Distributed in 94 countries, Mix is the world's leading magazine for the professional recording and sound production technology industry. Mix covers a wide range of topics including: recording, live sound and production, broadcast production, audio for film and video, and music technology.
I HAVE MASTERS–LOST MASTERS–ON MY MIND THIS WEEK. A couple days ago, I got a blog reply from a guy named Tony Vick, who once upon a time, was in a band called “The Din.” So far so good, but the bad part comes in because the group was signed to Rocshire Records, a label funded entirely by money embezzled from (aircraft giant) the Hughes Corporation. Tony had read an archived copy of my “How to Make a Million Bucks in the Music Biz” AudioBites column (July 2007) and was wondering if I had any leads on how he could get access to his masters. Unfortunately I don’t have any leads to help him–maybe someone out there knows where the FBI keeps master tapes that were seized as part of criminal investigation 25 years ago, but my guess is that the odds aren’t in Tony’s favor on their survivability today. And IF anybody does know, please drop me a line and I’ll get the word out.
Anyway back to today’s story… A month ago, I wrote about walking through URBAN ORE, the local recycle/reuse store three blocks from the Mix offices, across the border in Berkeley.
During my lunch hour today, I went by to peruse their latest offerings. Every once in a while, this place has something surprising–by the way, that Neve/Necam 96 power supply is still on the shelf there–but what I saw today was both odd and sad: Hundreds and hundreds of reel-to-reel tape masters–analog and digital (probably Mitsubishi)–which mostly were marked with notes/track sheets from Fantasy Studios, although some had Hyde Street Studios markings. There they were, quarter-inch, half-inch, 1-inch (probably ProDigi 32-track) and tons (literally) of 2-inch analog reels–piled up high on pallets and rolling freight carts. Most seemed to be mid-late ’80s and ’90s–and mostly Ampex formulations.
How did they get there? This one’s easy. Most studios offer tape storage for clients’ materials, and over time, people forget to pick up their masters. And with the recent ownership change at Fantasy Studios, somebody figured (and rightly so) that they weren’t really responsible for master tapes from sessions going back two decades or more, so after being degaussed, these abandoned masters went off to the recycle store.
Warning to the wise: If you have masters that you’ve been storing at some studio–any stiudio–from years back, you might just look into getting them back–before they disappear.
When not working on Mix stuff, George Petersen records and performs with the SF Bay Area-based rock band ARIEL. Click here www.jenpet.com/ariel.html and check ‘em out. ________________________
RESPONSE FROM FANTASY STUDIOS
Nina Bombardier, the previous studio manager, tried for 1-1/2 years prior to the changeover of ownership to contact the rightful owners of the tapes. While many people did respond and pick up their masters, there were many who did not. I personally witnessed her day after day try to contact people via phone, email, and letter. Feeling that more than the “best reasonable effort” was made to contact the owners of the tapes, Concord Records, the previous owners of the studios made the decision to donate the remains to Urban Ore for recycling. All tapes had been degaussed before and after donation. The state of California states that it is a courtesy not an obligation for a studio to store the works of an artist more than 30 days. (This is something that we stress to clients). Many of these tapes had been there 20 or 30 years. Having to clear out the vault for a new tenant forced the decision. I share this to give a more complete picture to the situation.
Jeffrey Wood Fantasy Studios
REPLY FROM GP: Thanks Jeff, for the clarification. Certainly it was never my intent to blame either you, Nina, or Fantasy Studios for the disposal of masters that were essentially abandoned after some 20+ years of storage. But at least you’ve made it clear that prior to disposal, these were properly degaussed. So rather than a treasure hunt for lost masters, maybe this is an opportunity for on-a budget recordists to perhaps pick up some bargain 2-inch stock, as I assume most of the 1/4-inch stuff is full of splices and leader, making it less than useful for re-use, except as a source of clean take-up reels. My main intent in the column was to wake some people up who may be facing similar situations where their masters may be lurking in other facilities. Thanks again for your comments. –George Petersen
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THERE’S SOMETHING COOL, HIP AND INHERENTLY GREEN about recycling and every now and then I go by this very cool (and very Berkeley) place called Urban Ore, which is just a couple blocks away from the Mix offices. This is a locale where people bring old furniture, leftover building materials and obsolete technology stuff to be resold, reused and otherwise redistributed to people in the know. It’s essentially a huge old warehouse and outdoor sales area brimming full of STUFF of every sort (and well sorted), ranging from consumer electronics, plumbing/electrical supplies, picture frames, desks, sinks, tubs, windows, doors, slightly overused–meaning really beat up–musical instruments and occasionally (but alas, not too frequently) even PRO AUDIO.
But today in the electronics section–among the piles of Kodak Ektagraphic slide projectors, 1970s-era slide programmers/dissolve units (in case anybody is old enough to remember olde-style multimedia/multimage), Mac 8600s, vintage PCs, turntables, cassette decks and piles of Jaz/Zip/Bernoulli drives–was a more unusual item.
A Neve/Necam 96 power supply.
Unfortunately, no other Neve gear was lurking about, but at a mere $50 buckaroos, you could have this monster of monsters: About six rack spaces high, it must have weighed about 100 pounds–they just don’t make ‘em like this anymore. What awesome construction!!! I was even tempted to bring it home and adopt it myself for resale or some future project, but this was like the big one you toss back into the pond, hoping that it will make someone else’s day.
But the real mystery in the back of my mind was what tales this thing could tell. Where did it come from? What great projects did it once supply (pun intended) the juice for? Some things I may never know, so if anyone DOES know, let me know and help me finish this Unsolved Mystery for the rest of the world…
I hate telling you this, because, for one, I don’t want anyone to be misled and think that among the porcelain toilet tanks, printing presses and dictaphones that haunt this place, there are boxes of dusty Neumanns in every corner–which there aren’t, although today, they had a 15-inch Peavey Black Widow woofer (untested and missing its aluminum dust cap) for $12, a solid-looking single-15 cab in faux wood finish–empty, but sporting road handles and dual front ports for $25 and an empty (but extremely heavy) dual-12 cab–it was a generic roadcase-looking box (no handles)–for $20 or so. Yet at the same time, they were trying to sell some heavy black/chrome older steel Atlas speaker stands (NOT MIC STANDS) priced about $260–I’m not sure who came up with THAT price!
So you never know what to expect. Besides this week’s Neve PS, they also had a Sony SDDS 35mm projector soundhead for $25–not bad if you need one–and an Ampex 35mm mag stripe stereo reader (the “penthouse” style) also for $25, but it will be a while before that one moves… Oh, and if you happen to need to need some 35mm exhibition reels, they have both 6,000 and 13,000 foot versions in stock this week.
When not working on Mix stuff, George Petersen records and performs with the SF Bay Area-based rock band ARIEL. Click here www.jenpet.com/ariel.html and check ‘em out. ________________________
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I MET HIM ABOUT A YEAR AGO–FOR THE SECOND TIME. Actually, I wrote a blog in this space about 12 months ago about a wonderful coincidence that led me to rediscover Les Lewellyn, and now he’s gone, having passed away peacefully in his sleep on March 12. You see, I was originally searching on the web for his older brother Bob Lewellyn, a guitarist I was in a band with back in 1968–in Naples, Italy, my home town. The only reference I found to Bob was something about him playing a session on one of Les’ recording projects, for his band Preying Lizard, but I also discovered that Les was somewhat of a messiah for independent music, offering help, guidance and exposure through his #1 rated web music podcasts at PreyingLizardMusic.com.
Les loved music of all kinds and did much to help so many independent bands. He will certainly be missed, but I find at least some solace here in the knowledge that Bob Lewellyn will be taking over the site and podcasts, a lasting tribute to the great work begun by a true music hero named Les Lewellyn. He will not be forgotten.
When not working on MIX stuff, George Petersen records and performs with the SF Bay Area-based rock band ARIEL. Click here www.jenpet.com/ariel.html and check ‘em out. ________________________ What do YOU think? CLICK ON THE COMMENTS LINK BELOW AND SPEAK OUT!
IT AIN’T EVERYDAY, BUT ONCE IN A WHILE I have the pleasure of talking to Fletcher, the founder/audio cult leader of Mercenary Audio, MercenaryAudio.com. And while we don’t always agree, I definitely respect this guy for his audio saavy–which is most impressive. He’s occasionally been the center of controversy, such as the time that the centerpiece of his AES booth was an Alesis ADAT and a Mackie 1604 mixer, held high for all to see–impaled on a huge metal spike. I think he referred to that as an art project, but later acquiesced to pressure from the AES to take it down as it offended certain showgoers.
Another time, some bozo was trying to sell replacement speaker cable kits with a pair of standard household AC plugs wired to 1/4-inch connectors. The idea was that if you needed a 100-foot speaker line for a live gig, you’d just attach these adapters to an orange AC extension cable and you’d be set. Well, set for electrocution–in case someone accidentally plugged one end into a 110-volt outlet while the other was in your amp/mixer etc. Great concept, perhaps, but a VERY BAD IDEA. Anyway, Fletcher offered his own protest by outlining a body silhouette (it might have been Eveanna Manley’s) on his booth floor in yellow tape, looking much like a crime scene right after CSI-AES arrives.
Anyway, we chatted for a while and somehow got on the subject of the weirdest calls we’d ever received. I recounted one I got from some guy who couldn’t find original Shure SM57 mics. He called a half dozen retailers, who only sold SM57-LC mics. What happened to the real thing–the classic that everyone uses on everything from snares to Fender Twins? I’m not sure if he was saddened or relieved when I simply told him that the “LC” designation simply meant “less cable,” meaning it didn’t come with a cord. The guy’s response was simply: “Oops. sorry…” [click].
Fletcher laughed, and then recounted a tale of some guy who called him a few years ago, looking for an original “blackfaced” ADAT. Given the Mercenary boy’s history with ADATs, he figured someone was putting him on, because even if someone did want an ADAT tape machine, they’d most certainly opt for one of the later versions with the improved electronics and transport. This guy went on to explain that he’d read about people printing rhythm tracks to tape as an effect, had tried it with an ADAT and really dug the way it “warmed” up the sound… This guy was certainly off his rocker, but had done the near-impossible, something that few have ever accomplished, leaving the quick witted–and highly opinionated–Fletcher himself speechless. The story is almost unbelieveable, yet Fletcher swears that it’s true. Ask him sometime.
When not working on MIX stuff, George Petersen records and performs with the SF Bay Area-based rock band ARIEL. Click here www.jenpet.com/ariel.html and check ‘em out. ________________________ What do YOU think? CLICK ON THE COMMENTS LINK BELOW AND SPEAK OUT!
IT’S JUST SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS AS YOU GET OLDER. Your friends start dying. I’m just returning for a funeral for a good friend Joe Desmond, a well-known industry figure with more than a quarter-century in pro audio and M.I. sales. Joe passed away on January 16, after being diagnosed with liver cancer last fall. After college, this native Bostonian went west to California for his first job as a Guitar Center salesman. Moving rapidly he soon had opened and managed stores in California and Illinois before starting his own company, which exported rare guitars to Japan. In 1987, Desmond went to work for Furman Sound in Northern California, and during his 17-year tenure there, becoming a major force in bringing the company from “Furman-who?” to a position as an industry leader.
A couple years ago, he left Furman to found Joe Desmond & Associates (www.jdagear.com), a rep firm and import business located in nearby Rohnert Park, Calif., handling top suppliers such as Adamson, Aphex, BBE, Danley, ETA Systems, FBT, G&L Guitars, Nady Systems, One Systems, Raxxess, Rolls, sE Electronics, X2 Digital Wireless and others. Joining Desmond in the operations at JDA was his wife Pam, who he met at the NAMM Show in 1982, back when she was working as an ad executive at BAM (Bay Area Music) magazine.
Held in Joe’s local church, his memorial service was packed with friends and and an impressive turnout of industry associates–many of whom traveled quite a distance to attend. Among those were Bob Reardon (of SE Electronics), Marvin Caesar (of Aphex), Dave Angress (Guitar Center), Lynn Martin (American Music & Sound/Allen-Heath USA/Focusrite USA/Hagstrom guitars/etc.) and many others. The service was beautiful, with great music and clean audio from the system Joe had donated/installed in the sanctuary. One memorable moment was a moving poem written/read by Joe’s daughter Jillian and a wonderful eulogy by one of Joe’s friends, who recalled that in his final days, Joe talked about the fact that his spirit will always be with us. And somehow, I think Joe was right on this one…
When not working on MIX stuff, George Petersen records and performs with the SF Bay Area-based rock band ARIEL. Click here www.jenpet.com/ariel.html and check ‘em out. ________________________ What do YOU think? CLICK ON THE COMMENTS LINK BELOW AND SPEAK OUT!
IF YOU’VE NEVER BEEN TO A NAMM SHOW, you should know that it’s a scene like no other. I mean, it’s really a whipped frappe mixture of high-tech, low-tech, things that amaze, things that amuse, the expected and the un-expected. And LOTS of people, especially on Saturday (the weekend), when the floodgates open, the dam bursts and the joint is packed with ten times as many people as were there just the day before. Now this is a trade-only event–it’s not open to the public–but the weekend brings an unending throng of fans who sill stand in line for an hour or more to get a signed poster or 8×10 of their fave rock idols (yeah, it’s mostly rock stars) who make personal appearances at whatever booth they’re endorsing this week. It’s a celebrity fest, to be sure…
That morning I ran across a few old friends–Al Schmitt and Elliot Scheiner, and walked the show floor with them for a while. NAMM conversations always start with the classic opener “What have you seen that’s interesting?” and they had just arrived and I was bogged down in meetings up until then and hadn’t had a chance to REALLY do some digging on my “find the cool gear” treasure hunt. So we exchanged a few gems–mine was the very cool anodized aluminum, tube shaped case with threaded caps (it looks sort of like a MagLite flashlight) that will go with RODE’s new high-end shotgun mic. Sorry it’s not exactly a glitzy rock-star item, but it sure beats seeing your shotgun mic crushed, folded in half, or mired in gunk while on a location shoot.
But back to the story… What suddenly struck me was the fact that here I was walking around with two certified legends–real superstars in OUR industry, but these guys were completely invisible to the mobs of autograph seekers fighting over a scrawled publicity shot by some ephemeral rock star. The same reaction came later, while I spent some time talking with Chuck Ainlay. Here I am hanging with some of the great artists of our day, but not even a second look. Just another day at NAMM… When not working on MIX stuff, George Petersen records and performs with the SF Bay Area-based rock band ARIEL. Click here www.jenpet.com/ariel.html and check ‘em out. ________________________ What do YOU think? CLICK ON THE COMMENTS LINK BELOW AND SPEAK OUT!
I’VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME RESEARCHING PAST AUDIO technologies, and I’m frequently amazed at the speed by which history can be discarded. Even a remarkable product such as Sony’s PCM-F1—a revolution in its day—is virtually unknown some 25 years after its debut. So I’m hardly surprised (although truly saddened) by the near-complete lack of documentation on recording by early black artists who were pioneers of the record industry. And when I first heard about Tim Brooks book on the subject Lost Sounds—Blacks and the Birth of the Recording Industry, 1890-1919, I was delighted to uncover this absolute treasure chronicling these forgotten heroes.
In this exhaustive 656-page book, with some 60 pages of footnotes and cross references, Brooks and co-researcher Dick Spottswood have spotlighted a epochal time in the recording industry, and done so in a highly readable, fascinating style that brings history to life.
One particular highlight is a section on the life and career of George W. Johnson—believed to be the first black artist on commercial recordings. Almost forgotten today, Johnson recorded two of the best selling recordings of the 1890s and achieved such popularity that some of his records were pirated and bootlegged—more than 100 years ago!
In all, the book covers the works of some 40 artists such as Bert Williams, George Walker, Noble Sissle, Eubie Blake, the Fisk Jubilee Singers, W.C. Handy, James Reese Europe, Wilbur Sweatman, Harry T. Burleigh, Roland Hayes, Booker T. Washington and boxing champ Jack Johnson—all who faced enormous hurdles in an era of racist attitudes and blackfaced white performers lampooning black music and musicians.
Lost Sounds—Blacks and the Birth of the Recording Industry, 1890-1919 is a must-read for anyone interested in exploring the roots of recorded music. It’s available in cloth and paperback editions from the University of Illinois Press: Just click here…
When not working on Mix stuff, George Petersen records and performs with the SF Bay Area-based rock band ARIEL. Click here www.jenpet.com and check ‘em out.
HERE WE ARE AND AES IS JUST A MONTH AWAY! It doesn’t seem so long ago when we were at AES (at least the San Francisco show) and now AES is upon us once again. If you haven’t done so already, now–or at least 21 days before the show to get those advance-purchase fares–is a good time to lock in those cheap plane tickets. Or if you’re really lucky to live within a manageable distance—train tickets.
Or to steal the lyrics from a song about another U.S. city, “GONNA TAKE A BUS. GONNA TAKE A TRAIN. EVEN IF I GOTTA WALK, GONNA GET THERE JUST THE SAME…
New York AES is the place to be if you’re an audio pro. By all indications, the show’s gonna be great, with hundreds of exhibitors hawking the latest hoo-hahs and a great selection of workshops, papers and events to keep you way busy on October 5, 6, 7 and 8th.
But the magic of AES isn’t necessarily the show itself, but a gathering of the tribes and often the best place to find the real action is late night, at the bar of the Marriott Marquis or any of the dozen other official AES hotels. In fact the number of products on the show floor that are directly attributed to sketches made on rum-soaked cocktail napkins from last year’s AES is just as staggering as the comical gait that many attendees have when exiting the bars at closing time.
If you’re really smart, call the Iridium Jazz Club (212/582-2121) and snag a couple tickets for one of Les Paul’s shows, Monday night October 8th. Les is really an American icon and in a day when the word “living legend” is bandied around to apply to nearly anyone, Les is the genuine article. The shows start at either 8 or 10 pm, but it’s best to get there early to get good seats, as there are no reserved seats and it’s first come, first serve. Check it out at www.iridiumjazzclub.com.
If you’re really, really smart, bring something for Les to sign after the show. He’s usually pretty nice about such things, unless you walk in carrying a Strat. In that case, you’re on your own, and you certainly don’t want to mar your New York experience by needing to drag yourself into an emergency room to have a (Fender) guitar neck extricated from one of your body cavities. My advice? Leave the Strat at home, bring a CD, LP or your ‘58 gold top Les Paul guitar to get signed. And watch out, because Les sometimes “forgets” to return your pen after he autographs something. In any case, a performance by the Les Paul Trio is a wonderful and unforgettable experience that’s well worth the $45 ticket price. Don’t miss it!
And if you really need a great reason to attend NYC AES, just say the words “Ray’s Pizza” three times and you’ll be magically whisked to the doors of the Javits Center. But if that fails for some reason, just grab a cab… from anywhere. And for more info about the AES show, visit www.aes.org. You’ll be glad you did!
When not working on Mix stuff, George Petersen records and performs with the SF Bay Area-based rock band ARIEL. Click here www.jenpet.com and check ‘em out.
THERE OUTTA BE A TRADESHOW FOR TRADESHOWS, where all these organizers can all meet and coordinate their dates for the upcoming year. Just about anybody who goes to a lot of audio tradeshows can remember those years when Musikmesse overlapped NAB, etc. And it never seems to end—next month’s IBC (the big European broadcasting show) overlaps PLASA (the big U.K. live sound show). Whether you’re attending or exhibiting, such intertwined schedules can really complicate your life.
But sometimes, there is some good news. Over the weekend, InfoComm and NSCA announced that they would combine their expos into a single event next year (June 18-20) in Las Vegas. Both organizations should be applauded for this move, which should really reinforce (no pun intended) and help build show attendance and the depth of the workshops/ancillary activities surrounding the expo itself. Faced with two similar (but certainly NOT identical) events, many showgoers–and many exhibitors as well–simply selected one or the other each year, leading to two competing events just a few months apart. After years of complaints about the situation from exhibitors and visitors, both organizations decided to take action and work together for a common good. Bravo!
And after a three-year absence, Summer NAMM is returning to Nashville in 2008. Indianapolis and Austin are great towns, but the only place where Summer NAMM seems to work these days is Nashville. As with other cities where Summer NAMM has been held—such as Austin, New Orleans, Chicago, Atlanta, Atlantic City—Nashville is also a great music town. But Nashville is a major recording center—another plus, with a great downtown convention center with affordable nearby lodging and is in the center of a huge population circle within a one-day’s driving radius, making it convenient as well. So far, so good. Unfortunately, Summer NAMM 2008 is June 20-22, and this timing overlap with the new, powerful, merged NSCA/InfoComm will create some tough decisions for a fair number of pro audio exhibitors in picking which show to attend/support.
The very real issue of overlapping tradeshows actually hurts everyone in the industry, especially in today’s tough business climate. So far, we have two steps forward, and one step behind. Maybe someday, in that perfect world where all these organizations do a little more coordination, this wouldn’t happen. The solution could be that “tradeshow for tradeshows” where all this occurs, but until that day…
When not working on Mix stuff, George Petersen records and performs with the SF Bay Area-based rock band ARIEL. Click here www.jenpet.com and check ‘em out.
THE AUDIO COMMUNITY IS A NOW SADDER PLACE. Today I heard that John Stephens, founder of Stephens Electronics, passed away after a long illness. In an era when the analog recorder business was dominated by larger companies, such as Studer, MCI, Ampex and Otari and 3M, John Stephens was an individual that took them all on and in the opinion of many, created the best sounding recorders of all.
Although he didn’t make a lot of machines, he surely left his mark in terms of innovative design. Besides paying particular attention to the design of the record electronics and head manufacturing, one of the secrets to all Stephens transports was a unique capstanless/pinchrollerless design that was extremely gentle on tape. He also pioneered the 2-inch, 40-track format, which didn’t take off, but saw use on projects like Roy Thomas Baker’s albums for The Cars. The Stephens 40-track could also be quickly changed over to other 2-inch formats, such as 16- or 24-track, and he also sold machines that were pre-wired for other formats, such as 16-track decks with 24 channels of electronics, allowing users to easily upgrade as their needs or budgets allowed.
Another great idea from Stephens was an option for building his machines for remote recording, breaking up the transports and electronics into separate roadcases that were more easily transportable and could be used on location. Additionally the decks could be powered by two car batteries for use in remote areas where dependable AC (or no AC at all) was unavailable.
In a world where true audio innovations are few and far between, John Stephens was a pioneer and real audio innovator. He will be missed but his spirit lives on.
UPDATE: For a more detailed look at the life of John Stephens, click here.
When not working on Mix stuff, George Petersen records and performs with the SF Bay Area-based rock band ARIEL. Check ‘em out at www.jenpet.com.
