Progress Report

If you've followed my website/blogging over the years, you've probably noticed a lack of updates over the past few months. The main reason is that I've been knee deep in the construction of a new room in my house. The new space is a conversion of my underused garage into a multi-purpose "music room." This room will serve as both a personal writing/teaching/rehearsal space as well as a professional quality control room in which I can produce and mix stereo audio recordings.

Knowing absolutely nothing about design or construction, I thought it would be wise to at least call in an audio consultant to help. Originally, I had thought that I would wall up 2/3rds of my existing garage and leave the rest for storage. Upon consulting a designer, it was clear within the first five minutes of the site visit that my idea was not only not acoustically sound, but it was also wrought with building code violations.

Wes Lachot of Wes Lachot Design came up with a room plan that accomplished everything I wanted. By turning the space 90 degrees, walling up the existing door, and planning for six specifically angled walls, Wes was able to design a room that would be both acoustically sound and have just about as much storage space as my original concept. Wes' design also included plans for RPG acoustic clouds and RPG Omnifussors.

If you go to Wes' site (http://www.weslachot.com/) you'll notice that he typically does much larger scale designs. Two of note include the redesign of the legendary Electric Lady Studios in New York City and Mitch Easter's Fidelitorium Recordings in Kernersville, NC. He occasionally does smaller projects; I'm delighted that he was willing to work with me on this room. I've recorded and/or mixed five albums at Wes' Overdub Lane Recording in Durham, NC. So, I'm glad that I'm regarded as a good client for him.

Wes' first site visit was near the end of August. After a few weeks of expected turn around time, I received the master plans near the end of September. If you ever do any construction or building on your property, (or anyone else's property) you can almost bet that you'll need a permit from you local government. At least in Greensboro, the local building code enforcement division loves dealing directly with home owners (as opposed to dealing indirectly through contractors). Being so, it was very easy to call and figure out which permits I'd need for my home improvement project. In a week, I had all of the t's crossed and i's dotted so that construction could begin.

Construction began on October 1st. I hired Wes' master carpenter Tony Brett to handle the framing of the room. Framing is when 2x4's and 2x6's are laid in various ways to structure or "frame" the room. Tony arrived at 9 am, we shook hands, and went to Home Depot to buy lots of lumber. Having never purchased lumber before, I learned that there are types of lumber to avoid. First, you want to avoid lumber that has excessive crowning. That's when the lumber bows a bit. Second, you want to avoid lumber that has excessive wane. That's when the lumber twists a bit. A degree of crown and wane is acceptable, but it should be kept to a minimum. Tony completed the framing work in three days. Half of it was standard 24 inch oc (on-center) stud spacing. The other half was ornate and sophisticated angled framing.

After the framing, I had a few tasks to complete. Mainly, I had to build the exterior wall and complete the rear wall framing. Tony was kind enough to mark out the stud location for the staggered wall. I also had to hang two layers of 5/8 inch drywall. That was very difficult. The other tasks included tacking and sealing the existing garage door and having the drywall delivered and placed in the room. I also thought it would be a good idea for a city inspector to take a look at the framing before any more work began. Because there were no new structural additions to the house, he didn't need to sign off on anything. He did tell me that everything looked good, though.

This past week, I began having some of the trade work done. In most cities, to do specialized trade work requires a separate and additional permit. This makes sense because trade work is often quite complicated. I opted to not get the "home owners" equivalent permit because I honestly have no idea how to wire a room or set up and HVAC system. Once the trades are basically completed, I'll call the city for a rough inspection. Also, this week, Wes makes is first design visit since the drawing of the plans.

After that, I'll probably be drywalling for a while. Drywall is an interesting substance. On one hand, it's very firm and durable. On the other, it's soft, dusty, and fragile. I've found that I like to wear a breathing mask even when cutting drywall. Dust gets everywhere when you work with that stuff. Sanding joint compound is even worse. I tried wet sanding, but it wasn't as efficient.

Although working on a project like this has severely limited my music activities, I can't help but think that the effort is completely worth it. If everything turns out as planned, this is going to be a wonderful room. Everyday, something new gets accomplished. Everyday is one step closer to being finished.

Liquid Mix Revisited

Near the end of 2006, Focusrite (a pro audio manufacturer of respected studio doodads) announced the Liquid Mix. This all-in-one super box claimed to emulate 20 classic EQ’s and 40 classic compressors. The unit also touted on board DSP, which meant that while it simulated all of these sought after pieces it wouldn’t bog down your computer with error messages and “memory low” downers.

If something seems too good to be true, it often is. At first, I thought this was the case with the Liquid Mix. It sounded great when I used it on a few tracks. But, when I tried to “go for it” and incorporate the unit into a 24 track mix, my system often crashed…usually when the mix was just starting to get good. Also, on a Pro Tools LE system, there were severe latency issues when using the unit. A latency of 2056 samples was common. Using a delay compensation plug-in solved the problem. But, stopping to insert that on a track was a bit disruptive. It made reaching for normal plug-ins a more fluid choice…an issue of favoring two clicks of a mouse to ten.

Although, recently, after a bit of practice and patience, I’ve found a new passion for this piece of gear. Focusrite worked out many of the bugs and made a Liquid Mix 2.0 version available for download. I didn’t have to pay for the upgrade which was both nice and uncommon. With a 1GB memory upgrade I did on my Mac and the new 2.0 version, the box isn’t as clumsy and it is much more reliable. Last week, for the first time since I purchased it, I felt confident using it in a mixing session. If you’ve ever done for-hire studio work, you know how much of an embarrassment it can be when gear doesn’t work properly.

Another good feature that Focusrite added to the Liquid Mix is the availability of pre-sets. They call these “snapshots.” Although I’ve been doing professional studio work for only a few years, I couldn’t tell you what the sonic difference between a Drawmer compressor and a LA-2A leveling amplifer is. I know why they are different (vacuum tube processing vs. photo-optical processing), but I don’t know what those differences sound like. Knowledge of these differences would dictate the proper application of either piece of gear. The “Vintage Bass” snapshot, for example, dials up the LA-2A setting with a basic EQ setting that many studio engineers would call “a basic vintage bass compression/EQ setting.” Trading out different compressors in the context of this snapshot is quite educational—one can hear why photo-optical processing is preferable to other types of compressors…or not.

I subscribe to Sound on Sound, arguably one of the best how-to recording magazines. Every month, a successful commercial mix is broken down into segments. The mixing engineer often describes, in great detail, the kinds of compression and EQ he or she adds to specific tracks. And, the rationale for each decision is often explained. Last month, Mark Endert broke down his mix of Maroon 5’s “Makes Me Wonder.” The Liquid Mix served as a complete learning tool. As I read the article, I pulled up some of my own tracking and tried applying his settings to my work. Because the Liquid Mix has an emulation of a Tube Tech CL-1B compressor, I was able to hear how this brand of compression suited my voice. With a few exceptions, Liquid Mix emulates most of the outboard gear described in this magazine.

Now, it would be difficult for me to say whether or not Liquid Mix is “just as good” as the real things it strives to emulate. Honestly, I wouldn’t know. Many famous studio engineers have appeared in ads praising the unit. Whether or not one can trust an ad, once you figure out how to use it, it does have its merits. If nothing else, it serves as a great learning tool for not only what compression is, but also how it can be tastefully used to achieve a desired audio outcome. And, at most, you'll have 40 classic compressor emulations and 20 classic EQ emulations at your fingertips. Not bad for under a grand.

Although, as cool as this piece of gear is, outboard compression and EQ should be a secondary, or even tertiary concern in your signal chain. I mean, the best emulated compressor in the world isn’t going to fix a crappy song. Technology like auto-tune and beat detective can help mend poorly performed tracks, but those are often regressions toward a mean…You’ll have perfectly and astoundingly mediocre performances. I’ve found the best consideration to make, after assessing the strength of the song and the performer, is basic mic placement.

If a singer or player knows how to work the mic, compression and EQ isn’t necessary. Why make something smaller if it can exist at its natural dynamic range? Now, most people desire compression on a vocal performance (it’s a modern thing, I guess), so, as a starting point, I often set a compressor to a LIMITING mode (a ratio of 10:1 is nice). I adjust the threshold so that NO MORE than 6 dB of gain reduction occurs at the loudest point in a performance. I set the attack and release times for the compressor to almost as fast as possible. And, the vocal is printed with this undoable amount of dynamic processing. I’ll often apply a second stage of gain reduction (more of a true compression…either an OPTO setting or something with a 4:1 ratio) in mixdown. But, only if the performance needs it.

False Idols

Last Sunday I ate dinner with family & friends at Elmo's dinner in Durham, NC. A decade ago the joint went by the name Ninth Street Bakery. Not a few feet from where I sat was where bands used to set up for gigs.

In the summer of 1992, I my brother and I drove up to the Ninth Street Bakery to see Nikki Meets the Hibachi. John Gillespie and Elaine Tola comprised this original acoustic duo. I had heard Nikki on cassette, but I had never seen them live. As a soon to be high-school Senior, going to shows wasn't something I did very often.

As a thirty year old, eating a black bean burger not a few yards from where you saw one of the most influential and relevant shows of your life, I pondered the big questions: life cycles, friendships, destinies, histories. I didn't come to many conclusions. I just ordered the fries.

For the past year, John Gillespie and I have been working on the album that has become False Idols. John and I have worked together quite a bit over the past decade and a half. We shared scores of acoustic gigs in coffee shops/clubs in the South East. We've played in numerous bands together, including Kickball, the Happy Annies, and Collapsis (John was the first bass player for the group). For False Idols, I was in the producer's chair.

Working with John is a treat for any producer. He brings in good songs to the recording sessions. Also, he can sing a master take in a few passes. The same goes for his guitar playing and bass playing.

Because John knows how to efficiently work in a studio, he's able to make a quality album in less time. Also, the lessened need to focus on just getting a good take allows for more creative experimenting. On False Idols, we were all over the place with sounds, styles, and tracks.

8 of the 15 songs feature Kevin Rader-Rhodenbaugh on drums and percussion. We recorded his stuff on two different recording sessions. Also, for me, Kevin's kit was the first drum kit I ever professionally recorded. It was a real treat because it was so well kept. Recording drums isn't too tricky, but if you've never done it before, it can seem a bit overwhelming.

The remaining seven songs feature either no drums or some sort of drum programming on my part. Sometimes that programming consisted of Reasoned industrial beats. Sometimes it was cannibalized drum takes from old sessions. Sometimes it was Discrete Drums sliced to smithereens and reassembled for the song.

John's voice and acoustic guitar are the central elements that bind the record together. We tried to not lose sight of those things, even when the tracks got to their thickest.

If this project interests you, check out John's website www.purevolume.com/johngillespie He has quite a few samples up. Also, the album is available for sale at CD Baby and most of the digital retailers you enjoy (iTunes caries it).

On Friday, September 28th at 7:30 p.m., I'll be joining John and Athenaeum alum Nic Brown at the Cave in Chapel Hill, NC for a False Idols CD release party. I'll be playing bass guitar.

Spring Break

Over the past few weeks, things have snowballed. I didn't expect to begin design and construction of a new studio space until maybe 2009. But, opportunity knocked and I answered. So, I'm about three weeks into a several month long project: building a new studio space. It's been a dream of mine to do something like this since I started recording bands and songwriters. By the end of the year, it will be a reality.

Because I'm doing about 90% of the construction myself (I don't know how to frame, but drywalling isn't too bad), I've made the decision to take a break from the "spring" recording project that I began this summer. I'd like for it to be the first thing I mix in my new room.

So, for those of you who have been wondering when the next post will be, I don't know for sure. I'll most likely get tired of hanging drywall and want to do some singing...that's the next step on the six songs I've begun.

The Return of Spring, Session 5

I feel as if I'm finally making up for lost time. Getting two solid sessions in this week has been a real blessing.

On August 2, 2007, I spent a whole day tracking acoustic guitars on "The Great Divide" and "Falling in Love Too Fast." Again, I used a mix-and-match approach to microphones, preamps, and technique.

"The Great Divide" is a tune that masquerades as an acoustic rock song. But, really, it could be played just as well with chunky electric guitars. It's hard to fight the urge to track an SG, just to see what it would be like. Being so, I played the "Main AG" as I would have played an electric part. I played chunky, palm muted power chords in the verses and slightly more open phrasing in the opening and recurring riffs. Playing power chords on an acoustic guitar took a little getting used to, but once I got it to fit with Dale, it worked well. The TLM-103 through the 8Pre worked great for this.

I left the main guitar out of the chorus to create a different texture. For this, I used a stereo, XY miking technique. This makes the chorus pop out and get wide when it makes its entrance. I used a matched pair of Audix 51 condensers through the 8Pre for this. The XY technique is almost the same as the mono technique with the acoustic guitar. The really important thing is to make sure the microphones form a perfect 45 degree angle and that the capsules are as close together as possible without touching. If you don't do this, you'll have some phasing problems.

I felt as if the song needed one additional strummy guitar in the riff section and the bridge. So I played some open chords in these sections. I tuned the guitar slightly differently to make sure all of the tones were diatonic: EADGAE...the ringing B didn't work for me. This tuning also prompted a happy accident. During the new breakdown section, I accidentally played a great alternate part. It kind of sounded like a sitar. I used a different pre and the Audix 51 mic in mono.

Next, I tracked acoustic guitars on "Falling in Love Too Fast." This tune is the only finger pick song of the batch. For this, the approach needed to be fairly simple, as the part itself is fairly difficult to perform. I used a simple mono set up. But, I also recorded the acoustic guitar's direct line. The part is quite percussive. Having a direct line (that doesn't pick up the hits on the strings as much) will probably be a good idea for other possibilities.

I have a five take rule. After five takes, I stop, and pick the best one. Then, if there are any edits that need to be made, I make them. But, by and large, if I don't have it by take five, I'm not going to have it at all. This one took five takes. Because this song is de-tuned, I noticed a bit of pitch-i-ness when I played the G on the E string. I may opt to retrack this with a different guitar if it's a problem. Under the microscope, sometimes, things aren't perfect. But, we don't listen to things under a microscope. We listen to them on iPods.

I spent the end of the day adding some organ parts to "The Great Divide." This helps make the chorus pop out even more. It was a good day's work.

The Return of Spring, Session 4

Finally, I got a chance to devote a full, eight hour studio day to this project. When I pulled up the tracks, they sounded exciting and fresh, even though they were only drum tracks.

August 1st ended up being a full day devoted to "Water & Wine," one of the songs I began tracking in late June. What was intended to be a full day of acoustic guitar tracking on all the songs, ended up being a focused day on one song.

My production philosophy is fairly straight forward. I like to create recordings that a pleasant to listen to (meaning, they are in-time and in-tune) and also hold a listener's attention. The two ways I try to keep a listener attentive to a song is by arranging a song with a sense of dynamics as well as varying the tones from section to section when possible. Dynamics are best achieved with a well oiled (er, ...competent) rhythm section (bass and drums). Tonal variance is best achieved by using different accompanying instruments in the right places.

My main accompanying instrument, for this album, is the acoustic guitar. I only have one acoustic guitar that's worthy of studio work, a Taylor 410. My red Guild is best suited for live stuff. Strumming the same acoustic guitar in the same way for an entire album would be really boring. So, I'm presented with a challenge that many project studio owners face: How do I make one guitar sound interesting enough to carry a whole album?

Affecting the signal chain is the answer. Although I have one acoustic guitar, I have three really good condenser microphones; two of which are a matched pair. I also have a really good class A tube pre-amp (the thing you plug the mic cable into) and twelve class A solid-state pre's. A mixing and matching of these elements is capable of producing dozens of different timbres, all with the same source.

A second way to get a different tones out of the same guitar is a lot cheaper than investing in mic's and pre's. Using different guitar picks can greatly affect the tone of a guitar. A thin pick produces more zing. A thick pick produces more tone. If you don't believe me, drop a $1.50 on different gauged picks at your local music store and try it yourself.

If you've heard "Water & Wine," it has three basic sections. There's a strummy, campfire riff that begins, middles, and ends the song. Then, there's the verses. And, there's a bridge. So, to give the song some tonal variance, I made the approach to each section a little different.

For the riff, I opted for a straight double, panned hard left and hard right. I used a large diaphragm condenser mic for the left guitar and a small diaphragm condenser for the right guitar. I used the tube pre (with a little 240 raised, to give it some more body) on both guitars. I used a thin pick to give it some zing. To get a really good mono acoustic guitar tone, all you have to do is point your condenser mic at where the neck meets the body of your guitar. Place it 8 inches away. Hit record. That's it. If your room sucks or if you have trouble performing the part, that's another issue. But, if you want to get the mic placement right, that's it.

For the verses and bridge, I used a solid state pre and a large diaphragm condenser. I also used a thicker pick. This helped compensate for two guitars disappearing into one when the verses kicked in. To make the parts different, I varied by picking style. I arpeggiated the first verse, lightly strummed the second verse, moderately strummed in the bridge, and did single down beat strums in the third verse. Upon play back, with all the guitars in, the song had a great sense of organization, dynamics, and variance. It sounded really full...even before the bass has been recorded.

While listening to the verses, I realized that some different sonic pads would be nice. For this, I charted out the basic chords on a program called Sibelius and then imported the files as a MIDI track. Pro Tools 7 has some really great MIDI (that's musical instrument digital interface) capabilities. I outputed the MIDI files to my vintage synth box, which has some great organ, electric piano, and mellotron samples. For all you Athenaeum fans out there, that's the box I use on "Away," "Frozen in Time," and "Damage" when we perform those songs live.

I selected four different tones for the various parts. For verse 1, I used a nice tremolo Wurlitzer patch. For verse 2 I used a perc organ...different, but still very nice. For the bridge I used a big ol' B3 patch that gives the song a big lift. For the third verse, I used a mellotron string patch.

All in all, the song sounds exciting, just with these three elements on it. I'm hearing a spot for a horn section in the bridge and in the "na-na" parts. It'll be interesting to see how that develops.

The Return of Spring, Session 3

It has been an extremely busy few weeks. I let lots of things get away from me. But, I still found about three hours of free time to work on this project.

The next step is, of course, recording acoustic guitars. I took time over the past week to listen to the tracks and map out a strategy for how I'm going to record the guitars. On a song like "Focus," for example, I'm going to have a hard panned L/R guitar sound that involves two different, complementary parts. On a song like "Water & Wine," I want to have one, big stereo acoustic guitar for the strummy parts. So, rather than just jump into the recording, I like to map out things a bit...this saves time in the long run.

I also recorded a mellotron part on "Falling in Love Too Fast" in the bridge. I know I want that there, so I went ahead and tracked it.

So, if we have a mile to go with these songs, I've moved a foot this week. Still, it's a step forward.