Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Martin Hannett
Joy Division, Buzzcocks
Bill Szymczyk
The Eagles, Joe Walsh, The Who
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Richard Kaplan &
Mike Pinder
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Malibu’s Indigo Ranch
Tanya Donelly il
Belly, Throwing Muses, Solo
Giles Martin
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The Beatles Revisited
Larry Villella
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Sept/Oct 2014
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through a giant stereo system at a friend’s house sent me on
Bonus Content: a quest to absorb more of their music, as well as a desire to
Richard Kaplan on Bing Crosby’s Tapes learn how they were made. See our excerpts from Chris
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Hewitt’s book on Martin Hannett in this issue for insight
Online Only Feature: into these iconic Joy Division recordings, and more. A
K-Mack music fan also has opinions, and while I’ve become more
relaxed in some of my stances, I still abhor the Eagles.
A “Poor Man’s Neve”
Refurbing a Cadac J-type il But I do love Joe Walsh and The Who, so check out our
interview with Bill Szymczyk in these pages! And what
fan doesn’t love The Beatles? Check out the interview
here with Giles Martin, and see how he struggled with
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his father’s legacy, Sir George Martin, while proceeding
to make a name for himself. There’s far more in this
issue (did I mention I’m a big Tanya Donelly fan?),
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c Don Lewis
right hand LPs courtesy Scott Colburn
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The Creative Music Recording Magazine
Editor
Larry Crane
Publisher &!Graphic Design
John Baccigaluppi
Online Publisher
Dave Middleton
Gear Reviews Editor
Andy “Gear Geek” Hong
Production Manager & Assistant Gear Reviews Editor
Scott McChane
Contributing Writers &!Photographers
Cover by JB, with endless props to John Van Hamersveld and Bruce Brown.
Garrett Haines, Kraig Mason, Jake Brown Lisi Szymczyk, Chris Hewitt, Gary Lipton,
Jeff Slate, Geoff Stanfield, Eli Crews, Alan Tubbs, Dave Hidek, Dave Cerminara,
Scott Evans, Roy Silverstein, Greg Calbi, Adam Kagan, Adam Monk, Mike Jasper,
Dusty Wakeman, Steve Silverstein and Brandon Miller.
www.tapeop.com
Dave Middleton and Hillary Johnson
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Editorial and Office Assistants
Jenna Crane (proofreading), Thomas Danner (transcription),
Lance Jackman (accounting@tapeop.com)
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Tape Op Book distribution
c/o www.halleonard.com
Disclaimer
TAPE OP magazine wants to make clear that the opinions expressed within reviews, letters and
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articles are not necessarily the opinions of the publishers. Tape Op is intended as a forum to
advance the art of recording, and there are many choices made along that path.
Editorial Office
(for submissions, letters, CDs for review. CDs for review are also
reviewed in the Sacramento office, address below)
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P.O. Box 86409, Portland, OR 97286 voicemail 503-208-4033
editor@tapeop.com
All unsolicited submissions and letters sent to us become the property of Tape Op.
Advertising
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512-529-1032, (laura@tapeop.com)
Marsha Vdovin
415-420-7273, (marsha@tapeop.com)
Printing: Matt Saddler
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10/Tape Op#103/Masthead
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and I am going to do some recording tomorrow. production copies, it is not a universal practice. Even if
Thanks for the inspiration! I enjoyed John Baccigaluppi’s hammer analogy. you manage to stuff all the comments in, it may not
Kevin R. Bowdler <kbowdler@fuse.net> [“Give Me a Hammer” Tape Op #102] I would only make it to the finished copies. Presently there is no ideal
add that the carpenter’s clients probably don’t ask solution. This explains some of the recent attempts to
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On the one hand, I completely agree with Mr. which brand of hammer he uses... launch album credit sites. The best advice I have is to find
Baccigaluppi’s recent back page. I am constantly Frank Dickinson <go90east@verizon.net> someone who is a Gracenote partner and have them enter
ranting that I want Cubase and Pro Tools finished, the data for you. Some labels, mastering engineers, and
goddamnit! I want them to be like real musical Issue #102 showed up in my email yesterday. I
instruments: perfected. Sure, one violin or piano love
sounds different from the next, and there’s always latest project I have been struggling with two
room for improvement; but they all work the same guitars recorded through a Line 6 Pod 2.0 amp
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your gear reviews, so I went there first. In my publishers have enhanced access to production fields in
the Gracenote Database. While anyone can submit song
titles and artists names, via applications like iTunes,
Gracenote Partners have enhanced access to data fields
way. Same goes for everything, from Stratocasters to simulator that seemed okay when I cut the tracks,
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(e.g. native language, band website, record label, sub-
drill presses. At some point, the consensus was, “This but are harsh sounding as I mix. I can barely tame genres, etc.). In particular, we can enter musician,
thing is fully baked.” On the other hand? I can’t the sound with compression, EQ, and de-essers. It’s engineering, writing, and production credits for entire
stand where DAW is today. None of them are what I either too harsh, or too dull, plus the rhythm and
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offer any reasonable guarantee that you’ll be able to heads up on a great product. It came But so do the rest of us.
open an older project cleanly. I think we are still along at the right time to rescue my mix.
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another, and then mastered in a third. No author in cut myself. I’m very happy to have turned anyone
any other medium thinks in such a formal way on to this fine product. I recently met bx’s [3M] M79s.Hell yeah! But I'm really writing to express
anymore. We’re all constantly creating and editing, all developer, Gebre Waddell, at Summer NAMM, and how impressed I am to see the cover of Family Fun In Tape
at the same time. But DAWs continue to be modeled am glad to report that he’s an awesome and Recording used with your opening editorial! This was an
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after tape recorders and mixing desks. In short, I look interesting person to boot. Expect more miracles extremely important book for me – please see attached
forward to the day when there is a simple DAW that from him in the future. -LC the review I wrote in 1965 inside the front cover.
allows me the same flexibility with audio, MIDI, and “This is a great book! Given November 15, 1965 on my
11th birthday.”
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12/Tape Op#103/Letters/(Fin.)
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Behind The Gear
This Issue’s Creator of Capsules they were starting to get close. I said, “Okay, build
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What’s your history with microphones? go to graduate school. She now teaches there. We had mic and you suddenly start to build high-end mics,
In ‘71 I went to recording school in Boston. Eli Lilly’s really young kids at the time. So I went from working credibility is difficult to achieve. Everybody used to
grandson, George Lilly, was building Renaissance at the Sherman Clay [Pianos] store in Seattle to say that it was a great mic for the money. Now, Chuck
Recording Studios in Boston. He went around and working for the affiliate here in Portland. I sold Ainlay [Tape Op #97], Bernie Becker, the late Mike
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found some academics to create a recording school, Steinways for almost 20 years. By day I was selling Shipley, all said, “Hey, it’s flat-out good. Period.”
and to teach him how to use all this equipment that Steinways, and by night I was recording them. In Marketing defies me. People don’t know where to
he’d bought. He had a big MCI board and eight brand 1997, I just felt like I needed something new that was pigeonhole us. They go, “Who is ADK?” Our $200 mic
new Neumann U 87s mics. They taught us the basics
of recording. We’d take this 8-track Scully [tape deck] of my friends.
and drag it to old churches to record pipe organs, Recording a grand piano is such a
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all me. I decided to build some microphones for a few sounds good! I don’t build anything I wouldn’t
personally use. I have had people say that they
bought the Thor mic for $400, and if I have anything
harpsichords, and pianos. The instructor came in to pleasure, and a task. better than that, they don’t want to know about it.
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class one day and said, “We’re going to spend the It’s a daunting task. On five different occasions I Okay, fine! Am I the best bang for the buck under
whole week at The Jazz Workshop recording this new recorded Vladimir Horowitz’s nine-foot concert $500? Am I the surprise in the boutique market? I’ll
guy.” We spent five nights with Chick Corea. Jazz Steinway. That was part of the inspiration right let the public and the A-list engineers tell you.
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piano recording sort of set my life in motion. there, trying to figure out how to record a concert You don’t have a background as an
Chick Corea on acoustic piano? grand piano. I recorded Tom Grant doing jazz, and I electrical engineer?
It was the Circle group, which was his avant-garde recorded some of the piano professors in Seattle Right. I hire that.
group with Anthony Braxton, Dave Holland, and doing classical. Where do you find people?
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Barry Altschul. What was the impetus to build, or I have a mic wizard in Belgium, JP Gerard, who’s my
Some amazing players. design, your own mics? lead design engineer. He hired an aerospace engineer
Yeah. In the last three years Dave Holland, Anthony There was a Wall Street Journal article. At the time I’d PhD from Australia to develop the capsule technology.
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Braxton, and Chick Corea have all recorded on ADK mics. been collecting mics for 30 years. In a single day, my I was the middleman, with years of emails going back
Yeah, it comes back around! [Neumann] U 47 went up $4,000 and the Wall Street and forth. The Australian PhD would say that the spec
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Forty years later. My life is complete. Chick did a Journal suddenly called them collectable investments. was perfect, but JP said that it didn’t sound right, so
recording that’s coming out soon with Jazz at Lincoln I had a guy who was going to sell me a [Telefunken] he had him do it over. He’s just this little ball of
Center, and they used a pair of our 3 Zigma lipstick Ela M 251 for $11,000 and the article said they were energy and will not suffer fools gladly. It’s got to be
mics; the SD-C cardioids. worth $18,000. I called him and said I’d give him spot-on. It took us five years to develop the capsule
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That must be an honor. $11,000 for his, but he said, “No. The price went up.” technology, and then we actually spent another two
If I ever run into Chick Corea again, I’m going to tell I got mad. I said that it shouldn’t have to cost $5,000 and a half years testing which transformer matched
him that he set my life in motion. It’s an honor to or $10,000 dollars to have a good sounding mic. I up with which of the five capsules.
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hear some of these tracks, and to know that was what went to the NAMM show and met some guys in Hall E Donny Wright here at SuperDigital
set out to be my life’s work. that were trying to sell microphones from China. I showed me the case that has all of the
What happened after that? took a mic home, and it sounded awful. I literally got different 3 Zigma heads and bodies
I moved from Boston to Phoenix, and I worked at the on a plane and flew for 26 hours to meet these guys that you can swap out. He said that
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Electronic Music Labs at Arizona State University. I in Shanghai. I said, “Listen, this sounds bad. This is sometimes people will take that
had an ARP 2600, a Hagstrom guitar, and a Tandberg what I want it to sound like.” I showed them a overnight and try to find the combo
half-track with sel sync. I used to sit there and response curve of a [Neumann] U 67. They sent me a that they want for a certain
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strum guitar chords on one channel, dump that track prototype, and I said, “No.” Three prototypes later, instrument.
14/Tape Op#103/Mr. Villella/(continued on page 16)
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It’s handcrafted in the USA, and by dollars, 85 percent of the components in there (like the
Lundahl transformer from Sweden) are European, American, or British.
With three different manufacturing locations, is there a
warehouse somewhere? How do you deal with quality control
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and shipping?
I have a warehouse in Tacoma, WA. I ship almost everything from there.
What makes ADK unique?
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If I have achieved anything, it’s because I’ve been open to criticism. As I said, with Chuck
Ainlay, I gave him mics for 15 years and got criticism and feedback. If I’ve got any strength,
it’s that I’m just a little guy at the hub of a big wheel with spokes going in many directions.
I’m trying to do what I was trained to do in 1971 as a recording engineer – listen. r
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<adkmicrophones.com>
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Breeders and Belly and has an illustrious solo career.
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Can you give me an overview of the Swan
Song Series?
Swan Song Series is a collection of EPs released digitally
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might fit me. Everybody pretty much rose to that,
which was a happy surprise for me. I think it made
amazed by, and happy with, everything that came
back. It ended up being a very successful experiment.
the whole thing much more joyful and fun. For In a lot of ways, you had to act like a
through my site and Bandcamp. They are instance, if someone sent me words, I wrote music general contractor for these sessions,
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collaborations, primarily with friends from over the that I wouldn’t have written in my own lyrical style. keeping tabs on the songs in
years, but also with people that I reached out to, such If someone sent me music, then the words that came different stages of completion in
as authors and other musicians that I admired but out of me would not have come out otherwise. The different studios.
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didn’t know. I reached out to them to either write with whole process was really wonderful and engaging for I like that. That should be an official musical title.
me, or play on the music that I was making. There were me, in a way that I hadn’t really felt in a while. Oddly, “General Contractor.” It did feel like that.
also producers that I wanted to work with, such as even though it was a massive project with dozens You would send me an email and say,
yourself. Basically, the inspiration for this came from and dozens of people involved, it ended up feeling “Hey, are you available on this day?
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the Cabinet of Wonders that my friend John Wesley like a real community project in a way. It feels like a We’ll do this piece.” Sometimes it was
Harding puts together. At the end of those nights, giant band to me. That’s been really wonderful. even for pieces that we weren’t
people were reaching out to each other, saying, “ Let’s Do you think that the process itself working on directly.
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write something together.” I followed up on those created results that wouldn’t have I will say that the people that I worked with - you, [Paul
conversations almost immediately. The songs I wrote happened, had you gone in a more Q.] Kolderie [Tape Op #22], and Scott Janovitz - were
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with Wes, Mary Gaitskill, and Rick Moody came from traditional direction? people that I already trusted implicitly from the
those events. From that point I just kept the ball Yes. Part of that is the fact that I wasn’t just writing with production and engineering end of things. By putting
rolling. That’s where that was all born from. other people. It was also the process of recording it into the hands of engineers and producers who I
Were you surprised how the results with so many of them. Sometimes I’m in the room could trust, and who I knew were going to get me
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came out? when things are being recorded, and sometimes I’m something of great quality, I took less risk in that
I was, and I wasn’t, surprised. I went into it wanting to not. That was a very different experience. I think department.
push my own boundaries and do something that felt there was more trust. For instance, Jacob Valenzuela How many different studios were part of
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more like a village of people making music together. from Calexico plays trumpet on a song called “Making the project?
That came exactly as I expected. I think that what Light.” He came back with this beautiful, perfect Tons of them. A lot of people worked with their home
surprised me was just the fact that when I went into part. That happened over and over again, and I feel studios as well and sent tracks in from their homes;
it, I told everyone not to send me a song that they like it was a very opening experience for me. I think like Chris Ewen did everything at home. It was really
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thought would sound like me. That was one of my it’s difficult sometimes, as a songwriter and musician, kind of all over the place. Probably eight or nine
prerequisites. I’m coming to these people because I to just say, “Here’s my song. Do what you’re going to studios, at the end of the day. [See sidebar]
like what they do, so I told them to send me what do with it and I’ll accept it!” There was not one case What was your methodology for keeping
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they do, not to try to tailor it to what they thought where I did that and was disappointed. I was just all of it organized and on time?
18/Tape Op#103/Ms. Donelly/(continued on page 20)
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I didn’t have any methodology at all. Any time constraints What you did for Swan Song Series is a lot Yes. His pre-production was brutal and necessary. It was
were of my own making, so it was very flexible. There different than what you did in the eye-opening. It was interesting to work with someone
were several times that I delayed a release because I past, especially with the bands you who was coming from the perspective of wanting you
was waiting for something to be mixed or mastered. were in. Making a Throwing Muses or a to have everything ready to go when you come into the
The methodology was all over the place. It really went Belly recording, you’re in one place studio. We spent as much pre-production time with him
song by song. It depended on who was responsible for for a specific amount of time and had as we did recording time. It was really fun, for one
what, who was contributing what, and if we were to complete a record. thing. It felt like we were building something. He came
waiting on a musician to finish a part and send the Right. It’s totally different. This project is not an album. I at it looking at whether or not we needed a part, or
track. Every step of the way was just a very daily, never meant for it to be as cohesive and thematic, or for it whether something was essential. As writers, it’s like,
organic process. to have the same feeling. In fact, I wanted it to be as “Yes, of course it’s essential! That’s the part where I do
No project management software? No scattershot as possible. I feel like with albums, that little this, and that’s so important!” In terms of
spreadsheets? microcosm of both space and time is really important for craftsmanship, he’s the master. I mean it in the best
None. Nothing like that. Everything came together at Q making something that sounds and feels like an album. possible way. He’s a songwriter’s producer.
Division [Studios], where I mastered half the stuff, and Clearly this is an arguable point of view, but I personally What about other producers?
with Eric Masunaga [Modulus Studios] who mastered half. feel like the albums that I love as a listener - and the Gil Norton was awesome. He’s wonderful and was a friend
I think the tightest one was something like, albums I love that I’ve made - have been this finite thing of ours for years on the back of that. I feel that we
“I need this by Saturday.” You were here where we’re going from one place to another place, we’re [Throwing Muses] went into it quite armored. We were
on a Thursday, so I still had to mix what going with these people, and it’s going to be in this room. anxious about what the big, fancy producer was going
we did with Gail Greenwood [of Belly]. You hear that. It’s a whole, enclosed piece when you make to do to us. We were teenagers, so we were nervous.
Oh, yeah. The one with Gail was the tightest one. It was it that way. You have a cohesive thing, as opposed to a It’s funny. We just felt like he was trying to
hard to get Gail and I into the room at the same time bunch of songs put in one place to listen to. It’s bigger overproduce, putting bells and whistles on. But when I
for a while. Scheduling wise, not emotionally! than that. I think the downside is that you can have listen to that record now [Throwing Muses’ self-titled
Something you mentioned once stuck weaker songs that are supported by the stronger one. Now debut], I think it sounds so much like us. It’s so raw
with me. With all the time that you I feel like the songs really have to be stronger. If you’re compared to other stuff. Part of that was us fighting
spent at Fort Apache, it was more than doing everything piece-by-piece, or putting out one song things that he wanted to do, but a lot of it is because
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just a studio. It was like a creative at a time, they have to be stronger. I’ve been guilty of filler. he was dealing with four very right-out-of-the-cradle
homebase, and a community. Was this It’s like, “Oh, we only have 12 songs. We should have 14.” musicians. We were extremely defensive of what we
a way for you to recreate that? “What’s that other song you’ve got?” were doing, as we should have been; but I think that
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I hadn’t thought about that; but yes, I think that’s it “What’s that awful thing that we hated? Let’s do that.” we overreacted sometimes to certain things. Like
exactly. My ideal music making is like the zocalo at the You’ve worked with some “big name reverb. We were rubbing up against reverb. Now I’m
end of the night, when the whole village comes together producers.” Paul Q. Kolderie, Glyn Johns, like, “Juice it up!” At the time, we were also anxious
and everybody plays at whatever level of talent and Gil Norton, Gary Smith, and Dennis about everything. But he’s a wonderful producer,
enthusiasm that they are able. I love that feeling. It’s
even greater than being on a team. That’s how the Fort
felt to me. There were so many people invested in it, in
Herring [Tape Op#48]. Does working with
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somebody that is also a star in the One of the techniques that you learned,
recording world make a difference? and have used, is the “rule of four...”
and out of those doors, and I do miss that. That was part Yes. I think those were all like blind date situations. We The rule of four! A backup for backups. That was the Kolderie
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of this too, to pull all those threads together. were absolutely set up. I think that it worked out, and Slade trick, where you sing it four times, don’t worry
As an artist, do you feel that the studio particularly with Glyn, who I absolutely love as a about what’s coming out, and then listen to all four
experience lends itself to your creative person and a producer. That was a very good match for together. Most of the time when you blend them it works
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process? us in every way; personality-wise and work-wise. He out. The edges smooth themselves out, miraculously.
Absolutely. I think that when the Muses were very young brought Jack Joseph [Puig] with him too, which was It really does work.
and we were just getting started working with Gary great. They were an amazing team, because they I’ve done it ever since. Another trick that Jack Joseph and
Smith, in particular, and later [Paul Q.] Kolderie and totally complemented each other stylistically. It was Glyn taught me was that you sing in the control room
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[Sean] Slade [Tape Op #22], it was the training ground just a great experience. with the speakers just perfectly aligned, so that it’s out
for us. Fort Apache was where all the pre-production That record, Belly’s King, was banged of phase where you can’t hear the track in the mic. That
happened. That’s where the inspiration came, from out live? way I don’t have to sing with headphones. I prefer not
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being in the same room, with the same people, day in When we were auditioning and meeting with producers, to sing with headphones. It depends on the song, but
and day out, for weeks at a time. It absolutely adds Glyn was the only one who said that he thought we for the most part I like to hear myself in the room.
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something. The model of working with another pair of should make a live record. We thought that was That’s a trick I learned from them that I’ve since
ears is really important to me. Almost every producer or exciting. He said that he’d seen us live and that we applied, but it’s not always the best.
engineer we ever worked with was as much a part of were a great live band. Of course there are layers to You’ve got to show me how to do that.
making those albums as we were. We were very open to that one somewhat, but for the most part King is Oh god, I don’t know how to do it myself. Talk to Scott
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suggestions. We started understanding how important completely and entirely live. That really appealed to us. Janovitz. He figured it out for me. You get a tiny bit of
the placement of a mic was, or how you can play with And we were smitten with him, I’ll admit. bleed, but I’m willing to sacrifice a little bit of that for
equipment outside of your own personal gear. That was Just from your meetings? a good vocal, of course.
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illuminating. I absolutely am old school, in terms of From his history, the meetings, and the potential storytelling You like it because you feel like you’re
how I feel about studios; as well as the people that hours. I know some people find him prickly, but the way more in the music itself?
work in them and bring their extra level and layer of it translates to me is that he’s honest. He doesn’t pull Yes, and because I’m not alone, standing in a room behind
inspiration to a project. I think that comes directly from punches, but he’s certainly not an unkind man. He never glass. Which is fine too. When I’m singing anything
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Gary Smith, I have to say. He’s just very egalitarian rubbed me the wrong way at all, not for a second. super personal... everything I do is somewhat
about how he produces, in terms of listening to That goes back to what you were saying personal... but if I’m singing something that ‘s
everyone in the room. I think that set a template for us about having another set of ears that potentially upsetting to me, I prefer to be behind glass,
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and what we expected from that relationship. will be honest with you. in another room with the headphones on. But
20/Tape Op#103/Ms. Donelly/(continued on page 22)
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particularly for songs that I have to sing out and really Artwork was so important. That’s another way of pulling
push, I want to be in the room, with the people, and people in from your community that you admire.
have the music in the room with me. Something that broadens the music. Talking about the
You’d say that we were going to do vocals, artwork was one of my favorite parts of putting an
line by line. You’d have specific ideas album together. I have felt like that with the Swan
about how you wanted to do sessions Song Series. While I’ve felt that satisfaction in having
going in. As an engineer, that makes her piece accompany each [digital] EP, I would also
it so easy. like to hold it in my hands.
That’s nice to hear. You’re playing live with Throwing Muses
And then I’d make the face if I thought again. How is that?
that what you were doing was out of It’s been amazing. It’s just been so much fun. It’s this
tune. utopian situation for me, because I get to play my new
Yep, every producer’s got a face they make, or a physical stuff, some Belly songs, and then some solo songs. I
quirk that accompanies that. get to do this set before the Muses’ set, which is half
You were saying, “I need to be able to see catalog and half new stuff, and then I get to play a set
you so that I know when you don’t like with the Muses! I feel like every night is this
what I’m doing.” retrospective thing for me. It’s been gratifying. For so
Exactly! long I avoided playing older songs, or songs that were
For the distribution of Swan Song Series too connected to some time in my life that I was still
you’re using social media, the struggling with. Certain songs represented something
website, and Bandcamp. How is that inaccurate, or some inaccurate representation to me.
working? It’d be too cheesy to do one song, too soon to do
I love it. I’ve had many calls for vinyl, but really just a another, or too late to do another. Now I have none of
handful for CDs. I’d be happy to do that, at some that baggage left at all, so I’ll play whatever song I
point. I like it because it’s the first time I’ve ever had feel like playing. That’s been really wonderful. Playing
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product control myself. I don’t mean that in any kind with Kristin [Hersh], Dave [Narcizo], and Bernie
of micromanaging way. It’s just like having a [Georges] has been wonderful. I love the people in my
boutique. It makes the floating of everything easier solo band too, so top to bottom it’s been a good
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for me. I can budget myself. I know what I’m able to experience. I think that’s what’s nice about it for us is
do and what I’m not. There’s a direct connection to that it’s a very good balance of everybody
the people. I love the fact that someone will be like, acknowledging that there’s a little bit of nostalgia
“Here’s $5 for the new EP,” and then they can write involved; but primarily the Muses are playing new
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me a note! It’s just so folksy and sweet. There’s
something really nice about reading those. I like that
personal transaction. It feels more gratifying to me
songs, and so am I. We’re feeling like when we do play
the old stuff, it fits in a very nice way and brings the
room together. I think that we have a balance,
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right now, at this stage of my life. material-wise, that makes everyone happy.
You can hear the song itself, but you
Swan Song Series’ can approach it the way that you want
to now.
Studios Used
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Yeah. Right. For that reason, I feel like the old stuff fits
Appleman Studio, Stoneham, MA in. These old ones are just part of a lifetime’s body of
Plan of a Boy, Providence, RI work. So are the new ones. It just feels good. And
personally, it couldn’t be more fun hanging out with
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you love and trust. I think you should make sure that
One Ring Zero Studio, Brooklyn, NY you’re paying attention to your personal muse, as well
as being open to influences that are going to enhance
that; but not to the point where you lose the original
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Bill S z y mc zy k Looks
B i l l Szymczyk Back
l o o k S Back
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L-R: Bill Szymczyk, B.B. King, Phil Ramone,
backstage at The Village Gate, NY, 1968
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In the early ‘70s, between the James and basically we stripped everything off, except the drums, hassle as possible from outside the control room, and
Gang’s breakout hit “Funk #49,” and later Joe Walsh and started over again – all the bass, kick, piano, the inside the control room.” From the very first track the
solo smashes like “Rocky Mountain Way,” Szymczyk guitars, and everything. By then he’d had the words, but team cut together, “Already Gone,” it was obvious
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and Walsh set up shop at the studios of Caribou when he first cut the track, he was thinking, ‘Let’s just do the chemistry was working, with Bill proudly
Ranch in Colorado. “Joe moved out to Denver just this blues-shuffle thing.’ Two to three months later, when pointing to the chart-topper as “the very first cut I did
shortly after I did. He actually moved up to Nederland, we were working at Caribou, he had the song done, so we with them. That was a Jack Tempchin song they brought
Colorado. We’d heard [producer] Jimmy Guercio – who knew exactly how to go about finishing it. Joe liked to layer in. They said, ‘We’ve been playing around with this for a
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I had met a couple times, but not gotten to know very well his guitar tracks; there’re like six or seven guitars of various while.’ It was a case of, ‘Well, let’s just turn it up and go!’
– was living just outside Nederland on a huge ranch and kinds, and the talk box.” Glenn Frey had the opportunity to play lead guitar, which
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building a studio. Walsh and I went over there and were In 1974, Bill caught the ears of the fast- [former producer] Glyn Johns would never let him do,
astounded at how it looked; it was under construction and rising group the Eagles. The band recruited because it was always Bernie [Leadon]. Bernie was the
not quite complete. They had a little MCI 400 console Szymczyk in an effort to shed their softer, country-leaning country player, and Johns gravitated towards that, as
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and a 16-track reel machine. There was about a two-year side for a harder-edged sound. This was an ambition the opposed to Glenn Frey. Frey was not as gifted a musician,
run where I was up there. It was like inmates running the group made obvious from their first introductory meeting, at the time, as Bernie was; but he really had the desire to
asylum, because there was nobody around. If something “Irving Azoff [the Eagles’ manager] set up a meeting rock, so I took a lot of time with him on the guitar solos,
broke, we had to fix it – me, my assistant, and whoever the between me and the band. We had dinner and they asked as well as the sounds of the rhythm guitars, and we were off.
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band was.” Along with recording hits like Rick me questions about rock. I was hesitant about doing it – I I would maybe use one of three different mics on a guitar
Derringer’s “Rock & Roll Hoochie Koo,” Szymczyk’s didn’t want to do a ‘cowboy’ band; I wanted to do a rock ‘n’ amp: a [Shure] SM57, an AKG C414, and a Sennheiser.
personal highlight was the recording of the Walsh’s roll band. When they said, ‘We wanna rock!’ I said, ‘Well I wasn’t double-mic’ing anything in those days, and I
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“Rocky Mountain Way,” an audio adventure that had good. If you wanna rock, I’m your man!’ One thing led to always tracked everybody in the same room, but I would
actually begun “when Joe was producing himself at another, and we started working together.” gobo the amps off from one another. We were recording
Criteria [Studios, Miami], where he had done the drums. From session one Szymczyk recalled that “with at Record Plant Studio A in L.A. – the original 3rd Street
He’d done this shuffle track by himself that eventually the Eagles, my M.O. was to try and keep everything light, Record Plant. We were recording on a Quad Eight 16-
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turned into ‘Rocky Mountain Way.’ He brought it back happy, and moving forward, as well as eliminate as much channel console.”
Mr. Szymczyk/(continued on page 26)/Tape Op#103/25
Following the success of albums On Don Henley picked up on that. He didn’t have any idea the wrong key. The third time’s the charm, and that’s the
the Border and One of These Nights (a Grammy what the song was going to be about, but said, ‘Let’s work version that everybody knows. By then, he pretty much had
winner for Album of the Year in 1975), Szymczyk on this riff for a while.’ During the acoustic introduction 90% of the lyrics done.”
and the group – who now included longtime of the song, where Don Felder opens with his signature By the time he was ready to team Felder and
collaborator Joe Walsh – would embark on their riff, he was playing a 12-string, which I recorded with three Walsh up as a stereo pair on the song’s outro solo,
most ambitious studio adventure yet, as they mics. My go-to mic for recording acoustic guitar was a the producer remembered feeling Joe’s greatest
headed in to record an album that went on to sell Neumann KM 84 – I’ve used the same one since before assets as a player shone brilliantly alongside
a staggering 32 million copies. The musical mythos ‘Hotel California,’ and I still use it to this day. But Don Felder’s own, one that went down over, “a two-day
of Hotel California would revolve around everything had a pickup in his guitar, off to a pair of small Orange period working at Criteria Studios. We ran lines out to the
one could expect from the making of an epic album, amps, and I mic’d them in stereo. The initial opening amplifiers in the studio, but they were both performing in
beginning with the now legendarily lengthy writing guitar intro is acoustic guitar in the middle, and an amp the control room. I was in the middle, Joe Walsh was on
sessions. “We’d work for three weeks, then take a month on both sides, with a chorus that is flowing back and forth one side, Don Felder was on the other side, and we just
off. During that month off is when Don [Henley] and between the two amps.” attacked this ending blend of solos. It took us two days, but
Glenn would write lyrics. They had innate talent as Eventually the producer discovered that to reach it is still one of the highlights of my career. There was a lot
songwriters, and fed off each other brilliantly, much like sonic perfection, the song would be recorded by the of stop/start and, ‘Let’s try this,’ and, ‘That didn’t work,’
Lennon and McCartney. They’d go to each other’s band three full times before everyone felt they had ‘Well, if we did this with that, maybe that would work.’
houses, and then come back to the studio for the next finally gotten the perfect take. He confirms, “We Piece by piece by piece until before it was done. They were
session with, ‘Well, here it is.’ Glenn and Don, by that indeed recorded that track three times! The first time we equal gunfighters, Joe and Don.”
point, both knew who was going to sing lead on what song, did it was too fast, but you’re doing a track, and you have Bill joked throughout the process that, “the
and they would always have decided that prior to cutting no idea what the words are, or where they’re going to be. console was my weapon.” By the time the team had
the lead vocal.” When Don would start to get an idea about what to write declared victory and neared the album’s finish line,
The iconic title track, “Hotel about, he said, ‘Well, this is going to be too fast. We’ve got a final flash of inspiration arrived when Walsh and
California,” began after Szymczyk first heard the riff to cut it again.’ So we cut it again. Then he progressed Henley took the wheel, co-writing “Life in the Fast
off, “a cassette of a bunch of Don Felder riffs and ideas. further with the song’s writing, and next decided it was in Lane.” One of rock radio’s most rotated classics, the
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Bill Szymczyk, B.B. King at The Record Plant, L.A., 1970
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everything on the album was rehearsed on that boat. ‘Life’s Recording. It had a relatively dead room, about the same brought that in and we basically overdubbed everything to
Been Good’ was one of them.” size as Record Plant Studio A. It was not a huge room, but that. We also had John “Rabbit” Bundrick, the piano
Bill favored the Neumann U 87 as his, “basic go- it worked really, really well for how I wanted the studio to player, who Pete just loved (and I could see why), playing
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to vocal mic, at that point. To me, it was a very high-quality sound; regardless of who I was recording. Studios are on every one of the tracks while we were cutting. He was
microphone. Mostly I did not have access to the old U 47s people’s personal taste and, at that time, in 1976, we filling in a lot of the melodic stuff.”
and the classic Neumanns. I never had any of those, but an weren’t doing a lot of live-room stuff; things were still The producer remembers Townsend having, “five
87 was basically a U 67, just with transistors instead of pretty much dead. It wasn’t until about ten years later that or six different amps to go to. We’d put up some mics, and
tubes. It worked great with Joe. There are a bunch of
effects on his vocals for ‘Life’s Been Good.’ On the verses,
there’s a digital delay that’s left and right that is maybe 40
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the big live-room drum sound came into being and
everybody was changing to that. The studio had all the
equipment I wanted as far as outboard gear, which
away we’d go. As a player, he was the epitome of a slash-
and-burn guy. He would attack it, and it was fun to watch.
Pete was impressive as a guitar player, songwriter,
milliseconds on one side, 80 milliseconds on the other. included a bunch of [Urie] LA-3a and 1176 [limiting
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visionary, and just all-around really good guy. I still am in
Then I take that off on the choruses and put a [Cooper] amplifiers], a couple Eventide digital delays and communication with him to this day.” While he enjoyed
Time Cube on him.” Harmonizers (which were really, really new at the time), his collaboration with Pete, when reflecting on his
In what could have become one of rock’s greatest my old trusty Cooper Time Cube, as well as a MCI opinion of the album following its release, the
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travesties, the producer revealed that the song almost JH-500 Series console. I had a little help in designing producer confesses, “I’ll be honest with you. To this day
didn’t make it on the album. “We got back to my studio, that one, because MCI was right up the street, in I’m not real happy with the mix of the whole album. It was
which by this point was set up at Bayshore [Recording Fort Lauderdale.” tough, because of a lot of the dissention. Plus there was
Studios] in Miami. All the way through making the record, But there was a looming question: some serious drinking going on – not by me, but by the
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he was getting more and more hesitant about putting this “How do you top Hotel California? That’s the thing I band members – so it was a rough record to make.”
song out, because he thought the public would take it the remember most about The Long Run. Initially it was going Bill took some time off in the mid
wrong way lyrically. I was the one who was just on him to be a double album. They figured, ‘What if we give and later ‘80s to recuperate from the grind of his
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constantly, saying, ‘No.’ At one point he wasn’t even going them a double album, and really stretch out?’ We would production schedule throughout the previous
to finish it. I told him, ‘You must finish this. This is a killer cut track, after track, after track. The songwriting modus decade. “I didn’t have the desire to be in the studio 24/7
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record!’ Finally he agreed, and the rest is history. I did operandi was that the music would come first; the lyrics like I used to.” But he readied himself after receiving
change a couple of melody lines in it, so it made it easier for would come later, to be written to the track. We had the call many rock fans thought would never come
him to sing and gave it more of a lighthearted feeling. roughly under 20 tracks, but they were in certain stages again. Signed on to co-produce the Eagles’ reunion
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Initially it was (singing in low, slow tone) ‘Life’s been good of completion. We were into this album about a year album, the aptly titled Long Road Out of Eden, the
to me so far.’ It was a real kind of down and dour, and I when they realized, ‘Well, hell, we’re never going to get a producer set his sights on the strategy of, “wanting
said, ‘You’ve gotta be exuberant there. LIFE’S BEEN double album.’ So they just concentrated on the ones to take everybody back to the mindset where it was all-for-
GOOD TO ME SO FAR!’” that were the most fully lyrically done, and that’s what one/one-for-all. We initially started out that way. Notice
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It was the end of the 1970s, turned out to be the final track listing. There are about how I said ‘initially.’ After six to eight months, it became
and Szymczyk‘s run of successful collaborations eight or nine tracks that are floating around, left over.” the old ‘me/mine’ kind of thing. ‘Who’s the leader of the
with the Eagles proved true the adage that all good The album satisfied fans, as well as the band’s appetite band?’ ‘Who’s making choices?’ To me, that’s purely ego.
things must come to an end. The Long Run would for one last go-around, selling seven million copies and To get around that to keep work going, I relied on humor
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become the band’s last studio album for almost 25 producing three Top 10 singles with “Heartache and just keeping it light. That’s the best recommendation
years. “All the way through the making of Hotel California Tonight,” “The Long Run,” and “I Can’t Tell You Why.” It’s I can say, because I was never a dictator in the studio. I just
everybody was getting along pretty good. But coming off a perfect swan song for Bill and the band. try to keep the whole situation as light as possible. I also try
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the heels of the success of Hotel California, among the band to try out everybody’s ideas.”
28/Tape Op#103/Mr. Szymczyk/(continued on page 30)
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As the band returned to their old habit of writing while they recorded, the
band managed to amass what Szymczyk revealed was two albums worth of material. “When
the record was done I thought it should have been a single album. I thought there was too much
there. There are probably ten tracks that were cut but never finished, and some of them are
just astounding rockers. Nobody was really getting exhausted, because we were all older,
married, and had kids. We were working from 10 to 6 instead of from 2 in the afternoon ‘til
3 in the morning. Everybody had to go home. One had to take his kid to basketball practice,
and another had to take their kid to piano practice. It was more family-oriented and daytime
hours vs. all night. That also meant if two people in the band did have an argument, they could
leave it, come back the next morning fresh, and hopefully not antagonistic.”
Bill was also dealing with several new dynamics within the group’s musical
makeup, first and foremost being the absence of co-lead guitarist Don Felder, whose
final album with the band had been The Long Run. New member additions also
translated to there being, “a couple of other differences in the recording process. Don
Henley was not playing anywhere near as much drums. Scott Crago was playing more than half
the drums on the live shows. They’d also fired Don Felder. This was when I first met Steuart
Smith, who is a brilliant musician and could play anything with strings on it. A lot of things
were different, and most of it was musically for the better, as far as playing goes. I focused on
Joe Walsh and Steuart both. Joe and Steuart were fine because Steuart wasn’t an Eagle, and his
ego was totally in check. He brought a lot to the table, and is also credited as a co-producer on
that album. Me, Richard F.W. Davis (who was the keyboard player and Pro Tools operator),
Steuart Smith, and Scott Crago, were all co-producers. It says: ‘Produced by the Eagles; co-
produced by us four or five guys.’ I liked having that kind of democracy, and was happy to be
back with them again.”
These days, still making records in his early 70s, Szymczyk
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keeps at it. “What gets me up and going in the studio each morning after so many years
of doing it? Coffee! I don’t have to be in the studio like I used to, but it’s the creative process
itself that I still love. [I love] doing what a producer does: here’s your script, the song; here’re
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your actors, the players. You’ve got to guide the whole thing through to the end where it’s a
great-sounding record. It’s a drug, number one; it still jazzes me when something I have a
vision for works and turns out good.” After producing Dishwalla’s self-titled fourth
studio LP in 2005, and ex-Verve Pipe frontman Brian Vander Ark’s self-titled third
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studio LP in 2008, Bill worked with his son in the studio, an experience Michael
Szymczyk posted about on his Facebook page, sharing that, “In July 2010 my Dad and
I worked on this EP, and it was an absolute blast to create. I did all the instrumentation,
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(drums, guitars, bass, piano, keys and electronics) and sang lead or background vocals on all
the tracks, while Dad did what he does best.”
Szymczyk is clearly grateful for his legacy. “I’m just very, very
happy that I grew up in the business when I did. I’m blessed, and I thank God every night for
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the wonderful life he’s given me.” Closing with a final reflection on his catalog, in the
context of favorites, the producer begins, not surprisingly, with, “Joe Walsh, who was
definitely one of my most kindred collaborations. I found him, signed him to his first
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contract, and we still work together. Most of what I consider my favorite records were not hit
records. I thought Jay Ferguson’s first solo record, All Alone in the End Zone, was one of the best
records I ever made. There’s a Mickey Thomas record, Alive Alone, after he left the Elvin Bishop
Group. I’d signed him to a contract with Elektra, and cut a solo album with him that I think
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is just brilliant. To go way back, there was a very weird jazz record by Howard Roberts that I did
with Ed Michel called Antelope Freeway [1971] that is one of my favorite records. So those are the
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babies; the other kids grew up, went out, and made money!” [laughs] r
Jake Brown has written 35 published books, featuring many authorized collaborations
with some of rock’s biggest artists, as well as the producers’ anthology Behind the Boards
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www.tapeop.com
Bonus content online!!!
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This article is composed of excerpts from
From the moment I first heard Joy Division’s two studio albums, Chris Hewitt’s book, Martin Hannett; Pleasures of
Unknown Pleasures and Closer, I was affected. Initially I returned the LPs to my friend Steve, saying,
the Unknown, a slightly chaotic but thorough
“These are too gloomy. I don’t want to listen to them.” But soon I was asking to borrow them
collection of interviews, history, and
again. These records were like beacons from another planet, in the early ‘80s in the US, and
memories published earlier in 2014. Thanks
also not the easiest items to procure. The other college students I knew were rocking out to
to Chris for allowing us to present some of
commercial radio bands like Journey or Foreigner, while I was immersing myself in this dark
this work in Tape Op. For more information
world of post-punk, created by some lads from Manchester a scant six years older than myself.
about Martin, please check out the book, as
Soon I learned that the architect of the LP sounds I adored was a producer named
well as the nearly 4-hour DVD, He Wasn’t Just the
Martin Hannett. His specialties included reverbed drums, echoing vocals, icy synthesizers,
Fifth Member of Joy Division – a film about Martin
clanking/crashing sound effects, prominent bass, and effected guitars. After a life of constant
Hannett. Below is partial history of the man
alcohol and drug abuse, Martin’s life was sadly cut short in 1991, due to heart failure.
who produced records for Joy Division, U2,
As a recordist I have always felt that Martin left a lot behind for us to study and absorb.
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, Nico
I also feel he played a large part in changing the way record production was perceived;
[& The Invisible Girls], Magazine, Crispy
he was a precursor to many of the advances that came into play in the studio in the years
Ambulance, Durutti Column, A Certain
following his late ‘70s and early ‘80s masterpieces.
Ratio, Buzzcocks, John Cooper Clarke,
Happy Mondays, Section 25, Blue in
Heaven, and Stockholm Monsters.
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records became a pastime that would pay off. -LC
Martin Hanneı
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“`e Possibil⁄ies SÕm Endless”
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compiled and notated by Larry Crane Ïom Chris Hew⁄t’s book,
Martin Hanneı; Pleasures of the Unknown
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Howard Devoto: vocalist, Buzzcocks, Magazine recording the kit upstairs. Recording trumpets in the loo
done like that, in a very strange way – in that sense he was another one. Plugging one effects unit into another,
“Martin was the only person we knew in Manchester was the direction of that album. Martin wouldn’t let
that was known as, or called themselves, a producer. and then another, and so on produced some amazing
anything stand in the way of a perfectly original piece effects; sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t.”
Martin felt restricted by the sessions.”
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of art. Nothing would be sacrificed, unless it became too
Martin Hannett obtuse or imperfect. Everything had to be perfect, in Chris Nagle: engineer
“I was trying to do things, and the engineer was every way.” “No other engineer at Strawberry [Recording Studios,
turning them off. ‘You don’t put that kind of echo on a Stockport, UK] would work with Martin. Martin tended
Tony Wilson: Factory Records co-founder
snare drum!’ I’d have whipped it away and remixed it,
il to tape everything, rehearsals and run-throughs
“It doesn’t matter if Martin falls asleep under the included, and took delight in mistakes. The first time
but he erased the master because he thought it was mixing desk. Even in his sleep Martin is creative.”
such rubbish.” Martin turned up at Strawberry, the session was to mix
Martin Hannett A Factory Sample. This fella walked up, carting all this
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Mick Middles: journalist “Songs unfold themselves to me. The object is to gear under his arms, and he said, ‘The first rule is there
“I first heard of Martin Hannett [from] the capture somebody’s attention and keep it for a are no rules.’”
Buzzcocks’ Spiral Scratch EP. It had an intelligent satisfactory [amount of] time. I’m not always that
energy; something strange was going on. It would set interested in the content, or the words, or even the Martin Hannett
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Division and many of the artists he recorded. The first release you have to lease it from 3M. There are record industry retrospect – it still has a good atmosphere, in a way,
by the label was Martin producing Durutti Column’s standards, but what do they mean? All I care about is though the sound suffers. The content is more cohesive,
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that they should be recognisable as records.” much more accurate, much more powerful. The sound is
ironically-titled debut, The Return of the Durutti
certainly unique. We used a half-completed construction
Column. –LC Joy Division’s debut album and follow up remain the project as an echo room – a huge shell, with plaster walls.”
most recognized of Martin Hannett’s studio achievements to
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Chris Hewitt
“Hannett had always wanted to be a record producer, this day. By taking a raw, moody punk group and morphing
but the occupation requires a tremendous [amount of] their sound into power and texture, he created something
discipline. The advent of new hardware in the early unique, new, and lasting. The bass guitar became much of
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1980s, and the constant refinements in high technology the melodic focus, the drums were isolated and treated with
have turned the modern studio into a clinical operating effects, the guitars often shimmered as a background texture.
room. Martin wanted to offset the barrier between the It was a whole new way to envision a rock band. At the time
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34/Tape Op#103/Mr. Hannett/(continued on page 36) Strawberry Recording Studio control room
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coaxed him to Dublin’s Windmill Lane Studios to record
Attenuator between his Vox UL 730 amp and the cabinet, voice that has been fed through so many effects units that
and fed his guitar through Melos [Tape] echoes and an they’re coming out as notes.”
their second single. It certainly carries all the U2 hallmarks
MXR graphic pedal. A set of chimes were fed through the of their early era; but, as one might guess, the bass is
Chris Nagle: engineer
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AMS delay to get the effect that can be heard in prominent and the drums are a bit more echoey than their
“[Sometimes] Martin would feed vocals to Auratone
‘Atmosphere.’ Chris Hewitt owns the original set of chimes.” [speakers] at the top of the lift down into a microphone
debut album, Boy. -LC
Chris Nagle: engineer in the cellar. There was a load of wasted time in the
Tosh Ryan: Rabid Records label partner
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“Re-recording Ian Curtis’s vocals, Martin said, ‘He studio at Strawberry with Martin, but the end product
really can’t sing.’ The next minute I said, ‘He can sing; was special, and that outweighs any wasted time.”
just listen to that vocal.’”
“Martin wouldn’t go back to Ireland to record U2. He
did ‘11 O’Clock Tick Tock’ and he wouldn’t do anymore.
Soon others were searching out Martin’s production He only liked to work from Strawberry [Studios], and
Bernard Sumner: guitar, Joy Division, New Order skills, and in the case of Pauline Murray he even provided a travelling to Ireland was not something he even
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“On early Joy Division recordings, Martin was a loose band, as he had with John Cooper Clarke. -LC considered. He remained at Strawberry in Stockport. U2
catalyst and an experimenter. I’ve worked with other were young and impressionable.”
producers since Martin, and the point of their job is to get Pauline Murray: vocalist, Penetration and Paul McGuinness: U2 manager
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a hit record. Martin’s job was to create an environment of The Invisible Girls “He didn’t think much of the facilities [at Windmill
experimentation. We worked at Cargo [Studios] in “He just seemed to have the knack of putting Lane Studios]. There were some special pieces of
Rochdale; a box-type place, a good sound. ‘Atmosphere’ everything in the right setting. He works in a totally
equipment he made us rent from London and ship over.”
was done there. A lot of A Factory Sample was done there. different way to any other producer we’ve recorded with.
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At Strawberry [Studios], Martin used to work with a tape He doesn’t even replay the songs on the tape very much. Larry Mullen, Jr.: drums, U2
op and assistant engineer; a miserable git called Chris He has it all in his head. He’s a weird bloke, but we work “He was asking me to do a click track. I wasn’t sure if I
Nagle. He’d sneer at the band all the time.” could play in time with one. I must really have done
really well with him. I had been stuck in a rut, and I
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track me down. I don’t get asked to do a lot of things – than producers that had come up the ranks as engineers.
Chris Nagle: engineer the idea of me working with a band like The Clash would But, in many ways, I feel he truly listened to what was
“It did hit me after a while that Martin and John be disastrous.” happening with his recordings, and that he quickly could
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[Cooper Clarke], with their habits, did used to disappear After singer Ian Curtis sadly took his own life on the eve formulate a vision of how a production should sound – a
a lot at Ridge Farm Studios, during the second John of a US tour, the remaining members of Joy Division skill not many master. -LC
[Cooper Clarke] album [Disguise in Love]. Martin and
eventually regrouped as New Order and set off to make their
Steve Hopkins [keyboards] used to work with a Martin Hannett
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piano then Martin would possibly put a bass to it. John, new vocalist. -LC in front; clear and crisp.”
36/Tape Op#103/Mr. Hannett/(continued on page 38)
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Chris Hewitt same function as the AMS dmx 15-80, but in a
“After Martin became a studio engineer, he would different way, with the result that it has got a different
often go ‘round to musician Dave Lunt’s house with set of parameters. If I can establish a room sound with
pockets full of cassettes of different mixes he had done, the AMS, and also establish a room sound with the
but on getting to Dave’s he would take a look at the Marshall Time Modulator, and put them both in the
shelves full of jazz records and dive headlong into mix, then I’ve got the sound of the walls of the room
playing some of the LPs instead of listening to his rushing in and out at a fantastic rate. Of course, you
cassette mixes.” don’t want to hear all that up front, so you bury it in
the track. As for drums, I love echo and drum
Martin was keenly aware of how spaces translated to
synthesisers, but I got a bit worried about using
recordings. Much of his production work involved capturing repeats after I had a fit of quasi realism. I still do ’em
drums with no ambience and later treating them in the mix. in a fairly subliminal way. Some of it’s from reggae.
No tool was more infamous in his hands than the newly Reggae drumming is fairly simple diagrams.”
introduced AMS dmx 15-80 delay. -LC Tony Wilson: Factory Records co-founder
“Unbeknown to me, until I found out years later,
Stuart Nevison: AMS (Advanced Music Systems) Martin goes and meets these guys in a car park on the
“Whilst Martin Hannett was starting to carve his own moors above Burnley [Lancashire, England], and tells
niche in music production, my small company, AMS, not them the sound he’s imagining [while he’s] off his head
25 miles north of Manchester, was working on projects on fucking drugs. He drives back to Manchester at
of digital audio processing. In the music recording midnight. Meanwhile they drive back to their shed and
business there are two significant elements; the they build the world’s first digital delay machine, the
tracklaying and the mixing process, which I think Martin AMS digital delay, which is the most important outboard
had a fascination with.” equipment of the last 50 years. It was 15 years later,
Chris Hewitt when some guy stopped me and said, ‘I want to thank
“AMS was Advanced Music Systems, and were you. One of your partners changed my life.’ When I
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established in 1976 by Mark Crabtree and Stuart realised it was AMS, I said, ‘No, you changed his life by
Nevison. In 1978 AMS introduced the world’s first giving him that equipment.’ He said, ‘Don’t you know
microprocessor-controlled, 15-bit digital delay line. By where it came from?’ I had no idea it came out of
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October 1978, they had provided Hannett with this AMS Martin’s head. The first time he ever worked with that
dmx15-80 delay for him to use on the Joy Division song digital delay machine was on the song ‘Digital.’ The first
‘Digital’ at Cargo. Crabtree and Nevison had been time Martin moved music forward was with the digital
aerospace engineers who moved into the design of delay machine, which changed drum sounds forever. Did
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professional studio equipment for the manipulation and
control of sound. The first product designed by the
company was the dm 2-20 Tape Phase Simulator,
you know the most sampled track in hip-hop history is
ESG’s ‘You’re No Good’? That was Martin in a New York
basement with three great singers.”
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notably used by ELO [Electric Light Orchestra], 10cc, and Chris Nagle: engineer
Paul McCartney.” “Those AMS dmx 15-80s were used on every aspect
of Martin’s productions, from his infamous ‘walls
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AMS stuck ’em in a box. Whilst you are recording, you does four digital things at once: delay, chorusing,
take all the clues off the snare sound that the ear reverb, and equalization. They’re gifts to the
needs to recognise a room – we have to put them back, imagination, really. You can do all of those difficult
otherwise it will sound odd. The value I usually set the things, without ever getting out of your chair.”
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David Wood: engineer
“In March of 1985, I enrolled to study sound recording
at John Breakell’s School of Sound Recording (SSR) which
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was based [in Spirit Studios] in a basement on Tariff Street
in Manchester. I’d heard that there might be an opening to
do work with a guy called Martin Hannett. I immediately
called him. I arrived early at Strawberry [Studios] and
Martin was already there, which I think was the one and
only time he was there before me. The studio was amazing,
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but I was quite surprised at Martin’s reaction towards me.
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I’d driven for over an hour and I’d agreed to work for free
to gain some experience. Initially he was really tense with
me, although I realised within a couple of days that he was
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runny nose, which I put down to a cold at the time. As
a successful producer in my own right now, I think I
know how a session should run – the producer should
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be in charge, at all times. Well, this one was an utter
shambles. The band was given no direction, at all, as
to what was going on. Martin sat on the couch reading
magazines 95 percent of the time. On a 25 day session
he did not bother to turn up on seven days, with no
prior warning. It was quite a relief when the session
somehow ended. I like things to be organised when I
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am working, and this was completely the opposite. I
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was not involved in the mix – I just tracked the album.
Later on, when the final mix was finished, it sounded
like someone had gone really overboard on the reverb
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they start putting the console in. About an hour later
Mike and I were sitting out on the bench in front of
the studio, looking at the ocean while having a cup
of tea, and David comes out. We said, “What do you
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think of this Deane guy? Should we just send him
home?” He said, “After an hour of working with this
guy, I feel like he should be doing the console, and I
should be soldering AC cords.” Deane was just a
wonderful guy. He was our in-house tech for the first
couple of years. He hated to even have the world
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Indigo Ranch, nestled on 60-acres in the hills of Malibu,
California, operated from 1974 until 2006, under the guidance and
obsessions of Richard Kaplan. Clients took advantage of his
know that he could solder; he liked to be thought of
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as the design guy, and not the diagnostician, builder, meticulously built studio, 400 guitar amps, and rare
or anything like that. But Deane did everything for Aengus console. Artists as diverse as Neil Young, Neil Diamond,
Indigo for the first couple of years, including Olivia Newton John, Jeff Lorber, Korn, Sepultura, and Limp Bizkit
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changing out all of what were really good electronics. all made albums at Indigo Ranch. We tracked down a “retired”
Richard in Venice Beach, for a long chat.
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cousin was one of my best friends, and Mike a private studio?
happened to be talking to him about stage lighting. In 1975 or ‘76. Canned Heat was our first customer; they
He said, “You should talk to this guy Richard.” So, came in and recorded half a side of an album, and
then the world literally beat the door down. We had
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Mike came over and visited me, I showed him some
of the lighting stuff I was doing, and he said, “I’ve hundreds of great albums that came out of there.
never seen anything like that! I want you to fly to What do you think the appeal was?
England. I want you to be the special effects guy for It was the sound. People were hearing little demo bits
The Moody Blues.” A month later, I was on my way to
England. They went on tour, and I ended up going
with them all over America and England, as well as
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I’ve never heard anything like that.” Back in the ‘70s
and ‘80s, when Indigo first started, you’d hear an
Indigo record on the radio, and it would just
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being their photographer.
People forget how huge that band was at obliterate whatever was played in front of it or after
that time. it. The sound was just dazzling.
They were the biggest band in the world for two years. Mike What other clients did you start getting?
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and I got to be best friends. I was his sort of right-hand Bob Margouleff (who had worked with Mike Pinder – he
man, lackey, gopher, photographer, and special effects helped mix The Promise album) brought in another
lighting guy. He was building a little studio in his house, engineer, Chris Brunt, and they liked the sound. Bob
and he was going to have this Aengus console shipped brought in Billy Preston, and then just client after
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something.
Mr. Kaplan/(continued on page 44)/Tape Op#103/43
A Trip to Indigo Ranch drumming festival since the turn of the century. They When did Mike decide to not be involved
On my first trip to L.A., in 1976, we drove out from set up their drums outside. There was an old chief with in Indigo Ranch anymore, and how
Houston in the middle of summer with my band, them who said, “This is the spot.” We ran mic cables did you deal with that?
Buzzbone, and arrived in the middle of the night. We out to the spot, with some Neumann mics with Around 1978 or 1980 he wanted to move on; he’d gotten
stayed in a motel at Topanga and Ventura Blvds. The next windscreens. We said, “Go ahead and play a little bit, married and wanted to put his equity into a house and
morning we drove through Topanga Canyon to the Pacific and we’ll get the levels.” They start playing, we get to various other things. We worked out a buyout for the
Coast Highway and headed up to Indigo Ranch. They had the point where we’re satisfied, and we’re like, “Okay, equipment and the property that took years to pay off,
these cool little chalets we stayed in – total So Cal hippie start from the beginning.” The vibe got real heavy, and but we did it. We continued our good friendship and
vibe. We rehearsed for two days in a beach house with our about two minutes later the chief comes walking into relationship through all of that. It was an amicable part.
producer/engineer Chris Brunt and spent the rest of the the control room with his arms folded, and said, “You Neil Young did a number of records at
week recording. They had Deane Jensen’s Aengus console cannot play that song twice in one year.” We never had Indigo Ranch.
– one of three, I believe. The weather was perfect – you anything like that happen again in the next 35 years. We got a call for Neil Diamond to book a session, because
could see Catalina Island every day, which is rare. It was The back door of the studio led out to this porch that he lived in Malibu and had heard how great the sound
like Maui up there! I never made it past Santa Monica Pier was all cement. Oftentimes bands would leave the back was. He booked a session and, at the last minute, after
into town on that trip, so my first impression of L.A. was door open and put a mic out there [while tracking] to we were set up for him, he canceled. A month later, we
a little skewed. But I knew then that moving to L.A. was get that Led Zeppelin “down the staircase” stone get another call, “Neil wants to come back in,” and he
in my future. effect. In that cement room you’d get a delay of the cancels again. Another month later we get a call, “We’ve
-Dusty Wakeman, Mojave Mics, producer, engineer, bassist drums. It would be mono of course, because it’s gone got to get Neil in tonight.” They said, “We want you to
through the door and out into this other room. That be set up for drums.” They were scheduled to come in
was an often-used sound. the early afternoon. We’re sitting there, and we get a call
client. Then Chris Brunt started bringing all his
projects in. He brought in guys from Earth, Wind & at about 8 o’clock saying, “We’re still coming!” Around
Fire, plus many jazz clients. Albums like Caldera (with 10 o’clock they finally show up, and they go straight into
Eduardo del Barrio), Ronnie Laws’ Flame, and Hubert the room and say, “We want it dark in here.” So, we turn
Laws. Jazz people just started swarming to us. off all the lights, and have one or two candles going. A
And you attribute that to the quality of guy comes into the room and introduces himself as the
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the equipment? producer. He says, “Are you ready to record guitar and
Deane Jensen. He was the guy. Deane looked at a studio vocal? You’ve got to be ready; there’s no getting things
as not simply being a bunch of components stacked set.” On the second note of the song I realized it’s Neil
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together. He looked at it as one integral unit. He was Young, and not Neil Diamond! Because they had called
very much into level and impedance matching. That and said, “We’ve got to get Neil in!” All this paperwork
studio was so full of transformers. Good transformers is sitting out on the console for Neil Diamond, and I just
are like the difference between a Cadillac and a kind of nonchalantly flip the paper upside down and
Volkswagen.
So he would go into some of the
equipment and replace transformers?
You’re a founder and owner of the
place, but you also engineered
through its history.
il proceed. We got six songs that ended up on Neil Young
albums in one night. He said it was the most usable
material they had ever gotten, and they loved the sound.
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If I wasn’t the actual engineer, I usually ended up They even used my rough mixes. I ended up doing ten
Not usually in the equipment. He would have an
setting up everything for them anyway; getting all albums with him. The producer was David Briggs, who
external matching transformer. The one thing he did
their sounds, and walking away. I’m not a guy who ended up being one of my closest friends. He brought all
change transformers in was on the 3M tape machines;
grabs for credits. I probably should have, but I didn’t. sorts of projects up to Indigo.
he would go in and put his own in. The console was
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I would just get everything going and then quietly The studio attracted people who would
all Jensen transformers, from the mic pre, to the
output transformer in the EQ, to the transformers in
disappear in the background and maintain the thing. repeatedly use it.
the fader amps.
How did you learn about session flow Working with George Martin
and things like that?
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Solstice Canyon, and it had been their holiest of secret papers?” And one day, he had left his briefcase open
“Did you get a good take yet?” I’d say, “Yeah, I did;
ceremonial grounds. They came twice a year to and walked out of the room, so everybody goes over to it
and we’re working on fixing a vocal part.” It’s like the
celebrate the high holiday of sun worshipers, the to look and see what’s in there. There was a Cadbury
producer takes credit for being on the phone talking
summer and winter solstices. The Chumash expressed chocolate bar and a Beatles songbook. That’s what he had
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with our young son. As I had always loved my tours and
holler, scream, make motions, and give them cues. If show. I mean a true musician, skilled at playing and
visits to California, I was happy to move across the
it sounded great in there, it better sound great when writing songs that you want to sing along with; songs
ocean. I was tired of the English rain and was ready for
he walked back into the control room. He knew how that become the fabric of a life. I thought that with
some California sunshine.
technologies like the Internet, musicians would have
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to get the bands fired up into getting takes that were
What about the property at Indigo Ranch access to their audience. But, unfortunately, it is
unbelievable. David Briggs was also a master at that,
made you think of using it for a ponderous to wade through a lot of semi-talented
but in a completely opposite fashion. Ross would get
recording studio? musicians to find the gems of music that are really
the bands into almost a spiritual high. Briggs would
I wanted some place where I could have a house, as well
get them so rattled and uptight that they would
perform just to escape his wrath. [laughter] He knew
how to push people’s buttons; he would get the most
of the ocean from the Malibu property.
You came up with the name The Moody
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as a recording studio; and I loved the privacy and view
melodious and meaningful.
Anything else you want to add about
Indigo Ranch, or working with
incredible performances out of people, in the exact Richard?
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Blues from the Duke Ellington song, Living and working at Indigo Ranch was a wonderful
opposite way of Ross, but equally valid.
“Mood Indigo.” Did that same song
It seems Indigo Ranch had a really experience. I was surrounded by friends and talented
inspire the Indigo Ranch name?
unique vibe. people. It was really a loving, supportive, and creative
Yes. I always loved “Mood Indigo.” Moody was used, and
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There’d be this musical ghost that appeared at various environment. Richard is a very warm and intelligent
Indigo was left.
sessions; I don’t know what to think about that. We guy, and learning engineering was second nature to
Was the studio originally for personal use? him. Richard and I were very dear friends, and became
had a UFO sighting on the property that was seen by
Yes. When I lived at the Ranch, I only recorded for personal
a dozen straight people. Even the Malibu sheriff saw it! close, like brothers, during those days. It was a special
@h
including more about archiving Bing Crosby’s radio shows. I moved to Hawaii with my new wife, Taralee. Richard Recordings (1954-56) 7 CD box set
The Aengus console from Indigo Ranch now resides at
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Kaplan and Michael Hoffman bought the property and These are original masters of a radio show that was done
Rock Garden Studio in Wisconsin. the studio from me. They opened the studio from 1954 to 1956. Some of the tapes I got had 3M
For more about Indigo Ranch and Richard: commercially at that time. numbers on them, and it’s among the earliest known tape.
<www.studiorathq.com> Did you retain an investment in The Buddy Cole Band was four guys, with keyboard, bass,
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Go to https://www.flickr.com/photos/101051783@N04/ Indigo Ranch after you started guitar, and drums. It was like a cocktail band, and Bing
to see tons of photos of the rest of Richard’s impressive gear working for Atari? would sing. It was all done live; there was no multitracking
collection which he is auctioning off in one single lot. I never formally worked for Atari, but I did use the Atari in those days. They went into a studio, and each guy had
Contact Richard at: indigoranch77@gmail.com Computer for music recording. It was the beginning of
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a mic. These were guys that could play. It’s probably the
bonus article: MIDI and Atari computers were ahead of the game, at biggest splicing project ever done in analog tape. I did
one time. My friend, Greg Whelchel – a keyboardist from over 50,000 splices. The tapes were poorly stored. Many of
L.A. and band member for The Pointer Sisters – and I them had been flooded; the boxes were melting, the tapes
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were both using the Atari for sequencing and sounds, were molding. I had to go through, inch by inch, with a
and we did demos at some of the NAMM Shows. camel hair brush to wipe off the mold, restore each of the
Do you still have a home studio for splices, and fix where they had torn. -RK
http://tapeop.com/interviews/103/richard-kaplan-bonus/ your use?
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<www.mosaicrecords.com>
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background and how you ended up not as much a music producer as he is an engineering worked backwards. I knew when I spoke to Neil that
in your dad’s profession. producer. That worked out well. Eventually I had I could do it. I wasn’t sure if other people would like
I originally wanted to be a composer. That’s what I was some success writing and producing while working it or not, but I knew that I could get it to work. I
driven towards. I started writing music for with different artists. I worked on Anthology 2 with didn’t really have much connection with The Beatles
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commercials when I was in college, although I my dad, because it came at a break between my at all before that. It came from doing the Love show,
Giles Martin
“The Idea is The Im
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portant Thing”
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by Jeff Slate
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48/Tape Op#103/Mr. Martin/(continued on page 50) Giles at AIR Lyndhurst courtesy of C A Management & RecordProduction.com
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which thankfully was critically acclaimed. Working with by TLC and tell me that he wanted projects to sound like How have your views of using technology
The Beatles continues to surprise me. I didn’t really feel that. I’d have a computer set up with Logic, and it made evolved? Certainly you must be a cut
deserving of it. It’s quite a big mantle to have. I me realize that there are no excuses for not making things and paste guy, having grown up in a
remember after I did my demo of Love, with four or five sound good. People don’t care. You can’t say that you world far removed from the one your
tracks, everyone got enthusiastic. I remember saying to didn’t have the right speakers or whatever. People won’t dad lived in.
a friend of mine that I’d been asked to do this thing, care. The benchmark is there; that’s what he and my dad I wasn’t, actually. I started in the studio when I was
but I wasn’t sure if I should do it. I didn’t know if it was taught me. The expectation is so high. I learned how to young, so I had to learn later how to use computers.
because of my dad getting me the job, or because it make voices sound good, which is the most important A lot of the young guys who have heard the Love
was passed down. I’d avoided deliberately doing any thing. If you can make a record and the voice sounds project, or other things I’ve done, think I’m some sort
kind of Beatles projects that felt passed down to me, good, you’re halfway there. Then I left Rob Dickins to do of guru, and you can hear their sighs of
probably to my detriment. I just didn’t want to go down the Queen’s Jubilee Concert in Buckingham Palace. After disappointment when I try to operate Pro Tools. I
that route. This friend of mine, who’s a producer and that, I couldn’t get any work. My manager told me that mean, I can do a mix, but when people start talking
engineer, asked me if I had any idea how many people the only thing he could get me was Hayley Westenra, a about using shortcuts it’s like, “I know undo!” The
would love to be working on this. He said that if I 15-year-old classical singer. I told him, “No. I want to do Beatles’ thing was interesting, because I thought
turned it down I’d be completely crazy. I figured if I rock and roll.” He said that there wasn’t anything out when I did it that I’d do what everyone else does and
could put the teenage bitterness to one side and stop there. They sent me a vocal track. I put some strings, create a tempo map. But as soon as I found out how
thinking about what other people would think, I could guitar, and piano in the back of it, and they really liked to chop things in time, it didn’t sound good to me. I
just enjoy myself and be honored that I had the chance it. The album sold two million copies in the U.K. It really actually used it like a tape machine. My sessions had
to work in that situation. So that’s what happened. wasn’t my style of music. A friend of mine said that once no grid, nothing. I just did it by feel.
Let’s backtrack a bit and talk about the you learn how to make things sound good, it gets kind of You didn’t use a grid for Love?
Hayley Westenra album Pure, which boring. There are thousands of people who know how to No. I just found it too constricting. I wanted the songs
you worked on before you worked with make a record with the right EQ on it, and it’s going to to move.
The Beatles. What did that entail, and sound professional. With Hayley Westenra, she was just a Really? But surely there was some
how was that different from the really nice girl –she still is. The funny thing with that was stretching...?
Beatles work? that I remember Paul McCartney telling me, “Well done Yeah, if there was a song coming after another song, it
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When I started to pursue this, everybody thought I knew with that record,” because it sold massively in the U.K. It had to follow the tempo. Then, when that [new] song
what I was doing, but I had no idea. Honestly speaking, sort of gave me success. I was offered so many classical, took over, that would be the song in charge.
I wasn’t very good. I didn’t have a huge talent, and I and crossover classical, records by everyone. I was the But that was stretching...
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think I made some pretty terrible records. I ended up person to go to. I turned them down and didn’t get paid I had to do it all in my head. It’s just more of a creative
getting a job working for Rob Dickins, who was head of for six months, because by then I knew I wanted to do thing. I’m not anti-technology, in any way. I know
Warner [Music UK]. I made some pretty bad records for The Beatles’ Love project. I knew in my mind that it was Geoff Emerick is actually, slightly, anti-technology. I
him. He taught me a lot – he would play me “No Scrubs” going to work, and that’s what happened. embrace it thoroughly. But the idea is the important
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thing, whether you’re chopping up tape or doing it in I think most people are pretty familiar The obvious technical thing is that we didn’t have six tracks
the computer. It can sound bad both ways, no matter with the 5.1 mixes that are on The [of audio]. That’s over-simplistic, as you know, but “She
how good your technology is. Beatles’ Anthology, and are probably Loves You” is just mono. We tried doing various things.
It’s interesting you would say that. Do you familiar, as well, with the 5.1 mixes on It’s done on a track-by-track basis. The tracks were
have favorite pieces of gear and D/A the Help! DVD and Blu-Ray. designed to be mono – in the purest sense. Go back to
converters? And I did Magical Mystery Tour between that. when you’re initiating how you record a track; you have
I’m distrusting of someone who walks in the studio, looks Right, you weren’t involved with the 5.1 to envision in your mind how you’re going to hear it. You
around, and says, “I can’t work in here.” I think that mixes on either Help or Anthology, can only really envision what you know, unless you’re very
you should just use what you have. There’s no reason correct? forward thinking. The Beatles were certainly forward
why anyone should complain anymore. That said, I Magical Mystery Tour was the first 5.1 I did. Yellow Submarine thinking, but they weren’t thinking about surround
don’t like certain types of monitors. I don’t trust them. (1999) and the others were done much earlier. I was [sound] when they made A Hard Day’s Night. The thing
Yeah. Let’s talk about what you do like. doing Love, I think, when they were doing those. So no, with film is that you’re watching dialogue. It’s coming
I use Adam S3-As, which are older monitors. I like them I wasn’t involved in those. They’re pretty good. out of the central channel, even if you have left and right
because they’re very good on vocals and snare drums. They You were obviously very familiar with speakers. It’s almost like hitting a mono with a toffee
have a ribbon tweeter; they’re not good at top and bottom, what was there on the multitrack hammer. You have shards of sound around you, but you
but that’s something you can worry about later. If you can tapes. I assume that everything had have a central focus.
get the mids right, you’re generally okay. I use those, and been digitized over the last few years When I went to the screening of A Hard
I’ve used them for ten years. I haven’t gone wrong so far. while you were working on Love. Day’s Night, I was alone, so I walked
What about D/A converters, plug-ins, and Yeah. We re-digitized a lot of the tracks at a higher rate, around the room and literally put my
that sort of thing? with better converters. You can always do better. We ear up to the speakers to hear what
I used to use Apogee. I really like Apogee, and I like Bob were quite diligent with that. you’d done. It’s almost as though the
[Clearmountain, Tape Op #84] and Betty Bennett, who I talked to Jimmy Page [Tape Op #102] a left and right channels are the
look after Apogee. Recently I’ve been working with Pro week or so ago, and he wouldn’t even band, and the center is the vocal,
Tools, and I’ve been using the HDX system. I’ve had tell me the rate that he recently did with a bit of background band and
some great experiences. I’ve played the game because the Led Zeppelin remasters at. He said percussion, maybe. The rear is fairly
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I’ve been working on 5.1 mixes. I find that the discrete they were at a “very high rate” ambient sounding.
5.1 digital world is great for film, but for music it because he’s worried about someone Yeah. I’m mixing for the film. I’m not mixing for some sort
sometimes suffers. In the Scorsese film, George coming along in 20 years when he’s of crazy release. It’s not like the Love thing. I’m mixing
not around.
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Harrison: Living In The Material World, and when I was for the film, so I want to make people feel like they’re
doing A Hard Day’s Night, I ended up putting it on an We have pretty much everything at 192 kHz, 24-bit. hearing the records they know, but I want the audience
8-track, 2-inch tape because I liked the fact that it What were the technical obstacles that to feel closer to them. That’s my goal. I want them to
sounded like it gelled a bit better. existed when you were making the 5.1s? feel what I feel when I listen to the tape in the studio.
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I want people to feel the energy. That’s the other key as I do, and you’ve only got one other track, you’re going When you’re doing the work, you can’t think about it all the
thing to me. The Beatles weren’t old when they recorded to have everything in the center. As you said, I put the time. Otherwise you’d be paralyzed with doubt. You’re
those songs. I want that to come out. Sometimes we’d band left and right and the vocal center, and then maybe working by yourself, with your engineer, and you’ve got
put songs on playback in [Abbey Road’s] Studio Two to the room sound from Studio Two in the rear. As my dad concepts and ideas that might be wrong or right. But you
create ambient sound, and then record the band in the always said about mixing; it’s an attempt to create a try everything you can think of then you step back and
room to create surround that way. version that’s the best live performance that there is. The think, “Okay, [how would this sound] if I were a Beatles
Is that what you did for “She Loves You”? further intention is to paint new pictures. I would say fan?” It’s now become their music as well. It’s become
I think so, yeah. It also has crowd in it. We did that for that this new version of A Hard Day’s Night isn’t painting music that belongs to the generations. The last thing that
everything, just to see if we wanted to use it. It’s easy, new pictures. It’s the former. I want to do is any harm. Somebody said to me that Love
once you have it set up. You’re trying to create a world. There was a clarity and definition to George was their favorite Beatles album. It’s not a Beatles album!
I don’t believe you want to be in a situation where you Harrison’s 12-string on “I Should Have It’s them, but it’s not. On one hand, if I can make people
feel like you’re turning around to hear sounds. You want Known Better” in the scene where discuss things and listen to music – not just listen to it, but
to have a situation where there’s expanded stereo. We they’re in the luggage cage. The 12- hear it – that’s great. That’s what drives me. If people don’t
compared the 5.1 to the stereo and the mono in the string seemed just a little sharper. like what I do, it’s generally because they love the originals
mix room all the time. You want the 5.1 to be “I Should Have Known Better” was one of the songs that so much and they can’t bear to hear anything else. I respect
composed, not distracting. We wanted it to sound the I kept going back to. Bizarrely, it was one of those that. I listen and respect what people have to say. You have
way that we remembered hearing it. When I did the tracks that is much brighter than you remember it. to. You can’t be distracted by it, but you have to honor it.
George Harrison film there was concern from various John [Lennon]’s voice sounds great, but the track is You had to have a sense of that summer of
people, I think even Martin Scorsese himself, that I way bright. I went back to it loads of times. I think we 1964 and what was going on at the time.
should have more of a hand in “All Things Must Pass” try and go for clarity. We try to hear the instruments, I’m sure you’ve heard stories from Paul,
to modernize it. I thought, “No.” I wanted it to sound because that makes it sound more live. Ringo, your Dad, and anyone else
the way I remembered it, and how I remember it is as Were some tracks more challenging than around them. What is your feeling about
a soaring, beautiful piece of music. The 5.1 lets you do others? “A Hard Day’s Night” sounded that time, having lived with A Hard Day’s
that. It takes it closer into your head; just the nature like it may have been harder to deal Night over the last year or two?
of facing forward and having speakers behind you. This with sonically. I think it’s energy and commitment. I think that ‘64 was
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is what people forget about. They think about 5.1 as I would say “A Hard Day’s Night” was the most difficult, the year my dad had 32 number one records in the U.K.
hearing strings in the back, or whatever. With 5.1 the because as soon as you move the vocals to the center with different artists. If you look at the ‘64 tour diary
sonic image gets closer to your forehead, if that makes on that song, it changes the way the song sounds. I of The Beatles, it’s just fascinating. It’s actually on the
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sense. You can get things to move closer. went back to it so many times. The drums on “A Hard Internet. You look at it and think, “When did they
In a lot of movies, you have dialogue Day’s Night” are very sizzly. record?” I remember looking at it thinking that it was
and then the music will jump a Ringo [Starr]’s cymbal work is all over just completely bonkers. You see a four-day gap, and
couple of decibels. that record, isn’t it? they made an album there.
and working with really good film mixers, is that what I’m trying to pick out the things that I older. There was no ceiling in anything they did in ‘64,
you don’t want to do is to surprise people too much could tell were challenging. and that revealed itself in ‘66 and ‘67. They had their
sonically. You want to comfort people and take them on That absolutely was. It was quite challenging. The most heads down. Their ambition was to take over the world
a journey. If you do anything that’s just showing off, challenging thing actually was the spoken word. That’s the with great music. The only way they could do that was
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you’ll take people out of the suspension of disbelief most challenging thing, because it sounds so distorted. by shouting and being as energetic as they could in front
that they’re under. What did you do? Were you able to locate a of a microphone. Even when they sang quietly they were
What shape were the tapes in? Did you lower generation source? loud. That’s what shocked me most when I got the tapes
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do what you did with Love, where We had a CD reissue that’s cleaner sounding, but it has no out. They’re gentle because they’re great and have
you lined everything up from top on it. We had a lot more hiss going on with ours emotion, but they always have a ruggedness to them. r
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separate session tapes? than they did on theirs. But for me, I’d rather have a <www.camanagement.co.uk>
I wish we had done that, but Hard Day’s Night was done bit more hiss and make it sound natural than trying to <jeffslate.net>
before they started bouncing 4-tracks. So that wasn’t be too clean. Another hard thing was the weight and
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there. We used techniques to try to extract guitars expectations of the people who are going to be
slightly. We were developing new techniques that aren’t listening to your work. The Beatles are going to hear
there yet. This golden chalice of de-mixing isn’t quite this, and there are also people who really, really care
there, but we’re getting closer. I don’t want to use the about the outcome.
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words “stereo spread” because that doesn’t work either, You seem to have a sense of the mantel
but we developed some pretty new techniques. I can of The Beatles’ legacy. You have to
widen a mono track and instruments. As soon as it’s not please them, but you are aware, too,
good for the track, or as soon as you start hearing that there are people out there who
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anomalies going on, you have to stop. On A Hard Day’s care an awful lot about the music,
Night I used techniques to try to make it as real as even picking the mixes apart. How
possible. There’s an element of de-mixing going on, does that weigh on you, or factor into
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straight. The newly updated Avocet 2 from Crane Song is a unit sounds beautiful, is well thought out, and is user flaws will be evident.”
device that delivers that confidence and transparency — friendly. Once headphone sources and levels are set, it is I asked Dave what all of this R&D and the
and so much more. as easy as hitting the mute button to defeat the mains for improvements to the DAC would do to the cost of the
I have been a fan of Dave Hill and his gear for a long tracking in the same room or for critical listening sans Avocet 2, and he said that when all was said and done, the
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time. From Summit Audio to Crane Song and Dave Hill bleed. Likewise, assigning an artist mix to the headphones price would not increase. Personally, I would pay more, but
Designs — many glorious pieces have been produced is as simple as feeding the Avocet’s aux input and I quickly realized that Dave Hill is not trying to turn a
under these monikers. He is not rehashing or recreating choosing that for the headphone source. quick buck. He has dedicated his life to this pursuit of
the past, but rather pushing the boundaries of technology
and audio gear. Dave Hill was one of the first with the
belief that A/D and D/A conversion could be so much
more than the status quo, when he created the Crane Song
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At this point, if you want to learn more about what the
Avocet offers in terms of routing and control, you should
download the manual from the Crane Song website. The unit
has many more features than there’s room to discuss
pushing the boundaries of audio quality.
Because of the depth and layers of functionality in this
unit, it is not a monitor controller you will plug-and-play
out of the box. In advance of my receiving the unit, Tim
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HEDD [Tape Op #26], a converter that to this day is still here — including integration with other devices — and at Crane Song contacted me to schedule a walkthrough of
considered by many to be one of the best. So, when the options abound in its control set as well as in the hardware the unit with their head tech. After a short tutorial, I was
opportunity arose to review a new version of the Crane jumpers, trims, and pads inside the main box. off and running. Basically, the unit is set up in layers.
Song Avocet, I jumped at the chance. While the functionality of the Avocet 2 is the same as Several of the buttons have a second function that is
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Crane Song gear is handmade in Superior, Wisconsin, previous versions, what is not the same is the newly accessed by using the “Shift” button. Some of these
and everything about it says no compromise. Build, look, reworked D/A converter. Dave Hill has invested over two include accessing the headphone sources and individual
feel, and sonics are all, well, superior. years of research, trial and error, and countless levels as well as optional subwoofer configuration.
The Avocet 2 is an analog monitor management tool, experiments into his new, fourth-generation DAC, and it Importantly, once I understood the thought process
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with discrete Class A electronics and a newly redesigned, was certainly worth the time. Improvements have been behind the unit’s design, it all became very intuitive.
fourth-generation D/A converter (more on that later). The made in the quartz crystal reference oscillator responsible When I first started using the Avocet 2, my impressions
main unit is an elegant 2RU-height rackmount box with a for the Avocet 2’s clocking, and the result is a significant were very positive, and they haven’t wavered since. I like
clean, brushed-metal front plate that has the ubiquitous
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reduction in jitter. When I spoke to Dave Hill and the sonic image both side-to-side and back-to-front; the
green Crane Song light and a 1/4’’ TRS headphone jack. The mentioned I was not an overly technical chap, he laid it super-smooth and even response across the entire
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back is packed with XLR jacks for three analog inputs, three out, in what I’m sure were the simplest terms possible: frequency range at any volume; the stellar transient
digital inputs, and three speaker outputs — all stereo. “We use a sample-rate converter to do jitter reduction, response that becomes very apparent when listening to a
There’s also a second TRS headphone output, as well as and it up-samples to about 211 kHz. The reference snare drum, because it actually sounds like a snare drum
optical and RCA jacks if you prefer S/PDIF format for digital oscillator has ultra-low phase noise, which translates to in the room; the deep functionality, level-matching
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input 1. On-the-fly gain trim is available for each of the six extremely low jitter. It is very difficult to achieve this kind offsets, and other useful options; and of course, the
inputs. The Avocet 2’s functionality is controlled by a well- of performance. Custom parts, custom quartz crystals — supreme clarity. Sound-wise, everything is so perfectly in
designed desktop remote. The main volume knob is a let’s put it this way, to make it significantly better, when focus and defined that it allows you to “see” the mix,
comfortable size, has a nice resistance, and is stepped in you are using $30–$40 parts, and throwing a bunch of which opens new doors to the placement of mix elements.
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1 dB increments from −32 to +12 dB. The text around the them away due to poor performance, they become I love watching clients and friends sit in the mix position
dial is marked in 2 dB increments, but LEDs encircling the $300–$400 parts. I’m not sure at what point you stop and reach out between the speakers to touch the top of
knob display each dB step by lighting one or two at a time. hearing things, but I am asking it to do something that is the singer’s head because its location in the sound field is
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Adjustments of the volume knob result in small clicks from at the edge of its capabilities. The part that is in the so strongly represented. When a listening experience is
the main unit due to the use of relays, inspiring confidence Avocet 2 measures a phase-noise floor of about −115 dB that tangible, it is a powerful thing, and it changes the
in the analog audio path, which remains safe and clear inside at 10 Hz off the center frequency, which is really quite low. listeners’ emotional connection to what they are hearing.
of the main unit, without need for a detrimental detour As a comparison, I put in a part that was at −105 dB and This is what making, recording, and mixing music is all
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down a long remote cable. did a listening test, and you can hear the difference.” about. Put your left foot in.
54/Tape Op#103/Gear Reviews/
Moreover, I am convinced that because of the “feature” a little unsettling and rather odd, since I feel like resetting the main output to full volume. If you hold
Avocet 2’s superior clocking and signal path, my brain any power saving during this sleeping is completely either button down, phantom power is engaged for its
doesn’t have to work as hard, and therefore, listening overshadowed by the likelihood of cranking up the volume respective mic input. The rest of the front panel is
fatigue comes much later in the day. At the end of a recent of whatever is feeding the speakers during that second of occupied by the 1/4’’ headphone jack and status LEDs for
run of 10–12 hour days, I was still making good choices silence, only to experience a loud surprise when it wakes sample rate, link, and phantom power. That leaves plenty
in terms of balances and EQ — and even the end-of- up. Plus, there’s that moment of “huh, what’s going on?” of space devoted to each channel’s input knob and
session roughs sounded close to finished mixes. when switching over to them for the first time in a half associated 20-segment meter. The knobs are big, feel
Over time, I simply became addicted to the unit. The hour, and anything unexpected like that interrupts your solid, and offer just the right amount of resistance. The
result of all of this time, energy, and technical prowess is the mix flow, which ain’t good. peak-hold meters hang for a second at the highest point,
most beautifully transparent and detailed monitor controller Aside from that functional issue, I think this is a fine providing great ease in setting input volume. They are nice
I have ever heard. Both analog and digital sources are speaker. It’s more different sonically from the G2 than I enough that I wish they could be switched to output. The
rendered with extreme accuracy. Integration of the Avocet 2 thought it’d be. I find the G3 warmer in the top, that is to back is busier, with XLR mic inputs, 1/4’’ TRS line inputs,
has been a huge time saver, and its use has produced better say that I can hear more high-end detail on the G2. The and XLR line outputs. XLR jacks handle digital I/O,
results. At the end of the day, none of the tech specs matter G3 is also a little tubbier in the low and low-mids than the switchable between AES/EBU and S/PDIF formats. Analog
one bit. The Avocet 2 with its new and improved DAC sounds G2, which I already feel is a little on the boomy side. Even and digital I/O can be used simultaneously, for up to four
awesome. We are humans making music for humans (and after notching the LF adjustment down a couple of dB, the channels of audio between the UH-7000 and your chosen
maybe some plants too), and the tools that facilitate G3 still has an ample amount of low-mid info, at least DAW. There are no instrument-level DIs on the unit, and
emotional resonance and assist in translation of artistic living a foot from the back wall in my small mix room. As neither are there inserts.
intent are indispensable. If a new monitor controller is on for true low end, well, it is still just a 5’’ woofer, so if you The included Mixer Panel software is straightforward yet
your need-to-get or upgrade list, you would be doing really want to hear subs clearly, you’ll need a subwoofer — flexible, incorporating a three-tabbed UI. The Interface tab
yourself a serious disservice by not giving the Avocet 2 a or full-bandwidth headphones — but that’s the case with is for status and settings like driver version, sample rate,
serious look, and more importantly, listen. any speaker this size. As for the high end, even with the clock source, etc. The Mixer tab is for controlling the
($2,999 MSRP; www.cranesong.com) HF adjustment bumped up a dB, the G2 has a fair amount UH-7000’s onboard mixer. When set for the default
–Geoff Stanfield <www.geoffstanfield.com> more sizzle, and I consider it to be dark speaker! Multitrack Mode, it offers mixing of input signals to the
KRK The takeaway is that the Rokit 5 G3 is really quite good
for its extremely low price tag of $300 per pair. I’ve grown
DAW, routing of input and DAW signals to the outputs, and
a cross-fader for low-latency monitoring. You can choose
Rokit 5 G3 active monitor
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to like it more and more, as it burns in and I get used to either the mic preamp or the line input for each analog input
Anyone who has read my previous reviews may know its sound. I think I’ll hold on to my G2 pair for now, but channel. The digital channels can be mixed and routed
that two years ago, I left the comfort of my trusted that has as much to do with familiarity as anything else. separately from the analog channels. Plus, the mixer has
Oakland studio to start mixing primarily in my The G3 is warmer and “rounder,” and therefore may sound access to four virtual output channels from the DAW.
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apartment in Brooklyn. I started working right away better to some users, but I would definitely recommend Switching to Stereo Mode simplifies everything, mixing
with the speakers I happened to have with me — Rokit coupling them (as with any small, affordable monitor) everything into a single stereo track that goes to the DAW
5 G2 monitors — planning on upgrading them as soon with some headphones that have both frequency extremes and all of the UH-7000’s outputs simultaneously. The Effects
as I got settled. I immediately (and surprisingly) felt
very comfortable mixing on them, and managed to
eventually completely forget that I wasn’t supposed to
use “cheap” speakers for professional mixing. Since
sibilance are both kept in check.
($149.50 street each; www.krksys.com)
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better covered (I rely heavily on my Audio-Technica
ATH-M50 [Tape Op #63]), to make sure your subs and
tab is for the built-in effects. The usual suspects are
available, including various dynamics, EQ, and reverb
effects. I found the latter most useful, allowing the artist to
hear reverb in the monitor mix without having to commit
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then, I have auditioned about six or seven similarly- –Eli Crews <www.elicrews.com> reverb to the DAW recording.
sized speakers of very varying prices, and the Rokit 5 G2
has held its own quite nicely, even against speakers TASCAM When I first listened to the UH-7000 during playback
of a song I was almost finished mixing, the first thing that
three times its price. The most recent audition was for UH-7000 mic preamp jumped out at me was the vocals, and I immediately felt
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the next generation Rokit 5 G3. & USB interface that they could use a touch more reverb. I could hear just
Physically not a whole lot changed from G2 to G3; it Instead of offering eight or more inputs loaded with mic that much deeper and cleaner into the song. At home, I
still has the telltale yellow glass-aramid composite woofer preamps in a never-ending quest for bang-for-buck, some use a long-in-the-tooth but still useful TC Electronic
cone, 1’’ soft-dome tweeter, and slotted bass port on the companies are designing two-channel units that put the Studio Konnekt 48. It delivers excellent sound for a home
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bottom of the face. The outline of the box changed a bit, emphasis on quality rather than quantity. Such is the latest studio, and I never experienced any problems transferring
becoming slightly less rounded and more angular, with a USB interface from TASCAM for both Mac and PC. The projects between home and studio. The difference in
trapezoidal bevel defining the shape of the faceplate. The UH-7000 costs about the same as a mid-priced multi–in/out conversion quality between the TC and the TASCAM is
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back is also mostly unchanged, with the same I/O interface, but its analog I/O is limited to two channels, with obvious to the trained ear. The TASCAM’s capture is a little
(balanced XLR and TRS, plus unbalanced RCA), and the two built-in mic preamps. It’s capable of 24-bit, 192 kHz deeper and more distinct, so the edges of the sound,
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same two controls the G2 had (volume as well as HF level operation, and TASCAM has done a bang-up job of making especially distorted guitars and such, are smoother and
adjustment), plus one more — a LF level adjustment with this a high-end unit with premium sound. more realistic. The UH-7000’s preamp is an even bigger
four positions (−2, −1, 0, and +2 dB). I’m glad the G3 has The UH-7000 is a 2RU-height, half-rack unit, but it is step up in quality. Although transformerless (like just
the extra control, and I’ll tell you why in just a moment. made for tabletop use, with feet and no rack ears. about every other built-in preamp design), it’s smoother,
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The first thing I encountered after plugging the Rokit 5 Connection to computer is via USB 2.0. The drivers and with no hint of the graininess found in the TC and most
G3s into my speaker-switching matrix was that I thought firmware should be checked, downloaded, and installed interface preamps I’ve tried. It even holds its own against
they had arrived DOA. No sound came immediately out of before firing up the unit. Installation, including new standalone preamps like my Rupert Neve Designs Portico
them, although the logo on the front was glowing, and I II [Tape Op #82] and Warm Audio units [#91, #97] at
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full-color audio blazing through the G3s. It turns out that the left button, the UH-7000’s Mixer Panel application as Neve’s, and its highs aren’t as sweet as API’s — but I
the Rokit 5 G3 goes into an “Auto-Standby” mode when it opens up on your computer, while the right-hand button wouldn’t hesitate to use it alongside these for its clear
hasn’t been fed any audio for thirty minutes, unlike any toggles the link state of the output volume knob. Link image and full lows. The only thing I wanted was inserts
other studio monitor I have come across in my 17-plus controls the headphone and main volume together, while for the TASCAM preamps so I could use analog compressors
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years of hanging around pro-audio equipment. I find this unlink, no surprise, gives control of only the headphone, going in. John Painter at The Kitchen thought that the
Gear Reviews/(continued on page 50)/Tape Op#103/55
UH-7000 was a steal just for its preamps. Importantly,
the UH-7000 doesn’t offer direct outs for the preamps, Graefe Designs
so our preamp evaluation required both A/D and D/A TruTone Head
conversion for the TASCAM, which makes for quite a We’ve all seen photos of studios that own a wall of guitar tube
compliment on both the TASCAM preamp and heads. Certainly, having a dozen or more amps to choose from
conversion! might be ideal, but the total cost can be prohibitive for a studio
TASCAM has hit a sweet spot with its UH-7000 — owner. After all, when top-shelf heads cost several thousand
great converters, mic preamps that can play with the dollars each, you can buy an amp farm — or a lot of recording
big boys without being sent home crying, and a price gear. With that in mind, I’ve been trying to build a small
the working stiff can actually justify. For the collection of very flexible recording amplifiers. While discussing
singer/songwriter, DJ, location recordist, or in-the-box maintenance on our Sony console with Tom Graefe, I learned that
musician, the UH-7000 delivers a step up in sound he was about to market his hand-built guitar amps. Graefe spent
quality from the usual fare. And with its digital I/O, you years working for MCI/Sony in their Florida facility. In Electrical
can integrate its premium mic preamps and converters Engineering circles, he is known for his high headroom, high
with a multichannel interface that you already own. signal-to-noise ratio designs. While I am very familiar with tube
($599.95 street; www.tascam.com) amp designs and features, I wanted to give the Graefe TruTone
–Alan Tubbs <www.bnoir-film.com> Head a deep review. I enlisted Dave Cerminara. When he’s not
Massey Plugins touring as the lead guitarist for Legs Like Tree Trunks, Dave does
a lot of engineering work. Having someone who plays and records
THC Distortion Stompbox plug-in full time seemed to be the right call for a piece of gear like this.
The Massey THC (Total Harmonic Corruption) plug- –Garrett Haines <www.treelady.com>
in is a no-nonsense analog-modeled distortion The Graefe TruTone is an all-tube 50 watt unit available as a
“stompbox.” THC has the same familiar controls — head or in a 1x12 Combo configuration. Powered by a pair of
drive, filter (tone), and level — that you’d find on your EL34s, the TruTone offers the front end of two classic guitar
average overdrive or distortion pedal. But that’s where amplifiers — a Fender Twin Reverb and a Marshall JCM800, labeled
the similarities end. THC really does sound like it’s “USA” and “British Voice” respectively. The Twin setting exhibits
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“corrupting” the signal — walking the line between the same rich low end and full-bodied response as the original,
digital clipping and something from a Van Halen with plenty of headroom before breakup and a clean top end. The
album. I’ve used at least a dozen different distortion Marshall side rolls off some of that low end and instead presents
plug-ins, and this one is definitely a bit different. Let’s a tighter, more defined midrange, especially in higher gain
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get one thing out of the way; I’m not suggesting that scenarios. This attenuated low end is super beneficial when
you try any type of distortion plug-in in place of a tube pushing the amp into extreme distortion as it sits nicely above my
amp, but there are plenty of other uses for such a kick and bass without having to reach for an EQ. It also sounds
handy little noise-maker. much more natural than simply turning the bass knob down.
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On a parallel drum bus, THC delivers instant
intensity. It’s gritty and blown out, and the filter
throttles the cymbals that typically become harsh when
The rest of the TruTone’s front panel is deceptively simple with
all the standard amp controls — gain, master, treble, middle, bass,
and presence — but there’s a “Mo Bass” feature which I’ll get to
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distorted. Particularly on room mics, this thing can get in a second. Gain and master controls work in tangent as is to be
nasty, in a good way — and in a hurry. I recently was expected — gain down, master up for clean, and vice versa for
given a song to mix in which one of the guitar tones overdrive. Unlike other amps, however, the TruTone responds to
was flubby and weak, so I cranked up THC and blended pick control and heavy/light handedness, meaning that even with
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it in to add some bite. As long as you’re not shooting gains all at 11, the amp goes crystal clean when given softer
for a B.B. King tone, THC can come in handy. When used plucks (you can see a demonstration of this feature at the Graefe
on vocals, THC renders them immediately ready for hip Designs website). This not only makes the amp a pleasure to play
beer commercials, so long as you add some slap back. but also makes the lack of a footswitch or channel selector a
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However, of all of the scenarios that I tried, my favorite complete nonissue. Also worth noting here is the amp’s remarkable
was adding THC to reverbs and delays to make them less signal-to-noise ratio, even at these most extreme settings.
digital and soft sounding. Even turning up the drive Somewhat hidden is the unlabeled push/pull feature on the
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5–10% and then low-pass filtering down to 5 kHz can gain control for more drive. The added gain stage tastefully
make your generic “Hall 1” preset sound useful. For boosts the amount of distortion without going into unusable
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instance, on a recent mix, I was having trouble making sizzle-crunch like certain hi-gain heads love to do. More
a slap-delay plug-in sit in a track that was dark and mid- importantly, pulling the gain maintains the overall balance and
heavy, but THC provided some overdrive and helped to character of the selected amp voicing; it extends the overdrive
bring the delay onto the same plane as the dirty vocal without adding a nasty midrange bump or rolling off more lows.
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track. It’s also important to note that if you’re using Between the two input voices and added gain stage, the TruTone
AAX plug-ins, THC features a wet/dry knob for even offers an incredible range of options, not to mention the tone
more flexibility. controls are some of the most responsive I’ve encountered.
All of these scenarios involve using THC as a Now back to the Mo Bass control, which doesn’t add some
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mixing tool, but if you find yourself doing lots of ear- incredible low end, but instead tightens the top end and adds
candy production, distorting intros or breakdowns, or unreal articulation to even the most overdriven setting.
are just looking to upgrade from using amp- Initially, I assumed this was some kind of built-in parallel
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simulators to dirty up your tracks, download the demo compressor as it accentuated pluck in a similar way to, say, a
of THC and try it out for yourself. Barber Tone Press, but Mr. Graefe clarified that the control
($69 direct; www.masseyplugins.com) actually handles negative feedback at lower frequencies, thus
–Dave Hidek <dave@treelady.com> allowing for more controlled lows and tighter highs. This is not
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Moog
Minifooger analog effects pedals
Moog Music has been making big, sophisticated pedals — Moogerfoogers — since 1997.
They’re amazing pedals with lots of synth-inspired modulation features, but they’re pretty
expensive and are too complex for my puny brain. For me, Moog’s new stripped-down
Minifooger pedal line is more like it. Compared to their older siblings, the Minifoogers are
smaller, simpler, and less expensive. They feel more like traditional guitar pedals, and the
effects themselves are more traditional guitar effects: boost, distortion, delay, tremolo, and
ring modulation. But the features and sounds are still clearly Moog. Each pedal includes an
expression pedal input, and the controls on each pedal are very interactive.
For the past few months, I’ve been working on an LP for Sie Lieben Maschinen — old-
school post-punk jams. Bassist/guitarist/main-dude Josh Newton lives on the other side of
the country, and he’s been tracking straight into Logic using amp simulators, then sending me
his DI tracks to re-amp. So I’ve done tons of re-amping lately, which has been educational and
super fun. With good performances already tracked, I can take my time and experiment with
pedals, amps, and mics. If you haven’t ever done this, get a re-amp box and do it! You’ll find
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yourself hearing things you never have time to hear in the heat of a normal session. Anyway,
over the course of this record, I found myself using the MF Delay and MF Trem all over the
place. The MF Delay is just fantastic — dark and crunchy. It can do 700 ms of bucket-brigade
delay, and it has a great-sounding pre-delay distortion that’s controllable via the Drive knob.
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Buy this pedal. The MF Trem is another winner. I have a few solid tremolo options in my
studio — a silverface Fender Twin, a ‘60s Ampeg Jet, a Boss TR-2 — and the Moog is a very
different beast than all of them. The MF Trem wave-shapes are complex, weird things; and at
some settings, the tremolo effect creates enough phasing to get into rotary-speaker territory.
My Boss TR-2 sounds boring and pedestrian in comparison, and the MF Trem has gotten lots
of use on the SLM songs.
I also used the MF Drive on a number of sessions. Distortion pedals are funny — there
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are millions of them, they’re hard to describe, and sometimes one is the right thing and
sometimes it isn’t. The MF Drive is a thick, nice sounding overdrive that’s flexible and works
well on a number of different sources. It includes a resonant low-pass filter, which seems like
a cool Moog-ish feature, but in actuality, the LPF didn’t do much for me. The resonance is
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pretty mild and I wasn’t able to get sick filter-sweeps out of it. I need to spend some time
controlling the cutoff with an expression pedal to see if I like it that way. Anyway, as a
distortion pedal, it’s cool. It made the cut on a number of Sie Lieben Maschinen guitar tracks,
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but my favorite use of this pedal was on vocals. I’ve been trying to get “out of the box” more
by running pedals as insert effects — send the recorded track to a re-amp box, then into
some pedals, then back into the computer via a DI. Recently, I mixed a steamroller of a
sludge/noise EP for North Carolina’s Power Take-Off. Gus’s vocals are an intense shout/spoken
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thing, and I spent a good hour or two hunting for the right vocal chain. I ended up with the
MF Drive into the MF Delay. The MF Drive sounded gnarly and interesting without being wooly,
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and the MF Delay sounded great while I torqued on its knobs as the re-recorded vocal take
went back into the box. Awesome!
Because I’m not a fan of ring-modulation effects in general, I spent the least amount of
time with the MF Ring. But I do want to mention that the MF Ring has an expression pedal
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control over rate — which lets a player find useful modulation spots while playing. [Even if
you’re not a ring-mod fan, Moog suggests trying the MF Ring on sources that you might not
consider initially, like snare and kick drum. –AH]
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Yes, I took a few Minifoogers to band practice too, but this is a recording magazine, right?
Here’s the takeaway from band practice: the other guitar player in my band is buying an MF Delay.
Like other Moog products, the Minifoogers carry a two-year warranty (when registered)
and are built in the Moog factory in the U.S. Of course, nowadays there is no shortage of
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innovative boutique pedals at this price point, but Moog has done a great job with these
pedals. They sound great, and they’re fun to dial in. The MF Delay and MF Trem in particular
are clear winners.
(MF Boost $139 street, MF Drive $169, MF Ring $149, MF Delay $199, MF Trem $179, EP-3
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impressive, but when you turn it on, you are treated to distorted sound, so I really cranked it up. I had Michael
even more of that gut feeling that the box has mojo. sing into a Placid Audio Copperphone mic [#85] at the
You can totally hear and feel the current humming, and same time and mixed the two mics together. After
the front panel has a beautiful back light that comes doubling the vocal take, it was the best vocal sound
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up slowly. The mechanical hum may be concerning to Michael said he’s ever gotten for himself, and I was
some who plan to put the unit in the live room with equally impressed. I think the 363 has a lot of potential
active mics, but in practice, I did not find it to be a as a mic preamp with all its tube/transformer beefiness,
problem. Jon explained that he’s switching to a custom
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toroidal power transformer that has no audible
mechanical noise on all units moving forward.
I hit the ground running by giving the 363 a go on a
EQ, and input/output gain.
A bunch of freelancers work out of Rarefied, and
they were eager to try the unit out too. Dan Maier (who
has recorded a lot of heavy bands like The Locust) had
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Jerry Jones Bass6 for the band Feathers (Home Tapes). this to say: “The 363 is perhaps the most versatile tube
Since I also have an A-Designs REDDI [Tape Op #53], it DI on the market. While recording a vintage P-Bass, I
was only natural to start with a quick comparison. The found that overdriving the input produced a very
REDDI is a great tube DI, and I and other engineers musical distortion.”
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who’ve worked at Rarefied have gotten great sounds from Additionally, visiting engineer Mario Quintero offered
it. So in no way was the REDDI sounding bad in up this review after using it for bluesy rockers, Spero: “I
comparison to the 363. However, the added feature set of love it! One of the fullest DIs I’ve ever used. The EQ is
the 363 really set it apart and gave it a clear edge over really useful and helps clear up the top and high-mid
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the REDDI in this instance. Both units go after that while bringing out the ‘fat,’ without sounding flubby or
classic and sought-after Ampeg B-15N sound, and having farty. I even used it on clean guitar and loved it.”
one of those too, I can tell you that both DIs have it, but Finally, Mike Butler, from the fantastic San Diego
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one annoying thing about the REDDI is that the output studio The Lost Ark, had two units over at his place and
is often not hot enough, which leaves you needing to put tried some unusual things with them: “One of the most
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it into another amplification stage. The 363 does not interesting things for me was actually strapping a pair of
suffer from this problem. Another note of contrast is that 363s across the stereo bus while we were tracking. I
the REDDI basically just has one sound. With only one really didn’t know what to expect, but man, it sounded
gain knob and no EQ, there’s not much you can do to dial killer. It was surprisingly clean and subtle at low gain
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in the desired tone within the unit itself, often leading levels, but it imparted a really nice depth to the sound.
me to use an EQ after it. The 363’s built-in EQ is great. It When pushing the gain a bit, you get some nice
gives you options to really fatten things up on the low saturation and harmonics. As expected, when pushed too
end and tweak the high end to taste. I found the
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hard, the mix got a bit mushy, but there was definitely a
frequency selection by Jon to be excellent. Having control sweet spot that would be cool with the right track.”
over input and output level also lets you drive the unit Surprise, surprise — this demo unit is not going
into saturation while not overloading the next stage. back to Tonecraft.
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Now comes the bit about the dual outputs. I am a ($1250 MSRP; www.tonecraftaudio.com)
big fan of parallel compression for bass because it allows –Roy Silverstein <www.rarefiedrecording.com>
the punch to be retained while simultaneously
smoothing out the playing and generally filling in the
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sound. While it’s not a big deal to use a mult to split the
58/Tape Op#103/Gear Reviews/(continued on page 60)
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hear it in action, you’ll understand how useful that kind of around VCAs, the two compressors have completely different
design can be. sounds — that is to say, the C1LA has much more of one. I
AH: That’s three sentences, not two; and you originally can really hear it working, in a way that I like, to give the mix
gave me four. a “tougher” sound. If loud rock is your bag, you may or may
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Eli Crews: I have long been a fan of Dangerous Music’s not find the Dangerous too transparent for your tastes.
excellent product line, so I was intrigued when I saw the None of that is to say that the Dangerous Compressor is a
Dangerous Compressor come to market. With its mastering one-trick pony. In fact, it’s extremely versatile, with the ability
product pedigree, I had a feeling it was going to excel in
2-bus duties. il
Physically, the Dangerous Compressor is sleek and
compelling — a marriage of modern and classic aesthetics. The
to tailor the sidechain via Bass Cut and Sibilance Boost buttons,
as well as XLR inserts for external sidechain processing if you
need more precise EQ’ing or filtering of your control signal.
There is a Smart Dynamics switch, which I found myself
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black faceplate is accented by variously colored, self-lighting leaving on all the time. Apparently, it allows the detection
pushbuttons and large edgewise meters (think Neve 2254 or circuit to address peaks and averages independently, assigning
API 525), and you’ve got your standard compressor controls on a specific slope for each, which definitely sounds pretty smart.
large, machined aluminum knobs. Tactilely, I find the buttons There’s also a Soft Knee switch, as well as a switch for keeping
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and knobs on the Dangerous pleasant and easy to use. My only attack and release values automatic or giving yourself manual
reservations about the functionality of the controls have to do control over them. Finally, there’s a Stereo button, which gangs
with recall. I was frankly surprised that the Gain, Threshold, the Threshold and Gain knobs of the left channel to control
Attack, and Release controls aren’t stepped or detented. (The both sides. I found the Stereo setting way, way more useful
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Ratio control is stepped, with eight positions between 1:1 and than on most stereo compressors, since it still uses the
20:1.) In addition, the orange-on-black color scheme and independent left and right signals to trigger the compression.
backlit buttons don’t easily photograph with a phone, which is This means that mixes through the Dangerous Compressor
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my preferred recall method for my stereo-bus processors these won’t suffer from over-compression of centered elements and
days. This is a unit better documented the old-fashioned way, under-compression of panned or out-of-phase ones, which is
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with a template or simple o’clock settings. often the case with stereo compressors that use a single shared
AH: I spoke to Dangerous Music’s Bob Muller about recall, detector. Moreover, the dual-detector scheme is also better
and his explanation was enlightening: suited for mid/side processing if that’s how you’ve set up your
“With an analog stepped attenuator, you can have a mix bus. (The Dangerous doesn’t have a built-in M/S matrix
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maximum of 23 positions, which would not allow fine enough itself.) Interestingly, the Attack and Release controls remain
steps and would limit the versatility of the unit. I think we independent in stereo mode, giving you finer control of
have all felt the frustration of ‘one click is not enough, but 2 transients that are panned (or allowing you to adjust the
is too much’ — especially in the sensitive realms like dynamics differently for mid/side).
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threshold, attack, release, and make-up gain. We looked at the GH: After going through a range of uses, I focused on two
‘quasi-stepped’ method employed by some manufacturers of areas: using the Dangerous Compressor to smooth out uneven
using a regular potentiometer with a toothed plastic ring mixes, and adding punch to slightly dull tracks.
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underneath, but we didn’t like the feel at all, and the For smoothing, I found that the auto attack and release
repeatability when measured is sometimes not all that precise. did a nice job either as a starting point or a final setting. I’m
“We opted for the middle road, which was to gang Gain and normally skeptical about auto settings, but whatever
Threshold while in stereo mode so that both channels track Dangerous did under the hood made sense to my ears. This is a
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sound actually worked quite well to even out the elements The WA76 follows the original 1176’s design very closely,
of the kit, and never got overly harsh on the cymbals. Fine- even sourcing the original input and output transformers
tuning the attack allowed me to find the perfect balance of from CineMag. So the form factor and the critical elements
impact versus ambience. Again, I have other compressors resemble the original as closely as possible with two minor
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that can get a much more extreme sound; if the Dangerous changes. First, the attack knob on the original had an “off”
has a fault here, it’s only that it remains fully musical even position that allowed the unit to be run as a line amp
when pushed hard. I know that doesn’t sound like a fault — without any compression. The WA76 loses this feature, but
it only is to somebody that sometimes likes their gear to you can still bypass the compressor by simply deselecting all
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crumble a bit under pressure. But at the end of the day, I
found many ways of using the Dangerous on single elements
that sounded great to me.
the ratio buttons. Second, like the original, the WA76
provides tons of gain (over 50 dB), but the WA76 provides
an input pad switch (−23 dB) that effectively allows more
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The takeaway here is that the Dangerous Compressor is control over the amount of compression, which I find
an excellent product at a fair price, especially for a device in especially helpful when used with modern mic preamps that
its class. Its versatility and sonic stealth should make it very don’t provide an output trim.
attractive to anybody looking for an alternative to their The controls of the WA76 resemble those of the original
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current 2-bus squeezer, or for two more independent with input gain, output gain, attack, and release knobs, as
channels of tracking or mix compression. I put it squarely in well as pushbutton selectors for ratio and metering
the category of “does its job without calling much attention functions. Also like the original, the attack and release
to itself,” which every serious studio should certainly have times range from crazy fast to moderately fast: 20 to
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as an option. Even if you think of yourself as somebody who 800 microsecond attack times, and 50 millisecond to
favors compressors with a sound, I’d recommend checking 1 second release times. Interestingly, the input knob is
out the Dangerous to see if it can fill a hole in your finely detented, but the output knob turns smoothly.
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toolbox — perhaps one you didn’t even realize was there. Ratios can be set at 4:1, 8:1, 12:1 or 20:1, and the “all
Greg Calbi: The Dangerous Compressor was sent into my buttons in” mode also works. Threshold varies
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studio early this year for a demo, and I never let it leave my automatically with ratio, and the input control determines
studio after hearing what it could do. The most remarkable the drive into the compressor while the output control
feature is its uncanny ability to push the melodic elements provides makeup gain after the compressor. This is a
of the mix forward while maintaining all the separation in completely discrete circuit with a Class A output amplifier,
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the low end, which always seems to collapse when hitting and the unit’s noise floor stays very low with proper gain-
other stereo compressors. In my setup, the Smart Dynamics staging. Like the original, the illuminated VU meter can
button is in all the time, and it seems to enable me to get display gain reduction or output level referenced to either
just a little more level on my mastering for all those level- +4 or +8 dBm.
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hungry clients without sacrificing the sense of dynamics. In use, I found the overall compression to be slightly
Chris Muth should be congratulated on creating an essential more grabby than a very good example of an original
tool for my mastering projects. Revision D, which seemed to have a slightly softer knee —
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($2,799 street; www.dangerousmusic.com) possibly due to aging components. The WA76, however,
–Eli Crews <www.elicrews.com>, provided a subtle but very nice low-mid push which helped
Garrett Haines <www.treelady.com>, vocals and bass come forward in a mix. I attribute the
Greg Calbi <www.sterling-sound.com> sonic color mainly to the CineMag transformers, which
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Exponential Audio
upper frequencies that seem impossibly hard to dial out. This
characteristic appears to be the result of the Chinese-made
R2 Stereo reverb plug-in capsule used in the stock CV4, which makes this a prime
I’ve been on a mission over the last seven or eight years to candidate for a mod.
find a reverb plug-in that fills the void left by not being able Shannon Rhoades might be a name that is unfamiliar to
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to place a microphone, say, 5–20 ft away from a source. I’ve some, but he is definitely the real deal. Shannon is the force
used just about every big-time reverb plug-in out there, and behind MicRehab, an independent upstart specializing in
while some are better than others in terms of “believability,” modding, reskinning, and restoring mics of all brands and
I’d easily place Exponential Audio’s R2 Stereo in a first-place tie varieties, from vintage to modern-day models. Before
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atop my list. MicRehab, Shannon worked with his brother Tracy Korby (Korby
After a few days of using it, and being continuously Audio Technologies) building and repairing new and vintage
baffled by how good it sounded, I reached out to its microphones. The brothers then moved to Nashville to maintain
developer, Michael Carnes (whose name you may recognize Blackbird Studio’s vast vintage mic collection. While at
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from his many years at Lexicon as principal engineer), for
some enlightenment. His response helped me to put some
pieces together: “Many earlier classic reverbs had all sorts of
Blackbird, Shannon also spent four years helping to launch
Miktek, where he became intimately familiar with the CV4.
After leaving Miktek, Shannon took over mic managing duties
from his brother at Blackbird and began his own venture,
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noticeable modulation. This was originally done because the
modulation helped break up room modes. It wasn’t natural, MicRehab. Needless to say, his credentials speak volumes.
and no modern reverbs use those techniques any longer. But So what does Shannon’s mod entail? The bulk of the mod
it turns out that a lot of people liked the sound of the comes from replacing the stock Chinese capsule with a custom
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modulation. So I wanted a reverb where that could be an sputtered gold (or nickel), 3 micron (and in some cases
artistic component rather than a technical workaround.” 1 micron!) mylar capsule. This is what makes Shannon stand
With that information in mind, I dug a little deeper into R2 out among the rest. There are probably less than a handful of
to see what it was made of. One reverb litmus test of mine is people in the country that sputter their own capsules, let alone
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the quality of the plate setting. To me, a boring plate is just... with the degree of craftsmanship that Shannon brings. I
well, boring. Much like I do with Pad Thai or Mattar Paneer, I suspect there are other components of the mic that Shannon
find myself keeping mental notes on my favorite plates, and mods (backplate, capacitors, etc.), but he is keeping a tight lid
on his proprietary “secret recipe” — at least for now.
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R2’s was again among the most musical that I’d ever used. (It
should be noted that R2 offers a very extensive library of After receiving my CV4 back from Shannon, I was eager to
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presets to choose from, as well as several variations of those get a session underway, and thankfully, my client was willing
presets depending on what you’re looking for.) to let me have some fun with the new CV4 on a tracking
Allow me to explain. There are two key factors that have session. We recorded both electric and acoustic guitars, as well
made me abandon most of my other reverb plug-ins for R2. as male vocals (brooding, indie-pop). The signal chain was
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First, the reverb tail is full of motion and grit, so it doesn’t relatively simple: CV4 to one of two preamps — EZ1290 (a DIY
sound like an algorithm or convolution. Don’t get me wrong, Neve 1290/1073 preamp replica) or CAPI VP28 [Tape Op
it’d probably lose in a shootout with a real EMT 140, but most #95] — captured through a UAD Apollo [#95], and monitored
of us don’t have one of those lying around. The thing with most on a pair of Spiral Groove Studio One speakers (in a well-treated
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digital reverbs is that they sound “soft” to me, as if they don’t control room). Tracking electric guitars proved to be somewhat
contain quite the level of sonic interest that occurs when underwhelming. I think I would have preferred a
recording actual ambience or using a physical spring or plate. ribbon/dynamic combo in this case; however, switching over to
acoustic brought the smile back. The CV4/VP28 combo was just
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(Modification of customer’s mic $800; likely due to the construction of the pickup, which is linear
www.micrehab.com) as opposed to omnidirectional. In other words, the part
–Adam Monk <indiehouserecording@gmail.com> that presses against the guitar picks up sound, but the
Ehrlund Microphones opposite end does not.
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It’s pricey and quirky (did I mention the putty?), so it
Ehrlund EAP won’t be for everyone, but singer-songwriters and
Acoustic Pickup System recordists who want to bolster the sound in a low-profile
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When I record acoustic guitars, I use a mic. A real one.
Mainly mono, but sometimes stereo — especially if it’s a
one-voice, one-guitar recording — but definitely a mic;
no pickup transducers for me thank you. Why? Because I
way will like this innovative device. The preamp features
1/4’’ I/O, volume control, and a polarity switch to help
eliminate feedback. A high-to-low switch adjusts the
input signal, as the low level is recommended for acoustic
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don’t like the quack attack — the poultry-like sound bass. The preamp is powered by an included 9V battery.
emissions that emanate from acoustic pickups, especially ($599 street; www.ehrlund.se)
the under-the-saddle kind. I don’t want that sound on a –Mike Jasper <biz@deceptivesound.com>
recording track.
EVE AUDIO
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instrument in the band anyway. If it’s a singer- fairly religiously for the past seven years or so, I became
songwriter situation — one vocal and one guitar — I’m quite interested when I heard that the former CEO of
still going to use a transducer because the mic sound on ADAM Audio had started a new speaker company, called
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acoustic instruments isn’t always practical in the EVE Audio. It turns out that the ADAM and EVE speaker
onstage environment. lines have pretty much one thing in common — pleated-
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But what if you could get both? What if you could get diaphragm tweeters based on Dr. Oskar Heil’s Air Motion
the pure mic sound along with the freedom and Transformer — but the similarities seem to stop there.
convenience of an acoustic pickup? That’s what Ehrlund Roland Stenz, the aforementioned CEO, is apparently on
Microphones is proposing with its EAP acoustic pickup a mission to perfect monitor design. As such, the EVE line
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system. The system includes a triangular shaped is a departure from ADAM, and it’s full of innovations
transducer that’s placed on the acoustic instrument — intended to contribute flatter, clearer monitoring to the
guitar, mandolin, standup bass, whatever — using average engineer’s meter bridge or desktop.
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adhesive paste and then connected to the EAP preamp. The first such innovation worth mentioning is that all
That preamp feeds from a TRS cable to a PA, acoustic amp, control of the speaker’s filtering, equalization, and
or recording input — and voila. You’ve got the best of volume is accomplished via DSP. Yes, that D in there is
both worlds. for Digital, so it means that all the audio coming out of
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I gave it a try the other night on a recommendation the speakers has gone through an extra A/D stage after
from a friend. He knows I’m big on recording acoustic leaving your mixing desk or converters. I’m happy to
singer-songwriters, and I know that almost all of them report that I didn’t realize this until I had already been
prefer to play and sing at the same time. Could the using the SC205 monitors for a while, so I didn’t
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Ehrlund be the answer? I set up a test using my Collings approach them with an analog-only bias. This helped
66/Tape Op#103/Gear Reviews/(continued on page 68)
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whatever small cost there may be of A/D conversion bypasses the 80 Hz high-pass filter to the mains, as it
totally worth it. Other DSP duties include high-shelf should), adjust the subwoofer’s relative volume, and
(above 3 kHz) and low-shelf (below 300 Hz) cut/boost change the corner frequency of the subwoofer’s low-
capabilities, as well as a “Desk Filter” adjustment, which pass filter (in seven steps between 60 Hz and 140 Hz).
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either cuts 180 Hz or boosts 80 Hz. All of these filters A dedicated LFE input as well as a 300 Hz LFE filter
have a maximum boost of 3 dB and a maximum cut of mode allows you to use this subwoofer in a true 2.1
-5 dB, in 0.5 dB increments. I kept the speakers flat configuration. Of course, it took some futzing with
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throughout my testing period, and never felt the need
for filter adjustments, although it’s nice to have the
option when necessary.
I guess that means I thought the speakers
position, polarity, subwoofer level, and LPF frequency to
find a place where I felt that the TS107 was helping and
not hurting my mixes, but it feels dialed now. Now when
I bypass the subwoofer, which I often do to make sure
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sounded pretty good right out of the box. I love the the low end also feels right on the small speakers alone,
smoothness of the SC205’s Air Motion Transformer I really miss it.
tweeter. (The AMT is commonly referred to as a “folded In general, I find judging speakers a really difficult
ribbon tweeter,” but it works quite differently from a task, since what “sounds good” is so relative, and can
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standard ribbon driver, and it has many advantages even shift over time. That being said, after a couple of
over a linear ribbon transducer. I encourage you to months of use, I still really like the way the SC205
refer to the Internet if you’d like to know more speakers sound, and working on them every day makes
specifics about the technology.) As for the upper me happy. I appreciate that mixes done on them
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midrange on the EVE, I found it robust enough to translate well, and I also enjoy listening to my favorite
judge what’s happening in that range, but easy to records through them. For me personally, in my small
listen to for hours at a time. I tend to rely on home mix room, they completely deliver, and even
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headphones for the final checking of sibilance, and more so when coupled with the TS107 subwoofer. I
cymbal and guitar harshness, but that’s the case no purchased this set of speakers, and I plan on
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matter which speakers I use. Even though my current auditioning the bigger models in a few months when
mix room is quite small, and I’ve had issues with other I’m setting up the control rooms of our forthcoming
similar-sized speakers getting boomy in the low Brooklyn studio Figure 8, so I would call that a
midrange due to proximity to the back wall, the SC205 definite thumbs-up.
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sounds much flatter and truer in that range, even (SC205 $599 street each, TS107 $599; www.eve-
without any equalization. I attribute this fact to a audio.com)
critical difference from ADAM speakers, which is that –Eli Crews <www.elicrews.com>
EVEs have their bass ports in the rear of the enclosure,
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mainframe out of the water with every benchmark possible. off by Reaktor’s GUI, as it felt very old-school and limited, nodes and patches to the Audulus forum and have helped shape
Moore’s law is crazy! I can’t imagine what that mainframe at whereas the Audulus GUI feels wide-open and built for the future. Audulus into what it is today. It’s this community involvement
Stanford cost! (Ironically, one of the computer music Okay, with all that context behind us, let’s start with a small that ensures that Audulus will continue to grow and expand.
compositions of that era by CCRMA Founding Director and FM sampling of what Audulus includes for building blocks or nodes, Me? I’m a lurker and tinkerer at best. As much as I’m
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synthesis inventor John Chowning was titled “Phoné.”) as they’re called in the application. Under the Synthesis group, fascinated with the promise of this technology, I’m too busy
So, what is Audulus? Audulus is a modular music synthesis there are many “standard” nodes, like Osc (a virtual analog working on this magazine and recording records to go back
and processing app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It can be likened oscillator that generates sine, triangle, square, and sawtooth and relearn how to code an FFT algorithm or make a wave-
to Turbosynth, the early Digidesign program, but it can also be waves), Noise, Sample (currently Mac only), ADSR, Filter, and
compared to music programming environments like Max, Csound,
and SuperCollider. Wikipedia has an excellent overview of this
concept <en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_audio_synthesis_
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many others. MIDI control can come from Trigger or Keyboard
nodes (and the latter can utilize both onscreen and external
inputs). Add, Sub, Mult, Sin, Mod, Random, and other Math
shaping module. Nonetheless, Audulus has become a unique
tool for me to use in the studio, and I’ve learned just enough
to modify patches and come up with some really uncommon
sounds and processors using it. I highly recommend Audulus
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environments> and lists some of the available software nodes implement mathematical functions. Seq16 is a 16-step for anyone wanting to dig into sound design and go beyond
environments. sequencer. And many more nodes are grouped under Utilities, punching presets.
Unlike a typical plug-in or virtual instrument that locks you Effects, Level, DSP, Mixer, Metering, and Switch. All can be ($14.99 for iPad/iPhone, $29.99 for Mac OS, in-app purchases
into whatever the programming team decided would work best routed together and combined into new nodes. For instance, extra; www.audulus.com) –JB
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type in a line of code to create a sine-wave oscillator: traditional coding approaches. With the Expr node, you can My head is spinning these days with all of the available
{ SinOsc.ar(440, 0, 0.2) }.play; type in textual mathmatic expressions, choosing from dozens options for the 500-series format. As a kid, Baskin-Robbins
Higher-level modular environments use graphic elements of functions and operators, to create a truly custom node — and their 31 flavors seemed overwhelming. Generally, I
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and pre-coded modules to do the same thing, so it’s much not unlike the algorithmic sound generation and composition stuck with what I knew was going to deliver. (Chocolate
easier to get started and create and process sounds than it is you can accomplish in Csound and SuperCollider. For instance, Peanut Butter, baby!) Why mess with a good thing? 500-
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with a code-based system like SuperCollider or Csound. The you can Google the formula for John Chowning’s FM synthesis series preamp modules are no different than all those
granddaddy of modular/GUI environments is Max, currently algorithm, and copy-and-paste that into Audulus, and you’ve flavors of ice cream, except that there are hundreds to
maintained and published by Cycling ‘74. It’s a mature, stable got a rudimentary FM synthesizer module ready to go. With a choose from, and the price tag for trying a new flavor is
environment, and it’s very powerful and versatile. There’s not little more work, you can implement the Karplus-Strong sometimes enough to put the brakes on. Often in pro
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much you can’t do with Max. But it costs $400 and won’t run plucked-string algorithm or digital waveguide synthesis. The audio, there is a direct correlation between price and
on an iPad. I’m pretty committed to the iPad as an instrument possibilities are endless. quality, but occasionally, a piece of gear comes along that
and synthesis environment, and $400 was a bit of a barrier for It’s pretty amazing to me how powerful this app is and how breaks that paradigm.
me as a “re-entry level” tinkerer getting back into software good it sounds. Compare this to the mainframe computer I used The Meris 440 is a 500-series mic preamp module made
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synthesis and coding. I looked pretty seriously at CSound and at CCRMA in 1983, or the Synclavier or Fairlight systems of the in Los Angeles that is marketed as “a best in class solution
SuperCollider, but ultimately, I liked the fact that Audulus was time, and it’s pretty great to think that this $15 app rivals for recording electric and acoustic guitar.” It boasts
graphical, affordable, and both iPad and Mac compatible. But, systems that used to cost more than a car or a down payment CineMag input and output transformers for “classic
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before I move on, I should point out that Audulus (or any on a house. American mic pre tone.” (You can read that as “sounds like
graphic interface) can be much more clunky than a code- As I mentioned in my intro, Audulus is capable of some an API.”) It also incorporates two hybrid-discrete op-amps,
based system. For instance, to create an additive synthesis pretty amazing music — beautiful music in my opinion. Jody one at the input transformer section and one driving the
module with 15 harmonics in SuperCollider, you need only Golick is one of the more active members of the Audulus output section. 60 dB of gain is available at the input
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these few lines of code: community, and some of his compositions (which you can stage, and the output trim goes from −27 dB to +12 dB.
70/Tape Op#103/Gear Reviews/(continued on page 72)
Gear Geeking w/ John…
A special installment featuring two guest editorials
from JB! –AH
I’m not much of a fan of software synths that work as DAW
plug-ins. I’ve tried virtual instruments from Arturia, UVI,
GForce, and others. They sound amazing, but in the end, I’ve
ended up spending real money on real instruments. For
instance, my GForce M-Tron [Tape Op #70] was replaced with
a Mellotron M4000D. Sonically, there’s really no big
difference — they’re both digital — but the M4000D gets
much more use because people enjoy playing it, even if it is
just a keyboard and circuit board in a big, white, wood box.
Since I’m in the business of engaging musicians and making
them feel creative, the M4000D wins hands-down over any
Mellotron plug-in. Similarly, iPad apps feel much different to
me than DAW plug-ins, for many reasons. First, I can plug in
a 1/8’’ cable and pass the iPad around the studio for the
musicians to play — a much different vibe from everyone
crowding around the computer to tweak a soft synth’s filter.
Second, it rarely crashes. Third, the touchscreen is much more
expressive than a keyboard, mouse, and MIDI controller. Apps
like Moog’s Animoog not only sound great but are extremely
expressive because they offer multi-gestural control. And,
they’re intuitive enough that novice users can quickly make
compelling sounds. Fourth, can you imagine having classic
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instruments like the Minimoog, Oberheim SEM, Fairlight CMI,
Korg Polysix, Roland Juno-106, EMS VCS 3, PPG Wave,
Yamaha DX7, and Akai MPC; great polysynths like Magellan
and Sunrizer; countless sample libraries inside IK Multimedia
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SampleTank; drum machines like DM1, Funkbox, and Boom
808, with just about every classic drum-machine sample
made; and a modular programming environment like
Audulus — all for less than $1000, including the iPad? The
fact that you can hold all this in your hand is pretty amazing
to me, but the bottom line is — unlike soft synths running
on a computer, the iPad feels like a musical instrument.
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As the publisher of a free magazine, I make sure we have
enough advertising revenue to write the sizable checks for
printing and postage. But I also deal with quite a bit of
editorial in the reviews. Most companies who advertise in
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Tape Op are so small (like us), that the same person who is
handling ads is also in charge of pitching products for review,
and in many cases, that same person will pick up a soldering
iron to build their products after we’re done talking on the
@h
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distorted. As the literature suggests, the tone was classic, and in this instance, totally in
your face. Cranking the input gain all the way on the module provided some pretty
undesirable harsh distortion, but dialing it back a touch provided excellent results and
lovely tone. For the sake of using the effects loop with another stompbox, I plugged in
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an MXR Carbon Copy, and it worked as advertised. The effect presented itself with slightly
more clarity. It isn’t necessarily “better” having effects post amp and mic, but the
difference is discernible, and I can see the option being useful. Since I had two 440
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modules at my disposal, I recorded a guitar track with two SM57s on the same amp into
the pair of preamps. One channel was clean, and the other had an old MXR Phase 100
through the effects loop. When I panned these hard left and right, I got a really
beautiful, lush spread, and the tone was right on the money.
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In order to record a vintage Fender P-Bass using the Meris 440’s effects return as a DI,
I had to fully crank the 440’s output to get an acceptable recording level, but the tone was
punchy and full spectrum, with a nicely-defined low end and clear top. The 440 paired well
with the Fender, and it brought home that classic midrange “nose” of the P-Bass. There was
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no level issue when I recorded a bass that had active electronics and higher output. In
general, what worked better for me when recording bass was to use a separate DI feeding
the standard XLR input on the back of the enclosing rack. This method allowed me to take
advantage of the 440’s input transformer and EQ section, and I was also able to get more
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Marshall JMP “Countryman.” It’s a beautiful sounding setup, but it can be “dark brown”
sounding — a good challenge for the 440. With the 80 Hz rolloff and 4 kHz boost engaged,
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the sound was way closer to “done” and had a nice midrange quality that was well balanced.
I also used the 440 paired with a Mojave Audio MA-200 condenser mic [Tape Op #55]
to record both baritone and standard acoustic guitars, and I found the tone to be
appropriately forward in the mids, with nice clarity and solid body. Meris notes that the
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200 Hz HPF would be useful for recording an overly boomy acoustic guitar, and if the filter
on the 440 was the only EQ you had available, it would certainly do the trick. The 80 Hz
setting was good for cutting low mud, and I used it more frequently than 200 Hz. The 4
and 7 kHz boosts were in my opinion subtle (you can read that as “hard to F&%$ up”), but
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they can add nice top presence, helping a guitar track be heard in a mix without increasing
the track’s level.
For a live stereo recording of two acoustic guitars and percussion using a pair of Schoeps
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CMC 6 mics with cardioid capsules, the Meris 440 also sounded solid. Using the 80 Hz HPF
and 4 kHz shelf, I found the sound to be very natural and the stereo image strong. The
combination of these mics and the Meris preamps provided a lovely tone that was spectrally
balanced with nice dimension. The tracks came out clear without being sterile, and had
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• Transformer balanced output: Perfect DI. (Max output level over +25 dBm.)
• Transformerless unbalanced output: Ideal for re-amplifying or inserting into an effects loop.
• Direct output (before gain controls): Boost classic guitar amp independently of DI output.
• High Gain switch: Selects between triode and beam tetrode tube operation.
• Pre and Post Gain controls: Adjust from clean to crunchy.
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Please Support Our Advertisers/Tape Op#103/73
The EQ on the 440 is far from surgical, and it doesn’t electric guitars become even more distorted. Working with
claim to be, but it may save you from using additional EQ such distorted signals was the only time I found the Q10
in the form of a plug-in or hardware, by applying a touch at all fatiguing. Ted Keffalo, President of Equator Audio,
of top and helping clean up the bottom where appropriate. explained, “It may be that what you’re hearing as
Keep in mind that the EQ section is located before the unnatural is the result of the Q10 using a real, high-
effects loop in the 440’s signal flow, so it’s not available frequency compression driver horn. A horn can tend to be
when using the module as a DI. aggressive-sounding, especially at a higher SPL. It is true
As I mentioned earlier, another fun job for the Meris that a silk tweeter is much easier for your ear to
440 is incorporating effects pedals during mixing. The accommodate. That’s one of the reasons we use silk
module’s usefulness is essentially doubled in this way, and tweeters on the D Series [Tape Op #88]. Of course, you
turning knobs on analog devices in real-time opens up can’t hit the same SPL with a silk tweeter.”
great creative opportunities for glorious sonic freak The Q10 reminded me that midfields can be impractical
“accidents.” For example, send your drum subgroup to a for some applications. First, a pair of Q10s is a lot harder
stereo aux fader in your DAW, and feed a pair of 440s. Plug to set up than nearfields. Positioning them on stands
in different fuzz pedals on each side, add a little behind a desk became a lot easier with two people
compression, and you’ve got yourself dinner! I love this involved, where I’m used to comfortably moving nearfields
stuff, and the fun is endless. myself. The Q10 is deep with a relatively small frontal
The Meris 440 is marketed as a go-to guitar preamp, surface — their coaxial design enables the front
but I found that it also sounded great on everything else dimensions to be only slightly larger than the 10’’ woofer.
I threw at it, including vocals, drums, and keys. Its Also, in our studio’s smaller control space, the Q10 pair
preamp is not a “new flavor,” but it is its own version of produced too much low end due to placement in the
API’s classic rock flavor. Even at a higher asking price, the corners of the room. Even with the exaggerated lows, my
440 would be a great addition to any 500-series rack, and studio partners (Jay Sherman-Godfrey and Joe McGinty),
it’s a downright bargain considering you get an effects who primarily use the smaller area, found the Q10s helpful
loop and built-in filters on top of the solid mic preamp. I in that space.
would recommend ordering a double scoop — a pair of A nice feature of the Q10 is the room compensation
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440s — for your rack. software for Mac and PC, which comes for free with the
($549 street; www.meris.us) speakers; it’s a bit like the algorithms in a dbx DriveRack.
–Geoff Stanfield <www.geoffstanfield.com> The software was slightly tricky to install, because it needs
Equator Audio several drivers in place first, even in Mac OS, and USB and
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network cables are needed to connect the speakers to the
Q10 active coaxial monitor computer and each other. Once the drivers were installed,
When I moved my mix setup out of my living room and it was quick and easy to run the software and tune our
into a large shared studio space, I sensed that it would be
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helpful to have a larger pair of midfields for monitoring.
Unfortunately, most of the speakers that I admired were
prohibitively expensive, until I discovered the Equator
room. In the small space, with the speakers close to the
walls, it shaved out a lot of low end, effectively correcting
for the corner-loading. It also accurately detected
reflections and compensated for them, to bring down a bit
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Audio Q10. Modern engineering techniques, likely in of cymbal pinging in the process, and it precisely matched
conjunction with outsourced construction, have combined the volumes of the two speakers. The software allows real-
to create an affordable midfield speaker, available directly time control of the DSP that operates between the analog
from Equator for $1,500 a pair. I’ve long been a fan of input and the built-in amplifiers. Once you’re satisfied, you
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coaxial speakers like the Q10; I once used a vintage pair of can save the room compensation, tone contour, and
Electro-Voice speakers for my home stereo. Coaxial drivers volume trim adjustments to each speaker.
mount the tweeter at the center of the woofer cone, For the price, we all found the Q10 especially impressive.
allowing all frequencies to originate from the same point. Quality midfield monitors are now available to a studio where
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This consistency affords a very accurate image in both the budget had previously made the option impractical.
width and depth. ($1499.98 direct; www.equatoraudio.com)
The biggest improvement that I expected from –Steve Silverstein <ssilverstein@earthlink.net>
Sonodyne
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spectrum analyzer, but now I can feel confident that if the with custom waveguides for the tweeters on each model, SRP
bass frequencies sit correctly, then the mix will be monitors are enclosed in die-cast aluminum enclosures that
appropriate — and will translate well. Highs and mids eliminate vibration-induced coloration. They feature woven
sound great too, with generally even frequency balance Kevlar cones, and Sonodyne claims they exhibit accurate
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that stretches into the top octaves. The stereo imaging transient and low-end response, despite their compact size.
proved reliable too, as I have an easier time identifying Having no prior experience with Sonodyne monitors, I was
pan location with the Q10 pair than with my ADAM A7 excited to take a listen.
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monitors [Tape Op #57]. I spent a few weeks with an SRP 600 pair mainly using
I did feel that the self-powered Q10 has a somewhat them as a complementary set of monitors, as I’d loaned
exaggerated sound, which makes everything sound a bit my NS-10Ms to another engineer and needed another set
like it’s running through an API. Transients always receive of monitors for referencing during some mix projects.
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a slightly unnatural emphasis, and heavily distorted Right off the bat, it was apparent that they are indeed
74/Tape Op#103/Gear Reviews/(continued on page 76)
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were an issue in my car earlier that day. getting into synths — this book has something for everyone.
For all of the good things that the SRP 600 did to the ($13.49 Kindle, $35 paperback, $99 hardcover;
midrange, I felt like 100–250 Hz was less impressive, but still www.markvail.com)–JB
very useful for ensuring that my mixes were translating with
SBS Designs
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lesser systems. It should also be noted that this review was
conducted entirely in one room, so your results may vary SP1 2UBE tube processor
(especially in regards to frequency ranges that are affected With the resurgent interest in analog gear, there are tons
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most by nearby surface reflections). While the back of the
speakers have equalizers that allow you to increase 50–250 Hz
by up to 3 dB either way (and a separate EQ for the highs), I
was happy with the representation up to 100 Hz, so I figured
of new boxes on the market. Most have a straightforward
purpose, but there are still some that don’t fall into the
“normal” categories of preamp, EQ, compressor, etc. The
SP1 2UBE processor is a prime example. It’s a boutique type
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it’d be best to do any critical low-end adjustments on my of piece that’s solely built for enhancing sound, rather than for
usual rig that I know inside and out. After all, I was mainly surgical precision in adjusting sound. It’s got loads of
evaluating these monitors by utilizing them as a character and makes an incredibly unique impression.
complementary pair to my current setup, so revealing any To start with, it takes a bit of poetic license just to
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flaws in my midrange was much more appealing to me than a describe what it is — like explaining to someone what
fancy low register. It should be noted, however, that an musical “warmth” is, you have to use sentences, not just a few
unclouded low end allows you to really concentrate on your words. Only two knobs — Low Thresh and High Thresh —
control what it’s doing to the source. My first thought was
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too much going on from 5 kHz up. I’d describe the response and it’s certainly doing some of that as well. It’s really
as being crispy — somewhere between the Genelec 8000 interesting the way that it manipulates presence. It’s as if
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series and the Mackie HR824 [Tape Op #67]. In my time with some low-mids and highs are scooped slightly, while high-
the monitors, I didn’t feel like I had to dial back the high end, mids are made more expansive. This can have an incredibly
but I wasn’t really using them exclusively. Were they the only pleasing effect depending on how you use it.
monitors I had to use, listening at extremely high levels would As a home hi-fi piece, the SP1 2UBE can make many
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probably call for a slight adjustment. music genres sound much smoother, much more open,
The SRP 600 retails for $775 each, which is interesting, much wider, and generally more pleasing. It seems to take
because I feel like overall, they sound a little more expensive the sizzle off of many sounds that can often get too bright
(e.g., the high-frequency resonance from guitar strings or
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than that. For me, the big thing is that they sound very
different than what I’m used to, but in an entirely useful way, slides, overcooked female vocals, claps, and snares that are
so I may have to buy myself (yet) another pair of speaker pushed close to distortion). The box requires some care
stands for my room. Monitors are a very subjective and finicky when processing music with heavily compressed kick drums.
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thing to nail down, so I fully suggest trying out several For some techno (the sub-genre techno, not everything that
different pairs if you’re in the market; just be sure to include goes bmp-ch-bmp-ch) and some hip-hop tracks, you may
the SRP series while you’re at it. find that the low end can get quite pronounced, even at the
($775 street; www.sonodyne.com) processor’s lowest settings (despite SBS’s explanation that
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It was the EMT 140 plug-in from Altiverb. I did try hard to figure out how to get a good “real” plate sound
without having one – it wasn’t practical for me to use Flora’s plate at the time, and I don’t own one myself.
I placed the [SoundToys] Decapitator in front of the EMT, rolled off some highs, and added a bit of gain. RIBBON MICROPHONE REPAIRS
It did seem to help the quality of the plate, in terms of richness and warmth, on Amy’s vocals. On some REPAIR AND REFURBISH ANY TYPE RIBBON
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this album – we had hardly even listened to one another’s music, your favorite phono preamp for more flavor — more proof
to be honest. But I’d heard he built Pax Am Studio at Sunset that the SP1 2UBE is a truly unique piece of gear.
Sound, so I hit him up and asked if I could come in and record ($3,696 MSRP; www.sbsdesigns.com)
something. We put together a band – Ryan on guitar, Griffin –Brandon Miller <brandon@thelodgemusic.com>
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producer] Mike Viola on guitar and piano.” These sessions were
recorded by Charlie Stavish and David LaBrel. Jenny continues,
“Every time I wanted to put a harmony on a song, Ryan would
ask me, ‘Do you come from a musical theater background?’ His
argument was that great songs, with great stories, don’t need
background vocals. I trusted the vision, and Ryan ended up being
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the person to get me over the fear of finishing something I’d
been working on for so long.”
The multi-talented Beck Hansen produced the single “Just One of
the Guys,” which has a starlet-studded video to accompany it.
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truly thought I was never going to finish it, but I did. The Voyager
tells that story: the longest night of my life, and the journey to
finally getting some rest.”
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