The Creative Music Recording Magazine

Bob Clearmountain
Springsteen, Stones, Chic, Roxy Music
Joe Henry
Solomon Burke, Aimee Mann, Joan Baez
Sonny DiPerri

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NIN, Animal Collective, El Ten Eleven
Jamie Lidell

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Electro Soul
Teri Landi il
From The ABKCO Vaults
I Am Snow Angel
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Julie Kathryn’s Music & Samples
SoundBetter
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Online Collaboration
Gear Reviews
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Issue No. 129

Feb/Mar 2019
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Hello and
welcome to
Tape Op
#129!
10 Letters
14 I Am Snow Angel
18 Jamie Lidell
22 Sonny DiPerri
28 Joe Henry
38 Bob Clearmountain
46 SoundBetter
50 Teri Landi
60 Gear Reviews

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p a g e

82 Larry’s End Rant

86 Chris Schlarb: BIG EGO in Long Beach

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89 Maston: Growing Tulips
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When I first started getting obsessed with recorded music as a teenager, I saw
the recorded music I enjoyed in a magical light. A tune on the radio was a beacon
from beyond, like some special jewel that had been labored over by mad geniuses
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working under extreme conditions in faraway lands. An album was a carefully-
crafted statement, meant for thousands of repeated listens on headphones in order
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to ascertain what must be a very important message. I knew songs were recorded
in studios – you could read that right on the LP sleeves – but it still seemed to me
that these fabled places must be hallowed ground.
@
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I’ve now visited sacred ground such as Abbey Road and Capitol Studios. I’ve owned a professional
recording studio and helmed Tape Op for over 20 years. I’ve seen parts of the music industry from the
inside; and at times I’ve found it far less than magical – even disgusting and senseless on occasion. But
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I still get joy, wonder, excitement, and power from music. Music
nurtures me; it raised me, protected me, and comforts me. Music
has taught me so much about the world, about my own feelings, and about other cultures.
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These days, nothing is more rewarding to me than sending an artist home with finished recordings that have
far exceeded their expectations. Getting a note from a talented songwriter saying that Tape Op has empowered
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or inspired them makes my day. I am friends with a number of musicians and recordists that have the same
unshakeable faith and love of music that I carry, and I know that they treat everyone creating music with the
same respect that I do. We might live in this music business, but I think many of us can see the light that calls
us at the end of the tunnel. Something that might even inspire a young teen to listen obsessively.
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That light is music.

Larry Crane, Editor
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 The Creative Music Recording Magazine

Editor & Founder

Larry Crane
Publisher &!Graphic Design
John Baccigaluppi
Online Publisher
Geoff Stanfield
CTO & Digital Director
Anthony Sarti
Production Manager & Gear Reviews Editor
Scott McChane
Gear Geek at Large
Andy Hong
Contributing Writers &!Photographers
Cover art by Scotty Iulianelli <www.analogprints.net>
Julia Drummond, Kristian Dunn, Brian Overend, Emma Ruth Rundle, Bren Davies,
Moyo Oyelola, Richard Barone, Jacob Blickenstaff, John O’Mahony, Adam Kagan,
Eli Crews, Scott McDowell, Pete Weiss, Dave Hidek, Garrett Haines, Jason Ribadeneyra,
Don Gunn, Justin Mantooth, Gus Berry, Tom Fine, Joseph Branciforte, Jonathan
Saxon, John Vanderslice, Bryce Gonzales, Steve Veilleux, Steve Krolikowski,

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Olivia Hemaratanatorn, John Phillips, and Phonoscope.
Editorial and Office Assistants
Jenna Crane (editorial copy editor), Jordan Holmes (reviews copy editor),
Thomas Danner (transcription, online),

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Maria Baker (admin, accounting), Jay Ribadeneyra (online)
Tape Op Book distribution
c/o www.halleonard.com
Disclaimer
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TAPE OP magazine wants to make clear that the opinions expressed within reviews, letters, and
articles are not necessarily the opinions of the publishers. Tape Op is intended as a forum to
advance the art of recording, and there are many choices made along that path.
Editorial Office
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(For submissions, letters, music for review. Music for review is also
reviewed in the San Rafael office, address below)
P.O. Box 86409, Portland, OR 97286 voicemail 503-208-4033
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All unsolicited submissions and letters sent to us become the property of Tape Op.
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Subscribe online at tapeop.com

(Notice: We sometimes rent our subscription list to our advertisers.)
Subscription and Address Changes
Can all be made online at <tapeop.com/subscriptions>.
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Please do not email or call the rest of the staff about subscription issues.
Postmaster and all general inquiries to:
Tape Op Magazine, PO Box 151079, San Rafael, CA 94915
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(916) 444-5241 | tapeop.com

Tape Op is published by Single Fin, Inc. (publishing services)
and Jackpot! Recording Studio, Inc. (editorial services)
www.tapeop.com
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8/Tape Op#129/Masthead
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I’ve been subscribing for the last year or so and
just wanted to drop you a line to let you know that
I’ve appreciated the recent batch of interviews with
electronically-inclined producers; particularly Taylor
Deupree [Tape Op #126], Gotye [#124], Nils Frahm
[#126], and Tycho [#123]. As an electronic musician,
it’s nice to see some of the musicians I respect
getting representation!
Grant Overend <grant.overend@gmail.com>
Just wanted to send a message of love from a current
subscriber. I really dig this magazine you’ve put together.
I also want to say “good call” on the way the print
version is now. This new paper is NICE! Thanks for doing
what you do!
Zachary Vaughn <zvaughn@gmail.com>
Regarding the End Rant [“Set Yourself Apart”] in the
Your End Rant in #127
was wisdom for the ages. I
started recording on tape
three decades ago and only
made the full leap to
digital in 2004. Your
observations regarding the
way people learn now is
thoughtful. The greatest
thing I’ve gleaned from reading
Tape Op for so many years is to keep it simple, and to
record in a good room. My recordings have gotten better
because my technique has gotten better. I am more
mindful of the basics now; ones that most professional
engineers probably take for granted; such as phase, early
reflections, and so on. I am always happy to receive a
compliment on my music with the usual follow up
question being, “How’d you do that?” Well, it’s simple; I
used a good mic placement in a good room, and
collapsed to mono for the mixdown. Thanks so much for
your publication. I’ve learned so much,
and I am a much better music engineer for it.
Ron Kopald <rkopald@gmail.com>
Your End Rant [#127] brought back memories of my
early training and experiences in audio recording. I
Let me begin by saying that I have been a major fan of
Tape Op for many years, and I will always be a supporter.
This is in reference to Larry’s End Rant from #127. I
partially share Larry’s concerns of young or inexperienced
mixers/engineers looking to gain decades of knowledge
and experience instantaneously via internet blogs or
YouTube videos. And I completely agree that one mixer’s
techniques for one successful song or album simply cannot
translate to every song, album, or genre. However, I can’t
knock inexperienced mixers for being hungry to gather as
much information as they can and then apply/experiment
with those tips. Older guys like you and I were required to
read actual books and magazines about these topics. Or,
we had to suss out as much information as we could from
mixers, engineers, or producers that were actually doing it
(that is, if they were willing to share anything). In this age
of instant data coming from the internet, it is the
responsibility of the user to decipher what actually works
It always excites me to learn
or not.
from others, especially if they are respected
professionals in the industry. However, the thing that
everyone needs to understand is that you need to
experiment with this information. I can’t blame the
inexperienced engineer for trying the approach, just as I
can’t blame the online magazine, blog, or YouTube
videographer for posting the content in the first place. The

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apprenticed in an 8-track studio in 1971. On my first actual
latest issue [#127]: When I read comments on YouTube and fact that information is so readily shared on the internet is
recording experience the engineer said to me, “Finish the
social media, I see similar examples as you mentioned. I see wonderful; in my opinion. These inexperienced engineers
session,” which was in final tracking. I still have a copy of
people recommending M/S in situations where there is very are simply digging for information like we did 25 years ago,
my work on that session. I learned simple, effective
little L/R content, commenting on how cool it is. I ask them

about the technique and they really can’t even explain it.
I’m not Ed Cherney, but I do have 20
years’ experience and like to think I’ve learned one learned that more isn’t always
or two things. There are certainly many right ways to do
things, but there are also some wrong ways as well. There
is some science here; it isn’t all art. My favorite recent
example is from a guy with a popular YouTube channel
about recording. On one video he recommended having the
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methods of attaining good recordings – techniques I used only it’s just gotten a lot easier to find now.
Mark Monteith <markmonteith619@gmail.com>
for many years. I learned recording techniques, and the
uses of equipment, from experienced engineers. I also I assumed it would be understood that I wasn’t
il complaining about where people were getting recording
better. Eventually I had the opportunity to get into information from, rather that they need to take it all in and
mastering work, and life took a different turn and career not blindly trust everything they learn. A misapplied great
path. It seems today that these apprenticeships are technique is still just a bad technique. -LC
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ancient history. Knowing how to set up and use This issue’s End Rant [#127] struck a chord with me,
equipment, or plug-ins, is what makes good recordings. and I would like to bring up another point about the state
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drummer change his cymbals all to the same height so they

were all at the same volume, and the levels would be more
consistent in the overhead tracks. This seems ridiculous.
You’re going to ask the drummer – who has been playing
Steve Lisi <lisiduke@att.net> of audio recording/reproduction in this day and age, as it
Regarding Scott Craggs’ review of Steinberg’s WaveLab pertains to new engineers raised on current technology.
9.5 in Tape Op #127; I’m with you all the way. When I More and more, I see people, mostly young/new engineers,
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his kit for decades – to start moving instruments around, bought my first DAW in 1998, it was a WaveLab 4.5. who rely on a tablet, smartphone, etc. to find feedback
and to change his style right before a session, for some Doing audio preservation is my main thing, so I mostly frequencies in live sound reinforcement. Not by choice;
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mythical advantage that you think exists? This also assumes work with stereo or mono tracks, and the WaveLab L6 that’s what they need to identify the problem. There are
that different-sized crashes, China cymbals, and rides are does everything I need it to do. After all these years, it also those who focus on the computer screen in a
going to be the same volume. With the proliferation of just fits like a glove. When WaveLab 7 came out, I bought recording studio, analyzing a picture of a waveform while
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inexpensive home recording equipment, as well as the a copy, but I just couldn’t cotton to the new paradigm. I they try to EQ that particular track. New digital technology
internet, this was probably an inevitable outcome. Like am excited to hear that Philippe [Goutier] has gone back encourages this behavior with general-purpose encoders
with so many issues of today, education to the tried and true. I look forward to checking out the and small LCD screens. Does this visual concentration alter
is the solution. Hopefully they’ll start reading Tape Op! 9.5. Phillippe is not only a master coder, but an artist and and negatively affect one’s audible perception? Is ear
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Rich Wielgosz <wielgosz@gmail.com> a craftsman. He has my eternal gratitude. training becoming a lost art? It seems to me that one of
Matt Sohn <mahatma57@sbcglobal.net> the greatest skills to be learned by an audio engineer is to
I’ve been reading Tape Op since you started making it.
I just wanted to thank Larry for the quite poignant master the identification of the audio frequency spectrum
The reason I’m writing is your End Rant from this issue
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anecdote about the triangle overdub in #127. It reminds by ear. With this knowledge, an engineer can now
[#127]. You hit the nail right on the fucking head. I
us that the human element, with its inherent accurately differentiate what is being heard. You can stand
struggle with interns relying so much on internet shit, as
in a room and figure out reflections, nodes, and modes.
well as not being willing to get their hands dirty to learn unpredictability, is inescapably the most critical variable
Better mic choices can be made, or drum kits, amps, and
basic recording techniques. I’m going to make copies of in artistic expression. I thought that was something
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even musicians can be moved around to take advantage of

this End Rant and give it to every young engineer that worth remembering for all of us who read Tape Op, and
the room acoustics. Mixes come together faster. For a new
comes through my doors. You really tackled an issue that just wanted to express my thanks to Larry for writing it.
Patrick Martin <contrite1@hotmail.com> engineer, learning the audio frequency spectrum by ear will
I have been battling with while trying to educate others:
give them an advantage which helps in all facets of
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that is to listen first, then react.

recording and sound reproduction.
Andy Reed <reedrecordingco@gmail.com>
Andrew Worzella <www.andyscustomshop.com>
10 /Tape Op#129/Letters/(continued on page 12)
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 Aaron Mullan wrote a great piece in Tape Op #117 called
“Learning Frequencies” that deals with this as well. -LC
The interview with Tony Bongiovi [#127] was
incredible, starting from scratch with curiosity as fuel and
then touching so much recording/ musical history along
the way. Wow! Apparently, he’s a can-do guy with
personality. Love these interviews with these icons of the
business. Keep up the good work. The new generation of
“recordists” need to value the journey to where music is
today, while still embracing change.
Ronald Harless <ronaldharless@hotmail.com>
Several months back I wrote to y’all about a lapse in
my subscription. You reacted with haste and reinstated it,
to my elation. Since then, it’s been killer write up after
killer writeup; mostly mind-blowing articles. My commute
to and from work between Brooklyn and Manhattan
vanishes while reading. Issue #127 is no exception, it is
the new rule. How are you guys going to keep up this kind
of momentum? You are doing such great work! The Third
Man Pressing article was an inspiration. Tony Bongiovi’s
interview was magic.
Damian Panitz <soundlab17@gmail.com>

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Send Letters & Questions to:
editor@tapeop.com

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12/Tape Op#129/Letters/(Fin.)
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I Am Snow Angel .c
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Julie Kathryn’s Journey into Sound
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by Larry Crane
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photos by Julia Drummond

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Julie Kathryn is I Am Snow Angel, a

sobriquet under which she composes,
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performs, produces, engineers, and mixes her

own music. She also produces many other
artists, such as Grace Lachance and ESS SEE,
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while working out of her home studio in New

York City, or across the world as needed. Julie
has also designed cool instrument presets for
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Ableton Live, and the imaginative sample pack

– Dream Pack – for Splice. Her debut album,
Crocodile, came out in 2014, and 2019 sees
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the release of Mothership, an album that further

defines what I Am Snow Angel sounds like.
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14/Tape Op#129/Snow Angel/

Your new record, Mothership, doesn’t I brought almost everything along. I don’t think I brought Ari had worked with her for a long time, and had also
have a lot of overt rhythms to it. my huge, old keyboard, but I brought everything else. I mixed music of hers. She recommended him because I
No, it doesn’t. Things I’ve done in the past had beats on played this Novation UltraNova that has some really cool wanted to take mixing lessons. I was mixing and it
them. I made most of the record in a cabin in the woods sounds in it. I played my [Fender] Telecaster a bunch, sounded pretty good, but I don’t have a background as
[in the Adirondacks of upstate New York]. I went in and I used a lot of soft synths by Ableton and Native a mixer or engineer. I wanted more of a theoretical
without any specific influences. It was so fun; I really Instruments. I did a lot of blending of different patches knowledge of what I was doing.
loved it. On one of the trips there was a huge storm together, putting effects on them and bouncing them to There are so many different angles to it.
with 44 inches of snow, and I was so happy because I make a whole world. I wasn’t listening to a lot of other There are a lot of different angles, and there’s more than
was in the house and shut off from the world. music when I made it. Now that I’m producing for other one way to do it. I also think it’s an art as much as it
Snow makes it quieter too. Did you start clients, they’ll say, “I want a beat that feels like this is a science. I learned a lot from him, and I also had
with any songs? song,” or, “I want it to feel like this.” I didn’t do that for him mix a few tracks.
Some of them were half-written. All of the influences were Mothership. I didn’t want it to sound like it was When someone mixes a song for you, how
emotionally based – I didn’t have a lot of sonic derivative of something else. It’s a sad, emotional record. much back and forth do you do with
influences. When I got there, I went into a fugue state, Were you sad at the time? revisions?
working around the clock, and I made what I felt. I was, yeah. It’s interesting. I had actually said, “I’m With this record I didn’t do a lot of revisions. I
How long of a period was that? going to write this really catchy record,” and then what recognized that I was bringing another person in,
The first time was for two weeks. I totally overestimated happened, happened. I had a wonderful time. and they’re both really good mixers. I said what I
how much work it would be doing this album in that Do you feel it’s stronger than what you’ve wanted, and they both did what I said. Maybe a little
way. Or I overestimated my efficiency! With no one to worked on before because it’s more bit of automation, “Can you make the vocal louder, or
bounce anything off of, I’d go down the rabbit hole emotional? automate this or that?” But with those two, I didn’t
making something for four days and then realize, “Oh, I think so. It’s more emotional. I think I conveyed more really need to give a lot of direction.
I don’t like this at all.” It was really fun, but emotion through my words, and through my writing. Would you give them your working mix?
sometimes that’s the process. I came back home, and What mic were you using up there? Usually the working mix. I’d already have it to a point where
then I did it again for two and a half weeks, and then I had two mics with me. One is an Audio-Technica 4047 I’d say, “Here’s my mix. I want it to be exactly like this.”
again for another week. I still had work to do. and the other one is a Miktek CV4 [large diaphragm I didn’t need to give a lot of feedback, because I was so

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More editing and finishing it off at tube condenser]. Everything went through my Apogee thorough in my notes ahead of time. I’d send both wet
home? Ensemble, which also sounds really good. and dry versions of every track, along with the notes on
Yes. What program are you recording into? what plug-ins I used. I’d say, “I really like how the kick
Did you take all of your equipment with Usually for the sound design and writing elements, I use drum sounds, but could you make it beefier?” Comments

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you? Ableton Live. I use that program for performance, like that. I really started enjoying the mixing process. I
obviously. I got more involved with them, and did started mixing for the clients I’ve been getting, too.
some sound design presets for them. Over time, I’ve
il The larger the variety of projects you
gotten more and more attached to it. For writing and work on, the better your mixing
sound design, I like how quickly I can do things, like skills will get.
reversing vocals and reverb. That’s what helped me a lot when working with other
It’s so performance-oriented; it lets you artists. They bring music to me that I never would have
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work faster. made myself.
You know, it totally is. When it comes to tracking vocals, With the production work that you’re
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I use [Apple] Logic. I usually send everything from doing, are you going in writing songs
Ableton into a Logic session. I’ll send wav files. Then with the artist?
I’ll sing in Logic and do all the vocal editing. Then, if There’s a huge range. For some people, it’s like they’ve got
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I mix it, I mix in Logic. a fragment of lyric and want to put a song together.
Did you mix Mothership? Then I’ll play all the instruments, and then we’ll track.
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I mixed half of it. Generally, I engineer, and play everything, and mix
Who else was mixing for you? everything. Sometimes they’ll come to me with a Logic
Ari Raskin and Travis Ference did two tracks [each]. I session. They’ve already come up with a bunch of parts,
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ended up mixing the rest of it because I liked how my
mixes sound. Sometimes I have a hard time letting go
of a mix, which was the other motivation for getting
the final mix done elsewhere. I get so obsessive and
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as well as a scratch vocal, and we’ll beef it up, which
is actually sometimes a little bit harder. There are some
constraints to work within. But those often turn out
really well. Sometimes I’ll play sounds for clients and

can’t let it go. If someone else is mixing it, I’m more they’ll say, “I hate that.” I thought it’d be something
likely to say, “Okay, it’s done.” With Mothership I that they’d love. But then we go through and find the
decided to get obsessive and mix the rest myself. sounds together. It’s really very personal.
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How did you pick them to work with? What have you collaborated on recently,
I picked Travis because I heard this Lo-Fang record [Blue or produced for other people?
Film]. I saw who mixed it, and I reached out to him. There’s this Canadian artist, Grace Lachance; she’s 17
You were mixing remotely? years old, a great writer, and she’s a really good singer.
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Yeah. He’s in California, and I’d send him files. Ari is She had had a single come out on Universal Canada.
actually someone who taught me how to mix, here They brought me up to Ottawa for a couple of weeks –
in New York. He’s someone I met through my Ableton because she’s in high school – to produce an EP. It was
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mentor, Erin Barra. She’s a professor at Berklee. She’s really amazing. We worked out of a studio up there – it
done a lot to advance women in music production. was just me and her the whole time, and we played
Snow Angel/(continued on page 16)/Tape Op#129/15
 everything ourselves. I got to use some hardware that
I hadn’t used before, and we ran everything through
the [Empirical Labs] Distressor. It was magic. We made
a six-song EP. I ran behind schedule, and I actually
only got five songs done. We had someone else finish
the other one. For one song, she was like, “I want
urban beats.” We made the beat together in Ableton,
picked all the samples together, and we played the
[Ableton] Push [controller] together.
Do you use Push a lot in the studio?
I use it all the time. It’s so fun for playing drums. You can
make your own drum kit. This album is really poppy.
There are other ones on there that are less heavy with
the beats, more straight pop, but it was really fun. I’m
very attached to the artist.
Sample Packs
It’s called Dream Pack. I think the next one will be
called Ice Pack. This one was going to be Ice Pack,
but it didn’t sound icy enough; it was more dreamy. I
really liked making the sample pack. I gave them 160
or 170 audio samples. They were almost all treated
with effects. I felt all the vocal samples would be
really helpful, so I included different versions of
those. There are the dark robot versions, baby voice
versions, and delay versions. I wanted to make it
something that people want to use, and that will be
fun for people to use.
How much time do you spend on
producing other people, at this point?
A lot. I have a client here in New York named ESS SEE.
We’re doing a full-length album. She’s like Sylvan Esso,
but a little bit punkier like Metric. She was here today,
with a guitar player named Charlie Rauh. When I’m
working for clients, I’m enjoying it. I love it; I really do.
How did you learn initial
engineering skills, like mic
placement and mic levels?
It was like my brain was going to explode; I had no idea
what I was doing. I watched a lot of YouTube videos Do you feel part of it is being able to cast
and did a lot of trial and error. I’d get vocals that were the music in a sonic space right from
Ableton Live Presets
Once I started using Ableton Live, I became very
obsessed with Live and posted about it constantly on
social media. My mentor, Erin Barra, who taught me
Ableton Live, has worked for them in various capacities
over the years. I went to the Loop conference the first
year it happened, and I met a lot of people who worked
there. I stayed in touch with them; one person being
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Huston Singletary, who had become the head of the
I find it interesting that you were a social
sound design department there, and he asked if I’d
make some presets for them. They have these
I actually really liked doing that work. One of the I’d like to be doing more remixes. I’m hoping that some
instruments with names like Operator, Analog, and
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Tension. Then they have the sounds categorized by
bass, synth, brass, and such. They bought 30 of the
presets I sent them. It was quite a learning curve. They
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kept the names I gave them; if we look up “Love
Letters,” I designed that for them. I put “love” in a lot
of the titles. One’s called Lovechild. I learned a lot
about doing all of this. I had to learn everything as I
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was going. I’m sure they had to fix some things!
16/Tape Op#129/Snow Angel/(Fin.)
so quiet. I sing quietly anyway, so I had the mic turned
way down. It started to click in for me a little bit, the
Female Frequency
It was founded by Dani Mari, Claire London, and me. I
more I learned about mixing and bouncing stems. It’s
was on an email group called Women in Music, which is a
important for me to collaborate with someone in a way
big organization with hundreds of people in it. Dani Mari
that doesn’t make it difficult for them – I hope the
sent an email out saying, “I’m looking for a female
same will come back to me. Even when I didn’t really
producer to work with.” At the time, I was producing my
have a super firm technological understanding, I
own music. I wrote back saying, “I’m a female producer. I
wanted to bounce my tracks – when they were going
could do it.” She said, “That’s great. You’re the only person
to get mixed – in a way that was professional. Then
who’s written back!” We got together and started thinking,
learning what plug-ins to use, and how to use them. I
“Wouldn’t it be cool to make an album that’s just made by
didn’t have the background of ever having used them
women? The whole thing: all the instrumentation, the
in a hardware setting. I didn’t even know what they
writing, the mixing, mastering, PR, and everything.” That’s
did. But I was so desperate to learn. I’ve never been
what we ended up doing, with Female Frequency: Volume
this way about anything before. Looking back on the
One. We started having some events in the process. We
rest of my life, before I started producing music, I was
had a fundraiser, but we also had some workshops for
pretty apathetic about everything.
Did you go to college?
women where female producers or performers would come
in and share their experiences, like how to run live sound,
I went to Cornell and I studied psychology. I went to
live looping, and all different types of skills. It was a
Columbia for graduate school, and got a Masters in
community of women that developed around that. We
Social Work. This is like a different thing for me. I
made our album, which I produced. That was a big thing
played guitar and had a band for years before I started
for me. At this point in time it’s more of an informal
producing, and that also felt lackluster. It was once I
community, where women can connect with each other,
started engineering and producing myself that I was
work with each other, and learn when we do events. I
like, “Oh, my god.”
think, at some point, there will hopefully be another
What do you see as the differences?
album, with a different bunch of women doing it under the
I don’t know. It’s like something shifted. I feel like I didn’t
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same umbrella. It’s difficult to keep a community, and the
have a lot of confidence in myself. I didn’t feel like I
momentum going, as far as tangible products. I think
had the lingo. I didn’t know what I wanted, and I
there’s something about the visibility of seeing other
wasn’t excited by what I was doing. I hadn’t ever had
women doing this. There’s a community center on the
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a piece of recorded music where I really liked the way
Lower East Side, called the Lower Eastside Girl’s Club. That’s
it sounded when other people produced it. It’s not that
actually a place where Erin used to work, and I’ve worked
they did something wrong, it’s that I’m meant to
there, at times. They have funding to teach beat-making
produce it. I realize now that I didn’t like not being in
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to girls who are 11, 12, and 13 who live in that
charge of everything, and not being able to make it
neighborhood. They pick it up so easily. Just to have that
sound how I wanted. I didn’t know that. I think I
knowledge, “Oh, I could do this! I could be a music
prefer to interact musically with a computer, but I do
producer someday.” <www.femalefrequency.com>
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like collaborating with people. I also use a lot of
traditional music theory and songwriting in my tracking vocals with people. We do everything here.
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productions. There’s something about production that’s We can drink tea and take our time. It’s very stressful
very exciting to me. to track vocals. If they’re like, “Can you put tons of
reverb on the vocal and make it really, really loud?”
I’ll do it. I’ve been there. I used to sing really quiet,
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the get-go that you like?
That’s totally a part of it. It’s very gratifying to be able to
and I’ve been in a studio setting where it’s like, “Can
you make me louder and put more reverb on me?”
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craft this whole world from the start. When I was a kid, Sometimes people would say, “No, you’ve got to sing
I had such bad anxiety; a lot of really extreme fantasies out. You’ve got to project.” The minute I started
about doom and death. That’s not how I am now. I’ve tracking my own vocals, I thought, “What? I don’t
us
come to see that it was a misdirection of my have to sing out and project!” I whispered this whole
imagination and creativity. All of a sudden, there was record; it sounds great. That being said, if it’s not
this limitless landscape for me to put all of my working, it’s good to try different things. But I really
imagination that I didn’t know was there. do like to come at it from the place where if the artist
is comfortable, it’s going to sound better.
worker and now produce artists. What do you see in the future?
reasons I stopped is because I think it occupies the of the sound design work, and the Splice pack, will lead
same energy space as the creative energy part of my to that. I really love remixing. There’s such a creativity
brain. When it comes to collaborating and working in it, because there’s really no right or wrong. People
with artists now, I think the fact that I was a social are asking you to do it because they want your artistic
worker is helpful. I’m very comfortable. Someone can take on it. Also, a lot of the music I’ve been making is
come in here with a full emotional plate, and they pretty cinematic. I’d really like to score something
don’t have to hide any of it. I’m not defensive. I think that’s visual, like a film or television show. That’s
that it’s a “safe space” for an artist to work with me. hopefully going to happen, at some point. r
I know how hard it is to be an artist. It’s so emotionally <www.iamsnowangel.com>
draining, and you feel so vulnerable. And I love
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Jamie Lidell • Electro-Soul
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interview and photo by Larry Crane
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British-born, Nashville-living Jamie Lidell
is a singer, beatboxer, recordist, producer,
engineer, songwriter, code writer, husband,
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and father. He has collaborated with Beck,
Cristian Vogel (as Super Collider), Feist,
Chilly Gonzales, Mocky, Subhead, and
Simian Mobile Disco, just to name a few.
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His songs have been used on
Grey’s Anatomy and in Target commercials,
and he has won global accolades for his
work. I sat down with Jamie at his studio in
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Nashville to catch up.
18/Tape Op#129/Mr. Lidell/
Was your music electronic or sample-based
in the beginning?
Yeah. I started to get into guitars, and I gravitated towards
musician-types. I started getting into looking at all these
music magazines. I used to go to a shop called Turnkey
in London – they had all the newest gear. Growing up in
Cambridgeshire, London’s an hour away, so I’d go by train.
I remember the [Roland] D-50, Korg M1, and the AKAI
S950 had just come out, in ‘88 or ‘89. There were a few
of these bits of gear playable in the shops. Eventually, I
got a little bit of money from my grandma, so I got a
[Shure SM]58, a Fostex 4-track, and an [Alesis] MidiVerb
III. Later I got an AKAI sampler. I remember thinking,
“What do you do with a sampler?” I didn’t really have
anything to interface with it. Word got out that I had a
sampler, and some guy was like, “I organize raves and
events. Do you want to open up for The Prodigy?” So, I
opened up for The Prodigy when I was 16. That was a life-
changing experience. All I had was my shitty equipment,
using my Fostex as a mixer. It was terrible! I was
sampling The Muppet Show. Everyone I saw that night
were people from school on ecstasy. I thought, “What’s
wrong with everybody?” I was pretty naïve about drug
culture. Then The Prodigy came on and just blew the roof
off. I thought, “Their equipment isn’t that different from
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mine. But listen to how different it sounds.” I went
through school trying to make songs and listening to
Aphex Twin. I got into hardcore rave. The energy of the
late ‘80s and early ‘90s was special.
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Like Primal Scream [Tape Op #96]. Rave
morphed into something different.
Oh, man, Screamadelica was such a big album for everyone.
ilThat’s what I was listening to. I immersed myself, and
then I got involved in making records. My first release
was a pretty dubious bit of electronics called Manfish –
not a name I came up with! I had been making demos at
college and went to get a job at Strongroom Music
Studios in London.
Yeah. I’ve been there.
It’s a great place. I met up with Mick Shiner, who
subsequently worked with The Streets. He heard a cassette
demo he’d gotten from my friend. I wasn’t trying to get
anything from this. He said, “Why don’t you get into the
studio?” He threw me into a room with an SSL [console]
and I didn’t know what I was doing. I look back at that
point and think my original demo felt better. It lost a lot
of its joy. But through Strongroom I met these guys, Jason
Leech and Phil Wells [of Subhead]. They were cheeky,
really funny, compelling dudes who would hang around,
and they wanted to make techno. They were record
collectors and DJs; they had parties on a submarine and a
disused office space. They introduced me to the music of
Detroit and Chicago. At that time, in the ‘90s, it was an
amazing time for electronic music.
Some of the technology was new, and older
gear was being repurposed.
A piece of technology could come around and revolutionize
music. We started making records and did ten EPs in a
year. That was Subhead. Through doing that, I really got
into the music of Cristian Vogel. He was using OctaMED –
the tracker on the [Commodore] Amiga [computer]. That
was the serious way to program. That shit was futuristic.
You finally could have parts programmed
in the computer, via MIDI, and
change them as well.
Exactly. It’s been to my detriment now, because I can’t
really play much. I spent my entire life programming!
But it’s also arranging and sculpting
sounds.
It is. That’s exactly it. Cristian had his own thing, so I
went to Brighton to find him. Like an idiot! But the
first day I was there, I bumped into his girlfriend
who had a record bag. I was like, “I make music with
Subhead.” She said, “Cristian’s a big fan.” I fell
straight in. We got into the studio together and
made two records as Super Collider. I got back into
singing. I was a singer all through my early years,
before my voice broke.
“You’re not allowed to use guitars or pianos; none
of that. A&R is going to be bored out of their
minds if they hear another song like this.”
I’ll just get met with fear and silence.
Did singing give you a different angle to
wrap around Cristian’s work?
Yeah, 100 percent. He was better at programming. He
taught me how to program. I’d signed a deal with
Warp Records whilst I was in Brighton. I was a big
Squarepusher [Tape Op #89] fan, and I wanted to be
on Warp as well. That was the highest honor. I did a
record for Spymania Records first, called Muddlin Gear,
which then got signed to Warp and licensed. I had a
song on that album called “Daddy’s Car,” where I was
sort of doing an R&B song. Nowadays it would be
fine, but this was ‘98. It was very unpopular. I did
music with Cristian in Brighton for a few years, and
then I moved to Berlin with a dwindling advance from
my Warp album, which was not a lot of money.
Cristian was already big in Europe. Going to Europe,
and playing with Super Collider, we were very
welcomed. I was like, “This place is so much more
advanced! England is a bunch of fucking hooligans. I
need to be in Berlin. These guys get it.” Berlin was
unbelievable. From 1999 to 2008 was such a cool
time to be there. I did another Super Collider album
there, in the Funkhaus Studio.
us
Oh, is that the place where Nils Frahm
[Tape Op #126] has his studio now?
Yeah. That’s where my studio was, from 1999 to 2005.
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It’s like a long corridor. The clocks were set to
midnight and wouldn’t move.
How did your music change back then?
I needed to work out how to do a live show. I started
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doing looping, because I was really inspired by
Matthew Herbert [Tape Op #58].
What devices were you using to loop live?
pi
I had the Boss SP-202 [Dr. Sample]. I had the green
Line 6 [DL4 Delay Modeler]. I put my voice through a
bunch of pedals. That was cool, but it hit a limit quite
quickly. I used to live with a guy who was my visual
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artist, and we’d do these live shows together. But I
needed to evolve it, so I taught myself Max/MSP and Thankfully I met Lindsey, my wife, in New York. We
I spent six months on my own in the lab in Berlin moved and I lived there for a couple of years. I made
building a looper in Max. I came up with quite a nice Compass with Beck and Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear
looper, with five channels. I used five fingers on the producing. That got me back to making my own
black keys, recording with the left and muting with music. Compass pretty much bombed, but it was an
the right, and had a two-octave keyboard. The mod album I truly loved.
wheel was the speed of the looper, and it could go in I’ve heard you’ve made a lot of sample
reverse as well. I opened for James Brown and Björk. packs.
My whole career came from inventing that looper. I’ve been spending a lot of time making this new sample
Was it something that was being sold, or pack, Time Modulator, for Splice. I’ve made one for
was it just you using it live? them already [ØPÂL], and I’ve made one for Sounds
It was just me. That technology was not really [Peshal]. I’ve also made one for That Sound [Virgo],
available at that time. Not in that way! I had an RME the drum company, and I’ve made one for myself
soundcard with super low latency. I remember doing [Lidell 1]. I don’t want to repeat the old packs. I’m
a show at Sónar [music festival in Barcelona] in really delving into more esoteric territory, and it’s
2003 or so. Matthew Herbert was there with Arto taking me longer as a result. I spend my nights doing
Lindsay; they came on that. But, at the same time, there’s this nagging part
stage at the end and we in the back of my head going, “Make your music!
jammed together. It was a Where the fuck are your songs?”
really nice moment. I was Sometimes projects like that, as well as
booked like crazy. I was producing other people, are what
touring like a beast after inform your next step as an artist.
that got going. Then Yeah, they are.
eventually Mocky I look around this room, and there are a
[Dominic Salole] got me back to recording. I made number of keyboards, equipment,
drums, and instruments to play with.
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some records, Multiply and Jim, in Berlin and Paris
with Mocky. Working with him was a big deal for me. If you want to remove the option anxiety, you’ve got to
From Muddlin Gear to Multiply was like five years. remove the computer. You need to go back to cassette.
Did it help you to have someone else to I’ve been using a Nakamichi, thanks to my interview
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focus on getting an album done? with Unknown Mortal Orchestra [Ruban Nielson, Tape
I couldn’t do shit. To this day, I’m my own worst Op #58]. He runs every single track through it.
enemy in the studio. I’d gone off, and five years
later I came back with my record. It was 2005, Hanging Out With
and I handed Multiply in. Warp Records was
il Audiophiles Podcast
expecting my big album; the first one was only a With my podcast, it is super nice to reach out to
license. I didn’t hear anything back from the people in my circle and have conversations. To go from
a
label for a couple of weeks. When I finally did being the maker, engineer, and producer to just
hear back from the label, they were like, “I don’t shooting the shit and sharing those stories with people.
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know. We were expecting it to be more fucked
up.” I said, “That’s the whole point of this I’ve been to his basement in Portland.
record. I want it to be a lot more straight. I want You have? Nice man. I love his attitude. He really
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this to be a successful record.” They didn’t really inspired me. That’s been a great new lease on life for
go for that, but they put it out. I had one woman me, to realize that I’ve got to go back to my roots and
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who really believed in me who was working with think about what I like, sonically. I like songs to
the PR company. She singlehandedly put Multiply sound messy, but with a lot of variation. I want a mix
on the map. It didn’t go ballistic; but compared of hi- and lo-fi that’s very specific. I can almost hear
to what everyone expected it to do, it really hit it now, because of my evolution and knowledge of the
the zeitgeist. It was like soul music, and a year gear. I know what I don’t want.
later Amy Winehouse came out. I’ve always felt I know there’s a lot of hardware in this
I was super lucky to make a life. I bought this room, but are there plug-ins you
house. I opened for Prince, Elton John, James enjoy using as well?
Brown, Björk, and Beck. I’ve worked with Nigel I am a massive fan of the UAD products, which is pretty
Godrich. John Peel played my songs. much a no-brainer for anyone using a computer and
That’s almost like, “Retire, happy style!” A lot of plug-ins who wants access to a great selection of
my life goals. Softly, in a way, sort of in the tonal range. From the amazing emulations of the
background. I love that. [Thermionic] Culture Vulture, the Studer [A800] tape,
It’s just the right amount of fame. the MXR [Flanger/Doubler], and all the Chandler ones.
Yeah. It’s just enough that I can keep going. It feels I always use the [UAD/Sonnox] Oxford plug-ins. For
so vain to talk about that. It makes me a little reverb, I love the EMT 140, EMT 250, and the Lexicon
uncomfortable. 224. I use it all! I also love the Goodhertz line,
How did you end up moving to New York especially WOW Control. Then I’ll get busy with the
after Berlin? FabFilter range of plugs. The Pro-Q 2, [Pro-L 2]
Mr. Lidell/(continued on page 20)/Tape Op#129/19
 Limiter, and [Pro-MB] multiband… all of it! Of course, out of this shell? How many interesting variations are We had the intention and printed it. I had a track
Soundtoys plug-ins kick arse, and I’m a huge fan of there in his voice? It’s such a great voice. How can we mixed recently, and the mixer, Jake Aron, did a great
the Omnipressor by Eventide. I love the Kush plug-ins, recontextualize it outside of just familiar soul?” job. We’re a really formidable combo. She writes,
and the Plugin Alliance collection. I’m not forgetting Do you feel like you will start taking on sings, and comes up with so much of the aesthetic
iZotope, either! We have all the tools now.. more production gigs in the future? with me. It’s very much a 50/50 split of everything.
When you’re producing someone like It depends. I have to be careful. You know the deal. That’s super nice.
Allen Stone, what was your template Careful with your own career as a Have you ever had cowriting or
for production? performer? collaborations that just weren’t
It was a combination of songwriting and production. And time. It’s the ratio of everything. Production is a lot successful at all?
“Warriors” was a song we wrote here. It’s kind of more heady, isn’t it? It’s like going into the pit. You Sometimes I’m so aggressive on something at the start
electronic, and it didn’t fit the rest of his demos. It see all the best and the worst in people. Your own of the session. “I’ve got an idea for how we can run
was more going for the jugular a little bit, in a pop strengths and weaknesses come to the surface in today.” Maybe I don’t know these people. They come
sense. It wasn’t like we got up in the morning and slightly uncomfortable ways. I truly love cowriting. I in, and I go, “You’re not allowed to use guitars or
thought to make that song – it just evolved naturally. never thought I would. I did a song [“Let Me Go”] pianos; none of that. A&R is going to be bored out of
We put a drum down and started writing. It was one with Hailee Steinfeld that had a billion streams. Now their minds if they hear another song like this. Let’s
of those moments where it’s like, “Can we be that I’ve got a little bit of my foot in the pop world. I’ve shock them with something totally wild.” I’ll just get
blatant?” I love those moments with artists, where we written with Lianne La Havas, Mura Masa, and met with fear and silence. But that’s how you write a
are on the border. The comfort zone is great, but it’s Rag’n’Bone Man. I love the speed of cowriting. I love song. With another intrepid mind it could have been
nice to be on that fringe. You’re writing something having a blank slate and creating. exactly the catalyst to create something exciting.
that feels a bit dirty. Some of the songs had that, and The cowriting you’re doing, are Kaya, for example, had no issue with that. “Great.
some of them were just me trying to capture the spirit these sessions where you’re building Let’s write it all with a Casio.” It’s super liberating.
of his band. We worked at Sound Emporium Studios a a track? So the future might be interesting for
lot; a place I truly love. I remember going to work and Yeah. I’ve been working a lot with Kaya Stewart – Dave you. Possibly a move to L.A.?
just feeling really excited every single day. I’d try to Stewart’s [Eurythmics, producer] daughter. It’s the It seems like it, for a lot of reasons. I don’t want to be
keep the band playing live on the floor with no only time in my entire career where I felt like I was negative towards Nashville, because it’s been a really
headphones. All the tracks that were cut were live, so at one with this communication setup that I have cool place for us. My wife lived in New York for 11

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with Allen singing. We tracked 18 songs in ten days. in here – like tone palettes – and what might be years, and I really got the speed of New York – it’s one
It was rough around the edges, so we came in here inspiring for someone to try. I can quickly say, “Try of the great cities in the world. I’d lived in Berlin for
and started chipping away at vocals, doing a lot of and play it on that.” Kaya would come in in the nine years. It’s pretty weird that we ended up in the

vocal overdubs, rearrangements, and singing leads. I
was looking at Allen from a producer’s point of view,
and saying, “How many different Allens can we coax
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morning, sit down, and we’d try to vibe a few ideas. suburbs of Nashville. Having this house is something
Everything would come together remarkably quickly. that would have been impossible in New York. I
We wrote 18 songs in 18 days – written and mixed. dominated the mindset of the move in that way,
il because I could picture this.
Having a studio off your house and
working?
Once I pictured that, it felt appealing. Initially, I had an
a
SSL [console] in here; a 56-channel E Series. I’ve been
through incarnations of this room and I’ve made quite
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a few records in here. I could really capitalize on that,

and just enjoy the insanity of diving headlong into
L.A. Electronic and soul are normal now, and it’s really
my wheelhouse. If I were to put my fears on the table,
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it’s that I’m going in there to compete. I’m now

posturing like a force in songwriting who can
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compete with all these other hungry kids who want

this shit really hard; they’re working 24/7 and don’t
have a family. They’re prepared to put major hours in,
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schmooze harder than I do, and they truly love pop

music! Whereas I find it vapid, and I need my Al
Green. They don’t need their Al Green! But I think
now it’s such a diverse musical world. No one knows
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what’s right. A&Rs haven’t got a clue. It feels to me

like I could really do it, and I don’t have to write with
a crazy formula. In fact, that only hurts. r
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<jamielidellmusic.com>
This interview is also available as a podcast at <tapeop.com>.
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Tape Op is made
possible by our
advertisers.
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Please support them and tell them

you saw their ad in Tape Op.
20 /Tape Op#129/Mr. Lidell/(Fin.)
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Sonny DiPerri
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Headspace is the Best Piece of Equipment

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by Kristian Dunn, photos by Brian Overend (left)

and Emma Ruth Rundle (above)
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Recordist Sonny DiPerri has worked with Nine Inch Nails,

Animal Collective, Dirty Projectors, Portugal. The Man, Emma Ruth Rundle,
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La Femme, Radiation City, and Protomartyr. The group El Ten Eleven recently
wrapped up their tenth album, Banker’s Hill, at Panoramic House (a studio
co-owned by Tape Op’s John Baccigaluppi) with Sonny producing and engineering,
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and Kristian Dunn of the band wanted to pick Sonny’s brain about his career
and making records. -LC
22/Tape Op#129/Mr. DiPerri/

How did your career get started?
In college I got the bug to be in a band, to be a
musician. But I was too afraid to commit to the artist
lifestyle and my bands fell apart. I had this crazy idea and recording simultaneously.
us
that I was going to move to Los Angeles, rent a
house with four friends, and we were gonna have a
band. Because two of the guys were engineers, they
were going to teach me how to record. So, I made a
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gear list based on their recommendations, and I
thought, “Cool. We’re gonna move to Los Angeles and
do it.” Then people didn’t show up to the airport
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when it came time to fly out and find the house.
You were at the airport and people
didn’t show up?
Yes! I helped people buy their plane tickets. They paid
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me for the plane tickets and we said, “We’ll go out to
L.A.” I went to the airport and I was the only person
at the gate! Nobody showed up, and no one would
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get back to me. I freaked out. Massive panic attack
in [the Boston International] Logan Airport, but I
came out [to California] and it was fine.
Is Boston where you grew up? making records for over 30 years, and I don’t
Yes. I moved out to L.A. a couple months later. That’s understand how you can’t make decent coffee. I’m
when my roommate at the time said to me, “I found going to relieve you of your duties; you’re now going
an ad on the UTA [United Talent Agency] job list. It to take recall notes.” I had no experience.
says multi-platinum band with A-list producer seeks Presumably you were better on the
recording studio assistant.” Super nebulous. I recall notes than the coffee making?
thought being a recording studio assistant was what Infinitely better.
I wanted to do. This was day five of living in Now you’re really good at making
California. I didn’t have a bed to sleep on. I answered coffee.
this ad and I interviewed with the band’s day-to-day Oh, man, thank you! That record [This Is War] was really
manager. He said, “This is for Thirty Seconds to Mars. important for me. People talk about getting on an
We’ve got Flood [Tape Op #117] producing the record. escalator and getting a fast-tracked career path or
You’re going to be getting lunch, getting coffee, education in recording. I got on an elevator. I saw
taking trash out, whatever.” these really talented engineers, who were also
Did you know who Flood was, at the producers and mixers, coming through these sessions
time? and recording a drum set. I thought, “Oh, that’s how
No. So I said, “Great! I’ll do that.” They said, “You have no you do it.” I had to record a lot when a producer was
experience, but we’ll see if the band likes you. We’ll see out, or an engineer was off for the weekend. I’d have
if the producer likes you.” The following day I went to to sit there and say, “Why does my work sound really
this address, which turned out to be the band’s house, bad, and this other person’s sounds really good?” The
and I met with Shannon [Leto] and Tomo [Milicevic]; band would want this other person’s sound.
the drummer and guitar player, respectively. I walked Was the mixing console soaking wet
into the studio and I had never seen Pro Tools before. from all of your sweat during those
They asked me if I had ever recorded any of my own sessions?
music, and I hadn’t. I was terrified. I thought, “Why did There was no console in that studio! It had a lot of
I do this? This is not going to work.” They said, “Well, outboard gear. I think they were ahead of the curve,
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why don’t you come back tomorrow and meet our because it became the modern setup. It’s how my
producer?” I came back the next day and met Flood, studio is set up now, as well as a lot of places, where
but I didn’t know who he was. I ended up talking to it’s great microphones, great preamps, EQs, and
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him for a few hours. He asked me what I liked about compressors. It all comes up on the patchbay and
records, what I didn’t like, what albums I enjoyed, and right into the interface.
so on. What’s really embarrassing is that I pretty much What happened when that record was
talked about half of his discography.
il finished?
And not knowing it? I called Flood to check in. As a joke, I told him that I
No. I had no idea. I was explaining how and when I bought a ticket and was coming to London. He said,
thought some artists made shifts that I thought “Well, I wouldn’t come in October because I don’t really
a
were cooler and way more interesting. Most of those have any work then, but you should come in January
records were him. He was totally cool. Then I went when I have some work. Just move your ticket.” I was
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home, Googled him, and realized, “Oh, I am very quickly hustling to buy a ticket! I moved to
definitely not getting hired.” But sure enough, they London for a little bit. During the day, I observed and
hired me! I started off every day making coffee, shadowed Flood and Rob Kirwan. Rob’s a brilliant
getting lunch, taking out trash, cleaning the studio, engineer and producer. I watched them do some singles
@
tuning every guitar, every bass, etc. Because I’m a for the band Editors. It was that permission I needed
to essentially be the weirdo that I always was. Most
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drummer, I was also tech’ing the drum kit and
making sure it sounded the way that Shannon engineers don’t allow you to do vocals in the control
wanted. I did that for months. They were writing room or put the guitar cabinet on its back.
There’s a “right” way to do things.
So that was months of Thirty Seconds Yeah, and there’s merit to that. You gotta learn how to
to Mars? crawl before you walk, so learning the basics is really
Yeah. I was actually on that record for almost a year important. I think that’s still something that I stress
and a half. within myself. I worked during the day for those
Can you look back and think about what dudes, and at night I was recording vocals for an
you knew on day one versus what you artist who Alan was mixing.
knew by the last day? Alan Moulder?
There were two assistants – me and another guy – and Yes, Alan Moulder. When Flood would finish up around
he had a lot of experience. He was really cool about seven or eight o’clock, I would go down to Alan’s mix
showing me the basics, and Flood was really cool room and sit on the back couch. When he would take
about showing me the intermediate basics, plus some a break, I’d ask a question or whatever. He was
more philosophical recording ideas and techniques to mixing Interpol [Tape Op #43], and I ended up
try. I was so bad at making coffee that I was I was recording Paul Banks’ vocals for a few songs. It was
forced to go into the control room and become the a trip. I didn’t know that it was Interpol. I didn’t
assistant. It was incredibly embarrassing. I thought I know that it was Paul.
was getting fired. Flood said, “Look, I’ve been Who did you think it was?
Mr. DiPerri/(continued on page 24)/Tape Op#129/23
 I didn’t know. I’d listened to Interpol, but I didn’t know No, it was just the band and me. I was really nervous
what they looked like. Paul approached me and said,
“Alan said there’s an American in the building who can
record my voice. Is that you?” I said, “Yes!” One of the
things that I took away from that apprenticeship is
that it’s not about equipment. I think anyone can learn
that. I think it’s really about the artist’s mindset and
how to help them get the wacky ideas out that they
have. Just be a consummate professional and serve,
serve, serve those people. You can find the specifics
that they truly want. I think about that every day.
Then you came back to L.A.
Yes, and I did about six more apprenticeships with all
these different producers. I was more confident in my
engineering, which was still pretty raw and rough
around the edges. At least I felt comfortable with my
microphone technique and experience.
How did you get those apprenticeships?
Well, on the …Mars record, with all of the engineers and
producers who came through...
So, it started there?
Just assisting those people.
At some point did you start getting hired
to engineer or produce?
It was really engineering. There were a few producers I’d
work with. Tom Biller was someone who I worked with
for a long, long time. He would take me to Sunset
Sound or EastWest Studios – all these awesome
studios. Eventually he would back off and say, “Why Whoa!
don’t you do the recording, and I’ll do the producing?” I remember my heart sank. I thought, “Oh, boy. I don’t
Tom would produce, and I would engineer. That’s how
it started. I also was a staff engineer at some smaller
studios (The Lair and Kingsize Soundlabs) that would
have bigger artists come in. I was the person assisting
the producer and engineer who would come in. That’s
when I really started learning a lot. There was one
session that I know was a big shift for me.
What session was that?
It was Portugal. The Man in 2010. They were finishing In
the Mountain in the Cloud. They had started recording What was Trent Reznor like to work with?
down at Sonic Ranch [Tape Op #94] in El Paso, Texas. I It was everything that I had been looking for in a studio
think they were down there for a while, and the record
was coming along pretty well. They needed to touch it
up in L.A., though I don’t know the specifics. I was the
assistant on that record, and I knew the room at What’s a specific example?
Kingsize well, so I knew [to tell them], “Okay, don’t use I had never seen a studio that had four computers
channel five, because when the EQ comes on, it’s noisy.
us
And don’t put the mics in this pocket of the room. It’s
really weird sounding.” I was a fan of the band. I’d been
listening to their old group, Anatomy of a Ghost, before
they were even Portugal. In the middle of a two or
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three week session, the producer and engineer said,
“We’re off. We’ll see you on Monday.” I was taking care
of the backup for the hard drive and cleaning up. The
to
singer, John [Gourley], walked up to me and said, “Hey,
we’ll see you tomorrow.” I thought we were taking a
day off, but I said, “Okay, cool. See you tomorrow.” We
ended up doing a song from scratch, which is called
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“Head Is a Flame (Cool with It),” almost to
completion. They touched it up a little later with the
producer, John Hill, who did a great job with that
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record. We got on as friends.
The producer, John, wasn’t there?
24/Tape Op#129/Mr. DiPerri/(continued on page 26)
and intimidated by the band, because they had lived
in my stereo. Now I was sitting with them asking,
“What kind of guitar do you want to use?” It was
very, very intimidating, but John [Gourley, vocals] is
very good about disarming people’s nerves. Zach
[Carothers, bass] is so friendly. They’re like, “Yeah,
let’s do whatever. Let’s put the amp in the hallway.”
Fast-forward two years, and I was still working on
and off for different people. John, the band, and the
band’s manager called me to go to Sonic Ranch. I
think it was for five or six weeks in 2012, to start
what became Evil Friends. They told me, “We don’t
have a producer yet. We’re talking to a few people,
but why don’t you come make some music and help
us start the record?” They ended up getting Danger
Mouse [Brian Burton] to sign on. Two of the songs
that we did in El Paso made it right to the end. They
did some additional production, as well as some cool
keyboards and pitch shifting; but the band and the
band’s manager did me a massive solid and gave me
co-production [credit] on two songs, which was
awesome. It really did a lot for me. While I was in El
Paso, I got a phone call from a manager who said, “I
got your number from Alan Moulder. This artist I have
is seeking an in-house engineer/programmer/nerd
guy. Are you interested?” I said, “Yeah, sure. Who’s is
it for?” “Oh, it’s for Trent Reznor [Nine Inch Nails].”
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know if I’m ready for this.” I ended up doing a remix
with Trent, Atticus [Ross], and Alessandro [Cortini].
It was the most eye-opening thing I could’ve done,
il
because I watched three people who I respected and
have listened to since I was a young kid. That turned
into a whole Spring tenure, working at Trent’s studio.
a
I was the in-house engineer, helping them record.
That was the real trial by fire. Keeping up with those
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people is the hardest work I’ve ever done.
situation; the bar is set impossibly high, but not in a
@
rude way. He’s going to push you to do what you’ve
never thought that you could do.
ic
running off of one computer. He said, “Okay, you
need to be able to use that computer in the back of
the room, because that’s our drum programming
computer. That’s synced up to this main computer. To
the right is this other computer – that’s my personal
workstation – and you have to be able to sync that
and clock it to the main rig. But it also has its own
patchbay, so you have to be able to use all this other
gear [that I hadn’t seen before]. We start writing on
Monday.” It was “jump out of the plane and build
your parachute on the way down.” I had never
worked on an SSL Duality [console] before. I had to
get trained by SSL – a tech had to come up and show
me how it worked. It was so much to learn. I was also
allowed to say, “We should try this pedal, this
sequencer,” and if someone didn’t like it, we’d kick it
out. Trent would say, “At this moment in the song, it
needs to sound like the tweeters broke on the
speakers. Figure it out.” I’ve got Trent and Atticus
looking at me going, “Come on, man. Are we doing
this or not?” They’re not joking around. You’re
helping them make art.
Do you have PTSD from that session?
No. Even though I didn’t have the skill set that I have
now, it made me so fast and comfortable in helping
other people work.
When you produced Animal Collective,
you would take a song, deconstruct
it, and re-record it with different
instruments and arrangements.
I had never worked with an artist like them before. We
would record something, let it sit for a few days, and
then bring it back up and start to do different versions
of it. One version where there’re no drums, a version
where the guitar is now the keyboard, the bass is now
a Moog instead of a Höfner, or vice versa. We called it
doing “inversions.” It became really, really important
to me, and I had never worked like that before. Before
the sessions for Painting With, I’d get together with
Dave [Portner] and he showed me demos that sounded
totally different from where we ended up. They went
and jammed those songs on their own, reworked them,
and relearned them with all new instruments. They
om
showed those to me; when we got to the studio, we
did even more. That turned into doing versions of the
songs until we found the right ones.
Can you remember a particular song on
that record that changed drastically
because of this process?
Oh, yeah. For the first single, “FloriDada,” the original
version was slower, if I remember correctly. It was
almost like a like a cheapish drum machine with a
guitar. If you listen to that song now, it’s four-on-
the-floor drums with a massive two and four clacking
of the backbeat, and it’s way faster and way brighter.
I remember thinking that I never thought that we
would go there with that. A funny fact about the
majority of that record that most people don’t know
is that it’s live. They all had these workstations, and
the fundamental takes are totally live.
Wow. With all these amazing producers,
were you watching not just the
technical end, but also how they
worked with artists? Including
producers who did things that you
wouldn’t do, like screaming at people.
I definitely saw that. That one doesn’t go in my bag of
tricks. The guy really knew how to get good guitar
sounds from those sessions. I learned a lot of what I
like and what I don’t like, as well as what I think the
artists like and don’t like. Being yelled at is maybe
not high on the list. Or working for a producer who
doesn’t show up for four days. Don’t be that person.
For my band, this was the first time we
ever really wanted to work with a
producer. You were good about
hiding the fact that you were a fan of
ours when we first met. Is that a
technique you use when you meet
new musicians, if you’re a fan?
ju
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 No, I think there’s a way to pay someone respect when you Oh, wow. Our secret weapon was the veil of fragility that we
meet them for the first time. A good producer is Yeah. That’s why I think I was always pushing for simple were all encompassed by. We were all on a new turf.
somebody who approaches you from a place of respect choices. A child is simple, and is discovering and We had three drum sets going. There were a lot of
in a way that’s more about the people than the records. exploring. That’s what we were doing in the studio. I moving parts, and a lot of unknown exploration.
If the people are in good shape, the records will be in was constantly thinking about what you and Tim We started working around 9 or 10 a.m. and
good shape. Meeting you guys and being a fan made it were looking to get out of your record. You’d said stopped around 11 p.m. or midnight, but we never
exciting for me to hang out. I wanted to see what you that you were unable to experiment with different felt like we were “working.” I think that was my
and Tim [Fogarty] were like, behind the curtain. instruments or tones in the past, so I knew that was favorite part of the studio. Tim and I had the
What did you think when you heard our important. That influenced a lot of my listening. freedom to sit there and try every drum machine
demos? I read a quote recently, from someone sound we could come up with. It was that freedom,
What always comes to mind is all of the non-musical in Joan of Arc who said, “It’s a lot as well as the lack of distraction. I felt like a
conversations that I have with anyone before we easier to make your first record than different person up there as well. I couldn’t believe
work together. I know we talked about a lot of your tenth record.” Tim could play drums that much, for that long. We
different subjects, so all of that conversation That’s actually a really good quote. I prefer to work would track until dinner. I remember the first week
influenced my hearing of your demos. I remember with people who want to do something new. A was drums until dinner every day. Consistent takes,
you saying, “We want help with arranging and new direction for them that is inherently who and consistent sound. I don’t know how he did it.
making parts more complicated, or less complicated.” they are as people, but they never get to fully But I’m always curious to know if the live/work
Essentially having a sounding board throughout the vibe is good for people.

Morning
Coffee at
Panoramic
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process. Normally, when I listen to demos, I would inject into the music. I got that from you and It was for me. I love cooking. That’s my
listen with those ideas in mind. But also, because I Tim. With artists’ first recordings, I think the way to relax. I could start making
us

really am sensitive, I listen for music that affects me. reason people like them so much is because they dinner while you guys were still
I would listen and go, “Okay, this section here really break the force field. They’re completely honest. working on tracks.
does something for me as a listener. I don’t know “This is who I am.” When you reach record five I think everyone’s headspace, the artist’s included, is
what it is. I can’t really touch it.” But I’d know that or record ten, sometimes it’s harder than making the best piece of equipment. r
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we had to figure out how to make the other two the first one. Some artists feel that they’ve used <www.sonnyrecordsthings.com> <www.elteneleven.com>
sections either connect to it or make me feel up all the colors in their palette.
something similar. There’s a really good example. I used to be one of those people who,
to

When we were working at Panoramic House recording when people would talk about Tape Op is made
the record, you did a take of “Phenomenal Problems.” studios and say, “It was a magical possible by our
You said, “I’m sorry. I was thinking about my studio,” I’d always roll my eyes. I’d advertisers.
daughter while I was tracking.” That, to me, changed think studios are sterile factories. Please support them and tell them
pi

the entire sound of the song. All of my decisions and But I was massively affected by our you saw their ad in Tape Op.
suggestions were based off of, “Can we make this environment at Panoramic House.
song feel or sound more like your daughter, or the There’s so much about that studio
ju

way that you thought about your daughter at that that was fantastic.
moment in time?”
26/Tape Op#129/Mr. DiPerri/(Fin.)
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@gm
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 Joe Henry may be the deepest
guy I have ever discussed
music with. His insights – and,
in fact, almost every response to
my carefully researched
questions – that came out of his
mouth highlighted his
aphorisms about life, as well as
his thoughts about music. It is
rare that I start an interview
talking about music production

es
avi
and finish the same interview

nD
feeling like I have been

Bre
mentored by a wise man from

by
another era. A genre-defying
singer-songwriter with 14
albums to his credit, including

ile
2017’s Thrum, Joe has also

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produced many artists across

tF
No
many genres – both at his
former South Pasadena,

is
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California, home studio, the

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Garfield House (a mansion
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built in 1904 for President
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James Garfield’s widow), and at

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many other studios and remote
locations throughout the US
and Europe. Having produced
ry

three Grammy Award-winning

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albums, Joe is known for

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working quickly and efficiently,

a
encouraging his clients to
Jo

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record live in the studio over a

period of just three or four
days, in many cases. He often
makes daring production
@

decisions in real time while

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recording (rather than later on

during the mixing process).
Joe has worked with a long list
us

of legacy artists and singer/

songwriters, including Solomon Photographed in
Burke, Allen Toussaint, Bonnie Stinson Beach, CA
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Raitt, Loudon Wainwright III, June 2018

Aimee Mann, Ani DiFranco by John Baccigaluppi
[Tape Op #12], Aaron Neville,
Billy Bragg, and Joan Baez
to

– the list goes on.

He has even cowritten several
songs with Madonna.
pi
ju

28/Tape Op#129/Mr. Henry/

Let’s begin with the concept of being
“authentic” during the writing and
recording process. What does that
mean to you?
It means I let the work guide me – not any notion of
what might happen to it after its creation. It’s so
easy to think that music is valued based on the way
it is received after the fact. We can all be led astray
by any number of things that invite our focus to be
about popularity or financial gain. I’m not
pretending those aren’t important to process, but
what it means to me to be creatively authentic is to
think about what the work means and less about
what I mean.
You’ve talked before about the
distinction of recordings that are in
service of the song, as opposed to
those that are in service of the artist.
Well, both need to be true for me as a producer. I’m very
song oriented; it all begins with song for me. Any
project I take on as a producer for somebody else
begins with this: play me songs that matter to me,
and then I can hear myself engaged with it. There
are artists who I admire to a degree where I’m
interested in what they’re trying to accomplish,
regardless of any particulars of this moment. But
ultimately my work is defined by the invitation of
song. I try to keep myself there. I think it’s my job
to encourage any artist on my watch to keep
themselves there. There are plenty of times when it’s
so easy for things to distract you from that course.
You start believing that all of these other things are
more, or equally, germane to forward motion. But at
the end of the day, it’s back to the song. Just let the
song speak. If we create a living space for it, where
we don’t have to sit there and babysit this idea
anymore – where it moves on and has its own life –
that’s always the goal. Genre doesn’t mean anything
to me. Absolutely nothing. A voice and a song – we
can talk all day. I don’t care what the dialect is of
anybody’s given vocabulary. If the song speaks to
me, and the artist is committed and has a point of
view, I’m interested.
You make records very quickly – in most
cases, four to seven days. You don’t
really believe in pre-production, and
you try to capture the earliest, best
us
version of the seed of a song during
its first three to four takes, from
what I’m gathering – including
tracking everything live in the
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studio as much as possible. You’ve
said that this captures the initial
discovery of the song.
to
It’s all about discovery for me. Recording fast, and
primarily live, is not based on any idea of purity.
That’s how most exciting music happens. If what you
like is the engagement of people joining the table of
pi
a shared song and putting it up in the air together
in real time, it turns out that the best way to
accomplish that is to actually do that. It also
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happens to be a very responsible way to work
financially. But the way I really came to it is that all
of the [recording artists] that I loved when I was a
really young person [recorded that way]. What
excited me was when I understood this idea of
people playing music together in real time. That’s
exciting to me. I don’t think about songs as writing,
recording, or as wanting to express myself. It’s not
as much about self-expression to me as it is
discovery. To me, self-expression is very egocentric. Do you find that your role is different in
It’s a very limiting way for me to think about what I
do. To be open to discovery and wherever that takes It’s pretty rare anymore that I find myself working with
you – giving authority to the song and the process –
that’s endlessly interesting to me and to my ear as a
listener.
Let’s talk about producing other artists,
as opposed to producing yourself. I
know you were concerned that you
might not have the time or energy to
devote to your own projects.
I also thought that becoming a parent would limit my
ability to write and work before I had children. I
came to find out that the more I work, the more I
work. The busier I was as a parent, even – I had to
learn to work differently. Once I was really
challenged, it made me look back at my early Do you see yourself as more of an
working life and wonder what I did with all of my
time. I found that producing records for other artists
is not a separate engagement from what I do for
myself as an artist. I really believed when I began I think a lot more about being a facilitator. I give away
being asked to produce [other artists] that they were
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two very separate enterprises. But the more I work,
the more blurred the line becomes. I don’t think
about the records I make for myself and the records
I produce for other people as being distinct and
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disparate engagements. It’s all about making
something meaningful come out of a pair of
speakers. It’s about conjuring something into the
a
room that wasn’t there a minute ago. I was surprised
to discover that I didn’t feel any diminishment in
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satisfaction – whether it was my voice in a song, or
someone else’s. I knew what my role was in helping
something come to fruition, and I was very satisfied
by that. I also learned a lot working for other people surrendered a lot of that practice to be a producer. “I
@
that I found I could [use] when I was working for
myself. Things I didn’t know how to see on my own
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behalf. It was wildly educational to observe and
participate in the process when my own so called
“artistry” was not on the line.
I suppose you eventually start to see the
rules that govern those experiences.
My son is a really gifted musician, and I work with him
a lot. He went to the School of Jazz on scholarship
here [at The New School, in NYC]. He learned
[musical] language in the classroom and understood
the theory in advance before he was trying to write
based on ideas of theory. I learned from repetition
and emulating people who were doing work that was You have worked with various
meaningful to me. When you do that long enough,
you start to recognize patterns that repeat. I was an
English major in college, but not very devoted to
structured education. Most of what I’ve learned
about writing and literature came from my brother
David handing me the next book I was “supposed to”
read. I started putting pieces together and
Mr. Henry/(continued on page 30)/Tape Op#129/29
recognizing what was interesting to me; what held
my interest and challenged it. What did I continue to
respond to, what do they have in common? They
might not be related genre-wise or articulation-wise,
but there’s some common thread that is consistent
to what moves me and what doesn’t. Your circle
slowly expands. You get more fluent.
each project?
an artist who doesn’t have a strong vision [of their
own work]. I still might get approached by an A&R
person who has a young artist they are signing who
needs song help and doesn’t have a whole lot of vision
about a sonic landscape. At this point in my working
life, I’m more inclined to say, “Let me recommend
somebody to you.” That’s not really my thing. If
they’re not bringing some real compulsion to the
table, I’m probably not the guy for them. There are
plenty of other people who will take that half-written
song, then take half of their publishing, and create the
entire sonic world for it! That doesn’t happen to be my
gift, and it doesn’t interest me terribly.
actualizer for other people’s visions
that are almost there, but still need
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some tweaking?
the store as a record producer. If musicians show up
with commitment and vision, everything else takes
care of itself. Sometimes there’s a question, but I
don’t tell anybody what to play – that’s for sure. I’ve
been really fortunate in my mentorships. Most
notably because I’m a songwriter, first and foremost.
Even when I’m a record producer for somebody else,
I’m still in that chair as a songwriter acting as a
producer. I came to understand that there are very
few people out there working who maintain a
balance between being a songwriter, a performer,
and a producer. A lot of people who are producers,
who were musicians themselves early on, have
don’t write songs anymore. I just produce now.” I’ve
had two really significant mentors in my life who
remained songwriters, performers, and producers.
Those being T Bone Burnett [Tape Op #67] and Allen
Toussaint. I gravitated towards them without even
knowing that was [something I needed]. They were
artists who were doing all this work, but not
recognizing a real division of that labor. Allen has
passed, as we know, but T Bone is still the same
operator – whether producing a film, producing an
album, recording an album for himself, or performing
songs. He is still coming from this very shamanistic
approach to living life in which music happens.
engineers over the years recently,
including S. Husky Höskulds [Tape Op
#56], R y a n F r e e l a n d [ # 1 0 1 ] ,
J a s o n Richmond, and many others.
What are some of the differences in
your workflow with these different
engineers?
S. Husky Höskulds, who’s from Iceland but lives in Los
Angeles, was the first engineer I had a dedicated
relationship with. I met him through the producer
Craig Street, when Craig and I were collaboratively
producing my album Scar in 2000. For a while, Husky
was the only person with whom I had that
engagement. I made a couple of records of my own
with Husky, and some of the very first records I
produced with other people – most notably Solomon
Burke’s record Don’t Give Up on Me, but also Bettye
LaVette’s record [I’ve Got My Own Hell to Raise], and
Susan Tedeschi’s record [Hope and Desire] were also of
that era. I also worked with him on my collaborative
soul project called I Believe to My Soul, whereon I met
Allen Toussaint, Mavis Staples, Irma Thomas, Ann
Peebles, Billy Preston...
That’s a powerful group of people to
meet all at one time.
It was. Husky is brilliant. As a recording artist, he
manipulates sound very significantly. He doesn’t
mean for his hand to be invisible. He is making very
bold choices that are turning the dice on what’s being
played. He’s not just documenting each moment; he’s
contributing to its creation. For the last 15 years, if
not longer, I’ve been working almost exclusively with
Ryan Freeland – my recent work with Jason Richmond
technical, even though he is a technical master.
There’s nobody I’ve ever worked with who edits and
comps takes with the finesse and artistry with which
Ryan Freeland operates. It’s unbelievable what he can
offer you to hear, in a moment – if you’re debating a
take or between a couple of takes, and you wonder
what an edit between the two of them might sound
like. He would go, “You mean like this?” He listens to
every conversation that’s happening in the room. I
don’t have to have a conversation with Allen Toussaint
and then turn to Ryan and say, “Here’s what Allen and
I would like to try.” He knows if he hears that being
offered up, in a moment I’ll turn to him and want to It’s almost like the world outside was
have it ready to be heard. We save incredible amounts
of time and energy by being able to hear, in real time,
the possibilities. It’s not all about speed, but about It’s certainly true that I set it up so that the world
fluidity and fluency. Never letting the process get
bogged down because of some technical aspect.
By working with talented engineers
such as Ryan, does it free you to be
creative in a way that is not
necessarily married to any one piece
of gear or technology?
Sound has meaning, other than the way it props up
lyrics, or the way that a musician might use the sound
of an instrument to speak. Before a note is chosen,
also believed that if I mic’d the ambient noise coming
from outside my basement and sequenced the record
so that there was no silence in between songs, it
would sound like a score; like strings. If you listen to
the record in real time, it suggests that it happened
in real time. I found it fascinating. It wasn’t just a
gag. When we were working, everybody had their
headphones, and a stereo mix of the outdoor
ambience came up on a fader. If I pulled that fader
down to silence, everything felt immediately
diminished and one-dimensional. I missed it, even in
the moments of chasing the song.
applauding you and was directly
involved in your songs.
outside was not uninvolved in what I was doing. Not
every artist I work with wants that. Bonnie Raitt and
Joan Baez didn’t want dogs barking on their records.
It’s not for everybody. There’s no part of the process
that is either good or bad. They’re all just colors. The
idea of having to retreat into a bunker of protected
silence has its place, but it’s a choice. It’s not always
the right choice, for a number of reasons. What I’m
trying to do has to grow out of an engagement with
life in real time. Once you accept that, you’re

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notwithstanding, who I enjoy working with a lot. He’s that sound has its own authority. It can guide you, completely liberated from the fear of a take being
a recording engineer who lives in Durham, North and it will be a guide. It’s an element that has to be ruined. When I had the Garfield House, [the studio]
Carolina. My association with Ryan began in earnest confronted. A lot of people are unaware. They haven’t was downstairs in the basement, and somebody

when I was producing an album for Jim White [Drill a
Hole in That Substrate and Tell Me What You See],
probably around 1998 or 1999.
This was at your South Pasadena studio?
This was at Ryan’s home studio in Culver City. I wasn’t yet
in the Garfield House. I made Jim’s record, and then
Aimee Mann’s record [The Forgotten Arm] with Ryan.
At some point Husky wasn’t available, and it was a
very fortuitous moment for me to begin working with
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been invited to think about the tonality of an
instrument or a voice as having its own musical
authority before stringing melodic thoughts together.
I’m always listening for the way that sound itself is
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being conjured into the room, and what it suggests
about what we might want to do.
Various philosophers have written
extensively that if we go into a
a
situation with a preconceived notion
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would walk downstairs into the middle of a take.
They’d be horrified. I’d say, “It’s really not a problem.
We’ll play it again.” If it’s there in range, it’s not all
of a sudden going to leave us. By not being
superstitious about it, you liberate yourself from a
whole lot of fear and anxiety about the process. I’m
back to my primary job as a producer for [other
artists]. Helping artists to feel fearless. Different
artists need different things to feel fearless. We’re not

Ryan. I realized at that point in my evolution, what
Ryan brought to the table was critical for me. Husky
and I both share a real love for chaos, sonically
speaking. And darkness. When I went down the rabbit
of our desired outcome, we limit the
possibility of discovering something
truly new.
That’s how I view my role as a writer, as well. Almost
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going to hurt the song. The opportunity is not going
to escape us. We can address any issue. Even though
we record primarily live with people in the room
together and bleed everywhere because we love the

hole, Husky went with me. I learned so much from never in my life have I shown up to write something sound of that, I’ve never, in 15-plus years of working
Husky. When I met Ryan, I felt the need to evolve with an idea for a song. What I try to do is show up with Ryan Freeland, had a single moment of wanting
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what I was working on a bit. I recognized that Ryan believing that if I greet this opportunity with to fix something that he told me we couldn’t address
and I shared a very strong sensibility, but I also felt engagement, attention, and energy, I will be met and because of bleed. The process is not fragile. Your song
that he was protecting me a bit – in that I could put will find out by writing what it is that I’m writing is not fragile. Don’t be afraid of it.
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ideas forward that might be pretty wild and mangy, about. It is about discovery. When the moment’s right, you’ll
and he would find a way for that to be musically I t h a s b e e n a r g u e d t h a t t h e capture it.
appropriate. But he would never let the concept engulf imperfections in music recordings When people understand that, they’ll open a vein for you.
the practicality of the moment. I didn’t come up with are what make them special. You’ve They’ll give you everything they’ve got. That’s
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recordings that were exciting to me but unworkable for recorded at Garfield House with the something I learned from T Bone 20 years ago. He
other people, which would sometimes happen when windows open... said, “Joe, we don’t tell people what to play. You invite
Husky and I were working together. We’d find I was making a record of my own at that moment, called people into the room and encourage them. Make them
to

something that was incredibly exciting, but sometimes
challenging and off-putting to listeners. I don’t want
to create music that needs to be explained in order to
be approached. As my ambition as a producer
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Reverie. It occurred to me that the songs didn’t arrive feel protected and safe. They’ll give you everything
in a vacuum. The songs happened to me in and they have. You can’t stop them from doing it.”
around the workings of my day. People walking in and What was it like transitioning from your
out of my room. The mail arriving. Trucks driving by. home studio, where so much amazing

expanded, Ryan helped me evolve my working mind People going in and out. Dogs barking. The idea that music was recorded over a period of
and the sounds that it encompassed. It’s critical to for the songs now to be articulated, I needed to years, to United Recording Studio B?
understand that Ryan is a musician first. As a retreat into some hermetically treated, silent void was Are you still working with those same
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recording engineer, his approach to that job, as well a preciousness to the process that I had no use for. I people now that you’re producing at
as problem-solving, is inherently musical. It’s not wanted to hear life happening around the songs. I other studios?
30 /Tape Op#129/Mr. Henry/(continued on page 32)
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 Oh, sure. And keep in mind that I worked at a lot of other
studios before I ever had Garfield House. That was a
really unique engagement, for a lot of reasons. Even
though I did probably 80 percent of my work there in
that 10-year span, I didn’t do all of my work there.
There were a number of projects that my basement
could not accommodate. Frequently there was a film
crew involved. I didn’t really allow that in the
basement, except for a very few exceptions. It was
more people than I could comfortably accommodate
or wanted to impose on my family. I love working at
United. I like pulling up where there’s a parking spot
with my name on it and a runner asking if I need
another coffee, and there’s somebody else washing 30
coffee cups at the end of the day. I learned a lot at
Garfield House. It was an epiphanal time in so many
ways that I can’t even identify.
I heard that during the tracking and
mixing of 2002’s Don’t Give Up on Me
by Solomon Burke, when he finally
heard how raw and exposed his vocals
were, he almost didn’t approve the
album for release?
Well, initially he would not approve the album for
release. But as I remember the story, the head of
Anti-, Andy Kaulkin, made a very shrewd play. A
than Andy Kaulkin at Anti- really wanted to do
something with Solomon that Solomon had never
done before. I met Solomon, and he liked me well
enough to throw in.
In the chorus of the song “Diamond in
Your Mind” on that album it sounds
like Solomon Burke is singing along
with a very old recording of a gospel
choir, as if he’s almost reaching back
through time.
It was a way of creating a sound dimension, to heavily
treat certain elements against others that weren’t as
heavily-treated. It created a bit of depth of field.
It created a depth of time too.
That whole record is a bit time-defying, in my
estimation. As I recall, that was Husky’s impulse. We
had two great singers – Niki Haris and Jean McClain,
two wonderful women I’ve worked with a lot over the
years. Niki was a backing vocalist for Madonna for a
quarter century I think – family to me. We had them
on a single mic and we ran them through an old
Fender Tweed Deluxe amp that we re-mic’d. Simple as What was it like recording with Billy
that. It’s their two voices pushing against the paper Bragg in room 414 of the Gunter
cone of that little Tweed amp. The next time you
hear it, that’s what you’ll picture, because that’s
exactly what it sounds like.
public battle with them. He took out a page in
Billboard and wrote an amphetamine-fueled rant
against the record industry, calling cowardice on
them. Cut to the chase: 50 years go by, and Chuck
Mitchell recognizes, with the help of this filmmaker,
how important this record was and how dismissed it
had been. The notion was to create a contemporary
[reimagining] of that repertoire at the same time
that they re-released Johnny’s original album. Chuck
approached me about helming that project for Sony
Masterworks. I’m deeply devoted to Johnny Cash.
Along with Ray Charles, he was the first artist on
my radar as a child. The first thing I did was look
to my very dear, close friend Rosanne Cash, and ask
her if I was allowed to do this. “If you don’t
sanction it, I’m not getting near this.” She shared
with me that to the end of his life, her father was
disappointed with the lack of response of that
particular [album]. She felt it would be important
to him, were he still around, that that project
would have [new] life put back into it.
Hotel in San Antonio, Texas – the
exact room where Robert Johnson
recorded nine tracks from his

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music conference happened in Seattle that I think With Look Again to the Wind: Johnny discography in 1936?
was for music journalists. The keynote event was Jon Cash’s Bitter Tears Revisited, what It was as spooky as you’d think it was. Keep in mind
Pareles, from the New York Times, who interviewed made you choose that often- that Robert Johnson is not an incidental figure for
overlooked Johnny Cash album and

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Solomon on stage that night. Everyone in
attendance had been given an advance copy of Don’t revisit it with new musicians and
Give Up on Me. There was a portion of the evening modern production techniques? The
when journalists could get up on a microphone in original album is very sparse, il
the aisle and ask questions. I wasn’t there, but as I production-wise.
understand it almost everyone who stood up to ask I didn’t come up with the concept for that record. I was
a question framed it by saying to Solomon, “Are you approached by my friend, Chuck Mitchell, who was
a
aware of the significance of the record you’ve just Senior VP of Sony Masterworks at the time. He had
made?” By the end of the night, Solomon apparently been befriended by writer and filmmaker Antonino
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me. I put him in the category shared only by Charlie
Parker and Louis Armstrong. He is somebody that I’m
hearing, literally hearing, at some point nearly every
day. I don’t make a single playlist that doesn’t
include Robert Johnson, Charlie Parker, and Louis
Armstrong. It’s a fact of my existence. To step into
that space, close the door behind us, and stand in
that particular atmosphere, powerful and heady and
mystical – whether created in my mind, or otherwise

thought, “Hmm – maybe I do like this record!” He D’Ambrosio, who had written a book about the Bitter – it was real, and it was heavy.
allowed it to go forward. But he never listened to it Tears project [A Heartbeat and A Guitar: Johnny Cash Am I getting the story right that Billy
until it was mixed, sequenced, and mastered. and the Making of Bitter Tears], and the fact that arrived late to the hotel and when he
Is that something that was specific to his Johnny had just come to Columbia Records from Sun checked in, they gave him that room?
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way of working, or to where he was in [Records]. He had a massive, extraordinary hit record They did. People pay extra money to be in that room.
his life at that moment in time? with “Ring of Fire,” and Columbia was thinking he We showed up at two in the morning, having just
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I don’t have any way of knowing if he’d always been was going to go on and create more and more hit gotten off a train. I think the desk clerk was as tired
that way. It’s the only way I ever knew him. He never records for them. Johnny was thinking that the as we were. He recognized we were musicians
even listened to a single demo before he showed up reason he came to Columbia from Sun was because carrying guitars. I think he slid it across to see if
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to the sessions. His excuse for it was, “I want every he wanted the time, space, and resources to create we’d notice. I don’t think any desk clerk hands that
day to be like Christmas. I’m opening a new present some concept records; to become a more fully- key over without knowing that it’s the most
every morning.” formed artist. He was very aware of the notion that significant event that ever happened in that hotel.
That’s a great way to go through life. the rights and treatment of Native Americans in this You’ve done several projects with Billy
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But it’d be great if he had sung this through a time or country was not a separate civil rights issue Bragg. How did 2016’s Shine a Light
two on the way over in the car! We might have had [compared to] the African American situation that come about?
a leg up. But, nonetheless, we made a record in four was being so fully voiced in our culture at that It was Bill’s concept. I think that concept had to come
to

days, and we both won a Grammy for it. For both of
us it was a life-changing experience. It was not an
easy one, but it was a wonderful one. I got on with
Solomon tremendously well. He was a hustler and a
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moment. It was a very galvanizing time in 1964. Civil from a foreigner – someone looking into our culture
rights legislation and conversation were really with real love and understanding. Understanding
becoming a part of mainstream conversation. how much the railroad has played into our national
Johnny didn’t understand how we couldn’t see that mythology. We still put more freight on the rails than

shaman, in equal measure. I hadn’t produced many the treatment of Native Americans was a tangential any industrialized nation. How many songs about the
records other than my own when that invitation aspect to that notion. He made this raw, dark record railroad have informed our sense of national
happened. I was the low man on the totem pole called Bitter Tears, which at first Columbia didn’t identity? He wanted to step into it and reclaim that
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compared to other producers who were interested. want to release at all. When they finally did, they engagement. He had this idea that we’d get on a
I’m not completely sure how I got the gig, other wouldn’t promote it. Johnny Cash went into a very train in Chicago, ride for three and a half days south
32/Tape Op#129/Mr. Henry/(continued on page 34)
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 to San Antonio, turn right, and head on into Los all of the music, which was so-called “jazz music.” A lot
Angeles, and that we would travel together and record of it originated from New Orleans in the ‘20s and the
songs along the way as we found the moment – on ‘30s – Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, King Oliver,
platforms, in waiting rooms, in train cars themselves. and Sidney Bechet – plus music by Duke Ellington and
We showed up in Los Angeles 64 hours later and we Thelonious Monk. Allen let me bring this concept to
had an album in the can. him, and give him all this music as an assignment for
Your 2017 solo release, Thrum, was him to learn. The invitation to set that table for Allen,
influenced by your love of poetry. and the freedom to invite that caliber of musician into
You’ve spoken about the liberating the room – Jay Bellerose, David Piltch, Don Byron,
effect over the years of your exposure to Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, Nick Payton, and Marc
certain forms of art, poetry, and music. Ribot. We recorded that record over three or four days
I’ve been writing poetry since before I wrote songs. When at Avatar Studio here in Manhattan – the Power
I began as a young teen writing poetry, I knew that Station. The engineer for that record was my dear
what I was trying to do was to learn to write songs. friend, Kevin Killen [Tape Op #67], who I’d been friends
Ideas would show up as fragments; sort of in with for a long time but had never really worked with.
imitation of William Carlos Williams. He was an indispensable part of that project. I finished
He was a big influence? that record on a Saturday. The next day I was in New
Yes. I understood that what I was trying to do was to York City; it was Easter Sunday, and my one day off. The
listen for the musicality in anything that I was writing day after that, myself and drummer Jay Bellerose and
– believing that if I kept writing, at some point I’d hear bassist David Piltch flew to Paris and began making a
music in this, or I’ll create a character who will then record with the great singer from Mali, Salif Keita. It
begin to sing. Then I’ll write his song. My engagement was an incredibly powerful thing to meet with Salif –
with poetry consciously did our cultures being so
not begin with Thrum. I “Sound has meaning, other than the extraordinarily different
decided that I wouldn’t be way it props up lyrics, or the way – and to see how
shy about talking about it. I that a musician might use the generously he was
went for years and years sound of an instrument to speak. willing to meet me and
thinking that I wasn’t Before a note is chosen, that invite me into his world.
allowed to talk about Even though only two
sound has its own authority.
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regarding myself as both a songs were released
poet and a songwriter. I
It can guide you, and it will be a formally, the totality of
know how that sounds to guide. It’s an element that what we recorded stands
people from a culture that has to be confronted.” as some of the most
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doesn’t read poetry any longer. It sounds like you’re powerful music I’ve ever been near. My wife Melanie
giving yourself a field promotion. No – poetry and song [Ciccone] would still say that it’s the most significant
share a lot. I want to recognize the power in which the music I’ve ever had a hand in – even though most of
a
poetic voice is important to me, and when it really it has gone unheard to this day.
takes over the authority of song, that’s when I’m Is it so significant that perhaps the
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happiest – and that’s when I feel like the songs are American idea of “popular music”
truest to what I mean to do. I stopped being shy to might exclude some people from
talk about the fact that [Rainer Maria] Rilke, James understanding it?
Wright, Walt Whitman, Galway Kinnell, William Blake, Maybe. Some of the best songs are 14 or 15 minutes
@
and Seamus Heaney are as important to me as Bob long. It’s like trance music, [but] not in English. I’m
Dylan and Randy Newman. a word guy, and yet I stood in front of that console
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What was it like producing Joan Baez and wept routinely at what was happening with not
on her 2018 album, Whistle Down one single notion of what the lyrics were conveying.
the Wind? What was happening through the vehicle of Salif’s
us
She recorded a song of mine on that album called “Civil voice – I’ll say that he has a voice that lives
War,” which was an incredibly intense and affirming somewhere between Lead Belly [Huddie Ledbetter]
moment for me – about joining a folk tradition, and Édith Piaf – I was completely devastated and
[about] being a part of what it means to extend a entranced by him. It was unbelievably powerful
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tradition. I revere Joan, as an artist and as a citizen. music. I was talking about this record to somebody
It was one of the most significant moments of my the other day and reminding myself that it’s time to
recording life, to sit at the control board of United go back and ask Salif if he’d consider letting me mix
to
and listen to her give voice to something I had that and find a home for it. I believe that it needs to
written. I almost couldn’t speak as it was happening. be heard. It was not held back for any reason related
Ryan Freeland as my witness – he was in the room to recording quality. He came to think that his
with me. I couldn’t even speak. songwriting was not up to the quality of the
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What are some of your favorite experiences recordings. He thought the label pushed him. He will
that stand out as a producer? spend five years writing a song. He felt that, as pieces
Allen Toussaint’s The Bright Mississippi was an incredibly of writing, they were not as involved as the music
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powerful experience for me. Partly because he invited ultimately became.
me to create this whole concept for him, and I picked You’ve had a varied and vast career.
34/Tape Op#129/Mr. Henry/(continued on page 36)
I was having breakfast, before I met you, with my friend,
Gloria Steinem. She’s 84, and a woman of supreme
importance. I was talking to her about my work with
Harry Belafonte. I produced what I believe is going to
be his last recording. It was a collaboration between
him and another great singer from Mali: Baaba Maal.
Harry was unhappy with the state of his voice. After
a single song, he decided it had its purpose, but we
weren’t going to continue. I bring that up because, as
it turns out, I’ve produced the final recordings for a
number of so-called “legacy artists:” Solomon Burke,
Jimmy Scott, Mose Allison…
They call you “The Undertaker,” or
something like that…
That was in The New Yorker, because my mother asked me
if I was concerned with my reputation. To the point
where they said in that same article, when Joan Baez
showed up to the studio, bassist David Piltch leaned
over to me in a stage whisper, and asked, “Does she
know?” But producing Joan was the first of any of
those [projects] where I understood – up front – that
this was going to be her final statement. This is how
she decided that she was going to button things up.
What it means to be in service to people who have
meant so much to all of us – like Mose, Harry, Jimmy
Scott, Solomon, Allen…
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What are some of your favorite memories
as a performer, an artist, and a
songwriter? You’ve released 14 albums.
My opportunity to record with Ornette Coleman still
stands out as something that was incredibly affirming
to me, because he’d never been a sideman to anybody.
The fact that he acquiesced to come join me on a
song was intensely affirming.
He did that because he listened to one of
your songs and said…
“I understand why you want to do this.” I translate that
as, “I hear why you need me. It’s not gratuitous that
you want to stick my name on the record.”
Your music fundamentally communi-
cated that?
I’d written a song called “Richard Pryor Addresses a
Tearful Nation.” It’s sung in the first person, as
Richard. I needed somebody to represent the intensity
and volatility of Richard’s person in our culture. I
needed somebody of significance as an instrumentalist
to stand for Richard. That’s how I was thinking of it. I
was writing the song with the idea of that and saying,
“I need an ‘Ornette Coleman.’” It never occurred to me
for a minute that I could actually get Ornette Coleman!
But like a lot of things in my life, I start walking
forward and find out that there’s more possibility than
I could have imagined. Then I wrote a book about
Richard [with David Henry, Furious Cool: Richard Pryor
and the World That Made Him] because of the song. I
befriended him and was invited by him to write a
screenplay based on his life, which became a book
that was not just about Richard’s life but was also
about the world that allowed his life to happen – and
the way that he influenced the world around him in
real time. That moment with Ornette, and how that led
me to be in the path of Richard Pryor, is no small
thing. Making my most recent record, Thrum, was as
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 much fun as I’ve ever had making a single record. We
recorded it not only live in the studio, but it was mixed
live as well. Ryan was making very bold treatment
choices. He could do anything he heard, as long as it
happened in real time.
In service of the song.
Yeah. As we played songs through, he was making really
quick and bold choices about running this element
through an amplifier, running my vocals through a
tape delay or amp to emphasize a line, a phrase, a
word – and then printing it to tape. When we came
into playback. We listened back off the 1/2-inch tape,
and it was either a record or not a record. If it was not
a record, then we played it again.
In the case of that album, there were no
post-production decisions?
Zero – except for mastering.
That’s extraordinary! There are very few
people who could do that.
There are all kinds of people who could do it, but nobody
wants to do it because you’re surrendering so much
control to the moment. I’m a person who likes
nothing better than to allow the moment take over
and let me know what it means. I don’t want to be in
control. I want to be seduced. r

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<www.joehenrylovesyoumadly.com>
Bren Davies is a singer and recording artist living the dream in
Brooklyn. <www.brendandavies.com>

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36/Tape Op#129/Mr. Henry/(Fin.)

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I’ve wanted to do an interview with noted mix engineer Bob Clearmountain for many You started off engineering and mixing in New
years. Ever since I first heard tales from artists who had worked with him about how he York, but you’re now mainly mixing and
finds the heart of a song’s mix in under an hour, I wanted to know how he does it. On top doing a lot less tracking?
to

of that, every mix engineer we’ve interviewed generally calls out Clearmountain as one of Yeah, very little.
their favorite mixers. I will usually start research for a Tape Op interview by going to I would imagine mixing allows you to work on
Allmusic.com and printing out their discography, but in Bob’s case it was 47 pages long more records versus tracking and producing.
and my environmental conscience kept me from printing that many pages! I had to wing it Do you enjoy that aspect of it?
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with some handwritten notes instead. I did produce for a while in the ‘80s. All of us engineers thought, “I’m
trying to become a producer.” I went along with it. My favorite
interview and photo by John Baccigaluppi part of producing was the end of the day when somebody asked
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for a rough mix. I didn’t actually like producing, and I didn’t admit
that to myself for years. I finally got it. “Why am I doing
38/Tape Op#129/Mr. Clearmountain/ something I don’t think I’m actually that good at, and that I don’t
 I absolutely enjoy it. It’s pretty much my favorite thing
to do, still. I love the puzzle of it. I love getting a
new multitrack, putting it up having never heard it
before, and listening to a rough mix, or something
like that, to get a good idea of what the artist and
the producer had in mind. Then I’m going through
and figuring out what each element is, and what
they’re doing. I go through the faders. I’ll put up a
rough mix and think, “Okay, what do these things
do? What do they contribute to the narrative of this
song?” I always go through the “crisis mode” of
putting the thing up and going, “Oh, my god, what
am I going to do with this? I’ll never be able to make
this sound good.” Then, after a little while, it tends
to come together. I get drawn into it. I figure out
what everything does, and then it turns into
something that sounds like something. It’s so much
fun to do that. It’s like working on a crossword
puzzle. Once I start getting it, it starts to come, and
I feel like I’ve done something.
I heard a comment from someone
who worked with you that really
intrigued me. They were working on
a track and they were lost; they didn’t
know if the song was working or not.
They had you mix it and said that you

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had cleared the clutter and found
the song within a half an hour. All of
a sudden, the track was working! How
do you solve the puzzle?

.c
Well, there’s no particular method. I don’t even
understand it. That’s the problem. It’s a little scary,
il because, to me, it doesn’t seem like I’m doing
anything. It’s like, “Why can’t anyone do this?” It
seems so simple. I’ll find the obvious things that
pique my interest in a song. Then I find the things
a
that don’t, and I weed them out. I base everything
around the voice. To me, that’s what pop and rock
gm

music is all about. It’s the narrative of the song. I

learned a lot of this from working with [Bruce]
Springsteen, actually. His thing is always that the
singer is the focus. If anything gets in the way of the
@

message of the song – between what he or she is

doing and portraying – and the listener, then you
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have to weed that out. It has become instinctive to

me. Probably not just me, but a lot of mixers who do
what I do. After a while, you instinctively gravitate
us

to the important things, the things that support

what the song’s about, and what the music’s about.
Do you have go-to tricks, or is coming up
really like?” I’m not a psychologist, and you really How long does it take you to mix a song with new methods part of what you
nm

have to be one in order to be a good producer. Not on average? still enjoy?

only that, but you have to be an accomplished Well, it depends on what it is. Normally, if the I usually start a mix with a blank slate. I’ll normal out
musician. I was a hack musician. I couldn’t really go arrangements are good, and the producer and the artist the console completely, so it’s not like I have some
to

over to the piano and say, “Play these chords.” With aren’t dickheads, I’ll get two a day. If something’s template that I use. The only template is that I like
mixing, I can sit down, push the faders up, turn some complicated, or we have to make a lot of decisions, it’ll certain things: The vocals always come up on
knobs, dial up some reverb, and say, “What do you take a day. Then sometimes I’ll work with somebody channel 24, which is the center of the console.
think of that?” That I can do. I think I got pretty good like [Robert John] “Mutt” Lange, where it takes maybe Backing vocals are to the left or the right of that. I’ll
pi

at it over the years. I started to realize that people a week. I don’t really understand why that is. have the guitars to the left, then the drums over
were booking me just to mix their album; a record that Do you still enjoy doing this? I mean you farther left, percussion way over to the left, and then
they had finished producing. Not only that, but my probably don’t have to do this if you on the other side I’ll have the keyboards on the right.
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manager at the time said, “Why are you bothering with didn’t want to, but you’re still If there are any strings, horns, or things like that,
producing? You could do so much better just mixing working at it. they go way down on the right. I group everything
Mr. Clearmountain/(continued on page 40)/Tape Op#129/39
records.” It made sense.
 so I know where they are, so that I can get to tracks
really quickly; like if I hear a keyboard that doesn’t
sound right, or needs some help. I think most mixers
probably do the same thing. Plus, I color code
everything. Guitars are blue, keyboards are green, and
drums are black on the little scribble strip. Other than
that, I start by normaling out the EQs and getting rid
of all the effects. I will try a bunch of different effects
on the voice. Sometimes there’s no effect on the
voice. I’ll always have the vocals in the mix, unless it’s
really complicated. Maybe it’s down a bit. But I always
like to hear the whole thing. We used to mix records
back in the ‘70s before there was automation. The
problem was that it was hard to mix a record and hear
it at the same time. You couldn’t get an overall picture
of it, because you’re always thinking about these little
[mix move] details.
Trying to remember to mute this at
that point.
Exactly. Automation was such a wonderful thing, when
it got good. You could add to your mix, sit back and
listen to the mix while you were doing it, and hear
it as a finished record instead of hearing it as little
bits and pieces. I mixed something the other day
with a brilliant young artist. He was really into
breaking everything down and listening. “Let’s listen
to the drums for a while. Let’s listen to the
percussion for a while.” I turned to him and said,
“I’m flying blind. That doesn’t make any sense to me.
If I don’t hear the whole picture, I don’t know where
I’m going. I can’t judge what the drums were
supposed to be doing if I can’t hear the guitars, or
if I can’t hear the keyboards.”
Are you still using the console
automation, or are you using Pro
Tools automation now?
No, I don’t use any Pro Tools automation. I use the
console. SSL [4000] G+ is the best automation for You got your start in New York, right? You
mixing, ever. It’s natural. I don’t really think about it. were New York-based, and you were
I can grab a fader and ride it; I don’t have a mouse.
There’s not a lot of programming involved. It’s very Originally at a studio called Mediasound on 57th Street.
straightforward and simple. You actually talk to the
computer in a way, because you’ve got a bunch of
command buttons, like, “Go to mix.” All these crazy
buttons. It’s archaic; the last software update was ‘95.
Sometimes archaic is good; it does one
thing really well. You can’t send text
us
messages on the console.
Thank god. It really works. It’s so natural. It’s become a
part of me. I got into automation in the late ‘70s, and
the early versions were pretty buggy. I’ve tried a
nm
bunch of different automation systems and moving
fader systems, and none even come close to this as far
as being able to do what I want. I wish that
to
somebody would come out with a new system based
on the way this works that was better.
You’ve got 64 inputs here?
It’s a 72-channel desk. There are eight more on the left.
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But some of them on the right are returns.
Decades ago that was probably more than
you could use, but now I’m sure you
ju
get in songs with 200 tracks.
We max it out all the time.
40 /Tape Op#129/Mr. Clearmountain/(continued on page 42)
Do you internally sum within Pro Tools? up quitting the studio. Plus, the fact that Power
Yeah, absolutely. Station had a policy of two sessions per day in each
But if you don’t have to, do you run room. There were three rooms, so there were six
everything out to a fader? sessions a day. I was working on a Hall & Oates album,
If I don’t have to, yeah. I’ll keep everything separate. and they wanted to lock the room out; Power Station
For smaller sessions, like if I’m working with Don wouldn’t allow that. I went to Electric Lady [Studios],
Was [Tape Op #113], or somebody who keeps it to or Right Track [Recording] – some of the other studios
a nice minimum, I don’t have to do that. But there in town – and I ended up totally independent.
are lots of sessions where I get huge string and We sat down with Tony last year and got
horn sections, or layered backing vocals, and I’ll the whole tour of Power Station. He’s
subgroup them down to a stem. I have to bring it a strong-willed guy.
up on a pair of faders. Oh, yeah. He’s a brilliant guy. Kind of nuts also, but in a
You’ve got quite a few hardware reverbs good way. He built an incredible thing there. It’s still
in here. Do you still use those over the top studio in New York.
most of the reverb plug-ins? When did you move to L.A., and what
I use [Audio Ease] Altiverb mostly for reverb. I’m using it prompted the move out here?
as an external box, really. It’s part of the multitrack Well, in the late ‘80s I ended up working more in London
session, but I send it to an aux off the console and and L.A. than in New York. It was crazy too, because
then it comes back to some returns. Everything comes I’d bought this really nice apartment on the 29th floor
back through this Apogee Symphony I/O that I use as of a building overlooking Central Park, and I was there
a line mixer for all my returns. They have an internal maybe two or three weeks out of the year. It was
low latency mixer built in, and it’s super stable. Then insane. I was flying back and forth between L.A. and
there are some other reverbs. I still use the [Lexicon] London. I finally realized, “This is ridiculous.” I’d met
PCM 70s, because they do some things that nothing my future wife, Betty Bennett from Apogee
else does, and these Yamaha SPX990s are good for a [Electronics], because I was buying Apogee gear out
few specific effects. here. She said, “Wow, what are you doing?” She is
om
You’ve got a few of the Eventide H3000s? really smart financially; a real businesswoman. She
Yeah. I use those for various things. I actually wrote a said, “Jeez, you’re paying for an apartment in London,
couple of programs for them for doing tape flanging you’re paying a mortgage on the apartment in New
.c
and effects like that. York, a house in Woodstock, and an apartment in L.A.
What are the Roland units you have here? How are you saving any money?” I said, “Well, I’m not
These are really basic digital delays. The SDE-3000s really saving any money.” She said, “No, we’ve got to
are old standbys. They still work great, and they’re
il fix that.” So, I got rid of most of it. She said, “You
really simple. The Yamaha D5000 is one of the best should move to L.A., because most of your work is
digital delays ever designed, and nobody ever even here.” She was right, and so I came out here.
knew about it. It was really versatile. Two inputs Obviously you’re very close to Apogee.
How involved are you in working with
a
and six outputs.
them on products? I’m sure you must
gm
have some input.
working out of the Power Station? Yeah, I have some input. They pull me in for product
planning meetings and ideas about what to do. They
I started there in ‘72, and I worked there for five always run ideas by me, and often they listen to me,
@
years. Then Tony Bongiovi [Tape Op #127], who was but sometimes they don’t. But most of the time they
nail it. They have some really brilliant people over
ic
one of the mixers there, came to me one day and said,
“Look, I’ve done pretty well,” off some big disco hits there. Lucas van der Mee [Tape Op #56] designs all the
that he had. He did disco Star Wars [Meco’s “Star Wars analog electronics. People don’t realize it, but with a
Theme/Cantina Band”]. He said, “I’m gonna build my digital audio circuit the analog part is really the most
own studio. Do you want to a be part of it?” important. It’s got to sound good before it gets to the
Mediasound was a great studio, but they were a little conversion, and after it comes out of the conversion
behind the times in certain ways. So, I said, “Yeah, and goes back to analog. They have so much
sure.” Mediasound was more about jingles and R&B experience over the years. Digital used to sound like
music. I was a fan of British rock. I said, “Can it be a crap. Nobody liked it when CDs were first around, and
rock studio?” He said, “It can be any kind of studio we had the digital multitracks. It was harsh and didn’t
you want. As long as people come and work there, I sound good. It was all because of the anti-aliasing
don’t care.” So, first of all we searched for a building filters, because at a 44.1 sample rate, you needed a
for Power Station, and then I helped him design it. He brick-wall filter at half that sample rate. Otherwise
was the main designer, but I threw in my two cents you get distortion. If you’re trying to sample
here and there. Then I was a staff guy for two or three frequencies that you don’t have enough samples for,
years at Power Station. Then I, by default, became then you’re going to get distortion [unless you filter
independent. People were hiring me to mix and those frequencies out].
produce, and I thought, “This isn’t right. I’m getting The Nyquist Theorem, basically.
paid by the studio, and I’m also getting paid by these Exactly. The people that originally designed digital
other people that wanted to pay me directly.” I ended thought it had to be an absolute brick-wall filter. Of
ju
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 course, that causes ringing down into the audio It did. That was an amazing session, because they
spectrum, down below 15 kHz. Apogee figured out
that if you contour that filter, and make it more of a
roll off, it can still be as effective at anti-aliasing, but I went in the office and put another couple of weeks
it doesn’t cause that harshness. The harshness goes
away. They were really the first ones to figure that
out. Apogee is why digital became palatable.
Well, you said that you came to Apogee
because you were buying all their
converters. You were a fan before.
I was mixing to DAT. I loved DATs because they were That was one of the records that defined
convenient and there was no tape hiss. I never was a
big analog fan, even though most of my favorite
records were done on analog. It never sounded the
same coming back. My biggest example was working
with the band Chic. The producers [Nile Rodgers and
Bernard Edwards] were in the band. They’d be out
there in the studio playing, and I’d be the only one It’s funny you say that,
in the control room. I’m listening to “Good Times” or
“Le Freak,” and I’m thinking, “This is the most
amazing sounding thing I’ve ever heard.” They’d all
play live in the studio. They were a real, live R&B
band. Then they’d come in and listen back. They were
grooving, and I was listening too. I thought, “Too
bad it didn’t sound like what it sounded like when I
was listening through the board and not through the
tape.” It was always a little frustrating to me.
The tape saturation?
Whatever it is the tape did that was changing it. It was
making a decision about the sound that wasn’t mine.
I’m a bit of a control freak, I guess, when it comes to
sound. Digital came along, and once Apogee got
involved, playing it back sounded like it did when we
recorded. It’s exactly what it sounded like. I was quite
happy about that. So, yeah, I was mixing to DAT, but
I wanted it to sound better. The original DAT
machines were a bit harsh, and Apogee figured out
how to get rid of that harshness.
You mentioned working with Chic.
You did quite a few records with
them, right?
I think I did three Chic
albums. There were a
few other things that
they [Bernard and Nile]
produced that I did.
There was Sister Sledge,
us
and Norma Jean [solo,
of Chic]. Then I was off
into producing, so we
parted ways. Although I did [David Bowie’s] Let’s
nm
Dance with Nile Rodgers. That was a fun record to
make.
You recorded and mixed it?
to
Yeah.
I’m assuming Nile brought you in on I’m not a man of extremes; let’s put it that way. I like to This ties into what you’re saying; you
that one?
Yeah, as far as I know. I was booked on it one day. “Look, I was talking with my friend and fellow Yeah. I’ve got a massive hard drive full of surround sound
pi
you’re doing a Bowie record!”
Was that at the Power Station?
Yeah.
ju
So that setup got torn down every day and
put back up the next day?
42/Tape Op#129/Mr. Clearmountain/(continued on page 44)
That’s good to hear. That’s probably right. I don’t
booked three weeks, start to finish, including mixing. know if it’s a conscious thing that I do, but that
I thought, “Who does a whole album in three weeks?” sounds like a good description of what is in my
head when I’m mixing.
on hold. Then we finished it in three weeks; mixing One of the first records that made me
and everything. It was unbelievable. I mean, [we aware of your work was the Bryan
were working with] the top musicians in New York, Adams single “Run to You.” I’m not a
first off. Then Nile was doing the arrangements. big Bryan Adams fan, but that song
Between Nile and David, the two of them were an would come on my crappy car radio,
amazing combination of talents. and I’d be thinking, “I know that’s a
guitar, but why does it sound so
the sound of the ‘80s, in a way. A lot of good?” It sounded better than
the records in the ‘80s went pretty anything else on the radio.
over the top with the huge gated Well, thank you. That
snare drum sound. Your records was a big one for me.
never went there. Is that something Bryan and I had become
you thought about at the time? really good friends by
then. To me, that’s how
because not everybody rock records should
will agree with you. I sound. Not overhyped,
mixed some records for but big and warm. It
Robbie Robertson, should draw you in. There shouldn’t be anything in
[including] the first one there that’s annoying or pisses you off. You want to
[Robbie Robertson], live there. The records that I grew up with, like The
which Daniel Lanois Beatles or Leon Russell records, I wanted to live
[Tape Op #37, #127] produced. I think his label there. I wanted to be there when that was going on.
om
suggested that I mix his solo album. Daniel was like, One of the more recent mixes you worked
“Oh, you don’t want that guy. You’re going to get on was Ethan Gruska’s Slowmotionary. I
that Born in the U.S.A. snare drum.” For that album, assume [producer] Tony Berg [Tape Op
#121] and you are friends?
.c
Bruce was really into
that huge gated snare
Yeah. Tony and I are old friends. It was a fantastic and
drum sound. More so
very unusual-sounding record. I learned a lot from
than I was. He would
that. It was difficult to mix because of the way it
il
push that harder. He’d
was recorded. Tony’s got this upright piano with
say, “No, it’s got to be
some kind of damper, like a piece of felt between
as big as it can be.” I
the hammers and the keyboard. A lot of that record
a
was like, “Yeah, okay. If
is based on that piano sound. Ethan sings while he
that’s what you want.” I’m never one to argue with
plays, and it’s an upright piano, so he’s sitting and
gm
the artist or producer. If that’s what they want,
basically singing into the piano mics. There were a
that’s what they’re getting. Obviously, it worked for
lot of phase problems and all kinds of, “How do I
that record; it was the right thing. But some people
make this work with this leakage coming from his
felt it was too much. But normally, to me, it should
voice, plus the piano leakage into his vocal mic?” It
@
sound big and impressive. It should grab you.
was all one thing. Getting the effects right – the
Especially back then, records were going in that
environment of the record exactly right for the
ic
direction, but there were records that were too over
songs – I mean, it’s a bit of a dark record. There was
the top. I still hear records nowadays where it’s like,
a lot of experimentation, as well as a lot of trial and
“Why’s that bass drum so loud? Is that right? Were
error when it came to various effects. I wish
bass drums that loud, ever?” To me, it’s about the
everybody could hear that in surround. Everything
song. If any element of the instrumentation is
I’ve done in the last 15 years I’ve also done the
taking over the spotlight from the song, I don’t
surround mix for. That record, in particular, has
think that’s a good thing. Unless the song is so bad
some pretty incredible-sounding surround
that all people care about is the damn snare drum.
environmental sounds. I don’t spin elements around
Then there’s a problem with the music. in the room, or pan crazily. I like the feeling of
Was your personal taste to pull that back being in the middle of the music. Maybe someday
in a little bit? somebody will hear it other than me.
hear the music come through as music. want to live in the song.
engineer, Thom Monahan, last mixes that no one’s ever heard. Hopefully people will
night. We were discussing that era, hear them someday.
and he said he feels like your mixes This is an unfair question, and you can
had a lot of air to them. I feel like pass if you want. Do you have a
your mixes still felt natural. favorite record you’ve worked on?
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 All of them! I know; that question comes up a lot. No, How developed is your sense of whether
I don’t have a favorite record, but there have been a
few. Aimee Mann’s first solo record [Whatever] was
one of my favorites. She’s a brilliant songwriter; I
wish I was still working with her. That record was a I no longer think in those terms. The ‘80s were the time
combination of her and [producer] Jon Brion’s [Tape
Op #18] quirkiness. Just really unusual sounds, as
well as great songs and great lyrics. It’s one of my
favorites. The Crowded House records were amazing
to me, especially Woodface. Last year I mixed a
record, The Knowledge, by the band Squeeze. It’s this
record that they did that nobody knows about. I
think it is one of the best records I’ve ever mixed in
my life. The record is a masterpiece. It’s a shame that happy. But most of the time, I can’t really tell. When
more people haven’t heard it. [Chris] Difford and
[Glenn] Tilbrook are
two of the best
songwriters on the
planet, and they are
still writing
unbelievable songs. Of
course [mixing]
Avalon for Roxy Music
was something I’ve had more positive comments on
than anything I’ve ever done. I like that one a lot.
But it’s funny, because the records that I’ve done
that are my favorites aren’t necessarily the big
hits. I love Bryan Adams, Springsteen, and the
Rolling Stones’ records, but they’re not necessarily
my favorites.
us
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44/Tape Op#129/Mr. Clearmountain/(Fin.)
Start it up! Start it up!”
a song is going to be a hit while He goes out there and
you’re working on it? Or do you not sings it. At one point in
even think of it in those terms? the song he said, “start
me up” a couple times
when we thought about instead of “start it up.”
that. Nowadays, I don’t I said, “For whatever
care anymore. I mix reason, something
things that I like. I about that sounds better. ‘Start me up’ could be a
don’t care what sexual connotation.” He said, “Yeah, okay. Start me
anybody else thinks, as up.” All of a sudden, it sounded like a hit record.
long as the producer So, you changed “it” to “me”?
and the artist are Well, no, it was his idea. He said it. I suggested that
maybe it would be a better thing. I mean, if you look
we were recording “Good Times” for Chic, we were at the original track sheet it says “Start it Up.”
doing the basic tracks. Before they came into the That was a good suggestion! r
room for a playback, I thought, “This has to be a hit. <www.mixthis.com>
How could this not be a hit?” They came into the
See also the podcast of this interview, and a brief
control room for playback. Bernard Edwards, the bass
interview we did with Bob Clearmountain in Tape Op #84.
player [and producer], was standing next to me. I
<tapeop.com>
turned to him and said, “Where did you come up with
that amazing bass line?” He turned to me and said,
“Oh, you like that?” Like he didn’t know. “This is
monumental. How could this not be a hit?” I didn’t Tape Op is made
hear any vocals. It was just the basic track. That
possible by our
om
seemed like a hit to me. [The Rolling Stones’] “Start
Me Up” seemed like a hit. It was recorded someplace
advertisers.
Please support them and tell them
else, but we did some vocal overdubs. Mick Jagger’s you saw their ad in Tape Op.
screaming into my ear in the control room. He goes,
.c
“What do you think? This is about a motorcycle.
a il
@ gm
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 In 2013 I met up with Shachar Gilad, the founder of
SoundBetter, to talk about the new business he’d started,
connecting people involved in the music recording process.
Now, over five years later, SoundBetter is doing brisk
business. (If you are one of the people I run into that
complains you don’t get enough studio work, especially
mixing or mastering, this is something to check out.) I’ve
received several jobs through here, and made bids on a
few that sounded interesting, and it works. Payment is
secured through SoundBetter, and when everyone is happy
you get paid. I felt like mix jobs were finding me that I
would normally never get. It’s an interesting service, and I
wanted to know more.
How did SoundBetter get started,
and when?
In 2012 I had a good friend – a pretty well-known
engineer – who asked me to build a website. The idea
was to promote himself and get projects. I did, but it
was quite a bit of work. I thought to myself, “If every
engineer or producer has to go through this – finding
a designer, finding out how to build the site, integrate
payment, checkout, and all this – it’s crazy!” Musicians
would ask me for recommendations, so I knew clients
were looking to connect with pros like him. At the
time, my brother, who’s a very experienced
I might be the right guy to pursue this. I was a There’s no engineer who’s going to say,
musician and engineer for some time; I’d worked at “No” to work, generally.
Apple on their music production tools and was at Exactly. Getting the engineers on board wasn’t the hard
Waves for several years. part. The hard part was getting the clients. I did all
Once you found it, it’s an obvious idea. kinds of creative marketing to bring in clients. After
There’s a need. my co-founder, Itamar Yunger, joined me – a little
I knew that I wanted to move fast. I wanted it to be a over one year in – we built out a real marketplace
web app, and I figured Ruby on Rails was the hot with payment facilitation, and a workroom. I think
language at the time for [building] these kinds of web it’s really important, because a lot of the work, kind
apps. I knew that in Poland there were good Ruby dev of as we expected, was remote. Being able to
shops, so I flew to Poland and interviewed a few dev facilitate the payment and add a layer of trust was a
shops. I found one I liked in Krakow, so I stayed on big part of this. It wasn’t just to facilitate discovery.
location and hired them to help me develop a minimum If this marketplace can reduce the anxiety for the
viable product. I was self-funding it – I was the sole provider and the client about doing this transaction
founder. I stayed with them for a couple of months remotely, that’s important.
while we were building the first iteration, which was You guys hold the payment from the
initially a directory of mostly mixing and mastering person who’s requesting the work?
engineers. I had this directory, but there weren’t a lot Yes. You don’t want to get stiffed. Half of what managers
of freelancers on it yet. Imagine having a Yelp, but do for engineers and producers is making sure the
without any restaurants? I was trying to get the word money gets collected. We want to address the anxiety
out. How do you start? both sides have. Clients also have concerns, “If I send
People are skeptical. this person money, they could just ignore me or do
Exactly. I called an engineer friend of mine in L.A. – who some half-baked job.”
is well-known – and said, “If I put on an event, would I’ve heard stories like that.
you be willing to take some questions via Skype?” The Right. And the payment is one side of the trust. The fact
closest creative hub to where I was at the time was that you know you’re going to get a review at the end

om
businessman also, was chatting with me through these Berlin. I called a recording studio in Berlin to host it. makes the providers put in extra effort. When it was
ideas. We came up with the concept together. We felt After they said yes, I called an audio school, SAE in time to build out the marketplace features, I needed
like the timing was right; people were becoming more Berlin, and said, “Would you co-sponsor it? All you to find a technical co-founder who would join on

accustomed to working through marketplaces, like
Uber or Airbnb. If both sides are looking for each other,
it shouldn’t be too hard. I had some tech and music
production experience,
so I felt
ByLarryCr
.c
gotta do is mail your students and alumni.” Next thing
you know, people are starting to hear about it and are
signing up for the event. I called a local pro audio
dealer. Then I called Recording Magazin in Germany and
il
invited them. It was a small thing, but beyond the 60
people who showed up to the event, there were
thousands of people who had now heard
a
about it. It worked, so I did the same
thing in New York and London. Then
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faith and on equity, since I was still self-funding
SoundBetter. Itamar Yunger is super, super talented.
He’s been my partner on this since a year after it
started. Since then, we’ve been cranking away,
focusing on growing the user base while improving
the product, and adding all these features. File
transfer, project management, tools; where as an
engineer, producer, or singer you can see all your
projects, what stages they’re in, add labels to them,

I came to L.A. for NAMM. You with a dashboard. We’ve been consistently growing.
ane remember me trying to hawk
this. The feedback I got at
The amount of transactions is now at thousands per
month. We’ve delivered more than 12 million dollars
the beginning, at least worth of work to providers on the platform. People are
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from engineers, was earning a living from it. Creative pros on the platform
like, “If you can get
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have quit their day jobs, earning consistent income as

us work, great!” freelancers from clients they wouldn’t have connected
with otherwise, and often from other countries.
What other services are offered on
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there?
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SoundBetter Founders Shachar Gilad and Itamar Yunger.

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46/Tape Op#129/SoundBetter/(continued on page 48)

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 There’s obviously mixing, mastering, and producing.
Singing has become a big one. In the EDM world, a lot
of people create tracks and then need someone to sing
the top line. It could be any kind of genre of music, but
in electronic music – even urban or hip-hop – you might
want a vocalist to sing the chorus. That’s been a really
big one lately. Also, songwriters.
Songwriters? In what way?
Say you’re an EDM producer. You create the track, and you
want someone to write the top line. We actually vet the people who want to be Premium, and
A melody, lyric, or a vocal part.
Exactly. That’s been big. We’ve had people from other
sides of the world. I had a guy from London and a guy
from L.A. that co-wrote, and the song ended up
getting nominated for some awards. It’s growing
faster than we anticipated! We’ve seen some pretty
amazing success stories: Artists who got hired on
SoundBetter and ended up getting flown out for
tours. Many musicians – who had hired folks on
SoundBetter to help them with a song – have gotten
tens of millions of plays on Spotify. We have
everything from green clients, where it’s their first
time hiring a pro, to known label acts and production
houses who use SoundBetter on a regular basis.
There are musicians for hire on
SoundBetter?
back – that’s the Job Board. We limit the amount of
proposals clients get to five so that they don’t get
overwhelmed. The only providers who have access to
that job board, and can send proposals to those, are the
Premium Providers. That’s the second advantage of
being Premium. So, both Premiums and Basic (free)
members get work, but Premiums can get more.
How does one become a Premium
Provider?
we accept less than 5 percent of those who apply. We
want to make sure they are experienced, have a back
catalog, are friendly when we communicate with them,
are going to respond to people quickly, and that they’re
actually interested in doing the work here. We want to
make sure their sound samples are good, and their
profiles are complete. It has to be someone presentable,
that we feel good about entrusting to clients. In
addition, we also want to keep a balanced marketplace,
so we bring on new Premiums in particular categories
only as we grow the amount of jobs we intake in those
categories. We don’t want to just take folks’ money if we
can’t provide work for them. It’s about skill, experience,
service orientation, and marketplace need; and it’s all
curated by folks on our team.
Wow, I assumed it was automatic. How

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Yes. Great musicians. The drummer from OK Go [Dan many people are signed up at
Konopka] has been doing a lot of work lately. The SoundBetter?
session bassist Sean Hurley just joined. Chuck Sabo, We have over 100,000 providers on the platform

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who’s the drummer from Natalie Imbruglia’s “Torn,” and worldwide, and hundreds of Premiums.
many others. Some people might be surprised, but these I like this concept for people who are
pros want to work with independent artists. doing good work but can’t market
And how many of them have private it well.
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studios where they can work out of any This is the channel. If they’re good at what they do,
time they need? service-oriented, into it, and active, then clients walk
Almost all of them. away happy. There are a lot of people who don’t have
I’ve done so much mixing for people from
a
the good fortune to be in the right physical place to
home studios. Mixing isn’t as easy as a earn big credits. If somebody gets lots of reviews on
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beginner might initially think. SoundBetter, it really means something. They build their
Many artists try at the beginning. Then they realize it’s an online reputation and that has value.
art form. I think it’s a lesson I learned when I started What do you see for the future? Are there
home recording. Some say, “I’m going to dive in and services you want to expand?
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become an expert.” But most end up saying, “I’m going We’re working hard. We just launched the ability for
to focus on the music and hand this off to a pro.” producers and songwriters to license their tracks.
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I never master my own mixes! There are Backing tracks for pop songs, beats for rappers, EDM
ways that a mixer like myself can pay to music, ghost production tracks, and cases like that. The
have more info on my page, right? tracks are carefully curated. You’re not going to have to
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Any music production professional can sign up to sift through 10,000 tracks to find something. A lot of
SoundBetter and create a Basic profile for free. They will producers have tracks, perhaps ones they started for a
have the ability to post sound samples, photos, a client, or for themselves. They can put them on
questionnaire they can fill out, and they can get hired. SoundBetter and see if someone wants to license them.
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If they get hired through SoundBetter, we keep a small Artists love being able to license or buy tracks and then
five percent commission. But we also have a tier called write and record a topline to it and release it, rather
Premium Providers, with a monthly fee. The main than ask a producer to produce a track from scratch.
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advantage of Premium is more visibility – the Premiums
show up above the Basics. Also, there are two ways to
get hired on SoundBetter. One is that people find your
profile, hear your sound samples, see the credits, and
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There’s less anxiety that way about the final result – if
they love it, they license it. That’s how many pop, R&B,
and EDM tracks happen at the top of the industry as
well. Artists pick from a pool of tracks and write to

then decide they want to work with you. Placement and them. Now any artist can do that online, affordably,
visibility is a factor. The second way – probably 30 with tracks from great producers on SoundBetter. As a
percent of the work on the platform – is where clients producer, you can wake up to find you licensed a track
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don’t want to find and contact a specific person, so they when you were sleeping, which is pretty great! r
post what they need done and get several proposals <soundbetter.com>
48/Tape Op#129/SoundBetter/(Fin.)
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 T eri Landi
Leaving No Stone Unturned

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by Richard Barone

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photo by Jacob Blickenstaff
As you walk into the offices of ABKCO Music & What’s your earliest memory of being aware of audio
il
Records on New York’s Fifth Avenue, you’re recording and technology?
immediately aware that you are entering the center of I guess it would start with my recollections of how much music moved me. People
a rock ‘n’ roll universe. Winding through the middle of in my family noticed I was physically engaged with the sound of music; they
a
the modern, open-plan office space (featuring a could always find me playing with the family radio or record player. We had a tiny
chandelier made from hanging microphones) is a wall tape recorder that I was fascinated by, with little 3-inch reels. I had a little General
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covered in black and white images of artists and Electric cassette recorder, and I used it to record the very short-lived Saturday Night Live
releases, one that comprises a legacy that is the envy with Howard Cosell show off television.
of the music business. ABKCO was founded in the late He had the Bay City Rollers on one of his first shows.
1950s by the colorful, legendary, and controversial That’s one of the things I recorded! Somewhere that tape is sitting in storage now.
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business manager Allen Klein, who by the end of the So you were already archiving?
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‘60s was managing both The Beatles and the Rolling I was, I guess! Little teenybopper that I was. The Bay City Rollers were the first rock band that really caught
Stones. The label’s catalogue has made ABKCO one of my attention. I was the prime age, 11, in 1975 when they hit these shores.
the world’s leading independent entertainment I like that your family picked up that you were interested in music early on.
companies, featuring many of the works of Sam Cooke, They encouraged it, which was great. My mom did encourage me to play an instrument, mandolin, prior to
us

the Rolling Stones, Bobby Womack, Eric Burdon, The teaching myself how to play acoustic guitar. That led to a fascination with records, and records led to a
Animals, Herman’s Hermits, Marianne Faithfull, and fascination with stereo equipment. My mom used to take me to Harmony Records in the Bronx when I was
The Kinks. Past the wall, in the back of really young. The guy had the bins and a list of the singles, and they were pretty much in order of how
the offices, is the studio of Teri Landi, they were on the charts. I would go in there and select two records, and my mom would buy them for me.
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the Grammy-award winning chief audio engineer for I’d come home and play them over, and over again, and drive everybody crazy.
ABKCO. She is responsible for keeping this precious, But they’re magic, right?
historic library alive and vibrant. She also oversees They are magic. They were these little three minute masterpieces on this 7-inch disc. I started to get
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lavish restoration and remastering projects with a interested in how records were made. I was born in 1964, so at that time there was mono recording, then
sense of respect and attention to detail that would stereo, then 3-track into 4-track; my listening sensibility evolved with the expansion of the number of tracks
make any artist proud. Stacks of Rolling Stones’ 1/4- that were being recorded. The tape started to get wider and wider. It’s this magical period between 1962
inch tape boxes, Cameo-Parkway 45s, and a to about 1967, where it was all developing. Some of my favorite musical experiences of all time. When I
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got into my teen years, I started looking at the record covers and the credits. I noticed a pattern in the
combination of current and vintage audio gear
names I was seeing, whether they were songwriters, producers, arrangers, engineers, or people like that. I
cluttered her studio in the most delightful way; it is
started to put two and two together, with how different the sounds were with certain producers and
here where we sat to talk about the power and glory
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engineers. Someone like Richard Perry comes to mind: Carly Simon, [Harry] Nilsson, and Ringo [Starr].
of music that continues to excite and inspire.
50 /Tape Op#129/Ms. Landi/(continued on page 52)
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Please Support Our Advertisers/Tape Op#129/51

 Did you ever pursue audio engineering in an academic way?
I think the learning has been on the job, but I did go to The Institute of Audio
Research [in New York, closed December 2017]. I learned the basics there. At that
time, everything was really still pretty much analog. We were just learning digital
technology, but not really its application. After that I went to work for Howard
Schwartz Recording, and that’s where I got my schooling. I worked as a messenger,
made coffee, got the bagels, and ran packages around town. At the end of the night
I was wrapping cables, putting away microphones, and getting to handle these
precious commodities. Three months later I was thrown into the duplication room
to start learning. I learned about tape, how to handle it, and how to make one-to-
one copies. We were also working with big mag dubbers, because they did a lot of
film there at the time. They would record voiceovers that would be sent off to be
matched with picture, so I learned a little bit about sync. I learned about working
with some old machines, and I learned the difference between full-track mono and
2-track stereo. It came in handy when I came to ABKCO and started to rummage
through the large archive of tapes. I started to really understand how different a
full-track mono tape sounded.
I hadn’t even thought about that.
Yes. When you put it up on a full-track mono head, which was how it was recorded,
and then you put it up on a stereo head, they will sound very different. It loses a
lot if you put it up on a stereo head. A great deal of what we were doing was mono,
because we were dealing with AM radio commercials. I learned a lot about working
with tape, because we had these great big duplicating machines. We used to run off
hundreds of reel-to-reels of 60 and 30 second spots, so I learned a lot about editing.
That was incredibly useful when I got hired at ABKCO.

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I love The Rolling Stones in Mono box set that ABKCO put out.
That experience must have been very helpful, to have the
feel for mono when you were doing that restoration project.
Yeah, absolutely. Keith Richards said that the very early Stones – when they were really

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focused on being an R&B/blues band – you can’t listen to those records unless
they’re in mono. Even going into Aftermath and Between the Buttons. Prior to
Aftermath, the stereo versions that were released in the United States were phony
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stereo. They were electronically reprocessed to give you a stereo image, but they
were not true stereo. Aftermath began that true stereo period, but I prefer Aftermath
in mono. The mixes are better. Their Satanic Majesties Request I love in stereo – it’s
meant for stereo. You have all those left and right only sounds happening, and you
a
have the center to hold it all together, which is pretty much missing on Between
the Buttons and Aftermath.
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Hard left and hard right panning?

Yes, very hard. It’s very ‘60s stereo. You really want something in the middle. That was
dictated by the technology. Aftermath was on 4-track. The rhythm section would be
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on one track, and then guitar – maybe acoustic guitar, but generally a lead guitar,
would be on its own track by itself; then maybe piano on another track, and then
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vocals. In order to create some kind of stereo image, and make it really obvious that
it’s stereo, they’d do a hard pan on a lot of this. The rhythm section’s all the way
off to the left channel, and there’s nothing holding it together in the center. You
really are missing something, and it doesn’t feel right. When you get that mono, it’s
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so solid and so earthy. It’s the glue.

It’s interesting that you deal with making it sound right for
“now.” Listeners’ ears are different than they would have
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been when these records were first released.

Sure. The advantage that we have now with digital, and now high-resolution digital,
is that you can avoid some of that distortion. If you listen to a lot of the old vinyl,
you get distortion. There’s something that you love about it, and at the same time
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– especially with high-resolution digital – it’s wonderful to hear something that’s a

lot closer to the actual analog master tape. Albeit digital, but still.
Sometimes on older 7-inch singles, you did get distortion. I
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always wondered how much of that is on the master tape.

Oh, sure; sometimes I’ve worked with tapes that are like that. I wonder, “What were
they doing in the studio?”
Maybe it’s because of tape compression?
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52/Tape Op#129/Ms. Landi/

Absolutely. On a lot of the early Decca Rolling Stones tapes, there actually is a little red
sticker with white lettering that says, “Distortion is intentional.” When they were
finished with the mixes, they edited everything together with leaders, and you had
your final cutting master. That was going to go to the person who cut the lacquers.
Talking about your first jobs in the studio, I was wondering if
there’s some lesson that you might have learned then that
you still use today.
Sure. Don’t make mistakes! No matter how good you are at what you do, and no matter
how focused you are, there’s always that chance you could make a mistake. We’re
human; it happens. It’s heartbreaking when that happens, especially when you’re
working really, really hard to make sure that it does not happen. I remember being at
Howard Schwartz, and I could not make a mistake, because we were sending a dub of
a spot to radio stations. It better be the right spot, because you’re dealing with clients.
Did you ever have a mistake like that?
We all did, but you paid a hefty price when you did that.
Who’s someone you might have been a fan of as a younger
person, and now you’re working with their material?
I think all of it. When I first came here I knew ABKCO had the Stones’ catalog, The
Animals, Herman’s Hermits, and they were acquiring the rights to the Phil Spector
catalog. It was blowing my mind that I would get to work with all of this material.
It was a switch from the radio/television/recording studio atmosphere to coming
right into something that was actually the music business.
How long have you been here at ABKCO?
I started working here in February of ‘89. A friend I worked with at Howard Schwartz,
when I told him where I was going to work, he said, “Wow, that’s like somebody

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created a job for Teri Landi.” I felt like I’d found my niche. They knew they needed
somebody to go through thousands and thousands of reels. They’ve kept me; I
think they like me.
I didn’t realize you’d been here since ‘89.

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We were at the classic 1700 Broadway space, but I still remember the room that I was
in. It was a very big conference room that was converted into a studio. This space
here, the walls were actually built to contain the studio. This is a real studio that il
is sonically sound. We have done mixes in this room, and you couldn’t really do
that in the old space.
Were you aware of ABKCO before you came here?
Oh, absolutely. I already had quite a few ABKCO records in my own collection. I was
a
definitely aware of who Allen Klein was, and what the history was. It really blew my
mind to come here and interview.
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ABKCO was one of the first companies I can think of that

branched out into film and multimedia, with projects like
The Concert for Bangladesh. As we know, Allen managed
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The Beatles’ Apple Records, which was a multimedia

company early on. There are a lot of film scores that ABKCO
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has been involved with over the years.

Yeah, and also the association with [director] Alejandro Jodorowsky, because his El
Topo film soundtrack was released on Apple Records. That association started there,
continued after that, and re-continued many years later. We do distribute a certain
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amount of his films and soundtracks. I guess you could say that it’s fitting that by
the time of the mid-2000s and through to present-day, we’ve been the
manufacturer of a lot of soundtracks. We’ve also done some for television shows,
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like Big Little Lies and Californication. We’ve put out the Wes Anderson soundtracks
since The Darjeeling Limited. That’s a really great association that we have, not only
with these incredible films, but these wonderfully-crafted soundtracks that are
works of art unto themselves. There’s magnificent sequencing and placement with
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these. We’re a one-stop-shop in many ways; we have a licensing department that

can deal with the manufacturing arm, as well as the distribution via our association
with Universal. The licensing department really can take care of everything.
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Do you feel that ABKCO has two basic missions right now? One is
the restoration and maintenance of their incredible
catalog, and the other being the film soundtrack world?
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Ms. Landi/(continued on page 54)/Tape Op#129/53

Of course there is score music where the masters end up The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, to make adjustments; I get tracks that are very bright!
being controlled by ABKCO as well, but there’s also the that was an ABKCO release? I might do a transfer as-is, and I might do a transfer
licensing arm of ABKCO – the licensing of our own Yes. We did that at The Magic Shop. where I bring in a little 10 kHz or such. I’m trying to
master catalog for television shows, films, As a kid, Rock and Roll Circus was this remain true to how they originally sounded.
commercials, and shows like The Voice. That’s a big mysterious “did it ever really One thing you can’t do too much about is
part of what we do on a daily basis. One of the things happen?” thing. When Steve if they had put a ton of reverb on,
I do is send off master files for something we’ve Rosenthal [Tape Op #66] mentioned because on vinyl you wouldn’t
licensed nearly every day. Or licensing a track for a CD that was being remixed, that was a actually hear all of it.
compilation that is being produced overseas. mindblower to me. No, you don’t lose anything. Sometimes I can lose some
That’s great. So ABKCO really has a few Yes, and it was a long time coming. We worked on it a of that depending on the EQ. I was listening back and
different functions. very, very long time. We had the musical part of it to forth last week to Terry Knight – listening to a tape
Yeah, and publishing of course. Sometimes there is mix, so we were doing mixes for the CD issue, but we version next to the 45, and I noticed that they cut a lot
master ownership, plus the publishing, and sometimes were also doing mixes that would be used for the film, of top-end off of it [in vinyl mastering]. I was trying to
it’s just the publishing. We have publishing on the because it was two different kinds of mixing. It was a make sure that I had the right mix. I’m listening to it
Stones, The Who, The Kinks, and Donovan. lot of fun to work on. and thinking, “Wow, there’s a lot of reverb on the tape.”
Let’s talk about the studio for a minute. What are some of your other favorite But, with the single, it’s like, “No, wait a second, the
What do you actually do here, and what projects at ABKCO? ‘verb is there.” They cut off so much of the top-end that
gets sent out for final mastering? Cameo-Parkway is so near and dear to my heart in a we’re not hearing as much of it. I’m not sure why they
Generally, a lot of the pre-mastering work is done here. If major way. They were initially the first tapes that I was did that. Sometimes I have to make decisions on how
it’s material that’s mixed, it would start with transfers. going through before I moved on and started going to be true to the original single, but sometimes it
It could be 1/4-inch or 1/2-inch tape. I’ve got two Mike through the Stones and Sam Cooke tapes. The Cameo doesn’t sound good. You want the original master to
Spitz re-built [Ampex] ATR-102 tape decks. They have catalog was so huge – thousands of reels. The Cameo shine, right?
ARIA Class-A electronics, and the 1/4-inch machine is label started in Philadelphia in late ‘56. Their first hit- You’re the curator of how that should
fitted with a stereo head, a full-track mono head, and a maker was really Charlie Gracie; Philadelphia’s own sound now.
quarter-track head as well. The 1/4-inch is playback rock ‘n’ roll star. The label was started by Bernie Lowe. Yes, exactly. I’ll know we’ve got the single master; it’s got
only. For the 1/2-inch machine I have two separate Kal Mann became a co-partner. Dave Appell became the markings and everything. Sometimes they even put

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head stacks: a 2-track head stack, which also has a basically the A&R guy; he did everything. He was the the limiter settings. Or I’ll see a little stamp that says,
record head, and then I have playback only. With the engineer, producer, and A&R; he also wrote songs, was “Pultec,” and it’ll tell me some of the very simple EQ
1/2-inch head stack, it has the 3- and 4-track heads, a musician, and he was an amazing, amazing person. settings they used, and maybe the limiter settings as

and of course it’s playback only with those. A lot of work
is done with 1/4-inch material here, so I will do the
transfers into high-resolution PCM and into DSD. We will
do any work that needs to be done with those masters
for premastering in this room.
Gotcha.
I have original Olympic Sound Studio EQs, acquired from
Keith Grant. Grant was one of the principal people
behind the creation of Olympic Sound Studios. He
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Eventually they started up another label called well. But when I listen to the 45, I’m like, “Where is this
Parkway, so it was Cameo-Parkway, but they really reverb? Because it’s not on the tape.” Sometimes they
were two separate labels under one unit. What you added it. I have to think, “Am I doing the right thing
would find was that you had certain artists that
il putting it out like this, or should I recreate the reverb?”
recorded only on Cameo, and certain ones were on But I can’t always get that exact reverb. Sometimes those
Parkway. You had Chubby Checker, the Dovells, and the are custom-built chambers that were in the studios.
Tymes on Parkway, but you had Dee Dee Sharp and the Or a particular type of plate reverb.
a
Orlons on Cameo. Cameo-Parkway is the label that got There are a lot of decisions I make with this. A lot of these
everybody twisting. Leon Huff [of the songwriting tapes are actually in great shape. I’ll see Scotch 111 and
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helped design it and everything – a wonderful person. team Gamble and Huff] was a session player there. go, “Oh, great; Scotch 111.” I’ll see Audiotape, or RCA
I met with him and found out that he was selling EQs T h e n h e s t a r t e d P h i l a d e l p h i a Red Seal, and I’m happy. Then I see Scotch 201, and I
and mic pres from the original boards. We were able to International Records, right? go. “Oh no!” It can either be absolutely fine, or it can
secure two of the mic pre/EQ modules from the Studio With Kenny Gamble. That was the early breeding ground be a nightmare.
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One board, which is the room that you see in the film for that sound. Have you ever had to make a new master
Sympathy for the Devil, directed by Jean-Luc Godard. That’s a direct step towards disco in the from vinyl?
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One Plus One was its original title. Also, from Studio ‘70s, because of the Gamble and Huff Oh, yeah; I’ve had to do that sometimes. I’ll get tape that
Three – we have EQs and new old stock mic pres. We’ve hit with The O’Jays. is see-through. I put it up on the machine and it’s
used them on some work; they’re amazing. You put a Absolutely. Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, and Billy Paul. crackling – the oxide is like Swiss cheese. I was
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track through and it sounds like it did in the original You’ve done a couple of box sets with transferring something like that on Friday night; it really
mix. One other piece of gear that we have here is a Cameo-Parkway. makes my heart sink. One recording will be like that, but
modified Ampex 351 tube [tape] machine that has a We did a four CD set, as well as individual “Best-Of’s” the recording right next to it can either be absolutely
stereo head, a mono head, and three sets of with the biggest artists. We’ve done some two-fer CDs fine; or there might be small parts of it where that’s
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electronics. I’ve used that on certain transfers. And we with two albums on one set. I’ve done a lot of reissues starting to happen, so I might have five seconds where
have a Sony JH-24 with an 8-track head stack, a 16- digitally only, and we’ll continue on with more CD there’s a little bit of [dropout]. I’ll work with that
track head stack, and a 24-track head stack that can reissues. We did a lot with Collectors’ Choice Music however I can. Sometimes I’ll find a second-generation
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go in there for 1-inch and 2-inch tapes. The with Gordon Anderson. Gordon started Real Gone tape that still sounds pretty good, so I’ll transfer that,
electronics really rock. Music, and we continue to work with him. try to match them, make an edit, and slot that piece in.
Do you ever remix here? Do you actually get tapes here, 1/4-inch Sometimes I’ll take a little piece of vinyl. You’ll do a
We’ve done some mixing, and we’ve mixed films in here. mixes from Cameo-Parkway? super-duper transfer on an incredible turntable, like the
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We did mixing for [the Rolling Stones documentary] Oh, yeah; we transfer all that into high-res digital. I do the Rockport Technologies, and I’ll clean it up and slice it
Charlie Is My Darling, because all that live material best possible tape transfer that we can do. If it’s a full- in. These are things that everybody who does this work
came from 3-track. We did the [Stones’] Get Yer Ya-Ya’s track mono tape, I use a full-track mono head. I check knows about; they know those little tricks.
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Out! bonus live material here. We’ve done lots of good azimuth on every single tape. I do my alignments and Have the Rolling Stones’ tapes been pretty
things in this room. make sure that it’s in MRL alignment. Sometimes I have good, in general?
54/Tape Op#129/Ms. Landi/(continued on page 56)
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Please Support Our Advertisers/Tape Op#129/55

 Yeah, they’ve been pretty good, but some of them are not I think there will be a trend of more like. It’s one continuous piece, in some way. You had
without their problems. It could be fine ten years ago, female engineers. the recordings cut so close together, but there are all
and then ten years later I’ll put it up and it has a I think there is. We now have the Women’s Audio these things that link each other. There’s the snoring
problem it didn’t have before. It’s just age. Mission, and they’re inspiring young girls to get into that links into “2000 Man.” It’s a marvelously
I think different batches of tape, like it. June Millington runs her IMA [Institute for the consistent record in many ways, even though it’s so
Ampex 456 from certain times, Musical Arts Recording Camps] in Massachusetts – a avant-garde and free-form. Here’s something I want
becomes gummy, and those are the camp for girls to come and experience what it’s like to point out: Downbeat Magazine gave that album a
ones we end up baking. to record. There are a lot of women who are trying to five-star review in May 1968. Rob Bowman, who
Yes, they go in on that convection setting; 130 degrees. inspire girls to get into this. I know quite a few wrote really wonderful notes for this set, made a
Depending on the width of the tape, I bake it for 8 female mastering engineers. Jessica Thompson [Tape point about the fact that it’s really seen as a strange
hours or more. But you know what? It’s remarkable; Op #125] is a mutual friend of ours. album that’s in the middle of all these other records
it actually works! I’ve had big 14-inch reels that I’ve That’s right. I want to talk a little bit they did that are so loved. But it’s really a stepping-
had to bake. But I put it up on the machine, and it’s about the Rolling Stones’ Their stone from Between the Buttons to Beggars Banquet.
absolutely fine. But I have a window for being able Satanic Majesties Request. I find that With “Sympathy for the Devil,” if you watch the
to transfer it. It’s amazing they realized that baking to be such an intriguing project, and Godard film, you see them create it. They’d already
could be a solution. it recently came out in a super- explored a lot of that percussion in Satanic Majesties.
Do you know how they came up deluxe box set edition, with vinyl, It really was more of a natural stepping-stone. And
with that? CDs, and a great booklet. those guitar sounds! Listen to “Citadel.” That
Ampex started to do this. I talked to the fellow, Hybrid SACDs. grunge-y sound that they’d later exploit more with
George LaForgia, last year because he helped me Were there special challenges with this “Parachute Woman;” you can make a comparison
with those 14-inch reels I was telling you about. reissue? between those two.
He helped me with figuring out settings, right I think one of the things was how to present it and I like that they have a Mellotron and
down to going to the store and getting a what would it contain? Obviously it’s got an other interesting instruments on
thermometer – one that you would plunge into a incredible cover. Having to restore the 3D art was a Their Satanic Majesties Request
turkey – just to know that you were keeping a bit of a challenge for the art department. We wanted that they didn’t have on their
steady 130 degrees. I like when things go it to be true to the original cover. If you’ll look at it, other albums.

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smoothly! I wish they could all be like that. you see that we have the front cover with the Right. There’s Mellotron, there’s harpsichord, a dulcimer,
It’s going to be different every time, so lenticular, and then you turn it on the back and it flute, saxophone, and all these different percussive
you have to deal with that. basically looks like it did originally. You open it up instruments. It’s very consistently mixed. The

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We don’t want a uniform way of making magic. We want and it has the gatefold as originally presented, and
the different ideas and different sounds. It’s fun to then it opens up again. We have the booklet and the
listen and hear how an echo chamber sounds in one SACDs, and tucked inside are the LPs, which have the
studio as opposed to another. Some of the fun with original cloud pattern sleeves.
il
the Cameo-Parkway is that we have recordings that People do say that it’s their Sgt. Pepper’s
were made at Reco-Art Sound Recording Co. Joe Lonely Hearts Club Band, but it’s not!
Tarsia [Tape Op #68] bought it and turned it into It’s completely different. Avant-garde. Freeform jazz.
Sigma Sound Studios. Then we have the recordings The liner notes mention Mick Jagger
a
that were made at the Cameo-Parkway studio that was listening to Sun Ra?
gm
Mellotron is in the right channel, and the acoustic
guitar is in the left channel a lot. It’s very consistent.
There are basic instruments throughout the entire
album that pop up in nearly every song, and then
you have all of these other things that come in. Like
I said earlier, you have a lot going on in the center.
The stereo mix on this is so excellent.
“She’s a Rainbow” is a beautiful single.
What a sweeping arrangement. You have Nicky Hopkins

was in the office on Locust Street, and there were Charlie Watts was listening to Albert Ayler and Sun Ra. playing that beautiful piano part, and the string
two different studios there. I’ll be listening and I think there was a great deal of influence from their arrangement is by John Paul Jones. There were two
figuring out where they recorded the track. trip to Morocco that year. Brian [Jones] made some singles. There was “In Another Land” with “The
Sometimes they recorded a track at Reco-Art, and recordings there. I think he probably brought back Lantern” and “She’s a Rainbow” with “2000 Light
@

then did the vocal overdub at the Cameo-Parkway some instruments, because there are so many Years from Home.” “In Another Land” was credited to
Studio – I can hear the differences between the two. Bill Wyman alone. First time, really.
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percussive instruments on this album. It took them

It’s a lot of fun to listen to those recordings and try a long time to make it, probably longer than any For people to not appreciate that album
to figure out where what was done. I can hear it record before that. In 1966 they recorded both is wrong.
because the chamber is amazing. It helps when we’re Aftermath and Between the Buttons, even though Yeah, it’s strange, because it’s almost like it falls into
us

trying to get the data about each track, and trying Buttons didn’t come out until January ‘67. They also three camps. You have people who love everything
to give people a little bit of information about where had the singles that they recorded. They were on the record. Then you have people who absolutely
it was recorded. incredibly prolific for those first three years. Of hated it, and then you have the people in the middle.
It’s like a historical service. I’ve been in course ‘67 was a challenging year for them, because The oddities make it great. They
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studios all my life, and it’s usually a of the drug busts, and by that summer Andrew Loog were experimenting with the
bunch of dudes. I was thrilled when I Oldham would no longer be their manager and sounds on this record more than
got to work with Leslie Ann Jones producer. This is the first album where it was any of their others.
to

[Tape Op #74]. I’ve learned a lot from produced by the Rolling Stones. They were always I think it really goes into outer space. Experimenting
you, and I think it’s cool that their own arrangers. with audio recording, and also picking up
nothing held you back from doing it. “Sing This All Together” is a jam instruments they didn’t know how to play but learned
Yeah. I honestly didn’t think anything of it; I wanted to session. It brought rock ‘n’ roll into to play and utilize. One instrument I didn’t mention
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do it. I’ve really had mostly great experiences. All the this free jazz vibe. before, with Brian Jones, is the sitar. Now they could
fellows I’ve met have been absolutely cool. We’ve had I think there’s a quote from Brian where he describes have hired a sitar player, but he picked the sitar up
a lot of fun hanging together in the studio and doing “Sing This All Together (See What Happens)” – the and learned how to play it. Maybe he took some
ju

work together. I said, “This is what I’m going to do. I longer, jammier version – as “India, with a little bit lessons; he’s not Ravi Shankar. That takes years of
hope somebody will hire me and let me do it.” of Arabian Nights.” Satanic Majesties is almost suite- practice. But you create some other sound.
56/Tape Op#129/Ms. Landi/(continued on page 58)
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Please Support Our Advertisers/Tape Op#129/57

 I think you did a fantastic job with that
restoration. I think the packaging is
brilliant and special. I love the way it
keeps opening up and revealing more;
it is symbolic of what happens on the
recording.
And there are some wonderful lyric videos that you must
check out that are online for “2000 Light Years from
Home” and “She’s a Rainbow.” They’re really fun. Bob
Ludwig [Tape Op #105] did such a fantastic job on the
mastering, as he always does. A big difference between
this new mastering, and the one that was done in 2002,
is that we freed him up to do a little bit more with it.
We were a little more concerned in 2002 with trying to
find a balance between what the original mastered
record sounded like – the Decca pressing and the
London pressing – and what we could actually do with
the master tape itself. I really wanted him to go with it.
Also, equipment-wise, he has a different console now. At
that time, he was using a Neumann console with special
electronics made by Dave Smith of Sony. Nothing
shabby there, but Bob really loves this SPL console that
he has now. You can hear a difference in the sub-
frequencies in the low-end, and I certainly hear
differences in the lower-mids. It’s meatier, without

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necessarily having that much more mastering level. You
know exactly what I mean here.
I compared various masters of this record,
and I hear exactly what you mean. It’s

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not artificial low-end; it’s like a
natural low-end that’s coming in. Is
il Bob Ludwig the person you normally
work with for reissues?
Yes. Definitely with the Rolling Stones. We’ve worked with
Bob on The Animals, Cameo-Parkway, Herman’s Hermits,
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and a few other soundtracks, like Scott Pilgrim vs. the
World. I love what Bob does with the Stones’ recordings.
gm

What you were saying about how it’s not artificial; he has
this ability to get in there and zero in on that thing that’s
actually there in the master. He knows how to use his
tools to bring that out. Those are my favorite mastering
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engineers for this, because they don’t add, they enhance.

That, coupled with giving it some mastering level, which
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I want to do, but leaving dynamics.

What’s next on the agenda? What part of
the huge ABKCO catalog might you be
us

looking at?
Well, certainly more Cameo-Parkway. There’s plenty more to
dig into in that world. I want to try to come up with some
CD releases. Certainly more soundtracks. Every year we do
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something in the soundtrack world, so there will be some

coming out with that, and probably some other surprises.
We’ve always got something up our sleeves here! r
to

<www.abkco.com>

Tape Op is made
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possible by our
advertisers.
Please support them and tell them
you saw their ad in Tape Op.
ju

58/Tape Op#129/Ms. Landi/(Fin.)

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Please Support Our Advertisers/Tape Op#129/59

 channel – the first break from tradition. AMS Neve decided to
move these analog circuits onto cards located in the belly of
the console and use the Genesys’ software to digitally control
the EQ and dynamics. Hardware parameters are displayed on
the software’s GUI. Adjustments are made by using a set of
encoder pots located on the Master Section.
These easily installed eight channel buckets allow for
customizing the console by offering a choice of 1084- or
88R-style EQs. The 1084 is a vibey, broad stroke EQ true to
its heritage, and the 88R is a versatile four band parametric
capable of more extreme shaping while always sounding
musical. The Dynamics cards (also descended from the 88R),
offer a VCA compressor and gate operated in the same
fashion as the EQ. The compressor has a soft-knee feel, a
level forever and it just sounds better – there’s serious
headroom but with a nice hue to lean into.
A few years after the release of the Genesys AMS Neve
followed up by releasing the Genesys Black. This edition of
the console is based around the concept of the DAW being
the heart of the studio. AMS Neve has essentially dropped a
DAW workstation, complete with 16 dedicated control faders,
meters and a touchscreen, right into the middle of the
Genesys Black. To the left you’ll find Genesys’ channel strips,
and to the right is the extensively featured Genesys Master
Section. This setup takes DAW integration to the next level
by providing total control from the console’s hardware with
an analog front and back end.
Both versions of the console are brilliant pieces of

AMS Neve
Genesys & Genesys Black console
Consoles are iconic – for decades they were the nucleus
of every professional studio. The first time I stepped into a
control room and saw one I knew, right away, that was
where I wanted to sit, with the faders and meters jumping
to life all around me. Now with the shift to more boutique
(or private) facilities, the sight of a console as the
centerpiece is no longer a given. The culture of making
records has been irreversibly changed by the DAW, and the
industry now takes that flexibility for granted, leaving little
patience for the rituals of the analog age. So, when putting
little touch is nice and gluey, and with the fast attack
engaged I can smash things up pretty well.
The Genesys software manages the order of each channel’s
processing. The EQ, Dynamics, and two insert points for
integrating your outboard gear appear on the GUI as icons
that can be dragged and dropped in any order across the
main channel or monitor path. I love how this allows me to
audition and decide the order of my chain without any
digging into the patchbay.
Each channel has a direct output, with eight buses and six
aux sends (four mono and two stereo) that allow for all sorts
of routing scenarios for effects sends and returns, parallel
processing, headphones, or 5.1 mixing. The four stereo
engineering, and AMS Neve backs up the design with first class
technical support. They have made me feel like part of the
family, from installation through current day updates and
maintenance. I love that digital has challenged analog to do
better. Each analog piece in my room has to offer me
something I can’t replace with software. Sometimes that
means sonically, while other times that means inspirationally –
ultimately we all need to find that balance. For me the Genesys
ticks all those boxes. ($42,500 and up; ams-neve.com)
-John O’Mahony [Tape Op #101] <mixedbyjohnomahony.com>
The Library Music Film
If you’re not a crate digger, DJ, EDM track sampler, post

my own room together, I needed to reevaluate my setup.
Should I now dive fully into the box for mixing, thereby
benefitting from all the convenience it has to offer? We are
long past the sonic debate of digital versus analog, so it’s
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production whiz, or music historian, you might not know
effects returns include a very cool width control to help dial
what library music – also known as production or stock music
in spatial effects.
– is, or why there would be a documentary about such a
All faders are motorized and fully automatable. You can
thing. But this rare breed of music – mostly being
choose to use AMS Neve’s Encore automation software or

now just a matter of taste.
But when I sit behind a console I’m instantly put in a
creative headspace. I didn’t grow up dreaming of clicking
around in a computer; I want a more visceral experience from
my workspace. Recordings have always sounded more like a
record to me when made on a console, by lending cohesion
to the tracks that can be more difficult to achieve with a
mixed bag of tools. I wanted a solution that could compete
with the efficiency of in-the-box mixing while still getting
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rediscovered on vinyl these days – is quite simply recorded
write to your DAW using the Active Faders option. Fader
music that can be easily licensed for use in film, television,
automation is the sort of needle and thread I use to sew a
radio, and other uses. In many cases the music is produced
mix together, and the Genesys allows me to follow my il and owned by production music libraries, like De Wolfe,
instincts in a free-flowing manner. The eight Group Faders
Bruton, and KPM. True fans have been collecting these
can be used as sub groups or additional inputs. With the click
records for years, as the music – written to order for certain
of a switch these can be re-assigned to become a bank of
moods and types of scenes – can be unusual, compelling,
DAW faders. I find this is useful when setting levels or
groovy, and just plain something different. Directed,
a
automating submixes within the DAW. The Master section
produced, and edited by Paul Elliott, and filmed by Sean
brings all the features of a large format console: Stereo and
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Lamberth, the film is narrated by, and follows, the charming

that inspiration and sonic unity. I needed a smaller format
with fast recall, automation, and modern DAW integration. I
had been working on an AMS Neve 88R – for me the pinnacle
of large format console design – so it was natural to check
5.1 monitoring, a four-way speaker selector, multiple solo
musician and record producer Shawn Lee, as we go on a
modes, an oscillator, a talkback mic, and much, much more.
journey to collector’s homes, recording studios, and library
The console is topped off by a beautiful high resolution
businesses (yes, many still operate!). For us Tape Op nerds,
multi-functional Meter Bridge.
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out the Genesys, which, like the larger 88R console, is also
designed by Neve’s Robin Porter.
the rare glimpses into some of these studios alone are worth
Now here’s the genius part of all this; every switch position,
the viewing, as they visit De Wolfe’s Angel Recording Studios
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routing assignment, analog EQ or dynamics setting can be

The modular nature of the Genesys appealed to me. I could
make the initial purchase to suit my needs while keeping the
option open to expand later. The 16-channel base model is
us
in London, TeleCineSound in Rome (built in 1967 by
saved or recalled with one click. The pots are recalled using
composer/conductor Bruno Canfora), and Le Studio CBE in
the more traditional Total Recall function in the Genesys’
Paris (built in 1966 by Chatelain, Bisson, and Estardy). We
software, so I can fully and accurately recall even the most
also get quite a bit of interview time with the late Adrian

not difficult to lift for two people, and with its legs removed
will easily pass through a regular doorway or stairwell,
sparing the expense and trauma of craning it through a
window high over city streets. The console’s power supply is
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reckless mix or tracking template in just a few minutes. This
Kerridge, famed engineer/producer and founder/owner of
is key. I can quickly move between songs without the aid of
Lansdowne and CTS Studios; he even started the CADAC
an assistant or a folder of notes. For example, last year I found
console company. [Please check out his memoir, Tape’s
myself mixing Australian artists Vance Joy and Missy Higgins

Rolling, Take One: The Recording life of Adrian Kerridge]. But

internal, so there’s no need for a machine room or industrial
level HVAC. All audio connectors are D-sub, so paired with
off-the-shelf D-sub patchbays I easily planned and wired the
room myself without burning any fingers. There are also
to
simultaneously. I would often have five different songs on the
wait, there are insightful interviews with library music
console in a single day as notes came from multiple time
composers and musicians such as Keith Mansfield, Alan
zones. The Genesys insured I wasted no time on changeovers.
Hawkshaw, Alan Parker, Brian Bennett, and Herbie Flowers;
This is a smart console with an immense feature set that

optional AD/DA converter cards allowing for direct digital
connection from the Genesys to your DAW.
AMS Neve has packed a lot into the Genesys that may not
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plus DJs and producers like Fatboy Slim, Adrian Younge [Tape
allows for a deep level of personalization – more than I can
Op #119], Cut Chemist, and Young Einstein. The Library Music
detail here. I’ve never found myself limited by its abilities,
Film offers a special and very passionate glimpse into an
nor have I had my workflow interrupted by its operation.
aspect of music production that typically has remained

be obvious at first glance, but it’s a fully-featured analog
console capable of all the functions I’ve become accustomed
to. Each “in line” channel strip pays tribute to Neve’s past,
with the inclusion of a fully featured 1073 mic pre – the real
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Most importantly the Genesys sounds phenomenal, is not
anonymous and unsung, even if we have heard some of these
overly colored like some vintage consoles, and is not too
songs our entire lives on television and such! It’s awesome
transparent like some of its modern counterparts – it’s got
to see many of the people involved get credit for their work.
just the right amount of Neve character for my taste. The lows

(facebook.com/LibraryMusicFilm) -LC
deal. Also, on each channel you’ll find switches to engage EQ are deep and tight, the highs are open, and the mid
and dynamics, but there are no accompanying pots on the harmonics have a three-dimensional quality. I can push the
60 /Tape Op#129/Gear Reviews/
 Eventide
SP2016 Reverb plug-in
Eventide has been creating studio-quality outboard
processors since the mid ‘70s, and Eventide phasers, flangers,
pitch-shifters, and reverbs have been used in creating many
of the most famous pop and rock records, from AC/DC to
Mariah Carey to Frank Zappa, and everything in between.
Eventide recently released a plug-in re-creation of the early
‘80s SP2016 reverb unit. The Eventide SP2016 quickly
became appreciated for its natural decay and as an ambient
effect that just “fit into the mix” better than other reverbs
at the time. Eventide had developed a proprietary “array-
processor” – an effective, though prehistoric, DSP circuit –
which gave the unit its high-quality and distinctive reverb
character. The SP2016 became known for its Room, Stereo
Room, and Hi-Density plate algorithms, plus users could even
create their own “plug-in” algorithms for the unit.
Now Eventide has ported the original SP2016 algorithms
right into a plug-in that runs on AAX, AU, and VST platforms
while faithfully recreating the vintage Room, Stereo Room,
and Hi-Density Plate algorithms. Eventide has also added
updates to those classic algorithms that utilize higher sample
rates in order to create more modern ambiences. The plug-in’s
GUI resembles the original three space rack unit faceplate –
complete with ‘80s-style sliders, square push-buttons, and a
vintage LED display. Additionally, the preset menu contains
settings for different instruments and styles, along with useful
artist presets from George Massenburg [Tape Op #54, 63],
Dave Pensado [#111], Joe Chiccarelli [#14], Richard Devine,
and more of your mix heroes.
The plug-in’s GUI sports Input and Output level sliders with
corresponding meters, as well as sliders for wet/dry Mix,
Predelay, Decay time, Position, Diffusion, and Low and High
shelving filters. The Vintage Plate programs do not allow access
to all of the parameters, since those were not available on the
original unit. Eventide thoughtfully recreated the button (which
I wish other manufacturers would include in their effects plug-
ins) labeled “Kill” that mutes the input or dry signal to audition
the tail or wet sound only. In use, I found the parameters to
effectively shape the character and feel of the ambiences, with
the Position slider having great effect on the placement of the
reverb around or behind the original source. I found the use of
the sliders intuitive and logically labeled.
Modern pop and rock music production has returned to
featuring reverb as a primary effect on vocals and drums, so I
am always on the hunt for solid reverb choices. In my mixes
I typically wind up layering two or three different plug-in
reverbs to create a convincing ambience or interesting spatial
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effect. After using the SP2016 for a few minutes, I found that
one instance of the Eventide plug-in provided convincing and
creative reverbs for strings, vocals, and drums that fit well in
to a variety of productions. The Vintage presets sound very
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natural and smooth, while the Modern presets create brighter,
sparkly reverbs with seemingly longer tails. On lead vocals I
found the Stereo Room presets to be excellent, and for strings
and pads the Plates worked well. Most of the time I started
to
from an artist preset and tweaked a few parameters from
there. I noticed after a few pop mixes that I had completely
substituted the SP2016 in place of my trusty EMT 140 and
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FabFilter Pro-R plug-ins for lead vocals and acoustic guitars.
For a classical string quartet, the Stereo Room (Vintage
version) created a nice lush but transparent hall, while on trap
type snares and snaps the modern versions of the Room and
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Plate created clean and crispy tails. Many of the included
presets, like “Magic Plate” and “Ice Tunnel”, are great starting
points for modern and lush ambiences that work well for
synths and pads. A ‘90s-style R&B is coming back, and this is
definitely the ‘verb for those Mick Guzauski style vocal reverbs
– like on your favorite Mariah Carey and Toni Braxton records.
I created a great drum reverb à la Talking Heads’ “Burning
Down the House” with the Stereo Room program. The Position
slider is very effective at balancing the early reflections versus
the reverb tail to create drier ambiences or lusher reverb tails.
The Eventide SP2016 could be your desert island reverb and
lives up to its reputation as a studio powerhouse. I found the
plug-in to run well as Native AAX in Pro Tools 10 and 12, plus
I never noticed any excessive CPU load from multiple
instances in use. We are finally entering the golden age of
plug-in reverbs – albeit by re-creating the sound of vintage
hardware processors! ($249 street; eventideaudio.com)
-Adam Kagan <mixer.ninja>
AC Infinity
Multifan S4 USB cooling fan
Along with failing solder joints and dust, overheating can
be an equal opportunity menace to electronics. Previously,
the solution for keeping the Mac mini, my UAD-2 Satellite
[Tape Op #83], and a pair of external hard drives cool was to
place them on a cheap USB laptop cooling pad. This proved
to be a little noisier than I’d prefer (though not awful), and
I doubted the cooling pad’s efficiency – plus it incorporated
weird glowing blue lights that made me want to play video
games instead of work. I decided to redistribute the cooling
pad to actually be used with my laptop, thus leaving me with
no thermal cooling option for my Mac mini.
Not to worry. All dilemmas can be solved in a few
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keystrokes and a bazillion shopping results appear from a
search string. Like a witless wandering sheep in the dark, you
are drawn to the familiar cries of the coyote. The lone
talisman you seek seems to travel on its own accord from
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your online shopping cart through the payment gateway. A
request fulfilled becomes a tear unshed. Happiness contained
in a small brown box with a smiley face appears at your
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doorstep the very next day.
After my order was placed with the online retailer that sells
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everything, I checked out AC Infinity’s web site. It turns out
they offer many thermal cooling products, including some
heavy-duty rack-mount and cabinet fans I might check out.
Their Multifans are smaller, portable, ultra-quiet dual-ball
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bearing fans (available in various sizes) with a lifespan of
67,000 hours. They feature multi-speed controllers (up to
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1200 RPM) designed to optimize airflow and noise levels.
With rubber bumpers that minimize vibration, Multifans can
be laid flat on the desktop or placed upright (in the back of
an equipment rack for example), and up to four fans can be
daisy-chained via USB to the same power source (I did not
test this claim). The 5.5-inch S4 turned out to be the perfect
size for my Mac mini, and also fit well under or on top of my
Universal Audio UAD-2 Satellite [Tape Op #83]. It’s much
quieter than my laptop pad’s fan, and I don’t have to think
about the S4 because I don’t really hear it (even at higher
fan settings). A Turbo Fan wall wart is available for $8 that
boosts RPM and CFM (cubic feet per minute) ratings for
higher airflow. If you wanna get seriously geeky, consider a
thermal trigger accessory with sensors (two models available)
that automatically regulate when the fan switches on/off –
a pretty cool inexpensive little system.
(S4 $15 direct; acinfinity.com) -SM
Gear Reviews/(continued on page 62)/Tape Op#129/61
Roswell Pro Audio
Colares vocal condenser mic
As engineers and studio owners, we all get excited (and check
our cashflow) when a new microphone design hits the streets
– especially when that microphone is built by an expert with a
deep knowledge of the classics we know and love. When Matt
McGlynn reached out to us with news of his new FET
microphone (named after an island in Brazil that’s purported to
be a UFO landing site – all things Roswell Pro Audio are named
after claimed alien occurrences) and inspired by the venerable
Telefunken ELA M 251, veteran Tape Op reviewers Eli Crews and
Adam Kagan raised their hands to volunteer before the ink
could dry on the press release. Here are their thoughts on this
shiny new beast below.
AK:Roswell Pro Audio sprouted organically out of a love for
everything microphones; first a website dedicated to all aspects
of microphones <recordinghacks.com>; then an online store
providing DIY and microphone modification kits and parts
<microphone-parts.com>; then eventually a full-blown
commercial microphone company (Roswell Pro Audio). Along
the way, owner Matt McGlynn has studied and mastered every
aspect of microphone design, building, and now marketing. The
Roswell Delphos [Tape Op #117] microphone debuted in late
2016 and has been very well received by both top tier pros as
well as the entry-level crowd. Roswell’s fourth and most recently
released microphone, the Colares, raises the bar a bit in terms
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of price and boutique-ness.
EC:As one sometimes does, I’ve been thinking a lot about
what makes a good microphone. There are so many choices
available to us now that it has become quite difficult to
pinpoint what exactly we should be looking (or listening) for in
a microphone purchase. A lot of it has to do with filling a need
or finding a hole in your current collection – looking for the
perfect complement that does something a little different than
any of the other mics you already own. There are, of course,
classic qualities we believe we want in a mic: warmth, fullness,
air – mostly somewhat vague descriptors that aren’t
meaningless, but also fall short of characterizing how a
microphone really sounds. I won’t attempt to explain exactly
how the Roswell Colares really sounds, since I believe that to be
a somewhat impossible task. However, I will tell you about my
experiences with it over the last few months to help you figure
out if it should be your next mic purchase.
AK: The Colares aims to compete with the most sought
after large-diaphragm condenser vocal mics, including the
Telefunken ELA M 251 and the classic AKG C12 – along with
similarly voiced mics such as the Manley Reference Cardioid
[#112], the Sony C800, and the Neumann M 149. These
legacy microphones are known for their clarity and bright,
harmonically rich vocal tones, without sacrificing body or
introducing harsh sibilance. Roswell chose a design that skips
the tube circuit and instead uses a JFET amplifier circuit. In
practice, JFET transistor amplifiers provide excellent
amplification for low level microphone circuits while offering
extremely high resolution and harmonic detail, resulting in a
cleaner and more natural sound than tubes and other
(bipolar) transistors. Roswell sourced a NOS [new old stock]
JFET for the Colares that provides tube-like second harmonics
when pushed hard but stays clean, with less harmonic color
on softer sources or when the pad is engaged. Along with the
JFET circuit, Roswell has chosen audiophile components from
the finest manufacturers, as well as a hand-selected edge-
terminated capsule á la the CK12 capsule used in the original
AKG C12 and Telefunken ELA M 251 microphones.
 EC: The Colares recently emerged as Roswell’s flagship vocal
microphone, at a price point perhaps above what your average
hobbyist engineer would be likely to shell out, but far less than the
kind of money people are willing to pay for what they believe to
be excellent microphones – vintage or new. Roswell claims the
Colares’ design was inspired by the Telefunken ELA M 251 mic. Out
of the box, the Colares has a beautiful rust-colored enamel sheen,
a classic-looking grille, a couple of little switches for filters and
pads, and a pleasing heft. Also out of the box, it has a box, which
feels just a hair cheap but certainly provides nice protection for the
mic and its accompanying shock mount. Roswell wins with me on
two counts here: first off, the provided mount happens to be my
favorite universal shock mount – Rycote’s InVision [#84] with the
little thumbscrews and red rubber pads. Second, the Rycote mount
fits into the carrying case with the microphone. As far as I’m
concerned, this should be a requirement for any new microphone
on the market, and would save me lot of money on Pelican cases.
But back to my original question for a moment, which I believe
was; what makes a good microphone? In the case of the Colares,
it was immediately apparent to me that this was a good one, but
why? I eventually realized over my trial period with the mic that
it has the two things I have come to value most in a new-to-me
microphone: detail and versatility. These are the primary two
qualities that a mic can possess that will allow me to work less
hard, once an instrument or vocal is sitting in a mix. It also means
that mic has value; if a mic sounds good on multiple sources, I
don’t need as many other mics – then why is my mic locker
overflowing (insert crying-face-emoji)? The Colares sounded good
on every source I put it in front of. This may seem like a lukewarm
statement, but it’s really not when you think about it. Sounding
good on anything is an incredibly difficult and rare achievement
.c
for a mic, and I really liked the sounds I got on piano, drums,
bass, acoustic and electric guitars, and voice.
AK:I had the opportunity to do some recordings with both the
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Roswell Colares and the Roswell Delphos while making some side-
by-side comparisons. First, the Delphos is a strong contender for
the Neumann U 87/TLM 103 type of sound to my ears. The Delphos
has a smooth midrange focus, while being slightly aggressive and
a
dry. Because the mic rejects a lot of the room sound, it’s excellent
for radio voiceover or vocals where the room doesn’t sound good.
gm
The Colares on the other hand is much more open and airy
sounding, with a more 3-dimensional pickup of the singer in the
room. The Colares is cardioid pattern only, but the off-axis pickup
is clean and relatively uncolored, so the room sounds natural
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around the instrument. I usually try to record vocals without a pop
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filter – even without the pad, the singer can get very close to the
microphone when necessary, without blowing out the capsule. The
head basket grill is pretty acoustically transparent, so if you’re
skipping the pop filter, you should pay careful attention to mic
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placement. All three bass roll off positions worked on male, female
voice, and acoustic guitar – even the highest roll off didn’t
noticeably affect the tone of the useable low frequencies.
According to Roswell, the pad switch not only lowers the mic’s
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output by 10 dB, but it also lowers the harmonic content, or
density of the sound a bit. In practice, I didn’t notice a huge tonal
difference on my vocals or acoustic guitar, but I suspect that on
gritty rock vocals, drum overhead, piano, and guitar amps the
to
tonal difference would be more apparent.
EC:Let’s talk more about voice, because the Colares is being
specifically marketed as a vocal mic. When it comes to recording
pi
vocals, over the years I have leaned more and more towards that
quality I referred to a moment ago: detail. I think I favor it over
all other single-word qualities, because in some ways it
encompasses them all. Detail in the low end might be called body
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or warmth, detail in the midrange may be thought of as presence,
and in the high end it’s air. It also includes another quality I look
62/Tape Op#129/Gear Reviews/(continued on page 64)
for when recording voice: depth. If I can hear the space the
singer is in – I favor slightly live rooms over dead spaces for
recording vocals – and all of their micro-dynamics are intact,
then I develop an emotional relationship with the vocal
performance that I just don’t get if there isn’t enough detail.
The Colares delivered this detail in an extremely impressive
way. I feel like the only other microphones that have given
me as much detail as the Colares cost five to ten times as
much. It also has a very hefty output level, which made
pairing it with a preamp pretty easy. I favored the tube-
based Retro Instruments’ Powerstrip [#82] as the tastiest
combination, but had luck through the solid-state AEA RPQ
[#73] as well as a vintage Neve 33114. Roswell reminded me
that the -10 dB pad can make the mic cleaner by reducing
the 2nd-order harmonics, but I preferred the mic with the
switch off – even for loud singers, having reminded myself
that “detailed” and “clean” are not the same thing.
AK:For pop and R&B vocals, the Colares sounded great to me.
It was very open on top but with a nice body and presence –
the kind of vocal tone that sits well in a mix without any EQ.
The Delphos, by comparison, is a more in-your-face kind of
sound, which excels at rock vocals or adds a familiar vintage-
style thickness to strummed acoustic guitar. The Colares on
acoustic guitar pretty much gives back what you put in – a clear,
articulate, and well-balanced sound. During an ADR [automatic
dialog replacement] session for a film that I was mixing, I found
the Delphos sounded more focused with a “radio DJ” tone, while
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the Colares remained much more natural and open, which
provided a bit more sonic perspective on the actor’s distance
from the mic. Both mics were extremely useful, and recording
with them provided two great options during the dialog edit. On
vocals, I never found the Colares to be sibilant or strident on the
high end, and the low end sounded clean and smooth. I would
definitely put the sound of the Colares in the Telefunken ELA M
251/AKG C12 camp and the Delphos more in the Neumann U 87
camp. Roswell has certainly covered some solid ground with
tonal options between the Delphos and Colares.
EC:This is an excellent microphone, I sincerely doubt anyone
would be disappointed if it’s the next one they buy.
AK:The Colares’ price puts it squarely in a niche above the
entry-level fare, but well below its intended competition. In
fact, in the $1200 to $4000 price range we could use more
microphones with the sonic and build quality of the Colares.
($1259 street; roswellproaudio.com) -Adam Kagan
<mixer.ninja> & Eli Crews <www.elicrews.com>
Veeam
Veeam Agent for MS Windows
While reading Tape Op #128, I came upon Larry Crane’s
review of Qdea’s Synchronize! Pro X backup software. About
half way through I came upon the dreaded phrase “for Mac OS
only.” No worries! I’m a Windows user and I’ve been using
Veeam Agent for Microsoft Windows for free! That’s right, it’s
free. After downloading and installing it, you can configure
backups for an external drive, NAS (Network Attached
Storage), or file server share. Veeam Agent creates a full system
backup using the built in Windows restore point feature. The
first backup takes a normal amount of time, but subsequent
backups can be done in a matter of minutes depending on the
amount of new data and the speed of your drive. I have an
external SATA to USB 3.0 dock. Veeam Agent even supports
rotation of drives. Drives are getting cheaper all the time, so I
rotate several SSDs and spinning hard drives and Veeam Agent
automatically ejects my drives when the backup is done. The
app supports full system or individual file restores with an easy
to use interface, and best of all – it’s free! (free; veeam.com)
-Mike Kosacek <doubledogrecording.com>
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Please Support Our Advertisers/Tape Op#129/63

 LaChapell Audio
500CS channel strip
My studio in San Francisco is built around an Avid control
surface instead of an analog console. Because of that, I rely
exclusively on outboard to get sounds before I leave the
“infinite sample rate” of the analog realm. Over the years I’ve
come to really appreciate the economy of outboard channel
strips. With one patch, I can get everything I need done with
an integrated preamp, EQ, and compressor. All this useful gear
in one metal box also means I save money, because it’s usually
cheaper to bundle everything than to separate each piece out.
The 500CS channel strip is a wonderful example of this: it’s a
top-notch preamp/DI, with an incredible EQ and compressor,
forming a flexible workhorse of a channel strip. Best of all, the
preamp can be used separately of the EQ and Dynamics. As a
two space 500 Series unit, you can almost think of this as two
separate, fully functional pieces of outboard. The 500CS really
looks great in my 500 chassis. The knobs feel expensive, and the
controls don’t feel crammed together. There’s a nice multi-
function VU meter that is easy to switch between preamp, gain
reduction, and output, which helps suss out gain staging quickly
when you’re juggling a ton of channels. The controls are clearly
laid out with the preamp on the left and EQ/Compression on the
right. They each have their own input and output, but unless
the magic Module Split button is engaged, there’s no need to
reach for a patch cable to use them in tandem.
The preamp delivers a clean, clear signal, with minimal
noise or coloration. It’s not exactly oozing with sexy
character, but I have enough of character preamps already. I
found it particularly useful for voiceover sessions, paired with
.c
a Neumann TLM 107 mic. The sound was not hyped, there was
very little noise, and the client was impressed with the tone.
The DI is also a nice addition, and I’ve used it for bass several
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times by patching straight from the preamp into an Empirical
Labs EL8 Distressor [Tape Op #32] with an aggressive, in your
face sounding compression – the DI always gives me plenty
to work with.
a
What I find most exciting about this strip is the EQ and
compression. The EQ is so smooth sounding! I love using it with
gm
kick drums (both acoustic and electronic). On a Roland TR-909
kick sound, the low band of the 500CS helped me dial in a huge
extension that felt focused and deep, while the midband allows
me to push the beater without making it feeling thin. The
@
compressor has two speeds, although you have to pull it out of
the rack and switch the speed internally. Out of convenience,
ic
I’ve just left it on the slow speed, which feels perfect for adding
some snap to my kick. I’ve also had great results using the
500CS with vocals. The high shelf on the EQ section can boost
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a ton of air without feeling harsh, while the compressor (again,
on the slow setting) adds transparent control that really brings
a vocal to the front of your mix.
Aside from the frustration of hiding the compressor speed
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inside, the only other complaint I have is the high-pass filter –
it’s a 6 dB slope, set pretty high at 142 Hz. For only including
one option, that feels a little too high for most situations. I’ve
found myself leaving it off and using the HP filters built in to
to
my condenser mics instead. Those complaints both feel minor in
the context of everything that I love about this channel strip:
a ton of features all wonderfully arranged, with a great sound
pi
that helps me work quickly… and it’s priced aggressively low.
($499 street; lachapellaudio.com)
-Scott McDowell <fadersolo.com>
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64/Tape Op#129/Gear Reviews/
Rare Signals
Transatlantic Plate Reverb plug-in
Plug-in reverbs sure are handy at times, but most mix
engineers will admit that the majority of these plug-ins are
more convenient than actually good-sounding. I find myself
using certain plug-in reverbs as quick placeholder effects until
a later time when I have access to a real plate, spring, or some
other more sonically-dependable type of reverb. “The usual”
reverb plug-ins have always sounded to me as if their puff and
bloom are audible, but that details of their tail somehow go
missing when placed into the context of a mix. It’s a weird
thing – the ambience of a track sort of collapses and can result
in a cheap sounding mix. For some reason, a real (i.e., non-
plug-in) reverb tends to sound more forward yet assimilated in
a mix. Check out The Who’s Who’s Next album, for example…
That is a wet record, yet the plate reverbs gracefully envelope
the vocals, drums, guitars, and more, creating an unmistakably
beautiful, pillowy, sonic aura – and it all happens without
making anything sound fake nor does it take any power away
from that recording’s considerable rock swagger.
I was excited when I heard that Brian Charles was developing
a reverb plug-in. I’ve known Brian for decades and happen to
be aware first hand that he’s got unbelievably astute ears – he
would only approach a plug-in challenge such as this if he
could do it with no sonic compromise. I recall discussing with
him several years ago how so many reverb plug-ins sound
om
“decent” when heard alone but tend to disappear in the
context of a mix.
Brian and the Rare Signals crew had the unusual luxury of
enjoying unfettered, nearly unlimited access to two pristine,
classic plate reverb systems; one from the EU and the other
from the US. In sampling these two systems – the one dubbed
“EU” was an EMT 140 from Germany that had a long tenure at
Bearsville Studios while the “US” plate was an early-70s’
Nashville-built Audicon. Apparently no details were overlooked
– both plate units were completely reconditioned, tuned,
tweaked, re-tuned, and re-tweaked until an ideal reverb
impulse was captured at various decay times ranging between
slightly less than one second to almost six seconds.
The decay times of the Transatlantic are key: instead of
sampling minimal impulse information and fading/
manipulating the tail of the reverb so that the user could
continuously vary the decay time, it was decided to sample
12 different analog decay times for each reverb unit while
NOT manipulating the decay tail at all. In an email, Charles
elaborated; “A lot of reverb plug-ins just use one long
impulse, and the decay settings institute a fade algorithm to
meet the desired decay. That ruins the tails. Also, the longest
impulse is always the noisiest, so it would have to be de-
noised to match up with the settings that are being faded in
the middle of the impulse.”
This natural approach results in absolutely stunning sonics.
To my ears, Rare Signals’ Transatlantic is the most realistic-
sounding plate reverb plug-in by any manufacturer to date. It’s
simply a joy to add to tracks – just gorgeous. In practice, I
found it tempting to add way too much to a mix (which I
always consider the sign of a really great reverb)! The
Transatlantic Plate’s UI is simple and intuitive, with the
expected parameters such as Decay time, Pre-Delay, Low and
High cut filters, as well as a switch for EU and US plate settings.
There is a global output level control, which I was a bit
surprised to see, but now realize can come in handy for various
level-matching chores. My only minor nitpick is that, oddly, the
Dry/Wet mix control defaults to a 50% wet setting when the
plug-in is first initialized, necessitating adjustment to 100%
wet for use as an aux return (what I would assume is the most
common use of a reverb like this). Not a big deal at all – it
does not affect the sound quality and is likely something that
would be addressed in a future update.
The Transatlantic’s price of $149, and free trial period, make
this a no-brainer for any recordist or mix engineer. The sound
quality alone would make it a bargain at many times that price.
($149 direct; raresignals.com) -Pete Weiss <weissy.com>
Acme Audio
MTP-66 Motown tube preamp
Acme Audio has been hitting home runs for the last few
years with their Motown D.I. [Tape Op #116] and Opticom XLA-
series tube compressors [#86], so when the MTP-66 Motown
tube preamp recently popped up on the market, a lot of
eyebrows were raised – particularly those belonging to fans of
late ‘60s and early ‘70s soul music. Like the aforementioned
products, the MTP-66 is another faithful tribute to the golden
era of Motown, and similarly, as you could expect at this point,
it’s absolutely fantastic.
The MTP-66 is presented as a tube DI with a microphone
preamp section. To quote the Acme Audio website, the DI is
“exactingly reborn using the original 1966 engineering
schematics” of the “Motown guitar amp,” and the preamp
claims to be “based on Motown Engineering’s original
designs.” This standalone lunchbox style unit looks quite
impressive (similar to an RCA OP-6) and is finished with a
throwback pastel blue paint job. But does it sound as cool as
it looks? You bet!
I had about a month to spend with the MTP-66, and in use
it became immediately apparent that if you want “that tube
thing” it is without question able to provide that and then
some. The MTP-66 has a transformative property that I’m not
accustomed to experiencing – maybe there’s some
confirmation bias at play, but everything I ran through it did
indeed harken back to that, pungent, vibey, character-rich
Motown sound. I want to expand on that phenomenon as there
is one enormous contributing factor: the MTP-66 does not offer
phantom power. At first, I thought of 15 reasons to complain
about this, but after realizing that this unit forces you to use
ribbon, tube, and dynamic mics, while preventing you from
using solid-state mics (unless you have a separate 48v power
supply), I realized what Acme was going for and started
thinking along those lines. By default, they’re ensuring that
your signal sounds one degree funkier than if you’d used your
usual solid-state condenser – and I’m okay with that. After all,
I’m not using this preamp because I want to be sonically
conservative or clinical anyway.
us
With that mindset, I put the MTP-66 through some rigorous
testing, finding it breathed new life into ribbon and dynamic
mics while adding an exciting tube sheen to the high end,
scooping some mids, and fattening up the low end. It actually
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made me reconsider what mics I would use in certain
instances, knowing that I could achieve this character, which
is unusual for me. To provide a basic example, a Coles 4038
ribbon mic [Tape Op #15] on an acoustic guitar is usually too
to
dark in most instances for my taste. Rather than use an
outboard EQ during a session, I’d likely just choose a brighter
mic. Similarly, you may choose a Sennheiser MD 421 on your
snare instead of a Shure SM57, or a Royer Labs R-121 [#19] on
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vocals instead of an AEA R84 [#38]. That’s not to say that
those other options wouldn’t also sound great, but the MTP-66
will definitely elevate the darker half of your mic locker.
ju
Now, you might be thinking, “If my darker mics become
brighter, what happens to my brighter mics?” Well, have you
ever heard that super crispy, yet captivating high end on old
recordings? Like acoustic guitars that are mostly pick-sound, or
vocals that are sibilant but not at all offensive? Cymbals that
have intense, yet beautifully present stick sound? The MTP-66
pulls that off effortlessly, and it’s a lot of fun to experience. As
a point of sonic reference, I found it to be in the same ballpark
as a driven Neve 1073, but with the added benefits that come
with tubes. Now, don’t get me wrong, if you spend some money
on a decent tube preamp, you’re going to achieve this to some
extent – that’s what tubes do. But the MTP-66 has some extra
funk that I’m definitely not accustomed to hearing from
familiar tube preamps. The extent of its intended effect is not
at all subtle. If you’re a producer who is building songs an
instrument at a time and can use the MTP-66 all over the place,
you’re going to be in tube saturation heaven.
The DI section is really, really impressive. We’re all used to
the way a bass DI sounds, but this is not what you’re used to.
The MTP-66 offers a similar profile to the Motown D.I., but with
more… everything! A fat, harmonic-rich low end with an
upper-midrange presence in all of the right places. I feel pretty
comfortable saying that in a blind test most engineers would
say this is too polished to be a DI sound. It has the presence
and sustain of a bass amp when driven, and oddly enough I
could see this working perfectly with heavier bass sounds by
providing shape and interest to a typically flat, pedal-heavy
om
tone. If you have a single channel analog synth, you’ve
definitely never heard it this way, though it may be too heavy-
handed a change for some.
But should you buy it? The MTP-66 is almost $2,000 for one
.c
channel, which elevates it into the boutique tube pre bracket,
and puts it out of reach for a lot of folks. That being said, if
you’re someone who records a lot of throwback music (not
il
even necessarily Motown-style soul, but any ‘60’s or ‘70’s
genre) and are looking to commit to some serious tube vibe
up front with no fuss, you’re going to love the MTP-66.
($1995 MAP; acmeaudio.net) -Dave Hidek
Angry Mama
a
microwave cleaner
gm
If you have a studio, you have a microwave – odds are the
inside of which looks and smells like a truck stop toilet
apocalypse (or a Hertz rental car return from Burning Man).
@
Interns would rather quit or buy a new microwave rather than
clean it. So, what’s an engineer to do? There are chemical
ic
products that work, but the fumes are nasty, plus who knows
what the residue is doing to us. It turns out all we need is
some generic white vinegar, water, and an Angry Mama.
This lady is a four-inch tall paraben-free plastic figure who
looks like her hands are on her hips saying, “Did you leave that
ribbon mic uncovered all night?” Lift off her head, fill with water
and white vinegar then close her up. Microwave on high for three
to five minutes. Steam from Mama’s built-in vents circulates and
devastates the crud on the walls of your oven. Channel your inner
Martha Stewart and add some lemon juice. Mama seems to work
better while making the oven smell pleasant. The first cleaning
may take two attempts, but after that, stains wipe off with a
paper towel once Mama is done steaming.
A gross microwave could make your clients think you don’t
care about details. Did I mention it’s also gross? Angry Mama is
one friend you want to let vent! She’s also a green solution that
works in minutes, and people will think you’re a good human.
($7.58; as seen on TV, amazon.com)
-Garrett Haines <treelady.com>
Gear Reviews/(continued on page 66)/Tape Op#129/65
 Gear Geeking w/ Andy…
Let’s talk tape. In 2015, I wrote about my favorite
“sort of sticky” tapes for labeling and repairing things
[Tape Op #107]. Recently, I needed to measure the
diameter of a mic, so I wrapped “sort of sticky” artist
tape around the mic and marked the tape at one full
turn. After removing the tape and re-sticking it to a
flat surface, I was able to measure my marks for
circumference. A quick division by π resulted in
diameter. That’s when I thought, “Wouldn’t it be cool
to have a tape measure that’s marked in units of
diameter?” I found two on Amazon, both made by
Perfect Measuring Tape Company
<perfectmeasuringtape.com>. I ordered the cheaper
DCT79 model ($3.99), which is a compact, watch-
sized, self-retracting metal tape, with keychain
attached. The topside of the tape is marked for
standard linear dimensions, in both inches and cm,
while the underside is marked for diameter. You wrap
the tape around whatever you’re measuring, and the
numbers on the underside correspond to diameter —
no math required. The underside scale doesn’t start
until a couple inches from the hook, so you need
slightly more than one full wrap to obtain a
measurement, but this increases accuracy, since the
hook doesn’t get in the way of the measurement.
Speaking of the hook — on standard tape measures,
the hook “slides” by a slight amount to account for its
thickness when measuring “outer” (hook pulled from a
corner) vs. “inner” (hook pushed against a surface)
dimensions. Because the DCT79 is equipped with a
smoothly bending, non-arched tape that won’t snap
flat on its own, it’s really meant for outer
measurements, so its hook is fixed. Note also that a
non-arched tape is better for marking the surface you’re
measuring. Say, for example, you’re building a frame for
an acoustic panel, and you need to cut an exact length
of wood. A standard arched tape requires you to “rock”
the tape to one of its edges to precisely mark the wood
at the desired length, a motion that can annoyingly
unhook the tape. In my workshop, I have a heavy-duty,
non-arched tape for that reason — the FastCap PMS-
FLAT-16 FlatBack Metric Standard <fastcap.com>
($9.59). Like the DCT79, the FlatBack lays flat for
making precise markings, but it also has several other
unique features: a second button just underneath the
mouth of the tape that momentarily slows/stops tape
retraction (in addition to a standard lock above the
mouth); a built-in pencil sharpener and an erasable
side-panel for notes; a matte finish on the tape that
also takes pencil marks; and a “levered” belt clip for
effortless attachment/removal. All these features make
the FlatBack my top choice for the workshop. The
FlatBack isn’t designed for inner measurements, but
FastCap makes “arch-back” models too. I also
us
recommend the Komelon Evolution series
<komelon.com>; the PSE55E Metric Standard ($10.66)
is my go-to for the toolbox (vs. workshop). It’s push-
to-retract, which I prefer over push-to-lock. It has inch
and cm markings on both sides of the tape, which
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means you can very easily push the hook onto the floor,
then feed the tape up to the ceiling, and the tape will
snap into vertical position so you can read the ceiling
height (or doorway, etc.) on the underside of the tape.
to
(Try this with a standard tape measure — the tape will
stand more rigidly when its underside is toward you.
Unfortunately, most tapes have blank undersides.)
Moreover, the hook is two-sided, so you can hook the
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backside of the hook, read the measurements on the
underside of the tape, and mark whatever surface
you’re measuring without having to rock the tape.
(Now, don’t get me started on my collection of laser
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measurement tools.) –AH
66/Tape Op#129/Gear Reviews/(continued on page 68)
Mara Machines
MaraTapeCal iOS app
As both a refurbisher and seller of pro tape machines, the
name Mara is synonymous with tape. When I saw they were
entering the iOS app world with their Mara tape calibration
program, I was both excited and curious. To many of us,
tape machine calibration comes across like some form of
dark art, and I’d be lying to say that I wasn’t a bit skeptical.
Going into it, I figured that, if all went well, I could finally
get my Tascam 22-2 calibrated. Turns out, I was wrong. It
seems that most prosumer machines were designed to keep
people like me from tinkering around in them. Only after
having it lying shamefully scattered in pieces on my floor
for three nights did I finally admit defeat. I could just
about hear the collective scoffs of analog tape forum
members everywhere. The MaraTapeCal app is designed to
be universal, but I found it impossible to use with my
machine, which doesn’t have clearly marked and accessible
pots. The machine pictured as an example throughout the
app is the MCI JH-110, a machine a level (or two) above
the Tascam and Fostex decks that I own. I really wanted to
try this app and thankfully, Reed Black over at Vinegar Hill
Sound in Brooklyn had an Otari MTR-12 he agreed to let me
calibrate using this new tool.
The app first asks you to choose between Start From
Scratch or Do A Quick Touch Up. I started from scratch and
then entered my tape speed (15 or 30 ips), the MRL tape
used (250, 320, 355, 500), and the alignment details (low,
medium, or high output tape). From there I was taken
through the steps of calibration using tones from the MRL.
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There’s no hooking up of any cords unless you need to use
an external tone generator. You simply follow the directions,
which I found to be fairly straightforward. I did run into a
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problem when told to adjust controls like Level and
Cue/Synch gain but then not being able to locate them on
the Otari. Small things, like having those pots labeled
differently between machines had me scratching my head.
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Those with prior experience would be undeterred by these
variations, but as a beginner unversed in what a lot of these
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controls actually do, I was a bit thrown and it took me a
while to figure things out.
But that’s where I find this app will be of great use,
throwing the inexperienced head first into an otherwise
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intimidating process. At first, it will be challenging, but I
found that after successfully completing all the steps, I
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became much more confident, and the next time around I
knew it would be easier. That’s the real value of the
MaraTapeCal app in my opinion. I slowly began to form an
understanding of something I previously couldn’t appreciate
without doing it myself. If I didn’t have its owner close by,
I would’ve been forced to take advantage of the Skype
session option offered (for an additional price) through the
app. Hey, nobody said using analog tape was going to be
cheap. Buy the ticket, take the ride, right?
This brings me to my last point – the cost of the app (and
MRL tape) compared to having it done by a professional.
Both will be comparable in price but, if like me, you want
to learn calibration and have it as a skill, it’s an investment.
Now, all I need is a better tape machine.
($24.99; maramachines.com)
-Jason Ribadeneyra <freecountry.bandcamp.com>
Drawmer
MC7.1 Monitor Controller
Back in “ye olde days,” when control rooms were built
around a console, monitor control was generally handled
in the master/center section of the desk where one could
switch between multiple sets of speakers, input sources
(console/mix down deck/CD player/iPod), collapse the
image to mono for checking polarity issues, talkback, etc.
Now with many control rooms centered around the
computer and a set of converters, standalone monitor
controllers have become a necessary and vitally important
piece of what I like to call “the New Studio Puzzle.”
Drawmer has risen to this new paradigm with an offering
of six separate active monitor controllers in varying
degrees of complexity. I’m reviewing the MC7.1, which is
their full-blown surround controller with extensive power
and control over a possible 20 input channels, and three
separate speaker output configurations.
I’ve been using the MC7.1 for over a year now since
needing to re-expand my monitoring system to
accommodate 5.1 mixing once again after a few years away
from any surround work. Prior to the MC7.1, I’d been using
Drawmer’s MC2.1 since its release, and it had never let me
down as a clean and flexible monitor controller that always
performed as expected. Moving to the MC7.1 just made
sense as I expected the same kind of quality with an
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expanded feature set.
The MC7.1 is a large, wedge-shaped desktop unit with a
generously sized volume pot for speaker outputs, two
independently powered headphone amps on smaller pots,
and a built-in talkback mic with separate volume control
(plus provisions for an external talkback mic). Around the
main volume pot are buttons for a -20 dB Dim control,
system mute (speakers only, headphones are still active in
this mode), and selecting from a user-configurable fixed
preset output level or variable one using the pot. The left
two-thirds of the front panel feature a ton of buttons
giving you control over soloing/muting each speaker,
soloing Low, Mid, and High bands (to help zero in on a
frequency range that may be problematic), for choosing
stereo, 5.1, or 7.1 input sources and how they are routed
to the outputs. Additionally, MC7.1 provides always-handy
mono and phase reverse switches to polarity-invert the left
channel – great to hear just what’s happening on the sides
or really zero in on phase issues.
On the back of the unit is an impressive jack field with
two independent 7.1 inputs, one on a DB25 connector
(Input A) with a parallel 7.1 output on another DB25, and
the second on TRS jacks (Input B). Input C is for a dedicated
stereo source on XLR/TRS combo jacks (Input D is on the
front panel as an eighth-inch stereo jack for connecting
phones or anything else clients might bring in that may
need to be plugged in quickly for a reference). Continuing
with back panel connections, there are three groups of
speaker outputs: Output 1 is the 7.1 surround output,
Output 2 is a stereo-only pair, and Output 3 is a mono
subwoofer output. These outputs are all on TRS connectors
and have corresponding front panel buttons to engage any
or all at one time. Finally, there is the external talkback mic
input, an output for either the built-in or external talkback
to slate tape or feed another room with a foot switch input
to control the talkback.
All of these features and connections would be
meaningless if the unit didn’t sound good or present the
user with a clean and transparent output signal. Happily, the
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 MC7.1 is a transparent sounding piece of gear – I don’t hear
any coloration added to the input signal. If there is any noise
on the outputs, it is imperceptible, and the headphone amps
have more than enough juice to drive older 600 ohm cans
with drummer-deafening volume.
If all of this wasn’t enough, every output on the MC7.1 can
be calibrated using the trim pots on the bottom panel of the
unit. This isn’t the most convenient place for them to be
located, as it means propping up the controller on one of its
sides while all the connections are hooked up on the back,
then trimming the pots with a screwdriver while measuring
the output of the tones being sent from your DAW to the
speakers. Though not ideal, it’s certainly not a deal-breaker.
My only other (tiny) gripe is that I wish the MC7.1 had a
built-in power supply and standard IEC connector; instead,
there’s a lump-in-the-middle external AC adapter that
connects with an unsecured barrel jack. I understand why (no
UL certification needed and no need to make room for the
power supply internally), but on such a professional unit, the
adapter feels like a corner-cutting measure in my opinion.
I know monitor controllers don’t seem like the sexiest piece
of gear to get excited about, but a bad one can ruin your day-
to-day work in the studio. I’ve been mixing a bunch of Blu-
ray surround audio, folding down film scores from 7.1 to
stereo, as well as my normal stereo work, and the MC7.1 has
never let me down. I mash those buttons all day long
(especially mono and the phase reverse!) and they show no
signs of wear or scratchiness, plus the volume knob
tracking/calibration and sonics perform as well as they did
the day it came out of the box. Surround monitor controllers
are a small and specialized niche of the audio gear world and
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having used a number of them, I can honestly give the
Drawmer MC7.1 my highest recommendation – if you don’t
need all the capabilities of the MC7.1, I recommend giving
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the rest of their monitor controller range serious
consideration. ($1599 street; drawmer.com)
-Don Gunn <dongunn.com>
Crane Song
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HEDD Quantum
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There are pieces of studio gear that are essential and there
are color or flavor machines that enhance, adding personality
to your recordings or mixes. There are very few that are both,
but the Crane Song HEDD (harmonically enhanced digital
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device) is one such box – once used, you’ll have a hard time
going back. There are many ways these days to get back and
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forth between the analog and digital realms. Some are pure
utility, offering a pristine uncolored path from A to D, while
others add some flavor of harmonic distortion via
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transformers or otherwise. Typically, you’d want as pure a
signal path as possible on the D to A side, so you can assess
the choices you have made on the A to D path. But what if
you could have both options and adjust to taste?
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Let me back up. The HEDD Quantum is the latest version of
the HEDD [Tape Op #26], a converter that has enjoyed many
years as a favorite of mix and mastering engineers. It
employs Dave Hill’s latest and greatest “Quantum” sub-
to
picosecond clocking, first seen in the Avocet IIA DAC [#103].
This clocking is applied to both the A/D and D/A conversion
on the HEDD Quantum. Other updates from the HEDD 192
include optical I/O and TOSLINK. But wait, there’s more!
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Crane Song has also added six new word clock outputs for
using HEDD Quantum as a master clock, and also keeps the
same DSP modes for Triode and Pentode tube emulation, as
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well as a Tape mode – more on these later.
68/Tape Op#129/Gear Reviews/(continued on page 70)
Operational modes allow the D/A and the A/D to be used
at the same time, at different sample rates. In the DIG
setting the unit will run digital in from one of three sources
and output on all three digital outputs and the analog output
at the same time. In the ANA mode the input is analog and
it outputs on all three digital outputs and the analog output
at the same time. Dither, which is analog generated, is
selectable for 16 or 20-bit. Clock sample rate can be set from
44.1 kHz to 192 kHz – or set to accept an external word clock
input. The metering is easy to read and great for visualizing
peaks and channel balances, while also offering a selectable
peak hold function that shows the peak until cleared. In
normal operation, peaks get a two second hold.
As technically bleeding edge as everything Crane Song
makes is, at the end of the day this gear is always super
musical and has vibe. Mad scientist, wizard, and soft
spoken/thoughtful mid-westerner are the words I would use
to describe Dave Hill. You too can be perceived as a wizard
and miracle worker with the aid of the gear he makes.
I was already one mix in on a record when the HEDD Quantum
arrived. I immediately unpackaged the unit and got it integrated
into my system. I was using my Crane Song Spider for A/D
conversion duties on this project and expected some difference
due to its older converter and clock technology. Expecting and
being ready are two different things. Straight away the sound
field seemed a little more in focus and perhaps mildly more
detailed. Transient responses seemed a little faster. Over the
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course of the day and subsequent weeks of mixing, I noticed less
fatigue in the late afternoon and found I was doing more work
each day while working faster. Overall, it was an upgrade from the
Spider (which I love the sound of), and if that was all the HEDD
Quantum did for me, I think I would be a satisfied customer. But
what really sold me on the unit was the DSP. The Triode tube,
Pentode tube, and Tape emulations are simply awesome.
Triode mode delivers second order harmonics that support
and enhance the bottom of a mix without the use of EQ. A
touch of this process gave a nice bloom to the low end
without a big mush out or muddiness. My favorite mode,
however, is the Pentode process – an emulation of third order
harmonics. As you increase this control, more detail and
excitement gets applied to the mix. In the same way the
Triode blooms the bottom, the Pentode inflates and excites
the mid and upper mid frequencies of the audio in a very
musical way. Tape is an effective way to warm the top, tame
harshness if present, and saturate. The controls are
interactive, so combinations of tone shaping are seemingly
endless. It is easy to lean on, or get addicted, to these
process controls, and I had to force myself to apply them
after I had a mix sounding close to complete. When used this
way I used a little less, but to great effect.
As great as my Crane Song Spider sounds it would be a little
bit of a let down to go back to it after using this latest and
greatest unit from Dave Hill and the folks at Crane Song. I
hear a new converter will be available in the future for the
Spider if you are a current owner and want to go that route.
The HEDD Quantum is not cheap, but buy it once and be
satisfied forever. It is a no compromise product just like
everything else Crane Song makes. I love being able to reach
the people that make my gear on the phone or have them
respond to emails quickly to resolve issues. I was a Crane
Song owner for years before my role at Tape Op, and the level
of service was the same as it is today: A+. While at AES this
year, I told both Dave Hill and Tim Dorsey from Crane Song
that I swore out loud to myself after a brief period with the
HEDD Quantum; “Fuck… this thing is not leaving the studio.”
($3,999.00 street; cranesong.net) -GS
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 Louder Than Liftoff
Chroma 500 Series preamp
When describing equipment we love, we often use words like “weight,” “character,” or
“glue.” Many would argue that the analog domain is where these adjectives thrive – I
would have to agree. In my own work I lean heavily on analog inserts and analog
subgroups while mixing in Pro Tools. I am always chasing that extra percent of perceived
magic by asking myself, “What will make this even better?”
For a few years now, I have had my eye on gear made by Louder Than Liftoff [Tape Op
#122 Behind the Gear]. They are a small company out of California, making innovative
products that focus on analog “mojo” while getting to the creative side of your brain
faster. Their stereo tone box, Silver Bullet, has piqued my interest for some time. In 2017,
LTL announced Chroma, a miniaturized, single channel, 500 Series version of the Silver
Bullet. Chroma is a mic pre and line processor that has the same Twin Tone Mojo amp
topology as the Silver Bullet. Essentially you can swap entire circuit blocks in the signal
path with a push of a button. The A Mojo Amp circuit contains a discrete op-amp and
transformer that offers a classic American console vibe, while the N Mojo Amp circuit
contains a transformer-coupled transistor amplifier that yields a noticeably British/Neve
feel. The Chroma also has similar low and high shelf options that owners of the Silver
Bullet will recognize. As an added bonus, Chroma accepts analog plug in cards that fit the
DIYRE Colour Palette format [Tape Op #107]. This unlocks additional tonal possibilities,
such as saturation, compression, EQ, and more.
After eagerly installing a pair of Chromas into my 500 Series rack, I first strapped them
across the stereo bus. Instantly I smiled as I turned the gain and output knobs, while
driving the circuit and toggling between A and N modes. You can certainly recognize the
fast, clear transient A mode character versus the heavier chunk of the N mode’s. In either
mode, you can achieve harmonics ranging from subtle to very rich. The quality of the

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design is revealed further by pushing the Chromas into an “over the top” style of
saturation. Equally nice is the very sweet sounding low and high shelf. Mixing through a
pair of these does not suck!
On a drum bus, A mode is really ideal. Giving the transients a hug while still sounding

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fast and crisp – maybe my favorite application for the Chroma. N mode adds a nice
thickness to toms and bass drum. With bass guitar, driving the N mode a bit was simply
better sounding than not doing it – more of a solid low end, with added width and
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harmonic content. On every source that I tried these on, they just seemed to give more of
an enhanced richness to the sound. More “butter in the pan” if you will – something that
we all strive for in the digital age.
The additional slot for the Colour Card is what really intrigued me. I own four DIYRE
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Colour Palettes, and about eight different pairs of cards. Louder Than Liftoff also makes
several of their own cards, which include transformers, discrete op-amps, tubes,
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compressors, and EQs. The Colour slot on the Chroma has an input knob (C-DRV) to drive
the circuit, and a (C-MIX) knob to blend it in. On the Silver Bullet, many users like to
cascade A mode into N mode to really get the analog magic happening. With the Colour
Card options you can achieve the same type of tonal stacking in the Chroma. Hell yeah!
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My only complaint was the recall ability on the front panel. The lack of numbers on the
faceplate made it somewhat difficult to document for recall. I sent Louder Than Liftoff an email
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about this. The next day I actually received a phone call and email from designer Brad McGowan
regarding my thoughts! He explained to me that, “each knob has a 41-detent pot for recall.
The graphics around the knob are like the face of a clock. Each hash mark represents 30
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minutes. Two hash marks are an hour. The in-between settings are 15 minutes.” Makes sense!
Though I would still prefer some sort of numbered labeling to make it easier to document
quickly – the lack of numbering is perhaps a trade-off of the smaller 500 Series format.
Though the Chroma’s mic pre was not the reason I initially bought these modules, they
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may be the reason I will never sell them! With two iconic footprints in one, what’s not to
like? The Louder Than Liftoff Chroma is a wonderful sounding, extremely versatile and
expandable weapon of choice that’s effective for both tracking and mixing applications.
Whether you’re looking for a tool that adds character to a mix or you just need a solid mic
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pre, I’d suggest the Chroma.

($599 direct; louderthanliftoff.com) -Justin Mantooth <justinmantooth.com>
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tapeop.com
Bonus & archived
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reviews online!
70 /Tape Op#129/Gear Reviews/
 Sennheiser/Apogee
AMBEO Smart Headset
Apogee and Sennheiser teamed up to make a smart in-ear headset/microphone combo. As a
proud owner, I was eager to find out of this magical hybrid beast lived up to its potential. First,
what is it? It’s two things: a binaural microphone that you wear in your ears, and a hi-fi in ear
headset that works exclusively with iOS devices like the iPhone. But why is it exclusive to iOS?
Well, for starters it uses Apple’s proprietary Lightning connector. As frustrating as it is to not
have a standard eighth-inch headphone jack, I’m not sure how else they would have included
so many “smart” features in such a well-designed headset. In the same way that I get frustrated
when I can’t easily walk out of my control room and connect the Audio-Technica ATH-M50
headphones [Tape Op #63] I use at work to my modern iPhone, I also can’t walk into the control
room and connect this headset to my console’s headphone output. Once you get over that,
there’s a lot to love about this headset – the sound is top notch! Bass response is full and
focused, midrange is incredibly detailed, and the top end is clear without ever feeling too harsh
– listening is an absolute joy!
The included remote incorporates standard volume and play/pause features, but there’s a second
volume rocker that lets you move from active noise cancelation to “transparent hearing,” which is
basically piping in the sound from the microphones right next to your ears. This is helpful when
you’re walking out of your house and your roommate stops you to ask a question. The AMBEO’s
earpieces are pretty isolating, so the ability to switch on the “transparent hearing” feature will allow
you to carry on a conversation with ease. One could also just take the headset off, but installing
these things in your ears is a bit of a chore, in my opinion. Each ear-loop rests over your ear, similar
to a sports earbud fit. As someone with both long hair and glasses, it’s a little bit of work to get
these things settled into my ears correctly, but once in they’re great! Again, the sound is incredible!
There’s a companion app that includes access to a three band EQ, which also sounded good. I
preferred the sound with the low shelf set at 100 Hz and attenuated by 2 dB. The remote includes

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a configurable “smart slider” which can be set to one of many shortcuts. I chose to have it launch
the camera app so I could quickly record videos with 3D binaural audio! How does the binaural
audio sound? Good. The mics themselves sound great, and the stereo image is superb. The 3D
imaging wasn’t entirely impressive – the directionality of sounds above or behind me were harder

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to pick out on playback, but it’s definitely an immersive stereo image! I’ve since gotten quite bit
of use out of this for sound design: for video game sounds I’ve recorded card shuffles, door slams,
rustling through papers, and more. After getting these sounds back into a DAW and squashing them il
with compression, I can say this mic is top notch.
I highly recommend finding a recording app that supports input monitoring (Apple’s built-in in
Voice Memo app does not). Apogee recommends their iOS 12 compatible MetaRecorder app. The
biggest potential bummer when recording with the AMBEO Smart Headset is your own body noise.
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I learned the hard way that when using this headset as a microphone for professional results it’s
important to stand incredibly still, not take any steps, and avoid swallowing. The audio is a dramatic
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step up from the built-in mic on my phone, but the price you have to pay is to keep your body
still. In summary, there’s a lot of love about this headset, and the designers have a done a great
job making this easy to use. While I wasn’t blown away by the 3D binaural image, the microphones
sound incredible, plus I love them as a pair of earphones.
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($299.99 street; apogeedigital.com) -Scott McDowell <fadersolo.com>

Austin DIY Ribbon Mic Company

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The Hot Holder & The Cheese

From the Department of “where the heck has this been all my life!” comes thee soldering
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accessory from Austin DIY Ribbon Microphones. It’s a purple block of dense silicon that can hold
components in place, freeing up your hands for the iron and solder. Designed especially for audio
electronics, pre-molded holding slots accept most connectors, Strat or Les Paul switches, and even
potentiometers. To anyone who has ever soldered and wished for an extra hand or two, the Hot
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Holder is as close as you can get to having that extra appendage.

In use, the block is pretty stable. It weighs more than it appears to. The bottom is flat and can
act as a suction base, holding firmly to smooth surfaces. Things don’t slip or slide the way they can
with those little metal clamp helpers. Speaking of those other holders – Hot Holder will not act as
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a heatsink (reducing the chance of creating cold solder joints) and won’t scratch components. My
favorite feature is the wire holding slots. This is just perfect for repairs or building cables. The
companion piece, named The Cheese, resembles a purple wedge of dairy. The Cheese offers up more
generic geometric shapes for general use, and offers a channel that can hold PC boards vertically.
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If you solder, repair, or build electronic gear, put down this magazine and order a Hot Holder
before you do anything else. Go ahead and recycle those cheap clip-type holders that have been
making us crazy for all these years. While Hot Holder may look like a chew toy, petrified slime block,
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or giant pencil eraser, it’s actually a must-have addition to any soldering station.
(Hot Holder $39 direct; diyribbonmic.com/hotholder, The Cheese $29 direct; thecheese.biz, free US
shipping) -Garrett Haines <www.treelady.com>
Gear Reviews/(continued on page 72)/Tape Op#129/71
 Sound Radix
SurferEQ2 plug-in
These days, we are constantly updated with new product announcements consisting of plug-
in emulations of old products. While this may be good for our ever-changing industry, it seems
that truly innovative products get somewhat overlooked. Sound Radix is a company that has
been quietly making modern day classics that should belong in every audio engineer’s toolbox.
I first heard of them a little over a year ago when I bought their Auto-Align [Tape Op #121]
plug-in intended for correcting phase on multi-mic’d sources. Auto-Align works like magic and
has saved many of my mixes from “lame drum sound” syndrome, which is why I felt compelled
to try out SurferEQ2 by Sound Radix.
When you first open up SurferEQ2, you see a fairly standard EQ GUI with a few added features.
But what’s really under the hood of this plug-in is a 7-band EQ with pitch-tracking ability (auto,
MIDI, or sidechain controlled), a post-EQ frequency analyzer, a spectral gate with attack and
recovery times to create compression effects without changing natural dynamics, and harmonic
filtering. The pitch-tracking ability means that the curve you apply to a monophonic source
will change with the notes being played. In practice, you can track the fundamental of each
bass note being played or keep a harsh vocal in check throughout a song by following tricky
frequencies. You can also track pitch on each of the seven bands via MIDI controller, allowing
for unique sound sculpting and movement. This feature is incredibly powerful and works
effortlessly by catching onto and tracking frequencies exactly as I’d hoped.
The frequency spectrum analyzer is not the first of its kind, but it is incredibly smooth and
helpful to use. It shows you the output signal, allowing you to see your EQ curves, in effect.
This seems most important for engineers working in less than ideal rooms where deep low end
can go unnoticed but is still affecting the overall stereo mix. The analyzer will also show you
the sidechain source, making it easy to find the exact frequencies you want controlling the
affected track. This comes in handy when track bleed is an issue and you’re using the Spectral

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Gate feature. For example, a tom mic with bad cymbal bleed can be set to have a low-pass
filter engaged when not being played, but with the gate threshold set accordingly the full tom
sound comes through when the tom is played. Other useful scenarios include vocal bleed in a
guitar mic or when dialing in extreme settings that can create compression-type effects on a

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source without affecting its dynamic range.
Another unique feature of this plug-in is its harmonic filtering, creating wild sounds with just
one band engaged. This effect is somewhat easier done than said, but essentially it can boost
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or cut a fundamental frequency and all of its harmonics. This is useful when trying to eliminate
hum from a noisy source or going wild by using the harmonic filter on a reverb send with the
bass set as the sidechain source, so the reverb tail sounds as if it is following the chord
structure of the song.
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This plug-in was built completely from the ground up, with customized filters and algorithms
that go well beyond my comprehension, but what I can tell you is that it sounds fantastic!
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Because of the attention to detail and a deep understanding of EQ filters, this is one of few
digital EQ plug-ins that sounds great even when pushed to its limits. For such a powerful plug-
in, it is not a CPU hog by any means – and for such an in-depth tool it is surprisingly very
intuitive. Since discovering this SurferEQ2, I’ve found myself throwing it across every drum
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track, bass, and vocal track without any noticeable lag. It’s inspired me to try things I’ve
thought to be too complicated to set up with multiple plug-ins in the past, and it performs
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flawlessly. It has excellent practical use as well as deeply unique abilities that will keep me
reaching for it whenever a mix needs inspiration. I highly recommend downloading the
SurferEQ2 demo, but beware – you may need to cough up the money to buy it after you fall in
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love with it. ($179 street; soundradix.com) -Gus Berry <www.gusberry.com>

Mackie
Big Knob Studio & Big Knob Passive
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Back in 2004, Mackie introduced the original Big Knob, the first affordable
monitor/headphone bus controller for DAW-based studios. Essentially, Mackie took the best
elements of an analog console monitor section and added some goodies like multiple recorder
outputs and a phono preamp, all in a solidly-built, budget-priced package. Two years ago, they
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evolved the concept into a three-product line by offering varying degrees of monitor, playback,
and recording control/switching. In this review, we’ll look at the simpler two of the three Big
Knobs, the Passive and Studio models. The Studio+ (not reviewed here) contains all the features
of the Studio and more, so make sure to check out Mackie’s well-designed website and read the
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downloadable user manuals before making a purchase decision.

The Mackie Big Knob Passive is a simple device: a good quality potentiometer, some resistors,
some capacitors to snub RFI, and some 1/4-inch TRS connectors – all of this in a solid, all-
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metal case for about $70. Its purpose is to sit between two pieces of studio equipment such
as DAWs, mixers, flash recorders, CD players, tape machines, etc., and two pairs of powered

72/Tape Op#129/Gear Reviews/(continued on page 74)

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 monitor speakers (or power amps driving passive monitors). Situated there, it controls input
and output sources and destinations, plus monitor volume level via the large metal knob and
potentiometer.
The Big Knob Passive features a pair of inputs (A and B) and a pair of outputs (also A and
B). Input B allows for 1/4-inch or 1/8-inch connection. The 1/4-inch inputs and outputs can
be balanced or unbalanced. There may be impedance and headroom issues mixing balanced
sources and unbalanced destinations, and vice-versa, but this setup should work with most
modern transformer-less gear.
The premise of passive monitor control is simple: if you insert only a volume-level control,
you aren’t inserting active electronics, and possible distortion, noise, and phase shift, or
cancellation. As far as I could hear, the Big Knob Passive imparts zero color or flavor on the
sound – it simply passes signals with a non-scratchy pot and some non-noisy resistors in the
path. It seems to have a noise floor of zero and seems to have no effect on distortion or
headroom between balanced sources and destinations.
The volume pot seems to be linear, not audio-taper, which is useful for studio applications.
It is not a real-deal impedance-matched attenuator, so there are no detent points, and indeed
no marked scale on the case. Thus, it’s not easy to set up recallable points along its smooth
circular travel – I suppose one could use bits of console tape to mark important points along
the way? There also aren’t individual trimmers on the input or output connections, so you
are relying on the accuracy of the pot and resistors to maintain channel-to-channel matched
levels. And, when switching between input A and B, if the devices’ output levels aren’t
matched, you’re going to have to roll out some console marking tape and do some measuring.
But, that said, for $70 the Passive is well built and does its job as intended.
The Big Knob Studio is not just a source/monitor controller. It is also a 2-in/2-out USB 2
digital interface. And, there’s a switch on the back that selects what the USB input sends to
the computer. Switched one way, it’s input channels 1 and 2 via the built-in Onyx mic preamps;
the other way, it’s the same output as selected for the monitors and the analog “2-Track”

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recorder output on the back panel. The computer’s output is selectable on the front panel, and
yes, you can cause a feedback loop by selecting it as the output while selecting “2-Track” as
the input. The same would be true if you plugged an external tape recorder into inputs 3 and
4 and routed the “2-Track” analog outputs to its inputs and tried to record from the Big Knob

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while outputs 3 and 4 are selected as the monitor outputs. Simply put: the Big Knob Studio
(like the original Big Knob) is not idiot-proof, so make sure your recorder is not selected as
the source and destination.
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The Big Knob Studio includes two balanced outputs for monitors or monitor amps, plus the
aforementioned “2-Track” output for a recorder (level not effected by the monitor-volume
control). Both the “2-Track” output and the inputs for Source 3/4 can be switched for +4 dB
pro level or -10 dB prosumer level. Unlike the original Big Knob, there is not a trimmer for
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each input and output on the back panel.
Source inputs 1/2, which run through the Onyx preamps, have level trimmers on the front
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panel and can accept XLR mic inputs, 1/4-inch TRS line inputs, or 1/4-inch TS instrument
inputs. There is also 48V phantom power (switchable on the front panel – make sure to keep
it OFF except to phantom-power appropriate microphones). A useful “Stereo Pan” switch
works like this: switched in, channel 1 feeds the left output and channel 2 feeds the right
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output; switched out, inputs 1 and 2 are mixed together in mono, feeding both channels and
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the mix is controlled by their trimmer level knobs. Source 3/4 can also be from a 1/8-inch
connector on the front panel. When the 1/8-inch is plugged in, it takes precedence over the
1/4-inch connectors on the rear panel.
Oh yeah – there are also two headphone outputs on the front panel, fed from separate
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high-power amps, each with their own volume control. Bottom line, this is VERY flexible, like
the original Big Knob. And, like I said, the Studio+ is even more flexible, including two more
line inputs, a 2x4 USB interface, and a dedicated headphone feed for the musicians.
Now here’s the rub: to my ears, like the original Big Knob, the Big Knob Studio (and,
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presumably, the Studio+), do impart a “sound” on everything. I will describe it as a hazing up

of things – a slight fuzzing of the stereophony, and a little bit less width and depth. I also hear
a little phase-shift going on in the very low end. It’s nothing terrible, and not as noticeable as
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for instance running signal through a typical piece of hi-fi gear – but it’s audible, to my ears,
that output isn’t exactly input. The USB interface is good but not great (in my opinion), but
it’s a hell of a lot better than what cost decent coin back when the original Big Knob debuted.
I suspect that the underlying problem here is too many op-amps in the signal paths and which
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op-amps were used, plus all other parts in the system that were spec’d to stay within a very
affordable price point. It’s definitely not cheapo junk gear, but I wouldn’t classify it as mastering
quality. I do think the price would need to be a good bit higher for there to be a noticeably
more transparent sound. In other words, Mackie did as well as possible for this, and even higher,
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for the given price points.

74/Tape Op#129/Gear Reviews/

 So, who’s the ideal buyer for the Big Knob Studio? Definitely a recordist or musician
starting out and working under budget constraints. Combine this thing with a decent low-
end laptop and you’ve got a complete studio including very good mic preamps with the
ability to be quite creative both inside and outside of the box. The sound quality of every
aspect of the Big Knob Studio smokes earlier-era amateur studio gear – especially the
ADC/DAC USB interfaces. By the time you’ve stepped up to really good monitors – and a
really good monitoring environment, you’ll be out of the Studio or Studio+ league. But that
Big Knob Passive can fit well into a higher-fidelity environment.
Another obvious place for a Big Knob Studio would be a purpose-build web-cast/podcast
or smaller-scale archival transfer studio. Unless you’re working with master-quality audio
sources, everything about the Studio or Studio+ is fine for those jobs. The affordability and
flexibility are very appealing. In the world of a web-cast/podcast studio, that money saved
could be spent on better room treatment and a better microphone. In the world of a small-
scale transfer studio, the money saved could be spent on the best possible analog playback
chain. Either scenario will get you much more sonic bang for the buck than scaling way up
on digital interfaces or monitor controllers.
So, Mackie has scored again. For what these units cost, they are category killers! Until
you get to the major leagues, they will suit your sonic needs just fine. The Big Knob Passive
is so useful and priced so modestly, it belongs in most studios, connected to the patchbay.
(Passive $79 street, Studio $169 street; mackie.com) -Tom Fine <tom.fine@gmail.com>

Standard Audio
Level-Or MK2 limiter
Standard Audio, a California-based manufacturer specializing in 500 Series designs, has
released an update of their much-loved Level-Or limiter/distortion processor. The original
Level-Or [Tape Op #78] was released 10 years ago, and was inspired by the Shure Level-Loc,

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an ultra-aggressive PA limiter from the ‘60s that found favor among engineers seeking over-
the-top compression effects on drums, room mics, and more. Standard Audio took the Level-
Loc concept and expanded its functionality to include a Fast/Slow release switch, a dedicated
output control, and a separate Crunch mode capable of distortion ranging from subtle

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saturation to all-out sonic destruction. For their new Level-Or MK2 Anniversary Edition, they
have expanded and refined the unit’s functionality even further by addressing several of the
most-requested feature enhancements from original Level-Or users.
The MK2 design improves upon the MK1’s two-mode operation: now a single toggle il
switches between Level (Shure’s Level-Loc inspired limiter mode), Crunch (the
aforementioned distortion circuit), and a new Bypass mode. The MK2 starts by addressing one
of the most common issues cited with the MK1: the unit’s considerable noise floor in Level
mode. This is an understandable by-product of the aggressive nature of the limiting circuit,
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and for many musical applications it often wasn’t particularly problematic. For other
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applications, however, the noise could become an issue – several mix engineer acquaintances
reported consistently having to follow the MK1 with a noise gate. With the MK2, the limiting
circuit has been redesigned, yielding considerably less noise, while retaining the unique sonic
characteristics of the original limiter’s behavior. Standard Audio’s website mentions “extensive
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R&D and listen-testing” to mitigate the noise floor “while remaining true to the tone and
vibe of the original circuit.” Nothing in my own listening tests contradicts this: in A/B
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listening between the MK1 and the MK2, I could discern only very minute differences in
limiter behavior – nothing that would make me prefer one to the other for that reason alone.
In addition to the considerable noise improvements, Limit mode has also received an
update to its release section: a Medium release speed falling between Fast and Slow. This is
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actually a quite significant addition to the Level-Or’s sonic palette, especially in heavy limiting
situations where switching between Fast and Slow release times can yield radically different
effects. Medium release quickly became a go-to setting for drums, providing a taste of the
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extreme thwack of the Fast release, but with a subtler envelope that seemed to work well in
a wider variety of mix situations. On one mixing project, the artist wanted a big John Bonham
snare sound, but the drummer had recorded his part with a softer, jazz-like touch. I used the
Level-Or in Limit mode as a parallel snare processor to give the illusion that the drummer was
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hitting much harder than he actually was. With the Medium release setting dialed in, I was
able to achieve the snare “crack” that the artist wanted, while blending it into the mix nicely
without announcing itself as a special effect.
In Crunch mode, the same Fast/Medium/Slow switch takes on a different functionality. The
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Slow position engages an 8 kHz low-pass filter, the Medium position a 15 kHz low-pass filter,
and the Fast position bypasses the filter completely. This is a thoughtful addition that allows
nice tone-shaping options when ramping up distortion levels, which can generate substantial
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higher frequency content. On a Moog Sub Phatty synthesizer bass patch with relatively little
harmonic content, I used the Input control in Crunch mode to drive the Level-Or and generate

Gear Reviews/(continued on page 76)/Tape Op#129/75

harmonics, then engaged the low-pass filter to rein in the
upper partials. In most scenarios, I found the 15 kHz a bit too
high to drastically differentiate itself from the unfiltered signal,
but the 8 kHz filter was something that found regular use on
all kinds of source material.
The MK2 now provides an instrument-level DI input on its
front panel for interfacing directly with guitar or bass (MK1’s
front panel input was for line-level signal only). Also, when an
instrument is plugged into the front panel input and the Level-
Or MK2 is in Bypass mode, the unit acts as a clean DI with gain
controlled by the Output knob.
The MK2 is currently shipping in a limited run Anniversary
Edition, which features a black faceplate and white silkscreen
art. After these Anniversary Edition units are sold, Standard
Audio will continue to manufacture the MK2 with the same
silver anodized faceplate style as the original MK1.
($575 street; standard-audio.com)
-Joseph Branciforte <josephbranciforte.com>
Sensaphonics
ER Series Musician Earplugs
According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other
Communication Disorders “musicians face nearly four times
greater risk of developing hearing loss than the rest of the
public.” If you haven’t thought seriously about hearing
protection, hopefully this review will be the catalyst.
To avoid damaging your hearing, you don’t need to crank the
playback volume in the studio. When I interviewed Dave Jerden
[Tape Op #86], he stated he prefers setting the playback at
around 84 dB; “On the Fletcher-Munson curve that’s where you
get the proper balance (of our hearing) between the high and
low end. I will listen at that level, but when I’m fine-tuning I’ll
go really low.” In a controlled environment like the studio, it’s
not difficult to find a setting that allows for both balance and
hearing protection. In preproduction, rehearsals, and especially
in live concert settings, you will find yourself in a less
controlled environment. In such cases, consider protecting
your hearing with the Sensaphonics ER Series Musician Earplugs.
Designed specifically for musicians, the ER Series are custom-fit
earplugs with interchangeable filters.
One set of interchangeable filters and a handy zippered
plastic pouch come with a pair of earplugs. You can purchase
other filters separately ($70 pair). I chose the ER-15 filters
which offer 15 dB of protection – perfect for rehearsals and
concerts. There’s no comparison between the ER Series and
cheap foam earplugs, or even a $20 pair of earplugs. Before
switching to the ER Series, I used the V-Moda Faders earplugs
[Tape Op #89], which are better than cheap foam plugs, but
don’t compare to the protection and sound quality of the ER
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Series. While the ER-15 filters offer good sound quality, you
will notice a significant loss of transients. I am going to try
the ER-9 filters, which offer 9 dB of protection. Hopefully,
this will allow an increase of transients just enough to provide
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the balance I am looking for. I really don’t want to be in a
situation where I would need the ER-25 filters, which offer 25
dB of filtering – if I need to cut out that much sound, then
I am in the wrong environment.
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The ER Series Musician Earplugs are custom fitted, so ear
impressions are required. This can add to the cost of the
earplugs, but let’s face it, preserving your ability to hear is
worth the investment. In-ear impressions can vary in price
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from $50 to $150 so check with your audiologist. The
impression allows for the snug fit around the outer ear, as
well as creating a mold of your inner ear canal. If possible,
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get your impressions done with an audiologist that works
with musicians. I had my impressions done by a Sensaphonics
76/Tape Op#129/Gear Reviews/(continued on page 78)
audiologist. When administering the ear impressions, the
audiologist asked me to replicate any faces I might
inadvertently make when playing my instrument. Changing
expressions alters the shape of your ear canal as you move
your jaw. Replicating these movements while the ear
impression is drying is necessary to create a snug fit. A snug
custom fit combined with the filters and ear canal mold is a
big part of what makes the ER Series so effective. If you have
your impressions done by your own audiologist, you’ll need to
send them to Sensaphonics. The impressions will be used to
make molds for your earplugs. Your earplugs and molds will
then be shipped to you. If sound quality and hearing
protection are what you need, Sensaphonics delivers.
($175 street; sensaphonics.com)
-Jonathan Saxon <jonathansaxon.com>
Josephson
C725 microphone
We’re lucky when three experienced audio professionals
come together with their perspectives and experience for a
deep dive into a product that deserves close attention. Studio
owner/engineer/musician John Vanderslice [Tape Op #10],
engineer/gear builder Bryce Gonzales [Highland Dynamics],
and studio technician Steve Veilleux bring their thoughts on
Josephson’s C725 microphone. -SM
The C725 is a stunning new addition to the inventory of my
favorite microphone manufacturer: Josephson Engineering. I
own and operate Tiny Telephone Recording in San Francisco
and Oakland, where we have long cherished our collection of
Josephson microphones. Despite the fact that we are
obsessed with tape recording (nearly all our sessions are on
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24-track Studer decks), our team of engineers doesn’t care
about using vintage equipment for the sake of nostalgia – we
value highly functional tools that give us excellent fidelity
and the freedom to be radically creative in the studio.
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Josephson delivers on this priority, perhaps more than any
other maker of modern recording equipment, which is why we
use their tools every single day.
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I’ve known for a while that Josephson was working on a tube
version of the C716 [Tape Op #87], which has been a favorite
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at Tiny Telephone for years. Upon opening up the case, this
seemed about right: the body of the mic is nearly identical,
with the same “aeration” pattern aluminum alloy
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basket/windscreen, the internally shock mounted Series Seven
capsule, and the beautifully designed rotating bracket mount.
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But upon taking out the power supply, I discovered that the
silver finish and the tube circuitry are just the tip of the iceberg
of what distinguishes the C725 from its 700 Series predecessor.
While the C716 is a fixed cardioid pattern, the C725 is
switchable between five different patterns: omni, subcardioid,
cardioid, hypercardioid, and figure-8. In addition, there is a
switch on the power supply that flips between “sun” and
“moon” modes. While in sun mode, the mic behaves normally
with a very high sensitivity that’s similar to the C716. When
switched to moon mode, the sensitivity drops from 25 mV/Pa to
8 mv/Pa, and the output drops around 10 dB while the sonic
character of the microphone changes significantly. The best way
to describe this change is that it takes on similar characteristics
to the e22S (the unique side-address cardioid condenser from
Josephson); it behaves more like a dynamic microphone in
sensitivity and output and has a more forgiving relationship to
transient information while retaining an extremely wide
frequency response with exceptional fidelity. In addition, moon
mode also boosts the C725’s maximum SPL from 134 dB to 144
dB, allowing for more headroom with very loud sources at close
range without distortion. This hybrid of condenser and dynamic
characteristics is something very special to me. I’ve never
encountered it anywhere outside the Josephson line. When I
take both the sun and moon modes into account, alongside the
five available patterns and exceptional FET-tube hybrid design,
the C725 has to emerge as the most versatile mic I’ve ever had
the pleasure of working with.
This microphone shined in moon mode on louder sources; the
signal at very close range on a kick drum head and bass cabinet
was exceptionally clear, and switching to figure-8 added a
smooth lift to the bottom end without sounding too boomy or
overwhelming. The C725’s performance for vocal recording in
sun mode was outstanding, easily rivaling the transparency and
musicality of our best tube mics, namely our Neumann U 67 and
SM 69. I found that the tube-like behaviors of the microphone
were more pronounced in sun mode: the slight compression of
transient information, the warmth and clarity of the top end,
and the softer overload characteristics were all more apparent.
This was especially useful on voice – with barely any distance
between the singer’s mouth and the microphone, the signal was
crisp but with a slightly rounded edge and free of excessive
plosives/sibilance thanks to the diffusion pattern in the design
of the basket. As an omni room mic in our echo chamber, the
C725 translated the complex array of reflections around the
room into a coherent monaural picture, with especially fine
detail as each decay would near its end.
As the owner of a small arts business that is trying its best to
practice the highest levels of craft, I have endless respect for
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David Josephson and his company. With the design and release
of every one of their products, there is a no-bullshit vibe that
spurns hype and nostalgia in favor of functionality and
imagination. They make their own capsules and are one of the
very few companies to do so. They are honest – their website
reads: “We’d like to perpetuate the fiction that buying a
particular microphone will make all your recordings more
wonderful. Too bad it isn’t true.” It sure isn’t, but there’s a good
chance that if you know what you’re doing with a C725, you can
make something pretty close to magic.
-John Vanderslice <tinytelephone.com>
Years ago I used a Josephson mic during a session in Canada
and found it to be one of the best mics in that studio, so I used
it on multiple sources and it worked for almost everything. The
C725 has those same qualities. It’s well made and generally
seems overbuilt. The metal is solid, it looks well machined, and
all parts fit and feel great. The adjustable mounts used to angle
the mic look like they’ll work for a long time, unlike the cheap
metal found on many other mics. I like the look of the C725’s
grill. It seems very strong, like it could take a fall and not dent
like most mics do. The provided cable, and the sockets and
plugs, are all high quality; better than standard five or seven
pin XLR connectors – not easy to accomplish with the limited
and expensive connectors available on the market. Everything
about the C725’s build seems aimed at a long lifetime.
Josephson knows what fails first and therefore put thought into
using the best components.
I recommend this mic for a few reasons. Firstly, it sounds great
and reminds me of the vintage gear I like. It can be easy to make
things sound boring, but it’s hard to make something that reacts
the way I hear and feel. I don’t really know to explain it, but I
just know some gear I’ll use longer than others – it’s easy to
design that out by making equipment that sounds like
everything else. This mic is engaging to listen to, and that’s the
biggest deal for me. I don’t feel the C725’s tone will fatigue or
wear me out, and it’s unlikely I’d want to sell it after a year to
try something else. The C725 sounds good enough to always
find a use on a session, and do a good job at it. I feel like after
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 a year I could try it on something I wouldn’t think appropriate
and it could be my new favorite mic for that source. I know the
C725 will have longevity. At this price, it would have to be that
good, and I think it is.
Another reason I’d buy the C725 is its ability to bring the best
sound out of the equipment around it. When you use a mic this
good, the tracks you record with it keep getting better as you
go through the process of making a record, unlike a track you
might have to work harder on, or one you keep trying to help
with different effects or equalizers. It’s expensive, but if you use
it a lot over the years it becomes a bargain. Sessions go faster
with better sounding gear like this mic. When artists hear
instruments and vocals coming across better right away, they
perform better. Josephson’s quality control and attention to
detail outcompetes most mass-produced gear and you can feel
it. They are in this market for the long haul and still listening.
-Bryce Gonzales <highlanddynamics.com>
I began my assessment of the C725 by simply powering
the microphone up and performing several listening tests.
In terms of noise floor, frequency response, and overall
sound quality (in both sun and moon settings), I was
immediately impressed with the Josephson’s performance.
As listed by the manufacturer, the sun mode has more body with
a generally fuller sound, while the moon setting offers a clearer
tone with less body (but still had depth at the same gain
setting as sun mode). I ran the mic through a real time analyzer
and also tested it with program material. The C725’s frequency
response curve was quite linear from 40 Hz all the way up to 16
kHz. (Note: My testing was not performed in an anechoic
chamber, or with flat response loudspeakers. Frequency
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response of this mic may extend beyond my testing, depending
on environment and/or higher resolution monitors.)
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78/Tape Op#129/Gear Reviews/(Fin.)
Mechanically, the Josephson’s overall build quality is quite
impressive. The capsule assembly is extremely rigid, with a large
dome shaped, solid machined Delrin (high-grade resin) base
extending two inches down into the mic body. The brass ringed
capsule is mounted directly through the Delrin base with all
brass hardware and a brass screw that floats in two separate
tuned urethane dampers, making for excellent internal shock
mounting of the capsule. The capsule itself consists of two
machined acrylic plastic rings with a brass ring on each side
that holds the gold sputtered Mylar diaphragms. There also
appears to be several brass inserts inside of the capsule
assembly. It’s all very clean with precise craftsmanship –
definitely a well-built capsule. Below the capsule mount
assembly is the circuit board for the FET electronics and output
transformer. This is connected perpendicularly to a circular base
that holds the EF806S tube, the voltage regulator, and several
other electrical components. The circuit boards are firmly
connected to the capsule base with steel hardware and a slot
system that keeps them in place. The EF806S tube also has two
rubber O-rings on the outside of the tube for shock relief.
Electronically, the two-stage mic circuit is unique in that it
uses a FET transistor common source amplifier with a vacuum
tube grounded grid amplifier. The signal from the capsule drives
the FET transistor using the tube to provide the power. This
allows for the dynamic quality of the vacuum tube to control the
operating point of the FET transistor. Also, sun and moon modes
provide the option for additional negative feedback into the gain
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stage, resulting in less distortion with more linear range. In over
20 years as a studio technician, I’ve never seen a circuit quite
like this used in a microphone. Most mic’s circuits (including
those in present day to vintage Neumann and AKG mics) use
either a single FET driver or tube driver design. I haven’t seen
this type of cascode (two-stage amplifier) hybrid circuit used in
a mic like the C725 before – a very smart and unique design.
The external housing of the C725 is solid and built like a tank,
with a .1875-inch 6000 series aluminum alloy with a nickel-
plated satin finish. The windscreen is also quite interesting in
that it’s molded directly to the body and is also the same
thickness, which gives the entire outer assembly a very rigid
character. The windscreen’s pattern is very organic and seems
to shield the mic without impeding the capsule’s performance.
The stand mount is a simple but effective system, with a strong
and rigid U-shaped bar that offers excellent maneuverability in
positioning the mic for many different recording situations. The
mic cable is made from top of the line Mogami 20002 wire for
excellent flexibility and longevity. The power supply is smartly
laid out with robust construction. The front panel offers clearly
labeled polar pattern and sun/moon selectors above a multi-pin
Tuchel mic input jack and an XLR output connector. The power
supply’s rear panel offers a fused IEC connection.
In conclusion, I feel the C725 is an extremely sturdy and
finely constructed piece of recording equipment – an all
around stand out microphone. With a unique cascode circuit
design and durable housing, it’s obvious that Josephson has
spent a great deal of time and effort in building a quality
microphone that will last for many years to come.
-Steve Veilleux <svtaudio.com>
(www.josephson.com, $8800 street)
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The Panoramic House is the ultimate VRBO for musicians. A live-in residential studio in West Marin, CA
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overlooking the Pacific Ocean with API & Neve consoles, 2” tape, Pro Tools HD, and an echo chamber.
Each room of the house is filled with musical instruments except for the gourmet kitchen with a Wolf range.
Plenty of room and solitude to get into a creative space but only 30 minutes from San Francisco.
Rates start at $350 a day.
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panoramic-house.com • john@onefinmanagement.com • 916-444-5241

Please Support Our Advertisers/Tape Op#129/81
 What’s Your Time Worth?
by Larry Crane

Not long after I first opened my recording studio, (some 20 years ago, when people actually booked
time via a landline), I got a call one day about a booking request.

Client: “Hi, we’d like to book every Sunday for six months, for 4 hours a day.”
Me: “I really try to keep bookings, especially weekends, to full days.”
Client: “But we just want to come in and jam. Then we’ll pick out the best takes for an album.”
Me: “But it’ll take at least an hour or two for us to set up.”
Client: “Oh, we’re quick.”
Me: “I’ll need to set up microphones, get levels…”
Client: “Yeah, but once you’ve done it the first time, it’ll be faster.”
Me: “Sure, but still, what if I get a booking asking for that whole weekend?”
Client: “We’re offering to book a lot of time.”
Me: “Yes, but I will be telling projects for six months that I cannot book a full weekend.”
Client: “But add up all the time.”
Me: “But I’ll be making half as much on every one of these Sundays!”

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As one could hopefully surmise, I passed on this job. And guess what? I booked a lot of bands for full
weekends – and sometimes full weeks – which is something this piecemeal session would have messed up.

Occasionally I’ll talk to engineers, producers, and small studio owners and find out they do a lot of short “after

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work” sessions during the week, or partial days on the weekends. I get it; a lot of my clients work day jobs,
have children, or sometimes simply need to finish off a session with a quick overdub or mix. On occasion if
it is part of a larger project, and if the clients remain flexible and understand that you need to make a living,
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this can work out great. I’ve had days where I’ve wrapped up several different artist’s mixes, given studio
tours, and tracked vocals on an elusive take for a project in the evening. But I don’t want every day to feel
like that!
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Even in a casual home studio setting, it’s important to value your
own time (I know, I started there). Honest conversations and clear communication can help set proper
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expectations – for the recordist and the client. But never sell yourself short. Don’t box your time in with
months of 2- or 4-hour sessions. Don’t let every evening of your week turn into 1-hour vocal sessions.
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I’ve had clients hover over my shoulder as I’ve looked at my personal calendar, while they pointed at dates and exclaimed, “That one’s open. We’ll
take it!” There was absolutely no regard as to whether I’d be working 30 days in a row, or flying back from a trip the day before. How is that
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supposed to keep me inspired?

Protect yourself. Budget time smartly. Set boundaries. In the end, everyone you record and collaborate with will benefit as well. r
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82/Tape Op#129/End Rant/

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 The Creative Music Recording Magazine

Extra Bonus

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Articles!

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Chris Schlarb il
BIG EGO in Long Beach, CA
Maston
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Growing Tulips
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Bonus No. 129

Feb/Mar 2019
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 Chris ond
Schla GO and Bey
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interview b
y Steve Kro
photo by O likowski
livia Hema
ratanatorn

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@ gm
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I met Chris Schlarb years ago in the Long Beach, California music scene, and we
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became reacquainted recently when I took on engineer and assistant roles for
several of his productions in 2016, my favorite experience being Psychic Temple
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Plays Music for Airports. Recently Chris opened BIG EGO studios in Long Beach.
Spanning genres from gospel, to bluegrass, to garage, what remains constant is a
commitment to song, performance, and musicianship. Schlarb and BIG EGO’s
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philosophy harkens back to a day when records were finished in weeks, and a
label’s sound relied heavily on a single studio and its session band. The medium has
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changed from tape to RADAR, but the vibe remains.

How was your week?
It was good; I mixed two records and had a recording
session yesterday, so that was the last seven days. I
mixed Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon’s record and the new
Sky Chefs record, then had a recording session
yesterday for Brian Moore. I’m mixing the new I Come
to Shanghai record next week. Next Thursday I’ve got
John Herndon, Ben Boye, and Devin Hoff coming in
for a session doing a live dub project for Stephen
Buono’s Church Chords Presents. A bunch of it was
recorded at Electrical Audio – horns, reeds, and organ
– then we’re going to mix that in live with what John,
Devin, and Ben are playing. I’ve got a children’s record
coming in right after that for Jazzy Ash.
What is your ideal process, from artist
relations all the way to mixing?
I try to work with people I’m excited about. Everything
that I’m working toward is in advocacy for an artist. I
want to champion them. I like to have a couple of pre-
production meetings, listen to demos, have them play
me the songs, and figure out who’s going to play on the
record. What shape it will take. I get all the musicians
involved, and then set up a few days for recording. We
usually knock out two to five songs in a day when we’re
tracking. It’s done very much in a ’60s or ’70s session
style. I’ve got a stable of maybe 20 different musicians
I looked at all those Trident consoles, like Series 65,
70, 80 and so on. I looked at API consoles. I read Pete
Townshend’s autobiography [Who I Am] and he talks
about running professional recording studios. Then I
saw a video of him with the Audient ASP4816 and he
said, “We have Audient consoles in all of my studios
now, and they have no down time.” I thought, “This
guy has owned everything I can’t afford, and he’s
decided to go with something I can afford.” It’s an
inline console, so it works perfectly with the RADAR.
For projects that come in for remote mixing, or things
that need to be done into a DAW – we use the
[Antelope Audio] Orion 32. For anything that I
produce, or that starts here, we use the RADAR. The
Leonard Cohen project [Like a Drunk In A Midnight
Choir: Record Store Day Celebrates the Music of Leonard
Cohen] was a perfect example. With an inline console,
you can start to put your mix together while you’re
recording, because it’s a different set of EQs and
faders. With Avi Buffalo we tracked it in the morning
and Devin [O’Brien, house engineer] and I mixed it
two hours after he left because the mix was already
80 percent there. It didn’t require any extra work. For
me it’s a thousand times faster than doing it in a
computer. There are also the wonderful accidents that
happen where you go to another track. Let’s say you’re
Exactly. This is the other reason why we have four effects
sends on the console. We’ve got the [Lexicon] Prime
Time 93 [digital delay], the plate, the spring, and the
tape echo [Roland Chorus Echo SRE-555], and I feel
like that’s a really good balance. We basically have two
delays and two reverbs.
What about some upcoming projects?
We’ve got the Jazzy Ash record, Swing Set; a children’s
album. It’s going to be done in a Folkways style. We’re
going to have groups of kids in the studio, and
everything live. Maybe a six or seven-piece band. No
effects, just what happens in the room. For me, it’s a
dream project. I love listening to all the old Ella
Jenkins records.
You mentioned a gospel record.
We’re starting a record for the Christian Fellowship
Chorale soon. I’m very excited about that. That’s with
choir director Timothy Williams. We had a meeting
here the other day, but we’re doing the first day of
tracking at the end of the month, with the full chorale
and the full band live in the room together.
I can imagine that sounding really good
with your style. You’re making it
sound legit.
Yeah, that’s what I’m hoping for. It’s funny, in my first
conversation with Timothy I basically said, “If you want

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that I’ll pull in for different projects. We’ll usually spend mixing a record on the console and you get your first this record to sound like Kirk Franklin or something like
a couple of days recording, then three to five days mix done. The second song comes around and you run that, I’m not the guy to produce it.” There are certain
mixing, and we’ve got a record. it through the same settings, and usually it’s 80 artists that come around, in any genre, and they create all

Do you approach a session differently,
depending on the type of music or
the level of playing?
I prefer not to deliberate too much. When we do a pre-
production meeting, I’ll usually hash out a broad
structure. But the rubber hits the road when It’s taking the stage when you might
everybody’s in the studio together. I’m always
thinking of the macro view of an album. I want to
make sure that people are listening to this whole
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percent there already. And then the exciting, weird these copycats. But nobody ever said, “I want to sound
things happen where something’s coming in too hot like the artist who tried to sound like someone else.” If
to a channel, but it sounds really cool because it’s you want to make a copycat record, I’m not the one.
il Unless there’s a big budget behind it
being compressed, or it’s being run through a delay or
something... that says, “We need something that
sounds like this.”
not have expected it to. Sometimes a I’m still not the right person! There are plenty of other
percussion instrument is slammed
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people who can do that.
way up high. BIG EGO appeals to a certain range of
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record and we don’t start going, “Oh, I heard this on Right. You’re like, “Shit, that sounds great!” artists, styles, and projects. Are you
the last song. It’s like the song before that.” I’m I see your approach as similar to the jazz alienating anyone? Or do you feel
thinking, “Do we have a ballad? An uptempo song? Do and pop recordists of the ’50s and ’60s. those people have plenty of other
we have contrast?” That makes me think of Rudy Van options already?
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How do you feel about overdubs? Gelder [Tape Op #43]. A warm but still Exactly. If I’m not good at it, I can’t even pretend. I
hi-fi sound. know that we already have a narrow group of people
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I have no problems with overdubs, in general; it really

depends on the project. We do a lot of things live in It’s interesting that you say hi-fi, because I never think who would come to make music in a studio anyway.
the room – that’s my starting point. One of the things of my music as being hi-fi. What I’ve noticed is that as people have come in and
that I’ve noticed is that with a band – especially when To me, hi-fi is hearing all the worked with us, they leave with a different
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you’re putting a group together for an artist – there’s frequencies. understanding of the recording process. I can’t see
no substitute for the artist singing the song with their I never classify what I’m doing that way. But I just how you can make vital-sounding music without some
instrument in the room with the band, because now mastered Psychic Temple IV with Ian Sefchick at kind of risk. When we did the Psychic Temple Plays
Capitol Studios, and he said, “This is an audiophile Music for Airports record I was totally broke. That
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it means something. It’s not an abstract idea like,

“Okay. How many bars until the chorus and then we recording.” weekend we did two recording sessions. We did the
go back to this section?” Your vocalist is like your lead You only use a few effects. first Psychic Temple IV session with Max Bennett and
melody instrument in jazz, right? This is the thing Yeah, I embrace those limitations. We just picked up an then we did the …Airports session the very next day.
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that you’re listening to. Ecoplate II [plate reverb] but the Demeter [spring- I was exhausted. I was broke. I paid all of those
BIG EGO isn’t what I’d consider a retro based] Real Reverb sounds amazing too. We did a people, with no label support at the time for either
studio. You have efficient modern session yesterday where we put the Pearlman mic out one of those sessions. [Joyful Noise Recordings has
gear where you need it. What in the hall, left the door open, and then in the mix – since released both albums.] I was galvanized by the
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remains retro is your philosophy. when I made rough mixes for the client – I took the fact that I had all these great musicians in the room,
Absolutely. The biggest decision when we opened the hall out and ran it pre-fader through the spring reverb. and then it came together. That’s the risk. Spending
studio was the console – the second biggest being the It sounded amazing. $5,000 in a weekend and coming out with nothing.
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RADAR system. I spent a year and a half deliberating It’s best not to have too many reverbs You participate in a lot of sessions
on what to get. I’d been looking at Neotek consoles. and delays active in a mix. yourself.
Mr. Schlarb/(continued on page 88)/Tape Op#129/87
 I’m always learning. I only started improving because I and it’s in time. I did that on Cherry Glazerr’s cover of walnut. My wife and I put up some curtains in the
was putting myself in situations with better musicians “I’m Your Man” by Leonard Cohen. Clem [Clementine control room. Brian retrofitted the soffits with walnut
than I was. Creevy] was playing a whole note on electric guitar and put up the wainscoting on the back wall. We got
Now you’re going to launch a record and then the echo turned it into a dotted quarter. We lovely velvet drapes from a company called Sew What?
label. printed that echo when we tracked it. That way, when in Compton. We have two big [acoustic] clouds in the
Yeah, BIG EGO Records. My plan is to do quarterly we mixed the track down, I was able to use the live room and treatments on either wall. I think we
releases. I was working on too many records that I chorus echo on a voice and we already had the print got out of it fairly cheaply, but it still cost us about
loved and believed in, and I couldn’t see a place for from her guitar. $60,000 to get everything up and running. Which, for
these artists and this music in the current landscape. You seem to favor ribbon mics. a husband and wife with three kids, is still a ton of
There is an aesthetic that we’ve cultivated in the We just picked up an AEA R44, which I love. They [AEA] money. We’re expanding already, and we took over the
studio, and I felt like the best thing to do was to help let us borrow one for a Pretty Polly session with unit next door.
this community by putting these records out, and Stephen Hodges. Arin [Mueller, second house Where do you see BIG EGO in five years?
making sure that they looked and sounded great. engineer] and I used three mics on Hodges: a Royer Our lease is up in 2020. Honestly, I jumped into this
There’s a tradition of this: Motown, Stax, Fame, and 121 on his kick, a Beyer [Beyerdynamic] M201 on the whole thing because making records is a compulsion.
Sun. I love studios that also have labels; that’s a direct snare, and the R44 on overhead/floor tom. It sounded There’s no substitute for being in a room and having
conduit. What was happening in the room, now it’s out so good, I had to buy one. We’ve also got an AEA R88 a song come together. I did this because I needed a
on the record. My hope is that the label helps the stereo ribbon, which we use all the time on drums, place to work every day. r
studio, and vice versa. choirs, rooms, and reeds. It’s a modern classic. <musicfrombigego.com>
Can you talk about some of the gear you Any novel uses for the ribbons?
use every day at BIG EGO? We did a double quartet record for Anthony Shadduck,
I use the Empirical Labs Mike-E [EL-9] on everything. It
was the first piece of what I would call “big boy” gear
and we had Chad Taylor and Danny Frankel playing full
drums. We used the 4038 overhead for one, the RCA Tape Op is Made
that I ever bought, and it was the best decision I 77D on overhead for the other, and the Royer in
Possible by our
advertisers.
could have possibly made. I still have it, and I bought between their kick drums. So it was three mics on two
a second one. They sound amazing on anything. You drum sets. Then I can pan one kit hard left, and one
can use them as a saturator, a preamp, and a hard right with the kick in the center.

PUT YOUR AD

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compressor. It’s got a parallel mix knob. It’s essentially Any condenser mics you’re in love with?
a Distressor with a couple of preset attack and release We use the Neumann KM 184s on everything. They
times and four ratios. They’re incredible pieces. I told always sound amazing on acoustic guitar. We’ve even
ON THIS PAGE:

Dave Derr [EL’s owner, Tape Op #33] this myself when
I met him for the first time recently. I bought it
because I didn’t have a console at the time. I was
using the Dangerous Music D-Box, so I needed
preamps to track on the way in, then I needed
something for bus compression on mixdown. I was
using the two Mike-Es to do that. I mixed one record
where the drums sounded so bad that I sent the kick
and snare mono into a Mike-E, saturated them, and
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been using them on snare drums. I remember reading
Terry Manning [Tape Op #58] talking about all those
great records that came out of Memphis. They used tapeop.com/mediakit
the old Neumann KM 84 on Al Jackson Jr.’s snare. I
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also read that they use KM 84s on all those on all
those Big Star records for the acoustic guitar. To me,
that’s the best acoustic guitar sound I’ve ever heard –
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like the acoustic guitar on “Thirteen.” I thought about
buying 84s, but there’s nothing wrong with the 184.
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just blew them out. It saved the record. There are so
many variations of what you can do with that piece.
It’s hard to talk about the RADAR
because most people who use it don’t
We’ve got the Pearlman, which is a great mic. I love it
on double bass at the f-hole. Great room and floor tom
mic too. For vocals, we’ve got an AKG C414 with the
CK12 capsule. We also use the RCA 77D and AEA R44
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think about it very much. Do you just a lot. I love the [Electro-Voice] RE20 on vocals all the
arm the tracks and record? It does
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time. It’s what sounds best on my voice personally, I

have other features. think. Thom Yorke uses them on his voice, right?
Yes, but I’m not using many of them. Obviously RADAR 24 Do you still use the Shure KSM32?
doesn’t have take folders or anything like that. I’ve Yes, all the time. It’s a sleeper mic!
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started to get pretty fast with editing on it. Overdubbing BIG EGO is built on the skeleton of an
is a breeze. It’s very much like old school punching in older recording studio. You did
and out. I think the beauty of the RADAR is like any serious upgrades before opening day.
good technology; it’s like it’s invisible, it’s magic, and it When we came in here, it was just a shell. There was a
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never gets in the way. It never breaks down. control room and an iso room, but the live room and
And you also have the Roland Chorus the control room were a mess. There were soffits, but
Echo SRE-555. they were empty and ragged. The first thing we did
to

That’s my go to for vocal slap or echo. I don’t think
there’s really anything that sounds like it. The tape’s
old and every once in a while you get those little
hiccups in the tape; a little crinkle, or some wow and
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was put new flooring in. I hired my friend, Brian
Moore, a master carpenter, to come in, and he did all
this beautiful walnut work in the control room. I put
up cedar shingles on the outside of the iso room and

flutter. A normal technique that I use is to throw the Brian framed it out with walnut. He built our racks, as
Chorus Echo onto the snare. I’ll turn the send all the well as the desk for the Audient console. Ken Rains,
way up, solo the snare and the echo return, line them who used to work at Wally Heider’s, gave us the plans
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up so that they’re in time with each other, and then for the polycylindrical diffusers and [furniture
I take it off the snare. Then I can put it on anything, designer] Peter Deeble made those for us out of
88/Tape Op#129/Mr. Schlarb/(Fin.)
 What was your arrangement
process like?
New Danger I wanted to keep the arrangements
Tulips by Maston minimal and as live-sounding as possible.
Most of the time I would have a good
by John Phillips idea what the melody would be played on
photography by Phonoscope and how everything would fit as I was
doing it. There was some
experimentation, especially with the bass.
It’s nice to build up a track and jam to it to see what
feels right. But mostly I would establish a harmonic
palette for the songs and give myself limits within
that world to create the parts.
How did you approach self-recording,
especially considering you were
going for a live band feel?
Getting the drums in as early as possible definitely
helped. I would structure the song with keyboards,
and then track the drums to that. The drums informed
all the parts and the groove. Sometimes I replaced
the original keyboards afterwards.
What recording techniques and gear did
you employ?
I learned a lot from Jacco and the guys in the band, as
well as the live sound engineer, Jasper Geluk, who

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Maston is the project of L.A.-based composer/ That wasn’t my thought as I was doing it; it was just mastered the record. Tracking was done in the most
multi-instrumentalist Frank Maston, who my palette at the time. I was exploring a lot of non-destructive way possible. I would track things
also runs the studio and label, Phonoscope. I library and soundtrack music on tour with the guys really clean into Logic and add plug-ins. Then, in the
met Frank backstage at a Jacco Gardner (Tape in the van. Composers like Ennio Morricone and mixing process, I’d remove the plug-ins and re-track

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Op #109) concert in July 2015, when he was a Piero Umiliani. I thought of a lot of titles when I the clean audio in an analog setting with my rack
member of the Dutch artist’s touring band. saved the demo session. It can’t be “Untitled #200” gear [Roland RE-150 Space Echo, Dynacord Echocord
When I learned Maston released a new album or something! il Mini, AKG BX20 spring reverb]. I’d send the tracks to
in October 2017, my curiosity was piqued. I A variety of instruments create the tape [Akai 4000DB 1/4-inch], and then back into
ordered the vinyl edition of Tulips and it has grooves and give voice to the motifs Logic [via an Apogee Symphony and a Tonelux OTB16
been a constant on my turntable since. Tulips is on Tulips. Did you play them all? summing mixer]. Overall, things didn’t change very
a wonderful record that transports the listener Nic Mauskovic, from Jacco’s band, played drums much from the unmixed sessions; they just sounded
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into a film of his or her own making. on “Swans” and “Turning In.” The rest of it I better, bigger, and more open. I made all the same
played myself. decisions, but with the real gear. I hadn’t done this
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What’s the story behind Tulips? What do you consider your main before; my first record was tracked with effects and I
It ties into the Jacco era. Trouble in Mind Records instrument? made decisions in the moment.
released both our debut albums on the same day. We These days it’s keyboard. I feel equally comfortable on The 12-inch vinyl format of Tulips plays
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played some shows together and became buddies. He guitar, but I’ve ended up playing keyboard live in the at 45 RPM. What led you to that
was touring the U.S., wanted a keyboard player, and last five years. I mostly write on the keyboard, too. decision?
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asked me to play the tour. That turned into me What instruments, amps, and mics I chose 12 of the 20 songs recorded, and they clocked
continuing with Jacco’s band and moving to Holland did you use to give the record its in at around 25 minutes. I could have made it longer,
for five years. The original idea was, “I’ll go to character? but it just sounded like the record to me. I figured the
grooves could have more space at 45 RPM, and it
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Holland and I’ll make a record. I’ll have completely I played Pianet and Clavinet on most of the record. Other
different gear, I’ll be in a different place, and be keyboards I used were the Philicorda organ, Rhodes would make more sense without a bunch of dead
around different people. Whatever I make, I’ll release Stage Piano, and a Clavioline through a Fender Twin. I space. I also thought being able to see the grooves
it as a Dutch album.” I recorded in Holland between used the Korg MS-20 synthesizer on just about every better would make it more playable in a DJ setting.
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tours and finished it in L.A.
The album is instrumental, with the
exception of non-lyric background
vocals. Was this by design?
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song in some form. I played a standard Selmer concert It also seems like a sort of hi-fi element. There’s
flute, my old Silvertone 1449 guitar, and Klira and definitely more high-end with the grooves more
Hofner basses with a Selmer Treble ‘N’ Bass amp. I did spread out. That Stringtronics album, Mindbender, is
some guitar and bass overdubs with a Fender Super on 12-inch at 45 RPM. When I saw that, I thought,

I had this urge to do everything differently than my first Reverb, sometimes just using the reverb tank or “Oh, that puts it in a nice category of listening
record, Shadows, which was mostly a vocal pop vibrato. I used two Slingerland drum kits, and the music!” r
album. The idea was to change literally everything vibraslap [hand percussion instrument]. I’m still Phonoscope <phonoscopestudios.com>
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about my process and see what was left in order to
quantify what was “me” about it.
There are evocative titles like, “New
Danger” and “Chase Theme No. 1.”
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excited about that thing. I used Sennheiser MD 421 <https://maston.bandcamp.com/album/tulips>
mics for most of the tracks, a Sennheiser MD 21-U for
John Phillips is the founder of Aesthetic Creative Management
flute and as a single mic for the whole drum kit, plus
and writer/singer/multi-instrumentalist in the band
an AKG D 1000E and an Oktava MK-011 with a Tascam

Metroscene. <aestheticcm.com> <facebook.com/metroscene>

Did you intend to make a MX-80 mixer [for the preamp] for percussion and
“soundtrack-esque” album? additional flute overdubs.
Mr. Maston/Tape Op#129/89
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