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─Jeff Watson and Joey P. Track Using Toft Pre Amps─
Gardena, Calif.─A rigorous touring schedule in Europe and Asia, as well as the US, has kept Night Ranger busy literally for years, with only a handful of live and compilation albums appearing during that time. Now, Night Ranger is releasing their first studio album in a decade: “Hole in the Sun” (Frontiers), July 1st.
“Hole in the Sun” contains a dozen new songs and features the guitar of Jeff Watson, a founding member of Night Ranger and noted session veteran. In addition to playing and writing on the album, Watson also shared production and engineering duties at his Marin County, CA studio, Camp Studios. Night Ranger also enlisted Michael Lardie, (Great White, Dokken) engineer/producer Joey P. (Ludacris, Sevendust, Jay-Z) and Matt Cohen (Talking Heads, Kenny Wayne Shepherd) to handle production responsibilities.
The album has a long genesis going back to the initial recording sessions in May of 2005, when the band took a break from touring, and following a linkup between Watson and Joey P. (which since has evolved into a friendship and numerous joint projects involving Camp Studios.)
“Prior to tracking, Jeff and I worked to set up the ultimate input chain at Camp Studios,” says Joey P. “I came out [from the Atlanta area] with two Toft mono EC-1’s and a stereo ATC-2, and Jeff bought a couple of EC-1’s as well. We used a variety of mics and wired everything with Mogami cable.” Some sessions also occurred in other area studios such as group member Jack Blades’ Sonoma studio. The album was mixed at Trident Studios in Pacheco, CA by Juan Urteaga and mastered by Dave Donnelly. Pro Tools was the sole recording and mixing medium.
“I’ve always worked toward making the best recordings possible,” says Jeff Watson, “but I decided to take it up a few notches for this project. Joey P. and I started with a plan to upgrade Camp Studios to the bleeding edge, and proceeded from there…. We got great support from a number of manufacturers, as well as Guitar Center’s Relations Manager, Dave Weiderman, and we even rebuilt the vocal booth from scratch.”
“Joey brought me into the Toft family and with their EC-1 preamps, along with some of my old classics, and we got amazing tones on everything. I knew we’d accomplished our goal when [mixer] Juan called me to rave about the drums, noting that they sounded so much better than the stuff he gets from other studios…. We do so much music, TV, and film work here, it’s very inspiring when I hear all the great feedback.”
Using the portable Toft pre amp/condenser/EQ’s and the same mic complement helped maintain the consistency and integrity of the signal chain at the front end. “The pres are great,” says Joey P., “They hold their own against much more expensive gear… What I love about the compression is that it attenuates the gain with a real smooth transition, not this hard crash-in and suck out you hear on a lot of records where lesser gear or bad plug-ins are used.”
“Hole in the Sun” is Night Ranger’s eighth studio album in a career that began with “Dawn Patrol” in 1982. Founding members Jeff Watson, keyboardist Alan Fitzgerald, lead vocalist/drummer Kelly Keagy, guitarist Brad Gillis, and bassist/singer Jack Blades amassed 16 million album sales worldwide. Released in Europe in April 07, “Hole in the Sun,” will be available in the States in June 2008.
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About PMI Audio Group:
Established in 1995, PMI Audio Group is a professional audio distribution company located in Gardena, California specializing in the distribution of professional audio products for recording, video, post, film, broadcast, and the fixed installation markets. Current brands of distribution include Studio Projects, Joemeek, Toft Audio Designs, and Stephen Paul Audio.
IMAGE CAPTION:
Camp Watson Studios, Mill Valley, CA.
Left to right: Guitarist Jeff Watson, guitarist Brad Gillis, bassist Jack Blades, engineer/keyboardist Michael Lardie, engineer/producer Joey P., and vocalist/drummer Kelly Keagy.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 2008: Philip J. Harvey from PilotLight Audio Inc. was hired by the White Stripes to mix front-of-house sound and multi-track record their tenth anniversary tour of 2007 in forty channels of high-resolution digital audio. Harvey put together a Metric Halo rig consisting of five MIO 2882+DSP interfaces passing 24-bit/96kHz audio into his MacBook Pro laptop computer. This endeavor led to the recording and mixing of two songs that were released as B-sides on the White Stripes’ “You Don’t Know What Love Is” EP.
“We ended up with 36 channels, including two audience mics,” he says. “I also recorded a four-channel pre-mix with a separate MIO 2882+DSP unit, utilizing the FOH board mix left/right, plus a pair of Schoeps CMC6MK4 mics in an ORTF stereo configuration at FOH also. I would delay the board mix using the Delay Finder in Metric Halo’s SpectraFoo analysis software to get the time synched to the mics and record those tracks separately, as well as mixed together at 16-bit/44.1kHz, for an easily accessed overview of the gig. If the band wanted a CD right away, I could burn one or transfer the track to a thumb drive.”
It may be hard to believe that the two members of the White Stripes require four-dozen tracks when mixing and recording their live show, but Harvey details the stage setup. “Drums and a few percussion things take about twelve channels,” he says. “Then there are three guitar amps and many different stations onstage that Jack utilizes. He’ll jump on an effected vocal mic that has some strange harmonizer and lots of reverb by the drum set. To the left of the center vocal position he has a Moog station with a monophonic synthesizer. On stage right is a keyboard station with a Wurlitzer electric piano and Hammond C-3 organ, with Leslie, and another vocal mic. Not to mention the vocal mic behind the guitar amps so that when he runs upstairs he can take it with him onto the walkway.”
Harvey is not aware of any current release plans for the multi-tracked material. “The White Stripes wanted to have every show multi-track recorded and archived. Whenever they decide to put out a live concert CD or DVD they can preview the shows with the four-tracked pre-mixes, as a reference to the multi-tracks, and pick the performances they like and want to mix. There is plenty of quality material to work with,” he says. “The results were outstanding.”
“It was quite interesting how the B-side recordings came into fruition,” Harvey reveals. “The White Stripes’ 2007 tour schedule was very busy and Warner Brothers needed to release the second single from their “Icky Thump” album. The band wanted to package the “You Don’t Know What Love Is” single with new acoustic material that could only be heard on that EP, so we recorded it while on tour in Canada.” He continues, “After soundcheck in St. Johns, Nova Scotia, I found myself with Jack and Meg on the top floor of a little square announcer’s tower located in the middle of a horse race track, which was behind the hockey arena the Stripes were performing in that night. The announcer’s tower had three floors and was all wood construction, the only non-concrete place we could find in the area!” Armed with one Metric Halo ULN2+DSP and a MIO 2882+DSP, an assortment of mics, stands and cables, three acoustic songs were recorded in less than two hours. Harvey recalls, “It was so hot in the tower that we had to open the windows between takes, but the wind would cause the mic diaphragm’s to rumble, so we had to sweat while recording.” Two of those recordings made it to the EP. Harvey states, “If you listen to “A Martyr for My Love for You (Acoustic Version),” all the ambience is recorded live in the room, there was no artificial reverbs added to the mix, thanks to the ULN2 and Schoeps combination!”
Philip Harvey’s experience with Metric Halo equipment dates back to the product’s original launch in 2001, when he was working with jazz trio Medeski Martin & Wood. “Metric Halo founders, Joe and B.J. Buchalter, were fans of the band,” Harvey remembers, “I was an early adopter of MH’s hardware. I developed a relationship with Joe and B.J. by calling and bugging them so much that they said, “here why don’t you take these MIO units, bash them around and tell us what needs to be fixed.” I was very excited to take part in MH research and development! At that time we were recording 32 channels of 24-bit/48kHz with four MIO 2882+DSP units into my 400MHz G3 PowerBook.” All recordings were captured to FireWire hard drives, “During the eight years I worked with MMW, we recorded roughly two years of shows from their tours.”
“The Metric Halo stuff always works. I have such huge respect for those guys. They’re a small company of seven people competing with huge companies like Digidesign and MOTU with armies of programmers, and the MH hardware/software always sounds better!” The Metric Halo rig is now touring internationally with another Jack White project, The Raconteurs, with Harvey at front-of-house once again, but this time it’s a rig consisting of five custom units. The tour started in mid-April, with promotional shows in small clubs, then immediately escalated into larger venues and appearances at the top festivals in the US and abroad, including Coachella, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and Glastonbury.
Based in New York’s Hudson Valley, Metric Halo provides the world with high-resolution metering, analysis, recording and processing solutions with award-winning software and hardware.
Former Members of The Distillers Record Debut Album
Pictured at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood are (L-R) guitarist Tony Bevilacqua, singer/songwriter Brody Dalle, and mastering engineer Brian “Big Bass” Gardner. Photo by David Goggin.
Distinctive singer/ songwriter/ bandleader Brody Dalle, and guitarist Tony Bevilacqua, were on hand at Bernie Grundman Mastering for the mastering of the debut album from their new group, Spinnerette. Also on the album are drummer Jack Irons, formerly of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and guitarist Alain Johannes, of the band Eleven. The new Spinnerette collection was also produced by and written with Johannes. Brian “Big Bass” Gardner mastered the new album.
The Distillers, featuring Brody Dalle, was formed in Los Angeles in 1998. The group had several line-ups, with Dalle writing, singing and playing guitar on the bands three albums. Spinnerette, founded in 2007, has a mashup of new material on their official website, http://spinnerettemusic.com/, and MySpace pages.
Two CD Collection Highlights History of Famed Memphis Studio
“Thank You Friends: The Ardent Records Story” celebrates with a deluxe two CD anthology that ranges from the label’s earliest mid-60s garage studio recordings to the inspired days of the early 1970s, when a distribution deal with Stax established Ardent as a purveyor of the finest pop-rock.
Ardent Studios is one of the most respected recording facilities in the world. Recording artists ranging from Led Zeppelin to R.E.M, from Cat Power to The Raconteurs have made music within its hallowed halls. But despite the studio’s credentials, it is Ardent Records, the label, that inspires awe amongst pop aficionados, particularly as the imprint that created pop cult heroes Big Star.
Memphis might have been the city where rock’n'roll was born, yet a significant minority of its youth in the late 60s and early 70s appeared obsessed with the sound of British rock, inhabiting a Southern microcosm where the Yardbirds and Who reigned supreme. The sharply-dressed Brit-pop aesthetic seemed integral to the Ardent formula, adding a certain flash to even its most undemonstrative acts. It was also reflected in founder John Fry’s unerring commitment to technical quality, and the dedication to experiment in the spirit of Abbey Road.
The two CDs are neatly divided between the two eras of the studio/label. Disc One (the 1960s, when the studio was based on National Street) features a striking array of rare garage singles and unissued psychedelic sessions, mostly overseen by Memphis maverick Jim Dickinson, as well as the early experiments of Big Star’s Alex Chilton and Chris Bell.
Disc Two (the 1970s, when Ardent moved to Madison Avenue) examines the Stax era and beyond, with selections from Ardent acts Cargoe and the Hot Dogs, and 14 rare or unissued Big Star-related cuts, most of which have not been on CD before. These include demos, alternate versions, original mixes and non-LP tracks. Everything is presented from the master tapes and the sound quality, as befits any Ardent recording, is second to none.
Additionally, the lengthy sleeve notes draw upon in-depth interviews with both Fry and Ardent associates Dickinson and Terry Manning, as well as other behind the scenes personages such as Richard Rosebrough, Tom Eubanks and Steve Rhea, all of whom add unique insight to a cornerstone chapter of both Memphis and pop music history
“It was a thrill it to spend so many hours at Ardent Studios during the lengthy assembly of this project,” recalls compilation producer Alec Palao. “The magic that infuses all the recordings I have included on “Thank You Friends” is still quite tangible as you pass through its corridors and studio spaces at Madison Avenue. Thus, eternal gratitude to John, Jody, Adam and everyone else at Ardent from this long-time fan.”
BETHLEHEM, PA – The StarCity Recording Company production team is giving fans a front-row seat to some of the most memorable live performances to be recorded of 70’s rock band KANSAS. The deluxe, expanded version of Two for the Show, the iconic 2 LP set from the legendary group was re-mastered at StarCity Studios. In addition to the re-mastering of the original release, this deluxe version contains 11 previously un-released performances. Jeff Glixman, president of StarCity Records and long-time producer for Kansas, teamed up with StarCity’s Chief of Production Zak Rizvi and Staff Engineer John Andreas to mix the new tracks and handle the mastering. The process began with Phil Ehart, Glixman’s KANSAS productions partner and the band’s founder/drummer, narrowing the large collection of available tracks down to the 11 selections. more
New Album Employs Ela M 251 Classic Mic Recreations
Pictured at Rocket Carousel Studios are (L-R) producer Greg Wells and recording artist Jamie Cullum. Photo by David Goggin.
The new album by British artist Jamie Cullum, produced by Greg Wells, utilizes a pair of Telefunken | USA Ela M 250E mics, faithful reproductions of the classic microphone originally marketed in 1959.
“This new microphone has all the warmth, the body, and the depth of the original,” remarks Greg Wells. “But the detail and the resolution of the high end has some extra quality that is especially appealing. They figured out a way to have it all, but it isn’t toppy; it doesn’t feel hyped at all. It’s a huge sounding microphone.”
Grammy-nominated Greg Wells has produced, written and/or recorded with Mika, OneRepublic, Katy Perry, Deftones, Pink, Rufus Wainwright, Otep, The Pussycat Dolls, Jewel, Michelle Branch, Hillary Duff, Celine Dion, The Veronicas, Ozzy Osbourne, and legendary music figures Aerosmith, Elton John, and Ahmet Ertegun. He produced “‘Apologize” by Timbaland featuring OneRepublic, which recently became the most played Top 40 hit of the past 20 years within a one week period.
“I was on the hunt for a vintage microphone, an original, and I was ready to throw down and buy,” recalls Wells. “But Darren Findley at Vintage King Audio strongly suggested that I check out Telefunken | USA, that I should really hear what they are doing.”
Originally sold in 1959 by Telefunken of Germany, the new Ela M 250E is a two-pattern (cardioid and omni) version of the famous Ela M251, and shares the same sonic performance and circuitry as one of the most sought after of vintage tube microphones.
“Alan Veniscofsky sent me out the mic for a test,” Wells continues. “I rented my favorite 250 and I had my own vintage Neumann U-47 up as well. We tried Jamie on all three and this new mic was the clear winner. Jamie loved it so much that he got one too.”
Rising star Jamie Cullum released his debut album in 1999, followed by Pointless Notstalgic in 2001. His third album, 2003’s Twentysomething, went Platinum and became the #1 selling studio album by a jazz artist in the United Kingdom. Primarily a jazz artist, Cullum performs in a wide range of styles and is generally regarded as a “crossover” artist with his musical roots firmly based in jazz. Cullum is well known not only for his abilities on the piano, but also for his striking musical presence. His third album, Catching Tales, was released in late 2006.
“We had a lot of fun messing around with different mics,” says Cullum. “We put them all up and we messed around with some old ones, some new ones, some classics, some non classics and this 251 just sounded really great. We did a lot of A-B ing and it really suited what we were doing, had a great vibe about it, and it just sounded really good.”
The Ela M 250E comes complete with a European made ECC81 tube, a new CK12 dual membrane capsule, custom wound Haufe transformer, vintage style Ela M 950 power supply, 10 meter Gotham Audio cable, locking leather bound flight case, wooden microphone box, owner manual, and a fully transferable lifetime warranty.
For information about Telefunken | USA visit www.telefunkenusa.com
Pictured at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood are (L-R) mastering engineer Bernie Grundman, Sergio Mendes, and mix engineer Bill Schnee. Photo by David Goggin.
Sergio Mendes recently mastered his new album “Encanto” at Bernie Grundman Mastering with mix engineer Bill Schnee and mastering engineer Bernie Grundman. The new album features a powerful Brazilian flavor with a deeper melodic feel than its predecessor, the worldwide multi-Platinum hit “Timeless.” Basic tracks for the album were recorded in Rio de Janeiro with an exceptional Brazilian percussion section. Both albums were co-produced by Mendes and Hip-Hop legend Will.i.am.
Mendes gives “Encanto” a global focus, bringing in international guest artists such as Latin superstar Juanes from Colombia, multi-talented Carlinhos Brown and Vanessa da Mata from Brazil, the foremost Japanese pop group, Dreams Come True, Belgium’s Zap Mama and Italian rapper Jovanotti, as well as American stars like Fergie, Natalie Cole, Herb Alpert and his wife, original Brasil ‘66 singer, Lani Hall.
“Encanto,” on the Concord Records label, will be released on June 10, 2008.
Jacksonville, FL, May 12, 2008 – WAWS-TV Fox 30 News is now BAS Relocation compliant after a microwave equipment overhaul led by RF Central, a leading digital microwave technology and integration provider. more
ST. PAUL, MN, May 13, 2008 – McNally Smith College of Music recently mastered a compilation CD of bands who participated in the second annual High School Rocks Battle of the Bands contest as part of its sponsorship and support for the rock stars of tomorrow. A crew of McNally Smith’s instructors teamed with five of their students to record the entire concert using Digidesign Pro Tools for the CD, which features one song performed by each band. more
Instrumental Music Album Mixes Classical Chamber Music with Improvisation
Menlo Park, CA - May 1, 2008 - Independent record label, Mnemonic Records, (www.mnemonicrecords.net) has released a new title “Quintets” - an instrumental album of original music by Paul James de Benedictis, featuring string quartet, the improvisational work of noted piano virtuosos Ralph Grierson and Michael Lang, jazz pioneer Jeff Lorber, and a variety of soloists including such luminaries as Sussan Deyhim, Branford Marsalis, and Paul McCandless.
The music was composed over several years, with some of the pieces being specifically written for the soloists. In “Prelude” the composition contains musical collaboration with singer Sussan Deyhim contributing vocal improvisations that were then arranged by Paul de Benedictis to form the complete work. On two of the compositions, “Il Lago” (The Lake) and “Remember,” Paul’s boyhood friends who he grew up with in the 1960’s, perform: John Knox on piano and Matt Eakle, a 20-year veteran of the famed David Grisman Quintet, on flute.
“Quintets” is mixed and presented in both stereo CD and surround formats. The package includes a DVD with Dolby Digital and DTS surround versions, along with audiophile-quality 96k 24-bit stereo. DVD-Audio disks with 96k 24-bit surround mixes will also be available upon request.
The musicians performing on “Quintets” include:
Soloists: Sussan Deyhim — (Vocals) Matt Eakle — (Flute) Branford Marsalis — (Tenor & Soprano Sax) Paul McCandless — (Oboe) George Shaw — (Flugelhorn & Trumpet) Claudia Villela — (Vocals)
Piano: Ralph Grierson John Knox Michael Lang Jeff Lorber
The Arlekin String Quartet: Eugene Chukhlov — (Violin) Rem Djemilev — (Viola) Dmitri Glovko — (Violin) Sergei Riabtchenko — (Cello) more
Attention game sound developers: We're guessing you didn't always work in videogames; we know a lot of you have roots in music and post. Tell us why you made the switch to the game world, and the name of the first title you worked on by e-mailing mixeditorial@mixonline.com.
─Jeff Watson and Joey P. Track Using Toft Pre Amps─
