THE MUSICIAN ’S RESO URCE
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MUSIC SAMPLE CLEARANCE 101 STRENGTHENING PUBLIC RADIO IN A STREAMING WORLD
CORY HENRY
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
VOLUME 28, ISSUE 5
TABLE OF
CONTENTS cover story
26
DOYLE BRAMHALL II by Taylor Northern
DEPARTMENTS 4. LETTER FROM THE EDITOR 5. Insurance Glossary for Musicians Part II 6. Licensing Christmas Music 9. Split Sheets and Content Protection 12. eMusic: Download Pioneer Pivots to Blockchain 14. What You Need to Know About Clearing Samples 16. Strengthening Non-Comm Radio in a Streaming World 20. Tips on UK Visa Applications for Musicians 34. GEAR TEST: IK Multimedia Home Studio Makeover 36. STUDIO TIPS: How to Set Up Overhead Mics 38. GEAR GUIDE: Streaming Audio Basics 42. GEAR REVIEWS: Fender, Peavey, RME, NEXI Industries and more… Cover
CORY HENRY by Benjamin Ricci
22
KT TUNSTALL by Casandra Armour
Tarona Leonora
30 PERFORMER MAGAZINE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 3
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Volume 28, Issue 5 PO BOX 348 Somerville, MA 02143
LETTER
from the editor
Howdy, y’all. I’m writing this on the train to New York; I’m headed to the annual AES Convention while simultaneously copy-editing pages for the new issue, color-correcting images in Photoshop, scheduling social media posts and splicing video clips together for our burgeoning YouTube channel. There are a lot of hats to wear in any independent business, and oftentimes one accumulates quite the hat collection as editor-in-chief. But even after all these years, I wouldn’t trade this job for anything in the world. Since 2010, I’ve been at the helm of Performer, and in these past eight years I’ve heard more amazing music, met more amazing people and had more amazing experiences than I ever could have wished for. I’ve also accumulated more gear than I probably should have, much to the annoyance of my super-understanding, beautiful, talented, smart wife. Love you, Pam! And I really NEEDED that Moog, I swear. For work. Yeah, that’s it. For work. As I plan out our editorial calendar for 2019 (also on this train ride), I can’t wait to share with you all of the exciting things we have in store for the new year (yeah, it’s only October but I’m a planner, it comes with the hats). More video. More exclusive giveaways. More Moogs for the office? Well, we’ll see (I’ve got my eye on you, Grandmother…) Anyway, enjoy this issue, in which we tackle UK Visas for American artists, the ridiculously talented Cory Henry and his keyboard wizardry, licensing Christmas tunes, songwriter splits, eMusic and the blockchain, and so much more…
CONTACT Phone: 617-627-9200 Fax: 617-627-9930 PUBLISHER William House Phone: 617-627-9919 bill@performermag.com EDITOR Benjamin Ricci ben@performermag.com DESIGN & ART DIRECTION Cristian Iancu EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Bob Dobalina editorial@performermag.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Anne Morris, Benjamin Ricci, Casandra Armour, Chris Devine, Deborah Mannis-Gardner, Gavin Whitner, Jessica Sobhraj, Julie Jay, Michael St. James, Taylor Northern CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Tarona Leonora, Kevin Chiu, Tim Sheerman-Chase, Alysse Gafkjen ADVERTISING SALES William House Phone: 617-627-9919 bill@performermag.com © 2018 by Performer Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any method whatsoever without the written permission of the publisher. The magazine accepts no responsibility for unsolicited recordings, manuscripts, artwork or photographs and will not return such materials unless requested and accompanied by a SASE. Annual Subscription Rate is $30 in the U.S.; $45 outside the U.S.
Benjamin Ricci PS – speaking of hats, am I too old to pull off a fedora? Vote now at performermag.com.
ABOUT US / Performer Magazine, a nationally distributed musician’s trade publication, focuses on independent musicians, those unsigned and on small labels, and their success in a DIY environment. We’re dedicated to promoting lesser-known talent and being the first to introduce you to artists you should know about. MUSIC SUBMISSIONS / We listen to everything that comes into the office. We prefer physical CDs, cassettes and vinyl over downloads. If you do not have a physical copy, send download links to editorial@performermag.com. No attachments, please. Send CDs to: Performer Magazine, Attn: Reviews, PO BOX 348, Somerville, MA 02143 CORRECTIONS / Did we make a heinous blunder, factual error or just spell your name wrong? Contact editorial@ performermag.com and let us know, cuz we’re big enough to say, “Baby, I was wrong.” EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS / In the words of our esteemed forefathers at CREEM: “NOBODY WHO WRITES FOR THIS RAG’S GOT ANYTHING YOU AIN’T GOT, at least in the way of credentials. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t be sending us your stuff: reviews, features, photos, recording tips, DIY advice or whatever else you have in mind that might be interesting to our readers: independent and DIY musicians. Who else do ya know who’ll publish you? We really will...ask any of our dozens of satisfied customers. Just bop it along to us to editorial@performermag.com and see what comes back your way. If you have eyes to be in print, this just might be the place. Whaddya got to lose? Whaddya got?”
4 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
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PERFORMERMAG
W
elcome to our second round of insurance terms you, as a performing artist, should know! In case you missed Part 1, you can catch that on performermag.com or in the last issue.
MUSIC BUSINESS
Benjamin Ricci
Glossary of Common Insurance Terms for Musicians [Part II] The goal here is to provide a free resource that explains, in common terminology, what certain things mean and how they apply to you and your needs as a musician. Without further ado, here are some more basic terms and phrases relating to insurance for live musicians. Actuary One of the biggest confusions lies in the difference between an actuary and an underwriter. So here goes: an underwriter, in basic terms, takes a look at your riskiness, and determines whether or not at that point to even offer a policy to you and what that policy would be. So, an underwriter may be pretty wary of giving the crew from Jackass a great policy because they perform incredibly dangerous stunts. Whereas a live entertainer, while still presenting some risk, is much less likely to inflict damage or bodily harm than Johnny Knoxville and his friends. An actuary is often a stat nut, using their math skills and risk assessment to come up with policies that will ultimately benefit the insurance companies they work for. Hey, we never said these were charities. Underwriters will scrutinize your application to make sure you can qualify, and the actuary is the person who actually helps make the policies and set premiums in the first place. Adjuster An adjuster, or sometimes called a claims adjuster, is the person who does the detective work when a claim is filed to find out what happened, and in the end make a determination of how much liability the insurance company has in the situation. So, in the unlikely event that your band trashes a venue, a series of phone calls and emails will probably be fired off in rapid succession, ending in an adjuster heading out to the scene to examine the damages. They’re going to document everything, take witness statements, and be the lead on figuring out just what happened, and how responsible you (and your insurance provider) are for everything. They may also work with hospital records in case of liability claims in the event that you injured someone during your set.
Replacement Cost The replacement cost is the real-world dollar amount it would take to replace damaged property (like something you trashed in the venue scenario above), but does not take into account depreciation. Again, the idea is to make you (the injured party or party who’s sustained damages) whole again, not so that you can benefit and be better off after a claim. So, in the venue’s case, they’d get what’s called “like materials” to fix or replace any damaged areas. If the floor was torn apart, for example, they can’t just go and expect to replace builder’s-grade flooring with top-ofthe-line endangered rosewood imported from the Amazon. “Like kind and quality” are the key words here. So, to recap, there are two basic ways to establish the value of payouts from an insurance claim: ACV or actual cash value which does consider depreciation, and replacement cost coverage, which does not deduct for depreciation. Act of God This one seems to trip people up, as well, but the definition is simple. With most liability insurance, you probably will only ever talk to your agent when it’s time to renew, or if unfortunately, you are responsible for damages or injuries. In the latter, it’s important to note that claims
against you must typically be as the direct result of your actions or negligence: meaning you are pretty much at fault for whatever ensued. You caused it somehow. There are things that would be outside of your control, however, like natural disasters or other events that you could not have ever prevented no matter how careful or diligent you were in your behavior. In fact, we say that no amount of planning, safety measures or foresight could prevent these things from occurring, which typically means (if your policy is drafted right), you won’t be liable if a Category 5 hurricane rolls into town during your gig and destroys everything in sight. (Of course, this is an exaggeration, but you get the idea. You wouldn’t be on the hook). FOR MORE INFO… You’ve heard us repeat it a million times, but to be sure, always check over your policy and ask your provider to answer any questions you may have. The best policy (no pun intended) is consult a professional whenever you’re in doubt. Stay safe out there and look for more tips in the months ahead. Check out kandkinsurance.com – you may qualify to get a quote or even purchase insurance online. PERFORMER MAGAZINE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 5
MUSIC BUSINESS
Checklist for Christmas Music Releases - 2018
Y
5 Steps to Your 2018 Christmas Music Release
ou still have time. You can still bust out a Christmas EP that might net you thousands of new fans on streaming platforms everywhere. While it may be too late for that $15,000 Christmas music national placement, it’s not too late to rack up streams and gain fans. Christmas music is ubiquitous. Yes, some fans love it and some fans hate it, but understand that every store, restaurant, hotel, shop, florist, and cafe will be playing it. It’s also a big deal for your family. If you’ve ever released Christmas music before, there is something terrific about seeing your grandma respond to party guests commenting on the music in the house, “Oh this? This is my little bubbeleh’s band. It’s just wonderful, isn’t it?” Multiple stations on terrestrial and online will be playing it 24/7, literally. Here’s the big shift, those coveted playlist creators on Spotify and Apple Music will be clamoring for the perfect new X-mas track to include every year. I mean, they can’t all be Mariah Carey cuts! So, you need to feed some new music to the machine. So, fire up your DAW, and let’s get it done this Christmas. Step 1 - Pick Songs Ideally, write three songs and include two Public Domain songs (no licensing needed) on an EP. However, if you can’t do that, do all PD songs. OR just do one. If you have the coin for licensing (see Step 2), you might want to jump on the bandwagon of the most searched and most played song by covering a song not in the Public Domain and paying for it. Most listened to Public Domain songs on all streamers and radio Silent Night Jingle Bells The First Noel Joy To The World Away In The Manger God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen Deck The Halls Hark, The Herald Angels Sing
6 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
O Holy Night Deck the Halls O Little Town Of Bethlehem It Came Upon A Midnight Clear Ave Maria Angels We Have Heard On High Auld Lang Syne O Come All Ye Faithful We Wish You A Merry Christmas What Child Is This? The Twelve Days of Christmas Most covered Christmas songs on Spotify (need licenses): Silent Night White Christmas The Christmas Song Winter Wonderland Santa Claus Is Coming To Town Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Joy to the World I’ll Be Home for Christmas Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer Silver Bells Sleigh Ride Blue Christmas Step 2: Write an awesome Christmas song Look, even if it is just one, write a holiday song. Make it dirty, make it nostalgic, just make it. People’s careers have been made off of Christmas songs. You do not need to write lush string arrangements for an orchestra either; just a simple keys/guitar and vocal will do. Step 3: Record awesome Christmas songs Christmas songs last forever, but the good thing is they come around again every year. So, don’t get caught up in perfection. Nail down some solid tracks with good emotional takes, mix and master, and go. Visuals still matter. Go find some killer album artwork pictures on Unsplash or Archive.org, or even better, go shoot some yourself. You’ll need 3000x3000 .jpg/png for uploading. Step 4: License cover songs for digital (or physical) You have a few choices here but expect around $15 per song. Whichever company you use to distribute digitally probably offers a service, and you can also choose Harry Fox Agency (HFA) if you are a planning on pressing CDs or vinyl.
Just to be clear, this is only for covers where you basically do a rendition of the same work, not derivatives where you change the words or arrangement drastically. CD Baby: Only does single songs - will secure the proper mechanical licenses AND manage the payment of the mechanical royalties you owe to publishers for every sale. $14.99 per cover song (link: https://cdbaby.com/license-cover-song. aspx) LOUDR: Can obtain a cover song license in less than 10 minutes. $15 + royalty fees per song, can do album (https://loudr.fm/licensing) DistroKid: $12 per song/year, renewed annually, to manage each cover song for you. (link: https://distrokid.desk.com/customer/ portal/articles/1329164-can-i-upload-coversongs-) TuneCore: Limited License $15 per song (intend to sell less than 500 digital downloads (units)) Pre-pay all fees, even if units are unsold. Relicensing, converting to a Standard License $59 (intend to sell over 500 units) (link: https://www. tunecore.com/cover-song-licensing) Step 5: Promote I know this sounds simple, but it’s the hardest part. There is the obvious– go on Twitter, FB, and Instagram and spread the word, do some silly videos and spread on YouTube and your Stories and IGTV. Some deep hints - if you are doing multiple songs, stagger the releases and you will hit new music radar playlists easier. Create your own Christmas playlist (or many) and make sure to put “2018” in it. Be creative, “I Hate Xmas 2018” or “Why Does Christmas Suck So Much? 2018” are good ones. Mail your bloggers, hit up the playlisters on Twitter. Email your fan list and get your fans to start streaming them early to give you feedback, this will juke the algos. There you go. I hope to hear all of your Christmas songs this year! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Michael St. James is the founder and creative director of St. James Media, specializing in music licensing, publishing, production and artist development.
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MUSIC BUSINESS
Collaborators & Copyright - What You Don’t Know Could Cost You! “Help! my music was used in a production without my permission and I haven’t been paid for it!” “I hired a producer to complete my album and now they won’t give me the instrumentals because they claim to own them.” “My content was tagged as copyright infringement and taken down from a platform because my ownership is being disputed.” Sound familiar? These stories are from
actual emails I’ve received while working in music licensing over the last decade and while serving as President of Women in Music. These situations are all too common and were the inspiration behind Cosynd, a company I cofounded that helps creators protect their content and rights. As we began to develop Cosynd, we conducted a small market study to uncover how people really felt about the process of copyright ownership and rights management. Three words kept popping up: uncomfortable, slow, and useful.
We can all agree that sorting out ownership is important, but for nearly half of the respondents in our study, the process felt fraught with awkward conversations or awkward silence, which leads to the unexpected costs of fixing mistakes. It’s better to have an awkward conversation now than to have an expensive one later. (Heads up, there’s some very not fun, but very important information in this section). PERFORMER MAGAZINE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 9
MUSIC BUSINESS When collaborators combine their efforts into something that is meant to be one piece of content, that union is called a “joint work.” Examples of joint works can include: Songwriters and composers combining their work to create a musical composition. Musicians, engineers, producers, and artists combining their efforts to create a sound recording. Two YouTube creators combining their work to create one video. Two writers combining their work to create a script. Most collaborators aren’t aware of the legal nuances of joint works and that can
lead to a number of irritating problems. Under U.S. Copyright Law, the creators of a joint work by default have an equal claim of ownership, rights, and revenue unless there is an agreement stating otherwise.
already generating revenue, since people are less likely to agree to change (particularly, reduce) their share at that point. You may need to hire an attorney to sort out any disputes.
Let’s use a practical example of two songwriters where Songwriter A has written far more of a song than Songwriter B. Without a proper ownership agreement in place, Songwriter B could claim ownership of 50% of the copyright of that song, 50% of the publishing revenue, and could license the entire song non-exclusively to others without Songwriter A’s permission.
A split sheet is an easy initial step that you can take to establish ownership.
Revenue is usually where things get messy. It’s harder and more expensive to have a conversation with your collaborators about ownership after your content is
Some creators think that documenting ownership is a complex process. However, the first step is as simple as a split sheet, a one-page agreement that includes (at the very least) the title of the copyright, the ownership breakdown, the names, writer/publisher information, and signatures of all of your collaborators. Split sheets should be completed immediately. Waiting after a session can mean the difference between smooth sailing and complex, costly negotiations, so power through what may feel like an awkward conversation early on. Doing this now also keeps business and personal relationships intact, which is a necessity in this collaboration-centered creative era. Ownership aside, there are other critical details to discuss. A more comprehensive ownership agreement can cover additional issues such as:
10 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
If you have hired a producer, a producer agreement may be better suited for your needs than a work for hire agreement. A producer agreement will typically outline how and when a producer will be paid (advances, royalties, flat fees etc.), how the producer will be credited (if at all), how copyright ownership will be addressed, and other critical details. A producer agreement will clearly state if a producer will retain ownership of the music they created and if they will be permitted to license or re-use that music with others. There are other steps you can take to protect your content.
How/when will revenue be paid to your collaborators? How will your collaborators use your name, image and brand? Do your collaborators need permission to do so? How will disputes be handled? Will you submit disagreements through mediation, arbitration, or court? Will you and your collaborators indemnify each other? What will a collaborator at fault be responsible for? How will the others be protected?
Register your works with the U.S. Copyright Office: Mailing your content to yourself or publishing it on a content platform (a practice known as “poor man’s copyright”) does not grant you the same protections and rights of owners that registered with the Copyright Office. The difference is critical, especially when it comes to legal proceedings. Copyright owners that have registered may be eligible to collect a higher sum from lawsuits compared to copyright owners that have not registered. If you are only relying on “poor man’s copyright,” you may only be able to collect actual damages — even if you win your suit, you could end up owing more in legal fees than the sum you won. The additional benefits to having your content registered with the U.S. Copyright Office include:
Register your sound recordings with SoundExchange: Similar to performing rights organizations for musical compositions, SoundExchange is a rights collection society that collects digital performance royalties for sound recordings on behalf of artists and labels. SoundExchange will also collect these royalties for you internationally. Regardless of who you are collaborating with, even the closest of friends, it’s imperative that you use copyright ownership agreements and register with the appropriate copyright societies in order to protect your content from being exploited and to protect yourself from incurring unexpected expenses.
You receive a certificate of registration. Before an infringement suit may be filed in court, registration is necessary for works of U.S. origin.
The most crucial mistake I’ve seen collaborators make is to not decide who can license the content they have created together. When this isn’t decided early on, your content can be used in ways that you wouldn’t normally approve of, licensed for disappointing fees, or worse – without your knowledge and without ever seeing any payment at all.
There is a public record of your ownership, your collaborators’ ownership, and the other relevant details of your content.
Work for hire and producer agreements should be used whenever you hire others.
You can record the registration with the U.S. Customs Service for protection against the importation of infringing copies.
If you are working with a freelancer (musician, engineer, etc.) to create your content, simply providing payment may not be enough to prevent them from claiming ownership. You can use a work for hire
your performing rights organization (“PRO”) is an easy and necessary step for songwriters, composers, and music publishers to collect public performance royalties, which are a form of music publishing revenue that is generated when a song you own is performed publicly (played on the radio, at a venue, on TV, etc.). Your PRO will be able to collect these royalties for you internationally, too. You can register your songs directly on your PRO’s website or through a third party. If you don’t do this, you could be leaving money on the table.
MUSIC BUSINESS
agreement with these individuals, which clearly outlines the scope of their contribution to your content, how/when payments will be made, and waives their claim of ownership over your copyright.
If registration occurs within 5 years of the publication of your content, your registration is considered prima facie evidence in a court of law.
Register your musical compositions with a public performance rights organization (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, etc.): Registering your music with
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jessica Sobhraj is the CEO of Cosynd, an easy and affordable way for creators to protect their content with unlimited split sheets for free and more complex copyright agreements for as little as $10/month. The information contained in this article is not intended to be legal advice. You should consult with an attorney for any legal matters. Cosynd provides information and self-help software at your direction only. Cosynd is not a “lawyer referral service,” a law firm, or a substitute for an attorney. Cosynd does not provide legal advice, opinions, or recommendations about possible legal rights or participate in any legal representation. PERFORMER MAGAZINE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 11
MUSIC BUSINESS
eMusic - Down Pivots to Block eMusic is old-school, OG MusicTech. It was 20 years ago (1998) when the company launched as the “first ever legal, digital music store.” If you’re curious, the iTunes Store launched in 2003. eMusic has made its bones off of a mixture of discovery, music locker, downloading center, and a “take it anywhere in the app” cherry on top. The monthly subscription price that included a certain number of tracks for download had a unique position among competitors. If you stopped paying the subscription you still got to keep the songs. Compare that to, say, if you stop paying Spotify $10, poof! all of your music goes away. eMusic has always been a champion of the independent artists, although it has tried to lure the majors from time to time and unfortunately took a lot of heat (and losses). But a company based on downloads can read the tea leaves and see that the market is shifting to streaming. Here’s the interesting thing to me. I’ve covered lots of companies launching a digital service (DSP) on blockchain, but I have not seen one transfer its whole offerings to one. Certainly, eMusic is the largest established player making this move, which may lead the way to broader adoption. eMusic is also planning to raise a $70m ICO offering on its proprietary Ethereum-based ERC-20 token called eMU. Another differentiator in what eMusic is trying to pull off is that the company wants to offer its blockchain-driven solution to other DSPs.
Think of it as Blockchain as a Service (BaaS). So, you would load your music onto eMusic and then it conceivably could be distributed through blockchain ledger transactions to all of the DSPs (Spotify, TIDAL, Apple Music, etc.) if they wanted to adopt this new system, rather than build it out on their own. Set aside what my thoughts on all of this blockchain, ICOs, crypto, tokens, transparent ledger stuff means to music (it’s problematic to say the least); the important thing for you to understand is that literally hundreds of millions of dollars are pouring into this space–your space, where your music will be– so pay attention.
In 2015, the company was purchased by TriPlay, an Israeli media cloud startup founded by Tamir Koch (pictured: opposite), who is now the CEO of eMusic. We discussed the future of streaming and eMusic’s plans to launch a blockchain solution for the industry. I like to start out asking leaders music companies about their background in music; did you play, write, or sing, or are you just a fan? I can’t carry a tune; my ex-wife was a singer, so my kids are unbelievable. None of it came from me. My mother was also an amazing singer. So, I guess I’ve always surrounded myself with those who make beautiful music. Talk to me about how this new direction eMusic is taking came about. eMusic has always been known a retail storefront and still the champion of indie, classical, and jazz. TriPlay acquired eMusic three years ago because of its brand and loyal fans. Our plan was to turn eMusic as a download store into an actual music service with subscriptions. So, we did that last year. Now, 62% of the market is streaming. You used to perform live in order to sell albums, now you try to move streams in order to promote performances; but those who don’t tour can get money for their artistry. So, instead of using the tired model of just streaming which we see kills companies–Spotify
12 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
MUSIC BUSINESS
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transparent. Can eMU be exchanged for fiat; cashed out for dollars, or only used in the eMusic ecosystem? Yes, there will be an option to trade to fiat, but our purpose is to build an entire ecosystem where better value is gained as a member of eMusic and as an artist (or asset holder) in exclusive offerings, crowdfunding, and more. There will be secondary offering as well. Ours is the only project that I know of where our token will be available to use the day it launches.
can’t turn a profit at 70/30 splits and iHeart Radio just went bankrupt–our aim was to fix the problem on the company and artist side. Where does the money go? It gets lost in-between all these intermediaries and we are trying to strip that away to let artists upload direct, and get paid directly, almost instantly. Let’s leverage the open cloud for blockchain technology to increase payouts and transparency, then let’s introduce a token that gives music purchasing more power and value, then let’s offer it as a distribution platform for indies cutting out the middleman and as a service platform for any digital music service that wants to stream. In general, tell me about your view on downloads. Do you think iTunes will close up shop? Is eMusic committed to them?
I can’t comment on Apple. I know they are fighting Spotify for the dominance; I do not think that model of streaming-only is sustainable. There are hundreds of millions who still want a collection and we want them on eMusic. 80% are listening to their own collection and get 20% new from us. Do you have some eMusic numbers to share? Well, we have around 1 million uniques per month, eMusic has served over 467 million customers, and we currently have over 26 million tracks available. How does the platform work with PROs and SoundExchange? We are working through these issues and of course, this is a large undertaking. Royalty management with micro royalties in the smart contract and those got to wherever they are assigned. The difference is, it will be much faster and most importantly,
How will this change eMusic today -- can I still download? Absolutely. eMusic wants to be your music destination. We know that there are still lots of people who believe in building a collection, and we will still house that and serve that to you anywhere. I can tell you that Hi-Res downloads are coming to eMusic. The blockchain and token will enable new models. Maybe you charge for every 5 plays, maybe you let the user download after paying for 10 plays, it’s up to you. Visit here to sign up for updates and get involved: https://token.emusic.com Read the Lightpaper: https://token.emusic.com/ assets/pdf/eMusic_Light_Paper_US.pdf ABOUT THE AUTHOR -Michael St. James is the founder and creative director of St. James Media, specializing in music licensing, publishing, production and artist development. PERFORMER MAGAZINE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 13
MUSIC BUSINESS
WHY YOU NEED A LICENSE I’ve been doing music clearances for going on 20 years, and the main thing I’ve noticed along the way is that many young artists have no idea what they are or how they work. It’s not their fault; it’s confusing! However, without the proper clearances, musicians who use samples in their work could find their songs or albums pulled from streaming services and stores. And in the end, they could end up paying much more to settle a dispute than they originally would have to clear a sample legally. Copyright infringement lawsuits are no joke — by law, it could be as much as $150,000 per sample, per copy of the song distributed. First, if you are sampling someone else’s music in your song, then you need to get a license — no ifs, ands, or buts about it. There is a lot of misinformation floating around out there about “fair use,” particularly regarding the length of a sample, how transformative the use is, and whether you are making any money off of it. The fact of the matter is that fair use only works for song parodies. So, unless you’re the next Weird Al, you need to get your samples cleared before you can release your music (and P.S., Weird Al gets permission for his parody songs, too). Here’s how the process typically works at my company, DMG Clearances Inc. Artists send me a copy of their original track and a list of all the songs sampled in it, as well as how much of each song is used. I then do research to find who controls the publishing and master copyrights. The publishing side covers the underlying composition and is typically owned by the songwriter or their publishing company, while the master side covers a specific recording of a song and is typically owned by the recording artist’s record label. You must get approval from both sides.
Deborah Mannis-Gardner
HOW NEGOTIATIONS WORK Once I’ve located the rights-holders, I send them a request letter along with a copy of the song containing the sample. If they approve, they send me a quote, usually consisting of a one-time fee and an ongoing royalty arrangement. On the publishing side, those royalties take the form of a percentage of ownership in the new song. On the master side, they are a percentage of revenue earned from the recording of the new song.
Publishing fees usually fall in the $1,500-$2,500 range, and master fees can be anywhere from $1,500 to $10,000; it all depends on the rightsholders. I then send the quotes back to the artist of the new song, who can agree to the terms or make a counter offer. Once the negotiation is complete, I send official confirmation letters to the rightsholders detailing the terms, get release and billing information from the artist of the new song, and then send license request letters to the rights-holders. Once the licenses are signed by all parties and all payments have been made, the clearance is complete. All in all, this process can take anywhere from one day to over one year. I know that sounds like a lot, and probably far more expensive than you were thinking. However, there are a few things you can do to ease the process. 1.) Start the clearance process as soon as possible. Sample clearance is a daunting task — from finding the proper rights-holders, to getting their attention with your request, to negotiating a good fee and royalty rate. You don’t want to leave this hanging until the last minute, especially since the original rights-holders have the ability to say no entirely, scuttling your vision. It’s a key difference from licensing a cover song, where the original rights-holders are required to license your version provided you pay them a compulsory royalty rate set by the government. 2.) Don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t work out. Some sample clearance issues just can’t be foreseen. For example, look at what happened to indie rock band Car Seat Headrest back in 2016. After the band’s label obtained what it thought was a proper license to sample The Cars’ “Just What I Needed” months in advance of the release date, it was discovered at the last minute that the publisher did not actually have the right to approve the use in the United States. After The Cars’ lead singer and songwriter Ric Ocasek decided not to approve the sample, the label was forced to recall and destroy physical copies of Car Seat Headrest’s record, and the band had to write a new song to take its place without the sample. In the end, the album was released on-time
digitally, with lead singer and songwriter Will Toledo stating, “I think it’s a stronger song now.” The moral: some things can’t be helped, so soldier on and stay creative! 3.) Take advantage of new technology. If you’re an independent artist, the scope and cost of the sample clearance process is intensely daunting. Luckily, there are music services online that can help. For example, I just signed on as a Partner at music sample clearance service Tracklib, which offers a library of over 65,000 full songs by popular artists that have all been pre-cleared for sampling. Getting down to brass tacks, that means you can find a song to sample, download a high-quality WAV to work with, and then license your new song for as little as $50 and a 2% royalty share.
Everything You About Clearing M
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MUSIC BUSINESS I hope this is helpful to all you aspiring producers and DJs out there. Feel free to reach out to me at DMG Clearances Inc. with any clearance requests you may have, and remember, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Macklemore, DJ Khaled, Kendrick Lamar, John Legend, Black Eyed Peas, Drake, Lil Wayne, Lady Gaga, Eminem, Rihanna, The Notorious B.I.G., U2, Nicki Minaj, Mariah Carey, Yelawolf, and Beyoncé.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Deborah Mannis-Gardner is the goto expert for global music rights clearances, whether for samples for recordings; song usage in movies, television, and video games; or innovative applications such as the history of hip-hop Google Doodle. After working for Diamond Time and RCA Records in the early 1990s, Deborah started DMG Clearances, Inc., in 1996, based out of Delaware. Her sample clearance skills quickly became legendary, and she has cleared releases for artists including Frank Ocean, Jay-Z,
She also handled Grands Rights clearance for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway sensation “Hamilton” and film music clearances for Martin Scorsese’s “The Aviator”; Curtis Hanson’s “8 Mile,” “In Her Shoes,” and “Lucky You”; The Coen Brothers’ “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”; Richard Linklater’s “School of Rock”; and Josh Fox’s “How to Let Go of the World and Love All the Things Climate Can’t Change.”
startup Tracklib. She has spoken at SXSW, CMJ, the Nashville Film Festival, and SyncSummit Nashville, as well as at Temple University and Widener College. She was also named 2016 Entrepreneurial Woman of the Year by the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce (NCCCC) in Delaware.
In February 2018, she was announced as a partner and advisor to the Swedish digital music
u Need to Know g Music Samples PERFORMER MAGAZINE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 15
MUSIC BUSINESS
NONCOMMUSIC ALLIANCE STRENGTHENING PUBLIC RADIO MUSIC IN A STREAMING WORLD
S
ome of you have had the chance to run a traditional commercial radio campaign and you’ll probably understand this more than most. While it’s thrilling to hear your song as the wellknown DJ is saying your band’s name on the “real” radio station, the reality is that it doesn’t move the needle much in terms of money, sales, or spins. Back in the good ol’ days of record stores an act may have sold a few more copies regionally. But now, it’s not like it’s going to spike your Spotify streams, certainly not as much as getting added to a playlist would. Mostly, it’s about getting your name out there, maybe making a fan of the PD, and hopefully getting some fresh blood to headline shows. Unless you have a national campaign across a whole swath of formatted radio stations with genuine adds and multi-plays every day in multiple regions, coupled with label ads and a tour in support of a single doing in-studio hits, it just doesn’t really matter. These stations have major labels, promoters, and managers to deal with; they can’t be bothered with booking you for an interview. The fans are passive. They
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are listening at work, they’re waiting for their favorite song by a national act, or just trying to win tickets. This isn’t your target. Now, I’m willing to bet that many more of you have had some experience with getting your music on non-comm (non-commercial or listener supported) radio, known as “public radio.” These include independent formats, college radio stations, and NPR-sister stations; CPR, KCRW, OPB, KEXP, WERS, WXPN, and so many more. These stations move the needle. They want you to do an in-studio over lunch, they want you to do station IDs, they have rabid fans that are actually clamoring for music to crush on, looking for the next show or festival. They want to use your music in promos, in video, and on podcasts. They want to sponsor your show at that mid-level venue. They genuinely want to be a part of your musical story. This is your target.
Love the well-crafted, heartfelt songs of the 1970’s? Then check out these two new classic style folk/singer-songwriter CDs from Rich Faschan a/k/a Clumsy Fingers on YouTube or your favorite online music service. Hear why leading A&R professionals are saying that Clumsy Fingers has “an awesome authentic feel,” “a good energy throughout” and “a lovely genuine vocal performance and a great message.” Listen to why A&R experts are saying they “dig the heartfelt delivery” and “love the raw emotion in the vocal.” Find out why they were “emotionally moved” and why they say, “the lyrics are great,” “there is a sweet melody here,” “really great visuals” and “strong poetic imagery.” …And most importantly, that they “enjoyed listening”…and you will, too.
Order or download Clumsy Fingers from CD Baby today at store.cdbaby.com/Artist/ClumsyFingers
MUSIC BUSINESS
But they don’t have the budget the big stations do; they are listener supported, and yet, they must deal with the same constraints of music licensing regulations as the commercial stations. So, how do we support them supporting us? I got the opportunity to chat with Michael Riksen (pictured), VP of Policy at NPR, about his new role as the executive director of the noncomMUSIC Alliance initiative, a group of public radio music stations and music stakeholders dedicated to simplifying music licensing for the non-commercial radio world. I usually start by asking what your background in music is and how you got your start. Are you a writer, performer, manager, or just an avid supporter? Well, I have played instruments. I sing in the shower. In junior high I played the trumpet and the trombone. Sometimes, I sing opera alone - the key word there being “alone.” I’m really a policy guy. A music lover and supporter. What is the noncomMUSIC Alliance, and what is its mission? First, we are trying to educate lawmakers and stakeholders that public radio plays a very unique role in music discovery and community and is not geared to make profit. The currency we have is public service - not dollars and cents. We help break artists, we support musicians in Jazz, Classical, and unique formats. From there, what we are asking for is licensing simplicity for public music radio. Access to music is a whole lot simpler today but the variety of access is matched by the rights management and complexities of licensing. It is necessary to protect rights holders and we absolutely want to be a part of getting musicians, 18 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
MUSIC BUSINESS writers, artists, and rights holders paid fairly; but for many of these stations, the commercial licensing requirements are a barrier to the public service role. So, a different music licensing layer for noncommercial radio? Yes, something like that. Simplifying music licensing procedures for public broadcasting via traditional and digital platforms. Removing unneeded constraints that prevent local public radio music stations from introducing and promoting new and emerging artists and broadcasting educational music content. By streamlining copyright licensing requirements for public radio music stations, the U.S. can ensure that noncommercial local music stations, artists, and the music economy thrive. To nail down the specifics, we have a terrific advisory board working hard to find the right balance of policy and priorities; our current members include Roger LaMay (WXPN), Brenda Barnes (KING), Amy Niles (WBGO), Tom Mara (KEXP), Abby Goldstein (WYEP), Judy McAlpine (USC Radio Group), and Nick Kereakos (American Public Media). What specific licensing laws are you aiming to change? Well, public music radio is now almost always digital; that means on-air broadcasts with online streams and podcasts coupled with video platforms in addition to live performances, instudio and in the community. So, for instance, if a station loves a band and wants to promote their latest song. It’s no longer just played on the radio under a blanket license. Now they need a license to stream it,
another to play it in the podcast, a separate license to use it in a video clip, a separate license for the live recording, and on and on. Often, as you know as a music licensor, this may entail getting permissions from multiple writers, publishers, and labels. That’s fine for a profitable station, but it’s too cumbersome for a little non-comm station just trying to turn their listeners on to new music. To be clear, the Alliance still intends to pay for music use? Our partners want to be a part of the success and livelihood of those who write and play the music that our communities love. We are interested in simplifying the process. In most cases, the artists our member stations serve are the label, they are the publisher, as well as the songwriter, and artist. We want there to be a simpler and economical pathway to get artist’s music to as many people as possible - in as many ways as possible. Are you planning on amending the Music Modernization Act, or will you be pursuing separate federal legislation as it pertains to licensing reform? We discussed this with the current bill sponsors and it did not seem like this was the best time to get our specific needs addressed. We feel that the MMA is an important part of music licensing reform and addresses many of the pressing needs of the modern music market, but it only highlights the complexities we are trying to address in a non-commercial public radio music setting. How many partners are in currently? We have over 100 partners now. Mostly comprised of public radio music stations across
the country. There is a learning process that takes time for the general managers. We know we are working to address their licensing concerns by easing the complexities and legal requirements. Who can be a partner, what does it cost, what are the benefits? This is unfolding conceptually as we put together the building blocks of legislation and a centered community around public music radio stations. Initially, we started with inviting stations in the communities that serve the music lovers to be partners. But we also know that the public radio music system includes artists, performers, managers, labels, lawyers and more to be a part of that alliance. So, we are now reaching out to all stakeholders to join the Alliance. There is no cost to join. As we move forward legislation and craft solutions, we will be keeping our members updated and looking for their input and help in reaching out to get the legislation passed. Can independent artists who believe in the public radio mission get involved? Absolutely! First, get your music to these stations, reach out to the program directors, interact with these communities, that’s the first step. The more vibrant the music communities are the better the stations will perform and it will result in a stronger music ecosystem. Then, go to noncommusic.org to learn about what we are doing and click on “Partner” to join. ABOUT THE AUTHOR -Michael St. James is the founder and creative director of St. James Media, specializing in music licensing, publishing, production and artist development. PERFORMER MAGAZINE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 19
MUSIC BUSINESS
The Skinny on UK Visas for US Artists International artists are finding it increasingly difficult to secure visas to perform in the UK, but as immigration expert Anne Morris explains, there are ways to improve prospects of making a successful application to the British Home Office.
The reality is, visas are usually the last thing on anyone’s mind when organizing overseas music events. The performers and venues are booked, the promotional wheels are in motion. How the artists will actually get to the destination usually comes somewhere down the list of priorities.
If you’re planning to come to the UK to work, you will only be granted entry if you hold the correct visa. This means making an application to the UK Home Office. For US musicians, there are a number of immigration options to consider. Permit-Free Concessions allow entertainers to take part in pre-approved events. The Permitted Paid Engagement Visa allows eligible, established performers to stay in the UK for up to one month for specific paid work. Where these specialist schemes don’t apply, you may be looking at one of the visas under the UK points-based system, such as the Tier 2 or Tier 5 visas. Whichever you opt for, you will need to ensure you meet the eligibility criteria and put in an application that evidences your case to the case worker. Non-UK performers and their management are however becoming more vocal about the challenges of securing a UK visa. Immigration is under the spotlight in Britain, impacting how visa applications are being processed. Applications are being heavily scrutinized, and petitions are generally taking longer. It’s hitting the music industry hard.
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MUSIC BUSINESS A failed visa application means the artist can’t gain entry the UK. You could be looking at scaled-down sets and cancelled gigs, lost revenues and wasted expense on fees and flights, and reliance on back up sets and contingency plans. In the worst case scenario for British music fans, international artists will start to avoid UK performances. Is there anything artists and their management can do to improve their prospects of making a successful visa application? Let’s explore… 1. Don’t you know who I am? The UK Home Office processes visa applications from artists, musicians, and celebrities of any kind in the same way as all other visa applications. Do not expect special consideration or dispensation. You are required to follow the rules, just like any other applicant for a UK visa. By the same token, do not assume the Home Office caseworker will know who you are. Your application will need to be comprehensive and thorough in explaining who you are, the purpose of your visit and how your skills and experience meet the visa criteria. It’s safer to assume the caseworker has no prior knowledge of your talent, achievements or status. The Home Office will also be looking for specific evidence and reassurance that you will leave the UK and return home at the end of your trip. 2. Don’t underestimate the timescales Even with the smoothest of visa applications, they still take time to process. And if anything, I’d say the Home Office is taking longer to make
decisions. This is clearly at odds with the reality of a musician’s relentless schedule and limited availability. Try to address visa applications as early as possible, particularly where there are complex circumstances -- for example if you have multiple performances as you will need to ensure you hold the appropriate status for the duration of your stay. 3. Beware border control If you enter the UK on a private jet, you will still be subject to border control and you will need to have secured the relevant visa. As an example, we once took a call from a musician who had landed on a private airfield outside London. They had told the immigration officer they were in the UK for tourism purposes and as such did not have a visa. The immigration officer wasn’t convinced; they did a quick Google search and came across the artist’s imminent UK tour dates. The individual was refused entry on the basis they did not have a visa or permission to work. 4. Visas for entourage, band and crew Travelling with a party, whether an entourage, crew or other artists, will complicate matters. Each individual will need to make an application. More applications will mean more time. Considerable logistical challenges usually arise where individuals are making their applications from different locations across the globe. Each applicant will need to attend a visa application center local to them and passports may need to be surrendered while the Home Office processes the application, limiting ability to travel further.
5. Banned list Performers on the Home Office banned list will not be granted entry to the UK. Entry bans usually relate to offensive content and preservation of the public good. If you are concerned about a ban, before making an application, you should first check if you are on the list. If you are, it may be possible to petition for the ban to be lifted if you can provide grounds to justify removal from the list. For example, it may be that the ban relates to material from many years ago or was created under a different persona. Petitioning against a ban will require additional time and effort in submitting to the Home Office. A tough stance on immigration: the biggest losers are UK music fans It’s a difficult and uncertain period in UK immigration policy, but there are ways to ensure visa applications are optimized for Home Office faster and smoother processing. For US artists and their management, UK immigration rules undoubtedly present substantial challenges. Form filling, box ticking - it’s an unwanted distraction from the business at hand. But there’s no getting around it if performers want to satisfy their British fans’ appetite to experience their favorite artists performing live. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anne Morris is a UK immigration lawyer and managing director at DavidsonMorris, specializing in all aspects of UK visas for the music industry. PERFORMER MAGAZINE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 21
SPOTLIGHT 22 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
SPOTLIGHT Benjamin Ricci Kevin Chiu Tarona Leonora
CoryHenry
Brooklyn’s Organ Master Opens up About His Hammond Love, Tackling Vocal Duties & Finding Inspiration in Monophonic Synths
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arlier this year, Hammond master Cory Henry dropped a killer EP with his band, The Funk Apostles. Now, as they head out for a fall tour of the States, we catch up with the Brooklyn native to chat about the band, his creative process, and how he tours with such a cumbersome instrument. Let’s jump right in… You’re probably most known for your amazing work on the Hammond B3. What is it about the B3 organ in particular that draws the attention of so many keys players, as opposed to the other models Hammond introduced throughout the years? I think the Hammond B3 was the latest model of the tone wheel series Hammonds. The sound is a little brighter than other organs. Do you find any challenges touring with such a heavy (and some would say, unwieldy) instrument?
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There are always challenges when trying to tour with an organ. Normally on the road I rent organs, [especially] when we are overseas. In America I try to tour with my [own] organ as much as possible. Every day can be different, from problems with the tubes, or something in the Leslie, or drawbars sticking out or even some days not getting sound
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“MUSIC IS A POWERFUL TOOL AND I LOVE ITS ABILITY TO SEND A MESSAGE IN A DEEPER WAY.
SPOTLIGHT
out ideas. I’ve opened myself up to understanding that inspiration comes from different places. I used to think that it only came from music. Most of the songs I write come at the same time - music and melody. Then lyrics later, if need be. You’ve toured with a lot of musicians from a variety of genres. When you take a live gig, how do you add your own personal stamp on songs that may be well-loved by, let’s say “enthusiastic” fan bases? Have there ever been situations where you’ve been discouraged from adding your style to well-known works? I have been fortunate enough to have been called for gigs where my job was to be me. People always ask me to play what I felt, and they trusted me to make good decisions musically. When it comes down to playing covers, I get really selective. I only like to cover songs that represent me or saying something that I can’t say myself. I have to really love a song to cover it. I can’t just cover a song and I don’t let anybody discourage me from doing me. What led you to start your own group, The Funk Apostles? I’ve been wanting to do my own thing for a long time. I released records prior to [the band’s formation] and have been trying to find my musical journey as an artist for many years. I’ve been wanting to have a band that played the things that I cared about. And with time and preparation and over the course of about two years, I came up with exactly what I wanted to do, how I wanted to do it and who I wanted to do it with. We started in 2015 and haven’t stopped since. How does your work in The Funk Apostles differ from your past projects? My work with the Funk Apostles is wildly different from any other project that I’ve ever [at all]. Just gotta be ready for anything been a part of. Being a front man has way different and have the organ mechanic on speed dial. rules. I am also a singer now. So, I’m wearing a lot of hats in this project. Most other projects You’ve said that you think of music from the I’m just doing one thing, like playing organ. ’60s and ’70s as a “golden era,” because artists used music to speak their voice and bring How do you approach the recording process? about change. How are artists today, including From a creative standpoint, do you enter the yourself, using music to reach people in a studio with fully-formed arrangements, or do similar way? you allow yourself to work out material during I love music from the ’70s era. I love the artists who the recording process? found inspiration to create beautiful melodies and It’s a little bit of both. I write demos in Logic, music based on the surroundings around them. I with all the ideas that I want to go in the studio think there are many artists today who are doing the with and then send it to the band. Then we go same thing; I’m not sure if I would consider myself into the studio and build on those ideas. So, it’s one of them. But I do hope my music brings a change always a work in progress until it’s mixing time. to those who hear it. Music is a powerful tool and I love its ability to send a message in a deeper way. You’re also a monster synth player. Can you speak to the creative challenges that a How do you approach the craft of monophonic instrument presents as opposed songwriting? Do you sit down to write, or to the organ or acoustic piano? do you allow musical ideas and melodies The only creative challenge to monophonic to germinate before fleshing out songs? instruments is that you can’t play chords. But I don’t At this point, I find inspiration at any point, any look to monophonic instruments for that. I love time of day. I could be walking down the street and playing monophonic instruments because it’s like hear the train rhythm and want to start rapping playing a voice.
Follow on Twitter: @Cory_Henry
CORY HENRY & THE FUNK APOSTLES ART OF LOVE STANDOUT TRACK: “LOVE WILL FIND A WAY”
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SPOTLIGHT
Doyle
The Famed Sideman Returns With a Blazing New LP & Discusses His 20+ Year Journey in the Music Business
BRAMHALL II Alysse Gafkjen
D
oyle Bramhall II is a uniquely talented musician who has worked with everyone from Eric Clapton and Erykah Badu to Meshell Ndegeocello and Elton John. Over the past two decades, he has toured the world, played on top of a historic landmark and performed on several Grammy nominated albums. I had the opportunity to speak to Bramhall about the various sounds on his newlyreleased LP, Shades. You’ve got a new album out called Shades. How did that come about? When did you start the recording and production process of the album? I was touring so much and felt like I was in the zone with my playing. The band had been on the road for a long time and felt like we were flowing 26 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
musically, like I really had come into my own as a performer. Also, as a spokesperson and bandleader and I just wanted to capture the flow of the feel of the road with the band. I wanted to capture that specifically in the studio because the last record I made Rich Man was after I took time away from my solo career...it was for a good reason at the time. Rich Man was the breaking of the ice of just getting something out there and figuring out what direction to go in. I had to ask, what was going to be the new sound I would offer? Who played on the album Shades? Who was the personnel? Well it all started at a studio in Hamburg after being stranded in the U.K for a week or so. Some shows had fallen through, so I decided to pack the band up and move [to Hamburg] for a while. It was
Taylor Northern
cheaper there - we had a friend with a studio/ apartment and we could live and rehearse in the studio. The two songs that came out of that of the Hamburg sessions were “Parvanah” and “She’ll Come Around.” But back to the question, it was Adam Minkoff on drums and Tom Pekoff on bass, that was the touring band of three years. Adam Minkoff has now switched to bass/keys for live performance, but yeah, I used those guys on the Hamburg sessions. When I went out to California, I used a whole other set of musicians. One being Chris Bruce on guitar and he played on “Welcome,” Carla Avar who plays with Jack White and Autolux, Abe Rounds on drums. In LA, there were usually double drums and guitar, bass.
SPOTLIGHT PERFORMER MAGAZINE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 27
SPOTLIGHT
Welcome and he did a few Petty albums, as well. Ben Marks helped to co-produce that record and Jim and Ben’s big thing were to get the songs as tight and well-rehearsed as possible [before recording]. So that track “Problem Child,” we only had to record it a few times because we were so well rehearsed. The song just kinda kicked ass from the gate because we had all been in a rehearsal space for about three weeks. We had rehearsed all the songs until we had them down by heart. You’re also an amazing vocalist. Did you take vocal lessons or have a teacher? Or are you formally trained at all with music? My voice has never been stronger until now; I don’t know what happened. I guess it just started to get better, the more I sang and kept performing in front of crowds. But in the beginning when I made Welcome and Jelly Cream, I could not sing more than two notes in a row and could do maybe a 90-minute set and then my voice would be shot. Now I can play six nights a week, do two-hour shows and my voice will be fine.
Let’s talk collaborations. You’ve worked with Jimmie Vaughan, Roger Waters, Eric Clapton, Trucks & Tedeschi band, Meshell Ndegeocello, just to name a few. How did all these collaborations come about? I would play on a record and then play myself into another situation. For instance, I met Derek Trucks when I was playing on Susan Tedeschi’s album in 2004 and she had already been a fan of mine and familiar with my work. During that session, there was one song Trucks played on and I became immediately intrigued with his playing. I was blown away that he could make a six string sing like some sacred steel instrument. Around the same time, when Eric Clapton was putting a band together, he was looking for a slide player and I said I know a guy that would be perfect. But in terms of collaborations, just playing and being introduced to people is how it happened. That’s the way it’s naturally happened for me; each time I would go play on a record, become a fan of that artist and subsequently be introduced to other artists. You collaborated again with Eric Clapton on your new song “Everything You Need.” How did you get him to record with you on that track? I just asked...it was literally that easy (laughs). We’re really good friends anyway – when I was recording the track, I listened back to it and thought to myself how cool would it be to have Eric play on it -- it sounded like something he would play on anyway so 28 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
I called him up and he said, ‘I’m recording right now in the Midwest and if you can make it, we got a deal.’ I booked a ticket and flew out to Columbus, Ohio, went right in, we cut the track, had a couple cups of tea, you know, the usual deal. I’ve always been a jet setter so taking a plane from LA to Columbus is nothing.
How long are you going to tour behind the new record and where are you traveling to? I had some shows in Berlin where I’m currently at. I’ve been on a small European tour for the past few weeks. After this, I fly back to the States and do rehearsals with Eric Clapton for a couple shows at Madison Square Garden. After that, doing non-stop radio shows and performances to promote Shades. But other than those two Clapton shows, I’ll be touring with my band until the end of December. Then the coolest thing, at the end I’m going to be turning 50.
Let’s talk lead guitar for a minute. What inspired the backwards/reverse lead guitar on “Love and Pain” and what gear did you use for that song? That was sorta just something melodic -- I knew I wanted something melodic, but also chaotic. I played a few different solos, actually played like 15 solos and couldn’t find it. I just couldn’t get inside it and wasn’t expressing what I wanted to be happening emotionally. The reversing of the guitar was kind of like a last Hail Mary. And as soon as we did, it was like THAT’S the sound. But I had to play it again over and over another 7 or 8 times until I figured out the movement. The last take I feel like I had finally nailed it.
There was a point in your solo career when it was dormant and as an artist, you fell off the map for a bit. There was more than a decade between Welcome (2001) and Rich Man (2016). What did you do during that time period? I was playing with different artists at the time and was just really enjoying playing. I started out as a solo artist in 1999 and then played with Roger Waters for a year, then went from doing that to making a record with Clapton. There was a lot going on, I was touring at the same time on my own, but also making records with Eric and then Eric asked me to join his band in 2004. It seemed like it was perfect timing for me; it was always an honor to make records with him. His band was so good too at that time; he had Billy Preston in the band and the opportunity to play with Eric was an incredible learning experience.
My favorite songs by you are on the album Welcome. There’s a song called “Problem Child” and it has one of the best guitar duels I’ve ever heard. Can you give us the backstory on that track? That whole record I had finished all the songs prior to recording tracks. I had been playing in Tom Petty’s band and Jim Scott was the producer of
So, I was just having the time of my life and also raising my daughters; it was the perfect scenario. I was able to make music, be creative, tour with Eric and be his right hand guy. At that time, it was very fitting...I had said I didn’t want to be a part of the “industry” anyway. I just felt like I wanted a way to express myself creatively and not be forced into politics.
SPOTLIGHT Let’s talk about one of the high points of your career. In 2006, you played the Great Wall of China with Mike Elizondo (producer/writer, Eminem and Dr. Dre) and JJ Johnson in front of hundreds of thousands of people. How did that gig come about? It sounds like a monumental experience! It was actually set up by a fan of mine who was also a musician in Texas. I guess he used to go to Arc Angels shows and he was a big fan of mine. He was also sort of a business guy and promoted concerts. He put together a show called Wonders of the World and had a bunch of different acts playing at different wonders of the world. It was an interesting show with kind of weird lineup - it was me, Cyndi Lauper, Alicia Keys, and Boyz II Men. The next show was at the Alamo and that was Gipsy Kings, Arc Angels and Los Lobos. But I think that guy just wanted to put together these really cool and interesting concerts and it turned out very well. My gig there was the first western show or act to be performed at the Great Wall. Your father was a famous drummer and singer/songwriter. He wrote a couple tunes for Stevie Ray Vaughan that were featured on Texas Flood and Sky is Crying. Coincidentally, you also played for his brother Jimmie Vaughan when you first started out. During that period, did your
father impart any music business advice to you or provide any kind of direction? You know, we’d always talk about different things musically. He would usually introduce me to people he thought could take good care of me and provide proper guidance. And he did introduce me to some paramount people that still help me to this day, like my music publisher (BMG Music/Chrysalis). I’m still with them and have been with the company since I was 18. So yeah, my dad would take care of me in that way -- if I would ask questions, he would tell me what he knew. Like he would tell me to protect and copyright my work and about music licensing, and then basic stuff about rhythm and drum skills. He would tell me what his experience was as a professional drummer and solo artist. But yeah, you’re right, growing up with my dad being a drummer, I do have a standard for shuffle beats (laughs). What is some advice that you would like to give to young musicians who are looking to do what you do? I would say just find what your voice is. Find what your style is or come up with your own style. Take all the influences that you have and gather them together, learn how to say things that ring true for you. Find what your story and your voice is - find it because it is unique to you and that voice is what makes your unique to the world.
Follow on Twitter: @ DoyleBramhall2
DOYLE BRAMHALL II SHADES STANDOUT TRACK: “LOVE AND PAIN”
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SPOTLIGHT 30 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
SPOTLIGHT
KT Tunstall Indulges in Contemporary Nostalgia with Her New Album, WAX Casandra Armour
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SPOTLIGHT
being on a plane from LA to DC that was basically all women, travelling to stand up for equality and basic human rights. It was an incredibly positive environment, even in the face of dark times. The best moment for me is the footage at the end of a guy with a placard that says, “WE WON’T BACK DOWN.” So perfect.
“Long live vinyl!” KT Tunstall signed off on our interview, signaling her deep adoration for an age that came before her. The singer-songwriter is known for her 2004 album Eye to the Telescope, featuring singles like “Suddenly I See,” “Other Side of the World,” and the chart-topping folk-blues stomp “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree.” Her recent endeavors offer those powerful lyrics and singular melodies that launched her career, spun into timeless-sounding pieces whose inspiration could span eras. These songs all at once feel primitive but polished, grassroots-yet-gilded. And that spirit of abandon seems to be exactly what she’s aiming for. “It’s an exciting time for music out there,” Tunstall enthused, “it feels like the Wild West…I think it’s actually a very interesting time for musicians to carve out new ways of doing things.” Exemplifying that, earlier this year, she joined forces with Thunderpussy’s Leah Julius and Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready to put together a simple homage to political movements making change: the trio laid down a cover of Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” paired with a montage of fan-submitted protest photos, on YouTube. She answered some questions for Performer about that track, as well as the current political climate, the direction of her work, the impact some of music’s huge losses last year had on her creative process, and the production of her newest album, WAX, being released this month. Can you tell me about how the ‘I Won’t Back Down’ cover project came together? Mike and I are both keen skiers, and we met whilst tearing up the slopes in Deer Valley, Utah during the Sundance Film Festival. We got 32 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
on great and made a pact to record something together. We managed to carve out some time a few months ago and went down into the studio basement of his place in Seattle, along with Leah Julius of Thunderpussy (who is the bassist in said band, but also a great drummer, as proven on this track!). We wanted to honor one of our favorite icons who had just passed, Tom Petty, and this incredible anthem from right at the tail end of the ’80s still feels so necessary today. It was a challenge; it’s never easy to tackle a classic song. There’s no point in trying to play it the same, you have to try something original with it. I thought we did a pretty good job of making it our own version whilst still paying deep respect to [the] original. Tom had given Mike a guitar years before, so that had to go on the track, of course. Mike also provided great backing vocals, which I don’t believe he’s done a lot of before. He kept wandering around the house singing and I would shout to him, “I hear you! You’ve got the gig!” That video is interspersed with these powerful contemporary protest photos, and there are shots of you attending the Women’s March in response to Trump’s election and inauguration-- what was that like and what did it mean to you to be there? I love the video we made for ‘I Won’t Back Down’; we asked fans to send in all their video footage and photographs from all the different peaceful protests they had attended all over the world. It’s very emotional to watch. I was extremely proud to be present at the Women’s March in DC in 2017. I’ll never forget
And the proceeds benefit Pearl Jam’s Vitalogy Foundation. What social issues do you feel are most crucial right now and how do you think our protests and movements advance change? I just feel very strongly that everybody should have access to opportunities which help them reach their highest potential in life. Our modern societies often aren’t structured to allow people to experience that. Coming from the UK where there is certainly more of a support structure with welfare for all, maternity and paternity leave, and most importantly free healthcare, it can be very disturbing seeing how many people can so easily fall through the cracks and feel forgotten. I think for me, the most important area is to support and nurture children. To give children that solid foundation of confidence and love and safety, can and does produce the most amazing adults, regardless of their background. Peaceful protest and disruption is an extremely important right in a democracy; we should all remember how precious that right is, and in my opinion the most powerful acts of protest are when we cross barriers of gender, race, of age, background, creed, and support one another to lift each other up. I read that before KIN, you considered moving solely into writing music for movies and even entering the Sundance Institute’s elite Film Composers Lab. You have worked in score before, most recently, I think, for ‘Bad Moms.’ Is there still that consideration? The Sundance Institute Film Composers Lab was probably the steepest learning curve of my adult life; I absolutely loved it. Six of us were tutored by luminaries such as James Newton Howard, Harry Gregson-Williams, and Alan Silvestri. It was so fantastic to learn a completely different craft and to flex completely different creative muscles. What’s different for you in producing art to support someone else’s art? I suppose the biggest difference is that you’re working for someone else; the director. It is a very collaborative process, which can be good and bad…Film scores can be very liberating in that I don’t have to create material that fits under the banner of ‘KT Tunstall.’
WAX is the second album in this KIN trilogy concept you’ve introduced: three individual albums exploring soul, body, and mind, respectively. How did you arrive at this idea and how do you see it coming together as a single body of work: as in, what sort of time frame do you envision this spanning, and how would you eventually like the three albums packaged, distributed, and experienced? I’m thinking of very big conceptual pieces like the Pink Floyd’s The Wall album/film/tours. Yes! A film, an interactive theatre experience, a massive inflatable farmyard animal! I want to do it all!! After releasing KIN, it dawned on me that this album was all about coming through difficulty in life and actually being better for it; feeling stronger and more compassionate and wiser as a person: a phoenix from the ashes. It was all about the ‘soul.’ I knew that this next record WAX would be an electric guitar record and would be ‘the body album.’ I very much felt the need to make a rock record after writing the song ‘The Healer’, which had been on a 3-track EP before KIN was released and became a real crowd favorite. I read that KIN, the first album, fulfills the trilogy’s theme of ‹soul›, but having read that you were adopted, I have to wonder if the title KIN also alludes plainly to family, both by birth and by choice? I wanted to call the record KIN for several reasons. First of all, because I wanted each record in the trilogy to have three letter titles. Secondly, because as you rightly say, family relationships can be easily equaled by deep friendships, and we live in a time of such insane levels of communication, yet still have to be diligent that we stay truly connected to one another. Thirdly, it is about the feeling I have when I’m with 100, 1000, 10,000 people, and we close the doors, or we celebrate communing with nature outdoors at a festival, and we share that amazing one-off experience of playing and enjoying music together. It’s a very special thing. Music is such a powerful enhancer in our lives forming life-long bonds between people, and all the important moments of our lives tend to have a soundtrack. The passing on of music within families and friends is what folk and blues music
is; storytelling, and the sharing of memories. Where did the choice for WAX as a title come from? Is the third album title of the trio already determined, representing the concept of ‘mind’? WAX describes very physical things to me. Bees, candlelight, music being pressed onto old wax cylinders, statues of human beings that look so incredibly lifelike and almost have a life-glow to them, and of course wax being produced inside your own head… There is no escape from the word having intensely physical connotations. WAX was produced by Nick McCarthy, formerly of Franz Ferdinand -- can you describe working with him in that capacity? Nick is an extremely talented musician, I obviously knew he was a brilliant player, but wasn’t aware of his rating scale…I think I was very inspired by his style and his own artistic approach to recording. It was very lo-fi and free, and I love it. What was the most valuable input you can recall that he offered that maybe you hadn’t come to yet on your own, something that really felt like a game-changer for the album? I do think it was his writing. It’s very unusual to find writing partners who allow you to go out into the world and sing songs that you’ve written with someone else and feel they are just as personal as the ones you’ve written alone. Nick is probably the only second person after Martin Terefe (who I wrote ‘The River’ with), who I’ve managed to achieve that with. Albums are all about having great songs on them from start to finish, and he really helped make that happen on this record.
Nick had written some chords on the actual night that Bowie passed away and saved them in a folder on his computer and gave the folder that name. When it came to writing a song with the chords, he said, “We can change the name of it no problem,” and I said “No, I love it! We should use that as the name”: which is interesting, because we would probably never have chosen that as a song title.
SPOTLIGHT
For example, a short film I scored called ‘Be As You Wish To Seem’ has an entirely electronic score; very dark and disturbing sounding - loved making it! I’m still very actively scoring music for film, and I’ve also just started writing a musical in London, so I certainly feel I’m branching out into different creative areas.
We talked about Bowie passing causing this global heave of sadness, and how it seemed to remind you of all the people you had ever lost. We got very emotional writing that song, and actually had to step outside at one point to pull our shit together! Any upcoming projects or other contributions worth noting? I am excited to share that I am currently involved in writing and recording project with the great Suzi Quatro. We met in London many years ago, and she commented at the time that she felt that I was carrying on the work she started. The songs are sounding great and we are loving being in the studio together. We don’t have a solid plan for release yet, but it will happen.
Follow on Twitter: @KTTunstall
What I really liked about it was working with an active artist. There’s more than a bit of madness in the mix when you work with an artist’s producer, it’s great. You are quoted as saying, “...My earliest memories are Californian...”, attributed to a sabbatical that your father took at UCLA in 1979. Then KIN was recorded in Los Angeles. Where was WAX recorded, and what are your connections to where it was made? WAX was recorded live between Nick McCarthy’s East London studio and MyRiot’s West London studio. It is definitely significant that this record was made in London; it’s an angular, rhythmic rock record, and I very much appreciated that British influence on what I was making. With WAX’s focus on the physical presence, tell me about the physicality of “The Night That Bowie Died.”
KT TUNSTALL WAX STANDOUT TRACK: “RIVER”
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GEAR REVIEWS
IK MULTIMEDIA HOME STUDIO MAKEOVER With Julie Jay (aka Tiny Dinosaurs)
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I was lucky enough to be picked out by Performer Mag and IK Multimedia for a home studio makeover. This included the IK Multimedia iLoud Micro Monitors and the iRig Keys I/O 49 MIDI controller/audio interface. After two months of use, I feel I can safely say none of these let me down. iRig Keys I/O is not your typical USB MIDI keyboard. It combines a MIDI controller keyboard with drum pads and a 24-bit/96kHz audio interface – everything you need to start recording! It is perfect for musicians who tour or travel a lot and need an all-in-one unit to record, arrange and mix songs. Like any MIDI controller, you can assign any commands to the knobs and touch strips, which is really
convenient when working in your favorite DAW. Recording audio was easy as pie. I set up my DAW’s buffer size to 256 samples and I was good to go. iLoud Micro Monitors are surprisingly small and light. What I always do before I try headphones or monitors is, I play a few songs I love and know by heart. If I can’t hear the details, it’s usually a no-go for me. The iLoud monitors were up to the challenge. Their 3-inch tweeters sound big! It has a very flat and linear response which works with all types of music. There are also three different EQ settings such as treble, bass, and flat/desktop. I also like the « rubber feet » as I call them, which are great for positioning and buffering (you can also mount them on stands if you prefer).
GEAR REVIEWS
[Editor’s note – a few months back we put out a call for artists to enter a cool promotion with our friends at IK Multimedia, a complete home studio overhaul including iLoud Micro Monitors, iRig Keys I/O 49 and a ton of killer software. We chose French artist Julie Jay as the winner and documented the creation of a new track using the gear over the course of a few weeks. You can watch those videos and hear the final song on our YouTube and social media channels. Below are her final thoughts on the experience…]
I did not crank them all the way to the 107dB SPL advertised but I definitely tried low and higher volume as I was mixing and nothing ever clipped, which was exactly what I needed as I worked on my new track. I worked with both the keyboard and monitors at a desk, but also on the floor and on a bed, so I can say these two are the perfect companions for musicians on tour. They are also great if you have a tiny work space or simply if you like your set up clean, pretty (cause they are!) and straight to the point. Learn more at tinydinosaursmusic.com and ikmultimedia.com
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RECORDING Let’s get real for a minute. A drum kit is one of the hardest instruments to record, especially if you’re aiming for perfection when it comes to sound, range and quality. However, getting it right will reward you with a sweet and satisfying sound that you and your listeners will adore. While a challenge, recording the perfect drum sounds isn’t impossible, but it does require patience, perseverance, and the knowledge to know what you’re doing. Today, we’re going to explore a foolproof process for setting up overhead mics for recording that perfect sound, ensuring you get it right every time.
Foreword It’s worth noting that there are plenty of different ways to set up your overhead drum mics, quite possibly an infinite amount. Of course, your own setup will depend on your personal preferences, and there’s no reason why you can’t experiment with what works best for you.
Setting Up Your Drums Correctly Perhaps the most important aspect to consider for recording your drum kit isn’t to do with the microphones at all but actually comes down to how you’re setting up your drum kit. If you’ve set up your drum kit incorrectly, or poorly, it’s going to be impossible to record them professionally.
However, below we’re going to explore the considerations you’ll need to be thinking about when setting up your mics, helping you master the basics, so you can capture that perfect sound you’ve been looking for.
This takes experience and professional knowledge to achieve, and if you don’t know how to do it yourself, it’s well worth getting an expert to help. If you’re working in a recording studio, you should be able to ask the technician on hand.
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This means you’ll need to pay attention to the room/studio you’re recording in, minimizing the risk of other external sounds interfering with your drum sounds. Ideally, you’re going to want to record in a studio environment, but feel free to experiment with locations that have different acoustics to achieve the sound you’re looking for. Setting Up Your Overhead Microphones Now that you’ve set up your recording environment, you’re ready to start thinking about your microphones. No matter how many microphones you’re using, you’re always going to want to start with the overhead mics. When positioning and securing your overhead mics, the idea is to capture the most balanced version of sound possible. Always remember that there’s no right or wrong way to record your sound, but you’re going to need to understand the mechanics of how a drum kit works. For example, cymbals will resonate sound up and down from both angles. On the other hand, hi-hats generate their sounds in a horizontal direction. Visually this dynamic nature will help you imagine the best place to capture the best sound. As a general rule of thumb, the ideal mic placement tends to fall two or three meters above the kit and will want to be positioned either
slightly behind or in front of the kit, not directly above it. This, again, will depend on the mics you’re using and the type of sound you want to capture. Experimenting with Positions Every single drum kit in the world will sound different, and every band or artist will want to create their own unique sound. This is why there’s no definitive method for setting up your overhead mics.
RECORDING
be capable of picking up other sounds in the room.
Generally, it’s so important to take the time to experiment with the placement of your mics so you can find what works best for you. It might even be worth taking a day in a studio where you can play around with your positions to see what positions produce what sound. Even better, if you can have someone with expert knowledge with you, they’ll be able to help explain the dynamics of the drum kit, which again will enable you to know exactly where you should be positioning your mics for the best sound. Don’t be afraid to experiment and invest time in trying out different setups to see what works best for you. You should never have to settle with what you’re given when you walk in to record your drum parts. About the Author Gavin Whitner is a composer, songwriter and music blogger at MusicOomph. An avid sports fan, he’s a big fan of Mo Farah (Running) and Daniel Ricciardo (F1).
At a very minimum, you’ll want to conduct online research into how to set up your drum kit. Once set up, you’ll then want to make sure your drum kit is tuned correctly to ensure that it’s producing the best sound possible. Be sure to retune your drum kit every time you want to record. The Room for Recording Unlike other instruments, you can’t plug in your drum kit to record the sound, unless you’re using an electric drum kit. For traditional drum kits, you’re going to be using mics and overhead mics, both of which will
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GEAR GUIDE
GEAR GUIDE: Streaming Audio & Podcasting Essentials Co-Presented by Performer Magazine and Audio-Technica MICROPHONE BASICS FOR PODCASTING Welcome to the next parts in a series that will focus on microphone basics and capturing sound both for streaming platforms as well as podcasting, co-presented by Performer Magazine and Audio-Technica. Check out our previous issue or head to performermag.com for Part 1. WHY SHOULD YOU PODCAST? Podcasting has never been easier, both in terms of production and distribution. Many podcasts can be done with one, or a few, simple microphones and then distributed immediately out into the world on a number of various platforms. For musicians, you are already great at creating content! You probably do it every day, and we’re not just talking about songwriting and recording. Nowadays independent bands have become super-savvy at social media marketing and content marketing in general. Which means that every day bands are keeping an eye on metrics, stats, analytics and more to see what 38 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
sorts of content fans are engaging with on social media, and what’s simply not hitting. As an artist, you are a wealth of interesting information, whether you realize it or not. Most fans don’t understand the day-to-day of the average working musician, so a podcast can be an easy way to bring fans into your world, in a non-intrusive way, and educate them on subjects that you deal with in your career: touring, the creative process, band management, and so forth. This stuff is interesting and can really tighten the bond between band and fan. The more they feel they know you, the more apt they are to become a “super fan.” In addition, you probably know a bunch of cool people that can be interview subjects for your podcast: fellow bands, engineers, booking agents, session musicians, club owners, etc. Come on, we know you know some folks with interesting stories to tell. Here’s a way to deliver
engaging, regularly scheduled content to your fans with the resources and people you already have at your disposal. HOSTING AND PLATFORMS One thing to keep in mind, regardless of which microphones you’re using or what sort of show you’re doing, is that there will typically be two components for final podcast reaching your audience. The first is hosting, or where you choose to save your audio files on the internet. For musicians doing podcasts, you’re probably already familiar with SoundCloud, which offers podcast hosting services in addition to music streaming services you might already be using. There are countless hosting services, both free and paid, that will keep your files safe and secure. Once your audio is recorded and hosted somewhere on the internet, your host will be able to provide an RSS feed to podcast networks, or platforms, that can pick up your podcast and
GEAR GUIDE
all the relevant info about your program as new episodes are uploaded. In this respect, you don’t need to inform the platform each time you create and upload a new episode to your host, that information is gathered for you and then pushed to subscribers or people searching that particular platform for podcasts to listen to. We’re not going to get into which platforms you want to be on (Apple, Stitcher, etc.) or how to get your podcasts served up to their members in this installment (that’s a topic for another day) -- you can find the basic procedures outlined through most of their FAQs. Rather, we want to get into microphone basics for first-time podcasters. USB VS. XLR MICROPHONES As with the world of internet streaming, you can’t go wrong with an easy-to-use USB microphone. And again, it’s no surprise that our go-to for new podcasters is the Audio-Technica AT2020USB+. For starters, the quality for the price is fantastic, and it couldn’t be simpler to set up. If you’ve never hosted a podcast before, or are new to interviewing people in general, the fewer cables, components and pieces of hardware to learn, the better. With a quality USB mic, you can forego an audio interface (for now) and intimidating DAW setups. Just plug the mic in, open up a simple audio recording program (many PCs and Macs come equipped with basic voice memo or simple track recording software already) and begin a new session. Even iOS and Android devices are capable now of recording simple audio sessions.
doesn’t really matter if you’ve chosen USB or standard XLR mics. What’s going to be important in capturing your voice is the polar pattern of the microphone. Polar patterns determine the sensitivity of the sound hitting the mic’s capsule in relation to where the sound source is coming from. In other words, some mic patterns are set up in such a way to reject sound coming in from the sides, rear or both. Some mics allow audio from all angles to be captured in equal measure. Let’s explore…
If you plan on having multiple guests, or want to invest in better quality mics, you can always get some nice condenser mics that are especially made to handle vocals and plug them into either a small compact mixer and send the stereo output to a recording device or computer. Or, you can get a small one or two-channel audio interface that will take analog audio from your mic’s XLR output and convert that to a digital signal your computer’s recording software, or DAW, can understand. One of the nice things about USB mics, of course, is that the A/D conversion is handled on-board, with one less step to take care of. But a selection of XLR mics and an interface you may own already have means you might have all the gear you need to get going.
CARDIOID POLAR PATTERNS OK, back to our initial situation: just you and a mic. Here you’re probably going to want to opt for a mic with a cardioid (or some variation thereof ) pattern. You may have seen these “heartshaped” diagrams before when researching vocal mics, but essentially a cardioid pattern rejects feedback well, as well as ambient sounds and sounds that aren’t coming directly from in front of the mic’s pickup. Super cardioid takes it one step further and are awesome for a single sound source in either quiet or loud situations. Position your voice in front of the mic’s capsule, speak clearly, and off you go. Monitor the recording to make sure you’re not speaking “off-axis” or too far away from the mic in general.
RECORDING CONSIDERATIONS AND POLAR PATTERNS So, how do we use mics for speech? Is it different than how we might record music? In essence, the goal is the same: get the clearest quality recording to start so that you don’t need to fiddle with post-production headaches.
OMNIDIRECTIONAL MIC PATTERNS Like the name implies, omnidirectional mics actually capture sound coming at the pickup form ALL directions. When might this be good for podcasters? Well, it’s an easy way to make sure a larger group of people talking can be picked up, without losing someone who’s speaking into the rear of the mic, or off-center. Perhaps you’ve got a cool 5-piece band in your podcast studio – an omnidirectional mic, like the affordable Audio-
Let’s start with the simplest scenario: just you and a microphone. In this instance, it
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GEAR GUIDE
Technica AT8010, can be great for picking up all the voices in a room, or even recording an impromptu acoustic jam without the need for a multi-mic setup. For small spaces, this can definitely be the way to go, and offers additional flexibility since it’ll work whether you’re flying solo or hosting a larger group chat. Just be aware that omnidirectional condenser mics require phantom power, so be sure to engage the +48v button on your interface during recording sessions. BI-DIRECTIONAL MIC PATTERNS The final polar pattern that might make sense for podcasters is the bi-directional pattern. Again, these things are named fairly well, so you can imagine how this operates. Yes, it picks up sound equally well from two directions, front and rear, meaning your interview subject sitting directly across from you won’t be rejected like in other mic patterns, and your voice will be picked up equally as well, too. Any noise sources coming into the side of the mic should be filtered out nicely. You may have heard of these referred to as Figure 8 mics, which makes sense once you see a diagram of their pattern, and these will typically be either ribbon mics or large-diaphragm condensers (again, requiring additional power from your console or interface). If you know your podcast is going to focus almost exclusively on one-on-one interviews, a nice bidirectional mic, like the Audio-Technica AT4080, could be just the ticket. Ribbon mics like this may cost more as an initial investment, but they’re robust and built to last for decades in the studio. If you’re serious about your podcast endeavor, it might make sense to invest in a highquality might from the start to ensure that you’re getting top-quality audio from day one. THE PROXIMITY EFFECT Say you’re making product demo videos for YouTube -- either as a way to strengthen your own brand as an influencer, make some extra revenue, introduce new fans to your band, or simply for fun. One of the biggest challenges is getting across clear spoken dialogue that will allow your viewers to understand what you’re saying without difficulty. Now, miking up instruments and studio vocals is one thing, but how about just talking to camera?
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One obstacle that novice users run into is something called the proximity effect with directional microphones. Put simply, the proximity effect is when the frequency response
Lastly, if you’re the type of plosive personality who’s constantly popping their P’s (man, trying saying that fast), omnidirectional mics like the Audio-Technica AT4022 are not as sensitive to
of your mic changes (typically in an undesirable way) when the sound hitting the mic (i.e. your voice) is either too close (or literally on top of the mic) or when you’re off-angle to the mic’s diaphragm.
those obnoxiously percussive consonant sounds as their directional counterparts. Just a pro tip you might want to explore.
Start off a few inches away from the mic and see how the response deepens as you move in tighter. Then listen for the difference as you back off a bit. Sometimes it’s subtle, sometimes far more noticeable – and definitely something to be aware of when capturing speech. Oftentimes this effect can lead to a fat, boomy lower-end emphasis, especially if your lips are right up on the mic, or an unnatural thinning of the timbre as you move too far from the mic. The proximity effect is cool if you’re going specifically for that type of effect (think of how deep-voiced radio DJ’s come across), but 99% of the time you’ll want to avoid these issues with straight speech. So, with directional mics, try experimenting with the “sweet spot,” which is a combination of the right distance away from the mic, and the proper direction you’re addressing the mic to make sure you’re on-axis. GOING OMNI Alternatively, there’s an even easier way to avoid the proximity effect (and some other unwanted problems which we’ll address in a minute), and that is to use an omnidirectional mic. Most proximity effect issues are due to the directional nature of cardioid microphones. With an omnidirectional pattern, you eliminate that element from the equation. For streamers who are trying to capture good audio in natural settings, such as outdoors or in nontreated rooms, omni mics can also help reduce annoying wind “whooshes” that we’ve all heard on amateurish online clips. They can also help capture a more natural room tone if you’re not in a studio designed for recording.
MONITORING MATTERS Just as trying to capture clean audio is imperative when it comes to creating webbased video content, it’s equally important to be monitoring that audio as it’s being recorded so you’re not ending up with any surprises during the editing process that can’t be corrected. Garbage in, garbage out, right? One simple way to do this is to have someone, either yourself or someone on crew (if you’re lucky enough to have a crew) use a good pair of over-ear headphones specifically designed for monitoring purposes. We don’t recommend open-back designs for this type of work as there can be significant audiobleed coming from the ear-cups. Closedback designs offer the proper isolation so that whoever is monitoring the audio being captured isn’t distracted by outside noise and isn’t distracting others who can hear the audio from the headphones bleeding into a live production. It should come as no surprise that our goto affordable headphones choice for years have been the Audio-Technica ATH-M50x. The M50x’s feature large 45mm drivers that simply deliver crystal-clear sonics across the frequency spectrum. So, monitoring speech, music and any other audio being tracked as part of your production is a snap. Then, when it is time for mixing the final video’s audio track, the M50x’s are ideally suited for studio work, with fantastic isolation. CLOSING THOUGHTS Be sure to check out the entire range of Audio-Technica at www.audio-technica. com and follow Audio-Technica on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
GEAR REVIEWS
CENTRANCE MixerFace R4
T
here are a ton of interfaces meant for remote use with a smartphone or tablet, which can also be used as an interface with a traditional computer and DAW setup. However, finding one that’s durable, with easyto-use features can be tricky; some aspect on one side or another is usually lacking. CEntrance’s new MixerFace unit is a truly mobile interface that has all the options a mobile recorder would need in a nice, rugged package. The aluminum casing is not that much bigger than a guitar stompbox, and pretty much every side is packed with controls and connections. The top panel has combo 1/4” and XLR inputs, and 1/8” balanced outputs. Two channels of Gain controls, USB to Channel playback blends, Headphone monitor and Aux reside on the front panel, along with recessed Hi-Z and High-pass filter switches. The bottom has 1/8” aux in, line out, headphone connection, USB audio and USB charging, Phantom Power selector, Stereo to Mono switch, and a line out level control. Finally, the underside has a threaded insert for mounting on a mic stand. Yes, there’s a lot in there. The selector switches are recessed into the chassis pretty far, meaning there’s no inadvertent flipping, but will require something like a toothpick or an eyeglass screwdriver to access. It’s battery powered, and at a full charge it should give about eight hours of use, however using phantom power will eat into this time so plan accordingly. Quite simply, it’s plug and play, for iOS and Android devices, however it 42 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
will require either Apple’s camera adapter to Thunderbolt, or Android’s camera adapter to it’s USB. Turn on your fave recording app, and it’s now a mobile 2-channel studio. Plugging it into a computer, it functions like a traditional interface for a DAW. Audio quality is on point, with no issues with clarity or definition during our tests. The hi-pass filter works great for tailoring the input to the appropriate frequency responses. One interesting application is using it when recording video on a smartphone or tablet. Great for singer/songwriters that want to do a video with excellent audio quality (as opposed to using a smartphone or tablet’s built-in mic). A mic on the vocals, and the other input connected to an additional mic or instrument, and it’s good to go. YouTubers that do instructional videos would find this invaluable, as it can eliminate syncing up audio and video tracks later on. Bands on the road could easily connect this to the outputs on a front of house mixer, and live stream (or record) their sets for exclusive content. Podcasters on the go, this is also looking at you in the face-- no having to pack that bulky 2-channel interface along with a laptop for remote sessions. There are other small format interfaces out there, but none we’ve seen have this many features, and are encased in a durable metal housing. You do pay a bit extra as the street price is $349, but the ability to really dial things in, and survive on the road, gives confidence that it will be good to go whenever you are. Chris Devine
PROS
Excellent features, well built, plenty of applications CONS
Recessed switches are a bit hard to access STREET PRICE
$349
T
here’s been a resurgence of the offset body shape in the last few years, guitarwise. Basses with P and J style pickups, again nothing new. But melding the classic offset shape to the P&J pickup configuration is, and if any manufacturer can do it with style and sound, it’s Fender. Their new Player Series Jag Bass covers a lot of traditional Fender bass categories in design and specs, with a P-bass headstock with open back tuning machines, a synthetic nut, 20 medium jumbo frets and black dot markers. The neck’s modern C shape and is plenty comfortable, with a sale length of 34”. Our test model’s neck was finished with a smooth satin, and the maple fingerboard was glossy and smooth. Sound familiar? Yep, classic Fender all over. The alder body is finished in a blue metallic-ish color is called “tidepool.” With the top loading bridge, there are less bends on the string vs. a through the body method. It’s an update on the usual Fender bass bridge, and combined with the chrome plating, it’s reminiscent of early 1960s Detroit muscle cars. This color only comes with a maple fingerboard, btw. The bottom line, price is an easy-to-swallow $649. The Sage Green and Sonic Red versions come with a Pau Ferro fingerboard, and a slightly higher price: $679. The neck pickup is a P style, and the bridge position is sporting a split J bass style. Control wise it’s quite simple, with just a volume for each pickup. The master tone control has a slightly smaller knob at the end of the chrome control plate. Sound-wise it’s the best of both worlds; the P style pickup is big and full. Add in the punch of the J style pickup in the bridge, and it balances things out nicely. Put them up full (as most players will more than likely do) and it’s big without sacrificing articulation. Players can explore their own preferences easily, by lowering the individual volumes on the pickups to find their own individual tone. The master tone control is also quite flexible; it doesn’t get muddy when rolled off, and interacts really well with both pickups.
GEAR REVIEWS
FENDER Player Jaguar Bass While some may dismiss this as a vintage throwback, it’s not. There is a slightly aggressive edge to it, with a very nice attack, more than likely due to the maple neck/fingerboard. Players who want that P bass sound, without the big-ish traditional P bass neck will love how this neck sits in the hand. Fans of maple-necked J bass tones (cough Geddy Lee cough) will like the tight grind the J style pickup brings to the game. The offset Jaguar body is very comfortable and balanced and has a great overall look that wouldn’t look odd in most musical outfits. Overall, it’s kind of like a resto-mod of a bass -- classic updated looks and tones with modern feel. Any player in a situation that needs that classic P&J combo, one of these will certainly stand out. If someone is going to re-invent a classic, it may as well be the people that literally invented the original. Chris Devine
PROS
Classic sounds, modern feel, great sonic balance CONS
None, none, none... STREET PRICE
$649
PERFORMER MAGAZINE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 43
GEAR REVIEWS
FENDER Player Jazzmaster
O
ffset guitars have made a comeback with a vengeance, however there are players that pick one up and get confused with the switches and the tonal offerings of the pickups. Fender has blended that classic and now contemporary shape with a simplified pickup and control layout that any player would love to investigate. The body is alder, and our test guitar came in a beautiful off-white “buttercream” finish. It’s paired with a 25.5” scale, 22-fret maple neck and Pau Ferro fingerboard. With a 9.5 radius fingerboard and a Modern C shape neck profile, it’s quite comfortable. The fretwork and the guitar’s overall fit and finish were very well done. Like a traditional Jazzmaster, there is the usual vintage style tremolo, but the bridge has a bit more modern features like total adjustability. Vintage versions had the reputation of the low E string popping out frequenctly. Not here. It’s got the heritage, but not the headache of an old instrument.
For players who might wanna dip their toes into the offset realm, but not commit to the traditional Jazzzmaster style pickups and unique electronics, this fits the bill. It nails the humbucking tones and delivers great usable single coil sounds with the coil tap. We have to note our test guitar did have one issue; the pickup selector switch. Ours was a bit wonky. Switch it to a different position, and nothing happened. After toggling it through the other positions, back and forth, it would eventually wake up and behave. It was a bummer though, considering every other aspect of this guitar was so well done, in design and build. We’ll chalk it up to getting shifted in transit, and it’s nothing a 5-minute fix won’t cure permanently. Chris Devine
The electronics are a lot more simplified compared to a traditional Jazzmaster, with just two humbuckers with Alnico 2 magnets. A master volume and master tone control pairs with a 3-way toggle mounted on the pickguard’s lower bout. For more flavor, the tone knob is a push/pull and splits the humbuckers into single coil mode. Plugging it in, it felt and sounded great, with plenty of girth in full humbucking mode - the neck pickup through a dirty amp screams “power rhythm” with a big fullness that’s not woofy. The bridge pickup is tight, with excellent overall attack and top end chime, that doesn’t get too harsh. Together, they balance nicely; one isn’t overpowering the other. With the coil tap engaged it gets nice and slinky. It won’t out-Strat a Strat, but it does maintain volume output, and when both pickups are used together in this mode, it certainly gets into that nice dry bite a Tele has in the center position. The tremolo is very traditional, however there’s no trem stopping/stopping system. It’s quite smooth overall and feels great. Doing classic dips and twangs, it stayed in tune nicely. It did seem to take a few dive bombish dips well -- there was some slight out of tune-ness, but a regular Strat trem would have had the same issue. Finesse and grace is the name of the name of the game with one of these, and when the player gets comfortable with it, tasty is the best way to describe its unique feel. 44 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
PROS
Classic offset with modern, contemporary sounds, great overall feel CONS
Or test model had a wonky pickup switch STREET PRICE
$675
GEAR REVIEWS
P
NEXI Industries Alternative Starter Pack Pedalboard
edalboards are great; the modular concept makes things flexible. However, running signal and power cables means re-doing things every time the player wants to make a change, and now it’s not so modular. NEXI figured out a way to make a truly modular pedalboard. Included in this starter pack is a pedalboard, Phaser, Overdrive and Tremolo Pedals. NEXI also let us try out their wah pedal and Dutch Screamer. They’re not included in this package, but it shows how it’s truly a modular system. The pedalboard has eight spots for pedal placement. Simply pull off the cover plate where you want to place a pedal, and the underside of the individual pedals have a connection that mates up with the board. Super easy, truly plug and play. It’s a decent size board, coming in at 18” wide and 14.5” deep, set at an angle. On the side are instrument signal and outputs, as well as a connection to an amplifier’s channel switcher. There are two USB ports on the side as well for charging a smartphone or tablet. Each connection also has a rubberish cover, and it makes the overall unit water (or drink) proof. Built into the board are also buttons to engage an onboard tuner, a boost or to engage the amp channel switch. Each individual pedal’s button is quite large, and the edge of the controls light up when engaged which make reading the knobs easy in low light situations. They’re true bypass, meaning it keeps the individual pedals from coloring the others when engaged. The Dutch Screamer is true to the name
it evokes, featuring that classic TS style drive. Drop the gain and increase the volume and it’s a nice colored boost. Connected to a tube amp, and it gets snarly, but maintains articulation. The Overdrive really captures that nice medium gain drive tones, great for classic rhythm sounds, and sweet sounding lead tones. The Tremolo is really, really nice. It’s simple, with a volume control. Most classic tremolos don’t have this feature and maintaining a consistent volume with this effect really makes a big difference. The Phaser pedal again is simple -- one knob, like the classic “orange box.” Their wah not only feels nice and smooth, but hits that very familiar range of tonal sweep. The tuner’s display sits at the top of the board and is super bright and easy to read. This display also indicates the channel switch situation. The on-board boost is really nice and smooth, no crazy coloration, just enough to poke over a mix. The overall sound was hyper clean with no odd noise or signal loss issues. Even stacking the Dutch Screamer and Overdrive to work together kept things clean, signal wise, even with the wah engaged. No howling hiss or other interference issues. With the pedals NEXI Supplied us, we still had two open slots. There are delay, analog chorus, a looper and fuzz units made by NEXI, available separately. A plethora of distortions and drives, like ’70s overdrive and metal distortion are also offered. It really can be tailored to whatever type of music suits your fancy. Now let’s say you’re a player who has a traditional pedal that you can’t live without, NEXI does sell an adapter that can incorporate non-NEXI pedals into their system. A nice touch.
With this system there are no logistical issues of having to buy a pedalboard, power supply and cables, and then deal with signal and power issues. This is a great, simple and functional solution. The only downside is if a player has already invested money and worked out their specific pedals, power and signal cable situations on their pedalboards this might just be a lateral move at best. But for players who want floor based effects with convenience, and don’t have the usual “pedalboard obsession” this could give everything a pedalboard can offer, without the headaches. Chris Devine
PROS
Modular, flexible, excellent sound quality CONS
Pedal nerds who’ve invested heavily already might not be interested STREET PRICE
$399 PERFORMER MAGAZINE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 45
GEAR REVIEWS
PEAVEY Invective.120 Tube Head
P
eavey’s Invective.120 has been designed with the help of Misha Mansoor of Periphery, and it’s brought some modern features that aren’t usually found in the usual tube guitar head. It’s knobs galore on the front panel, with three channels; Clean, Crunch & Lead. The clean channel has its own 3-band EQ, Pre & Post gain controls, and its own boost that is adjustable with drive and tone knobs. For the dirty side, the crunch and lead channels share a lot of the controls, such as the noise gate’s threshold, boost, three band EQ, presence & resonance. They do have their own pre- and post-gain knobs, though, to dial in whatever particular volume and drive the player prefers. The backside has the usual speaker outs and OHM selector, to be optimized for the player’s guitar speakers as well as the half power selector. Headroom shouldn’t be an issue at 120 Watts, however it can be run at half power, shutting off two of the power amp tubes. For smaller venues, this is key! There is the option to record directly using the Microphone Simulated Direct Interface’s (MSDI) XLR connection, and its level and tone controls. Oh, want another boost, well there’s one back here too! There are two effect loops on the rear as well, as well as two power connectors for pedal effects. There are MIDI jacks here, and the included footswitch uses the MIDI in. While it lights up with a cool blue hue when turned on, the tubes are the key to tone, and this beast is rocking six 12AX7A’s in the preamp, and a quartet of 6L6’s in the power amp. It will also accept EL34, 6550’s KT66 and 6CA7’s. It might require some bias adjusting, but the debate of “I 46 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
like that amp, but wish it had different power amp tubes” is over on this amp.
live use, it can give the sound guy some relief, and cut down on excessive stage noise.
The included footswitch is more of a control device. Let’s say there’s a part in a song with a clean sound on channel 1 with a delay pedal in loop #1, and a chorus pedal in loop #2. Then the song changes to a sick, dirty sound with no effects, and plenty of gain on channel 3. You don’t have to tap dance across all of those footswitches! Set the sound you want. Press the preset mode, and that configuration can be assigned to a particular button!
A great application of the effect loops would be having a series of pedals for certain applications, like Chorus, Delay & Reverb in loop 1, and a separate Reverb pedal in loop 2. For clean lush like tones, engage loop 1. While for the distorted channels, use the reverb in loop 2 for just a little extra ambience or depth. As the footswitch is more like a master controller, it makes a super easy way to get into every option without patches, parameters or menus.
Sound-wise the cleans are crystalline, with plenty of articulation and depth. With the boost engaged, it can get dirty too, so there’s kind of an extra channel in a sense. It’s a bit like a Bassman or Deluxe driven tone. The EQ is hyper flexible, and single coil and humbuckers sound equally great. Stepping up to the second channel it’s got some great rhythm grind. It’s not real saturated, it could easily be used for lead work, as it sits in that classic British area, gain and tone wise. The noise gate works very well, and there’s plenty of range, depending upon playing styles. In the middle-ish settings it clamps down enough to not be intrusive on picking or strumming (or in this case “chunking”). Finally, the lead channel rounds things out with gobs of gain. It does get into the saturated areas, but it’s got plenty of liquid sustain for shredders. Let a note hang; it’s just glorious.
Overall, it’s a modern hard rock/heavy metal amp that can hang with the “bouteek” amps that cost twice as much and offers up more options than most of them. It’s not lacking in any way, and would be ideal for both studio and stage. Chris Devine
The MSDI output is good for direct recording overall. Plugged into a DAW, the clean sound is very nice and pronounced. Dirty sounds might benefit from backing some of the gain down, from higher settings overall. For
None
PROS
Great options, excellent tones, ultra-flexible footswitch/ controller CONS
STREET PRICE
$1899
GEAR REVIEWS
SAMSON MediaOne M50 Powered Studio Monitors
M
onitors are a key element in any studio, from the bedroom and basement, to high-end facilities alike. But having a set of speakers with Titanium/Kevlar/unicorn hair drivers with infinitely tunable crossovers might be unreasonable for most home studios. Samson’s MediaOne M50 monitors have a quality set that’s not complicated to get up and running and are very reasonably priced. Coming in as a pair, one speaker has all the business of the power connection, as well as a 1/8” cable to connect to the other speaker. Connections are easy (and somewhat limited) -- just a left and right RCA connection and a 1/8” stereo input, and a connection to a subwoofer (not included) or headphones. A bass boost function switch is also located here. The power on/volume control sits on the front lower right side, while an additional 1/8” headphone jack and power indication light resides on the left side. Plugging in headphones to this jack mutes the speakers and sends audio to just the headphones. The stealthy looking black vinyl coating houses the drivers; a 5.25” polypropylene woofer, and a 3/4” silk dome tweeter. The speakers are also all blacked out, making for a slick appearance. The rear of both enclosures also has the ever-so-needed sound port. Audio-wise they sound pretty good, regardless of the music being played through them. No issues with bass
being to boomy or flubby, nor is there any issue with the highs and mids being spiky or too notched. The audio spread is nice and even and since they’re linked as a pair, it’s a great alternative to having monitors that have individual volume controls and balancing them. The bass boost certainly does boost the bass, and depending on tastes might be a bit much, if these are being used as recording/mixing monitors. A set of these would also be a great upgrade from those tiny desktop speakers, especially if doing any video or audio post production. We didn’t get the associated subwoofer, and it would have been interesting to see how this worked with one of those. Using these as a set of home audio speakers or connected to a turntable, might make the bass boost a little more applicable, but in a production setting we recommend just leaving that function off altogether. A set of these in a beginner home studio situation would be an excellent idea. The price and size mean a desktop area won’t be cluttered, and your wallet won’t be emptied unnecessarily if you’re setting up a first-time rig. The best way to describe these are perfectly prosumer; consumer price with a high quality sound. Users looking to step into their first set of real monitors will want to check these out. Chris Devine
PROS
Inexpensive, simple, decent sound CONS
Bass boost function might not be applicable in a production setting STREET PRICE
appx $120/pair
GEAR REVIEWS
RME Babyface Pro Audio Interface
T
here are plenty of portable audio interfaces out there, but durable units with more than two inputs and outputs? That’s a tall order. RME’s Babyface Pro is a robustly designed interface with plenty of input and output options. The Babyface Pro comes equipped with two XLR inputs and outputs on the back side, and 1/4” ins on the side, along with 1/4” and 1/8” headphone outputs. The remaining side has optical inputs and outputs, along with a MIDI input (a MIDI cable dongle is included). The sleek, rugged metal casing is super heavy duty. The hard plastic case has cutouts to keep the cables organized, as well as a cloth bag, which is a nice touch. The business end is the front surface; the large, well-lit meter display is easy to read, and the set mix buttons allow a mix to be recalled. Want to drop the level? The dim function drops things for quick reference. RME does have an extra app that works with it: their TotalMix interface is a virtual mixer and control layout. Now it can be used with a Mac or PC, as well as iOS devices, which makes it a really flexible little unit. However, it will require an adapter cable to connect to thunderbolt. As it takes power from the device, there is a separate power adapter (not included), to keep it from draining a battery. It took a bit to get the 48 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
TotalMix FX and the USB setting applications all working nicely on our iMac. The TotalMix FX app is very powerful, though, with a 3-band EQ as well as Reverb and Delay. Latency is a forgotten term with this, as the interface takes the load of monitoring off of the device. Forget all the extras if you’d like; using it as a “regular” DAW tool is super easy, with no oddities or issues to speak of. All those features don’t add up if the sound quality isn’t there. Thankfully the preamps are great sounding and quite musical overall. The XLR’s pair nicely with a variety of microphones, and the 1/4” connections are excellent for plugging in an electric guitar or synth with no issues. Right off the bat, the tone is big and rich sounding, without any EQ or effects. With MIDI functionality, it makes for an excellent little production workstation. A great way to use this could also be running in a stereo mix from a live mixer for recording live shows. Overall, it’s a well done unit, with options galore for inputs and outputs, and it does sound fantastic. Some prospective buyers might raise an eyebrow at the $750 price tag, but considering its portability, durability, and input and output options, it’s a recording device that can handle the road, and won’t drop the ball if it lives on the desk of a singer/songwriter. Chris Devine
PROS
Well designed and built, plenty of ins and outs
CONS
External power supply not included, slightly pricey STREET PRICE
$749
D120SCE
D120S12SE
O120CESB
BEAUTY... more than skin deep The beauty of the new Mitchell 120 Series acoustic guitars is definitely more than meets the eye. With seven different models featuring scalloped bracing for enhanced resonance, ultra-thin finishes for improved volume and slim-tapered necks for superior playability, these guitars are unsurpassed in their class. Select 120 Series guitars feature solid Engelmann spruce tops, convenient cutaways and built-in electronics, resulting in superior stage-ready instruments that are within reach of anyone’s budget. Welcome to the new Mitchell 120 Series – beauty to the eyes and ears.
MitchellGuitars.com
F E E L I N G
T H E
CONFIDENCE TO PLAY AT YOUR BEST
Focus on your passion. Knowing nothing will get in your way.
No endless string changes No retuning headaches No rough feel from sweaty hands No dead sounding strings …even after hours and hours of playing.
Once you’ve played them, there’s no looking back.
GREAT TONE . LONG LIFE
TM
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