Bell geometry. I used it here, obviously, as you can see! Sound, Olmstead Sound, A&R Recording, Mirror Sound, This was all built with the Sabine Formula; the and Associated Recordings. I’d look up the address, I’d absorption coefficients and all of that. I had to be go and knock on the door, and ask if I could come in careful not to put in tile that could absorb too much and see the studio. They’d say, “No.” At Bell Sound, sound, or it would unbalance the room. This is a 0.25 you could walk down the hall and there was an second reverberation time. elevator that went to the second floor. I got in the In the control room? elevator, went up, and there was a receptionist there. Yeah. See, the speakers move. She asked if she could help me, and I just said I was What? Oh, man. The speakers are on a looking around. They figured I was with some of the motorized assembly. musicians. They were on a break, and here came Jim Yeah. Here’s why that is: Many years ago, people would Czak. I was just standing there, and didn’t say You were mixing in your own reverb to build a studio, and the console was up against the anything to anybody. They all went back in, and Jim simulate the Motown sound? glass, so they were used to working with the said, “Who are you?” I told him I wanted to see what Yeah. I got on a bus with my tape recorder. I went into speakers really close. I had too many people say, a recording studio looked like. He said, “You stand the meeting the guys were having, and I said, “I think “Oh, I don’t want to work in that room. The speakers over there and don’t talk to anybody. On my next I figured out what they’re doing. I think it’s a very are too far away.” break, I’ll come and show you around.” From that day short decay time in the echo chamber.” The Columbia When you initially opened, were these forward, we became the best of friends. I also engineer said to me, “That’s impossible.” I said, “No. the only speakers in the control befriended a guy named Bob Lifton, who had Regent Do you want to hear it? I figured out what they’re room? Sound. I would go to Regent Sound, and there’d be a doing.” He said, “No, I don’t want to hear it. No That’s it. I also had Auratones. I blew them up lots of guy from Columbia Records, a guy from Capitol, and a engineer of any substance would ever design an echo times, because I listen very, very loud. I want to feel couple of manufacturers. They would have coffee and chamber with anything less than three and a half or like I’m really there. The Neve could pump it out; the he would let me sit in. I wasn’t allowed to talk. I four seconds [of decay]. I wrote a white paper on the musicians loved the way it sounded. I would tell couldn’t understand what they were talking about. All temperature effects of humidity on reverberation time people, “It isn’t the studio. It’s the musicians who those guys were like advanced-degree engineers who and frequency response.” I said, “Yeah, but I think make the sound.” Back then, the rooms were all very worked for Columbia. They were talking about this is what they’re doing!” I was a high school kid. dead so that you could get separation. I said, “This is Motown, and the A&R department said, “We need They wouldn’t listen to me. I’d become friendly with not a good idea.” songs like this, because these guys don’t miss.” They’d Jim Czak, so I called him at Bell Sound. I said to Jim, That was an interesting concept in the found songwriters, but they couldn’t get the sound the “I think I figured out what they’re doing in Detroit, mid-‘70s, because everyone was way Motown sounded, out there [in NYC]. My father and they won’t listen to me.” He said, “Call Motown carpeting the heck out of the rooms. had a funeral home. Down under the garage was where and ask for the chief engineer.” I said, “Really?” He Oh, yeah. Multitrack was coming into play. I said, “Why he stored all the boxes, so if you pushed them all out, said, “Yeah. What’s the worst that could happen?” I don’t we just put separate rooms in there?” That idea it would decay about four and a half seconds. I was called information, and got the phone number. I said, came from Motown in Detroit, only they had smaller listening to the Motown records, and something was “I want to speak to the chief engineer.” He said, “Mike rooms. They had talkback into the headphones different about them. I took [The Supremes’] “Where McLean here.” To this day, I’m still very good friends without interfering with anything. You couldn’t do Did Our Love Go.” with Mike. I started to tell him the whole story about that in New York. If you hit that button, everything what I did. There was a long pause. He said, “Can you went out. They had 8-track in Motown when nobody That’s got some reverb on it go to New York City?” Motown sent their acts to New had that. There were three 8-track machines; Motown, Every half a second, there’s a hand clap. I said, “I hear York, The Supremes, The Temptations, and acts like that [reverb], but it’s decaying.” On the records that Atlantic, and a studio that was on the west coast. that, to record here. They’d bring someone from were made in New York, The Four Seasons and all that, They all bought the tape from the same place. Motown Motown to make sure the engineering was the way it stays a little while. Here’s what I did: I had one VU was probably the first record label where the studio

36/Tape Op#127/Mr. Bongiovi/(continued on page 38)

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this.” Was I going to go to Rutgers, or take advantage of what I already knew? I went to work for this company called Peer/Southern Music at 1619 Broadway. They had a little demo studio with an Ampex 350 mono machine and a Fairchild lathe. I worked there. I used to take records, put them back on the Ampex 350 – a mono machine, and try to cut them. I could get pretty close to what they sounded like, except I couldn’t get the Motown records to sound that way. It wasn’t until fairly recently, when I started hanging around with Mike McLean again and asked him how he did those records, that I figured it out. He said, “We cut them at half speed.” The equalizers had a switch on them so that when you cut them at half speed, the frequencies would automatically go down.

That’s funny.

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All those Motown 45s were done that way. I had offers from every studio in New York, so I had to make a decision. The day that I was supposed to take my SATs, I was on a plane to Detroit. After I came back, the guidance counselor asked what I was doing. I wasn’t even going to graduate. I wanted to keep going to Motown. They showed me how everything worked. Berry Gordy was always a fan of young people; Motown was “The Sound of Young America.” They had plenty of writers, singers, and musicians, but I was on the engineering side. They needed people like me – there weren’t that many. Of course, in New York City I called my own shots. I went from zero to full-time, never one day having to work in a tape library or get coffee for anybody. There was a studio going up called Apostolic Studios at 53 East 10th Street. They had the very first Automated Processes [API] console in there, as well as a 12-track, 1-inch machine.

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Jersey.” Everybody said hi, and they all got up and that they wanted it. He said, “I want you to go to the started walking out the door to the parking lot. I saw hotel there and talk to this guy, Lawrence Horn Ivy Jo Hunter and said, “I know you! You wrote [Motown producer].” I got on the bus and I walked ‘Loving You is Sweeter Than Ever’ by the Four Tops.” over to Lincoln Center. Lawrence Horn says, “Mike He said, “Come on, let me take you outside and let’s McLean says you want to play me something.” I talk about some of this.” My handler saw this, grabbed played him what I had done on those records, and he me, and pulled me away from him. She said, “Ivy Jo asked how I figured it out. I told him the whole story. Hunter, you leave that boy alone.” Then she said to He said to me, “How’d you like to come to Motown in me, “Tony, you stay away from these people. Detroit? We’d like to have you out there.” I went back Musicians. They’re a bad influence.” I didn’t know it at home, told my parents the whole story, and let them the time, but they were drinking, and if anything know the guys wanted to take me there. I’d never would have gone wrong... I was a minor. I went there, been out of New Jersey, except on a bus to New York. then I went back to New Jersey and back to school. By now I’d played so much hooky from school. I was They asked where I’d been for the last four days, and supposed to go to Rutgers and get my engineering I told them. Then they flew me out again. I was still degree. I went to my guidance counselor and he said, in high school! “Forget about Rutgers. You’re never even going to graduate! Where do you go when you took off all the Did they want you to observe and learn time?” I said, “I’m trying to figure out how to learn.” how they were making records? There were no schools for recording. They said, “That’s the tape library.” They filed the records by song, not by artist. I’d pick up “This Old Heart of No, there wasn't anything. Lawrence Horn came out and Mine,” and it might have The Four Tops on it, maybe the talked to my parents. He said, “We're going to watch Temptations, or maybe The Supremes. They said, “Take your son,” because I was only 17 years old. I got out it downstairs. There’s the 45. See if you can make [the there and they put me up at the St. Regis Hotel on tape] sound like that.” It was 8-track, so somebody was West Grand Boulevard; I'd never even been in a hotel with me to help me get started, but I realized that the room. He said, “You can't leave the hotel. If you get record sounds different than the tape. They didn’t put hungry, just order something off of room service.” I the horns and strings on all the time. The way they set said, “What's that?” He said, “Well, there's a book here up the session at the time was like this: track eight was with all these things you can order.” I have my own bass, seven was drums, six was keyboard or piano, five bed and my own bathroom. There's a TV in front of the was guitar, four was horns, three was strings, two was bed. I never had anything like that where I lived. I background voices, and one was the lead voice. But called my mother to tell them I was okay. I didn't initially they set it up with 8-track, so they had the know what to order; the chateaubriand, chicken kiev, guitars on three tracks. Then we had to go back in and or fettuccine alfredo. When you grow up in an Italian mix those eight tracks down to another machine and family, whatever your mother puts in front of you is selectively put those things on and off. They had all what you eat! You either identify it as chicken or these Pultecs – the Motown equalizers – and macaroni. There are no exotic things. My mother said, everything was patchable. I was able to see it. “This “Get the chicken kiev, and tell them to make it is what they do.” The records sounded different than without the cheese in the middle.” It was really good. the tape. We used to speed stuff up in New York. That They instructed me to go downstairs and wait. At ten was common, and they would do that out there too. o'clock, someone was going to pick me up and drive It might be the same track with three or four different me down six blocks, because Motown Studios was artists. They just made copies of it. I had a temporary right down West Grand Boulevard. There it was; ID card. It expired in 1968, but I had a clip-on with Hitsville U.S.A. They took me around, and I went in my picture on it, and I saved that. the control room. They were recording with [George] Ivy Jo Hunter, the producer. He wrote a song called You started learning the multitracks “Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever” that The Four Tops and seeing what the process was. did, and he was also one of the writers on “Dancing in When I came back my guidance counselor said to me, “I the Street.” There were several drummers, like Benny told Rutgers about your trip to Detroit.” A guy from Benjamin. Earl Van Dyke was the piano player, and the university came to my high school and he said, they had the three guitarists: Joe Messina, Eddie “I’ll tell you what we’ll do. Because of what you’ve Willis, and Robert White. They plugged everything in done out there, if you take summer school we’ll let direct. James Jamerson [bass] sat there with the three you in at the Busch Campus at the engineering guitarists. They balanced each other; but then it came school.” I didn’t have the grades to graduate! They up on the console as line level, so you could patch it had to push me through. I was getting tutored in into equalizers and do all kinds of routing. You calculus and asking, “What am I going to do with couldn’t do that in New York. McLean figured that was this?” My focus was on going to the studios. That the best way to do that, because they had no room. summer of 1966 I went into New York, and I had this There were two little side rooms. They had the vibe Motown ID card. Every studio, including Associated, player in there, Johnny Griffith played organ, and Jack Mirror Sound, Olmstead, Bell Sound, when they saw Ashford and Eddie “Bongo” [Brown] were the two that I had it, that was the one thing that was missing percussion guys. They could separate all this sound. I in New York; somebody who knew how they did that had a handler, and she said, “This is Ivy Jo Hunter. [at Motown]. There I was, at 17 years old. They said, Everyone, this is Tony Bongiovi. He’s here from New “You want a job?” I said, “Wow, let me think about

38/Tape Op#127/Mr. Bongiovi/(continued on page 40)

Oh, the 12-track 1-inch. Almost forgotten in history.

My first job was for $250 a week. What I did was I used to take peoples’ 8-tracks, and I would punch in like 2, 3, 5, and 7 in between [the tracks].

On the 12-track tape?

Yeah. I’d erase a little bit [of the adjacent tracks], but I could add extra tracks and ping-pong.

I always wondered if you could do that!

Yeah. You roll it off at 12 kHz so the bias doesn’t bleed in. All that freedom of being able to create those techniques came as a direct result of me being at Motown. In New York, you’re the engineer and the producer can’t touch anything. But out there, if you were the producer and wanted to try something, you sat down and put the tape up. They had hit, after hit, after hit. That jumpstarted my career. From there, I started working with Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention. He played piano, and he could read and write music. There was one thing we did, where he played every other note. Then we went back and overdubbed the in-between notes. It took a long time to do that! I cut a record on a Sunday morning at Apostolic Records [by Everything Is Everything] called “Witchi Tai To.” I worked with Shadow Morton, who did the Shangri-Las records. He was really tough to work with.

Really? Was he a taskmaster?

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Big hit. Yeah. I wish I’d produced it! I would go back to Record Plant because some of the clients had 24-track, and Media Sound didn’t have that. They had a 16-track Ampex MM 1100. I went back there one day, and Chris Stone grabbed me. He said, “What do you think you’re doing? You can’t take the clients away from us here.” I said, “You fired me! What am I supposed to do, not talk to these clients?” He got really angry. I went back to Media and said, “You’re going to have to get a 24-track.” I took practically every client out of Record Plant in New York City. They all followed me over there. Media Sound was a jingle house, but I brought record projects in there. That’s when I started to work on commercials too. I met a lot of people from there who I brought here to build Power Station. Then I found Gloria Gaynor. I had a little production company with partners. We found Gloria Gaynor; I produced “Never Can Say Goodbye” at Media Sound, Studio B, and I did a lot of the tricks I did at Motown. If you listen to it, it sounds like it was cut in Detroit. I had Allan Schwartzberg [drums]. Harold Wheeler did the charts. We also had Jeff Mironov [guitar], Pat Rebillot [keyboards], and Jerry Friedman [guitar]; great players. That really started my career.

Yeah. The daytime guy was Eddie Kramer [Tape Op #24], but they put me on at night because no one wanted to work that. They had a couch I could sleep on. It was Mitch Mitchell [drums], Noel Redding, the bass player, and Jimi Hendrix with four Marshall amplifiers. We had to use dynamic microphones because we couldn’t put pads [on the mics]. Everything would overload. From there, I had Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland. They wanted to make a record in New York, so they said, “Tony, you’re working. Can you find us any musicians?” From working in the studio doing jingles, I got to know some of the musicians. I booked Record Plant. Tony Camillo did the arrangements. In one session I cut “Band of Gold,” “Give Me Just a Little More Time,” and “Mind, Body, and Soul” right there at Record Plant with Brian Holland sitting next to me. That was the most incredible writing and producing team ever. Once word got out, I did a Vanilla Fudge record there [Near the Beginning]. They put Tony “Motown” Bongiovi for the engineering credit, but Motown made them take the “Motown” off. But everybody wanted to work with me after that. That was something you got production

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Yes. Gary Kellgren hired me, and then he went to California to open Record Plant in California. The majority of the clients wanted to work with me, because I had hits in the Top 10. I was doing all the sessions. They were just getting a 16-track machine. Chris Stone said, “Why don’t you hand some of that work out to the other engineers?” I said, “Fine!” But it wouldn’t work. The clients wouldn’t work with anybody but me. He called me in one day and said, “We’re going to have to let you go.” I said, “Why?” He said, “Because you don’t have a good feel for working with other people.” Chris Stone figured that if I left, they’d have no choice [of who to work with]. All the clients were on 12-track, 1-inch. So I left, and someone said, “There’s a studio that just put a 12-track, 1-inch in called Media Sound.” I went there and met Bob Walters, who later became my partner in Power Station. I put the word out, and everybody came over to Media Sound. I mixed the Woodstock: Music from the Original Soundtrack and More album. There are crowd sounds on there and helicopters flying; none of that happened. We had to put in crowd sounds. There was a place where you’d rent sounds. Baseball sounds are the best crowd sounds. You’d hear the crack of the bat and then everybody cheering. That was done on 16-track; all the microphones were on stage, so there was no crowd noise. A lot of times the microphones would fail.

back and produced Crash Landing for Jimi Hendrix. Alan Douglas had all these tapes from when [Hendrix] died. They were putting out posthumous albums, but half of the song was here and another part was on another reel. I had to put it all together and bring in musicians to play through it. Allan Schwartzberg played drums, Bob Babbitt played bass, and Jeff Mironov played guitar. I had to match it and get it to sound exactly like the original record, which I did. Now, I’m not a musician. There was a guitar solo, so I started editing the guitar solo. “That sounds like it works!” Later somebody told me about Downbeat Magazine, and they had an article on Jimi Hendrix and how brilliant he was to have a guitar solo with a bar of four, a bar of two, a bar of four, followed by another bar of two, and a bar of one. You couldn’t play it. But I didn’t know that. I just kept doing what I was doing, editing the tape until it sounded right to me. From there, I started producing The Ramones. Thomas Erdelyi, a.k.a. Tommy Ramone [Tape Op #46], came to me with that. I’d had a hit with Gloria Gaynor, so now not only was I engineering everybody’s records, but they wanted me to produce records too. I’m not a musician, so I always have to work with somebody. If you see my credits, there’s always somebody else on there who’s the musician. Tommy Erdelyi worked for me at Record Plant. All the mixes I do have a lot of highs, because that’s what I like – it’s Motown. He says, “I’ve got a group I want

He was the owner.

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Chris Stone fired me from Record Plant.

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Did you end up at Media Sound after credit for? Record Plant? Production royalties; even better! From there I went

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That was a huge seller; it was everywhere.

you to produce for me.” He’s the drummer in The Ramones. I go to CBGBs, and these guys come out and started playing. I was like, “You’ve got to be kidding me.” I said to Tommy, “How am I going to get that on a little speaker?” We worked on those records at Sundragon Studios. We had a 16-track [Studer] A80, and they had a Trident console. I recorded The Ramones’ [Leave Home] there, and it was one or two takes for each song. I brought it back to Media Sound – I was building Power Station at the time. I mixed everything over at Media. I was ganging two or three equalizers in series to get Joey Ramone’s voice to match. I had to go way over the top. I called Bob Ludwig [Tape Op #105] and said, “I’ve gotta send this record down to you to master it, but I had to really juice it up because it wouldn’t work any other way. You’ve got to fix it when you master it, because it’s way too bright.” That was the Ramones’ Leave Home and Rocket to Russia. The Talking Heads: 77, I recorded all of that at Sundragon. I brought the cello in on “Psycho Killer.” That was my idea. Jesse Levy was one of the cello players for the orchestras. David Byrne [Tape Op #79] was there, and I said, “David, let me try this and see if you like it.” David had written the song so that the “psycho killer” [chorus] came at the end. I had 1/4-inch tape and I spliced it in three or four times, but it didn’t match. They had to learn it and replay it. My other good Talking Heads story is I was in there, and Lance Quinn was working on the record with me [co-producing]. I’m listening and saying, “Is the bass out of tune?” He said, “No.” “Well, why does it sound like that?” “Because you can’t play an A-minor against a G chord,” or something like that. I go out, and here’s Tina Weymouth [bass]. She’s married to the drummer [Chris Frantz]; Jerry Harrison is on keyboards, and then David’s out there. I asked Tina if she could try a couple more takes with some different bass parts. She said to me, “I have been playing these bass parts for over a year.” I said, “Okay.” I went back inside, and I said, “She doesn’t want to change it. What will we do?” Obviously something was wrong. I went to Warner Bros to see Seymour Stein. I said, “I need $3,000. I have to replace the bass on four songs.” He said, “Why?” I said, “She’s playing the wrong notes.” “Can’t you show her the right notes?” “She won’t play anything different, but I’ll bring in a bass player.” I used Bob Babbitt, and an arranger wrote out all the notes. Track 1 was the bass, and track 16 was always the voice. What Babbitt first played was [like Motown]. I said, “You can’t do that. What you have to do is match her sound and play the right notes.” We did all four songs in about two hours. The most difficult thing he had to do was not play the right note while listening to the wrong note but follow the rhythm, because he was listening to what she did so that he could match that. I put it on track 16 and we were done. I took track 16 and bounced it down to track 1 and I never told her, until the engineer who worked with me went public with it. Why would I say that about a band? That was my Talking Heads experience. On The Ramones’ records I put timpani on, and keyboards, but really low so that I could get the frequencies I needed. I also doubled guitars.

We were in such a hurry to get it done. The guy called in from the mastering house and said, “Cut 6 on the second side, you left a baseball bat in there.” Then he said, “Don’t worry. Nobody’s going to know the difference anyway.”

You were like a house engineer in these situations?

It was like studio recording!

He just stayed up all night; 25 or 30 hours. By now I was 18. They didn’t need me anymore at Apostolic because they had a full-time guy take my place, so I went to work for Record Plant. That’s where I hooked up with Jimi Hendrix. I cut “All Along the Watchtower,” and I cut “Izabella” – I worked on a lot of his records. They had the DayGlo paint, and he was coming in and getting stoned all the time.

40 /Tape Op#127/Mr. Bongiovi/(continued on page 42)

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I understand that the studio is part of a larger complex?

It’s located within the Sonalysts, Inc. media center, which houses five full production sound stages suitable for large scale concert rehearsals and large format video productions. Full crews, HD cameras, and post-production facilities are available. The largest sound stage is 15,000 square feet with a 42-foot ceiling.

Are there bass traps built into these control rooms?

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No, the whole room is a bass trap. See, with a slatted absorber, low-frequency is omnidirectional. When the low frequencies come out, every single one of those boards vibrates and converts that acoustic energy into heat.

Once you built this room, you were ready to make records!

Exactly. I’d had enough high school physics to be able to calculate those primitive equations that tell me what the reverberation time is, and what the resonant frequency is. The reverberation time [in the main live

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I know with Bruce Springsteen on Born to Run, they’d tear everything down and set it back up every night.

The console was restored to its original 1979 glory by Vintage King Audio and console legend Ed Evans, who worked at the original Power Station. The Neve console was originally installed at Electric Lady Studio in NYC in 1979, and most recently at Pachyderm Studios in Minnesota. It’s been used on records by the Rolling Stones, Billy Idol, The Clash, Diana Ross, John Lennon, AC/DC, and Nirvana.

Well, the assistants had to write down all the equalization settings, every mic and tape on the floor, and they had to write where everything was. When you have a rock band it’s not that hard. But I had to do that because we had jingles in the morning. What was I going to do? Jingles paid the bills too.

Yeah. “Hungry Heart,” “The River,” and “Born to Run.” That was all done here in this room. We had to break it down every day.

Where did the console come from?

I’ve heard stories about how there were no lockouts. People would tear down a session and put it all back up. How in the world did you keep consistency?

We’ve interviewed a handful of people who worked here back in the day and they said it was a real training ground.

It was built in 1995, and based on the exact design and acoustics of the original Power Station in New York City. The refurbished main recording studio features the signature 35-foot dome, four isolation rooms, and the control room has a vintage Neve 8068 MkII console.

What are you currently working on?

I am currently wrapping a great project for a band called Prinze George, from Brooklyn. We recently had an amazing band from Boston, The Dead Messengers here. We’re also having Geoff Emerick [Tape Op #57] teach a three-day master class here in October. <www.powerstationne.com> <evanbakke.com>

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When I bought the building, we found some of the tapes. They went out of business in 1969. Mayor Ed Koch had a rehabilitation program to try to rescue the West Side. This was a war zone. There were all of these homeless people. When I came in there was water in the basement. I looked around and said, “I think I can make this work!” I paid $360,000 for the building, and I got a tax abatement from the city. I had to audition for the City of New York. There were four people on the panel, and I had Bob Walters there. They said, “How are you going to make this a success?” I said, “I’ll bring some of the clients I had at Media Sound over to here.” They said, “How are you going to do that?” I said, “They’ll follow me.” This was the farthest west studio in New York. Everybody leaned towards the east side. The agencies were all the way over on Madison Avenue. We brought in investors, and they said, “You can’t do that out there.” One guy put in $70,000 and I put in all the rest of the money. I started with a Neve console, and I had to buy 3M tape machines. I couldn’t get any tape machines, so I found a guy in Philadelphia who leased the machines to me at an 18 percent interest. I started doing record dates here, as well as mixing records for Columbia. I produced Tuff Darts, The Rezillos, and Samantha Sang here. Will Lee played bass on that. I produced Big Al Downing’s “Mr. Jones” that went to number two in the country charts. I had rock bands coming in, and the Bon Jovi band was me. I put that all together, got the image, and got the contract. It all happened in this room. Power Station became popular.

What is the connection to Power Station in New York?

JVC Studio in Japan looks a lot like this. Herb Alpert came here and wanted to give me $7,000 to design his room. He rented the studio for a week and he took measurements. I’ve had lots of studios come in and measure. It’s the reverberation time – the Sabine Formula. It tells you how much absorption you’re going to get. That determines how much space you need. I don’t have to do the formulas anymore, because I’ve built so many of them.

Oh, they had to come under my scrutiny. I took no prisoners. If they couldn’t do it, they were gone. I hired all of them, including Bob Clearmountain [Tape Op #84].

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No way!

There’s another Power Station? Turns out there is! It was built in the ‘90s under a license from Tony Bongiovi, with construction overseen by acoustician Rod Gervais. Evan Bakke has been chief engineer at Power Station New England, located in Waterford in southeastern Connecticut, for over year, after moving out from Minneapolis, MN, and freelancing out of the studio for several years.

I was producing records. I was making a lot of money; I had cash in the bank. I bought an airplane, and I bought an airplane hanger. I bought property down the shore. I was making pretty decent royalties; to this day I still get paid a lot of money for those records. Bob Walters had gotten fired. He left Media Sound, and I said, “I need somebody to help me run this.” We looked at a couple of buildings, and this building was abandoned. This was an original Con Edison power station. It powered the L train on the East Side. Later a company came in and made it into television studios. There were two. One was upstairs, and one’s down here. They did Let’s Make a Deal here. They put the freight elevator in.

Power Station New England

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How did you and Bob end up going from Media Sound to building Power Station here? Were there bad feelings with the Media Sound owners or anything?

room] is three-quarters of a second. Above one second, molecular absorption takes over, and when that happens, the high-frequency component is diminished exponentially. It’s not a linear function after that. When you go into a church, you can hear the reverb, but you only hear the highs. In this room you can hear all the high frequencies. When Max Weinberg came out and played drums, he said he had to record here. That’s how we got Bruce Springsteen and people like that to record here. No other studio had this many side rooms. This was the first time that isolation rooms were built from inception. No one thought it would work – they thought it was a bad idea. I never wanted anybody to know how I built this place, but it doesn’t matter now. This room became the number one studio in New York City. Japanese people were coming in and taking photos of the room, and I had to take the cameras away from them.

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And Scott Litt [#81].

Scott Litt; I hired him. Bob Clearmountain started with me at Media Sound. I used to record the Kool & the Gang records. One day I said to Clearmountain, “Sit down. Take over the session.” I didn’t come back. He soloed. When you fly airplanes, that’s what instructors do. He came from here. There was also Neil Dorfsman and Larry Alexander [#95].

Was it an honor when the band called themselves The Power Station? Oh, yeah. That was the guys from Duran Duran [John Taylor and Andy Taylor], and Robert Palmer [plus drummer Tony Thompson -ed.]. Robert was the lead singer. They came to me and said, “We’ve got this track, but we don’t have a name for the band. Can we call it The Power Station?” I said, “Sure!” That catapulted us into the ionosphere.

Jason Corsaro, who recorded and mixed their debut LP [The Power Station], recently passed away, as you know.

Yep. He did all of those records. I kept in contact with him. Fortunately, I got to see him in the hospital before he died. He did way too much cocaine. Way too much.

It’s too bad. He was brilliant, pushing the envelope as an engineer with those drum sounds.

Oh, yes. If there’s any studio where you could push the envelope, this is the place to be. This place is designed to do all those cool things.

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And you kept recording and producing here. I produced Aerosmith here. Rock in a Hard Place. I had to give the record back to Columbia because he [Steven Tyler] did so much cocaine that I couldn’t work on it. On that “Cry Me a River,” they would rehearse, and that mix on that record came off of the 15 ips while I was getting everything set up. Impossible to work with. He’s all cleaned up now, but I couldn’t do that after a while. Ozzy Osbourne was a great guy to work with.

Right. Was that for Bark at the Moon?

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Yes, Bark at the Moon. Columbia gave me that record, and I started the whole trend of remixing records. What I would do is legitimately remix that record; but with Bark at the Moon, I went back to Columbia Records, to Tony Martell, and said, “I’ve gotta redo some of these instruments. It’s too busy. I have to fix it.” I used to live upstairs here, and Ozzy stayed with me. I said, “You’ve gotta come in here and sing.” He’d say, “But I sang once already!” “No, you’ve got to do this for me, Ozzy. We have to fix it.” He did it and then it was, “Let’s go eat!” Sharon Osbourne wouldn’t let me produce the next record because she didn’t want anybody to get that close to Ozzy. He was with me all the time! I was taking the record apart thinking, “I’ve got to replace this. We’ve got to take that out,” and I just did it. I started doing that with a lot of peoples’ records, and I started to have lots of hits. “Hey, this is better than having the band out there. All you have to do is remix it.” I used to get a point and a half on every one of those records. I have 35 gold and platinum records to my name as a producer. If you want me to work on your record, you’ve got to give me a point, or I’m not going to do it. And pay me on top of that. It’s my studio, with my equipment. You’re paying the studio, you’re paying me, and you’re giving me a royalty on top of it. What a great idea that was!

Hey, that makes sense!

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That went on for a while. My partner, Bob Walters, was not really a great businessman. While I was producing a lot of artists, he failed to register the copyrights and do all this other work. So instead of making $8 million on Bon Jovi, I could have made $80 million; but they just neglected it. I wasn’t important. “The studio was everything” – that was his ego. I brought all the work in here, but Bob started to believe that he was the reason that it was successful. I said, “No, it’s just a studio! I’m bringing the people in here.” When I found out he did that, I said, “You’re going to have to go. I can’t keep doing this.” We decided to get into the video business. We took a loan to build a room upstairs, but I didn’t know any video guys. That almost drove us out of business. The loan was egregious. We’d had everything free and clear here. Instead of us taking the building and putting that in our name, with the studio as a separate company, we put everything in one and borrowed all this money. I couldn’t pay it, so I had to put the studio into Chapter 11. I stayed here for two years and found a buyer from Japan [Chieko and Kirk Imamura]. They kept it as a studio. That was in 1994.

It became Avatar Studios.

I couldn’t give them the name because of my record royalties. Some of those record royalties were coming directly to Power Station. Some were going to Bongiovi-Walters Productions. I couldn’t separate that, or they would have gotten the royalties!

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Oh, man.

44/Tape Op#127/Mr. Bongiovi/(Fin.)

From there, I went down to Florida. I went over to Universal; they had just built their theme park and there was a studio there called Century III. I did a lot of consulting for sound design for them back in the ‘70s. Some of the rides were my sound design when you got on them. Then I came back to New York, and I worked in a little studio in town cutting punk groups and trying to get deals.

Now Berklee has bought the studio and renamed it Power Station at BerkleeNYC.

A while back I was told Berklee was going to buy the studio. They said, “We’d like to put the Power Station name back on it.” They asked what I wanted, and I said just to have the ability to go into the studio if I wanted to do an interview or something. I used to give seminars at Berklee up in Boston. We had a lot of interns in here from Berklee. They’re going to put in more lobbies, but they’re not touching anything in the rooms.

This will be a great place for people to learn.

Are you kidding? There are lots of schools that have studios in them, but none of them have Power Station. Ever since I built this, I didn’t have to change a single thing in here. I got it right the first time. It wasn’t easy, but I got it right. That was a combination of all my experience of working in studios, plus having enough background in physics to be able to do this. r <www.bongiovi-entertainment.com> <powerstation.nyc>

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Ben Fowler Power Station to Nashville

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I first met Ben Fowler in 20 11 while working on a record for a new u p-and-coming country artist, Charlie Worsham. I was the assistant engineer during tracking and overdubs, and Ben was going to be mixing. Charlie told me Ben was looking for someone to do mix-prep/edit work for him; I went ou t to his home mix suite in the country for the “interview,” and we’ve been great friends ever since. Ben cut his teeth working as a staff engineer at New York City’s Power Station in the late ‘80s. During that time he made records with some of music’ s biggest names, including Eric Clapton, Meatloaf, Bad Company, and George Harrison before setting roots in Nashv ille, where he lives and works today. Highly regarded as one of Music City’s best tracking engineers, Ben is also a Grammy Award-winning mixer, with credits including Rascal Flatts, Sara Evans, and Michael McDonald. I would bring my mixes to Ben early on so he could critiqu e them. Among the many things I learned from Ben is this important lesson (in his words): “Mixing is the last performance of a song. If it doesn’t sound great, you’ll be the one to blame. Do whatever it takes to make it sound like a record.” -Gus Berry How did you end up working at Power Station? I was in a band in Indiana, and through that we met Tony Bongiovi, who owned Power Station and also produced some of the early Bon Jovi, as well as an early Star Wars thing [MECO’s disco version of “Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band”]. We didn’t know any producers where we grew up. He owned, arguably, the best studio in the world at that time. I was a musician graduating

46/Tape Op#127/Mr. Fowler/

college, and I applied for a job there, still thinking that What year was that? I wanted to be a musician. But I thought, “You know, 1986. It was a big contrast. The pay was pretty poor; New York is the place to be.” I got the call and I was probably much like today. Back then there weren’t almost like, “I was just kidding.” [laughter] I wasn’t that many opportunities in music. A thousand people expecting to get that phone call. would do it for free, or kill to get that job. I was While you were in Indiana? thrilled to get it. I had to hang onto it, because Yeah. I went out and had a quick interview. I’d never things were tough and their clients were huge. If you been to New York before; it was eye-opening. What a weren’t doing your job, or if there were any mistakes, left turn in life, to go from cornfields to the city! you were gone pretty quick.

We were writing on sheets. If you had the night session that ended at eight in the morning, we’d be dead tired trying to document all of that. But people expected it to come back pretty close, and somehow we did. Their clientele was humungous. When I walked in the door, there was Paul McCartney, Cyndi Lauper, Billy Joel, Peter Gabriel, and David Bowie. Duran Duran had been recording many of their hits there. It was a great place to land. I got to work on a lot of cool records, like Billy Squier, Bob Mould, and three Eric Clapton albums. I worked with a producer named Russ Titelman. After a certain point, he took me on as his main guy. I started as an assistant engineer, and eventually ended up in the driver’s seat for many records.

Did Russ like using that studio?

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That was home-base for that era of his career, and that’s how we got paired up together. We’d go other places. We might go overdub, and not be in a Power Station room, but that was home-base for him and I. If you were a graduate of the Power Station, it had something to it. People would book you. I was the last to go through that. It was neat how they did it. Whoever got hired before you was who you answered to; he answered to the guy right above him, and the guy at the top was thumping, and then it would come all the way down. It kept everybody in order, because the guy above me would get in trouble if my shit wasn’t getting done.

Everybody policed each other! [laughter] Who was the person that you worked under, initially?

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I worked under Alex Haas and Dave O’Donnell. Dave’s had a nice, long career. He’s worked a lot with James Taylor and Eric Clapton. But both were great friends and mentors to me. They weren’t that much older than me, but they’d gotten there a couple years before and had already launched as engineers. I’d also worked a tiny bit behind [Bob] Clearmountain [Tape Op #84]. He’s absolutely amazing, and a gentleman. He, Neil Dorfsman, and some of those original Power Station guys really hit it out of the park.

Was Tony Bongiovi doing sessions at that point?

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He always had a pet project or two, but he wasn’t in there much. The rooms were really busy, so I think it was probably hard to get in there with a side project or a development project. He had a condo built on top of the building. Power Station is built in an old Con [Consolidated] Edison building. When I moved to New York City, I slept in his electrical closet for two years! There was a washer/dryer and a massive i nterview and photos by Larry Crane electrical fuse box. It wasn’t exactly quiet! But it was intro by Gus Berry what I could afford, and he was gracious enough to let me live there. Did you have engineering chops before If you wanted to pay for a lockout, you could; but was expensive. Otherwise, there might be a daytime What inspired you to move to Nashville? heading out to New York? session from 10 to 6, or 10 to 7. We would tear down, I’d worked with Meatloaf off and on in New York. He’d No. I studied Music Theory at Ball State University in done a lot at Power Station with Jim Steinman, an tracking setup and all. Then someone else would be Indiana. I was always the guy who would get a long amazing composer, producer, and songwriter. up and running by 8 p.m., tracking or getting sounds. guitar cable and walk out into the audience for Somehow I got involved a little bit, and eventually I There was not much turnover time. The next morning soundcheck. I would badger the sound guy. was in the driver’s seat. I did some tracking and we’d have to recall everything. Measuring mics and Was Power Station doing the “no real mixing. He did a Meatloaf Live at The Beacon Theater consoles. We didn’t have digital cameras back then. lockouts” deal? DVD. He was on tour, so he flew me over to London Polaroids!

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When you started doing the country sessions, did it seem really different compared to your other sessions?

Yeah. I hope they are subtle and tasteful. That’s what I work towards. Sometimes I feel like the deliberate ones do more harm than good.

Save those for the Pink Floyd records!

Yeah. [laughter] Generally, if I’m happy with it so is the client. It’s very different from, “Well, your eight hours are up, and that’s what you get for eight hours.” That leads to disappointed clients.

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I try to figure out what the line to draw is.

Well, it’s tough because it can end up eating into my family time. Or normal people, who have hobbies! I’m not sure mixers do.

Someone asked me that the other day and I said, “Eating.”

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1996. It’s hard to believe, because I feel like I just got out of college!

Just to open a section up? Or make a vocal feel more important?

Yeah, eating at the console! [laughter] That’s passion I always find time for! That started in New York; there were so many good restaurants around there. It was an education on every level moving out there. We didn’t get paid well; we could barely eat off the budget end of a Chinese menu. One time I was walking through David Bowie’s lounge, straightening up, and he said, “Mate, are you hungry?” I said, “Oh, I’m good.” I tried to bow out of it. But he was so gracious. He said, “Mate, I’ve ordered too much Japanese food. Sit down and have a meal with me.” You have a suite at your house? And I did. What a nice man he was! And super Yes, I have a room I’ve mixed out of. I actually had a talented. That was the first time I’d had Japanese room up here in Ocean Way for three or four years on food, or sushi. the second floor. It was very small, but I mixed a fair amount up there. Then I bought this old farmhouse With David Bowie? and put a little room in. It was hard. I’ve got kids. I’d Yes, and what an education! Good food was taught to take them to school, get ready, and run downtown to me by a great artist, and I felt really lucky. I’ve found work. Now I’m coming right downstairs to work at the great artists tended to be great humans. There’s a home. If I take them to school at 7 a.m., I can be reason they’ve had the success they’ve had. Yes, their working at 7:10, getting so much more done, and lives are different than ours; they have to get on a being a better dad. But without the clock ticking with bus, or fly away after the album is done. But when a commercial studio, I spend way too much time on you get people in the studio, they really open up to my mixes! I wish I was one of those guys who’s like, you; it’s a safe zone for them too. I’ve always been “Yeah, I did that in six hours.” There have been a few protective about that information, and I tell people of those, but there haven’t been many. [laughter] I that work for me too that this is a sacred zone. If want to please me, and obviously my clients. people open up, or get vulnerable, that stays in here.

What year was that?

we’re finally getting somewhere. I think once that mechanical pressure is off, that is when I get a little more creative. Because a song is architecturally built, as opposed to mixed. That’s when it gets fun to me. We’re in a world now where there are over-the-top echo tricks, but I like really subtle ones. I don’t like it to be too tacky or distracting.

track, and it kept growing. We needed horns and to fix some vocals and mix it. I mixed it at Metropolis more. It wasn’t working in a smaller, personal studio. Studios, and that was great. What a beautiful studio! I said, “We need to get a Pro Tools system in here.” On the last day, I flew home, changed suitcases, was With it came an operator, who was making pretty home for two hours, and then flew to Nashville to good money per day. After we got going, I noticed a marry the audio with the video for a company called lot of the conversation was around me, as they talked Picture Vision, which is still around. The video’s two to the Pro Tools guy! I realized, “I’m going to be a producers, John Small and Tom Forrest, lived here. dinosaur. That’s going to be a big part of the job.” I They were former New Yorkers that had made the did hear of some big-name engineers who thought it jump. None of it was what I expected. I thought was a completely different thing, and they suffered people would be sitting around in flannel on bales of for it. They got in eight to ten years later. hay. They were gentlemen, super professional, and the studios looked great. It changed my opinion. Then I In the higher-end studios for a while, got a call from Bad Company’s manager. He said, “Hey, they’d have a Pro Tools operator, an we’re thinking about doing another Bad Company engineer, and an assistant. album.” I love that band; they are the funniest I’m lucky I get the occasional big major label jobs, but humans I’ve ever been around. We’d made an album I’ve always gotten the mid-level and independent at The Manor [Studio], Richard Branson’s manor, for sessions of great music that I would never turn away. four months. What a spoiled American I was. We had I’ve got to make their budgets work. When I saw an a chef, and we had a lot of fun! I thought I’d be going opportunity where I could retain some of that work in back to Europe, but he said, “We’ll be making it in the middle, particularly on things I was developing – Nashville.” Something rang in my brain. I thought, without spending money on someone else’s studio “That’s my sign.” I knew I wanted to have kids, and costs – Pro Tools made a lot of sense to me. I didn’t New York was never my dream place to live. I loved it understand it completely, but I dove in and bought a when I was young, but it’s a hard city to live in. I system. Now I am many systems in, as I’m sure you started the record [Stories Told & Untold], and bought are too at your studio. My first Mac monitor was a house about a month after I moved here without $2499 for a 23-inch screen. Now for $300 or $400 you ever looking back. I thought I’d have to go back and can have a 40-inch, massive screen. I mixed in Pro forth to make a living, but I got really busy here. I Tools for years. I may have been early in it here came in from the side and I wasn’t trying to get [Nashville], and it may have benefitted me. I have far country clients. I wasn’t trying to get the work other from cracked the code for doing it. But, again, people were trying to get. I did Lynyrd Skynyrd someone could afford me who may not be able to [Twenty] right after that. Again, I wasn’t infringing on afford Blackbird Studios. Having a great setup, and a anybody’s territory, so it allowed me to get settled place to mix, has helped me to develop, stay alive, here. and do things that I love.

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You learn quick, or you die. [laughter] I remember one session I did, the songwriter came in and was really put out that we weren’t rolling yet. It was his money, but he had another session to go to. I did learn that there was an expectation for me. I am the one to wrangle everyone together. There’s a responsibility and leadership to getting that together. But there’s a learning curve, and things are done a little bit differently here. One drummer wanted me to use triggers, and I didn’t want to use them; I wanted to use what I’d learned at Power Station. Something What are some of the details that go past You’ve had long acquaintances and must work, because I’ve kept busy and I was doing the six-hour mark on a song? working relationships with people something a little bit different. I didn’t change the I don’t know. I don’t look at a clock. I used to worry like Billy Squier and Lynyrd Skynyrd, world, but people were interested that I took care in right? myself silly in a commercial studio, and I got a lot drum sounds. I had a slightly different thing, and more creative when I stopped worrying about it. With Yeah, I love the Billy Squier music I got to work on. Being maybe it benefitted me. mixing, I like space. It’s like landscaping; creating young at the time, that was just good rock ‘n’ roll. events, and seeing things inside of what is going Great licks and great guitar. We spent loads of time How early did you get into Pro Tools? around. I work really hard to build those spaces. I [together]. It was weird moving from New York to here, I don’t really remember the year, but I was doing a always hope that, in whatever form it comes out, that because at 10 a.m. in Nashville you start recording. Michael McDonald record. I think I’ve been involved some of that is preserved. I notice when I start You have sounds. But at 10 at night, you might still on five of his records. I’d done a record with him at tapping my foot or moving my body, it’s like, “Oh, I’m be working on drum sounds for the next day. You can’t Warner Bros., in New York. Then he’d moved here actually liking this.” I’m not even aware of it, but [Nashville] in that time afterwards. He graciously do that anymore, but back when we had big budgets, when I finally start moving and grooving, I know hired me. We started with a 24-track. Then it was 48we’d spend tons. When we had Billy Squier, I remember

48/Tape Op#127/Mr. Fowler/

Do you have surround capability in your home mixing setup?

I don’t, actually. I get it all beautiful in stereo and then I take it over to my friend, Nick Palladino. He owns a place called NPALL Audio. He’s a post-production guy. He sweetens it with crowd, if needed, and we spread it out. He’s got a couple of surround studios in town.

It’s a perspective you’re trying to build.

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Yeah. I hope we’re getting it right. We work really hard to make those mixes and performances have integrity. There are great artists up on that stage. It’s been fun and challenging. There are loads of recording issues that happen on the road. There’s feedback and all these live issues that I’m not used to dealing with. It makes us use the tools we’re so blessed to have.

I’ve done several live albums and DVDs, plus one recently for Blackbird Presents, which was a tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd. I’ve continued working with Blackbird Presents, which is not the same as Blackbird Studios. I’m working on Kris Kristofferson’s [The Life and Songs of…] DVD now; I’m almost done with that. It is a slew of great artists doing his songs. Over the last couple of years, for Blackbird, I’ve worked on releases for Dr. John, Mavis Staples, Emmylou Harris, Merle Haggard, and Waylon Jennings. It educates me on their body of work. Everybody knows their hits, but not necessarily their deep catalog. People still care about them and are passionate about their music. There’s a video component, and it’s surround sound. That’s a little different for me.

A lot of concert releases and videos too.

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Yeah, but I’ve known a lot of those guys. I know Leon [Wilkeson, bass], Billy [Powell, keys], and Hughie [Thomasson, guitar], and so many of them that aren’t with us anymore. I just finished a co-production of a Gary Rossington solo record [Take it on Faith]. It’s really, really good. I was impressed. His wife, Dale Rossington, is singing on it, from Rossington Collins Band. I would love to do another Lynyrd Skynyrd album with them – it’s been a nice long run. I haven’t done everything in the last 21 years, but [I’ve done] a lot of it.

The original era.

stood back and said, “See, I told you it would sound new plug-in or piece of gear. When I feel like I’m better over here.” I wasn’t touching a fader! I didn’t getting a little stale, it wakes me up. I probably overuse say anything… [laughter] The perception of seeing whatever it is, but it engages me. I love discovery. Paul the console was everything. There’s a little perception Brandt is another artist that I’ve had a long, long career in that. with. I think I’ve done eight or nine records with him. I started on the engineering side, but the last one I co- It would be hard to sell this Ocean Way produced with him. We’ve had a fair amount of success. room if you just had a little laptop He was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall sitting over there with a monitor! of Fame. That kind of loyalty in our business is pretty And this place is irreplaceable for tracking and rare, so I am grateful for it. recording. For an old church, it has a certain soul to it. The players feel it and it shows up on tape. I’m How did you guys meet in the first place? thrilled to work here. I would love to be able to mix He was signed to Warner Bros. down here, and he was and spread things out on this console [80 input Neve starting to have a couple hits. His story is fantastic, 8078] because it sounds so creamy. It could be a and he’s a great human being. I met him when one of great advantage. The disadvantage is that as much as the guys working on a Lynyrd Skynyrd project, a we go back and forth, and send people mixes all over producer named Josh Leo, was producing him and got the world, I couldn’t get in here enough to do his first two hits. He was coming by the studio, and revisions. It’s too costly. then the second record I ended up recording a bit of. I started as an engineer on that. By album three I was When did you feel you were able to get really involved, and probably mixed a good bit of it. the quality you wanted out of an inThen he got off Warner Bros. and did an indie record, the-box mix? trying maybe to figure out what the next phase of life It felt like it early on, because I felt like I could get some was. It was an acoustic record, and he owned it really punchy sounds out of it. I’m sure some of the outright. It sold a fraction of what his Warner records work I did was awful and over-compressed, because I did, but he made ten times the money. It blew open can use 55 compressors. I’ve tried every way. Every his career up there [in Canada]. Because he’s done it once in a while I’ll get a client who wants to mix his way, he’s been able to creatively do whatever he analog, and I like the SSL [XL9080K] console at wants. He’s fun to work with, because he’s an artist Blackbird in Studio F. I’ve done every combination, in every way. They’re his songs. He’ll come down with where I’ve mixed at home and then I go there and a vision and direction. We just started a new album. close mixes, because their monitoring is so good. I’ve I always tell him, “You don’t have to call me, but I’m split it out a little bit; but sometimes you’ve really got glad you do!” [laughter] to backtrack from what everybody’s been living with, because you’re getting rid of your master fader and Have you done most of his work in any hype that’s been on there. It changes levels a Nashville, or have you gone up to little bit. I’ve tried everything, but I feel pretty good Canada as well? about it. I never felt I could blame the technology. I have gone up there. But we’ve tracked a bunch of it They could blame me if I didn’t sound good, but I down here. I know there are great musicians never thought I could blame Pro Tools. everywhere, but we are really lucky. The best of the best are here, and they get it. I love casting bands for Going between a standard console mix these people that call me. I like to cast nice, talented and an in-the-box Pro Tools mix, do people. Why not get the best? We track down here, you have a different methodology and I mix here. That’s why Pro Tools makes sense; overall? Or are you trying to follow a Paul’s not here for the mixing. I’ll send him a mix over similar working method? the internet, and he’ll send me notes. We’ve done that I think everything I do in there is off this template – for many years. what I learned back in the day at Power Station and how those masters mixed. When I think of sidechain, Are you using any summing hardware and how I do it in the box, I always think about the for mixing? Or outboard hardware? masters. The first time I saw sidechain compression You know, I tried that. I might touch, at this point, used was with Jay Messina [Tape Op #90], who three to five different things. But resetting any engineered a lot of the early Aerosmith records that I outboard; I was screwing up. I had a GML EQ and an absolutely love. He had these subtle little secrets that SSL compressor. I’ve tried some summing boxes. But every time I did that, I was jumping back and forth made the records. You listen to them today and they so much. I could never get it exactly right. With the are still really, really good. Another reason Pro Tools summing bus – it would’ve never stayed fixed. I never seemed so bad to me was I felt that I knew always have to touch it and tweak it. I got away from what a console was supposed to sound like, and what that; it’s all in the box. I had some classic rock clients a tape machine was supposed to sound like. If you that make some unbelievable music, and have been know what they sound like and what they do, you can for 35 or more years. We tracked it in here [Ocean replicate that pretty damn well. I look at everything Way] and I mixed it at my place. One them was like, I’ve done in mixing, and I don’t look at it as digital. “We have to go back to the studio. We can’t do this I see it coming off a tape machine, or through a Neve in the box.” I’d already mixed it and he was beating console, or what an SSL 9000 would do to it. That’s on about something. I brought it in and had it in where my head is at, because I was lucky enough to Studio B, going through the monitor bus only. He start way back then.

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starting out as the assistant. These guys were telling me to move a mic a quarter of an inch. I was like, “At some point, there is no difference!” We did that for hours, maybe days, but it was great. The Skynyrd’s have been great to me. I started my first project with them in ’96, which doesn’t seem that long ago. Of course, I wasn’t there for “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Free Bird,” and “Simple Man.”

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Even 20 years ago, think of how difficult it would be to move a vocal, or take a vocal from another night and fix the chorus.

Or take a vocal from rehearsal, if they recorded that. Our software is great. I love the Waves software; it’s been really handy on some of this, as well as my studio sessions. I don’t think I could make sounds this good without some of the great manufacturers that we have.

It’s the best era, in some ways.

It really is. It would be hard to complain about it. I get motivated creatively when I get something new, like a

Mr. Fowler/(continued on page 50)/Tape Op#127/49

It’s hard to learn that part. It’s hard to learn what the subtleties of a certain sound can be that are going to bite you in the butt later.

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It is. I wish I could’ve retained more about what I learned at Power Station. I got to work with Al Schmidt a little bit, who’s a master. I worked with Elliot Scheiner on a couple records. Those guys are masters of mic placement; true engineers, gentlemen, and kind. I learned a lot from them about where to put the mic, and what mics you use. Those people never seem to get in the way of a recording either. They got it; [they] set it up, it sounded good, and they didn’t overdo things like compressors and outboard shit on every track. Sometimes we get in our own way with all that. I mix all the time for people that have tracked somewhere else, and I’m surprised how compressed things come back.

You’re involved in The Recording

Absolutely. If somebody else mixes it people probably cuss me, because if I track a record drum-wise, I record a lot of tracks. If you’re in a room like this, it has a lot of room opportunities. I like the close mics to sound close, tight, and detailed. And I like the room to pound. I don’t know what the record is going to become by the time there are loads of overdubs on it. A lot of records really shift gears in the middle of the overdub stage. I give whoever is mixing a lot of options. I tell people, “Mute what you don’t like, but at least play with some options.” Getting drum tracks to mix that don’t have a bottom snare mic and the snare up top sucks. You can make a sample sound so much more real if you’ve got the rattle of the bottom, and you can get the grace notes. Give somebody options, because tracks are free now. This place has killer EMT plates in the basement, one that’s absolutely the smoothest I’ve ever heard, and I print that because we’ve been listening to it all day. I wish I had it to mix with, because it’s a beautiful vocal reverb. I’ve never found anything that quite does what it’s doing. If I’m here at some point for strings, I’ll also print reverbs and rooms. At Blackbird, both tracking rooms have great chambers that John [McBride, Tape Op #97] built. One is adjustable, and the other is controllable by where you put your mic. I try to be as creative as I can, without slowing things down. But I’d rather have options. I’m sure some people are like, “Well, he’s not doing much.” And I think, “Well, that’s because I feel it actually sounds good, and I shouldn’t be getting in the way of the recording.” But if I’m not happy, you’ll see me buzzing around. I’m trying to get it to where I’m happy.

Being Technical

I was never technical, and I still say that now. It’s Academy and the P&E Wing. not my thing. This is going to sound weird, but I won’t Yeah. It’s certainly an honor to get to participate. For us, get sidetracked by a compressor, or some piece of gear, as engineers, it’s our only voice, our guild. There’s not when they’re out there making music and on the verge a union. They do such great work on advocacy on of a great performance. I’ve never been one to hold up credits and metadata. I think that’s huge, because a performance for gear. I’ve watched a lot of technical that’s how we get work, and they’ve really been at the people get more into the engineering side than forefront of pushing that. And the quality in capturing a great performance. I remember when I first recordings; there’s been that push, trying to get what saw a Neve console, or an SSL. I thought, “Oh, I’ll we hear to the consumers over the years. It was such never figure that out.” But then I’d figured out what I a disappointment with MP3s, and certainly Mastered needed to know. for iTunes was a huge step forward. They’ve been important in the deliverables [Recommendations for of good things to the table, and they actually ended Delivery of Recorded Music Projects], trying to up with somebody else on the roster when I took it standardize a level of integrity that we preserve. to management. That gave me a bad taste. Because if something has legs, you want to be able Particularly in this town, artists and producers call me to touch it again in 20 years, pull it out of the directly. I have a really broad-based client list archive, have it work, be able to have tracks labeled, because I’ve said “yes” to almost everything. That and also know who played, produced, and engineered includes budget. We’ll make it work, somehow. And it. Because that’s ultimately how we get paid. I’ve found, generally, a way to do it. That’s a tough I’m not even sure what I’m supposed to dance to do, with what they can afford and where you do when sending people home with can afford without feeling like you’re getting ripped data on low-budget records. off. I’ve missed that occasionally. One thing I did Yeah, it’s tough in those situations because you don’t recently was I got a business manager. I do the want spend three hours making files, stems, or invoices myself, but they do everything else, paperwhatever. wise. It has changed my world, because getting done What have you been doing locally, with with studio late at night, and then going home and P&E or The Recording Academy? paying bills? That will make you grumpy! It’s worth We had an event last week. I’m the recent Vice President every dime I’m paying to have them be a part of it. of our chapter here, which is an honor and a shocker. It’s lightened my load, and added an air of We’re pretty busy at this chapter. It’s great. I can’t professionalism. I wish I’d done it sooner. I think they think of why somebody wanting to do this wouldn’t probably save me money. We’ve got to be creative be involved. I wish I’d jumped in earlier. about how to make a living and survive this, And this job, where you spend part of particularly as producers. The money stream has to be your time mixing at home, it’s even in there. If the artists aren’t making money, they more isolating. aren’t hiring producers. If producers aren’t making It’s healthy to go see other people. In all regards, it’s money, they aren’t hiring engineers and studios. healthy to exchange ideas on how people are doing in There’s a lot to pay attention to; I think a stronger the business, how they’re making their records, and voice is important to what we do. Sometimes I think what excites them. I’m lucky, because I have a broad we have an image problem – we’re looked at as the range of clients from every genre. If I just worked worker bees of the business. We’re the factory with the couple big people we’ve talked about, I’d be workers, and there may not be a ton of respect there. sitting at home. I’ve been doing a lot of alt-pop, But if you’re going to show up for a session, show up which I love. I’m mixing a couple of gospel albums clean, not sweating your ass off in a sleeveless t-shirt. now. It’ll teach you how to balance, as well as how to Look like you care about the job. The job deserves mix vocals. It’s been really diverse, and that keeps it respect and integrity. fresh for me. I’d get bored if I had to do the same

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Is there anything you would do differently when you are in the tracking stages of a record you’re going to mix in the box? Would you print an EMT reverb, or a chamber?

Power Station Reverbs

genre all the time. There’s a surge of cool projects that I feel lucky to touch. Like Ruby Amanfu; her voice will get right through you and give you chills. A lot of good, new artists, and a lot of people who aren’t household names yet, but should be. Hopefully it continues for another 30 years! r

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At Power Station, we had two chambers. Chamber Two was a bathroom in the basement, which is one of my favorites ever. You hear it all the time on the radio still, on Bryan Adams and more. Chamber One, which I think is on [Bruce Springsteen’s] Born in the U.S.A. is a four-story stairwell. I had to paint that. <www.benfowlermusic.com> One of my jobs, when I was starting out, was to roll that out. Reverbs have gotten really good in the Are you self-managing, as far as work box. I wouldn’t want to go back; we are way coming to you, and are you booking beyond. But there’s still one thing – reverbs – it’s yourself? still hard to replicate a good room. There’s nothing I always have been. I tried having management in New like the real acoustic spaces to me. York for a second. I wasn’t a name; I brought a couple

50 /Tape Op#127/Mr. Fowler/(Fin.)

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Dan Auerbach

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“This is what I like to do”

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Dan Auerbach, along with drummer Patrick Carney, started The Black Keys in 2001 as a writing and recording project, releasing their first album in 2002. Dan also began recording and producing other artists along the way, initially with musicians like Jessica Lea Mayfield, Patrick Sweany, and others. Big changes arrived for The Black Keys in 2010, when the album Brothers and the single “Tighten Up” sold millions of copies and garnered three Grammy Awards. Dan moved to Nashville around then and opened up his Easy Eye Sound studio, a place filled with the best vintage and new recording equipment that is also home to many fun instruments. Sessions for The Pretenders, Dr. John, Shannon & The Clams, Lana Del Rey, and many more have gone on here, so I dropped in to hang with Dan, and his engineer Allen Parker, to learn more about his career and thoughts on producing records.

52/Tape Op#127/Mr. Auerbach/

by Larry Crane photos by Alysse Gafkjen

somebody else. That was the first time we’d ever done With The Black Keys, I remember It was a place called Suma [Recording Studio] in in that. And, you know, we sold four times as many Painesville, Ohio; Ken Hamann’s place. Paul Hamann hearing that your early albums were albums. We started our relationship with Brian; and it was there running it. Ken had passed away [Tape Op really DIY. Did you guys take was cool, man. We worked with Paul Hamann, so we #13]. It’s still the coolest studio I’ve ever been to. It recording into your own hands from knew what Neumann mics were supposed to sound was the first real studio I’d been in. the beginning? like. We had a frame of reference. Oh, yeah; totally. That’s what we did. The first time I Pere Ubu had done many records out there. The relationship with Brian ever saw a cassette 4-track was at Pat’s house. That’s continued? what we started on, the Tascam 4-track. Then we had Pere Ubu, and Grand Funk did their records there. Ken

Did you have to gear up for shows?

Oh, yeah. We were not good at it, at first. We had about 30 minutes of material, and we did it in about 15 minutes. Just flying through the songs. I remember our first show we played at the Beachland Tavern in Cleveland. I was pretty much totally blacked out the whole show. I don’t remember anything.

That’s crazy. What was the evolution, after the 388 era?

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It started as a recording project. We both loved recording, goofing around with the 4-track, and making mix tapes. We’d never played a show, but we sent one of our mix tapes to some labels, and we got a record deal! Then we got a review in Rolling Stone, and we’d never played a show. It was all the recording thing, at first. Then it was like, “Oh shit, we have a record now. I guess we gotta go play shows.” That’s how it all started.

It seems like that went hand in hand with the band, to a degree.

Hamann was a distributor for Gotham Audio. He Yeah, we did a few records with Brian. We clicked with supplied Motown, and all these different places, with him. Got along. It was fun. their parts for consoles and all of their machines, as When did Mark Neill [Tape Op #29] join well as all the cables. That was all Ken. He went up to the mix? Motown to help them set up their console. Just a Mark Neill worked on Brothers. I’d been a fan of Mark’s history of amazing audio. records for years. I bought this Toe Rag [Studios, Tape Op #15, #88] record by Ronnie Dawson [Just Didn’t they have a custom console in Rockin’ & Rollin’]. It’s fucking badass. It’s a great there? record. It sounds incredible. I went to meet Liam They’ve always had custom consoles. They started at [Watson, Toe Rag owner and engineer] when I was Cleveland Recording. Cleveland built their own tube there, because I wanted to see his studio. It’s such consoles, which were fucking awesome. But then an awesome place. Then, as I started to look into they built their own 36-channel split console; the Toe Rag, I realized Mark basically had built Toe Rag first ever graphic EQ. It was pre-API and pre-Sphere. in the ‘80s in California. Same color scheme, same It didn’t have frequencies on it; it had [musical] tape machines, same console, and same concept. I notes that you changed. Big, long-throw Gotham reached out to Mark when we were on tour in San faders on it. Just beautiful. Diego, and I went to his studio and cut something Is that studio still around? What’s with him. I don’t know if you’ve been to Mark’s happened with that? studio in San Diego. He built it in his two-car garage, Sadly, Paul passed away. The whole place was caving in a little mid-century home. It’s the size of a fucking in. It was run down, and it’s in the middle of closet, but he would make things that sounded huge, nowhere. The lake is right there, so in the wintertime like Capitol Records or something. there’s all the lake effect snow. It’s a hard place to run a business. He’s really studied recording. Yeah. It’s too bad. We did an article with A lot of people talk about gear, but he’s the only person I’ve met who actually has firsthand experience of what them ages ago. it does. He’s never steered me wrong. Any time he God, I loved that so much. I learned so much in there. ever gave me a sonic recommendation, it was always Was that just for Attack & Release, or did right on the money. Yeah; he’s a talented dude. you slip in and out of there multiple

a [Tascam] 388, as well as a little digital multitracker. We also had some shitty reel-to-reel machines. Yeah, we always were building a studio and recording ever since I met Pat.

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Well, we loved the 388. We did the second record [Thickfreakness] on a 388, and then we got the Tascam 16-track, with a huge Tascam console that Pat bought from Canada. It was Loverboy’s old console! times? You were doing mostly a tracking We rented a room in the abandoned General Tire session with him on Brothers? factory in Akron. The whole building was vacant. That was just for that album. I had gone and taken a tour before, because I’d heard about it. I wanted to Yeah, we decided to get out of town. We went down to When we were done, we left the console in there. They meet Paul and learn about the studio. We made Muscle Shoals [Sound Studio], another studio that I demolished the building with the console inside of it. Danger Mouse go there; totally out of his comfort was interested in. We got in there, and it was like a Wow, Loverboy’s history! zone. He never works without his engineer, who’s like shell of its former self, right? There was nothing in I know where it’s buried. Then we went to Pro Tools. I his right-hand man. It’s part of his flow. We totally got there. It used to be called the “Burlap Palace,” but it had [iZ Technology] RADAR, which I really loved. I him out of his whole routine. We made him go to was all fucking plywood. Black plywood everywhere. love the sound of it, and I loved working with it. I Painesville and use the in-house engineer who wasn’t No console, no nothing. We’d brought all of our gear, think some of the best sounding recordings I ever lightning fast with Pro Tools. He was an old tape guy. and Mark was engineering. He brought a couple [of made were on RADAR. old] Universal Audio preamps and a little Pro Tools rig. Did you feel any remorse in stepping How did you end up working with We tracked down there and cut a couple songs. It was Danger Mouse? away from tape at all? great. We had a lot of fun. That’s the thing that I No, I never felt any allegiance. But you could hear a Pat met him hobnobbing in L.A. They sparked up a learned about those places. It’s all about who’s in conversation. Brian mentioned, “If you guys ever difference in each little format. Each tape has its own them. You know what I mean? As much as I love all want to have a producer, let me know. I’d love to work particular characteristics. Tape is cool when you’ve got these old studios and all this old gear, none of that with you.” Like I said, we’d done four albums by a great band that can play live; but with most bands really matters unless you’ve got those people in there. ourselves. It was like we’d had enough of ourselves. It it takes a little work, and Pro Tools makes that a little was time to open up to a new experience. They had those musicians. bit easier to deal with. When was the first time you guys worked What was different about that for you Like Spooner [Oldham], and David Hood, and Jimmy Johnson [Tape Op #26]; all these guys. guys? at an outside studio? We made four records on our own. Then we did our fifth Well, I mean, we’d been so insular that it was almost I saw them all play together recently. unhealthy. I think that if you’re trying to be like The You hear that finesse. It’s amazing. record [Attack & Release] with Danger Mouse [Brian Shaggs or something, it’s okay to stay in your It was fun. We had a good time. Pat used Mark’s old Gretsch Burton]. That was the first time we ever used a basement. But if you really want to learn things, enjoy kit, which sounds incredible. Two mics on the drum kit. producer, and the first time we ever recorded in a real yourself, and get into it, you gotta work with people. I’m playing a little speaker, and we tracked the whole studio. You have to open yourself up to the experience, and record in like a week. Then Tchad Blake [Tape Op #16] What studio did you start out at? let yourself be comfortable with working with mixed it, which was cool. I thought it ended up being a Mr. Auerbach/(continued on page 54)/Tape Op#127/53

How does the label tie into that too? Well, I’d been producing albums. I’d do a record and hand it off to a label. It’s not like artists are necessarily coming to me. I’m seeking out projects, coordinating all the artwork, overseeing the photographs, and then I’m just handing it off to a label. I kept doing this over and over again. Then I thought it’d be nice to put it out myself, if I could.

How does the infrastructure of that work? A tiny staff?

Well, it depends. It’s pretty cool. I’ve got a distribution deal through ADA [Alternative Distribution Alliance], and I’ve got a couple different deals. I can take a record to where it’s best suited. I’ve got the Shannon Shaw record [Shannon In Nashville] that I took through Nonesuch Records, because I thought it’d be a good place for it. I’ve got a blues act that I’m doing, and a bluegrass act that I’ve recorded. I’m just going to take it straight through ADA. I’ve got a country kid, and I’m going through Warner Nashville [on that one].

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really great combination. Our songs had 15 or 18 tracks, I moved from Akron about eight years ago. I bought the total. Then we were sending it to his dude, who’s used to building as soon as I moved to town. It was just having a bazillion tracks on a digital board. cinder blocks. It was a call center. You could walk in the front door and see all the way to the back door. It was like a holiday for him. It was cool. I think Tchad got into it even more. I think Just empty space. What prompted your it showed. move to Nashville, at that point? Wasn’t Brian involved in that record Well, I used to come to Nashville when I was a kid. My too? dad would bring me down here. We’d go to Lower He wasn’t involved in that, except for one song [“Tighten Broadway and watch music, or we’d go to the Station Up”]. After we did the record, we had another couple Inn. My mom’s family played bluegrass when I was months before we had to turn it in. We thought, “Let’s growing up, so those were the first songs that I get in the studio with Brian and see if we can come up learned. It felt like someplace I always loved, with a song.” Explicitly, “Let’s try to write a catchy musically. Then, when I got older and was touring, I’d song.” It was our seventh album, and it was the first hang out with friends every time I was in Nashville. I time we’d ever said to ourselves, “Let’s write a catchy started to see it in a whole new way. It wasn’t just a song.” That had never been one of our requirements. little tourist music spot. There are other attractions here too. It became the spot I wanted to go to. That sounds dangerous. There’s the most music that I felt a connection to. Sort of. But we were such boobs. We went in the studio with Brian, and we wrote our first radio hit. That It has good infrastructure too. There’s changed everything for us. so much recording going on here.

You can rent gear. Isn’t that crazy? Did you have Tchad mix Wherever it fits? that too? It’s incredible. If you run out of tape you can call It’s pretty awesome. As long as it’s under the Warner Bros

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somebody, and ten minutes later they’re at your door. Yeah. He mixed the whole record. We cut it at a studio umbrella, I can navigate the album to where it’s gonna in Brooklyn because we were all in town that You can’t get that in Portland! be best served. It’s a dream scenario. I only have it weekend. It was fun. It was like a whole other You can’t get that anywhere in the world. I mean, really. because I’ve met all these people and worked with these experience. The idea of writing a catchy tune became Then there’re all the musicians that live here; it’s so people for so many years that it’s built in, I guess. a fun thing to do. deep. I feel so lucky to be in this city. Every other On the flip side, do you have people week I’m stumbling onto something, or someone, I It was such a shift for you guys too. You trying to hit you up and asking you to didn’t know before that’s changing my world up. were our “secret underground band” produce or be on the label? back then. What was your vision for the Easy Eye Yeah. But I don’t usually find acts like that. Sound studio space? Yeah, sure. I figured. Was Tchad mixing at his private studio I had Mark Neill help me. Basically I wanted a place that That’s the other thing that’s different for me. I’ve wasn’t too big, that I could also cut live bands in. That in Wales? produced a lot of records, but because I make my was it. I didn’t want anything huge. I’ve gone to all my Yeah. living on the road with The Black Keys, I get to choose favorite studios, and I noticed that most of them were So was this the first time you had a who I want to come in. I didn’t have to worry about small. Even the ones that were big, like Willie Mitchell’s mixing session where you weren’t it being my living. I could get a little rock band that [Royal Studios], they made them small by making tiny attending? has no budget. I could get Jessica Lea Mayfield. rooms. That’s what I went for. I wanted a place where More picking and choosing, to suit your Yeah, totally. I was on the phone with Tchad every day, we can have multiple keyboard players, multiple guitar and we would talk really in depth. But it always came taste? players, drums, and cut live. That was the goal, really. Exactly. back sounding really cool, so it was working pretty much immediately. Well, actually it took a few days. A Along the way you started doing quite a As a producer, I see a lot of times looking few different mixes. Then, once he saw where my head bit of production. When I looked at at the credits that you’re usually was at, he was off and running. the list, the actual amount of albums playing an instrument. You’re

earlier ones. But, yeah; we both have equal say.

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is impressive. That’s a lot of activity. How much is Pat involved in the direction and mixing? Yeah. This is what I like to do. It depends. From record to record, it’s different. Pat’s What were some of the first productions mixed some of our records, especially some of the you did outside of your band?

probably picking out backing bands for certain artists. How do you see your role as a musician and producer intertwining on the making of someone’s record?

Bluegrass-type folks in in Ohio. People like Jessica Lea Mayfield. People that I would see in Ohio and be Hmm. I mean, I’m there to serve the song, in whatever interested in recording. Or, you know, a band like way I can. If that’s playing timpani, or playing a little Hacienda from Texas that sent me a demo. I thought bit of acoustic guitar, or getting out of the way and it was really cool. I had them come up. They’d never letting it happen... I’ll be involved in whatever way it seen snow before. They all showed up in cowboy seems like it needs me. There’s no really set rules or boots, and three out of the four fell on their ass on anything. But I do like it to be a collaboration. The the way to the house. Ill-equipped. We always felt pretty comfortable about it. But I guess last few times we’ve had a session, there’s been three Brian came from such a different place. He was so At that point did you have a space that piano players, three guitar players, drummers, and computer-based. He got us thinking differently about you were using for The Black Keys vocalists; all live. There’s a lot of collaboration. things that we already were doing naturally. I think it and yourself for recording? Everyone’s working towards the same goal. was the first time I realized that, for me anyway, it’s At first I used my basement. I had a back room in my I always feel that the tidbits you can get really helpful to be around people who make music, house. I had Mark Neill come out and help me with back from great players makes because it opens my mind up. the design and the equations. It sounded so good, it everything better. didn’t make any sense to me. But that was that Mark Like we said earlier about Muscle Shoals, or any of these When did you move out to Nashville to Neill shit. Then I moved down here. start this version of Easy Eye Sound? studios, that’s always been everything. The more that

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That makes sense. With Brian doing some of the later ones, does that open up doors for you guys to feel safer to throw crazy ideas around when you have a mediator? Someone else in the room, besides just the two of you?

54/Tape Op#127/Mr. Auerbach/(continued on page 56)

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I’m in Nashville, and the more I meet these incredible musicians, the more I realize that, Jesus, there are a handful of people who are responsible for so many of my favorite records, and specifically so many hit records. Like I worked with this guy named Billy Sanford. He played the guitar on “Pretty Woman.” He was [producer] Billy Sherrill’s session leader for 25 years. He played on Top-10 hits in the ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s. He’s never not played on hit records. It’s not a coincidence. All these guys are the unsung heroes of American music.

Well, your last solo record [Waiting on a Song] delved into that more.

Yeah. That’s what we do here. When I work on records, I’ll use those guys; whatever the project calls for. It’s been awesome.

It’s a treat to be able to pull in people who have been involved in such classic sessions. That’s part of the reason that it’s so amazing to be in Nashville. I don’t think there’s more of those kind of guys in one area than Nashville.

You did a lot of co-writing on that record, which is probably something new for you.

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It’s the first time I’d ever done any of that.

That’s like a Nashville thing, right?

Well, I don’t know. If you looked at a lot of my favorite records for decades, it was like that. It was songwriters who wrote great songs. I don’t know.

I’m not saying a “Nashville thing” in a deprecating way at all.

There’s definitely a lot of that in Nashville, but it’s also been the backbone of just about everything that’s been great in American music.

I feel like that opened up some classic doors in your writing on that record. It’s very different.

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Yeah, [that was] after being with Brian and learning what it’s like to arrange a pop song on a computer. Now I’m around guys who have to have the song stand up on just an acoustic guitar and a vocal. That’s all they’ve ever done their whole lives. When I’m around Billy, the only thing he’s ever done is played guitar on records. Now I’m hanging out with guys where the only thing they’ve ever done their entire lives is write songs. I’m there trying to learn what I can, really.

Do you feel like you’re expanding, as well as trying to keep up? Yeah, always.

I love that album so much, because it reminds me of bands like The Box Tops, where there was a strong producer element applied to a young pop band; that classic Dan Penn situation. Instead of going to a stylistic throwback of getting the “right sounds,” you’re actually going in through the writing and playing.

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Yeah, we’re not trying to sound “old.” We don’t put distortion on the drums. The reason that it feels nostalgic for you is because this is how records used to be made. It was a lot of humans making noise and getting it picked up on mics. There’s a spirit there. There’s a feeling. It’s hard to explain, unless you’ve heard it before.

Three photos of Easy Eye Sound

It’s a classic mode.

Yeah. It’s a good mode. I like it.

On a lot of your records, I hear lots of really cool, distinct uses of delay and reverb. What were some of the records from the past that inspired you with their usage, and what kinds of devices do you like using for those effects?

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Um, I’ve bought and sold just about everything.

56/Tape Op#127/Mr. Auerbach/(continued on page 58)

I had the feeling…

Mostly bought. Like the Binson Echorec back in Akron, when I didn’t even really know how to hook it up properly. We’ve got four plate reverbs here, four different sizes; so they’re all different flavors of plate. We’ve got tape slap. We use plug-ins. I don’t know. I’m not so picky. Whatever sounds best. A lot of times the plate doesn’t work. Sometimes it’s too massive. We’re EQ-ing this plate return so much. What’s the point? Let’s use a plug-in. But it’s also like the more that you hunker down and work in the same space all the time, the more dialed in you get. You can hear something and know what reverb would work. I feel like we’re to that point now. We know our limitations for our reverbs and shit. You know what I mean? There are some things I use a lot as well. I think it’s just what it evokes. If you think about Lee Hazlewood productions, or you think of The Ventures, there are a lot of different sounds. There are classic

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Nashville vocal plates, absolutely. Shit, there’re so Have you tried any of the new Spectra It must be a trip to hear a voice like many people. You know who I love? I got really heavy Sonics outboards? Chrissie’s, or to hear Dr. John, in the into Norman Petty and the sound of his records. middle of tracking. Yeah, it’s great. It’s all really good. Great circuits. He was ahead of the world. I got one of the old 610 Complimiters Well, yeah. It changes you when you get a chance to Oh, yeah. He was way ahead of everybody. work with a musician who can transcend space and years ago. Have you gone to Clovis, New Mexico, to Everybody loves those, once you figure out how to use time, and well as mutate inanimate objects, like a see Norman Petty Studios? piano, into this living, breathing thing. You don’t want them. I haven’t gone. to change. That’s what I want to strive for; working They distort great, but then you’ve got to I’ve gone and made an appointment to see with people like that all the time. I want all of my figure out how to back them off. the old studio. It’s just a trip. It’s tiny. sessions to feel like that. I know they can’t, but I want Yeah, I had one, and I was like, “I don’t really get it. The Well, he had awesome musicians. He had his session them to. [Universal Audio] 1176 is way better.” 1176 is the musicians, The Fireballs. Those were his guys. Every easiest thing to use. That’s why it’s the most common. When you get a chance to produce time there’s great music and cool sounds, you’re almost With recording equipment, if there’s a Chrissie Hynde or Dr. John [Locked certain to find that there was a crew there that Down], does it feel like you’re getting learning curve, it’s more likely that hunkered down every day. Every single one. That’s a lot to cast them in a light where they’re you’re going to be averse to it because like what we’re doing here. We’ve got the same making a record that you’ve always it can screw you up on a session. musicians, and we’re here every day working. I’m here And it’s like a lot of guitar amps. When you start adding wanted to hear, in a way? at 8:15, every day. We work all day. more knobs, the sound changes. Maybe not the record that I always wanted them to do. What gear choices did you make when Like the early ‘80s. Guitars got shrill and But I put them in a situation where I think it’s going you put this place together, like the to be great. You know, where I’m excited to hear what’s nasty. Even amps got nasty sounding. console and all that? gonna happen. Do you know what I mean? It’s hard to Yeah. The reverb sucked. Everything sucked. It’s weird. Lots I went with Spectra Sonics [Tape Op #102]. Well, that’s explain. It’s different for every person. But with Dr. of guys in Nashville made millions and millions of dollars not true. I had a Quad Eight console at first that John, you know, he’s such a New Orleans person. The making hit records in the ‘80s, and I can’t even listen to sounded really good. I always really liked it, but my drummer, Max [Weissenfeldt] from Germany, is an them. There’s still a lot of those guys around too. holy grail was always to try to find a Spectra. It seemed Careful! Afrobeat wiz. I knew it would be a great combination. like all the records I really loved the sound of were No, I mean it’s not their fault. With Nick Movshon on bass, I knew that would be either done on a Spectra, or done with modified No. It was the time and place. Those great for Max. It was awesome. He took right to it; he Spectra electronics. loved it. He was a little skeptical going into the studio. records came out of every city, at that

It’s nice to see it working.

Yeah, totally. Theirs is nicer than mine. I swear, I think it sounds better.

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What is it about the Spectra Sonics that attracted you, besides the records you heard them on?

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I got a whole other one that I let my friends use at The Diamond Mine in Queens. Do you know those guys? Homer Steinweiss and Leon Michels. They’ve got my other Spectra, and they use it all the time.

Did you get another one for parts?

never even given a chance to because they cut their Totally. That’s a lot of [Yamaha] DX7 strings. And I’m sure records in the ‘80s. There’re a lot of great country he’s been screwed by almost every label, at some point singers that I don’t even really know about because I or another. So, yeah; he had reason to be skeptical. never even let my ears open up to them. All the guys But it was fun. We had a great time. I talk to all knew that it sounded like shit. They all tell It sounds great. What’s in the future for me it sounded like shit. All of them. But what are you you, session-wise? going to do? It’s business. We’re booked all the time. Working on records, putting them out. We put out the [Shannon & The] Clams Did you produce your dad’s record? album [Onion], and the Robert Finley [Goin’ Platinum]. [Chuck Auerbach, Remember Me] We recorded a country singer, a young kid from Yeah. He’s always been into songwriting. He would write Slapout, Alabama, named Dee White. So that’s coming a lot of songs. He doesn’t really play an instrument. up. We’ve got a bunch of other albums. We did some But he got it in his head that he wanted to make a reissues of some Link Wray, with never heard before record. So he booked a studio, The Butcher Shoppe, tracks and never seen photographs. We’ve got another across town. He booked a bunch of my musicians, and Link Wray 45 coming out. Then I got my hands on he did it on a day that he knew I was free. some old catalogs that I’m also going to be releasing. He knew you’d come by. I can’t say anything right now, but I’m looking forward So I went over and helped him make the record. It took to that. a couple days. It was fun.

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From this guy who used to live on an island off of Washington. He has a bunch of Stephens Electronics [Tape Op #54] machines and gear like that. He had this Spectra that was originally installed in L.A. in ‘70 or something like that. I bought it from him.

Where did that Spectra Sonics console point. Yeah, but at that point Dr. John’s made come from? how many records? It’s such a bummer. There are a lot of musicians who I’ve

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Well, you know Mark Neill told me all about them. He got me super hyped up on them. Then I was investigating and listening to records. The proof was in the pudding. Did you charge him double? When you’re working with other I heard a bunch of records that I loved the sound of, I charged him triple! [laughter] artists, in what ways does that also and they were all Spectra. Then, on top of that, it was I love that. What was producing The influence you when you come having Mark explain to me how they were set up and back to doing The Black Keys, or to Pretenders’ record like [Alone]? how to use them. your solo work? Richard Swift [Tape Op #120] and I It’s a different circuit design, in certain talked a little bit about that session. I don’t know. I haven’t made a Black Keys record since ways. The speed of the mic preamp was Yeah, we did that here. Chrissie [Hynde] is from Akron, just like doing all that. Time will tell. But I come in here every a little different than other gear that day, and I feel like anything can happen. I don’t put me. I don’t know what it is about Akron people, but we’ve was being built in that era. got this similar tone. We instantly got along. She came here, any rule on what’s gonna happen. You see where it Yeah, it was pretty unique unto itself. I don’t know. It’s and it was like any of these albums. She let me choose the takes you. With each artist that I work with, anything’s tough. It’s got a bangin’ low end, and it doesn’t like to band. I had Richard come in, and some of my other buddies. possible. I guess that’s the fun of it. be distorted. The Quad Eight could get fuzzy, in a cool We cut a record quickly. She’d written a bunch of songs, and Is there any artist out there that you’re way; but that’s not what the Spectra is for. It’s for getting we cut them live. We had the headphones on, and we dying to record but haven’t reached big euphonic sounds without super precision top end. It’s started playing. Then she started singing, and it’s her voice. out to yet? What would be your dream got a softer, iron transformer sound; but still solid. It’s like, “Whoa, holy shit! That’s that voice!” production job?

58/Tape Op#127/Mr. Auerbach/(continued on page 60)

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I’ve worked with a bunch of people I love. I’ve got a few lined up.

I was listening to Sonny Smith’s [Rod For Your Love]. How was that to make?

That record was so fun. I picked up Sonny and his band at the Greyhound station in the morning. I brought them over to the house and let them wash the sludge off themselves. Then we started the record. We cut it in a few days.

They really took a Greyhound out here?

They did. He’s such a great songwriter. He writes catchy songs; you know?

With something like that, are you doing pre-production or is that happening on the floor? That was on the floor. For Shannon’s, we wrote them all ahead of time, and she wrote some of them herself. But with Sonny, he had the songs, and we went into it.

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In a case like that, will you be out there and think, “Oh, what about this part?” Or will you pick who elevates what section, and who drops out?

Exactly. Sometimes it’s easier to hear from the control room. A lot of times I’ll be in the headphones, and I won’t see the big picture. Sometimes I’ve got to get in the control room and listen to the big speakers before I feel like I can really wrap my mind around things. A lot of times I feel like I’m there to help musicians hear what they would hear anyways. Just help them along.

Do you find yourself working with changing tempos a lot when producing?

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Yeah. You know, I mentioned my friend Billy Sanford. He played on all the Johnny Paycheck hits, but there’s one in particular, “Someone To Give My Love To.” The chorus is like 120 bpm, and the verses are 112 bpm. It jumps back and forth. He wrote it all out one time for me; all the bpm changes. They’d talked about them ahead of time. After working with people like that, and then going back and listening to some of these old records again, I started hearing things that I didn’t hear before. I started understanding the depth of how tight those guys were; how musical it was.

60/Tape Op#127/Mr. Auerbach/(Fin.)

They had room to be able to play like that.

To express themselves. They were artists. I did some work with Bobby Bare, and he said that the thing that helped him have some of the most success was trusting the song. He didn’t try to sing crazy melodies around the melody. He just sang the melody. You know what I mean? He put his trust in the song, and put his trust in the musicians. The more I work with people like that, the more I understand. r <www.easyeyesound.com> As of publishing, Richard Swift has passed away. Honor him by listening to the great work he left behind.

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Please Support Our Advertisers/Tape Op#127/61

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62/Tape Op#127/Gear Reviews/

AMS Neve

1073 SPX preamp & EQ

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When I first opened the box to take a look at the 1073 SPX, I immediately saw a lot of familiar knobs that represented the exact same functions as those on any of my vintage Neve 1073s – or even the pair of the AMS Neve 1073s I have in an old 80 Series powered rack in the A room at Studio G Brooklyn. High-pass, low frequency select, and cut and boost… the usual suspects. But also on the face of this new box were functions I didn’t recognize and wasn’t immediately comfortable with. Was it some sort of newfound “purist” or “traditionalist” streak that I never knew I had? It looked to me as if someone had drawn sunglasses and a sideways hat on the Mona Lisa. I looked closer to see what additional functionality had been added to the horizontal faceplate of the 1073 we all know and love: sample rate indicator? XLR and 1/4-inch combo jack? A Level knob controlling output, like a fader, made sense, but was I freaking out about seeing these extra functions on an otherwise very familiar old friend? I was having a hard time reconciling what I was seeing, but I also knew that if I put this in a rack as a part of a very, very swank mobile recording setup, I would appreciate not having to reach around the back of it to plug in the single mic that was handling vocal overdubs in someone’s rehearsal space or apartment. And I appreciated the DI being placed right on the front. This box seems to do everything it claims to do. The one I got for evaluation did not have the digital card in it, so the conversion was not tested. Operating the 1073 SPX is as clean and simple as any 1073 should be, especially when you ignore the other stuff on the faceplate. I was sitting in a room with a ton of great gear in it, including the vintage, totally well-maintained version of this box – or at least what is at the core of this box – and I was tracking the new Dub Trio record. We were doing a song with Troy Sanders from Mastodon on guest vocals. Using this box to record things like guitars and room mic and snare, the operational aspects of the 1073 SPX were cool – it works like you want it to. At this point I started to feel like I needed to see what was inside. How could they tackle the magic and wrestle it into a new box that has all these features, while charging less than they are charging for the reissue of a classic 1073 in module form? The sound is pretty great. It does what you want it to do. The magic of the classic 1073s seems to be there, but in hologram form. It’s like the La Croix seltzer version of the Neve flavor: like someone said “Classic Neve” in the other room while you were dialing up the sound. It puts the idea in your head, without any doubt, but also leaves a lot of room to look to gear that fully delivers on the promises made on the faceplate. Now all this being said, if you ignored the fact that this thing is stepping in the ring with possibly the heavyweight champion of all mic preamps ever made, you would have a great time making recordings with the 1073 SPX, without having to mortgage your children to get it – or a pair of preamps better yet – into your studio. Without the Marconi knobs, the paint job, and the big “N” logo on the front, would we judge this thing against possibly one of the highest bars in professional audio? Of course not. So, removing the idiomatic response that we will all have to those knobs, the box is really solid and would be a welcome addition to anyone’s studio arsenal, especially if it is meant to be a streamlined “do a bunch of things with very little outboard” type setup. I will always welcome a well-designed, solid piece of gear into the world with open arms. The 1073 SPX holds its own even when standing in one of the largest shadows cast by any piece of gear in recording history. ($2695 street; ams-neve.com) -Joel Hamilton <www.studiogbrooklyn.com>

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R44CE ribbon microphone

With its unmistakable visual presence, enormous versatility, and famously silky smooth top end, the original RCA Type 44 (continuously produced from 1932 to 1955) has secured its place as one of the most iconic microphone designs in recording history. AEA founder Wes Dooley [Tape Op #97] began servicing thousands of existing RCA 44s (among a variety of other ribbon mics) back in 1976. By 1998, according to the company’s website, he had acquired “100 percent of the interchangeable parts used within the original RCA 44,” and that same year began offering his own part-for-part recreation of the 1936-56 era RCA 44-B/BX, called the R44C. Twenty years later, AEA’s fleet of RCA 44-inspired microphones has grown to six: their original R44C, the R44CX (offering 6 dB more dynamic range than the “C”), the R44CE (for “cost-effective” – a cosmetically more spartan version of the “C”, with the same internal components and sonic signature), the R44CXE (offering 6 dB more dynamic range than the “CE”), the A440 (an active, phantom-powered version with extremely low noise), and the brand new, limited-edition item in celebration of AEA’s 20th year of manufacturing R44s R44ACE (an active version of the “CE” model). In deciding where to jump into this impressive collection for a Tape Op review, I chose to zero in on the “cost-effective” R44CE model. With a $2520 street price, this is by no means an inexpensive microphone – it is, however, the AEA model probably most within the reach of the small studio or home recording enthusiast. According to AEA, the mic is sonically identical to their more expensive R44C model ($3780 street), with only minor cosmetic differences that allow the company to offer the mic at a significantly lower price. Sammy Rothman of AEA says “the R44CE is identical to our R44C on the inside, but the outside has an economy yoke and cushion mount, a satin finish (instead of a shiny one), and the ribs on the transformer case are black instead of silver. Sound-wise, they’re the same.” I requested a pair of the R44CEs so I could try them out on stereo sources in addition to standard, single mic’ing scenarios. Weighing in at 8.5 pounds, this is a seriously heavy microphone, so a heavy-duty mic stand is a requirement – preferably one with a substantial counterweighting mechanism. The R44CE ships in a vertical soft case, which helps keep the mic’s ribbon element from sagging due to gravity when not in use. The first opportunity I had to use the pair of R44CEs was for an on-location recording of a large chamber group in New York City. I set up the pair as outriggers for my main Schoeps ORTF stereo mic, spaced about 30 feet apart and in line with the Schoeps, while using AEA’s TRP2 preamp. The R44CE pair provided spatial dimension, considerable “reach” into the ensemble, and offered incredibly

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AEA

rich low and lo mid information to supplement the more neutral Schoeps stereo mic. The ribbon’s figure-8 polar pattern also allowed the AEAs to double as audience/room mics. While the R44CEs are certainly not the most convenient mics to lug around for mobile recording, I was sufficiently impressed with their sound to write their weight off as a small price to pay. Next, I used the pair in the studio to record a jazz guitarist with a stereo amplifier setup. I set up each R44CE in phase with a Neumann U 67, yielding a ribbon/condenser pair in front of each amp for tonal variation and blending options. Compared with the U 67s, the R44CEs had a much smoother and less “stiff” sounding top end. The ribbon mics had considerably more weight in the low end, but still provided plenty of detail and richness in the midrange. Upon reviewing playback of each mic pair, the guitarist favored the R44CEs so much that we opted to ditch the U 67s completely. The ribbon mics really captured the guitarist’s complex low mid voicings with ample detail, while still providing plenty of clarity and punch on single-note lines and occasional overdrive passages. The next day, I had the opportunity to use the R44CE for orchestral overdubs on a rock record. I had great success with the mic on trumpet, trombone, cello, clarinet, bass clarinet, and glockenspiel. The fact that the original RCA 44 was a fixture on scoring stages the world over is no accident; it sounds good on virtually any acoustic source you can throw at it. The R44CE proved to be a worthy heir to the original, providing huge, natural tones with tons of character on brass, strings, winds, and percussion. My final evaluation of the mics was a shootout that I arranged with my friends at The Bunker Studio in Brooklyn. The Bunker has two original RCA 44s (an RCA 44-B and a modified RCA 44-BX). I figured it might be fun to see how AEA’s R44CEs held up against the originals in typical single mic’ing applications like mono drum overhead, upright bass, and vocals. We used The Bunker’s Neve 8058 console preamps throughout. On drums, we positioned the AEA mic and the two vintage RCA 44s directly over the drum kit, looking down at a point between the snare and bass drum, while supplementing the ribbon with a Neumann U 47fet on the bass drum. We all agreed that the modified RCA 44-BX was the winner of this particular shootout, providing the most size and “pre-mixed” sound – the AEA R44CE a close second, and the RCA 44-B a distant third. Both the RCA 44-BX and AEA R44CE provided a highly desirable mono drum sound, filled with fatness, dimension, and heaps of vibe. On upright bass, we all preferred the AEA mic over the two originals. Bunker co-owner John Davis compared the difference between the AEA and the BX to the difference between a U 47fet and tube U 47 on upright – the AEA was punchier and less flabby while still providing plenty of size. On male vocals, both the AEA R44CE and RCA 44-BX again stood out as frontrunners – with the RCA sounding slightly more saturated and the AEA a tad cleaner to our ears – both providing a rich sound with considerably smoother and rounder top end than the usual suspect condenser mics. Of course, such comparisons can never be scientific – who knows what these older mics have been through in the last 75 years? But this session was enough to prove that the R44CE can definitely hold its own by beating out one of the two originals easily while performing neck-and-neck with the other. My final verdict: if you are looking for a mic that can impart some of the legendary RCA 44 sound into your studio without exposing yourself to the vicissitudes of the used market (and the considerable tonal variations between 75 year old microphones), AEA’s R44 series is undoubtedly the first place you should search. ($2520 street; aearibbonmics.com) -Joseph Branciforte <josephbranciforte.com>

API

Apogee

MiC+ USB microphone

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MiC+ doesn’t use a proprietary connector at the mic end like its predecessor (this new version terminates in a mini-USB connection). Note that there is no option to use this USBpowered mic with an external preamp, nor is there any convenient way to use it with standard mixers, XLR connectors, or 1/8-inch terminals. But that’s not how this product is meant to be used – the MiC+ is intended to be a super-quick, easy, high-quality capture and monitoring solution for every and any application that doesn’t require simultaneous multitracking – and this lovely little creature excels in that regard. ($249 MSRP/street; apogeedigital.com) -Dana Gumbiner <danagumbiner.com>

Union Tube & Transistor LAB optical compressor stompbox

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I love stompboxes as much as the next studio rat, but if we reviewed all of them there’d be no room for the other swell recording gear we chat about in Tape Op. But when respected pedal builder Union Tube & Transistor builds something like the LAB, an optical compressor stompbox, I have to take notice. I’ve had the LAB around the studio since before it was actually released last year, and I’ve used it on a lot of songs for guitar and bass tracking, in the traditional “before the amp or DI” fashion. In every case, the simple two knob (In and Out) style made it easy to set, like using a Universal Audio LA-3A [Tape Op #49]. We’d look for the right amount of grab and reduction with the In, and then boost the Out to compensate for the gain reduction. One of the smartest features is the multicolor LED, which not only lets you know the pedal is on but goes from green to yellow to red as more gain reduction takes place. Who needs a VU meter? The custom built (yep) optocouplers (two in the detector circuit, one for the LED) work great, and is set to grab pretty quick (Roger McGuinn’s Byrds chime) and level out notes (Peter Hook’s Joy Division bass grind). So yeah, the LAB pedal made it onto a lot of albums while tracking guitar and bass. But being that this is Tape Op, what about using the LAB as an outboard processor in mixing? I hooked mine up through a Radial EXTC [#100], a 500 Series re-amp/DI all-in-one interface between +4 line level and pedals that I use all the time. This allowed me to pretend the LAB was a pro audio compressor, and it acted like it thought it was one. Union claims a frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz with plus or minus 0.1 dB. This may sound crazy for a stompbox, but I found it to pass full frequency, 96 kHz sessions no problem; I even examined before and after tracks in spectral view. I tried it on vocals, and it could really squash out in a fun, punchy way (they say it has 30 dB of reduction) but could also add a light compression to reign in and focus the vocal for a “proper” mix. On upright bass guitar I could get more overt and really put that sometimes difficult instrument in one place and keep it working with the drums; it kinda felt better than many of my hi-fi units in the racks. On a mono grand piano mic, it did well and didn’t dull out the detail of the strings, hammers, and overall tone as I mentioned earlier. I could see any studio rat pulling this out for mixing and tracking all the time. If Union Tube & Transistor built a little 500 Series unit, I bet people would go nuts. But adding in two transformers would certainly make it cost far more than this $300 pedal! I know I’ll be using mine forever, and it’s already one of the few things I take on the road for non-Jackpot! sessions. I think that says a lot! Welcome to LAB. ($300 direct, www.uniontone.com) -LC

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Studio-quality; rugged; super-portable; easy to use across multiple platforms – it’s nice to find a microphone that checks all of those boxes. I was a fan of the original Apogee MiC, and this new version of their portable USB/Lightning condenser microphone improves on the first in some subtle but significant ways. Like the original, the MiC+ offers a 24-bit recording input path (up to 96 kHz) and is compatible with both Macs (via USB) and iOS devices (with Lightning-style connectors). It also comes with all the necessary cables, a mic stand adapter, and a sturdy little mini-tripod stand (which gives it the appearance of a futuristic mecha-spider on your desktop). New to this model, however, is the built-in headphone output, which turns the MiC+ into a turnkey single-channel 24/96 recording solution with the same stellar I/O conversion wizardry you’ve come to expect from Apogee. Now that Apple has made the “courageous” decision to drop 1/8-inch headphone jacks from their iOS device lineup (current iPads still have headphone ports, but that is expected to be cut from the next generation), the inclusion of a headphone output is a critical addition. This single feature makes this little mic so much more useful for the traveling musician, field recordist, voiceover artist, journalist, podcaster, etc. Now I can plug this mic in to benefit from Apogee conversion while not having to rely on a separate output path in my DAW (or recording app) – the mic is the interface, the interface is the mic! Apogee has implemented a multifunction button, which can be used to adjust direct signal in relation to the DAW or app output for low latency monitoring. I wish the blend button could be used to smoothly transition from direct signal to computer (or device) output, but instead, the MiC+ has essentially three preset states that you toggle through with the button: weighted towards input level, a 50/50 blend of both, or weighted towards DAW/device output. It’s unconventional but very usable and a good solution given the tiny size of the hardware. Note that there is no hardware output adjustment on the MiC+ – you must control your output levels via your connected device, app, or DAW. The cardioid condenser capsule has a greater dynamic response with a cleaner built-in preamp (according to Apogee) than the original MiC, and I believe it! Input gain is digitally controlled via the central knob on the face of the MiC+ and is spec’d at 46 dB of gain. In my testing, the capsule seemed particularly well suited for vocals and voiceover work, but performed equally well at capturing band rehearsals, field recordings, impromptu percussion samples, etc. While I found the MiC+ to be a shade noisy at the highest gain settings, it is much less so than the previous-gen MiC. In my view, the most significant benefit of this portable mic is how darn flexible it is. If you record on the go in any capacity and are beholden to the Apple ecosystem, the MiC+ is a no-brainer – this plus an iPhone and the recording app of your choice gets you an ultra-powerful mobile capture and monitoring rig (PC users, don’t fret – Apogee states that this works with your kit as well). I loved being able to switch recording environments effortlessly from an app like Samplr on my iPad to Pro Tools on my MacBook Pro. Even just using the MiC+ as a sound card is a vast improvement over the built-in MacBook Pro headphone out (I did that quite often in testing on the plane and train). Speaking of the MacBook Pro, I like that Apogee includes both USB-C and USB-A cables (meaning, no dongle needed with the latest USB-C MacBooks), as well as the fact that the

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Designed around the celebrated 2520 discrete op-amp that has kept Automated Processes Inc. gear in hot demand since the early ‘70s, the legendary company’s new “channel-stripin-a-pedal” series juggles several crucial studio roles while providing an affordable way to get “the API sound.” These two devices are more than DI boxes. In fact, they are really “augmented DI / preamps” that offer line level outputs – no need to connect to a mic pre – for recording direct to a tape machine or DAW input. In addition to providing clean gain and impedance matching for instrument inputs, the GT and LX each include an EQ section and a compressor circuit (both separately by-passable via footswitch). The GT is voiced for guitar and has three EQ points at 5 kHz, 1.5 kHz, and 200 Hz (15 dB boost/cut) while the LX is voiced for bass guitar, having 15 dB of boost/cut at 2 kHz, 400 Hz, and 100 Hz. Each pedal also has a one-knob “525-type” compressor with six threshold settings ranging from -15 dB to -40 dB. Despite the instrument-specific voicings, each pedal is flexible and could easily be used for a variety of sources. Powered by an 18-volt supply (included) the TranZformers feature 30 dB of gain, Hi-Z inputs, and custom output transformers, with handy clip indicator LEDs on both the input and output. A nice touch is the polarity reversal on each output (both “through” the 1/4-inch and main XLR outs), which allows flexibility when matching phase with amplifier and direct signals. I tried recording both bass and guitar with the TranZformers and was immediately enamored with their headroom and fidelity. Heavily plucked bass retained transients, and dynamics never sounded “spongey.” Similarly, direct-recorded electric guitar remained pristine and sparkly, even with the treble boosted on a spiky Telecaster bridge pickup configuration. The EQ sections were very easy to use, particularly for enhancement – it was difficult to dial in a setting that sounded flat out bad. I was happy to hear the compressor behave and sound like a classic API 525. With only the one knob to select threshold levels and automatic makeup gain, it is not a particularly “surgical” compressor, however, it is easy to set and is quite musical (particularly on bass) – with the ability to add aggressive tonal variations while controlling peaks. Sweeping slabs of brushed aluminum make up the “business” surface of these attractive pedals, which are dotted with classic signature API knobs. The TranZformers are massive, weighing over 4 pounds each and measuring 8-inches x 5.5-inches x 4-inches. Probably not something you want to lug around to run-of-the-mill gigs, but perfectly solid, sturdy and stable for studio work (where their audio role is likely more appropriate). The price for these pedals may seem a bit steep until you ponder just what you are getting for your hard-earned cash – essentially two slightly-simplified versions of amazing, very real, API hardware, under one very, very high-quality hood that will live comfortably on a tabletop, pedalboard, or studio floor. ($492.15 each street: apiaudio.com) -Pete Weiss <www.weissy.com>

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TranZformer GT & LX pedals

Gear Reviews/(continued on page 64)/Tape Op#127/63

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RM5 active monitors

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During the past few years, many manufacturers have introduced innovations in speaker design that include technology and composite materials developed for the aerospace industry and interesting designs utilizing high-tech 3D printing technologies. Some innovations yield measurable improvements in audio quality, while some tech provides marketing bragging rights with no real improvement in audio quality. Buyers beware. Canada’s ART (Applied Research and Technology) recently debuted its RM5 studio monitor system. The most immediately striking feature of the 2-way RM5 is the diminutive size of the monitors. Housed in an aluminum unibody enclosure, which measures only about 12-inches high, 8-inches wide and a mere 3.5-inches deep, the RM5 packs 300 watts of power along with a full selection of input connections. The monitors include removable stands reminiscent of the Apple iMac’s aluminum base, and the speakers may also be mounted via a standard 100 mm VESA mount. The 2-way monitors utilize a 5-inch composite woofer and unique ring radiator tweeter with a center plug waveguide. Extended low frequency response is achieved with dual opposing passive radiators that occupy both sides of the speaker enclosure. Passive radiators, like ports on bass reflex systems, extend the useful bass response of small enclosure and have some advantages over ports – including the ability to provide more bass response in a very small enclosure. The RM5 utilizes passive radiators that take up the entire left and right sides of the enclosure for maximum bass efficiency. Thus, the RM5 is able to achieve a frequency response down to 45 Hz (at -3 dB). Unlike other speakers in the range, the RM5 control systems and amps live in the right speaker and a 4-pin locking cable connects to the left speaker, so that only one speaker needs to be connected to audio and power, keeping cabling neat and tidy. The RM5s offer a variety of audio inputs, including XLR/TRS combo jacks, a 1/8-inch stereo mini jack, and two Bluetooth inputs (one streaming device at a time). The top of the right speaker has a volume knob, Bluetooth activation button, power switch, plus an onboard DSP-controlled tone controls for Ref. (reference), HI-FI, and Theatre frequency response curves. On its rear panel are switches for Full, 1/2 and 1/4 Space room compensation, plus input connectors for audio, power, and the output connector for the left speaker. Both the supplied AC power cable and 4-pin speaker connector cable are generously long, allowing for easy placement of the monitors. I initially set up the RM5 speakers in my living room, which is about 16 feet wide by 20 feet long, with a 12-foot ceiling. The speakers surprised me with how much sound, especially bass, that they put out. Their power is rated at 300 watts (program), but I didn’t expect this much sound from these two compact speakers. Even in this relatively large space, I could easily play music at a level that was too loud for casual listening. Each woofer is powered by its own 125-watt amp, while each tweeter has its own 25-watt amp. This much power, along with the passive radiators, provides a rich and full low end response with only a 5-inch woofer. The high frequency is detailed and smooth, with nice imaging and a very wide sweet spot. The three tone settings adjust the frequency response from flat (Ref.), boosted lows and mids (Theatre), or boosted lows and highs (HI-FI). I found the flat mode provided ample and accurate sounding bass, while the other modes felt overhyped for music, but may work well for movies or gaming. Overall, I would call these monitors

smooth, full, and warm, but not in an inaccurate or exaggerated way. I could hear the high frequency details and distinguish subtle pans that I knew existed in my reference songs, and I could clearly distinguish bass tones – probably down to about 35 Hz. After a few days of enjoying the RM5 system in my living room, mostly via Bluetooth streaming, I packed up the speakers and brought them to my studio. I placed them on my monitor bridge, flanking my computer monitor, closer in than my main monitors (vintage Tannoy Little Gold Monitors with subs) so that I could listen to some mixes and compare them to the mains. Since the RM5s have their own volume control, it took me a few minutes to calibrate my monitor controller output level versus the speaker volume to match my main system. Once I was level matched, I listened to some of my favorite tracks for exposing speaker personalities. On Brian McKnight’s “Anytime” I could hear (and feel) the 808 below the kick drum, and the piano (correctly) sounded wider than the speakers. Brian’s voice was bright and sizzly, but not harsh or sibilant (thanks in large part to mixer “Bassy” Bob Brockman!). More modern EDM tracks had clarity and punch, and the reverbs and vocal effects were clear – even as the speakers maintained their laid-back personality. For listening to music both at home and in a nearfield studio setting, I found the reference mode to be the most accurate and natural frequency balance, but in a large or more dead home theater room, the other modes may be worth exploring. The RM5 makes a well-balanced and compact studio monitor system that rivals most others in the sub $1000 price range and would be a killer monitor system for a video editor or sound designer with limited desk space. The RM5 would also be a fantastic home stereo speaker system for music, multimedia, and games. When you add in the Bluetooth and other inputs, VESA mounting system, and ultra-wide frequency response, there may not be any other competition for this monitor in its price range. ($499/pair street: artproaudio.com) -Adam Kagan <www.mixer.ninja>

ART

64/Tape Op#127/Gear Reviews/(continued on page 66)

FabFilter

Pro-L 2 limiter plug-in

FabFilter’s Pro-L 2 is the updated version of the company’s acclaimed limiter plug-in. With features shared among the FabFilter line (stereo or mid/side processing, dual-ring gain controls, user preference tweaking), Pro-L 2 includes one of the most pleasing graphical user interfaces on the market. In the past, I’ve used the original Pro-L when clean gain without clipping was required, but I rarely chose it over other titles we’ve covered in Tape Op for final limiting. However, with the enhancements in this version, I’m starting to use Pro-L 2 more and more. There are many enhancements, with more than half a dozen new features in this release. Check it out on their website, especially if you are concerned about multi-channel support, side-chain filtering, or DC offset filtering. Cool additions are new processing algorithms and true-peak limiting. The three new limiting algorithms cover more situations and showcase the flexibility of Pro-L 2: the Modern algorithm retains snap and attack while avoiding overloads, the Bus setting is more evident to the ears but better suited for stem work, Safe mode means no distortion, ever, and is an excellent choice when you want a ceiling for classical music or other “invisible-mastering-engineer” projects. True-peak limiting is now available. I know many of you are getting a chuckle out of a brickwall digital limiter

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Lynx

Aurora(n) interface

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Good digital conversion has come a long way in a relatively short time. There are now so many great options, ranging from streamlined 2-channel desktop interfaces and modular systems all the way up to multichannel I/Os that serve the needs of large format professional studios. Lynx is not new to the game, consistently building top-of-the-line converters for audio tracking, mixing, playback, and mastering needs for over 20 years. The latest offering from Lynx is their Aurora(n). Lynx continues to use swappable LSlot cards with their Hilo [Tape Op #90] and original Aurora [#73] interfaces. They’ve carried on that LSlot technology to the Aurora(n) and have introduced several new modules that allow you to configure the interface to fit your workflow. These can be configured at the time of purchase <lynxstudio.com/customshop> or upgraded later. This modular system (when using the LSlot for computer connectivity, paired with firmware updating) makes the Aurora(n) essentially “future proof.” Currently swappable LSlot cards are available for USB, Thunderbolt, Pro Tools | HD, and Dante. My single rack space review unit came configured with 32x32 I/O (also available in 8x8, 16x16 and 24x24 versions) with a Thunderbolt LSlot card. Because I planned on using the Aurora(n) with both with my newer Apple laptop and my older Mac Pro tower setup, Lynx also sent me an LT-HD LSlot card (for my Pro Tools | HD system) that I could swap out for the Thunderbolt card. The analog line inputs and outputs are connected via DB-25s on the back panel. The back panel also sports BNC connectors (1 in and 3 out) to an ultra-low jitter word clock. Different rear module configurations and combinations allow you to customize your entire I/O, within reason. Lynx currently offers a 4-channel mic pre with A/D (LMPRE4), an 8-channel analog I/O (LM-AIO8), and a 16-channel AES/EBU digital I/O module (LM-DIG) with more options on the way. Setting up was “plug and play.” Simple changes to my DAW’s I/O configuration were all that I needed for use with laptop via the Thunderbolt LSlot card, and, when switching to the LT-HD LSlot to integrate with my older Mac Pro / Pro Tools 10 [#86] system with HD Accel cards, the converter appeared seamlessly as a compatible 192 device (more on this later)! The real highlight of the Aurora(n) is its sound, due in part to the analog signal path for each channel that has been designed as a self-contained and shielded circuit. Plus, each channel pair has its own dedicated conversion device. This offers the sonic advantage of reducing crosstalk and distortion while significantly increasing dynamic range and performance, resulting in transparent imaging and detail. HCT (Hilo Converter Technology), which borrows the mastering grade conversion design of the Lynx Hilo, makes up the core of the Aurora(n). But how does the Aurora(n) sound? In a word: awesome! It’s uncolored, and elements of my mixes were presented with what I perceived as more of their own “space.” After working on a mix for several hours, I found myself using less EQ and reverb. Maybe we had done such a fantastic job of recording it that it was unnecessary, but regardless, with this clarity I knew that I was making informed choices. Stereo imaging was solid and the sound stage expansive. With any conversion, my preference is to not hear it. I just want to be confident that what I am hearing is not being altered in the conversion process. If something needs grit, great! I can add it. If the low end of a track needs to be tidied up, I want to have a crystal clear idea of just how much. The Aurora(n) delivered on all fronts in this regard, and I worked more efficiently when using the Lynx.

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that doesn’t offer true-peak limiting, but there is a technical explanation. Traditionally, to provide transparent limiting without aliasing, there is a risk that a peak, or an inter-sample peak, will exceed the user-defined ceiling. For example, the original Pro-L would brickwall limit (but could alias) when running at 1x. Enabling oversampling reduced aliasing but did not always honor the user-established ceiling. Now users can freely select oversampling (from 2x to 32x) while enabling true-peak limiting – and, rest assured, the signal will not exceed the stipulated maximum output. Granted, these updates are “nice-to-haves,” but three things make the Pro-L 2 appealing to busy engineers. First, the new Loudness Metering display is both intuitive and is truly a godsend. A single screen presents information about limiting over time, release characteristics, peaks, momentary loudness, minimum values, target levels, target range, and more. Pro-L 2 can create a loudness profile map of an entire piece of audio by running in Infinite mode. Anyone adhering to a broadcast standard recognizes the value in that functionality. Second, the meters are upgraded to provide more context for the processing. In Loudness Metering mode, the bars are given context via target levels shown in LUFS (Loudness Units Full Scale). Traditional VU and PPM meters were based upon electrical measurements. They work well in the context of gear, but less so when comparing levels among sources in a broadcast situation. In recent years various government agencies developed new standards with an emphasis on how the human ear perceives loudness as opposed to average or peak electrical levels. Presently, the LUFS scale is used extensively by television broadcasters, video game creators, and internet streamers. It is worth noting there exists a refinement called LKFS, which employs K-weighting to account for differences in frequency response; however, for all practical purposes the two terms can be used interchangeably. Mostly people in the United States talk about LKFS whereas LUFS is more popular in the Europe. FabFilter is based in the Netherlands. Do the math. Common formats come as preset options: -9 LUFS (CDs), -14 LUFS (streaming), -23 LUFS (EBU R128), or -24 LUFS (ATSC A/85 and TR-B32). Users can enter a preferred target level if none of these are appropriate for a particular project. The real time level display with peak gain reduction labels is unique. As the display wiper draws waveforms, red shaded areas show limiting while displaying gain reduction values. A thin white loudness curve displays the overall loudness over time in the real-time level display. Finally, a Unity Gain option allows you to audition the limited versus unlimited at the same relative loudness. That way you don’t assume your louder version is better. The combination of new algorithms, just enough tweakable parameters, and its superb workflow make Pro-L 2 an elite limiter. The ability to get more loudness out of a mix while retaining transient punch and avoiding aliasing pleases clients. Pro-L 2 never feels heavy-handed unless you intend it to be. I find I’m working faster and getting favorable results, so I must recommend this plug-in. A free 30-day trial is available. ($199, fabfilter.com) -Garrett Haines <treelady.com>

66/Tape Op#127/Gear Reviews/

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see more of our bonus/archived reviews online!

PSP Audioware PSP E27 plug-in

The PSP E27 is a multi-stage equalizer plug-in modeled after the Avedis Audio Electronics 500 Series E27 [Tape Op #121] units. Also included is the PSP E27 SE, a simplified version of PSP E27. Note, the SE is not a lighter resource version though. It’s a streamlined GUI for the same audio engine, making it ideal for occasions when simple adjustments are required. Avedis Audio Electronics has approved all of the graphics, functionality, and sound of this plug-in. By default, the E27 presents three EQ bands per channel, but can double to six bands pressing the X2 button. Each nonoverlapping band has nine selectable frequencies. Gain control affects the amplitude of boost/cut as well as the Q width. The more significant the gain change, the narrower the Q bandwidth. Geeks refer to this as “relative Q.” Something that

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PSP should showcase more: the plug-in also includes the PA11, a unique module for preamp processing and external control for the E27. This preamp stage features component drive control, high-pass filter, master output level control, and a DRIVE feature to increase input while decreasing output. Internally, the code oversamples source audio for an improved high-frequency response. I got beautiful results with the PSP E27, even in mastering. It saved the day on a guitar-focused release for metal band Through These Walls. In that instance, I used the unit in Mid/Side mode to showcase the guitar work of the tracks. I’m still impressed that substantial gain levels (I would rarely use in mastering) worked well with this plug-in, but I wanted to test it against real-world inspiration. Fortunately, Greg Gordon (still recovering from his Grammy win for Ghost’s Best Metal Performance) was willing to haul his personal Avedis E27 hardware EQs over for comparison. We started by matching the same settings on the GUI as we had established on the hardware. For some sources the sound was dead-on similar, especially single band EQ changes. But on a two-channel mix, we could not get the overall sound to gel the way the hardware does. Vexed, I went to get a pint of coffee while Greg tweaked settings. Having experience with the equipment and knowing that variations of physical components can make eyeballing controls an unreliable approach, Greg kept at it. After a few minutes I heard him exclaim “that’s it!” and I came running down the hall. Through careful adjustments of the gain stage and application of the transformer emulation, he was able to get the hardware and software very close. Specifically, Greg shared these debriefing notes for fellow Tape Op readers; “My feeling was the plug-in midrange felt very close to the hardware. The top on the plug-in was smooth and musical, though not quite as open as the hardware, but still close. The bottom felt a bit tougher on the hardware. However, these observations were with no modification of the amp or transformer settings on the plug-in. This initial comparison was just EQ versus EQ. After going into the PA11 section and driving it a bit, we could match very closely. With no drive, it felt like an excellent plug-in – clean and relatively transparent. After playing with the drive in combination with the EQ, everything took on a very analog feel. For my own work, I have a stereo set of the hardware, but when I need more channels, I will turn to the PSP E27. I’ve used the plug-in for high-end air and clarity on vocals and snares with much success. I like the hardware feel to the interface rather than the typical ‘graph with a line.’ This presentation appeals to my sense of tradition and simplicity. It feels like a console module that you tweak by ear instead by eye. I’m generally not at all into digital plug-ins for equalization. I prefer to get my tone from compression, hardware, and simple filters. But there are few plug-in EQs that I trust enough to keep in my “go-to” box: Avedis E27 is now undoubtedly one of them. It just sounds musical.” Since the release of the Vintage Warmer [Tape Op #29], I’ve been a fan of the offerings from PSP Audio. Other than nonavailable vintage units, the Polish company has done little or no plug-in emulations before the Avedis partnership. We are fortunate that they undertook this project. Whether for mixing or mastering, you can get a lot of tone and vibe out of this plug-in. I highly recommend it, and so does Greg! Available in VST3, VST, AAX and RTAS for Windows; AudioUnit, VST3, VST, AAX and RTAS for Mac OSX. ($149; www.PSPaudioware.com, avedisaudio.com) -Garrett Haines <www.treelady.com> w/ Greg Gordon <www.gregordon.com>

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Another standout feature of this unit is that microSD recording is built-in. When you are tracking, and the band plays that magical idea during a run through of a song, you won’t miss it – even if your DAW wasn’t actively recording or, worse yet, crashes in the middle of a take! This is a great safety net and dummy check. Imagine the uses (and redundancy) for live show recordings… Front panel function buttons control a menu that provides easy navigation of the LED display, which offers two main metering options: stereo or multichannel. Here the user has the option to route pairs of audio outputs to the SD recorder or to the two built-in, fantastic sounding, audiophile grade headphone outputs with individual level controls. Without referencing the manual, it was easy to understand and operate. Due to the compact form factor for all this I/O, the Aurora(n) makes for a great mobile rig option that is a snap to throw into a manageable rack along with some preamps and select outboard gear. Because of the SD recorder onboard, you could skip the computer altogether and just record straight to the card, noting however you have no DAW control functions beyond record and stop. All tracks from the microSD card can be dragged right into your favorite DAW for editing later! Swapping out the Thunderbolt LSlot card for the supplied LT-HD LSlot card was very easy; a screwdriver was all I needed. I especially wanted to audition this option because I am sure that not everyone that’s upgrading converters will want to completely replace their computer, software, etc. The thing that sucks about working in the digital realm is that a single update of a system component is almost never just that, but rather an extensive and expensive endeavor. Set up was straightforward, and, as mentioned earlier, with a few adjustments in Pro Tools, the system saw the Aurora(n) as a compatible 192 I/O. I ate up all my I/O options with analog connections, but, with the use of some mults and patchbay magic, I was working in the same way I had for years – only it sounded markedly better. Gear at this level doesn’t come cheap. A maxed out 32x32 Aurora(n) configuration will run about $5600, which, in my opinion, is a more than fair price if you never have to think about buying another converter – well worth the cost for its high-quality and uncompromising audio. Comparing the Aurora(n) to other converters in its class is like comparing badass sports cars. They look great and are fast as hell, so it’s just a matter of taste really. With that in mind, the Aurora(n)’s ability to integrate future forms of connectivity makes it a stand out amongst the others. ($5,599 street; lynxstudio.com) -GS

Gear Reviews/(continued on page 68)/Tape Op#127/67

Yamaha

WaveLab 9.5

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Longtime readers with amazing memories may recall my review of WaveLab 6 [Tape Op #62]. I was already a veteran user of this mastering suite at that point, and back then I said, “Writing about WaveLab is like writing a review of my brain.” So now, 11 years later, writing about WaveLab 9.5 is like trying to describe my DNA! It’s difficult. I’ve spent most of the last 20 years sitting in front of a pair of speakers and staring at WaveLab. It’s so ingrained in my life that I don’t even think about it anymore. But of course, I need to think about it in order to write this, so for you, dear readers, I will do my best. WaveLab 6 was a fantastic piece of software. It was sleek, easy to use, and really stable. With WaveLab 7, it was ported to Mac, and the GUI was changed, and well... it was somewhat problematic, so I stuck with v6 for years past its sell-by date because it worked so well for me. Eventually, I made the switch to v8.5, and it was alright, but definitely didn’t run as smoothly for me as v6. Fortunately, with v9, WaveLab creator Philippe Goutier ironed out all the kinks and restored the interface to the previous version’s format (with some nice updates), and all WaveLab users rejoiced. Now, v9.5 adds yet more improvements and new features. It feels super stable, mature, and is just a pleasure to work with every day. WaveLab has always been different from most other DAWs in that it’s not meant to be a multitrack recorder like Pro Tools or Reaper, etc. It’s really intended for use in mastering, broadcast, and post-production. You can work on a single audio file in the Audio Editor window, or you can work with multitrack files in the Audio Montage window. I spend about 98% of my time in the Montage window, so let’s talk about that for a bit. This will sound like hyperbole, but simply put, the Montage window is hands-down the best audio editing environment I’ve ever encountered. That’s what I thought 20 years ago and my opinion hasn’t changed. Any time I have to edit something in a different DAW it feels clunky, slow and imprecise. Of course, part of that is just familiarity, as I’m more comfortable in WaveLab than with any other DAW – the way the Montage window is designed is just really well thought out. Everything from default mouse actions, vertical/horizontal scrolling, the waveform display... it’s all brilliant, quicker, and more intuitive than any other DAW I’ve used. I feel like trying to describe that stuff in print would sound dumb, but if you were sitting here next to me in the studio and I showed you, you’d say, “Wow! That really is better!” Ever since I started working in the Montage window (half a lifetime ago), I feel like I have a closer relationship with my waveforms than I did in other DAWs. See? That sounds dumb! But it’s really true. If you’re performing extensive editing work, I really urge you to check out WaveLab and see for yourself. While the main focus of the Montage window is the waveform display, there are a bunch of tool windows for basically anything you’d want to do: effects, files, clips, CD creation, metadata, notes, etc. All of these windows can be hidden, floating, or docked, which is great for keeping the screen clutter to a minimum while letting you customize the workspace to your liking. On that note, and on first launch, WaveLab opens with a zillion things on the screen unless you’re a previous user that has imported your preferences. The main window can be like information overload to those unfamiliar with WaveLab. I recommend new users start with the Minimal

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As a guy who spends a lot of time recording, traveling on airplanes, and occupying open floor plan office spaces that many tech companies favor these days, I use headphones a lot – and being an audio nerd, I’ve gone through a more than a few pair. In rotation now, I have the venerable Sony MDR7506 headphones, a pair of PSB Speakers’ M4U 2s (used in passive mode), and a pair of Sennheiser HD 600s. I’ve enjoyed using them all. They’re great headphones at different price points (although I no longer prefer open back headphones – not so great for tracking vocals or using anywhere you’re trying to not disturb others). Coming in to this review I hadn’t been very familiar with Yamaha as a name in headphones; maybe I should have been, given their history in monitoring (including the legendary NS10s). Out of the box I was impressed with the HPH-MT8s’ closed-back design and quality – they are very well built, using metal arms to hold the earpieces in place, with a strong but flexible band, and a handy removable straight cord (if you’ve ever had to unwind a curly cord from chair wheels or other things you’ll appreciate this). These build features are especially important to me, as my headphones aren’t always placed carefully in a case for storage. Often, they’re just stuffed in a drawer or in my computer bag for traveling – most of us have gone through at least a few pair of sub $100 headphones. My sense is that the HPH-MT8s will outlast those inexpensive headphones by an order of magnitude (the replaceable cord and metal arms that won’t snap off make a huge difference to me) and their build quality makes it easier to justify moving to a higher price bracket. Aside from its build, these headphones really shine in sound quality. Going back and forth both between mixes I’m working on to recorded material I’m very familiar with, to my ears there’s an improvement in sound quality when monitoring with the HPH-MT8s against my other headphones. Compared to the Sony MDR-7506s (serving as a familiar headphone benchmark for many of us), the Yamaha’s top end is night and day. Room mics on the drum kit are far more audible, and vocals seem to sit in the mix naturally – closer to where I hear them on my studio monitors and with an extended bass response. Though the HPH-MT8s are a bit heavier than the Sony’s mentioned above, I didn’t find them at all fatiguing to wear – in part because the headband fit was secure but not overly tight. My PSB Speakers M4U 2 headphones respond similarly to the HPHMT8s but seem to lack some of the bass extension and width I’m hearing from the Yamahas. Though I love how small the M4Us fold up for travel, their build quality isn’t quite that of the Yamahas’ in my opinion. Yamaha likens the HPH-MT8s’ lineage to the NS-10s’ ability to translate mixes well. With A/B comparisons against my Alpha Focal 65 monitors [Tape Op #104], I can say that once I got comfortable using the HPH-MT8s, my headphone mixes translated very effectively when working on the go. To achieve this level of insight when mixing on headphones at Yamaha’s street price is impressive. Overall, as you can probably tell, I’m very impressed with the HPH-MT8s. I think they more than justify their street price, are sturdy, and great for multiple applications. I’m not a full-time studio pro, so the Yamahas’ flexibility of use is important to me. I know if I’m working on something away from home, these headphones will translate well like the studio monitors I’m used to. I’m sold. ($199 street; yamahaproaudio.com) –Harris Thurmond <harrist@gmail.com>

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HPH-MT8 headphones

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Gear Geeking w/ Andy… I recently received a product for review that included a USB cable in the box. The cable worked for charging, but it would not pass data. That got me thinking. Before there were standards for fast-charging devices via USB — like Qualcomm Quick Charge and USB Power Delivery — several device manufacturers, including Apple, Samsung, and Motorola, promoted their own proprietary implementations of rapid-charging, which used various pull-up/down resistances on the D+ and D− data pins of the USB charging circuit to identify themselves. Soon enough, third-parties were selling “cheater” cables that would trigger fast-charging between mismatched phones and chargers — I purchased a few such cables back in the day. Moreover, some charge-only cables omit the data lines altogether. Last year, we published a review of the Yueqing Towon USB Detector [Tape Op #120], a simple-to-use, in-line, voltage/current meter for USB charging. I own several of these (under different brand names, with two different revisions of circuitry), as well as a few other, thumbdrive-sized USB Type-A charge meters. But for checking data-line integrity and charging scheme (whether industry-standard or company-proprietary), especially for USB 3.0 and USB Type-C systems, I have other testing solutions. The Hangzhou Ruideng Technology UM34C is a USB tester with USB 3.0 Type-A, Micro-USB, and Type-C ports. It’s the size of a key fob for a late-model car, and a 1.4’’ color LCD panel occupies most of one side. Four “soft-key” buttons in the corners access various functions (including screen choice and rotation), and the functions are conveniently labeled on the display. The primary screen shows real-time voltage, amperage, and wattage across the Vcc and Gnd lines; accumulated mAh and mWh; and load impedance. The second screen also shows V and A, but it replaces the rest of the measurements with voltage of the D+ and D− lines, as well as a description of the applicable fast-charging scheme in effect (Qualcomm QC 1/2/3.0, Apple 0.5/1/2.1/2.4A, Android DCP, Samsung). Additional screens allow you to see accumulated capacity/energy; graph V, A, and D+/− signal on-screen; change language and other device settings; and access a simple, on-board help function. With a calibrated test load (I use the optional Ruideng LD25 electronic load board) connected to the UM34C’s USB thru-port, you can also measure the impedance of USB cables. Furthermore, if you’re comfortable manually installing an APK onto your Android device, you can view and record all of the data from the UM34C by running the free Ruideng UM Meter app connected wirelessly to the UM34C via Bluetooth. I have the app installed on an old Nexus 7 tablet that I use on my bench with a digital oscilloscope board (perhaps a subject for a future column). You can purchase Ruideng products directly from their official AliExpress brand page <rdtech.aliexpress.com>, or you can buy them on Amazon under various virtual brandnames (MakerHawk, AUWU, Bobury, Davitu, etc.). One feature that the UM34C is missing is support for USB Power Delivery. It will measure a Type-C cable, but it doesn’t have a second Type-C port for in-line testing of USB PD. For that, I use a Juwei J7-c, a cross-shaped multiport USB tester that has most of the functions of the UM34C, plus a pass-thru Type-C port for PD measurements. The color screen on the J7-c is tiny, but a small, plug-in Bluetooth module lets you use a downloadable Android app to view and record measurements. (Curiously, the aforementioned Ruideng UM Meter app works with the J7-c, although the J7-c is unavailable from the Ruideng store.) A Windows application that connects via USB is also available. The J7-c can be purchased directly from the ATorch AliExpress brand page <atorch.aliexpress.com>, or you can find it on Amazon under various virtual brands (MakerHawk, etc.). –AH

68/Tape Op#127/Gear Reviews/(continued on page 70)

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a plastic clamshell case with detachable straight-wire and coiled cables and a screw-on adapter for 1/4-inch jacks (both cords terminate in 1/8-inch plugs). The DT 1770 includes extra ear pads covered in leatherette, which are intended to provide greater isolation from outside sounds at the expense of the comfortable feel of the stock velour pads. The DT 1990 also includes two pairs of ear pads, both velour, which provide two different sound profiles. The B Pads, which are attached to the headphones when they leave the factory, provide what beyerdynamic describes as “well-balanced” with “a slight bass boost.” Alternately, the A Pads provide what beyerdynamic describes as a “deliberately analytical” sound. I first took a careful listen to both beyerdynamic models, switching back and forth while listening to a variety of music I know well, plus some FM radio dial-spinning. For a while, I kept the speakers on, with the level turned up, and the DT 1770s definitely provided isolation, proving they are good for their stated purpose of live sound work and studio monitoring in a less than quiet environment. But I preferred the sound quality of the open-back DT 1990s, which offered a more airy and substantial presentation on the far ends of the frequency range while presenting the midrange in a less nasal tonality. I generally preferred the B Pads on the DT 1990s and thought the bass boost was “slight” indeed and generally useful. I kept it in mind while doing some rough mixes, and they ended up sounding just fine on big speakers capable of producing low bass. Changing the earpads was no little feat; in fact, it was a bit of a pain. For all that work, the A Pads didn’t provide all that different a sound profile to my ears. Next, I compared the DT 1770s to other (less expensive) closed-backs at hand, Audio-Technica ATH-M50s [Tape Op #66] and Sony MDR-V600s with new earpads. The Japanese ‘phones are noticeably brighter, accenting everything that’s potentially harsh and ugly in the upper midrange/low treble area. But are they telling the truth, or just shining a fluorescent light on the sound? On the other hand, might that harshness be very helpful with live sound (you’ll certainly hear any buzz, hash, or RFI problems)? The Sonys also didn’t provide nearly as deep bass, and even with new, non-deteriorated earpads, they didn’t isolate outside sound as well as the beyerdynamics did. But the Sony’s low impedance (around 65 ohms) means they can be driven to brain-liquifying loud levels by just about any headphone amp, even a phone. The Audio-Technicas, which are also much lower impedance than the DT 1770s, are more bass-extended and a little bit less harsh sounding than the Sonys, so they compare more favorably to the beyerdynamics. In fact, the sound differences between the DT 1770s and Audio-Technicas were most pronounced. The beyerdynamics’ midrange was all there and sat in a balance I’d consider right with the treble. The Audio-Technicas’ midrange seemed scooped out in comparison. Especially in the studio, with mixing and sweetening decisions, this is important. You’re liable to overdo things if you’re not hearing the midrange correctly. Versus the Japanese closed-back ‘phones, the beyerdynamic DT 1770 sounds more balanced, provides as good (Audio-Technica) or better (Sony) isolation, and beyerdynamic’s fabric-covered ear cushions are less sweaty and hot-feeling over time. Were I doing a lot of live sound work, I’d spring for the beyerdynamic DT 1770s over lower-cost competition. Diving into the better-sounding world of open-back studio ‘phones, I compared the beyerdynamic DT 1990s to my wellworn Sennheiser HD 650s [#43], which now retail for about $100 less than the beyerdynamics. The DT 1990s sounded brighter and, with the “bass boost” ear pads had slightly stronger deep bass. But the Sennheisers’ inherent politeness was less fatiguing with uber-compressed rock and pop music

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Desktop window configuration preset and then add more windows as needed. I find it really helpful to use multiple display monitors with WaveLab’s windows. This way I have everything I need in view, and I never have to move or close windows, which makes for a quicker, more efficient workflow. Grouping Tool windows or Meters into a single Control Window is also a great option and saves a bunch of screen real estate. You can go nuts customizing the color scheme in the Montage window – of course I made the waveform colors and meters match the décor of my fancy new mastering room. A unified aesthetic is important! The folks at Steinberg would probably appreciate it if I touched on some of the new features in v9.5. First, the audio engine is now 64-bit floating-point, and WaveLab will tell you what plug-ins are actually outputting a full 64-bit word, which is very cool. Also new is the redesigned Spectrum Editor, which now features Steinberg’s Audio Inpainting technology, designed to repair dropouts and corrupted audio by intelligently using the audio from the surrounding areas. I gave this a try on some old cassette transfers that were riddled with dropouts. Not only was the Spectrum Editor quick and intuitive, it worked amazingly well – an impressive upgrade. The Spectrum Editor will be familiar to anyone who’s used Spectral Repair software like Izotope RX [Tape Op #123], and while I didn’t do any A/B comparisons, I did use the Editor to fix some gnarly string squeaks on acoustic guitar – it worked great. Other standout improvements in v9.5 include: a Modern Spectogram, a new Wavelet display, new RestoreRig plug-ins (DeClicker, DeCrackler, DePopper, DeNoiser and DeBuzzer) and a redesigned MasterRig plug-in set. I’ve mastered a billion records (give or take) with this software over the years, and at this point it seems unlikely I’ll ever use anything else. Another great feature for mastering engineers is that if you’re working at higher sample rates (WaveLab Pro supports up to 384 kHz), you can effortlessly generate lossless files and MP3 files at lower sample rates by using the “Create Custom Montage” feature – a big time-saver. In this way it’s also easy to generate hires Side A and B files for vinyl! I’ll wrap this up by saying that even though I’ve been using WaveLab since “forever”, it’s such a deep program that there’s tons of features I’ve never even used. What’s great is that the software’s depth and breadth never overwhelm the simplicity of the interface. You can just use what you need and hide the rest. I really love that the Montage Window’s workflow, in 2018, feels essentially the same as it did in 1999, while adding lots of new features and enhancements to improve workflow and functionality. It was great back then; it’s even better now. If you’re a mastering engineer, or working in broadcast/post, I wholly recommend WaveLab. (full $559.99, Elements $99.99; Steinberg.com) -Scott Craggs <info@oldcolonymastering.com>

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beyerdynamic DT 1770 & DT 1990 PRO headphones

A couple of years ago beyerdynamic debuted the latest versions of their top dynamic studio headphones. The DT 1770 PRO closed-back and DT 1990 PRO open-back versions feature what beyerdynamic calls the “Tesla” driver system, which is basically a strong magnet able to quickly and accurately drive the ear speakers’ cones. Both models are larger and heavier compared to a cheap pair of tracking ‘phones in the typical studio, but neither left me feeling neck-sore after hours of listening. Both feature velourcovered ear pads and a metal headband. Both come packed in

70 /Tape Op#127/Gear Reviews/(continued on page 72)

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Collective Cases

DC Power Box 500 Series rack power filter

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and modern jazz recordings, which are generally brighter and harsher sounding than vintage fare (except the classic, in-your-face Blue Notes). I would call the beyerdynamic sound extended and unflinching, compared to the gentler quality of the Sennheiser sound. Which would be better for professional work? Interesting question, because they both are accurate in that they reproduce properly recorded instruments as one would think they should sound. But you may choose the sharper/brighter critical edge provided by the DT 1990s – or not. I could work with either of these; I’d want to end up a tad “modern-sounding” with the Sennheisers and a tad “vintage-sounding” with the beyerdynamics in order for my work to translate well across today’s many and varied sound reproduction platforms. It’s worth noting that the DT 1990s’ 250 ohms impedance requires a little bit less driving power than the Sennheisers’ 300 ohms. I hooked them both up to my Little Labs Monotor [#117] headphone amp and found I needed to bring the level up a click for the Sennheisers to be as loud as the beyerdynamics, but I doubt this will matter much with a half decent headphone amp. Both could be driven to comfortable listening levels by my iPhone 7 with the Lightning-to-headphone jack adapter. I can heartily recommend both of beyerdynamic’s top-line professional headphones. The DT 1770 and DT 1990 models sound very good, are comfortable to wear, and succeed at their stated target purposes. ($599 street; north-america.beyerdynamic.com) -Tom Fine <tom.fine@gmail.com>

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Not long after I finally made the plunge into acquiring a 500 Series rack and some modules, I noticed audible noise coming through some of the mic preamps in my rack. I deduced right away that the problem was the inline switching power supply feeding my rack. As you may know, switching power supplies are cheaper to source or build and are more efficient than linear power supplies. But linear power is (usually) substantially cleaner and has better transient response, making linear generally better for audio use. This said, many 500 Series racks use switching power supplies, and with good design implementation they will work properly. What I found was that of the five different 500 Series preamp types I owned, two of them were audibly noisy, causing me to not use the units. I considered dumping the two 10space racks I’d already purchased and getting an overbuilt rack with better power [two that came up were Rupert Neve Designs R10, Tape Op #124, or Purple Audio’s Sweet 10, #100], but my next thought was, “Why couldn’t there be a power filtering box that installs between the supply and the rack to clean some of the noise and hash from the switching power supply?” I asked a friend to build one for me but I could sense his reticence, and, being a great designer, I knew he’d rather rebuild the entire unit from the top down – something he probably didn’t have the time for and I didn’t have the budget for! After multiple internet searches, I found an old thread on a forum somewhere that linked to a manufacturer of a passive “inline box to clean up and filter switching and linear power supplies.” Amazingly the DC Power Box was presented as being ready for many brands of 500 Series racks, even mentioning the brand I had. For $100 a rack? I was sold. The person behind this, Dan Deurloo, runs Collective Cases, supplying custom cases (and much more) to DIY audio builders. This looked promising! I purchased direct from Dan and quickly received two little black boxes with 5-pin XLR ins and outs. Then I realized I had no 5-pin XLR cables to jumper from the DC Power Box to the 500 rack’s power input! Oops. Now is the time to note that basically no one sells premade, 3-foot, 5-pin XLR cables out there (watch out for DMX cables as I don’t believe they will work for this). I could not even find longer cables for this, like one might need for a tube mic. A quick order to Redco Audio solved that problem, and a week later I was plugging the DC Power Boxes in. First though, I turned up all the inputs from all my mic preamp pairs and recorded the resulting hiss and hum into Pro Tools. After installing these boxes, I recorded the outputs again. After zooming in on the waveforms, I could tell that visually two of the preamps showed a reduction of some sort of noise. Listening, I could hear less of the low end hum (120 Hz, mostly) on these preamps, plus a noticeable reduction in hiss. The other three preamps remained the same; if there had been hiss there was still hiss, but in all cases none of them had exhibited audible signs of AC hum before or after. After dropping the files into iZotope RX 6 [#123] I was able to “see” the true reduction on these certain preamps, and it turned out to be around 12 dB quieter; enough to drop the hum below the listening threshold on tracks when recording. Dan says, “I designed the DC Power Box out of my own need. Once I had the circuit tested and made up, I found I use them all over the place in my DIY builds and in my studio.” I like that the DC Power Box can be adapted to many other devices or DIY projects, and Dan’s simple, cheap DC Filtering PCB offers a “raw” version of the Box that one can use in other formats and even load with parts already sourced. I’m super happy that I found an affordable solution for cleaning up power in my studio, and that I’ve rendered two pairs of great sounding preamps more likely to be used on sessions from now on. Problem solved! ($100 direct, collectivecases.com) –LC

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Decibullz

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Professional Music Filters ear plugs

Hearing protection is incredibly important for everyone, but when you make your living producing and mixing you get totally paranoid about it. I’ve been on an endless quest for comfortable, affordable, and effective earplugs for years. Decibullz is a newer company that makes user-moldable earpieces for listening and hearing protection, and their Professional Music Filters are built for people who, like us, might have to walk into the live room during drum setup, or head out to a club to see new bands that we will be recording, while needing to protect our hearing. The most unique aspect of these Filters are the thermoplastic custom molds; the user simply drops the earpiece into boiled water for five minutes, then molds the softened plastic to fit the contour of the concha and tragus (the area outside of the external auditory meatus, or ear canal). The part of the filter that fits inside the canal uses replaceable/swappable rubber flanges or foam tips, and three different sizes of each are included. The custom molds can be reheated and refitted, and two sets of molds are included just in case. The Filters plug in after heating (during fitting) and offer 17 dB of attenuation in the mids and highs, claiming to be “suitable for music up to 102 dB.” That is not as loud as most bands I go to see! Molding the pieces was easy, and the whole process took me about 30 minutes while I was working on repairs at my studio. The zippered carrying case is a nice touch but is far larger than the filters themselves, so I’ll personally be looking for a smaller case. In use, they reminded me of my most recent hearing protection, Earasers’ Musician’s Hi-Fi Plugs, except that the molded portion covered more of the seal between earplug and ear canal, letting less bleed in. The Decibullz’ claimed 17 dB reduction was okay at some shows and around moderately loud instruments in the live room, but when the metal bands hit the stage, or the drummer hits the snare when I’m placing a mic, there is not enough reduction. While this sort of filter might be enough for hearing protection and keeping the music present when playing on stage or in rehearsal, for loud concert attendance and setting up mics in the studio or onstage, I’m wary. Decibullz’ Professional Music Filters offer a unique, moldable musician’s earplug solution for performing and enjoying live music, but I’d like to see a variety of filter options for different dB reduction amounts (they’re easy to pop in and out). That said, I do like the sound quality and the unique comfort of these filters. ($99: www.decibullz.com) -LC

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DPA Microphones are a Danish company that has been making high-quality microphones for studio, stage, and broadcast applications since 1992. A newer product from the company, called the d:vice MMA-A, is a small, high-resolution audio interface, dual-channel microphone preamplifier, and A/D converter for IOS mobile devices and Mac or PC computers. Its primary function is portable “on the go” recording where high-quality sound is essential. The interface is roughly 2-inches in diameter and employs DPA’s MicroDot format for microphone connectors. Connections from the MMA-A to your mobile device (or iPad, computer, etc.) are made from Mini-USB to Lighting or standard USB cables. In addition to the interface, I was also sent a pair of DPA’s excellent d:screet 4061 Miniature Omnidirectional mics to demo the unit. My primary interest was in using MMA-A to record interviews for the Tape Op Podcast. We had started the series with interviews that were originally done on everything from microcassette, iPhones, and Zoom recorders. Some of the audio needed quite a bit of restoration work, and it was our collective decision that, although it was far from perfect quality, the great content warranted sharing. But I digress… In pursuit of a small travel rig that could deliver highquality audio in sometimes challenging situations, the MMAA was intriguing. Users download a d:vice app that controls the unit from a mobile device. The app offers Level controls, Mono, Stereo, Dual, and Sum recording modes and also features meters, monitor options, and some simple high-pass filters. Mono mode is selected when only one mic is being used with the interface (its output sent to both channels). Stereo captures both mics and is adjusted with one level control. Dual recording mode allows for two input sources with individual level controls. Sum mode takes both channels (with individual level controls) and sums them to mono. Got all that? Once you have set your levels, simply open your favorite voice recording app and hit record. On both my iPad and iPhone I use Dayana Networks’ Voice Record Pro app – I like its feature set, monitoring, and simple upload options. Paired with MMA-A, it’s a stable system for me, and it has never crapped out mid-interview. The audio quality when using the MMA-A interface with DPA’s d:screet 4061 mics is fantastic. I was especially surprised by the low end and overall clarity of the recordings captured. I like being able to just clip or tape a mic on to the interviewee’s shirt and forget about it! The unobtrusiveness of a lavalier mic really makes for a more conversational interview. The d:screet 4061s are, in my opinion, an incredible technology. These pre-polarized omnidirectional mics are super-lightweight (about a quarter ounce each), handle 144 dB of SPL before clipping, and have a claimed frequency response of 20 Hz to 20 kHz. They are quite small and easily concealed for video work, stage, or otherwise. Cables are about 6 feet long (extension cables are available) and hang nicely/lay flat without twisting or bunching. Beyond an interview scenario, you could easily connect any DPA MicroDot-compatible mic to the MMA-A for a variety of music recording applications. As an experiment, I used the MMA-A to record a live acoustic band to my iPhone, taping the mics to some headphone ear clips while standing in the center of the sound stage. This made for my own live,

MMA-A mobile device interface 4061 microphone

binaural-style dummy head (emphasis on dummy), and the results offered a very realistic sound stage with great imaging. I’ve tried the same idea with other equipment I own but found the sound quality of the DPA d:screet 4061 mics to be superior. The whole rig – mics, interface, and iPad/iPhone – fits easily into a shoulder bag and has replaced my Zoom H4 [Tape Op #56] as my “go to” setup for interviews, and even simple live music recording applications. To have this level of quality in your pocket is astounding. (MMA-A interface, $659.95 street; 4061 mic, $429.95 each street: dpamicrophones.com) -GS

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DPA Microphones

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Extinct Audio BM9 ribbon microphone

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In audio, we’re lucky to have a handful of obsessive experts on specific, niche topics; Stewart Tavener is one of these people. I first met Stewart five years ago while shopping for a stereo ribbon mic. From his UK-based shop, Xaudia, Stewart specializes in restoring and upgrading old ribbons: Reslo, Bang & Olufsen, RCA, and Oktava. The Xaudia blog is full of great mic history, with microphone gut shots and restoration details, plus the online store is full of cool, weird, interesting mics at sane prices. Visit with caution! When I heard that Stewart was starting a separate company to design and manufacture a line of new ribbon mics, I was immediately interested. A few months later he sent me a pair to demo and I wasn’t disappointed. The Extinct Audio BM9s are classy and confidence-inspiring right out of the (very lovely) box. Every engineer I’ve handed them to immediately commented on the heft, build quality, and general good looks. Cosmetically the BM9 resembles a Bang & Olufsen BM3 (an old Danish ribbon that also inspired the Royer Labs R-121’s design [Tape Op #19]). Unlike the Bang & Olufsen and Royer designs, the BM9 has vertical grill slots. I skipped any measuring tests and put the mics right to work in sessions. All I’ve been doing is rock sessions, so that’s what the mics did. I used them as a Blumlein pair in front of Scott Amendola’s drum kit (if you haven’t tried Blumlein in front of a drum kit, it’s worth experimenting with – especially in a good room), on Zach Ostroff’s baritone guitar, in front of a vintage Orange 4x12 tracking high gain 7-string guitars for Gospel of the Witches, as a stereo pair on glassy Roland JC-120 clones, and for a torture test, on my own band’s stupidly loud guitar amps. In every instance the mics were fantastic. Over and over they made my go-to guitar dynamic mics sound broken and one-dimensional in comparison. To be fair, the dynamics still made for good “blend mics” with both mics right on a guitar cab’s grill, to counter the BM9’s substantial proximity effect. Or the BM9 works great on its own up close to balance out thinner, brighter guitar sounds. A foot back, the proximity effect is greatly reduced, so like most ribbons it’s worth experimenting with distance to see what’s right for your source. Stewart also sent me a “Black Ops” BM9, named for its black grill and badge. This mic is designed for higher SPLs and reduced proximity effect – say for example, if you often mic up jet engine level guitar amps. The Black Ops mic is stellar. The muted proximity effect is indeed helpful and the Black Ops’ midrange character is different from the standard BM9, making it a different, but great-sounding, beast. If you asked me to choose between models, I’m really not sure which I would pick. I did finally do some quick guitar shootouts, against my Royer Labs R-121, and my favorite guitar ribbon, the sE Electronics VR1. The BM9 held up great. It’s hard to describe the differences; it’s sort of like hearing different guitar speakers. Different voicings. Different comb filtering. But I kept coming back to the BM9, and on at least one record I’ll be using only BM9s on guitars – they just beat everything else I tried. I find that every shock mount out there kinda sucks, and my only complaint is that the shock mounts that accompanied the BM9s aren’t great, so I used $0.99 Monoprice spring clips instead. I’m told that the shock mounts I have were just “placeholders” for review, and that newly shipped mics are now supplied with both a hard tail mount and a better shock mount. These mics are machined and assembled entirely in the UK, have a lifetime mechanical warranty (and 1-year ribbon warranty), and they sound killer. At this price they’re a fucking steal. Buy a pair. (£499 each +VAT; extinctaudio.co.uk) -Scott Evans <antisleep.com>

74/Tape Op#127/Gear Reviews/

Oeksound Soothe plug-in

I think I first heard about Soothe from mastering engineer Brad Boatright. “Just try it!” I did, and a day later I bought it. Note: never demo a plug-in you’re not ready to buy. Soothe is a “dynamic resonance suppressor” aimed specifically at high midrange frequencies. If you’ve ever cranked up specific frequencies on a parametric EQ in order to hunt down and cut ringing frequencies on vocal mics or guitar speakers, you’ll get what Soothe can do for you. But it does this dynamically, on potentially dozens of frequencies, as needed. What I’ve found is that on guitar tracks, Soothe can quickly help with that “ice-picky” 2-3 kHz thing that you don’t necessarily notice until it’s gone. It also seems to make EQ boosts afterward easier. It’s a good vocal de-esser, and on poorly recorded vocals, Soothe has seriously saved my ass, reducing harsh gnarl when I was out of tricks. The UI is clean and easy to understand. Honestly, the default setting is a great starting place for a lot of sources. If any of this grabs your interest, I’d suggest trying Soothe out on some vocal or guitar recordings – or even a problematic mix. For best results on a master bus, Oeksound recommends taking advantage of Soothe’s built-in higher resolution and oversampling options. There’s a 20-day trial available, and you’ll know if you like it pretty quickly. I did. (€149, approx. $175; oeksound.com) -Scott Evans <antisleep.com>

GIK Acoustics

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Impression Series acoustic panels & bass traps

Following the success of the Alpha Series line of acoustic treatments, GIK has released their Impression Series. These panel absorber/diffusors are available in six designs: Gatsby Arches, Digiwave, Mod Geometric, 3D Cubes, Checkerboard, and Bubbles. The patterns are precision cut into a rigid layer and are responsible for the majority of the diffusion properties of the treatment. In the US, the five available finishes include: Black, White, Mahogany, Grey Elm, and Blonde. Worth noting: should you ever see these in person or at a trade show, you’ll probably agree that the Grey Elm looks much more impressive in person than on the web or in catalogs. Given the right color profile, it could make your room pop. GIK stocks 18 fabrics in house – nine standard and nine upgrade colors. Should none of these shades fit your project, GIK can special order from a large range of Guilford of Maine acoustic textiles. Contact GIK directly for specific fabrics and costs. In addition to the common rectangle panel (23-inch x 45.5-inch), GIK also offers square (23-inch) and narrow (11.5-inch x 45.5-inch) versions in four thicknesses: a 2-inch acoustic panel, 4-inch bass trap, 6-inch bass trap, and a corner bass trap (coming soon). Internally, the absorption material is renewable, bio-based materials rather than nonrenewable, petroleum-based chemicals found in many competitors’ products. Specifically, the GIK treatments do not contain phenol, formaldehyde, acrylics, or artificial colors. Your lungs and the environment will thank you. GIK treatments have received the highest (class A) rating possible under the ASTM E84, a test used by fire code officials and regulatory agencies in the acceptance of interior finish materials. If you run a commercial facility, fire ratings are a must. Otherwise, good luck proving your DIY panels are safe when the local fire code inspector demands documentation. Let’s clear up some terminology. In general, when audio engineers talk about bass traps, we think of corner wedges and crate-sized things. GIK calls any panel deeper than 4-inches a bass trap/absorber. Bass traps don’t diffuse unless specifically designed to have scattering effects. So, what did we do, how do they look, and how did they perform? We used the GIK treatments for an iso room. The room’s dimensions are about 12 feet x 9 feet, with 12-foot tongue-and-groove wood ceilings. The floor is engineered wood with a small center carpet. Three walls are plaster, while one wall is almost totally glass. We already have two smaller “dead” sounding vocal booths. While those are great for equipment testing, amp isolation, or some voiceover work, we wanted a balanced “live” sound without excessive flutter echo or obvious room reflections. Our first attempt was to cover most of the room with 3-inch 703type rigid absorber panels. The result was strange sounding, with most mid and high frequencies being sucked away, while lo mids and lows were barely contained. We added moving blankets hanging from stands with little improvement. All this just cluttered the space, making singers feel like they were in some guy’s basement with acoustic results that never seemed natural. We started over by using eight of the narrow 4-inch Impression Series panels with the 3D Cube design, Mahogany veneer and black fabric. This pattern tied into the existing stained-glass windows at The Church Recording Studio, prompting many artists to ask if they were custom made for the installation! As an example, GIK panels are prominently featured in The Clark’s video, “She’s On Fire,” filmed here. In addition to treating the iso booth, we also added some of GIK’s 242 Acoustic Panels on the ceiling, four Corner CT Alpha Bass Traps in the corners, and two Spot Panels on the walls. All of this resulted in a controlled, tighter room without unnecessarily dead sound. Flutter echo and ring were gone but a small amount of liveliness remained. The treatments covered a broad frequency range rather than sucking out a small section. Artists liked the look, and we all know that comfortable artists make better records. Be advised of lead-time required when ordering Impression Series treatment. All of GIK’s products are made to order. If you have specific fabric and wood choices that are not in stock, they will need to be put into production, so don’t assume that an order made today will ship tomorrow. It’s not Amazon; they need to build it. GIK typically requires five to ten business days to build and pack, then ship via FedEx Ground from Atlanta, which will add another one to five working days. These are professional and clean-looking treatments. In my opinion their fit and finish may not be on par with high-end architectural fixtures or offerings from other companies, but the Impression Series costs a fraction of what some high-end brands charge. When GIK boasts that dollar-for-dollar their products absorb more sabins (measurement unit of sound absorption) than their competitors, they are not overstating their position! Unless you’re an upholsterer or a woodworker with advanced CNC machines, you’re not going to make treatments for less money – especially when considering the value of your time. Add the fire-rating certification, and these become a very professional solution at an affordable price. I plan on talking to GIK for a new room build in the near future. Altogether, treating our room was about as expensive as a boutique microphone preamp – but unlike a preamp, the GIK treatment will be evident on every recording. (varied pricing; gikacoustics.com) -Garrett Haines <www.treelady.com>

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Stealth Sonics

C9 custom-fit in-ear monitors

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I’ve been in the music industry for several decades – and writing for Tape Op for a significant portion of that time. Along the way, I’ve met countless manufacturers, as well as their hired representatives, whose job is to connect the manufacturers with influencers and journalists like me. Earlier this year, Chandra Lynn <glowmarketing.com>, a rep I’ve known for many years, reached out to me with an intriguing story about Stealth Sonics, a company offering innovative in-ear-monitor (IEM) designs that leverage extensive experience in medical, aerospace, acoustic, and music technologies. Chandra is someone I respect immensely, not only for her knowledge and sincerity, but also for her intention to seek and share balance in life. I immediately followed up, scheduling a meeting with Chandra and her client at the NAMM Show. What was originally planned as a 15-minute meeting turned into an hour of technical discussion, as well as a seating with an audiologist who took mold impressions of my ears. Soon afterwards, I received my own pair of customized Stealth Sonics C9 IEMs. In short, the C9 sounds utterly fantastic. Listening to purchased music, my own mixes, and test tones – the C9 tops all audio reproduction systems that I have heard, for frequency and transient response. The lack of distortion is exemplary. Plus, imaging is convincingly three-dimensional; when I listen to LEDR (Listening Environment Diagnostic Recording) test files available on <audiocheck.net>, I can clearly hear the sounds go up and down in height, as well as travel in an arc behind me. The phantom center is also unwaveringly strong. How did the engineers at Stealth Sonics achieve such perfection? During my NAMM meeting, I was told that the company optimizes the aerodynamics of the internal pathways through which sound travels between the drivers to your ears, in order to eradicate airflow noise and resonance. In the case of the C9, there are eight tiny balanced-armature drivers and a single larger dynamic driver per ear, with three gently curved tunnels between the drivers and the rounded openings at the tip. The tip extends through the second bend of the ear canal, placing these openings just 2 mm from the ear drum, which minimizes the acoustical effects of the ear cavity. Stealth Sonics has partnered with hundreds of audiologists throughout the world, who use a subminiature medical endoscope to peer into your ear canals, while making the mold impressions around the endoscope – ensuring an exact fit reaching just shy of your ear drum. The company offers a 30-day, no-cost refit if the delivered product isn’t perfect. My C9 IEMs were immediately comfortable, and I can wear them for hours at a time without complaint. If anything, their fit is so precise that they’re difficult to remove. Stealth Sonics also perfected other critical aspects of their IEM design. For example, the double-twisted cord is strong enough to survive unintended pinching, but flexible enough that it can be routed or wrapped with ease – not unlike a rope for boating – without tangling. Importantly, the cord does not transmit any mechanical noise to your ears when it rubs against your clothing – an incredibly annoying problem that plagues IEMs from the more established manufacturers. The portion of the cord that loops over the top of the earlobe is covered in a soft silicone sleeve that is so comfortable – even though I wear eyeglasses – that I quickly forget about the cord hanging from my ears. The included carrying case is a semi-rigid, zippered box that is big enough to securely house the IEMs, three furnished adapters, and a cleaning tool, as well as a portable DAC of my choosing – without fear of these items being crushed in an overpacked bag. Currently, Stealth Sonics offers three universal-fit and three custom-fit IEM models, ranging in price from $249 to $1,499. The fitted ones can be further personalized with a choice of outer plates as well as a custom engraving. And, it’s fitting that someone who I admire for her success in finding balance in her life, and coaching others to do the same, introduced me to IEMs that offer the best balance of precision sound, comfort, durability, and overall ergonomics that I have experienced. If you are looking for IEMs that you can trust for accurate reproduction and long-term comfort – for enjoying music, and for recording and mixing too – I give the Stealth Sonics C9 my highest recommendation. I love my C9 so much that I subsequently purchased C2 and C4 models too. ($1,499 direct; stealthsonics.com) -AH

76/Tape Op#127/Gear Reviews/(continued on page 78)

Hafler

P3100 Studio Power Amp

As Canada’s Radial Engineering continues to revive the Hafler brand (acquired in 2014 from Rockford Corporation), its latest move is into power amplifiers. First out of the gate is a revival of Hafler’s lateral MOSFET “Trans•Nova” amplifier design, last seen in the classic Hafler 9500 THX-certified amp of the mid-1990s. The P3100 amplifier, which delivers 150 Watts per channel into 8 ohms, updates the original design with a toroidal power transformer, balanced and unbalanced inputs, and modern speaker connectivity. It also includes a rack-mount faceplate. Radial claims the toroidal transformer

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“has a lower output impedance and produces far less noise than a conventional E-lam transformer. The result is a tighter, more defined bottom end. As well, toroidal transformers are inherently self-shielding, which reduces the amount of potential low frequency and rectifier noise introduced into the audio signal path.” The amp is substantial and heavy, with large heat sink fins running along the sides (no fans, hence the amp runs silent and can be placed anywhere in a studio or listening room). In my time using it, the amp got warm but never hot to the touch. Speaking of temperature, the manual recommends a warm-up time of about an hour in order to reach thermal stability. My ears did prefer its sound after proper warm-up. The P3100 can be set up for bridged-mono output of 400 Watts into 8 ohms (for instance to power a subwoofer or as part of a pair driving very large or inefficient speakers) and delivers 200 Watts per channel into stereo 4 ohm speakers. It has more than enough damping factor and excursion control to protect just about any speaker I’ve ever heard of. On the front panel is a plastic rocker power switch, LED output meters, and level-trim controls. The amp’s manual suggests these trimmers are only intended for balancing speaker levels (in case one channel needs to be turned down for proper sound presentation or to correct room imbalances) and should otherwise be left wide open (clockwise), with system level controlled by the connected preamp or mixer. That’s a good thing because the right trimmer on my test unit introduced a low-level hum if it was turned at all counter-clockwise. I assume this is a part defect rather than a design flaw. I made sure to check if the hum didn’t occur with various different hookups of speakers and source devices, but it remained, so I’m going to say it’s baked into that particular trimmer or associated circuit. Hafler immediately offered to replace the entire unit, commenting that my P3100 was one of the first runs off the assembly line. They have assured me that, as of publishing, more rigorous test procedures have been introduced to ensure this doesn’t happen again. Aside from that minor issue, this amp sounds good. It had more than enough power to drive my large but pretty efficient B&W 808 speakers, and also my Amphion Two18 monitors [Tape Op #108]. The amp easily managed both speakers’ impedance ranges and tightly controlled the low end reproduction. I was happy with its sound throughout the audio range, and it had a silent background. The Trans•Nova design is interesting in that it uses fewer parts and gain stages than typical bipolar transistor designs. It was invented and patented by Jim Strickland in the 1980s, and Hafler’s website includes a link to Strickland’s paper explaining it. There is also a simple technical explanation by Stereophile Magazine’s John Atkinson that can be found on their website. Back to the P3100; I had it hooked up in both my studio (with the Amphion monitors) and in my cathedral-ceiling living room (with the B&Ws). I also hooked it up in parallel to three pairs of cheapo 8 ohm speakers, to see how it handled really low-impedance loads (it did fine, didn’t even get very hot, and never sounded like it was having any trouble making those speakers as loud as I wanted to hear them). In both the studio and the living room, the amp sounded fast and capable with any style of music. I wouldn’t call it as transparent as my Benchmark Systems AHB2 power amp [Tape Op #111] nor does it run as cool. But the Hafler “sound” is not unpleasant. I would call it somewhat “forward” and slightly “punchy” but definitely not “warm” or laid-back. It’s not harsh, like for instance an early era Altec Lansing or vintage Crown Audio solid-state amp, and I would call its “sound” quality minimal versus many amps of a decade or two ago. Looking at reviews of the Hafler 9500 from the 1990s, many noted how “transparent” and “honest” it sounded. I found the P3100 useful for QC listening and mixing/mastering decisions. If I didn’t own and know the Benchmark, I would probably consider the Hafler as transparent-sounding. If you swap the Hafler in for many of the older amps now driving big soffit-mount speakers in control rooms, I suspect you’d hear comments about greater clarity, bigger soundstage, and greater low-level detail. I also suspect that this amp would be more comfortable driving vintage studio monitors, even Altec Lansing 604s (known to be maximally screaming and harsh when driven by some solid-state amps common in the ‘70s and ‘80s), than many other solid-state amps. Hafler markets the amp for the pro studio market, but it would be right at home with an audiophile home system set up to be on the more neutral/uncolored side of things. The revival of the Hafler Trans•Nova amp fills a need in today’s market. On one side, we have ever-cheaper and ever-more efficient class D designs (most often heard in powered monitors and live sound applications). On the other end, the audiophile market is now filled with pricey amps (both tube and solid-state) designed to have a “personality,” and are not necessarily designed for accuracy and transparency. It’s good to have a proven class AB design back in circulation, at a reasonable price point, that’s known for being both musical and accurate. ($1999 street; hafler.com) -Tom Fine <tom.fine@gmail.com>

78/Tape Op#127/Gear Reviews/(continued on page 80)

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Mic Clip adapters

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Today we’re going to look at products that allow you to add a second microphone to a mic that’s already mounted on a mic clip and stand. Why would you need this? Maybe you are double mic’ing an instrument amplifier, placing two mics on a snare drum where one less mic stand is helpful, or setting up a stereo pair. We’ll look at The X Clip first, a patented product that claims to be “the world’s first dual microphone clip for pairing a [Shure] SM57 with most SDC (small diaphragm condenser) microphones.” In fact, they say it can hold up to 150 different microphones, but I only had 100 to try! The X Clip works as advertised, slipping onto the SM57 and holding a Neumann KM 184 in place, even compensating for the tapered body of the SM57. It’s easy to visually line up the front of the mics and keep them in place (see my thoughts on that at the end of this review). One problem with The X Clip is finding room on the SM57 body for The X Clip and the main mic stand clip. I didn’t get to try one out, but the X Clip folks just offered The X Mount, an ingenious little mount that slips between the mics and The X Clip to provide a threaded mic mount below or above the pair. This could also help open up placement scenarios on drum kits and other tight spots. Cool idea. Wilkinson Audio offers up a variety of plastic mic clip adapters, and I requested a few for mics I own. I received the SM57 to KM 184 Clip, ORTF Clip – KM 184, XY Clip – KM 184, and the Fredman SM57 Clip, but they also make clips for the AKG C 451, RØDE NT5, and even the Behringer ECM8000 (why?). The SM57 to KM 184 Clip is nearly the same as The X Clip above, except manufactured from a stiffer, less flexible plastic. It worked fine in practice, with all the same benefits as The X Clip, but the rigid plastic construction meant that a smaller variety of other, non-184, mics would fit into the clip, although while using the 184 it worked fine. I loved the two ORTF and XY Clips. I was able to save time, save stands, and pop up stereo pairs of mics accurately in ORTF and X/Y on the fly, which is pretty damn neat. But I had issues with pairs of these smaller, short bodied mics (184-style) fitting into their regular mic stand clips and also leaving room for the additional ORTF and XY clips to hold the second mic. I know it would be a whole other price point to add threaded mic stand mounts to these, but I would be happy to pay more for a dedicated stereo mic clip. The Fredman SM57 Clip is a great one when double mic’ing guitar cabinets with two SM57 mics. If you haven’t tried the simple act of placing two of the same dynamic mics on a guitar amp, please do. It always adds in some depth to the tone that a solo mic never seems to capture! One thought I have is that both of these companies should take some time to create data for their users. I would love to see charts and photos, with millimeter-based measurements, that would show users how to set up phase-accurate mic pairs for the The X Clip and the SM57 to KM 184 (and others) Clip. These could cover all the optional mics that fit in these clips, and it would also be educational about where the actual phase plane of each mic resides. I find that users are constantly misled by the external body shapes of mics when trying to line up capsules. I think both these companies are both onto something, and that the world of mic clips could certainly be expanded with creative ideas from The X Clip and Wilkinson Audio. (X Clip $19.99 or three for $49.99, X Mount $6.50, all prices direct, www.thexclip.com) (Wilkinson Clips $15 per, all prices direct, www.wilkinsonaudio.com) -LC

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With the Scheps Omni Channel, Waves has delivered a next generation channel strip that plays to its unique strengths in the best way possible. Over the last few years I’ve really embraced channel strip plug-ins as part of my workflow. Something exciting happens when I stop thinking about which EQ or compressor to choose, and instead just focus on the song. It feels like I work faster, which allows me to spend more time being creative while wasting less time wondering where the inspiration has gone. Maybe the common tones help glue sounds together, or maybe it’s just the familiar shapes? Either way channel strips work great for me. Scheps Omni Channel delivers all of what I need in a “strip,” yet still manages to feel like a dramatic leap into the future compared to others in its class. Though this plug-in may draw sonic tone from familiar classics, I didn’t find it to be a retro GUI design in any way. There are five individual modules and a master section. Each module can be shuffled into any order of the plug-in’s chain. As a stereo insert, modules can operate in stereo, dual mono, or mid-side. In the main view (where I do most of my work), all six modules are displayed in a simplified form – but each module also includes a second, more detailed screen that enables even more creative possibilities. There are way too many options to unpack for each module, so I’m just going to gush about my favorite ones. The Pre module includes a wonderful saturation circuit, with three modes. Waves has also integrated variable high- and low-pass filters to the Pre module, which works great for me as I typically start my tone shaping here when building a mix. The DS2 module includes two de-essers – I never realized how useful these processors could be until I had two sitting there on every single channel in a session! I love using the DS2 to manage lo mids on a cello, or side chaining a low shelf on a bass synth triggered by the kick drum. The Compressor section has three modes: VCA, FET, and OPT (optical). Other modules include EQ and Gate. I’m not sure how all this was pulled off, but the gain staging feels really well designed across the modes, and it’s fun to audition each one. While inserting the plug-in on a stereo track, you can zoom into each module to apply different settings to each channel in dual mono or mid-side (on a per module basis). In my opinion, this channel strip has the ability to dramatically transform whatever you put into it. Even for an experienced engineer, the number of knobs on this beast can be intimidating. To help explore the possibilities, Waves have included a healthy library of presets from famous engineers like Tony Visconti [Tape Op #29], Jacquire King [#88], and, of course, Andrew Scheps. It’s really inspiring to hear how wild your tracks can sound with some of these! Waves has taken the preset feature a step further; when you load Andrew Scheps’ presets, the plug-in adds a blue glow to highlight knobs chosen by Scheps as a suggested place to begin your tweaking. This really helps to understand what was intended by the author – for example when the compressor module is set to an aggressively low threshold, my first instinct might be to raise the threshold, but it only takes an instant to see the Wet/Dry Mix knob is glowing blue, so it’s obvious that this preset is intended for parallel processing. Mixing with the Omni Channel is fun and makes me efficient, so I can’t recommend it enough. This plug-in has brought me fully back on board with Waves again and plays to their design strengths in a wonderful way. I’m happy the Scheps Omni Channel exists. ($149; waves.com) -Scott McDowell <fadersolo.com>

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My new favorite plug-in, SigMod, is a routing toolbox with various “modules” – Mono, Trim, Phase, DC Offset, Mute/Solo, Switch, Tap, Delay, Mid/Side, Crossover, and Protect – that you can freely combine into signal chains. If you look at these modules as basic features, you’ll see that pretty much every modern DAW has all of SigMod’s functionality built into the DAW itself in some form or another. But the beauty of SigMod is that it ties all that functionality together into a single window that you can customize to your liking – for each instantiation of the plug-in – so you have the necessary controls right there in front of you for whatever track you’re working on. LC: “Trim the left and right sides of a stereo signal independently” – I’ve been waiting decades for this function. OMG. AH: The left-right trim/swap functions alone are worth the $49 price! Cubase/Nuendo can do this within the application, but it requires choosing a certain type of panner, and then holding modifier keys while dragging on the panner. And then you can’t easily copy that setting to another track. SigMod makes this kind of thing so dang easy, and you can drag-copy the plug-in’s settings between tracks all you like! Plus, SigMod can be used before and/or after other plug-ins to give those other plug-ins all sorts of additional functionality. JB: Am I missing something, or doesn’t the Trim plug-in in Pro Tools do this? You just unlink it, and then choose L or R. I was just doing this over the weekend on some stems, and automating left and right differently, which was confusing but worked. AH: I hate the Pro Tools “multi-mono” Trim plug-in. It’s clunky that you have to option/alt-click the channel selector to access both channels, and then manage the trims separately in the two windows. The beauty of SigMod is that a single plug-in window, with a super-straightforward, non-skeuomorphic interface, gives you these kinds of controls, plus whatever else controls you need for that instance. In my case, I record a lot of stuff in stereo, and I want to be able to swap channels easily and trim the L/R channels at the same time. SigMod gives me one window to accomplish both functions. In addition, I sometimes want to adjust the relative timing/delay between the L/R channels, change polarity of one side, and check mono-compatibility – while I’m swapping/trimming the channels – and again, SigMod lets me do that in one window. SigMod can also be easily configured for more complex operations. Imagine setting up SigMod and its companion Receive plug-in (included with SigMod) as a crossover, sending part of the spectrum to the rest of the plug-in chain that follows SigMod on the same track, and sending the rest of the spectrum to another track to be “Received” and processed differently. This kind of signal flow allows you to implement multi-band compression, for example, with different compressors. Or use SigMod to convert a L/R stereo signal into M/S mode, then process the Mid and Side channels with different plug-in chains. Or in M/S mode, add something like a multi-tap delay to the high frequencies of just the sides, while you add reverb to the lows of the middle – while having mute/solo capability at various points within this matrix. Or use SigMod and Receive together to set up any of your favorite plugin chains for parallel processing. I could go on and on about all of the routing tricks you can accomplish with SigMod, but why not visit the NUGEN Audio website to download a demo? SigMod is really effin’ cool, and it’s a true time-saver – despite it being incredibly simple in concept and operation! ($49; www.nugenaudio.com) -AH

The X Clip The X Clip Wilkinson Audio

Scheps Omni Channel plug-in

Waves

SigMod plug-in

NUGEN Audio

80 /Tape Op#127/Gear Reviews/(continued on page 82)

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Eventide Tverb plug-in

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For me, a massive highlight from a recent trip to Berlin, Germany, was a visit to the legendary Hansa Tonstudio [Tape Op #95], where the majority of David Bowie’s Low and Heroes albums were tracked with Tony Visconti [#29], Brian Eno [#85], and engineer Colin Thurston. Many other brilliant albums were recorded at Hansa, including Iggy Pop’s The Idiot and Lust for Life, but Low and Heroes are sacred documents to me. It was extraordinary (and a little overwhelming) to visit the space, and in particular to stand and sing a little in the famous Meistersaal and just kinda marinate for a short while in its distinctive acoustics. The Meistersaal is a huge space, originally built as a chamber music concert hall, but in the ‘70s it served as Hansa’s Studio 2. It is this exact room where Bowie recorded one of his finest vocal performances: the title track of Heroes. Most Tape Op readers are likely aware that the “Heroes” lead vocal sound is the result of producer Tony Visconti’s spontaneous (and ingenious) solution to the limitation of 24-track analog recording. Having only one track left for Bowie’s vocal, and wanting to capture the immediacy of his performance without sacrificing the ambience of the Meistersaal, Visconti set up a series of three microphones – one heavily compressed close mic, and two other mics, which were gated and spaced at increasing distances away from Bowie in the room. The gates on the furthest two microphones were tweaked to open only as Bowie’s vocal intensity grew after the first verse and chorus. The placement of these mics meant that the track’s natural reverb opened up in parallel with Bowie’s emotive velocity. The resulting vocal sound is unique, often replicated, and never matched. Now, the folks at Eventide (in collaboration with Mr. Visconti) have given us a stellar new AAX/AU/VST plug-in called Tverb that algorithmically models the Meistersaal and expands upon Visconti’s clever three-mic technique. Tverb replicates the mic setup, with one close fixed mic and two movable room mics. Additionally, if desired, the individual mics can all be panned in stereo space – a luxury that wasn’t available during the Heroes session. The close mic has a simple analog-modeled VCA-style compressor circuit with a switchable polar pattern (omni/cardioid/figure-8). The two room mics can be positioned in real time within their virtual space, wheeled around on their boom stands in a 3D graphic – the semi-skeuomorphic interface reminds me a tiny bit of Universal Audio’s Ocean Way Studios plug-in: dead-simple to understand and use. All of the mic/mix elements are laid out in a simple Neve-style console interface. One cool trick I found is that the room mic positions can be automated, and because the plug-in can process these changes in real time, the resulting moves are artifact-free and can lead to some bizarre and creative applications (look up “Tverb Tango” on YouTube – I dare you). The plug-in’s presets are very well organized – I liked that they have multiple levels of categorization in the menus, with insert or bus presets called out clearly. After getting a feel for what’s possible with the presets, it’s nice to explore the plentiful options for control in the interface – including a Master section on the virtual console, which allows a user to tailor the frequency response and decay characteristics of the room. Tverb is an impressive and unique reverb with a surprisingly low CPU footprint. It’s also superaffordable, considering that you get an accurately modeled version of Hansa Studio 2 for your DAW! No one could ever match Bowie’s performance on “Heroes,” but now we can sort out what a drum bus send might have sounded like through the same signal chain – in stereo, without buying a ticket to Berlin. ($249 MSRP, free 30-day trial; www.eventideaudio.com) -Dana Gumbiner <danagumbiner.com>

82/Tape Op#127/Gear Reviews/

Yamaha

Montage 6 synthesizer

About 40 years ago I purchased monitors for a home studio before such things were common. I still use those Yamaha NS-500s and matching amp in my home studio. Now, I can’t promise your Montage will still be touring in 40 years, but it’s possible. This is a happy thought, since the Montage is a fantastic synth. It is a descendent of last century’s Yamaha SY77 synth, which also employed an AWM (Advanced Wave Memory) engine for sample-based playback with a separate, Frequency Modulation (FM) engine for, well, FM synthesis. The Montage has a lot more “there” there, however, that’s anchored by a superior AMW2 playback engine, firing 128 stereo polyphonic “voices” while using almost 6 GB of the onboard samples for playback – including drums. Although you can probably find a 6 GB triangle sample library for your computer, Yamaha has been refining their AMW2 library for a long time, and the acoustic instruments sound fantastic when soloed and are eminently usable in a multitimbral composition. The FM synth uses another 128 stereo oscillators, available in 88 different algorithms arranged in up to eight operator configurations. If you don’t understand the basics of FM, there are presets to help you get up to speed. Though FM synthesis may be a difficult to get your programming head around, it can be great for making percussive sound (dreams and nightmares from the 1980s are full of DX-7 clavs and plucked sounds), ringing bells like living downstairs at Notre Dame, or long evolving soundscapes that have escaped from a feedback zoo (still one of my favorites).

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But the Montage is much more than just another pretty synth with stacked stats: it’s made for live performance. This synth just begs to have knobs twisted, faders pulled, buttons pushed and assigned, etc. The left top of the synth contains eight endless rotary knobs, which mark the assigned parameter level on the external circular light ring – and follows the change of position, of course. Additionally, these knobs can follow the positioning of the tempopulsing Super Knob, which means you can not only conduct a light show on the “mini-knobs” but sweep through the eight different assigned parameters (and more), all of which can be set for a minimum and maximum control depth. Plus sync to tempo. Below the knobs are eight faders, which also light up the relative position of their parameters. These faders look cool and sound even better. And they can be used to control just about any parameter – like the volume of the 8 Elements of the FM synth. Faders can also control the volume of each of the 16 Parts in a Performance and are switchable in two banks. Each Part can be an entire “voice” (or patch) – like an organ, bass, bassoon, entire drum kit, or General MIDI synth for example. Up to 16 of these Parts make a Performance, and you can switch through variation Scenes to further change things up. The right side of the board contains a host of buttons, which are used for Part mutes and switches for the Arps and Motion Sequencer (preprogramed sequences that offer yet another layer of control for parameters). The large Data Wheel is also here, along with curser and various other function buttons. A 7-inch touchscreen display in the middle of the board is where much of the pre-programming and housekeeping functionality takes place. The screen is crisp, as is the touch sensitivity, making it easy to choose Parts for Performances – or which Oscillator for the Part, or set internal routing (format a thumb drive to load the latest OS update to, etc.). You can also burrow down to the Sample level for each Part, or Element for the FM. Of course, many of the things you can do with the buttons or knobs you’ll find here as well (like a DAW, there are different ways to accomplish the same task). But it is all logically organized, and you get to choose the most ergonomic method of control for your workflow. A bigger touchscreen would be nice for me (I have large fingers), but I found myself getting more pointed with the touching – and like much about the Montage, the more I worked with the touchscreen, the more the entire ecosystem made sense. Physically, the board feels solid, from key bed to buttons. All mechanics feel and function smoothly. It is less of synth and more of an instrument – like the Minimoog but with an almost modular programming control before performing. Additionally, there is plenty I haven’t explored – such as the built-in interface with decent latency and good conversion. The A/D input can function as an envelope generator or capture samples. You can record 128 Songs, using MIDI to play in each Part. But for any real song editing you need an external DAW (a Cubase AI license is included with the Montage). Using a computer monitor provides a less cramped, onscreen venue for deep programing. The John Melas Montage site includes just about every kind of program you might need for this synth; librarian, editors for AWM2 and FM-X, etc. And combination packages – highly recommended if you are serious. You’ll need to access the web anyway in order to download USB drivers, software, updates to a flash drive, and Yamaha’s own dedicated Sound Library for Montage. Soundmondo “Social Sound Sharing” web site and iOS app (originally for the “Reface” series). The app lets you store Montage Voices, then share them on the Soundmodo site. There are plenty of interestingly-titled Montage Performances for download in just about every style. Truth be told, I haven’t warmed to most new digital hardware keyboards – my last was an Ensoniq, to provide a time frame. Software based synths, with the added benefit of being easier to program, are so varied and sound so damn good these days. Unless you’re performing live gigs, it hardly makes sense to invest in another hardware keyboard, as many softsynths could do as good of a job as a “weekend workstation” and are cheaper than the Montage. But softsynths feel cheaper to me, while the Montage feels as solid as a Carol Kaye [Tape Op #45] bass line. Lastly, I found that the Montage just made synthing fun! Whether grooving to a techno performance or digging into an organ part, the experience felt right and brought a smile to my face. Sure, it takes a little time to grok the Montage, but it is worth it if one wants a true synth over just another vanilla, sample-playback keyboard. ($3499 MSRP; usa.yamaha.com) -Alan Tubbs <bnoir-film.com>

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The Panoramic House is the ultimate VRBO for musicians. A live-in residential studio in West Marin, CA overlooking the Pacific Ocean with API & Neve consoles, 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 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. panoramic-house.com • john@onefinmanagement.com • 916-444-5241 Please Support Our Advertisers/Tape Op#127/85

by Larry Crane

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Set Yourself Apart

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I’m worried about the current state of how people are learning recording. When I first started tracking myself (and others) out of my home studio, learning how to record on a budget was a difficult process. I scoured the library, reading every book I could find. I bought all the magazines out there that were available to me at the time. I picked up books at Powell’s Books, here in downtown Portland, Oregon. I asked other home recordists about equipment choices and what worked best for them. I even started this magazine so that I could ask questions of experienced producers, engineers, and musicians. Every question would usually yield different answers, depending on who I spoke with. One person would tell me a mic “sucked,” while the next would extoll its virtues. But these were simply gear and equipment questions. I remember being unsure of how to find proper mic preamp levels, or how to set and use a compressor – things I now do without much thought. Learning recording techniques turned out to be much harder than learning how to simply pick out and purchase the gear.

Along the way I met many people at similar levels to myself, and we’d share tips about techniques, such as parallel compression, mix bus limiting and EQ, and other tricks that felt new to us. Other times I’d be interviewing someone and get an amazing bit of wisdom that would help my next recordings to sound even better. I always felt I’d learned a new skill at the moment I was ready for it. Sometimes I’d feel that I had reached a point of frustration, or plateaued with the techniques I had been using, when magically a comment someone made would send me off on a new journey to develop further as a recording engineer. My early recordings as a hired engineer were usually very simply, and carefully, performed. As I progressed, I built the confidence to commit to tracking techniques, like blending multiple guitar amp mics, compressing drum room mics, or EQing tracks to taste on the way to tape.

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From all these examples, you can see that I’ve had a slow, gradual growth as a recording engineer. But now we live in the instant age, where information is shared all over the internet. Specific ways of tracking and mixing can be instantly “learned,” via online videos. Forums extoll the virtues of specific techniques as if they are the only way to work in the studio. Taken as a whole, I feel I’ve begun to see a homogenization of a new, online-influenced recording style; one that worries me deeply. Recordings I get sent to mix occasionally show the fallout of this mindset, such as improperly applied “Glyn Johns” drum mic’ing or Mid/Side stereo mic’d recordings where the mics don’t reinforce or complement each other. Then there are guitar amps mic’d with five microphones; none of which are in phase, nor sound good, together or separately. I’ve heard “room” mics on drums in tiny rooms with no ambience, or stereo-ized lead vocal processing with phase-cancellation and nasty sibilance. I could go on and on. In every single case, a simply recorded part that was carefully listened back to and deemed appropriate would work better, and allow me to make better mixes. Instead I’m left with improperly executed “tricks” learned from the internet that don’t sound good, don’t work, and make the music and the final mix less than it could have been. I feel like the recordists are trying to jump past the initial learning stages, and leap into techniques and skills they are completely unready for.

Recording music is a constantly-changing array of demands and problems to be solved in minimal time. Recording music is not a skill that can be solidified by using the same exact techniques over and over. It is that rare combination of art and technology that must be performed with open ears, coupled with a desire to help create the best music-listening experience possible. Always. Start simply and carefully, build your own sets of skills, and slowly grow them to create your own style and sound. Don’t worry that you don’t use some “popular” technique being shouted about in forums or on YouTube. Find the skills to set yourself apart. You will never be sorry. r

86/Tape Op#127/End Rant/

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