Mike Garrigan's Blog

Beatles 101 - Help! & Rubber Soul

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2010-03-08T15:30:56-05:00

Please click here to read the introductory blog, if you’d like to know more about the course and why I’m teaching it. ...Rather than meet in our usual location for our usual discussion format, we opted to meet at the Garrigan house for a viewing of the movie (of the same name). If you are familiar with the Beatles’ music (who isn’t) you may not be familiar with the two Richard Lester directed films. ... had a similar soundtrack, although it contained two cover songs as well as a near solo effort from McCartney...his unforgettable and unmistakable “Yesterday.”

Beatles 101 - Beatles For Sale

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2010-02-14T10:49:11-05:00

Beatles For Sale suffers from a perceptual malaise, although, on a completely intrinsic level, it’s amazing in its own right--if you haven’t guessed, it’s also one of my favorite albums by the fab four. ...It’s surprising to me that, still, many critics who are also die-hard fans of the Beats, just don’t get this album. ...Much different from the smiling faces on Please Please Me, or the stoic royalty of With The Beatles, Beatles For Sale portrays a disturbed and tired Beatles standing in the bleak cold of winter. The music is also much darker with selections like “No Reply,” “I’m A Loser” and “Baby’s In Black,” as if the “hand holding” implied from earlier singles just didn’t workout somehow.

Beatles 101 - A Hard Day's Night

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2010-02-08T12:20:10-05:00

With thirteen new songs, the band had doubled it’s classics with home-runs like “If I Fell,” “Can’t Buy Me Love,” and the title track. ...Some of the songs have a dynamic vocal interchange between John and Paul--this masks some of the Lennon domination on A Hard Day’s Night. ... The vocal doubling and close harmony on songs like “If I Fell” and “I’ll Be Back” are simply breathtaking...some of the best singing in the Beatles catalog. ...Not only is this one of the only albums in which Ringo didn’t have a vocal lead, it is rumored that he may not have played on portions of “Can’t Buy Me Love.”

Beatles 101 - With The Beatles

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2010-02-01T09:51:03-05:00

With three back to back #1 songs in the UK--“Please Please Me,” “From Me To You,” and “She Loves You”--this second album has a tenacious let’s-try-it-again factor to it. ...Soon after WTB was released in late November of 1963, “I Want To Hold Your Hand” skyrocketed to #1 on the US charts. ...The opening of two more tracks offered more options, which is especially evident in the clarity of the guitar on “I Want To Hold Your Hand” as well as the nearly larger than life quality of the vocal stacking on “This Boy.” With The Beatles is the only album in the Beatles catalog that repeats, nearly exactly, the formula on the album that preceded it--eight original songs, six covers, the same basic sound, etc...

Beatles 101 - Please Please Me

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2010-01-25T10:01:12-05:00

While Paul’s composition, “Love Me Do,” went to #17 on the UK charts, it was John’s “Please Please Me” and “From Me To You” that went to #1 in the UK back-to-back. ...In looking at the studio logs (provided in the Beatles Chronicle by Mark Lewisohn), the album was recorded and mixed over a period of five or six days. 10 of the tracks were recorded on February 11, 1963. ...Secondly, I knew a alternate drummer had played on the album version of “Love Me Do,” but I didn’t know that he also played on “P.S. ...Currently, I’m saving up for the mono box set and I will most likely listen to that remaster of Please Please Me over the stereo one.

Beatles 101

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2010-01-18T14:18:02-05:00

My finding, through spending that year in the library and by what seemed to be an unending listening to Beatles songs, was that the Beatles re-presented our culture back to us in a time when it was greatly needed. The Beatles were a cultural pat-on-the-back after a tumultuous end of 1963 (when the most popular president in US history was mysteriously shot while appearing in a Dallas, TX parade). ...As iconic as John, Paul, George, and Ringo will always be, there’s something about the “old-friend” quality of Beatles music that makes it always welcome for me. ...Being that there are also 12 albums (I recognize that there are those who will disagree with how I quantify this), we all felt that it would be compelling to study one album each week.

Voyage of the Malamander - Podcast Pt. 2

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2010-01-17T10:34:02-05:00

If you’d like to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, click here. Individual selections from the podcast can be heard in the widget below.

Voyage of the Malamander - Podcast

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-12-14T19:22:35-05:00

If you’d like to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, click here. New songs featured on the podcast appear in the below widget, as well as on other widgets around the site. ...

...a second Magus & the Smitt

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-12-01T19:24:56-05:00

(null)

...a Cow,

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-12-01T19:23:39-05:00

(null)

And then, a Magus...

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-12-01T19:20:31-05:00

(null)

Origami Action

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-12-01T10:12:24-05:00

It seems like just yesterday I was launching the Two Egrets studio site and blogging about it... Anyway, a lot has gone on in the past months with personal recording, writing, performing, and the usual. ... The blog on the Two Egrets site has been very active, so perhaps I will employ a similar schedule for my songwriting/music site. ...The cool thing about origami is that it mainly relies on a willingness to follow directions.

Two Egrets

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-09-27T12:14:03-04:00

In an effort to keep my studio life somewhat separate from my work as a performing artist, I’ve launched a new website for my studio: www.twoegrets.com I’ve found that many people interested in the goings on as a singer/songwriter (i.e., when is my next record coming out, where am I playing next, etc...) have very little interest in what’s going on in the studio, and vice versa. ...At Two Egrets, you’ll find all the necessary information about our recording service including rates, what we do, what we’re working on. At mikegarrigan.com, things will stay more focused on my work as a singer/songwriter and performing artist.

Serotonen

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-09-15T10:08:03-04:00

The NJ band recently released their debut album this past week. What makes the album special to me is that it was the first project recorded in the new studio. From the first note of pre-production to the last sequence of the master disc, all of it was completed at Two Egrets. Check out the album at the Digstation.

Garrigan Bros. @ the Evening Muse

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-08-17T09:59:02-04:00

We play at least a show a month and are in the middle of recording a record. The songs are mostly unique to the Garrigan Bros (the exceptions are Jay’s solo songs that were our artistic foundation). Rick Basdeo, Charlotte’s resident musical expert and shaman, commented to me after the set, “Those first few songs were really tight.” ...Although we hadn’t practiced it, it was pretty much required playing in our garage in Fayetteville when we were growing up and learning how to play our instruments.

Bandcamp

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-08-10T12:43:36-04:00

<a href="http://mikegarrigan.bandcamp.com/album/gravity-affects-me">Another Day in Paradise by Mike Garrigan</a> Mark encouraged me to set up a page at bandcamp.com, so I figured I’d give it a try. This morning (and, it took the better part of the morning) I uploaded our 2004 EP Gravity Affects Me to the site. ...And, feel free to share the album with your friends through email, blogs, or your favorite social networking site (myspace, facebook, twitter, etc...).

The Drowning Lovers

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-07-23T21:24:51-04:00

On July 22, Meredith, Paul, and John from the Drowning Lovers stopped by the studio to record a couple tunes. ...For these two songs, the band set up in a circle (or, in this case, more of a triangle).

An Unexpected Journey

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-07-21T12:08:00-04:00

While sitting in a hotel room on Sunset Blvd, having all but given up on trying to finish writing the album that would become Dirty Wake, I wrote “Wonderland” on a Pollo Loco napkin. ...A few days later, as the entries in my Aleph List grew, as did the experiences and memories from the trip, I began dumping my favorite images into my lyric notebook. ...That fear of mine, that while I’m out of town, my water heater will crack and drip water onto my studio floor, slowly building to a flow, slowly building to an uncontrollable gush, seems to have been an irrational fear. ...Thankfully, I knew it meant either: a) my house was completely flooded, or b) that water had pooled under my water heater and that the catch pan and piping I installed last August was doing it’s job.

Recording Drums

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-06-09T20:29:54-04:00

Well, the old reliable studio adage, which applies to everything, holds true: put a good player on a good drum kit, in front of good microphones, in a good room, through a good console, over a good tune, and you can’t really mess it up. ...My all-purpose drum miking set-up is a stereo mic on the overheads, a dynamic mic each on the bass drum, snare drum, rack tom, and floor tom, and two room mics (placed at 90 degree angles from each other and six feet from the drum kit; swing low). ...There’s lots of midrange information that isn’t very pleasant on most drums (this is in the 300 Hz to 600 Hz range; knowing absolutely nothing about drums or mixing, if a monkey pulled out 450 Hz on all of the drum tracks, it would automatically sound clearer and leave room for other instruments). ...Really though, with all this technique, gear, and placement, there’s nothing more satisfying than putting up one microphone about three feet from the kit and having it sound right.

Cover Gigs

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-05-12T15:59:01-04:00

Now a days, it’s getting harder and harder to get a show at a club and be able to play all-original songs, all the time. ...At this past weekend’s show, we both sold quite a few CD’s of original music to people who had never heard of either of us, either individually or because of Athenaeum or Collapsis. ...Part of what made them a good band, and later on, good songwriters, was an exposure to a wealth of well-crafted music. 45% of the music on their first four albums was not original (although all of Hard Day’s Night was original). ...But it does help me see the value in doing a few cover songs now and then, especially at shows where very few people may know who I am.

Diversions

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-05-04T20:34:20-04:00

Most of it has been fruitful, but it’s been fairly standard stuff—co-writing, song production, technical details, all-things-musical, etcetera, and etcetera. ...I couldn’t help but re-listen to these absolutely awesome interpretations—I think this would be the only appropriate time I could think of to use the term exegesis, but I despise how the word sounds—of Joyce’s writing. ...When a book is often in the top three of just about every educated person’s “best of the twentieth century” book list, there’s usually a cogent reason. ...In one of the film’s final moments, as a hyperbolic action film about Pee Wee’s bicycle is played at a local drive-in, Mickey turns to Pee Wee and says, “Great so far, Pee Wee.

Sound Advice: Five Essential Books

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-04-27T12:24:26-04:00

A friend of mine, Margaret White (who used to accompany me on violin), handed me a copy of the third edition of All You Need to Know…with an inscription, “Make sure you read this before you go to those meetings.” ...In my experience as a novice singer/songwriter, the most frustrating thing about recording was having an inability to communicate what I wanted from a recordist, mixer, or mastering engineer. ...One or two reads of this book won’t make you an immediate expert in the studio, but it will empower you to know if you are in good, competent company. ...Crich explains what goes on in the studio in a way that anyone, even a singer/songwriter who is about to make her first demo recording, can understand.

In the Rough: A Quick Guide to Rough Mixes

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-04-20T16:05:22-04:00

For one, a rough mix can be helpful if there are guitar parts, overdubs, or background vocals that haven’t been worked out or even written yet. ...No matter how cool that guitar part or drum fill seemed in the studio, if the rough mix doesn’t express it fully, it’s not going to seem as cool at home. ...If I’m doing a rough at the end of a tracking session and I have the bass guitar up at what I think is a good, healthy level, and, in later analysis, it is determined that it’s too loud, we often say, “We’ll fix it in the final mix.” ...If it’s a pop band, it’s a good idea to throw the snare in to this same vocal effect, just so the drums appear in the same place and aren’t perceived as “too dry.”

Mark Kano Band at the Garage

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-04-13T18:50:00-04:00

If I were a bettin’ man, (and, I am), I’d guess that Winston-Salem’s The Garage was once an auto repair garage. ... And, if last Friday’s show with Mark Kano is any indication; my guess is that the venue stays fairly full most nights. ...I knew that he knew his stuff because he mentioned knowledge of two of the more ubiquitous producers from the era and genre: Michael Wagner (Double Trouble) and Beau Hill. ...As a result, the out of print album now goes for between $60 and $100 on Ebay, if you can even find a listing for it.

Rethink Your Rig

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-04-06T14:01:54-04:00

When I’m asked to play in a live support context, the first thing I like to do is meet with the artist. ...After consultation, it’s time for me to think of ways to adapt my skills and equipment to meet the needs of the project. ...The next thing, which I had considerable autonomy on, was selecting the amp and effects pedals that would achieve the right blend in the mix. ...While I prefer to use authentic pedals in the studio, for the live show, I enjoy the ease and flexibility of the Line 6 effects modelers.

Production Theory: Scarves, Essence, & Texture

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-03-30T21:29:44-04:00

Losing sleep over whether or not the sub-auditory string pad is loud enough doesn’t make much sense, but I’ve seen it happen…more than I’d like to. When I work with a band, group, or songwriter, the first thing I like to understand is what that artist is like in a “live” context.... If I am asked to produce a song, I’ll first understand a song’s essential elements as well as how the artist expresses them, and make sure to feature those elements in the recording. ...Zechariah’s Song, a Christian piano/vocal duo I’m producing, liked the basic multi-tracked method we were using, but they found that a certain energy level was missing.

More Tracking

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-03-23T17:36:54-04:00

It's always a good "check in the box" when lead vocals on a track are complete. ...A support electric guitar was tracked today, but I'll make every attempt to ditch it in favor of something more interesting. What's left on this song is background vocals and some other type of miscellaneous part. ...I've heard it said that a song is 70% vocals, 20% rhythm, and 10% stuff that no one really notices.

Spring Tracking

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-03-20T18:12:22-04:00

When I was building my studio last year, I looked forward to the days that were like today--tracking in an acoustically neutral room without the pressure of figuring out how to pay for it. ...The song I have been listening to for inspiration and reference is Peter Gabriel's "Blood of Eden" from Us. The first thing I noticed about the Gabriel track was that it uses pads and percussion to set a backdrop for the very present vocal. ...If something isn't right in the editing, it's always easy to set up the mic's again and punch a word or two.

At the Holly Springs Cultural Center

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-03-16T16:31:40-04:00

On March 7, 2009, I played a solo acoustic show with three other songwriters in Holly Springs, NC at the Holly Springs Cultural Center. ...You'd think that there wouldn't be much there, but my friends brought me some out-of-this-world wood fired pizza. ...It was a nice change to play a venue that errs on the side of artistic exposure rather than on food and beverage sales. ..."The Door" is a song that I don't think has been played on the podcast yet.

Congratulations, Mark!

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-03-05T15:48:42-05:00

If you haven't already picked up a copy, please be sure to purchase Mark Kano's new solo album Walking on Broadway. ... Mark's album is also available in the iTunes store. It's a real treat to hear this in its final form. ... If you're on the fence about buying it, consider this that little nudge.

Mark & Mike on Fox 8

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-02-27T17:08:50-05:00

Mark's album was released today! Check it out at Mark's site. Anyway, we played a promo spot on our local Fox News affiliate this afternoon.

Bass Tracking

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-02-15T10:05:24-05:00

On these tunes, I'm playing for the song, so being a "good" player isn't my focus. ...I set the Avalon to the slightest limiting setting (10:1 with the needle moving -1 or -2 db, with fast attack and fast release). Then I set the second box to a more traditional compression setting (4:1 with medium attack, medium release and -2 to -3 db of reduction). This way, I'm limiting peaks and getting really close to the bass tone I'll most likely be mixing with.

Garrigan Bros. Pt 1

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-02-10T16:55:05-05:00

In between the commercial sessions and personal recording I'll be doing this year, I'm also eager to get the first Garrigan Bros. album recorded. ...You might have noticed that it errs on the side of ridiculous and heavy. ... Joe wants to be a little more serious, but, what's the fun in that? ...All in all, it was a good first day of tracking for this needed recording.

Athenaeum at Amos' Southend

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-02-09T18:19:12-05:00

We've been doing about four or five of these get-togethers each year since a few years ago. ... I'm not sure if it's the "riding a bike" factor or if it's the fact that we all just had a genuinely fun time. ...I don't mind posing for photos and signing stuff, but it's not my day-to-day reality anymore. ...I didn't get the official count, but in excess of 500 or so were in attendance.

Mr. Greensboro

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-02-03T11:34:35-05:00

Meet my brother, Joe.

Bass Tracking

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-02-01T15:26:56-05:00

It seemed that the final take of each song was the best of the bunch. ...I'd like to edit and pocket the bass on a later day. I want to make sure I'm getting enough done each day, but not too much that it gets tedious. ...I hope to have all of the bass tracked for these tunes by the end of the week.

Drum Editing

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-01-28T10:27:47-05:00

As of January 28th, 2009, over half of the drums from Saturday's drum session have been edited for further tracking. "Come Alive," "Static," "Don't Join the Army," "Nightmares," and "Two Shadows" have been combed through for best takes, quantizing, and tom editing. Since we only did three or four whole takes for each song, there wasn't as much to go through as I am accustomed to. ...Those were very well played in the tracking stage, so I don't think it will be too much longer before bass tracking begins.

Drum Tracking

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-01-25T10:35:39-05:00

Everything pretty much says the same thing: if you have a good drummer play a good kit in a good room, it's hard to get a bad drum sound. ...I'm going to have bass guitar carry the extreme low of this stuff, so I opted to use the nice hole in the front, center of the kick drum for the kick sound. ...Just as it's never a good idea to use the same guitar through a whole album, I don't like to use the same snare drum throughout a recording session. ...For this song, we changed up the sticks, but instead of hot rods, we used a frayed plastic stick and what looked like an extremely small broomstick.

Pre-Production, pt 5

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-01-22T19:37:18-05:00

Singing through a song, with its metronome playing, is probably the best way to make sure a song is arriving at the right tempo. ... Over the last two years, as "Shadows" has become a staple in our acoustic duo shows, it seems to have naturally slowed down. ...I'm going to use it's native tempo of 155, as well as the basic midi'ed drum pattern as a reference. ...I have a basic "drummer's" template saved, which saves a lot of time when jumping from session to session.

Pre-Production, pt 4

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-01-20T20:01:52-05:00

In some free time today, I was able to lay down click tracks for "Static" and a forgotten song, "Don't Join the Army." ..."Army" was one of the first songs I wrote when I returned to the idea of doing a seasoned theme solo album. ...I'm noticing that most of the songs are clocking in a bit short, with just about everything at 3:30 or under. ... I gotta remember that it's OK for a song to last four minutes...as song should be as long as it needs to be.

Best of Podcast, Vol. 2

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-01-19T15:58:15-05:00

The Garrigan Bros. had a decent live board recording from a September show that afforded some, well, interesting live recordings for the podcast. ...A really good live version of "Sour Milk" from the Mark and Mike acoustic show on July 18, 2008 at the Evening Muse is included. ...And, four songs from the fall 2008 Morning Pages demo sessions are included: "The Morning Bird," "Wicked Light," "Shine On," and "Ain't We The Same." ...I'll also be removing the first volume, so if you haven't downloaded it yet, make sure you do before tomorrow morning.

506 Show

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-01-18T10:22:55-05:00

If you're a musician playing in Chapel Hill, it's only a matter of time before you're walking a little farther than you might have anticipated. I couldn't find any parking, once again, in Chapel Hill before our show on Saturday, January 17th at the Local 506 club on Franklin Street. ...I hoofed it from Morrison Hall to the corner of Columbia and Franklin just about every week, usually for a spot at open mic at the bakery. ...Playing the gig last night, it felt like we were on the verge of a new chapter.

Pre-Production, pt 3

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-01-16T16:38:58-05:00

After completing some mix revisions for Serotonen, a new band from New York that I've been working with since August of 2008, I had some spare time to complete another click track for an upcoming song. ...In fact, I remember wanting to write a song like "Last Exit" after I heard it for the first time. ...I haven't settled on fills yet, but I have a basic kick and snare pattern than builds as each new chorus arrives. ...It seems like the song needs an hour or so of time, just to develop the patterns a little more.

Mark's Website

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-01-16T16:16:19-05:00

Mark's website is up and running. ...There's a few pictures as well as a blog that has pictures from last November's tracking session for his album. Check it out, if you're interested. I like the new message board, too.

Pre-Production, pt 2

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-01-15T16:35:05-05:00

I spent a few hours today writing click tracks and basic drum arrangements for "Hey, Angel" and "Rip Van Winkle." "3308," one of my new songs, had a less esoteric alternate title before its completion. ...Two of the three commercial samples I referenced were much faster than that: "Sour Girl" by STP clocking in at 105 and "Off He Goes" by Pearl Jam measuring 100 bpm. ...I liked my performance on the demo so much that I just sped it up to be in the right key. ... The smallest deviations make midi tracks arrive at the wrong time after a minute or so of being "off" by 0.05 bpm.

Pre-Pre Production

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-01-14T15:46:51-05:00

Now that the studio is broken in, I've decided to return to a project that's long over due: The Return of Spring. ...On the 24th, we'll lay down basic tracks for five songs: "Nightmares," "Hey, Angel," "Two Shadows," "Static," and "Come Alive." ...It's never made it to an album, probably for the reason that it always seemed like the acoustic counterpart to "October," from The Lessons of Autumn. ...The six songs that began the project are also going to be re-visited--"Water & Wine," "The Great Divide," "Out of My Mind," "The Original Pullman Palace Car Dream," "Focus," and "Falling in Love Too Fast."

Polar Bears

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-01-13T11:32:01-05:00

I had never seen a polar bear in person until yesterday. The North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro, NC is becoming one of my favorite places to hang out. My wife and I have an annual pass; it's a great place to take a walk and enjoy fauna from around the world. ...I'm sure it was hot yesterday for him, even though it was about 39 degrees as we walked around.

The Effectiveness of Waves

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-01-10T09:38:56-05:00

I've had to really try hard to screw up the sound of OPTO compression; that's a good thing when you have to set a compressor at the end of the day and your ears are fried. ...Rather than take the time to use some of the more surgical dynamics plug-ins, the Renaissance Axx was very easy to get a good sound out of almost immediately. ...Most people who ask me to engineer for them don't ask me what I'm doing when I pull up a box, open a plug-in and dial in a sound. ... It's really not of much interest to someone who just wants to put up a song on Myspace for me to explain what compression ratio I'm using on an overdub.

Pro Tools 8 Review

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-01-04T13:37:09-05:00

Pro Tools 7 wasn't much of an upgrade, but it offered some new MIDI applications as well as some work flow improvements. ...This wasn't an option with the earlier "click" plug-in that was bundled in Pro Tools 7. I was able to edit the click on the fly, mainly to suit the needs of the band, while not having to print and loop an audio track version of the metronome. ...All in all, the upgrade to Pro Tools 8 is worth the price, even with the hidden costs I encountered.

Nikki Meets the Hibachi Records a New Album

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2009-01-03T07:02:12-05:00

The Bluest Sky, a stripped down acoustic album, recorded in the zeitgeist of the late 80's Chapel Hill music scene, remains one of my favorite albums of all time, too. And, here we are, January 2, 2009, with everything in my life (and in Nikki's life--they had been relatively inactive for a good while, and then released Back Around, a great companion piece to The Bluest Sky) that happened in the last 17 years since then, and I'm recording this awesome acoustic duo in my new studio. One of the things I like about all of Nikki's recordings is that, when I listen to them, I feel like I'm sitting around the campfire, taking part in the story. When we talked about how the "recording" would transpire, we agreed that it would be a good idea to at least try recording both acoustic guitar parts "live" together.

Mike at Deep South

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-12-22T11:26:24-05:00

On Sunday, December 21, 2008, I played two sets of acoustic music at Deep South the Bar in Raleigh, NC. ...I drew mainly from my "morning pages" writings, a collection of songs that I wrote beginning back in September of 2008. ...The other half was from demos, projects, fodder, etc, that hasn't been used as of yet, but probably needs to get a fair shake. ... It was written just months after "October" and feels like it maybe should have had a similar resonance in my life.

Mike & Mark at the Blind Tiger, 12/20/08

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-12-22T11:20:29-05:00

Mark and I played an opening set at the Blind Tiger on December, 20, 2008. We opened for Cravin' Melon, a band who used to play quite a bit around the south east during the mid to late 90's, much like Athenaeum did. It was an honor to be asked to be a part of this show. ...For those who missed us, we'll be playing on January 17th, 2009 at Local 506 in Chapel Hill, NC opening for Longwave.

Show at Deep South

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-12-13T06:18:27-05:00

I'll be playing at Deep South the Bar in Raleigh, NC at 8 pm on that Sunday night. ...The night before, on December 20th, Mark and I will be doing an acoustic duo set at the Blind Tiger. ... If Bubs and Z hadn't already used the name, wouldn't Two-O-Duo be a great name for an acoustic duo? ...I'll be taking the stage with some new friends to pay tribute to one of the greatest bands of the 80's, The Cult.

"Rusted Radio"

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-12-10T16:56:32-05:00

Here's "Rusted Radio."

"Touched"

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-12-10T10:02:29-05:00

Answers page that allows anyone who might know an answer to an otherwise daunting question to chime in with two cents. My problem was that the song I had in my head had some middle-eastern style chanting as the hook. ... I found, more times than I liked, that just saying "hey, does anybody know what song it is if there's a cool chant and a lot of guitars?" ...Within 24 hours of asking, he offered a "shot in the dark" answer that happened to be exactly what I was looking for.

"Oceans"

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-12-09T20:11:15-05:00

So, maybe I'm a little late on getting in the Youtube thing. I thought I'd start by uploading a video from the Evening Muse, "Oceans." ...Also, the video could use a review or a rating to help it in the search engines. ...

Songwriting Essentials

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-12-08T16:18:00-05:00

Yellow Legal Pads - I don't know what's up with these things, but I tend to write best when I have a yellow legal pad upon which to scratch out ideas. ...Even if you don't come back to it for a few days, weeks, or months, sometimes, things just aren't the same as you remember them. ...Even if you only have access to one instrument (as of now, I only have one decent acoustic guitar), it's often a good idea to find a piano, a dulcimer, or a tuba--anything that will allow you to try out a melody from a different perspective. ...It never does well to depend on this for all of your end words, but having knowledge of every word that rhymes with a given word will help you avoid the obvious.

Real Amps vs. Emulations

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-12-05T17:15:29-05:00

As to not do any work that isn't necessary (a thing I try to do most days) I attempted to use the old guitar track on top of the new rhythm section. ... Other noticable defects of the original tone were erratic buzzing and some polarity issues (due most likely to the amp needing either a bias job or a re-tube). ...I was curious to compare the Line 6 emulation of a mid-70s Marshall to my own recorded tone. ... (That may have been due to the extensive wiring I did in my studio, but I'm willing to give credit if credit is due).

This Week in Rock

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-12-02T16:17:52-05:00

In the interest of getting this Blog more happening again, I thought I'd just post what's going on in the studio this week. ...Tuesday - Background vocal recording for Airial Down (Raleigh, NC), Podcast Recording, Rehearsal for The Cult tribute band Wednesday - Co-writing with Convergence (Chicago, IL), Mix Review for Serotonen ...Albums in heavy rotation: Day & Age by The Killers, Chinese Democracy by Guns N' Roses, & Zen Pause by Thierry David

No Podcast This Month

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-11-25T12:36:20-05:00

Well, as good as of an intention I had to complete a podcast or two this month, I didn't seem to get around to it. ...When I opened my studio last August, I took on a project that has ended up taking quite a bit more time than we all thought it would. ...While it's been an immersive experience, it has also been one that has taken away from my podcast and website. ...As last time, there will be a best of compilation of the podcast tracks available in the new year.

Convergence

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-11-13T14:42:29-05:00

Check out the new Convergence EP via their Myspace Page. I mention the record because I had a small part in the project. ... It was one of the first projects I completed since opening my doors last August. ...I'm sure they'd like for you to consider listening to it, too.

Unfamiliarity as Muse

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-10-30T16:00:57-04:00

Upon my completion of the studio, I decided to launch into one last writing period before picking up work on the next solo record(s). The latest problem with recording The Return of Spring is that, while the songs are very new to my listeners, most of them have been around for years. ...I'm more concerned about what I have to say and the way I say it rather than affirming it. ... Most of the people I've played it for can't tell the difference between it and any of my previous stuff.

Garrigan Bros.

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-09-22T10:37:40-04:00

If you follow the podcast, you probably are aware that they've been a bit late this month. ...I started playing a Genesis-esque synth line, Joe started the drum beat, Jay had some song fragments, I wrote a quick bridge, Joe named the song. ...I thought it would be mildly interesting to provide some insight into what really goes on at a show. There's a lot of waiting around, a lot of talking, a lot of bs'ing, and even more waiting around.

We Worked It Out

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-08-15T06:58:40-04:00

In light of the recent podcast, Murray and I have worked out our issues. ...The problem stems from my interest in things other than mere solo work. ... Not all of the projects with which I'm involved warrant an artist's mannequin as a mascot. Still, breaking into the studio, remixing "When I Was Five" without permission, and coppin' a major 'tude during the podcast seemed a bit gruff to me.

First Impressions

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-08-08T09:27:27-04:00

The full range Urei 809's that I'm using as my mains offered every bit of detail on the kick drum I recorded. The second thing I noticed was that I needed to pull out some low mids from the kick drum. ...The third thing I noticed was how great this new room is going to be to work in. ...There are still some odds and ends to work out (zero sealing the doors, a few cables, etc...) but, by and large, things are about done.

ADC vs. DVI

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-08-07T09:11:33-04:00

The cable that attached the monitor to the computer was an ADC (Apple Display Connector), which handled the DVI (Digital Video Interface), USB (Universal Serial Bus), and power applications for the unit. ...Bott ADC extension cable that would allow for the extra 10 ft I'd need to meet my computer tower from the monitor's new location. ...There are expensive "booster" and "repeater" options for the ADC connection, but those are nearly as expensive as a new DVI based monitor. ...I have no idea if it will work, but all tech support I've contacted have indicated that a 15 ft stretch shouldn't be a problem for a DVI connection.

Last Minute Promo

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-07-31T16:57:04-04:00

I don't publicize these as much as my acoustic shows (or the Athenaeum shows) simply because they're like loose cannons...not sure how they'll go off. ...The Gee Bee's is a band featuring my two brothers, Jay and Joe, as well as myself. We're trying to keep most of the material exclusive (you won't hear any of my traditional songs at this show). I've contributed two songs to the mix.

The Lost Art of the Mix Tape

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-07-31T07:57:11-04:00

And, if you wanted to have three or four tracks in a row from the same CD on a mix tape, you could program your CD player to play those songs in a particular order. ...I have a few “master CD’s” that my close friends have aggrandized, but they don’t get played as much as they would have if they were on a cassette. ...Most of the time, when I’m getting into the car to listen to a mix tape, I’ll start the car, back out, and not get cruising until at least a song into it. ...This mix would be mainly for my enjoyment, but it also would work fine if other people were around while it was on (there’s not a lot that’s offensive, too heavy, or just not right with these selections).

Digital Musings

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-07-30T10:31:35-04:00

If a studio is worth a damn, you’ll usually see some kind of class A pre amp in line (the ones I tote are the Avalon and Focusrite but other’s might include pre amps by Neve, API, or Summit). ...As I sit here and ponder what to invest in next, I have to wonder if convolution pre amps are too good to be true. ...It has four, transparent, clean, transformerless mono pre amps that can be colored to emulate 39 other pre amps, including a host of Neve’s, SSL’s, API’s, and other boutique pre amps that audiophiles love for one reason or another. Review after review, test after test, Pepsi challenge after Pepsi challenge yields a “we really can’t tell a difference” result, usually admittedly kicking and screaming that it just can’t be true.

Press

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-07-24T15:59:49-04:00

We got some decent press for our Blind Tiger show. It's good to still be getting good reviews. Enjoy! Click here.

Prep for Rep

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-07-23T14:30:46-04:00

If the project is on a tight budget, or perhaps just a "demo" quality is requested of the client, I am happy to offer an audio master. ...When an album is created, it is common that all of the tracks aren't tracked and/or mixed the same. ...It's a good idea, if you're using an entirely computer based system, to burn a fresh master with no other programs running and no internet connection active. ...The company I sent this most recent master to requested that no ink, what so ever, be on the master disc.

Live at the Evening Muse

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-07-22T15:24:39-04:00

In spite of perhaps 20 or so less than usually attend our shows at this venue, we had a great show. ...An analysis of that set helped me realize some of the vocal and guitar problem spots that I've been having of late. Holly thinks I over analyze things, but I'm almost positive that a thorough study of Thursday helped Saturday's set. ...Probably the only two surprising songs were "You All Everybody" (the Driveshaft cover) and "Sweeter Love," a song that we've only done a few times acoustically.

Console Day

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-07-21T22:18:08-04:00

The console I'll be using in the new room arrived today. I'm using an Argosy console--they make really nice looking workstations. ... I'll need to leave my gear out of it until all of the inspections and trim work have been completed. But, it was worth taking a day to put it together properly.

Live at the Blind Tiger

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-07-18T17:00:13-04:00

A Thursday night when VH-1 is running their latest Rock Honors show isn't the best time to play an opening acoustic set, but this occasion wasn't too bad. ...This set was the first time we played "Falling to the Ground," a song I wrote back in 2003. Also, "Baby, I'm Your Man" made it's first appearance in a club show at this set; we had played it at a few weddings. Also, we played the Driveshaft song, "You All Everybody" as a tag in to "See You Tonight."

Cloud, Part 3

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-07-17T14:23:52-04:00

Today, Chris hooked up the lights in the cloud. I am very pleased with how things look. ...I have some trim work to do next week, but the room is looking really good with the halogen lights. ...I like how the light brings out the subtleties of the fabric work on the front wall.

Pre-Production Rationale

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-07-16T15:53:59-04:00

Today, I spent a few hours listening to demos, home recordings, and studio out-takes of a band that I'll be producing at the end of August. ...Unless the band has been out playing lots of shows (a minimum of a month of straight playing and coming in to track right after that), having everyone play at the same time isn't usually the best use of time. ...Personally, I like how the Cure's "Fascination Street" goes on for a few minutes before the vocal appears, but that might not be what the band wants. ...Armed with a clear tempo map, event structure, and instrument list, a studio session is sure to go much more smoothly than it would if they weren't present.

Podcast is Up

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-07-15T10:43:46-04:00

It doesn't take too long to put these things together, now that I've figured out how to run Garageband and the H4 Handy Recorder. I had been doing a second stage of loudness maximizing up until this month. I liked what it did for the spoken word stuff, but the featured, mastered tracks ended up sounding a little too crunchy. I know the right way to think about podcasts is to think of it as a broadcast, but I want the quality to be as good as an mp3 can be.

Cloud, Part 2

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-07-11T17:31:39-04:00

Tony and Brian (the carpenters on this project) cut the wood in their shop in Durham, NC. It was productive to have two parts of a project going on; we worked off of the same design plan. ...For access to the ceiling utilities (lighting boxes, hvac return, smoke detectors, etc...) the panels easily pop out. Initially getting them into place was a little tricky, but once they are there, moving them isn't too hard.

Cloud

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-07-10T21:05:14-04:00

Alton Everest writes "glass fiber usually used in the acoustical treatment of audio rooms is in the form of semi-rigid boards... These semi-rigid boards of glass fiber do not excel cosmetically, hence they are usually covered with fabric. ...I'm thrilled to have spent the day with Wes working on the final acoustic treatment for the studio. The ceiling treatment, or "cloud" as it is called, involves the use of these itchy, smelly boards of fiber glass.

Half-Step Away

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-07-09T16:36:45-04:00

He said "Maybe instead of tuning down a half step, we'll start tuning up a half step from now on." ... Yesterday (July 8th), Mark asked me to sing some background vocals on his song "Calling Saturn." "Calling Saturn" is one of the eight tracks on Mark Kano's forthcoming solo album, which, is well underway in production. For fans of Athenaeum, this is a super-must-have-can't-wait-till-it's-out record.

Wall-E

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-07-07T12:36:02-04:00

I know this movie came out nearly two weeks ago (as I write this), but, I finally got around to seeing it. Wall-E (in addition to having one of the best websites for a movie, ever) was a really enjoyable movie for me. ...They are all obese from not having to work, or better, even do any basic life tasks--computers and robots do it for them. ...The voice of Wall-E was credited to Ben Burtt, who came up with all of the original, vintage sound effects in the Star Wars saga.

How To Change Guitar Strings

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-07-05T18:30:36-04:00

Also, you don't want to take the bridge off of your guitar (this is mainly for Les Paul models), although the ease of cutting all six strings a few inches from the bridge is tempting. ...If you are a metal player who does a lot of double bends and whammy bar dive bombs (I wish I had THAT gig), you'll want to use a gauge of 0.008 or 0.009. ...You'll want to check the string once through the tuning peg, wrap it around one half time, and then pull it across the head and away from the guitar. ...If you follow these steps, you'll notice that your guitar plays more in tune and that the strings have a nice twang to them.

Ribs

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-07-04T09:36:50-04:00

It's a fusion of a Memphis style rib preparation and eastern North Carolina mustard based ribs. ...No one is quick to give away their ratios, but most of these rubs consist of 50% sweet paprika, 15% brown sugar, and the rest is an oleo of salts, peppers, dry mustards, and powders. ... I tried a rub that was 50% paprika and 50% brown sugar and the result was decent...the ribs tasted as if they were coated in candy, but it wasn't the pizazz I was looking for. My rub for today's recipe consists of the sweet paprika, brown sugar, and equal parts kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, hot oriental mustard, celery salt, cumin, and cayenne.

On the Trail

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-07-03T10:24:02-04:00

But, I wonder if anyone really reads this blog anymore, seeing as how it's been about two months since an entry. ...One thing that I'm doing (again), which bares a mention, is that I'm training for my third marathon. ...The thing that made me want to run a third marathon was just the pure enjoyment of the race. ...I hope this brings my time up to a respectable level--we're shooting for 4 hrs and 30 min.

Home Recording Essentials

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-05-05T11:53:27-04:00

I’m not thinking that this would be a necessary investment for your home studio, but if you wanted to carve a niche for yourself, you could be the guy who only uses ribbon mics. ...Most platforms have compression and EQ “in the box,” but if you can get it right on the way in, that’s the way to print it. ...If you want to record electric guitars and don’t have a lot of room to make a bunch of amp noise, I’d recommend the Line 6 tone port DI. ... The tone port also comes in an eight-channel version, which, if your computer is fast enough, can double as a nice front end unit.

Song Craft - Random Musings

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-04-25T14:47:11-04:00

To my credit, I made at least one, if not two or three, “rough” demos of all of the songs on Gravity Affects Me. ...So many times, I’ve gotten in over my head in a recording situation to the point where recreating the song live would be a real challenge, even if a band is present for the show. ...So, before you begin your next elaborate recording session (either in your own home setting or in a professional studio), I’d encourage you to do two things. ... Even if you are bringing in session musicians for a “band style” recording, it’s always good to have a real comprehension of the material you are recording.

Floored

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-04-22T21:08:43-04:00

So, as a result of not using a drop cloth at any stage of construction, it took me a solid two and a half days (spread out over a week or so) to properly clean the subfloor. ...When that’s not possible, and your last row is in the middle of the floor, be sure to clean up any adhesive that is left over from the last row application. ...Initially, I was a bit concerned that some of the planks came together with a 1/32” to a 1/16” gap, regardless of if painter’s tape were used to hold it all together. ...Also, if you have an error, either in the amount of adhesive laid down or in how the planks come together, the time to fix it is two-minutes ago.

Minor Car Trouble

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-04-04T20:48:05-04:00

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had my 2003 Ford Focus in and out of the shop. ... As someone who barely understands what happens when the oil is changed, EGR and DPFE are indeterminate terms to me. ...Because the DPFE sensor had been changed out in October, naturally (and myself included) everyone who looked at the car made the wrong assumption that it had to be something else in the EGR system that was going bad. Whether it was unfamiliarity with the ZETEC engine, or just bad luck on my part, it took four separate trips (and days without a car) to figure out that the new DPFE sensor was malfunctioning.

Digital Musings, Part 2

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-03-28T12:34:04-04:00

Recently, I stumbled upon a great learning tool: Multi-Platinum Pro Tools, a DVD set that walks the viewer through a real, live 8-hr mixing session…all done in Pro Tools. ...I highly recommend the mixing session DVD to anyone who wants to improve his knowledge of gain structure, using plug-ins correctly, bussing, and how to get the best fidelity out of a computer based recording system. ... Most of my mentors, who learned on analog systems, would never have chained things together this way…MMPT works under the assumption that digital isn’t inferior than analog; it’s just different. ...Plug-in on OPTO mode (which behaves like an EL8 behaving like a LA-2A) or the BF-76 plug-in on 3, 5, and 4:1 with no more than 6 dB of gain reduction.

Technology Woes

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-03-25T10:50:23-04:00

Around the beginning of March, my wife and I began to notice a purple line running just right of center down our new iMac’s LCD screen. ...The draw back to this problem was that we recently did away with our older computer; which would have been a great back up in this situation. ...And so, after a short discussion with the repair store, I was back in the car going to get this new problem checked out. ...And, because I’m in a fantastic mood today, I’m not really upset with having to drive all that way to get my Mac fixed.

Return to Return

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-02-21T17:21:49-05:00

Things like pre-amp choices, compression ratios, EQ values, and mic selection, while relevant and important, can distract and subtract from an inspired moment if you think too much about them. ...What I've found effective is to lock in the rhythm of the bass and the kick (or low percussion); that is, play notes where there's a beat to connect with. ...The idea with this is that, once you get a sound that you like, you can simply focus on the performance of the vocal, rather than constantly worry about compression and EQ. ...After tracking and editing, (which took about three hours), I decided to make a rough mix to hear on my iPod an in my car, just to see how things would sound in the real world.

Digital Musings

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-02-11T16:14:04-05:00

Where in the analog realm, you might have the option of cutting or boosting at 1.2 kHz just a few db, in the digital realm you can change a sound much more drastically and at a greater level. ...Because digital is so accurate and the options are so vast, a wise engineer would endeavor to get the sound she is searching for my mic placement and artist performance first rather than immediately squashing, cutting, boosting, or limiting the signal. ...It would stand to reason that you'd want a moderately thinned out guitar that has some nice top, not a lot of bottom, and a carved out mid-section with enough presence to sound memorable but not too much so that it competes with the vocals and electric guitars. ... Knowing that the lows and highs of an acoustic guitar tend to converge where the neck meets the body, and knowing that a small diaphragm mic would scoop out a lot of the extremely low garbage frequencies, a much cleaner version of the “digitally tweaked” signal can be placed in the track.

gB's at Snug Harbor - 2/02/08

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-02-02T16:26:43-05:00

My brothers and I started playing shows as a band a few years ago. ...I guess between the acoustic shows at the Muse and the bigger shows at Amos' Southend, I haven't had much cause to play other shows. ...Half of our songs are less than two minutes long and involve some kind of humor, for better or for worse. ...At a past show, we switched things up, but it felt a little identity-less.

Mike & Mark @ The Evening Muse - 1/12/08

mgarrigan@triad.rr.com — 2008-01-22T13:37:51-05:00

Having been confined to the depths of my (former) garage over the last few months, it was refreshing to get out an play a show for a change. ...Older songs that hadn't been performed much over the past five years seemed to be a welcome addition to the set, too. ...We also know that drawing 100 people isn't a hard thing for us to do in Charlotte on a Saturday, despite rarely playing out much now-a-days. ...There's very little else more enjoyable than playing a set of your own songs to a room full of people who want to hear them.