Archive of the Studio News Category
“JOHNNY K.” NOMINATED FOR COVETED PRODUCER OF THE YEAR GRAMMY
For His Recent Work With 3 Doors Down, Staind, Plain White T’s and Black Tide
Producer Thrilled by Accolades
Los Angeles, CA (December 22, 2008) – Producer of hit musical groups including 3 Doors Down, Staind, Plain White T’s, Disturbed, Finger Eleven and Black Tide, Johnny K. has been nominated as Producer of the Year at the upcoming 51st Annual Grammy Awards Ceremony to be held in Los Angeles.
Chicago’s own Johnny K., (his actual name is Johnny Karkazis) is nominated in Grammy Category 93 for Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical, which is A Producer’s Award for recordings released during the Eligibility Year October 1, 2007 through September 30, 2008. Johnny K’.s body of work for the award includes: Johnny Karkazis (Johnny K – Producer) (Artists names appear in parentheses.) - Big Bad World (Plain White T’s – Hollywood Records) (A); The Illusion Of Progress (Staind – Atlantic) (A); Light From Above (Black Tide – Interscope) (A) and 3 Doors Down (3 Doors Down – Universal) (A).Regarding the nomination, Johnny K. noted, “I am so excited to be nominated by my peers for the most prestigious award a record producer can receive. I’m honored to be in such great company with my fellow nominees.â€?
BK Entertainment Group founder and President Bennett Kaufman added, “Johnny K. is one of the most gifted and passionate producers I have the pleasure to have worked with. His genuine care for the Artist’s and their individuality, shines through in each record he makes. His track record of producing multiple records for Artist’s speaks volumes.â€?Best known for his production with Disturbed, 3 Doors Down, Staind, Finger Eleven, and Plain White T’s, Johnny has also worked with many other great bands such as , Simple Plan, Avenged Sevenfold, Drowning Pool and Kill Hannah. Records produced by Johnny K have sold in excess of ten million copies in the US alone which includes 7 Gold and 4 Platinum awards. Johnny also owns Groovemaster Studios in Chicago where he has produced many of his hit records. Groovemaster offers world class studios featuring SSL and Vintage Neve consoles. The studio boasts state-of-the-art recording spaces an extensive microphone collection, instruments, amps, and outstanding outboard gear (http://www.myspace.com/groovemasterstudios ).
Johnny K. is represented by the LA based entertainment concern, The BK Entertainment Group. Headed by music industry veteran Bennett Kaufman, BKEG specializes in managing the careers of Record Producers, Mixers, Songwriters, and Recording Engineers. BKEG also operates a Music Licensing Division for the TV, Film, and Advertising communities and consults various entertainment based companies.
GRAMMY ballots for the final round of voting will be mailed on Dec. 17 to the voting members of The Recording Academy. They are due back to the accounting firm Deloitte by Jan. 14, 2009, when they will be tabulated and the results kept secret until the telecast. The 51st Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held on “GRAMMY Sunday,” Feb. 8, 2009, at Staples Center in Los Angeles and once again will be broadcast live in high-definition TV and 5.1 surround sound on CBS from 8–11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).
Please visit http://www.bkentertainmentgroup.com/ for additional information.
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Media Contact: Craig Melone | 310-341-3201 or Handsonpr@aol.com
 Toronto, Ontario, Canada – December 17, 2008… Lawo, recognized globally as a leading manufacturer of digital audio networking and console systems for production, post production, broadcast, and related applications, is pleased to announce the new Version 4 software release for the company’s mc² Series production consoles, which includes the flagship mc²90, mc²66, and mc²56. A remarkable step forward in terms of power and flexibility, the new V4 operating system software introduces several dramatic advancements designed to streamline workflow, including a completely new Surround Channel, Hyperpanning, an entirely new graphical engine that provides greater functionality via mouse control, a newly designed VCA, and numerous additional enhancements. more
Milford, NH, December 16, 2008–Earthworks, manufacturer of High Definition MicrophonesTM, announced that its FlexWandTM High Definition MicrophoneTM is now shipping to retail outlets and sound contractors on a worldwide basis. The FlexWandTMmakes its debut following the highly successful introduction of the PianoMicTM System, winner of multiple industry awards including the prestigious Mix Foundation’s TEC Award for Outstanding Technical Achievement.
The FlexWandTM, which consists of a fully integrated small diaphragm condenser microphone stand and boom, is a sonically superior microphone solution that was originally designed for choral miking applications. The microphone capsule has a frequency response of 30Hz to 30kHz and can handle up to 145 dB SPL, (comparable in performance to an Earthworks SR30) and is available in both cardioid and hypercardioid patterns. 
The FlexWandTM boasts a sleek, low profile design with no visible wires above floor level. The flex mid-section and mini gooseneck on the wand allow the mic to be easily positioned between 1.5 ft. to 7 ft. above floor level. While the FlexWandTM was conceived for choral miking applications, it is also capable of delivering outstanding results on a variety of other sources such as acoustic instruments, drums and podium speech.
Larry Blakely, director of product development for Earthworks, commented: “Our FlexWand is another example of how Earthworks listens to its customers and responds by developing products that are nothing short of revolutionary. We are finding more and more ways to incorporate High Definition MicrophoneTM technologies into superior audio products.”
“Conventional microphones, booms and stands with dangling cables in front of musical performers is most often unsightly,” he continued. “The FlexWandTM resolves these issues in one elegant, integrated product that sounds extraordinary and is visually appealing. The FlexWandTM makes it nearly effortless to capture sonic excellence in choral performances, while completely removing the hassle of set up and negative visual factors.”
The FlexWandTM can deliver much higher quality with far more detail than conventional microphones. This is in addition to the added benefits of near-perfect polar response, improved gain before feedback and high rejection of sounds from the rear of the microphone. Its near perfect polar response can cover an 80-person chorus with just three mics, with no section or voices protruding unnaturally. The high rejection of sound sources at the rear of the microphone has obvious advantages in live settings or where instrument bleed may be a concern.
Franklin Denham, Minister of Music at Meridian, Mississippi’s Highland Baptist Church, commented, “During the past year, we have had the privilege of testing Earthwork’s FlexWandTM microphones on our church choir. Almost immediately following our initial performances with the mics, several members of our congregation began complementing us on the improvement in choir sound quality. The FlexWands are nearly invisible from the congregation; they are easy to set up, discreet and deliver an incredible sound. Having used the FlexWands, we found that we could not get along without them. So, we now have our own FlexWands that make an incredible audible improvement in our choir performances.”
Small Tree Communications, designer of simple-to-install, cost-effective networking and shared storage products for professional video and audio editors, recently provided an inexpensive workflow solution to Five Alts Productions for post-production on Nickelodeon’s new extreme sports competition show, “My Family’s Got GUTS!â€? Â
“Small Tree Communications offers the ideal shared storage solution for small- to mid-size post-production facilities running Final Cut Pro and Pro Tools,â€? states Bob Zelin, an independent video engineer with more than 30 years experience in the television industry. Zelin was engaged by Five Alts Productions to analyze initial difficulties the company was experiencing with system performance. “By using Small Tree’s shared storage solution instead of a typical SAN, Five Alts Productions received exceptional performance while saving more than $25,000.â€?Â
Running on an Apple Mac Pro with some additional disk drives, Zelin simply utilized Small Tree’s Edge-corE ES4524D, a 24-port Gigabit Ethernet switch, along with its PEG4, a 4-port Ethernet card, to provide Five Alts Productions with a robust system that could meet all of their technical needs at a fraction of the cost. Edited using Final Cut Pro and the Apple ProRes422HQ HD codec, the Small Tree equipment also enabled the use of Apple iMac computers and Apple Mac Book Pros to cut HD material without any additional hardware. Â
“Small Tree provided excellent service in addition to great products,â€? said Joanna June, supervising editor during production of the show. “Their solution was affordable and stable, two things necessary for a tight-deadline delivery. We had five stations all solidly accessing the same HD-resolution media and the Small Tree switches handled the workflow perfectly.â€? Â
 
Twin 6 Be Powered Monitors with Sub6 are now his Main Measure of a Mix
St-Etienne, France – December 5th, 2008 — Mixer Jeff Juliano has used a lot of different speakers, and in the past 10 years he’s relied on the supposed ‘industry standard’ Yamaha NS10. But no more. Juliano recently tried the Focal Twin 6 Be powered monitors at his New York mixing studio and has now made them his number one choice. Having mixed a host of platinum-selling albums for artists such as Jason Mraz, Josh Kelly and Lifehouse, as well as John Mayer, who won a 2003 Grammy for his album “Room for Squares� which he mixed, Juliano has a great ear for sound, but was ready for the change.
“I’ve been going through so many speakers in my time mixing, I was an NS10 guy for so many years, and started to believe that was the only speaker in the world that mattered. The Focal Twin 6 Be monitors are the best that I’ve used in terms of studio-to-consumer listening translation for car stereos, clock radios — iPod ear buds, you name it. They really translate: what I hear in the studio is what the outside world hears, in my experience. When I go to the car and check a mix, it’s what I hear in the studio. That’s the end-all, that’s what matters,� stated Juliano.
Past experiences were not great for Juliano with powered monitors, but all that changed with Focal, “I’ve used a ton of powered monitors and at the end of the day I was afraid of them because all the other powered monitors had a dip around 1K to make them less fatiguing, and they have a high-end boost. The Focal Twin 6 is the first powered monitor that I’ve heard that you don’t have to be afraid of hearing the mid-range. You get the mids really kicking and it’s fine. On other powered monitors when you take that mix anywhere else you’re going to have a harsh mid-range. With the Focal they’re real flat and extremely truthful. These things just tell you how it is.�
One of the key differences Juliano noticed when he started using the Focal monitors was how much more he could hear in earlier mixes he’d done on NS 10s, and how easily he adapted to what he heard now on Focal monitors. “Listening back to mixes I’ve done on the NS10s through the Focals, it kind of scares me because I hear top-end distortion that I wasn’t hearing in the NS10s, I was so used to using them, I thought I knew them. With the Focals there wasn’t a learning curve, it actually spooked me at first. ‘This sounds good, this sounds bad,’ it wasn’t because it was on this speaker. The Focal monitors were just that truthful, sonically.�
Juliano notices the sonic transparency in the Focals, “Anything that’s wrong, it says ‘hey, wait, here I am’ — if there is something in the low-end, the mid range or the top end it really comes through. You hear so much more air in the top end of these speakers. Distortion comes through much clearer: I find a lot of mistakes now in people’s tracking. It’s that full-range and open, you hear every bit of detail, like the reverb trails, things I didn’t really hear in the NS10s. They would come screaming out in a car stereo at you. The translation from my mixes to the real-world is beautiful on these.�
Having more confidence in his mixes before sending to a mastering engineer has been a boost for Juliano too, his latest project for PARAMORE, mixing a live DVD and dual live CD, garnered a startling comment, “The A&R guy at Atlantic loved my mixes for the PARAMORE record, they said ‘lets get it mastered’ — there were no recall mixes in all the 18 songs. That makes my day happy,� said Juliano.
He also received very positive comments from Sterling Mastering (NY), “My guy at Sterling Sound said I made his job easy! That was music to my ears, because at the end of the day it’s my job to get it to be the best it can be at that stage, right before that guy masters it. When that guy, who I respect, tells me I make his job easier, that’s a great day for me.�
Describing his use of the Focal Sub6, which he uses with the Twin 6 Be monitors, Juliano said, “That Sub6 is extremely versatile because of the way you can dial it in, you can make it work in any environment or any shape of room you have to work in. You can find a place for that sub and dial it in perfectly. I’ve used a number of subs in my time, this one’s got a variable phase, a crossover, a low-pass, a level control, it’s ridiculous!�
“I kind of grew up on a subwoofer in terms of mixing and engineering so I’m used to having one. At the same time the Twin 6 is the only speaker I’ve used where I don’t need a sub, I’m just one of those guys that likes to feel a little bit of the kick and the bass when I’m mixing at louder volumes. When I go to low volumes, I turn the sub off. But when I do turn it off I can still hear the bass in the Twin 6s. With the Sub6, you push the bass up to where it sounds good to you, and you get in the car and listen and it’s perfect. That’s a security blanket and a comfort.�
His new Focal monitors also allow Juliano to get the most from his outboard gear as well, he says, “It makes me proud of my investment in outboard gear, because I feel like fifteen years later I’m finally using my outboard gear properly and to its full potential because I can hear everything so much better through the Focal monitors. You’ve got to hear it right or it doesn’t matter what outboard gear you have. I can honestly say that I have never been happier with any one purchase for my studio.�
In the end Juliano quickly learned to trust the Focal monitors and that saved him time, “It didn’t take me a long time to learn the speakers, once I started listening to mixes in other spots: my car, my home stereo, the iPod. You hear your mixes back and you say ‘I mixed that song really fast and it came out really good’— and that saves time, any time I can shave a couple hours off my day of work I’m happy! And that was definitely due to the gear.�
Juliano’s extensive credits include John Mayer “Room For Squaresâ€? (Columbia/Sony) Mixer, RIAA Certified 4X Platinum (GRAMMY WINNER 2003); James Blunt “Live Tracksâ€? (Atlantic Records); Jason Mraz “Waiting for My Rocket to Comeâ€? Mixer, RIAA Certified Platinum; O.A.R. “Live From Madison Square Gardenâ€? CD/DVD Mixer – 5.1 Surround Sound (Lava/Atlantic/Everfine Records); Josh Kelley “Special Companyâ€? (DNK Records); John Butler Solo “Live Tracksâ€? (Atlantic Records); John Mayer “Any Given Thursday” CD/DVD Mixer; Lifehouse “Lifehouseâ€? Mixer, RIAA Certified Gold; Eight Dave Mathews records as Mixer including “Live In Central Parkâ€? RIAA Certified Platinum; Bruce Hornsby, Ben Folds, Robert Randolph, PARAMORE “The Final Riotâ€? (Fueled by Ramen); My Favorite Highway (Virgin Records); Green River Ordinance (Virgin Records), and many other artists and recordings.
Contact Jeff Juliano through his website at: http://www.myspace.com/jeffjuliano
About Focal-JMlab
Since its foundation, Focal-JMlab has grown to become one of the world main hi-fi loudspeaker companies. Headquartered in Saint-Etienne, France, it is now internationally recognized as a world leader in the design and manufacture of specialist drive units for hi-fi loudspeakers. It is also pre-eminent in the design and manufacture of specialist loudspeaker drive units for car-audio and pro-audio; and in the creation of highly advanced, complete hi-fi loudspeaker enclosures priced from 125 euros to 70,000 euros and 99 euros to 2750 euros for car-audio. Market-leader in France, it exports over 73% of its output mainly in Europe, North America and Southeast Asia. The company key strength is its complete integration and quality control of the loudspeaker manufacturing process, from the design of drive units, cabinets and crossovers, to the assembly of the finished product. Focal-JMlab maintains an intense, continual programme of research and development into drive-unit technologies. Five patents have been registered since 2003. Focal-JMlab currently employs over 200 people in modern facilities of 12 500m2 (134 550 ft2 ), that concentrate production, R&D and management in the same site. The strengthened turnover of the Focal Audio Group reached 29.6 million of Euros in 2007. Please visit their website at: http://www.focalprofessional.com
New Mastering Suite at NY Masterdisk Adds Dangerous Music ‘Monitor’ to ‘Master’ Transfer Console
 Edmeston, NY- December 2, 2008 - Mastering Engineer Dave McNair has a new suite at Masterdisk Studios in New York. Previously at Scott Hull’s studio, McNair made the jump recently when Hull purchased Masterdisk and expanded his business. In his new mastering suite McNair has paired his beloved Dangerous Master Transfer Console with the Dangerous Monitor, utilizing the Monitor’s pristine-sounding DAC for all his playback listening. The Dangerous Master is the latest generation in the evolution of the Chris Muth mastering transfer console, while the Dangerous Monitor is a companion monitor controller with features designed specifically for the mastering environment. more
Christian Rocker Finishes 32 Tracks
Pictured in Studio C at Ardent Studios in Memphis are (L-R) recording artist Todd Agnew, drummer Kim Trammell, engineer Curry Weber, assistant engineer Adam Hill, and bassist Dave Smith.
Popular Christian rocker Todd Agnew has returned to Memphis’ renowned Ardent Studios to track new songs and finish off previously recorded material for his forthcoming album, working with staff engineers Curry Weber and Adam Hill. Agnew tracked the new material with Weber, while Hill engineered overdub sessions. A total of 32 songs are being finished, the majority of which were recorded with Kim Trammel on drums and Dave Smith on bass. Additional tunes were tracked while touring with Agnew’s road band, featuring Cody Spriggs on bass and Brian Wilson on drums.
Dallas native Agnew released his first album, “Grace Like Rain,” in 2003, followed by “Reflection of Something” in 2005. In 2006, he crafted the epic retelling of the Christmas story for the album “Do You See What I See?” “Better Questions” was released in 2007, and featured the hit single, “Our Great God,” a duet with Rebecca St. James. Agnew has sold more than 700,000 albums and his signature song, “Grace Like Rain,” has sold nearly 2 million on his own albums and various compilations.
Agnew cites studio owner John Fry and engineers Curry Weber and Adam Hill as central in his career as a recording artist. The new album is expected as a Spring 2009 release on Ardent Records. Bonus material will be available as downloads.
For more info, visit www.ardentstudios.com
Easy to Use High Definition Microphone Ideally Suited for Worship Facilities, Live Performance Venues and Recording Studios
Milford, NH, November 17, 2008—Earthworks, manufacturer of High Definition Microphones™, announced that its PianoMic™ System is available in retail markets on a worldwide basis. The PianoMic™ System, winner of multiple industry awards including the prestigious Mix Foundation’s TEC Award for Outstanding Technical Achievement, is ideally suited for both live sound reinforcement and recording applications. 
The Earthworks PianoMicâ„¢ System is a high definition microphone system which makes it nearly effortless to achieve extremely high quality results while miking a piano–one of the more technically demanding instruments to capture given its vast frequency range and complex acoustical nature. The PianoMicâ„¢ System, which easily mounts inside the piano with no stands or booms, utilizes two specially designed random incidence omni microphones, which have a uniform frequency and polar response superior to conventional microphones.
The PianoMicâ„¢ System is unobtrusive and offers the same pristine audio quality with the piano lid open or closed. Additionally, its ability to deliver substantially more gain before feedback means that it is ideally suited to live performance venues, like houses of worship and concert halls. Recording studios appreciate its predictably outstanding sonic performance, reduced setup time and the ability to have an incredible piano sound with the piano lid closed.
Larry Blakely, Director of Product Development for Earthworks, commented: “Our PianoMic™ System was developed as a direct response to the needs of our customers. They asked for a more balanced and higher quality piano sound that was able to deliver more gain before feedback while picking up minimal sounds from other instruments outside the piano and would sound great with the piano lid either open or closed. They also asked for a system that was simple to set up and could be discreetly hidden from view.�
“These requirements were extremely demanding but not insurmountable by Earthworks’ product design team,â€? Blakely adds. “The resulting PianoMicâ„¢ System is an entirely new approach that is far superior to other piano miking methods and will change the way people think about reproducing the piano–whether live or in the studio. It breaks all the old rules in piano miking.â€?
One of the most notable characteristics of the PianoMicâ„¢ System is its even polar and frequency response across the entire frequency range. Unlike conventional omni microphones, which can vary by as much as 20dB off-axis at higher frequencies, the near perfect polar response of the PianoMicâ„¢ System performs equally well even when positioned at 90 or 180 degrees off-axis. This incredibly accurate off-axis response makes it ideal for the piano, given the way sounds are dispersed and reflected throughout the instrument.
Since its introduction, many live performance venues, recording studios and international recording artists have adopted the PianoMic™ System. Among recent users are Dave Grusin, an internationally acclaimed composer and pianist, who used the PianoMic™ System during a live performance in Tokyo with the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra. Logan Patton, FOH engineer for Dave Grusin said: “I was amazed at how Earthworks’ PianoMic™ translated the sound of the piano with such faithful accuracy –it has both even response and great sensitivity, and unbelievable gain before feedback. Its ease of operation has simplified the miking of the acoustic piano as well as improved the sound. Worrying about mic placement, sound, and reliability is now a thing of the past.�
“Monitor engineers will also appreciate the PianoMic™, as the sound can easily be as good in the monitors as it is in the house,� he continues. “I’ve used almost every microphone and piano pickup on the market, and the PianoMic™ is hands-down the best microphone I have ever used on piano; it is a real game changer.�
Franklin Denham, minister of music at Highland Baptist Church in Meridian, MS, said: “It has always been a struggle to get a high-quality piano sound where we could hear the full range of the piano with balanced quality and sound level. When we use the PianoMic™, the singers can hear the full range of the piano in their monitors; there is a substantial increase in sound level, and feedback is no longer a problem. For us, the Earthworks PianoMic™ is a dream come true.�
A traditional approach to recording the piano has often involved placing two condenser mics directly over the strings. This approach can be fundamentally flawed, since the very poor polar response of conventional microphones tends to have a “flashlight effect� on what it is able to pick up sonically, accenting certain notes and diminishing others. The PianoMic™ System, with its patented technologies, consistently and accurately represents each part of the piano’s frequency output.
To learn more about the PianoMicâ„¢ System, visit www.EarthworksAudio.com, you can download audio samples at the following URL: http://www.earthworksaudio.com/79d.html. To contact an Earthworks sales representative by phone, call (603 654-6427, ext 14) or email (sales@earthworksaudio.com)
About Earthworks
Earthworks is a New Hampshire, U.S.A. based company that is dedicated to quality and sonic excellence. Each Earthworks product is hand made with great care, meticulous attention to detail and a strong emphasis on quality. Earthworks prides itself in making only the very best in professional audio equipment and it is all made right here in the U.S.A.
November 17th, 2008
Pastoral Setting Proves Conducive To Mastering Music And… Alpacas
McMinnville, OR: In 2006, after 25 years as one of Hollywood’s top mastering engineers Future Disc, founder Steve Hall and his wife Laura moved their studio to a rustic 40 acre ranch in Oregon’s bucolic wine country. Today, the Halls see their dream of establishing a successful countrified studio bearing audio fruit… and, alpacas on the hoof.
Two recent Future Disc mastering projects have garnered a total of eleven Grammy Award nominations… Eight for SE Entertainment Records’ artist Nikkole including Album of The Year (Creolepatra), Best New Artist and Best R&B Vocal Performance (I Really Need You). Anna Maria, another 2008 Steve Hall client, has copped three nominations: Best New Artist, Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (My Funny Valentine) and Best Jazz Vocal Album, Within The Fourteenth Hour.
“I’ve been fortunate to have mastered a number of classic records during my Hollywood days,� Hall says. “Blondie’s Heart Of Glass, Pat Benatar’s In the Heat of The Night.� The Knack’s My Sharona and Madonna’s True Blue among others. Moving lock stock and barrel to McMinnville was a gamble, but Laura and I have always loved this part of the country, and we’ve also grown partial to alpacas. We were confident that we’d be able to attract clients here, and now as we wrap our 2nd year we’re enjoying a steady flow of business. We’re also impressed with the quality of the work that’s coming in. The fact that two CD’s I’ve mastered are in the running for eleven Grammy Awards is enormously gratifying.�
In making the move Hall was committed to creating a room that surpassed the original Hollywood facility he’d designed back in 1981. “That studio mastered DVD audio discs of The Last Waltz for The Band, Jackson Browne’s Running On Empty, The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds, Foreigner IV, The Grateful Dead’s American Beauty and Workingman’s Dead, and many other wonderful DVDs,� Hall says. “During those years we evolved from a single vinyl suite into a multi-room complex and, we were into CD mastering, DVD authoring and surround sound very early on. Today, instead of taking a lunch break at a trendy restaurant, we’ll check our herd of alpacas and enjoy the fresh air and scenery.
The spacious Future Disc mastering suite is outfitted with custom Big Bang Acoustics nearfields, a Yamaha NS 10, Bryston and Manley Amps and a powerful arsenal of digital processing gear including Weiss EQ1-MK2 24/96 7 band parametric EQ; Weiss DS-1 MK 3 compressor limiter; TC Electronics 5000, Sonic Studio HD workstation and a complete “NoNoise� package. Analog processing includes GM 9500, Sontec, Manley Massive Passive and Pultec EQ, Sontec Manley variable MU compressor and Manley
el-op limiter. A set of 3 Pacific Microsonics Model 2’s provide AD & DA conversion.
“Most clients send us their material online or post it on our server,� Hall continues. “When Jeff Lynne and engineer Ryan Ulyate asked me to re-master the Traveling Wilburys Volumes 1 & 3 CDs for DVD, they sent the original master tapes direct from Olivia Harrison’s vault via special courier. I had a terrific time mastering the originals, and was really pleased to work with them again. It’s sad that George Harrison and Roy Orbison passed away before The Wilburys had the chance to record Volume 2.
“This year has seen an interesting mix of new clients like Ziggy Marley, Hilary Duff and Blind Melon; and repeat clients like engineer Mark Needham and Chris Issac. Some even chose to come up and sit in on the process’ and we’re happy for the company. We’ve got wonderful local bed and breakfast spots, and we enjoy showing them the local sites, especially the many neighboring wineries. We’ve built a best of both worlds environment here,� Hall concludes. “The atmosphere is relaxed, the technology is top notch and the alpacas are wonderful companions.�
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Future Disc Systems is located at: 15851 NW Willis Rd. McMinnville, OR 97128 213-361-0603
 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: A busy recording and touring schedule for Billy Bob Thornton and the Boxmasters left the band’s Grammy-winning engineer/producer/guitarist/bassist, J.D. Andrew, with precious little time to mix their next release – an album of Yuletide tunes on Vanguard entitled “Christmas Cheer.” Luckily, Andrew had a brand new pair of Klein + Hummel O 300 active three-way monitors at his disposal, which, as he explains, were crucial to getting the mix completed in time.
“I wouldn’t have been able to mix that record in three days if I hadn’t had those speakers,” states Andrew, one of three core members of the Boxmasters along with Thornton and guitarist Mike Butler. The trio met in 2007 during the recording of Thornton’s fourth solo album, which was engineered by Andrew, who had previously worked on The Rolling Stones “A Bigger Bang” and Kanye West’s “The College Dropout.”
He adds, “We had rehearsals then three days off before we hit the road, so that’s all the time I had. Luckily I’d recorded everything so I knew the stuff inside and out.”
Billy Bob Thornton and the Boxmasters, a self-styled ‘modbilly’ band that combines the 1960s sounds of the British Invasion and electric hillbilly, have had a busy year since their debut North American tour in the summer of 2007. The band released a seasonal single for Christmas 2007, followed by a double album of covers and original songs, recorded a version of “Little Boxes” for Showtime’s hit series, “Weeds,” and recently embarked on another major U.S. tour. Meanwhile, they have recorded a Christmas album, and already have another album underway to be released in 2009.
It was Robby Scharf, market development manager, western region at Sennheiser, who first introduced Andrew to the K+H monitors, he says. “We had a couple of Neumann mics that needed some help so I contacted the repair department and shortly thereafter Robby called me and brought over a TLM 49 mic for me to try. He also mentioned that Sennheiser now sells K+H monitors. He told me they were great, really flat and really accurate sounding. I got excited about hearing them and began reading about them on online to see what people thought of them. I’d never even heard of them!”
The K+H O 300s were a revelation, declares Andrew. “I could instantly hear everything! It was really easy to balance on them and to see what sort of problem spots I had in my mixes. The depth of field was amazing, as well as the width. It was fantastic to just listen to them. I set them up on the meter bridge and went to town.”
According to Andrew, Thornton liked the fact that the O 300s are natural and revealing, with no coloration. “Billy’s way of putting it,” he says, “was that they still sound ‘raw.’ You’re hearing what you have; not too much low-end or high-end or rolled out mid-range. You’re hearing it really flat and accurate. It was great being able to have them. It made working so much easier.”
“Christmas Cheer” – an ironic title to say the least – features hillbilly covers of songs from the traditional “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” to John Prine’s “Christmas in Prison,” plus three Boxmasters originals. “It’s pretty much the dark side of Christmas,” says Andrew. “Especially this one called ‘Slower Than Christmas.’ It’s about a guy and how Christmas is the worst day of the year for him because his family is so dysfunctional. It’s an upbeat little song about dysfunction!”
“Christmas Cheer” was recorded and mixed at Thornton’s private studio, The Cave.
The current Boxmasters tour extends through September 5th, when the band plays Wasted Space at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas.
KLEIN + HUMMEL Klein + Hummel is a Sennheiser Group company. For over 60 years, Klein + Hummel has been revered in the professional audio industry for its advances in sound reinforcement combined with unparalleled quality and innovative solutions. Klein + Hummel products are distributed exclusively in the United States, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean by Sennheiser Electronic Corporation, located in Old Lyme, Connecticut.
The Sennheiser Group is also proudly affiliated with Neumann (Technical Grammy(r) award-winner) and the joint venture Sennheiser Communications (technologically advanced headsets for PCs, offices and call centers).
www.sennheiserusa.com • www.klein-hummel.com
PHOTO CAPTION Billy Bob Thornton and the Boxmasters new Christmas CD “Christmas Cheer” was mixed on a pair K+ H 0 300 D monitors by Grammy Award-winning engineer/producer, and Boxmasters guitarist and backing vocalist, J.D. Andrew (left). Sitting in on the mixing session is Mike Butler (right), lead guitarist for the Boxmasters.
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