The Creative Music Recording Magazine

Butch Walker
Pink, Green Day, Katy Perry, His New Album!

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King Britt
Sylk 130, Digable Planets, The Blacklist

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Ian MacKaye
Dischord Records, Fugazi, Minor Threat
Regan Sommer McCoy

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The Mixtape Museum & Hip-Hop History
David Gilmour

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As Producer; Kate Bush, Unicorn, Pink Floyd
Randy Kohrs
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Mic’ing Acoustic Instruments, Dolly Parton
D. James Goodwin
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Bob Weir, Kaki King, ECM Records

Jeff Larson
America; Archiving the ‘70s Group
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Gear Reviews
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New DAWs; LUNA & Bitwig, API’s The Box II,

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Gear w/ Tubes; Five Different Takes

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$ 5 . 9 9 N o . 1 3 8
A u g / S e p t 2 0 2 0
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 Hello and
welcome to
Tape Op
10
12
16
20
26
32
Letters
Regan Sommer McCoy
David Gilmour
Ian MacKaye
King Britt
Butch Walker
#138! In one week, I’ll be helming my first

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attended studio session in over three months.
38 Randy Kohrs It’s with one of my favorite long-time clients, and we’re
knocking out basic tracks for a single song; a short, simple,
46 D. James Goodwin
p a g e

focused day. But I’m extremely nervous. (If you’re reading this

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50 Jeff Larson & America’s Archives issue right now in 2020, you know the context and why. If it’s
2050, and you’re on some new version of the internet
54 Gear Reviews researching “ancient music recording techniques,” then do a
74 Larry’s End Rant little digging and you’ll see what was going on right now.)

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I’ve certainly been nervous about
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upcoming recordings before. Imposter

Syndrome sometimes rears its ugly
head, whispering in my ear the fear
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that the musicians will see right

through me catching my bluff, and the
session will crumble in front of me. Or
maybe it’s a date where I don’t quite
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know what to expect or prepare for,

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with people I’ve never met, and many

potential (unknown) technical hurdles
to overcome. Some days just getting But I’ve never entered a session where I’ve had to be worried about my physical health, wearing a fabric mask, and
my head in the right space to listen keeping as much physical distance from the clients as possible. Next week, I’ll be heading in early to set up mics,
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intently and guide everyone in the hoping to spend as little time in the same physical space as the musicians once they arrive. Surfaces will be constantly
room, all while getting sounds and wiped down with disinfectant. The coffee maker will be off limits. Everything will feel less “spur of the moment.” The
keeping an eye on the gear, can be a natural flow and actions that were once simple and unconscious will need to be carefully considered. I won’t even get
lot to prep for. to hug my friends as they enter the building.
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I place an immense value on collaboration and camaraderie in the recording studio, and putting up so much
distance and boundaries between us in the middle of what should be an open, free, and creative process is going to
feel very wrong to me. I know we’ll get through it successfully and with our health intact, but it feels so odd. I know
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we’ll create some great music, but I value the health and safety of my clients and myself more than anything.
I can’t wait to feel safe again one day, and I’m wishing the same
for you and yours.
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Larry Crane, Editor

The Recording Academy’s P&E Wing’s “Considerations for COVID-19 Safe Studio Reopening”
<www.grammy.com/sites/com/files/studio_guide_final_05282020.pdf>
 The Creative Music Recording Magazine

Editor & Founder

Larry Crane
Publisher &! Graphic Design
John Baccigaluppi
Online Publisher
Geoff Stanfield
CTO & Digital Director
Anthony Sarti

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Production Manager & Gear Reviews Editor
Scott McChane
Gear Geek at Large
Andy Hong

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Contributing Writers &! Photographers
Diane Bondareff, Scott Anthony, Rebecca Turner, Dave Williamson, Ian Brennan,
Garrett Haines, Olinda Del Mar, Elijah Torn, Monik Geisel, Dana Gumbiner,
John Radin, Dylan Ray, Justin Mantooth, Ed Hickey, Tom Fine, Kevin Friedrichsen,
Don Gunn, Tony SanFilippo, Jeremy Wurst, Ben Bernstein,

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Eamonn Aiken, and Mike Kosacek.
Editorial and Office Assistants
Jenna Crane (editorial copy editor), Jordan Holmes (reviews copy editor),

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Thomas Danner (transcription, online),
Maria Baker (admin, accounting), Jay Ribadeneyra (online)

Disclaimer
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TAPE OP magazine wants to make clear that the opinions expressed within reviews, letters, and
articles are not necessarily the opinions of the publishers. Tape Op is intended as a forum to
advance the art of recording, and there are many choices made along that path.

Editorial Office
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(For submissions, letters, music for review. Music for review is also
reviewed in the San Rafael office, address below)
P.O. Box 86409, Portland, OR 97286 voicemail 503-208-4033
All unsolicited submissions and letters sent to us become the property of Tape Op.
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Advertising
John Baccigaluppi
916-444-5241, <[email protected]>
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415-420-7273, <[email protected]>
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Subscribe online at tapeop.com

(Notice: We sometimes rent our subscription list to our advertisers.)

Subscription and Address Changes

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Can all be made online at <tapeop.com/subscriptions>.

Back issues can be purchased via <tapeop.com/issues>. If you have
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Please do not email or call the rest of the staff about subscription issues.

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Tape Op Magazine, PO Box 151079, San Rafael, CA 94915

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Tape Op is published by Single Fin, Inc. (publishing services)
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and Jackpot! Recording Studio, Inc. (editorial services)

www.tapeop.com
8/Tape Op#138/Masthead
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 You published a letter in I’m just a home recording musician, and I don’t have the
Tape Op #136 from a need (or money) for a lot equipment advertised in Tape Op,
disgruntled reader. He said but, over the years, I have bought many items based on
the focus on “celebrity reviews. I still have a Cables Unlimited USB hub that Andy
engineers” and high-end reviewed in “Gear Geeking” a few years back [Tape Op #80].
gear had taken your I also bought a pair of Monoprice’s [600800] large-
magazine far from its diaphragm condenser mics [#96] because of a review.
original purpose, but he Recently I purchased United Plugin’s FrontDAW plug-in
I have been quietly reading Tape Op since I was 19... couldn’t be more wrong. Patrick Carney’s interview in this that Mike Kosacek reviewed in issue #135. It worked just
now I’m 36. I create, produce, and teach audio issue puts the love of making records front-and-center and as Mike wrote! I also signed up with DistroKid, using Tape
engineering full-time. You have interviewed all of my contains a career’s worth of knowledge any recordist can Op’s 10% discount! I hope others will write and let you
production heroes. All the cool gear I know about is, in use. There’s a particular section, when discussing Jessy know that they support your advertisers.
large, because of Tape Op. Times may get hard for studios, Wilson’s Phase album that could launch a thousand hours Tony Houston <primetimeblues.com>
artists, engineers, gear companies (your sponsors), etc., of studio experimentation; a fucking wonderful distillation We hope so too! Please tell any advertiser (or non-
but I wanted to let you know how much I value the work of Patrick’s writing process. Listening to Phase while advertiser) that you read Tape Op, and that the reviews
you and the rest of the staff have been doing for so many reading, I could hear the fruits of Partrick’s labor; the and ads are useful. Our advertisers are our lifeblood; they
years. Y’all have been a resource. The interviews with the

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grooves are deep and locked in. I’m now imagining what help keep this magazine going, and are the reason we’re
people whose work I admire is inspiring, and has kept me I could accomplish by adopting his approach, if only for able to provide this resource for free. We’re deeply grateful
going when a career in music seems impossible. I hope I a few experiments, and am thrilled by the possibilities. for them, and for our readers! -LC
have the opportunity to read Tape Op another 17 years, How many similar artistic flights of fancy does Tape Op

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at least. Health is wealth now, and I hope you’re rich! launch each day? To think that Tape Op is sharing such Fantastic magazine, in every way. I’m loving the
Nicolas Hosford <[email protected]> wisdom with the rest of us – and that everyone’s allowed podcasts too: I knew almost nothing of Tony Visconti
to read it for free. I suspect you know just how invaluable [Tape Op #29] or David Bowie; I figured it just wasn’t my
I can’t tell you how important your magazine is to the
your magazine has been to recordists everywhere. Don’t thing. But I’ve listened to that podcast four times
education of so many of us. Now that we’ve had a little
through now. I’ve been selling a lot on Reverb.com,
time, I’ve been reading some back issues and I’m ever let comments like his make you doubt it.
whom I learned about from Tape Op. I always tuck an old
understanding stuff now that I

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Joel Handley <[email protected]>
Tape Op issue in the box for the buyer, and it’s always
wouldn’t have understood at the I thought it was typically brave and been well-received. In a word, “Thanks.” You rock!
time. The entire catalog of issues have been my unflinching of you to publish a letter [#136] in Axel Oberg <[email protected]>
textbooks. I never went to recording school and I never such a prominent place in this issue. I love Tape Op; have

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interned at a major studio, but there is so much so for years. I am a semi-pro musician who records in a I have enjoyed your magazine for many years. Thank
information here that helped guys like me make a solid project studio. Tape Op has inspired me over the years, you! I really don’t have much to say, other than keep up
career in audio. Thanks for that. It really is a gem. We and continues to be a source of wit and wisdom. I’m sure the good work. I own an analog/digital/hybrid studio
on
owe you a great debt of gratitude. many others will pile in to say similar things. All the best with a Neve VR60 Legend [console] feeding a Studer
Andy Reed <www.reedrecordingcompany.com> from Scotland. A820 [tape deck], plus digital gear. Not that you needed
George Falconer <[email protected]> to know that. I just mentioned it so that you know I am
I saw an interview with Lee “Scratch” Perry listed on
a true analog/hybrid fan. Again, thank you for your great
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the cover [#136] and wondered, “How did they possibly Just to let you know that I shall be continuing with my magazine. I always look forward to it!
get coherent answers from him?” Of course, the answer subscription to Tape Op, despite you not publishing the Karl Bingle <mission-control-studios.com>
was, “You didn’t.” So glad you published it anyway! It exact same magazine that you did many years ago when
was vastly entertaining. Keep up the good work. Hope I got my first issue, despite you sometimes publishing I always enjoy reading the letters section in your
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you guys are staying healthy. interviews with people I’ve actually heard of, and despite magazine, for it occasionally inspires positive critique
Michael Ross <guitarmoderne.com> you reviewing gear that sometimes costs more than $10, and debate. A few months back I responded to Doug
and doing so for free, because Tape Op makes me love Tourtelot’s letter (#134) regarding live sound mixes,
I really dug the dub issue [#136]. Perhaps I mentioned
offering some explanations as to why concerts sometimes
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to you before, the Island Revolution [Jamaican Rhythm music a little bit more every issue, even if it’s not music
from Ska to Reggae, 1956-1981] exhibit at the Experience I record or listen to myself, and because I’m not an sound awful, and I see that has generated a few more
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attention-seeking, sulky twat. responses on the topic of live sound mixes. We can blame
Music Project in 2001? They had Lee Perry’s console and
Andi Picker <www.thedustbowlaudio.com> “this or that” for a bad-sounding show, but in the end it
speakers on display. Greg Freeman [#1] and I stared at it
is an event that occurs “in the moment” and sometimes
for 45 minutes. It was very simple, and I learned a lot just Tape Op #136 was a gem to read. It was good to have that just doesn’t work out like we’d hoped it would.
by looking at it. There was a huge rotary switch kludged
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the Scientist and Amy King interviews back to back. Fortunately, we can learn from mistakes, and use them to
onto the meter bridge; a notched filter selector. It made Scientist made the case for going all digital, while Amy improve. To agree with Darrell Walker and Larry Crane’s
the phasing effects when you manually fooled with the explained what happens when the artists come to the responses (#137), “balance is key.” Not just in mixing,
knob. Stay well. studio where she does her best work. Scientist and Amy but for most aspects in life. Let us all work together,
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Steve Fisk <www.stevefisk.com> both made sense. That said, Amy did get me to tear up conquer this pandemic, get the venues open (when it’s
Check out the recent podcast I did with Steve at when she described how Gordon Lightfoot could bring a safe), fuel up the tour buses (or vans), and make some
<tapeop.com>, plus his interview in issue #3! -LC dozen people to tears with his music. I have been reading magic happen. Keep up the great work, to all of you that
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Tape Op for 20 years. This may have been the first issue make Tape Op an inspiration and a pleasure to read. You
John, Thank you so much for the Larry Klein interview.
I was impressed by his generosity in speaking so many
that moved me so much. a ray of sunshine
are well-loved by many, and
truths so humbly (especially the role of bass in a song),
Greg Knowles <[email protected]> in these somewhat dark times.
Stay positive!
Send Letters & Questions
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and touched by the way you got the interview! I loved it.
Jonathan Gerber <[email protected]> Andrew J Worzella <[email protected]
to: [email protected]
10/Tape Op#138/Letters/
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 There are a lot of levels going on here!
There’s a lot. The thing about it that’s even crazier is that
none of these tapes that were released were
documented. That’s part of the work I want to do with
The Mixtape Museum; to get as much information and
metadata as possible. Not necessarily sales, because
“selling” mixtapes is illegal.
Because the material on there has been
copyrighted by other artists.
But the impact! How many tapes did Jay-Z appear on
before he hit? Those are the things I want to look at,
because I feel like the mixtape and DJs have not gotten
their due.
People drop a mixtape as a “release” now.
Mixtapes are very digital now. There was also a certain
point – 50 Cent was one of the people responsible for
this – where mixtapes actually became like an album; a

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A frequently overlooked part of hip-hop history and culture, the story of the street album. You’d have DJ Whoo Kid – who was 50
mixtape deserves to be archived, preserved, and celebrated. Beginning with Cent’s DJ, as well as the DJ for everyone under G-Unit
cassette-recorded board tapes of early hip-hop club performances – featuring [Records] – he would put out a tape, but it would be all
innovative beat matching, scratching, and early rapping – and on to CD-Rs curated

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G-Unit artists, or all 50 Cent. It was a targeted
by tastemakers promoting new tracks to the world, the mixtape is an important promotion. So, now you start to see a hip-hop artist say,
document. Regan Sommer McCoy started The Mixtape Museum to promote this idea “I’m going to drop this mixtape.” First of all, there’s
and get the process moving. There are still many tasks to accomplish, but with her probably not going to be a DJ on it. And it’s probably
passion, connections, and knowledge this amazing part of culture can be cataloged just them – they’re probably using tracks that are theirs.
and understood for future generations. Using an older beat or something popular – a lot of

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What got you interested in the mixtape? accepted that it is my life’s work. There are so many
If you ask me what a mixtape is, the answer would be very people – DJs, hip-hop artists, historians,
different from some of my mixtape and hip-hop purist ethnomusicologists, and technologists – who are

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friends. My first entry point to mixtapes were the first interested in helping.
ones that I made in my bedroom, recording off the What was on these tapes?
radio. But in high school I started buying the mixtapes They were hip-hop compilations. Said DJ would have
that I cover in The Mixtape Museum. Those were the about 30 tracks, depending on the length of the tape,
on
mixtapes that were curated and dubbed by these DJs. and it would just be different artists. The better DJs
The DJ culture, in general, intrigues me. were blending from song to song.
Where did you buy them at the time? Like beatmatching?
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I grew up on 14th Street in New York City. At the end of Right. Ron G was really great at that. He was one of the
14th Street, on the West Side between 6th and 8th most notable DJs who mastered blending. He was
Avenues, there were these little shops. They were just responsible for breaking one of Mary J. Blige’s early
a hole in the wall, like a closet. Many were operated by songs, because he mixed it with hip-hop. DJs naturally
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Chinese and African vendors. You would walk into this want to go and find new music from different artists,
little room, and there would be walls of tapes; like DJ but, at some point, the record labels got hip to it and
Ron G or DJ Juice. DJ Ron G was the first mixtape I started really pushing music into the DJ’s hands.
Weren’t the tapes sometimes a record of a
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ever bought with my own money. There was Canal

Street – a huge venue for “bootleg” recordings, 125th DJ set from a club night?
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Street in Harlem, and Third Avenue in the Bronx. There Sure, that’s how they started. You had DJs like Brucie B,
were also other music stores around the tri-state area. Kid Capri, and others who were recording their sets at
The tapes were small, so you could pass them around, clubs live, and then making copies of them and
copy them, mail them, and stick them in your back distributing them on the street. At some point there
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pocket. My interest with the cassette is – because of was a pivot, where it was like, “I’m not recording just
my story and the things I’ve been exposed to living in my live sets, but I’m actually going to go home and
New York – I found that there are so many things on create a tape.” DJ Grandmaster Flash said he would sell
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these cassette tapes that are probably being missed. tapes for a dollar per minute. If you had a 120-minute
We don’t know where the tapes are now. They’re in tape, it was $120.
attics and in Nike shoeboxes in basements. Some of There were a limited amount of these
these tapes are more than 40 years old. Cassette tape being made?
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seems to be a very stable medium, more stable than Sure, and a limited amount of people who could afford to
some recent technology, but they are in danger of actually pay that. It became a status thing. If someone
deteriorating. It is terrifying for me. That’s why I spent was playing a tape from last night that was clearly a set
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the time locating them, finding the collectors who from the club that you may not have been able to get into,
have them, and trying to get them to dump as much you were like, “Oh, he was able to buy the tape.” If you
info as they can into spreadsheets so I can filter the had a shout-out on the tape, it was even more special.
information. It’s a search and rescue mission. I have You’d pay extra money to get a shout-out on the tape.
 times a freestyle over an older, well-known beat is a Some of the DJs were doing that. The hip-hop mixtape first approach for The Mixtape Museum; to actually go
good way to promote. People are familiar with the had different genres underneath. The Ron Gs and the and find the collectors. I didn’t know there were that
sound, and now they’re getting your voice and your style. Juices, who were really great and recognized for their many. There are tons of mixtape collectors all over the
Have you been able to figure out some of remixes, were considered hot shit. Then you had other world. People who have the original cassettes!
the gear people were using, as well as DJs, like someone like DJ Clue, whose primary interest Do you think part of the need for
how they duplicated the cassettes and and specialty was exclusive tracks directly from the mixtapes arose from, “There’s only so
distributed them? artist. People were flocking to his tapes because he had much time on the radio we’re
Jazzy Joyce, who is still a very active and successful female tracks that no other DJs had. He created a whole new hearing hip-hop,” or that you had to
DJ, on the Justo documentary, [Justo Presents: Mixtape mixtape genre. be at that specific club to see this?
All Stars, a.k.a The Mixtape Documentary], she talked There’s an art to both. Or else you were going to miss it. DJ mixes are like
about using a boombox with the double tape [decks]. Right. That led the way to a new thing. I’ve heard snowflakes. There’s not one that’s ever the same as
She talked about how laborious that was, because she arguments about, “Oh, DJs that were ‘exclusive another, even if you take the same DJ and put them
was doing it by hand. Later you had these machines that mixtape’ DJs are not real DJs.” I feel if things don’t on the same turntables at the same time. You’re not
could record from one tape to multiple tapes. evolve, they disappear. When I have conversations with going to get the same mix. That’s why it’s so
Right, tape duplicator machines. people who are like, “These aren’t real mixtapes,” I say, important to find the earlier tapes. They recorded
Then mixtapes were on CD. I have friends, like DJ Chuck “Well, they may not be, but we’re still talking about the beginnings of hip-hop. It could be in someone’s
T in South Carolina. Not only was he promoting his own them.” If we want people to know what mixtapes were, bedroom. It could be someone recording off the
mixtape series, but he would copy mixtapes for other then we need to preserve the history. radio. It could be someone freestyling at a club.

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DJs. He had this whole operation where he could copy The history of hip-hop starts with DJ One of the things I’d like to do is to start
thousands of mixtapes on CD. The whole process of Kool Herc and street parties. That interviewing people to collect oral histories and put
making a mixtape has gotten easier, in general. Now would be probably be almost these stories together. You had people showing up

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we’re just dragging and dropping music onto a Spotify unrecognizable to someone listening at a club, and they were just trying to get on the
playlist, so it’s different. to modern hip-hop. mic. “I can freestyle in front of this club full of
Have you found evidence of people Yes. I’m still locating some of the tape collectors who people, and, if I’m lucky, Brucie B’s recording this.
having low-budget, small home might have these tapes, but there are tapes of live He’s going to copy this tape, and it’s going to make
studios for making tapes? park jams – the earliest tapes possible. That was my the rounds.”

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R.S. McCoy/(continued on page 14)/Tape Op#138/13

This is an encapsulation of a lot of between the DJ, the mixtape, and how much promo the Could there ever be a way for people to use
cultural history. Do you think one of artist was getting if they weren’t on radio. As a result, The Mixtape Museum as a library
the biggest problems is that it’s almost he started the Mixtape Awards, which ran for a couple resource? It would be amazing to know
an “illegal” art form because of of years. He gave awards to DJs who were breaking where tapes have been dumped over,
copyrights? records on their mixtapes. Justo and I kept in touch and what songs are on it, and what artists.
I think even before that. You had the recording industry eventually started dating. Unfortunately, he was killed That’s what I would love. Years on, that model has kind of
really pissed off when people could record in their in a car accident. But it was through talking to him; he changed. I think it might be possible that some of
homes. There was that issue. had stories upon stories about the mixtape DJ culture these tapes could legally be streamed. There are
“Home taping is killing music.” from the beginning. I tried to take as much of that in technology companies, like Dubset Media, that have
Yeah! The recording industry is always late to get as possible. Had I known he was going to be killed in a created technology that scans streaming for samples.
something. When I was working on Clipse’s car accident, I would have recorded every conversation. The idea is, if I take this Doo Wop 95 Live and digitize
management team – which are Gene “No Malice” But that was the real catalyst for The Mixtape Museum. it, am I able to run it through the database, pick up all
Thornton and Terrence “Pusha T” Thornton, brothers He had so much knowledge, and so many DJs are so the samples, stream it, pay out royalties, and pay the
from Virginia – there was a point where we could not grateful for the fact that someone was giving them DJs for their mix? Is that possible? I’ve been having
put out any music, because Jive [Records] was taking recognition. People started paying attention. conversations with Dubset.
them to court. So, what do you do? You put out a It only helps the culture of the music, by Are there other institutions preserving
mixtape! This was the first mixtape that they put out, making it a focal point. hip-hop history and doing research?
called We Got It 4 Cheap, Volume 1. We worked with DJ It did. He did The Mixtape Documentary right before he You’ve got hip-hop archives popping up in places like

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Clinton Sparks. He used to own a website called passed away. It was interesting, because it was like a Harvard and Cornell. If these institutions do the right
MixUnit.com, him and Mike Rios. They sold T-shirts and mixtape. He and his friend Tytanic, a producer out of thing (and some of them are) and go to the correct
all types of music-related things. They also sold mixtape Harlem, did all the music for the documentary. Justo sources – the hip-hop artists, the DJs, and the people

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“covers,” since selling tapes is illegal. If you bought the was interviewing people in their cars, or whenever he who worked in the music industries – they will get those
cover, you got the tape for free. This was during the CD could meet them, and talking to them about mixtape stories. They won’t just get commercial stories based on
era. MixUnit had the distribution; people were coming history. Tytanic and I have been talking about doing a sales. They’ll get stories that are local, as well as smaller
to their site and buying mix CDs. While those were being second documentary; like a follow-up. Starting The pieces of the bigger puzzle. Cornell has a huge collection
pushed out, I actually had boxes in my apartment. I Mixtape Museum really was a way to record the history that I visited. It’s run by Katherine Reagan and Ben
thought, “What am I supposed to do with these?” I had that Justo talked about, as well as a way to honor his Ortiz. They have everything inside of Cornell’s Rare Books

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no idea. Clipse, at the time, were playing on the radio. history, because he affected so many DJs and hip-hop and Manuscripts department. I saw hip-hop artifacts
They were booked all the time. I hate the word artists. When he passed away, artists put out music next to a copy of the Declaration of Independence! Julie
“underground,” but they weren’t completely dedicated to him. Grob at the University of Texas has started the DJ Screw

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underground, so it wasn’t difficult to promote them and I’ve heard about the mixtape being a collection. DJ Screw was a DJ in Texas who did chopped
work with them. We never knew what it was to not have stopgap, “We’re not going to get this and screwed mixtapes on cassette. [Some of which
a label or a publicist behind us. I was spoiled. My friend, record done until then, but here’s featured the late George Floyd, a.k.a., Big Floyd, the name
Nancy Byron, who was a publicist for a bunch of DJs, the mixtape.” he rapped under as part of the legendary Screwed Up Click.
on
she said, “You’ve got to talk to this guy named Justo You’ve got to feed the streets. -ed.] There are others; I’m finding them. My friend, Kevin
[Orpheous Faison]. He lives in New York; he’s from How would you describe The Mixtape Kosanovich, started a hip-hop archive at William & Mary
Brooklyn. He’s the mixtape king.” I meet up with Justo Museum? I know it’s not a physical a couple of years ago.
place that I can go visit.
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and I told him, “Clipse are putting out a mixtape and I The Mixtape Museum could even be a
need to move these. How do I get it to the Canal Not yet. It’s online. There’s a website that’s not really resource, where academics say, “I
Streets, the 14th Streets, and the stores?” He made it fancy, but just informational. I’ve been doing the work need access.”
clear that he didn’t like Clipse’s music, but because I was behind the scenes. I’ve switched jobs and it’s freed up For research. Yeah. The Mixtape Research Database!
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nice and he liked me, he said, “I’ll help you!” We drove some real estate in my brain that I can actually There’s a description of what it could be on the website.
around in his Lincoln Navigator and he helped me dedicate to working on it. I do want to start putting my I’m also collecting “mixtape memories.” I scan Twitter
distribute those tapes. That first tape got Clipse so many plan into action and produce some tangible material. every day. If you search “mixtape” and “cassette,”
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great reviews, in [publications] like The Source and XXL. It’s taken me to Stanford [University] to speak, [The someone’s always talking about them. Or I’ll find a post,
The series extended our tour and we got another deal. College of] William & Mary, and to the AES Conventions. a picture, or a digitized copy of a cassette tape.
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So, the mixtape helped us move along when we were I’m on a fellowship at Columbia University; it’s pretty Someone’s always talking about a mixtape memory they
stuck in litigations with the label. Coming from cool that they’re interested in hip-hop and the cassette. have. Consumers, DJs, collectors, hip-hop artists…
management with Clipse, we worked hard, but it wasn’t Are you archiving tapes? Scanning covers whoever. I started doing short Q&As with some of the
like Clipse were up-and-coming artists. They were and dumping tapes over to digital? mixtape collectors that I have been working with. There
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established. We had Pharrell [Williams] making beats for Yeah, that process is starting slowly. There is one are a lot of things in the works. There’s a book, and all
us. But I really learned the power of the mixtape when collection; Tapemasta’s collection [Charles “Tapemasta” these other things that I want to do. I was born in ‘77,
we needed it, when we couldn’t put out any music. Emery]. It’s in Brooklyn. He has tapes from the floor to so I’m a little late to the game compared to some of my
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Was there new Clipse music on these CDs? the ceiling. Mostly hip-hop, R&B, and reggae tapes. I friends. I’m doing research and collecting new stories
There’s one original song on the second one, called “Zen.” met Tapemasta after Justo passed away. We’ve been from people, because I wasn’t there. It actually gives
The rest was Clipse freestyling over other stuff. It turns trying to find out a way to process his collection. He’s me an interesting perspective. People say, “Oh, you
out Justo was one of the early record promoters; one of really the guinea pig. I learned SQL at my last job and weren’t there at the beginning of hip-hop.” And I reply,
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the people who the labels went to to promote records. was a database manager. I thought that a database “No, but you were. Tell me about it!” r
They paid him to push music out to the DJs. But instead would be the best way to connect some of these
<mixtapemuseum.org>
of him just focusing on vinyl, he was one of the first collectors, and also to collect metadata from all these
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people to say, “Hey, I know all these DJs who are tapes. Right now, I’m just trying to gather this
putting out mixtapes. Let me promote the music
specifically for mixtapes.” He saw the correlation
information. “What generation is this tape? How many
dubs? Two dubs after the master, or 15?”
www.tapeop.com
Bonus content online!!!
14/Tape Op#138/R.S. McCoy/(Fin.)
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 The second half of the 1960s saw a
dramatic shift in the way albums were
recorded, not only technically, but artistically as
the roles of producer and musician morphed into
new conduits for freedom and creativity. As artists’
perceptions of studio sessions shifted from
documentation to a blank sonic canvas, production
roles grew from staff positions at record labels
managing budgets and scheduling, to that of
advocates helping artists realize the creative
possibilities of multitrack recording. Musicians
themselves were now assuming the role of producer.
David Gilmour
The Artist as Producer: Unicorn and Kate Bush
Outside of being a member of Pink Floyd (and co-
producing their albums with the group), by Scott Anthony, with Rebecca Turner
David Gilmour’s career in the control room has photo by Dave Williamson
included projects for artists ranging from
the Sutherland Brothers & Quiver to

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The Dream Academy, but he first found himself
serving the creative genius of Pink Floyd’s founding
member, Syd Barrett, on his solo albums,

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The Madcap Laughs and Barrett.
Later, Gilmour became a major catalyst in launching
the career of legendary singer-songwriter Kate Bush.
Bush’s first album, The Kick Inside, includes “Them
Heavy People;” a song about Gilmour as an inspiring
mentor and his advice to trust her inner vision as a

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young artist in a rough business. But before that, he
produced several albums for a young, UK band called
Unicorn. With a sound that blended British folk and

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American country rock, Unicorn’s lilting yet unique
melodies, sense of humor, and tight harmonies gave
them both a traditional and forward-looking feel, but
a wider audience eventually eluded them.
on
Late in 2018, Omnivore Recordings released
Laughing Up Your Sleeve, 20 previously unissued Unicorn
demos from 1973 to ‘74, produced and engineered
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by Gilmour in his home studio in Essex, with David

even playing pedal steel on the beautiful “Sleep
Song.” I had the privilege of mixing and mastering
these recordings, and during this process
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I developed a growing list of questions about how

Gilmour achieved such stunning quality at his home
studio on eight tracks (drums occupying only one
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track) and using only headphones as monitors.

I recently posed these questions to Gilmour, along
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with Unicorn bassist and co-producer

Patrick Martin. Gilmour’s responses were
characteristically laconic (see sidebar), but my wife
(singer-songwriter Rebecca Turner) and I were lucky
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to catch up with Martin in the UK and talk further

about his experiences working with Gilmour, as well
as on Kate Bush’s demos in the summer of 1973. I
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prepared for this conversation with a Spotify playlist,

choosing a few songs from Laughing Up Your Sleeve, and
then moving (mostly chronologically) through the
Gilmour demos. My playlist starts with David’s 1978
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self-titled first solo album cover version of Unicorn’s

“No Way Out of Here.” Then there are four Syd
Barrett songs that he produced in ’69 and ’70, and
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Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold.” <https://spoti.fi/37F75gD>

David Gilmour met Unicorn at a wedding, and asked to sit in on David Gilmour and Pat Martin
“Heart of Gold” with you guys. Was there anything else you Looking Back at Unicorn’s album of early demos,
played together at that event? Laughing Up Your Sleeve
No, he just asked if we did that. He came up to me and said, “There are numbers out
there I didn’t recognize. Are they original songs?” And we said, “Yeah.” And he said, The drum recording on the demo multitrack tapes for
“Do you do ‘Heart of Gold?’” And we didn’t actually do it in the act, but it’s something Laughing Up Your Sleeve sounds terrific to me. Very well-
we all jammed on. He asked, “Can I come up if you’re going to do that?” He came balanced and an excellent tone, all on a single track.
up, we did it, and at the end he said to me, “Give me your phone number.” He didn’t David Gilmour: It was the Brenell 1-inch, 8-track machine, but I’ve no memory of
say why, but I gave him my number! A week later he phoned me up and said, “I just the mixer.
had this studio put in my house. I wondered if you guys wanted to come and put Did you use a single microphone?
down some of your original songs so you can demo them. It’s new and I’ll be Pat Martin: Not single; each drum was close mic’d. An AKG D12 in the kick drum,
experimenting, but I won’t charge anything for it. Do you want to do it?” No, why with a pillow to dampen. I’m not sure if overheads were used. The kit wasn’t in a
would I want to do that? Get lost, you nasty man! [laughter] So, we all turned up booth or screened off.
there with a van for the gear, pulled up out in the back, and he said, “You can bring DG: I think I only had a few mics. Some AKG D190 dynamic mics, the AKG D12, and
in what you like, but do you want to have a look at what’s in here? You can use any a couple of Sony ECM-21s that I might have used as overheads and for vocals.
of it.” I walked in the room, and he’s got them hung up on the wall like that… Jesus. How much drum recording as an engineer had you done
A ’60’s [Fender] Strat, a ’53 [Fender] Telecaster, and a Fender P Bass! “Yeah, okay. going into the project?
DG: My experience as an engineer was zilch, but I’d been working with and

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We’ll use those.”
Those will do! watching some of the best at Abbey Road for years.
He had two [Fender] Twin Reverb combo [amps]. He’d changed the speakers in them Was there a mixer or EQ involved?
from the Fender speakers to Celestions; he preferred them. Bass I DI’d. There was a PM: Yes, a mixer was used.

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Wurlitzer electric piano in there. I remember it was an American one, because he had Anything you would like to add about recording a singing
a transformer to knock it down to 100 [volts], because we’re at 240 [volts]. There drummer?
was a lovely maple Ludwig kit, and he said, “Pete [Perryer, Unicorn drummer and main PM: He was only singing guide vocal here and there, and in the cans, so we knew
vocalist], you can use that.” At Christmastime we’d done some live BBC Radio where we were.
[appearance], and David had said, “Do you want to take the Ludwig kit? Sounds I’m pretty sure the demo bass was recorded direct.
PM: Yes, and Wurlitzer piano, I think.

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better than your Trixon.” So, Pete borrowed it, and I think I phoned David up to say,
“When do you want the kit back?” I happened to mention, “It’s Pete’s birthday.” And Can you tell me briefly about the guitar recording setup?
he said, “Tell him to keep them. I’ve been wanting to get a Gretsch kit.” I went ‘round PM: They both used Fender Twin Reverb amps with Celestion replacement speakers
to Pete’s house. Pete was one of 12 children, and it was like bedlam in his house. He and [they were] close mic’d. I can’t remember what mics.

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was still in bed, and I said, “Hey mate, you’ve got a Ludwig kit.” He said, “What do Vocal setup?
you mean I’ve got a Ludwig kit?” I said, “David’s given you the Ludwig kit.” And he DG: A mic and cans…
went scratching, “Have I woken up or...?” [laughter] All Pete had to do was buy some Was the rest of the band also using headphones, or listening
to the room?
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cymbals. That’s the sort of guy David Gilmour is.
Back to the playlist... we’ve gone from Gilmour’s productions PM: Yes, headphones.
for Syd Barrett into meeting you guys at the wedding. I Sonically, the progression from demo to master is easy to
tucked in Monty Python’s “Gumby Theatre.” You’d follow. At the demo stage, what were you going for?
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mentioned Gilmour played that during a session, as an DG: The production ethos was just to help the band get it as close to their idea of
icebreaker. it as possible, with as little interference as possible.
It wasn’t just the “Gumby” thing. It was a matter of watching Monty Python again, with the Mael brothers, Sparks, with “This Town Ain’t Big Enough for the Both of Us.”
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after a day’s recording that had gone really well. His girlfriend [Ginger Hasenbein] We met Muff and he was a really nice guy. Because Steve Winwood was one of our
cooked us a meal. I remember meatloaf – I’d never had meatloaf before. She was band’s heroes, we spent a lot of time talking about how great he was and everything.
American, his first wife, Ginger. It was before she was his wife. We had that and I remember one time Muff got fed up, and he said, “He can’t write words you know!”
the strange-smelling cigarette we puffed. David had this early version of a video [laughter]
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recorder and played Monty Python. When you see it the second time, you spot RT: Did Gilmour say a lot, or was he a man of few words in
things you hadn’t seen the first time. I think he was laughing so much at the way the studio?
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we were laughing. A magic moment. I can picture the room and everything. He has Oh no; he didn’t force anything on you. He’d make suggestions, but as he said on his
a great sense of humor. notes on Laughing Up Your Sleeve, he wanted to make it the best possible version of
Toward the end of the Unicorn tracks on the playlist, I how we wanted it. I remember once – I think it was when the Too Many Crooks album
included Unicorn’s original version of “No Way Out of
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was nearly finished and was at the mixing stage. He always used to phone me up to
Here.” Then there’s a Steve Miller track included from Fly find out what Ken [Baker, Unicorn guitarist and songwriter] was thinking. He was
Like an Eagle. going off on a tour and he said, “I’ve gone to the States. Ask Ken what he thinks –
Yeah, he really liked that album. I’d like to take the tapes with me and mix them while I’m using the studios out
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Rebecca Turner: Oh, “Rock’n Me.” there.” So, I phoned Ken up and he said, “No way. I’m not having my songs done
He liked the feel of the album. One of the things he pointed out to me that he liked, when I’m not there.” Ken and Pete were like that. “No, you’ve got to be there when
as he told me, “It’s nothing they’ve gone to town on. They’re just playing.” your music’s being mixed.” Definitely Ken – you probably noticed that there’s not lots
The Unicorn song, “British Rail Romance,” is next on the
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of reverb and echo used on them. They’re pretty dry; Ken hated “productions.” He
playlist because David produced half of that album [One wrote most of the songs, so he got the final say. In fact, what we used to do when
More Tomorrow]. we were mixing them, Ken and Pete would go off somewhere, play pool or go to the
He produced about four tracks. He basically finished it, and EMI Harvest [record label] pub, and me and David would be sitting there. He’d get to a certain point and then
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said, “You need a single.” The managers said, “We need someone that’s had success say, “Go and get them.” [laughter] I’d find them in the pub. They’d come in and say,
making singles.” They asked a few people. Muff Winwood was interested. He’d had “Yeah, that’s all right. But can you do this, this, and this?” That’s how it worked.
some massive hits, but with people like the Bay City Rollers. He also had a big hit
D. Gilmour/(continued on page 18)/Tape Op#138/17
 Something else that I was wondering wanted to do some demos with her.” He said, “Might not
about with the recordings from be any money, but you’d be helping her out.” We said,
Laughing... those demo versions you “Yeah, great.” Me and Pete went up there and she turned
and I mixed: were those mixed back at up. She had long, dark hair and was slim – she looked
that time? like a schoolgirl. She said, “I’ve never played…” All she’d
I don’t remember ever having any mixes from there. I don’t ever done was play in her bedroom. Her brother had
even know if they were mixed. recorded her on a cassette player. She’d never played
It was more of the practice of laying it with musicians before. She said, “I don’t know what to
down and figuring it out? do.” I remember she sat there at the piano and I was
Yeah; putting original songs down. He must’ve done some next to her – I felt like her dad. We said, “Play it like
rough mixes, because he played them to [Pink Floyd’s you’re in your bedroom and we’ll play along.” David set
manager] Steve O’Rourke, and then he phoned me up up some sounds. Pete was on David’s new Gretsch kit,
and said, “I played the songs and he’d like to offer to because Pete had his kit. I didn’t even take a bass; I used
be manager.” We spoke to Steve and he said now he one of his basses. It’s me on bass, Pete on drums, David
wanted to do it. Rather than go to the record company on guitar, and her on her upright piano; the one that on
and have them pay for the recording, he said that he Laughing Up Your Sleeve was slightly out of tune.
and David would pay for the recording in proper studios. Oh, yeah. What Unicorn track was that?
Then we could get a much better deal with the record Um… was it “The Farmer”?

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company, because they didn’t have to pay for the It was.
recording. I know that when it came to an end, when What was really nice was when “Passing Through Air”
we got called into the office and they said, “There’s came out years later; she sent us a check, me and Pete,

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nothing we can do with you anymore.” In fact, Steve for 100 quid each. And at the time neither of us had
didn’t even turn up. He sent his assistant manager in any money. I think David told her manager, “You upset
there. I was the only one married with kids, and I those guys. They did it for nothing.” I think we tracked
remember saying, “Oh. Well, we’ll have to share out the four, maybe five songs. We listened to it and she was
money.” He said, “Actually, you owe us some.” We were knocked out. She kept thanking us. The next time I saw
on a wage at the time. “But we’ll give you a wage this her was when we were recording [Unicorn’s] One More

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week, and that’s it.” Tomorrow in Pink Floyd’s studio in Britannia Row. She
RT: Wow. came in there to see David about something and he
Yeah. We walked out of there, went for a coffee, and we sat wasn’t there; she was a bit nervous. I said, “The

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there. Pete said, “I can’t understand why nobody said keyboard player in Floyd [Richard Wright], his keys are
anything.” I said, “Well, you didn’t say anything either, all set up in there. Do you want to have a look at it?”
did you?” We were so stunned. We thought we were going She said, “Oh, yes.” I took her in there and she had a
to be talking about making the next album. While we’d light go on different sorts of keyboards. Then David
on
been in there, he played us a punk record by The Damned. came in and she saw him about something. I didn’t see
He said, “This is what people want now.” He said, “What her again. Then she had the hit [“Wuthering Heights”].
do you think of it?” I said, “It’s awful.” I don’t think David I was watching her on the telly, and the guy was
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had anything to do with it. It was quite a blow. Our music interviewing her, saying how different she was. She
was so old-fashioned, really, by the time. Someone asked said, “I’d really like to thank a band called Unicorn.” It
us about going to America. I was keen – even my wife was just after we’d got the sack. It was strange. I never
was keen to going. And [then] that was it. spoke to her or saw her again until Ricky Hopper, the
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Around this time,in 1973, you and Pete guy whose wedding we played at, died, and me and one
were invited to play with Kate Bush on of the roadies were going to the funeral. At the time, I
her first visit to David’s house to track had a job as a mobile library manager driving a big
demos.
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truck of books around little villages. Wonderful job. I

The only one that she released was called “Passing Through was talking to one of my customers when she phoned,
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Air.” It’s the B-side of “Army Dreamers.” That’s the only and my assistant said, “He’s busy at the moment. Who
one of the songs we did that I remember, because it is it?” She went, “Who?!” So, I said, “Oh, hi, Kate. Long
came out later [in 1980]. time no see.” She said, “Yeah. You’re going to Ricky’s
How did playing with Kate come about? funeral, aren’t you? Can you find out for me who the
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David phoned me up and said, “Would you and Pete like to funeral director is? I’m not going to come, but I want
come up?” Our tour manager was this guy named Ricky to send some flowers.” I said, “Yeah, I’ll do that.” We
Hopper; he’s the guy whose wedding we played at when talked a bit. She said, “What are you doing now?” I
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we met David. When we signed with David and his said, “Mobile library manager.” She said, “Oh, what a
manager, Ricky became our tour manager. He was a very lovely job.” I said, “I can still see you walking into that
brainy guy. He had a friend at university, and he said, studio. You looked really nervous.” She said, “Nervous?
“He’s got this sister. She’s only 15, and she’s like Joni I was bricking it.” It’s an English term for sort of...
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Mitchell. She writes these songs.” He was always on RT: Shitting bricks?
about it; I didn’t ever hear any of it. He obviously was Yeah. We chatted a bit and that was it. My assistant looked
having a word with David about it, and David said, “All at me in a different way for the next couple of weeks! r
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right, get her to come to the studio.” Then he phoned Scott and Rebecca share the studio Storybook Sound in
me up and said, “Would you and Pete come up to the Maplewood, NJ, with their two cats, Bella and Tito.
studio? That girl Ricky keeps on about is coming in. I <storybooksound.com>
18/Tape Op#138/D. Gilmour/(Fin.)
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 Ian MacKaye and I have been friends for over 20 years, ever since I convinced him and the band he was
in, Fugazi, to come and play at the “Food Not Bombs” 20th anniversary free show in San Francisco (with
Sleater-Kinney and the late Vic Chesnutt). The band’s only concern with trekking across the country for
the show was whether anyone would actually show up. Police ultimately estimated the crowd to be around
15,000 people; the largest audience the band ever played for. Fugazi was arguably one of the only
successfully DIY bands to have stuck to their guns and never sold out. Relatedly, Dischord Records – the
imprint Ian and Jeff Nelson founded in 1980 to release recordings by their band, The Teen Idles (and soon
after, Minor Threat) – is more than just an important “punk” label. It is one of the most focused and
curated independent record companies of all time, and deserves to be spoken of in the same breath as
important American record labels like Chess, Sun, Sugar Hill, and Arhoolie.

Ian MacKaye
Recording as an Artificial Exercise

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by Ian Brennan

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What was your first recording experience? 4-track studio called Hit and Run [Recording] a couple mid-‘80s. We had Kevin [Seconds] singing in a small
It happened on the first day I ever played bass with of times in the spring of 1980. We weren’t particularly toolshed in the backyard. I always enjoyed messing
someone else. This would have been in the spring of happy with the results, and that led us to Inner Ear around with vocals and thinking of different approaches
1979. Geordie Grindle, the guitarist in The Slinkees – Studio in the late summer of ‘80 to do our first session to record them. Though I started as a singer, and not
our first band – had a little Panasonic-type cassette with Don Zientara [Tape Op #8]. We continued using a an instrumentalist, in Fugazi singing became so
deck that we used to record our first attempt to write boombox [after that] to record Minor Threat practices. attached to playing guitar [that] it was really a
a song in his parents’ basement. We tried a variety of I can’t remember the make, but it was an excellent deck challenge to figure out ways to pull off natural
cassette recordings for The Slinkees and Teen Idles’ with stereo mics and adjustable input levels. We didn’t performances when I was just standing in front of a
practices, and eventually The Teen Idles went to a have a PA at that time, and I was singing through a mic. I used to play the guitar unplugged while doing
guitar amp with less than desirable results. It was vocals to try to get the timing and feel right.
useful, in terms of getting a sense of the vocals for a What other approaches have you
song, but it was shitty-sounding and the feedback was developed related to recording vocals?
pretty unbearable. We developed a method of recording During [Fugazi’s] The Argument, after we were done and
practices with clearer vocals by taking the boombox up had tracked and mixed, one of the songs kept really
the basement stairs and recording the band from a bothering me. I didn’t like my vocal. We’d [worked
distance while I would sing directly into the deck up on on] the song for a year and I knew it pretty well,
the stairs. It took a little tweaking, but we were able to inside-out, but I wasn’t happy with the performance.
make relatively balanced recordings that way. Even It was almost like I had started on the wrong foot or

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Fugazi would practice without vocal amplification in something. I was agonizing over it because we had
the Dischord House basement. One way we would work already mixed everything, including that song; it
on vocals was to put our heads up in the rafters (it has would’ve been difficult and expensive to go back into

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a very low ceiling) to sing. I could hear myself up there. the studio to try to recreate the mix, as we weren’t
When The Teen Idles and Minor Threat first recorded at working with an automated desk. I had a rough mix
Inner Ear, we would initially track the instruments and of the instrumentals that we had done and I was
then overdub the vocals. We were still trying to figure singing along with it in my room, and, in doing so, I
out how to record, and would often end up tracking realized what I had done wrong – where I’d screwed

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songs over and over. It made sense to hold off on doing up, in terms of the performance. I took this rough mix
the vocals so I wouldn’t blow my voice out. The first CD to Don and said, “Hey, can you put this into the
punk band that I ever heard that had done the vocals computer? I’d like to sing along with this so that I
live were the Bad Brains at Inner Ear. There was a demo can give the guys an example to show them what I

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tape floating around; that would be released decades think I missed.” I sat at the mixing desk with him –
later as the Black Dots album. When you listen to this just the two of us – and I did the vocal. It came out
tape, there is a quality of how they are moving from really well. In fact, it’s the version that ended up on
on
song to song that is unusual. There is a moment during the record. The rest of the album had gone through
the recording where you can hear somebody yell, “Can painstaking mixes, but this particular song was just
you hold it for a second?” I often wondered what was me singing into a [Shure] SM58 along with a rough
going on, so I asked Don and he told me that the Bad mix. What I came away with from that experience was
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Brains wanted to record live, like it was a gig. It wasn’t that sitting at the desk next to somebody really
just that the vocals were done live. They wanted to play forced me to perform. It was awkward, and that
through their set in one pass. They only had to stop awkwardness created a little bit of tension and
once because a string broke or something. I asked Don energy. After that experience, I got really into the
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where H.R. [Paul Hudson, a.k.a., Human Rights] stood idea of doing vocals that way. I’ve tracked vocals at
for the recording, and it turned out that he did the the desk with a number of people in the control
vocals in the backyard! [laughter] Inner Ear was in a room, and found that there is something so
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small brick house where Don and his wife, Juanita, lived immediate about it. I don’t have to use headphones,
with their two young daughters, Emily and Katie. The so I don’t feel quite so divorced from the process. I
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band played in the rec room in the basement, which just face the speakers to hear myself. We don’t have
was filled with children’s toys, and the control room was them cranked, so I don’t get too much bleed. Don and
in a little side porch on the first floor. Don eventually I tried putting the speakers out of phase to see if we
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moved the control room into this tiny boiler closet in could cancel out the signal by sitting directly in the
the basement, but not until 1981. To pull off the middle, but that never worked. Still, it doesn’t really
outside vocals for H.R., Don ran long extension cables matter if there is some bleed. What really counts is
ganged together for the mic and headphones. When the performance. Recording is already an artificial
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you listen to the 4-track [tape], on the vocal track, you exercise; you’re in a weird laboratory making a
can hear cars go by and cicadas buzzing. At one point facsimile of a live performance. At least this way
you can hear people clapping, because there were little some drama might be added to the proceedings! I did
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kids that had seen this crazy punk guy dancing it when I recorded John Frusciante’s DC EP [Tape Op
frenetically around the backyard with headphones, and #61]. John was really startled by the idea at first, but
they couldn’t hear the music he was dancing to. It was he gave it a try and it came out great. Another nice
just him going, “Ka-cheg-uh, ka-cheg-uh.” It was thing about doing the vocals at the desk is that the
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weird, for sure, but completely successful in terms of people are sitting right there; I can turn and ask them
getting good separation. I did the same thing on one what they think without having to deal with a
of the 7 Seconds sessions that I did at Inner Ear in the talkback mic. I don’t have to experience the
I. MacKaye/(continued on page 22)/Tape Op#138/21
 Did Fugazi ever record entirely live? What are some methods you use to create
No, but Minor Threat did. The first two singles were “the sonic illusion”?
overdubbed, but the Out Of Step 12-inch is 100% In the studio, one way is trying to create the sensation
live, in terms of the vocals. In fact, the recording of that people might have had if they’d seen these
the song “Look Back & Laugh” is the first time I’d musicians in a live setting. With a really loud band –
ever sang that song. We had never rehearsed it with like with Fugazi where we’d often have a big PA and
me singing. I had practiced singing along with a Marshall amps – it’s crazy that you are trying to create
cassette in my room, but never sang it with the band something that will have the same impact for people,
until we went into the studio. That was the first take, but instead through the little shelf speakers, a
and it felt right. The other members of Minor Threat boombox, or earbuds. The physical properties of the
were crack musicians, so it wasn’t rare for them to sound delivery system can’t compare to being in a
nail something on a first take. I stood in the hallway room filled with people all focused on, and energized
under the staircase with the washer and dryer, and I by, music. It’s a whole other visceral experience. And
did the vocals while the band was in the rec room [at yet here we are trying to evoke that power from these
Inner Ear]. [Minor Threat’s] “Salad Days” 7-inch was very clinical settings. Consider the way drums are
also recorded live. I actually have an hour-long usually recorded: They are parsed into ten or fifteen
recording of the session, and you can hear me different slices, treated and EQ’d, and then put back
singing every take. together. It means the drums are not considered an

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Tell us the story about the only time you instrument, but instruments.
were paid to produce a record. Plural.
I started helping bands record in 1981. I was going in Many. You’re not just putting one mic on them like with

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the studio with bands that I knew, because I became an acoustic instrument. I fooled around a lot with
a good interpreter between the bands and the that; ways to record drums that wouldn’t be quite so
engineer. I became the go-between. One band, Follow surgical. Fugazi would try to record the way we played
Fashion Monkeys, said afterwards, “We should pay live – loud – and it usually didn’t end up sounding
you.” It had never occurred to me to be paid. I had that way on tape. At some point I realized that if you
never been paid. I said, “That’s alright. Don’t worry turn the amp down really low with the same overdrive

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about it.” They said, “That’s crazy. You were here for – and then turn it up on the board – that often worked
three days!” I said, “I did it because I wanted to be better. I got interested in playing at lower volumes
at the session.” They said, “Well, at least let us give and trying to use texture for effect rather than just

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you… $50.” Finally, I acquiesced. I may have even blasting it out. The mics weren’t receiving it anyway.
taken them out to dinner with the money. And that’s They can’t feel the power of that vibration beyond a
the only time I’ve ever been paid as a producer. That’s certain point – and, by turning it down, the impact
it. [laughter] And I have produced – I don’t know – often reminds me more of a really loud guitar.
on
like a hundred sessions. Hundreds? A paradoxical effect.
Let’s say “lots.” I think so. I don’t always do it. In terms of feedback –
When I go into the studio, it’s like I temporarily become which Fugazi used a lot of – we obviously had to use
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a member of the band. It’s very intimate. People are volume, but we experimented with volume. To really
trying to make it sound like they think it should create texture, you don’t want everything at the same
sound. Which is funny, because a lot of the time level. You really need a lot of different tones and then
people have no real idea what they sound like. They see how they blend.
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think they sound like one thing, but they actually How do you feel about digital and, more
sound like another. It’s in these situations that specifically, the corrections that can
something new is created, and what the particularly be made?
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good ones really sound like is “innovation.” Musicians I am put off by highly-processed recordings, so you can
Ian and Don Zientara have to solve the problem of self-consciousness. It imagine the agony I am in with a lot of the current
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can’t be fixed through the studio. You have to be bold. records. So much comping and Auto-Tuning! It starts to
weirdness of singing without being able to see
Many times, an artist’s strengths are sound like robots playing music – I have a hard time
anyone, or having no idea what they’re saying behind
totally accidental. The genius is not feeling the humanity in it. I am heavily invested and
the glass. [laughter]
conscious. interested in the truth. Given that recording already
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Or if they’ve left the room!

That’s really what I try to do as a producer: make bands stretches the truth, using technology to cover up
Worse; you finish a take and see them talking, and then
sound like themselves. Interesting bands that aren’t reality, or what actually transpired, seems such a shame
they finally come over the talkback and say,
necessarily good players often make the mistake of to me. Write a good song and then take it from there.
”Yeaaaaaah… it was okay.” It’s like, “If it was ‘okay,’
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spending so much money going to the most expensive You often talk about “strife” playing a
then what the fuck were you guys talking about?”
studios and getting lost in the recording process. part in the recording process.
[laughter] Doing it in the room with them makes you
They’d be better off just doing it in their basement. When bands come into the studio, fault lines often
part of the conversation. For me, it was really
That way they could make sure the essence of what appear. If they’re heading for a breakup, then there’s
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liberating. Of course, I understand that it is a

they are getting at is there. Ultimately, it comes down a good chance that’s when it’s going to happen. If
compromise, in terms of quality, but sound quality
to the music. A great song can survive a bad there are disputes about arrangements or a song, with
isn’t really a serious issue if you have a good song. I
recording. Always. But a bad song? The better the practices or shows there’s always another practice, but
would much rather have a good song and great
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recording, it only gets worse. Especially when you get the studio is “the moment.” Recording is the snapshot
performance with compromised sound quality than a
into the almost pornographic nature of digital that is going to live on. If certain issues have never
shitty song with perfect audio fidelity.
recording. Full exposure! been settled, then these problems have to be solved
22/Tape Op#138/I. MacKaye/(continued on page 24)
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 in the studio. The studio usually produces what is thought of as “the definitive version”
of a song. This is ironic, given how many times that song will be played if the band tours
or gigs a lot. Think about a song like “Waiting Room” – the first song on the first Fugazi
record. For most people, that recording is the definitive version of the song; but it was
recorded in May 1988, and, at that point, we’d already played it hundreds of times at
practices and shows. We then continued to play it, and it continued to evolve for the next
14 years. In my mind there were so many versions of “Waiting Room” that transcended
the one on the record, which obviously is static, frozen in time. Bands are engraving their
songs into something permanent when they record them, so things can get emotionally
crazy. Of course, great records can come out of that kind of tension – especially when it’s
clear that the band means it and that it’s serious. Especially when they aren’t thinking
commercially, but rather about “making it right.” When you’re in a band with four people,
there might be four “rights.” That’s what makes for a great record; when people can figure
out how to cover all of those bases. It’s that diplomacy, working together, that creates
amazing pieces of music.
How do you contend with what you call the “digital infinitive”?
Digital recording is not infinite, but one could go on adding almost as many tracks as one
wanted and have multiple versions. I was talking with a friend who is a fashion

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photographer. She told me that she shoots digitally now and does maybe one- or two-
thousand shots per session. I was shocked and said, “My god, that’s a lot.” She said, “Not
really. In my industry I am thought of as being quite conservative since a lot of people

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shoot ten- or twenty-thousand pictures!” Fugazi did a number of photo sessions with our
friend, Glen E. Friedman. He would shoot on film; it would be surprising if we went out
for an hour and he shot more than ten or twenty photos. In his mind, the limitations that
were in place – the cost of film, 36 exposures on a roll – forced the artist to compose and
find the right shot. He’d compose in the camera. We’d stand somewhere, he’d look in the
camera for a little while, and then he’d say, “No,” so then we’d go stand somewhere else.

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Then he would look for another 30 or 40 seconds and say, “Nope. Let’s go somewhere else.”
Glen knew what he was looking for, or at least he knew how to recognize it when he saw
it. With digital recording you don’t have to make as many decisions at the beginning. You

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don’t need to commit, and options are the enemy of decision. Though I have often claimed
to be “anti-option,” it’s probably too strong a term. Mostly it’s just fun to say. [laughter]
What I’m really trying to communicate is the importance of commitment to a moment or
an idea. When I first started recording with Don, I remember running into an issue with
on
not having enough tracks on the 4-track and telling him that he should consider getting
an 8-track. He said, “The only difference between 4-track and 8-track is when you make a
decision.” I said, “What do you mean by that?” He said, “If you have 4-tracks, you have
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to decide whether you want backing vocals ahead of time. Once you bounce parts down
together to another track, you can’t take one off of the tape later.” With 8-track, you make
the decision sooner than 16-track. With 16-track, you have to make a decision sooner than
a 24-track. But now, nothing has to be decided, ever. In theory, the digital-infinitive
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means the decision can be delayed forever. This “freedom” ultimately nudges people away
from the highest calling, which is to write a good song.
To commit.
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The thing I am most interested in is the higher version of music. The one that was around
before the recording industry. That deep, connective form that takes over, not one, but
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two senses – you hear it, but also feel it. It touches us emotionally or spiritually. Synthetic
and artificial recordings put an injunction in against that connection. Before, only the
fanciest studios could do the really manipulative tricks; but now every kid in America can
edit like crazy. Like the weird photo filters that you can do now on your phone. People
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shouldn’t think of imperfection as a failure. Perfection isn’t perfect, and I don’t want the
straight lines. I want the confusing collision of ideas and performance, and for all of these
imperfections to come together into one distinct whole. r
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<www.dischord.com>
Ian Brennan is a Grammy-winning music producer (Tinariwen, The Good Ones, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott,
Ustad Saami [Pakistan], Zomba Prison Project) and author. In the past decade, Brennan has
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produced 27 records by international artists from three continents (Africa, Europe, Asia) which have
resulted in the first widely-released original music albums from many nations, among them
Rwanda, Malawi, South Sudan, and Vietnam. His fifth book, Silenced by Sound: The Music
Meritocracy Myth was published in September 2019 by PM Press.
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24/Tape Op#138/I. MacKaye/(Fin.)

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 It’s 1970, and a man runs a respected You were born and raised in Philly, and spent a lot
barbershop in inner-city Philadelphia. One day his of time in the barber shop. Tell me about that.
five-year-old son asks him for a timeslot to DJ for When I was five years old one of my first jobs was to play records for
the patrons. (He also wants to borrow some everyone who came in. The whole neighborhood comes into a
records). Most might’ve laughed at the request, but barbershop – mostly men. Not only to get their hair cut, but it’s an
not this father. He and his wife value art, education, entire experience. Watching the game, listening to the newest
and hard work, so he agrees to the plan. records, and talking about lady troubles… general men talk. My

King Britt
Philadelphia is about to get one of its youngest DJs, father would take me to the record stores every Friday to get all the
and the music world is about to get King Britt. The new releases. I learned there were times to play certain songs. Maybe
young man’s adventures continued, often bordering you needed to make people relax, or get people talking. Some guy
on the fantastic. From Philly, to clubs in Europe, to comes in stressed out from life, I would put on [Martha and the
“If you want it bad the big screens of Asia, King Britt is nothing if not Vandellas’] “Heat Wave” or some Jackson 5 song, and it got people
enough, you’ll find a way the patron saint of talent, faith, and persistence. in a joyful and celebratory state instead of being negative or getting
to make it work.” Even from the time we started this interview until its angrier. That was my first experience observing how music can affect
submission, he has had four new releases, inked a people’s emotions. I also learned about various styles of music. My
by Garrett Haines scoring deal, and began a professorship. Tape Op dad was all funk and soul music. However, at home, my mother was
photo by Olinda Del Mar caught up with him in his Philadelphia laboratory, not all jazz and jazz vocalists. And she was friends with Sun Ra.
far from the barbershop where it all started.

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Didn’t he say he was a spaceman? sixth grade, I had a teacher, Mr. Fell. Every Friday we Your whole life, you’re collecting and
Yes, he was a pioneer. He lived all over: Alabama, New would do music appreciation. This was in southwest respecting records, and these guys are
York, and Chicago. He moved to Philly in the late-‘60s. Philly, which is still pretty rough today. I had a great grinding the stylus into them!
His group, the Arkestra, moved into Germantown here childhood. I had everything; toys, an Atari, you name Not just scratching; they were manipulating two records
on Morton Street. When you’re five, six, or seven, Sun it. But the neighborhood was on the fringe of madness while keeping the breaks entirely in time. The breaks
Ra is too much, from a musical standpoint. However, sometimes. In the early 1980s, gang wars were an issue Jeff was using? Billy Squier’s “The Big Beat” and Rush’s
visually, it was mind-blowing. To see black people in Philly. There was the mafia in south Philly, and “Tom Sawyer.” I was screaming, “These are rock records
running around in costumes, looking like superheroes, everywhere else were these little gangs. I mention this I love!” They’re incorporating them differently, and out
and making this otherworldly music; it blew my mind. because my mother was adamant that I did not go to of necessity. That’s how hip-hop happened. Philly has
That was the first time I ever saw a [Moog] Polymoog school in the neighborhood; she made sure I went to some of the best DJs in the world.
[synthesizer]. Owen Brown used to play with them. school downtown. You apply, and you get bussed. Do you think that’s a result of the block
You were young, but had an eye on Luckily for me, James “J.T.” Taylor’s (the lead singer of party phenomenon?
a Moog? Kool & The Gang) grandma lived in Philly. She would These were battles, and the bar was high! With Jazzy Jeff
It wasn’t until the ‘80s that I noticed Owen Brown and drive myself and her niece, Yvette, to school. For three and Cash Money? Right away, those guys were the
the Moog. My mom didn’t believe in baby sitters. If years, I went to Albert M. Greenfield Elementary. Mr. standard, and if you wanted to DJ you had to compare
there was a show, I was going with her. When I went Fell’s class changed my life. This was the first time I got to them. Even if you were going into techno or house
to high school, it was: school, work, shows. Homework to focus on other music that was not funk, soul, or jazz. music, your technical skills had to be on point.
was easy. I was a good student and got that done. In The kids downtown were predominantly Jewish. They Obviously, we didn’t have the tools, software, or other

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were bringing in Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, and Billy things that we take for granted now. But not having
Squier – music I hadn’t heard. Zeppelin and The Police access to everything, and needing to be unique, sparks
blew my mind because of the drums. [John] Bonham innovation beyond measure. In New York all they had

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and [Stewart] Copeland were beyond anything thing I were turntables, a microphone, speakers, and
assumed drummers could do. Keep in mind, this is manipulating vinyl – that birthed hip-hop. Now 100
before what we know now. Hip-hop had started in New miles southwest, we had Grand Wizard Rasheen [David
York, and some people were passing around tapes, but Roberts] and many talents battling neighborhood by
I was too young for that circle. Meanwhile, I was neighborhood. And it was free!
What did they do during the
bringing in Michael Jackson and Heatwave.

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You mean Rod Temperton’s band, Pennsylvania winters?
Heatwave? They started doing gymnasiums and the YMCA. Fresh
Yes, the band. I was bringing in Parliament [-Funkadelic], Prince and Jazzy Jeff would play my high school.

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and those kids were like, “Whoa!” I also gravitated to Getting back to new records, the Kraftwerk single made
Yes, Rush, and King Crimson. I know people call that me wonder what else was out there that I needed to
“math-rock,” but it was jazz to me; just different hear. I would go to Third Street Jazz [record store]
instrumentation. In high school, I met like-minded every Saturday, and sometimes we would skip school
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individuals. We would go to shows on our own. At 13, because two or three test pressings might be coming
I was allowed to go to shows. I loved the math-rock, in. Today, kids use the internet to get anything – we
but… PUNK! A friend of mine, Doug Bennett, goes had to stand in line. If Depeche Mode had a 12-inch
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under the name Dr. Israel. He lives in Brooklyn, and he’s coming in, I cut school for that! I know this is going
big in the reggae dub scene, but back then he was a to sound bad, but no one could get these records, so I
punk rocker. He was in my homeroom in ninth grade. began to tape them and sell the tapes at school. We
That’s how I got introduced to the Dead Kennedys, were kids. We didn’t have money, and people couldn’t
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Trained Attack Dogs, Black Flag, Fishbone, and Bad even get a copy of the music, so that’s what we did.
Brains. I couldn’t believe what Fishbone were doing. Cassettes got me thinking. As I was making those
Bad Brains were incredible. HR [vocalist Paul “Human tapes, I started to experiment with loops. We would
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Rights” Hudson] later moved to Philly. At that time, take a breakbeat. Say it was Harvey Mason from Carole
seeing black punks was unique. It was well before Afro- King’s record, Fantasy. We didn’t have drum machines,
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punk. It was rhythmically insane. Tenth grade was the or access to samplers, but we had some of these world-
turning point; I was into punk and rock. Still into jazz, class drummers, and we made “pause tapes.”
but keeping that more at home. I was rebelling when I Could you explain for those who haven’t
was out. My best friend’s sister was in the Army, and dealt with that?
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she brought home a 45 from this band, Kraftwerk. We called them pause tapes. Play the beat on one tape,
There was no Amazon, no internet. No record that on the other deck, pause it, and rewind the
way to obtain that easily. source beat. Play it again while lifting pause, and now
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She was stationed in Frankfurt, and she brought the you have a beat that is twice as long as the original. I
single for their track, “Autobahn.” I was like, “What is had friends who would come over and rap over the
this?” Simultaneously, hip-hop started to explode. In breaks and music beds we would make. I was making
Philly this meant block parties popping up. People were breaks that nobody else had, because I had all these
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out in the streets, getting together and jamming to jazz and rock records. I was familiar with so many styles
tunes. I’m very close to Jeff Townes [DJ Jazzy Jeff] of music that I could draw from. I had been listening
now, but back then I didn’t know him and I was always to everything. I didn’t have the money for a Fairlight
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at parties he, or Jerome “DJ Cash Money” Hewlett, [CMI sampler], but I did have two cassette decks and
would run. That was the first time I saw a DJ a turntable.
manipulating vinyl in front of an audience. Where did it go from there?
K. Britt/(continued on page 28)/Tape Op#138/27
 The Yes album 90125 came out; a rock album that used I know! Then they said I needed to get a PortaStudio. How difficult was that conversation?
samples. I wanted to know who this producer, Trevor Tascam PortaStudios; the real gateway Well, I had the record and showed them the contract, and
Horn [Tape Op #89], was. He changed my outlook. What drug. my parents said, “Go for it.” Me and my
I was doing may have been perceived as a side thing, I know, right? [laughing] I would record the drums, friend, Dozia [Blakey] went over. I got to Tower Records
or a club thing, but the Yes album showed there was a sequence other parts, and build demos on the 4-track. in London in Piccadilly – I went in and asked to transfer
bigger horizon. For people who don’t know, the minds By today’s standards it was basic, but back then it was to their store. However, it wasn’t meant to be. I was 18,
behind this – Gary Langan, Trevor Horn, Paul Morley, not something many people could do without going to and I had no idea about work Visas or any of the rules.
Anne Dudley, and J. J. Jeczalik – were in the studio a big studio. Right out of high school I got a job at I came back, and we were doing house records. I met
fooling around with all the sounds and the Fairlight CMI Tower Records; the job had benefits, and I got to work Butterfly [Ishmael “Butterfly” Butler, Tape Op #109]
sampler. They came up with what would become [the in music. The Tower store was big, with floors for each well before Digable Planets. He came into Tower looking
group project] The Art of Noise. They took a scrapped genre, and they had a separate store across the street for something, but didn’t quite know what it was. I told
drum riff and sampled it into the Fairlight. This might to hold classical music. My boss said they wanted to him he wouldn’t find that at our store, “But come to
have been the first time an entire drum pattern had start selling more 12-inch dance mixes, and they my party and I’ll hook you up.” I was spinning at a
been sampled into a machine. “Moments in Love” needed me to choose the stock. I became the 12-inch place called Silk City – my first DJ solo job. It was hard,
became a Philly anthem! It was released on ZTT dance buyer. Richie Hawtin and Carl Craig were starting at first. The neighborhood was industrial and not yet
[Records], and people noticed. Then beatboxing blew out; no one outside of this small circle knew their built up.
up because of break dancing. It was the right time for names. Now they’re world-renowned. They were sending It sounds like you were about to break
all of this to hit. test presses and promos… it big.

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Did it make you crazy that you couldn’t Promos you can’t sell, so you have no One day, a friend of mine was opening the new Betsey
get your hands on the tech they had? choice but to take them home. Johnson store in Philly, and Betsey was down from New
We were getting close. The E-mu Drumulator came out. It Don’t tell! My collection is insane. I saved and bought a York to check on the progress. They brought Betsey to

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was E-mu trying to take on that Roger Linn LM-1 [Drum [Moog] Minimoog. I saw Herbie Hancock after I got his my show, and that was the tipping point: word got
Computer]. We would go to a record store, a place Sunlight album. I wanted to buy every keyboard on the around that Betsey and her friends had a good time. To
called FunkO-Mart, and they actually sold Drumulators. back of that record; he’s my hero. this day, it is one of the best clubs in Philly. I told
I needed to get a Drumulator, but they were about $200 Record credits would sometimes list the Butterfly to come, and he was like, “I don’t have a tape
or so then. [That’d be $600 today. -ed] It wasn’t crazy synth the person played as their deck.” He needed to make a copy of his demo tape. I
money. I had a summer job, but for a city kid, that’s instrument, rather than “keyboards.” invited him over to my house. He came over, and the

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still some money. However, the big thing that came out That’s how we learned. You wouldn’t know what was out tape is Digable Planets’ demo. And I’m like, “Dude!
was the Casio SK-1. It was $99. Christmas came; my dad there without those credits. The first time I heard a What is this?” It was jazz, [Jimi] Hendrix samples, and
paid half, I paid the rest, and I had my first sampler. Fender Rhodes, I was like, “What in the world is that? more. The demo was different than how the album

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Your parents are amazing! How is that sound made?” The Minimoog I bought in ‘88 [Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space)] came
Tell me about it. That Casio SK-1 still works. I had it is still here. Since Tower had turntables, they would sell out, but it was mind-blowing. He went to New York and
modified; now it can do glitches. I sampled kicks, their old ones when they replaced or upgraded them. I eventually secured a deal. He called and said, “King,
drums, this and that. I sampled water running, got these two Technics SL-]1200 [turntables] for a very you have to be in the band.” I didn’t want to, because
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anything. I was trying to make it work and see what affordable price. At this point I was obsessed with Tears I was doing house and new wave. I’d never thought
happened. I was a junior in high school, and I was for Fears – The Hurting, Songs from the Big Chair, and The about being in a hip-hop group. He was cool about it.
heavy into Depeche Mode and Scritti Politti; these Brits. Seeds of Love – to this day. Going through the credits, I One day he said, “We have to perform in front of Ruben
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It’s jazz, but alternative dance, with guitar. I’m asked, “Who is this Bob Clearmountain [Tape Op #129, Rodriguez.” He needed a DJ. Rodriguez was the head of
thinking, “Anything from the UK is cool.” There was a #84] guy?” I wondered how a mixing engineer could Pendulum Records, through Elektra [Records]. At this
show, “Rock Over London,” that was simulcasted here have such an impact on the result. I moved to a new point, I had blonde locks with reddish rust double color.
on Sunday nights on WXPN. I would stay up listening place, and it was so small that I had to use the Ruben signed the group on the spot. They were
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on my Walkman. I had my head under the covers – I neighbor’s bathroom. I didn’t have room for a bed; I had insistent that I join the group – at least for the tour.
was supposed to be asleep; it was a school night. Or I gear everywhere. I couldn’t stop working. I sampled the There is a documentary called Unsung: Digable Planets,
would be recording it. They mentioned this thing called intro from Tears for Fears’ “Mad World,” some African which covers a lot of this. I didn’t do the production; I
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“sequencing.” I wanted to learn what this was. Head Charge, put a drum loop on it, added a bass line, was just in the band as a DJ. It exploded, and we didn’t
Jamaaladeen Tacuma, now a famous bass player, is a and that became E-Culture’s “Tribal Confusion.” I sent it come back from the tour for two years. By 1994, we had
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mentor to me. We both worked at the mall. He was to Strictly Rhythm [Records], who only had two releases finished playing with Sade, and my wife became
playing with Ornette Coleman at the time. At lunch, we at that time. And [label head] Gladys Pizarro said, “This pregnant with our daughter, Summer. I had to leave the
would talk. He and my friend, Earl [Johnson], said, “You will do great in Europe.” So she signed it. At the same band to be home. They got Jazzy Joyce to DJ; they were
need to get the Yamaha QX21 sequencer.” time, Josh Wink [Joshua Winkelman] and I had just met. in good hands. On the techno side, Josh blew up. We
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How did Earl know this? He had a drum machine and a keyboard; he wanted to teamed up to start Ovum Recordings. In 1996 I did Sylk
He’s a producer. He discovered Pink, who is from collaborate with me and learn production. 130 [When The Funk Hits The Fan]. It was an homage
Doylestown, PA, 30 miles north of Philly. He was all When I was a kid, we would form a band to my parents, who were on the record talking. My high
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over the latest technology. Earl told me it had this based upon who owned what gear! school friends are on it. [I included] as many musicians
thing called MIDI, and that I would need a keyboard Totally. This is before I owned a [Roland TR-]808. I said to as I could. The second album [Re-Members Only] was in
that also had MIDI to control it. My other buddy, James Josh, “Let’s do this together. We can call it E-Culture.” 2001. I did it at Larry Gold’s [“The Studio”], which is
Poyser, was also working at the mall. He sold me his We didn’t do drugs, but we were talking about the acid MilkBoy now, and had Alison Moyet [Yaz], Martin Fry
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[Yamaha] DX100; the small version of the [Yamaha] house scene and kids doing “E.” But we meant the [ABC], Kathy Sledge [Sister Sledge], Grover Washington
DX7. James went on to work with Adele, Erykah Badu, culture of “Everyone.” It blew up when we were in our Jr., and De La Soul – all my ‘80s heroes!
Mariah Carey, John Legend, Lauryn Hill, and you can senior year of college. We started to get offers, and Josh How did you approach all of those artists?
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also see him on NBC’s [The Tonight Show Starring went to Europe and did well. He came back and said, Take Alison: A good friend of mine, Andrea Parker, her
Jimmy] Fallon as a member of The Roots. “King, you’ve got to get over here.” I had to talk to my manager, Claire, was also Alison’s manager. I contacted
What was in the water in Pennsylvania? parents about dropping out of Temple [University]. them in the UK, saying I had a track that was perfect
28/Tape Op#138/K. Britt/(continued on page 30)
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 for Alison. Claire explained that Alison never did guest Yeah, but we remember how we used to do it. [laughs] I think people need to hear how a
spots but told me to send the demo and she would at Back then I was sending this all to DAT. Now, for musical career can take so many
least present it. I got back to Philly and a week later, remixes, we have the multitrack if we need it. For directions.
I got a phone call, “Hello, love. This is Alison.” And I Donna Lewis, I had the a cappella DAT [digital audio Hopefully all good ones!
knew it was her; that voice is so distinctive! I covered tape] and the music separate, so we’d manipulate it Certainly. How did director/producer
the phone and I screamed. Alison has only done three from there. I’d put the beat in with the MPC, John Michael Mann hear about you?
or four guest spots ever – but she loved the song. would cut the vocal to fit the beat in the [Roland] W- I was in Miami for a conference, and I got a call from
Sony Records flew her to Philly. In the studio, she was 30 [sampler], and everything was MIDI. We would have Michael Mann’s secretary. I thought it was a joke. They
sitting down with the mic like this, to get that deep been using [Emagic] Logic. I’d come up with a bass were working on [the film remake of] Miami Vice. The
sound. [King sits on a stool and crouches into a ball, line, and I would bring in a player, depending on the original Miami Vice sounds were revolutionary, in how it
almost eating the microphone.] Jon Smeltz was the groove. On keys I had Mark Boyce, who plays with G. used music to provide impact to a visual medium. RZA
engineer. He was looking at me like, “What’s going Love now, and Jafar Barron on trumpet. We sent it to [Wu-Tang Clan] was supposed to do the soundtrack, but
on? Is this how she wants to do this?” And she Donna; she’s such a nice lady. When she won at the schedules didn’t line up. She asked if I would score a
crushed it. One take. Grammy Awards, they played our mix when she took few scenes for Miami Vice – some short underscores. I
And the others? the stage. What we made is so “Philly.” Paula Cole’s agreed and sent them over. My manager and I flew to
Martin Fry from ABC: My friend, Mark Bell, was living in people heard it, so they called and asked for a remix for L.A. to meet with Michael Mann. He said he’d heard the
Blackpool, England. He was friends with Doc Martin; “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?” That lead to Sister Gertrude Morgan album [King Britt presents Sister
the DJ, not the shoes. Mark grew up with Martin, and “Father Lucifer” by Tori Amos. I did the best work I Gertrude Morgan]. His wife collects Morgan’s art, and

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he made a call. I was concerned because the track was could with what gear and interface I had. there was an NPR piece talking about Hurricane Katrina
funky as all get out. Martin flew to New York and took Did you even care about that? Like the with our music underneath. Michael had heard this
a train to Philadelphia. It was like a music video; he way people obsess now? driving in his car. Next thing you know, we’re in his

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appears on the escalator in this gold suit. He went in, Here’s the thing. Coming up the way we came up, you office. Then he played scenes where they’d taken my
and he killed it. start with a Tascam PortaStudio because you can’t music and set it against the video – he’d already
What about recording gear and afford to go into a giant SSL room. Recording into the temped it in.
instruments? computer now? It sounds too good. I’m trying to How did you react?
The equipment I’ve collected up to that point, which was degrade sounds, trying to get grit and hiss. There was I just stood there. What could I do? He showed me three
’96 to ’97, is pretty much what I still use today. Moog a character to the imperfections of the chain. People scenes. “Could you bring the same vibe to these?” I

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Source, Minimoog, [Roland] PG200, and a ARP Solina played in the room, or they worked on composition. called Tim Motzer to play guitar and co-produce. We did
String Ensemble. I had a Mac Classic running Master That’s what made the records. I have so many remix those three scenes and submitted them. They called
Tracks Pro from Passport [Designs]. I had a Casio FZ-1 stories, and there is so much, in terms of what back, asking for four more scenes. We ended up doing

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sampler. I saw Towa Tei from Deee-Lite had it. I changed. I did a remix for The Revolution. After their ten scenes. Michael called again about a Rolex
thought, “If he’s got it, I have to get that.” The FZ-1 tour, Wendy & Lisa traveled here; it was like therapy commercial in Hong Kong. Then Ridley Scott’s people
had this gritty sound I liked. Later I got the Casio FZ- for them. Prince had just passed, and they needed to called. Now I am doing music for Guinness and NBC’s
20 rack mount. The whole Sylk 130 album was all that, do something creative. The Blacklist. It just goes to show, the more unique you
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plus a live band. What about this modular synthesizer you are in your sound, the harder it is for them to copy you
This is for When The Funk Hits The Fan? have behind you? – sound-a-likes won’t cut it. If you rely on plug-ins and
Yes. Also, I worked with a producer named John Wicks. I Well, I’ve been scared to get in to modular. I mean, it’s presets, anyone could do what you do. Be unique. r
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learned everything I know about production from John great, but where do you stop? The new generation who
Wicks. When it comes to working with live musicians, grew up on computers, they are learning that you need After our interview, King released four more projects. He also
mic placement, and all of the tech; John changed my to grab a knob and get instant results. I will always love accepted a post as an assistant teaching professor at the
life with that knowledge. He had a place called Third analog. However, I also love digital because of the University of California, San Diego. His courses focus on
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Story Recording; it’s one of the oldest studios in Philly. speed of editing or mobility. I was traveling, and it Electronic Music Production and Audio Recording Techniques.
That’s where we did the first Sylk 130 tracks. allowed me to work. On a plane, I have an iPad and an King splits his time between California and Pennsylvania and
What about remixing? iPhone and I’m working. I use headphones by AIAIAI. continues to create, no matter where he is at any given
The first remix was for the British artist Donna Lewis. The Do you use headphones for production? moment.
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song “I Love You Always Forever.” The remix went on All the time. I use the AIAIAI when I’m traveling, which <www.kingbritt.com>
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the album, and it went triple platinum. Johnny D at is a lot. When I’m in the studio, Beyerdynamic DT 990
Garrett Haines masters at <treelady.com>
Atlantic [Records] liked Sylk 130, and he hired me to are my go-to. The Fhloston Paradigm record [After] was
do a the “Sylk 130 remix.” all mixed while relying on them.
Can you talk about your source material We can’t admit that. Tape Op is made
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for a remix in the 1990s? We can! If you want it bad enough, you’ll find a way to possible by our
We only had an a cappella and instrumental [mix]. It was make it work. It’s why I like those Mackie speakers. advertisers.
not like today, with stems and editors. I had to program Many people have them; I know where the bass is on Please support them and tell them
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everything in the [Akai] MPC – it took hours. Now I can those, and I know when to stop. But being able to you saw their ad in Tape Op.
do it in Ableton Live in a few minutes. I’m using Sugar work on the plane is essential. International flights
Bytes’ Egoist [software] for a remix for harpist Mary are long. Tendai Maraire, who is in Shabazz Palaces, he
Lattimore. I was able to cut the harp parts up into and I went to Zimbabwe to do an album based on his
www.tapeop.com
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hundreds of elements in about 20 minutes. dad’s work. His dad is Mbira master Dumisani Maraire;
However, without the years of doing it the long way, I he brought the mbira to the US. When Dumisani died, Bonus content online!!!
wouldn’t have the knowledge or perspective. I cut up a he left his masters to Tendai. We worked on a remix
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song different than a younger engineer who has never album. That’s when I met SassyBlack [Tape Op #128].
done it the long way. She saw me using [Ableton] Push, and I guess I
The new generation has a robot do it. pushed Push on her.
30/Tape Op#138/K. Britt/(Fin.)
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Butch Walker
The Best Job in the World
by Geoff Stanfield

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photo by Phil Chester and Sara Byrne

 For the better part of three decades, Butch Walker favorites growing up. It was always public knowledge elaborate garage, but it is still a garage, my studio
has simultaneously been a rising and continuous that he was the writer, the composer, produced here in California. It’s just a big fancy modified
presence in music-making. From his early days in the everything, and played all the instruments. I loved garage. It’s a one-room setup, and I like it that way.
late ‘80s glam metal band SouthGang, to Marvelous 3 that. I didn’t know if I was ever going to hold a All of my toys are always within reach. I can grab
candle to what someone like a monster musician and something and it’s already mic’d up, plugged in, and
in the ‘90s, as well as numerous releases under his own
artist like him could do, but I definitely aspired. Todd ready to go.
name and penning hit songs for artists like Taylor Swift
Rundgren was another one of my favorites who did There’s huge value in that, in terms of
and Frank Turner, plus producing albums for a massive that. I wanted to learn it all and know how to do it workflow. What are the pillars of
list of artists including Pink, Weezer, Green Day, Fall all. I didn’t grow up with any money, so I didn’t have each production that you’re doing?
Out Boy, Saosin, Katy Perry, Avril Lavigne, Sevendust, money to go into a fancy recording studio. Back then Are the songs the most important part
Midtown, The Donnas, and Panic! at the Disco, his it was super expensive. You could spend $2,000 a day, for you?
career has known many iterations . Earlier this year he and you might not get shit when you went in on your Yes, always. It’s probably an overused statement, but the
released the album American Love Story, a rock opera dime. You had to make sure your inspiration was song is the most important thing. I record songs
that tells the loosely autobiographical story of a young always hitting. Over time I got it set up myself in my where I’m the only “band” – I’m the guy playing every
man named “Bo” who deals with themes of racial and own private spaces. I guess I’ve always been a instrument. Or sometimes it’s heavily-programmed
sexual bigotry, reckoning, and redemption, paired with producer, but definitely not one everybody knew. That and it’s one singer doing everything. Then I’ve got
a walk down a musical memory lane of the ‘70s and didn’t happen until around 1998, when my band situations where it’s a full, live band in the room
[Marvelous 3] had a runaway freak hit single [“Freak tracking with no overdubs. A song is what’s going to

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‘80s. Butch still prefers to record in one room, handling
of the Week”] on alternative rock radio. It got us a potentially save someone’s life one day, not the kick
the engineering, mixing, and musical duties himself,
record deal, got us signed, got us a lot of recognition, drum sound. Most people would like to think in a
just as he did on his first 4-track in the shack behind his and had us touring all over. That was something that bigger picture about how they’re working. If they
family’s home in rural Georgia.

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I had recorded in my bedroom; that opened up the have an album full of incredible sounds but lame
floodgates. I started having labels calling me going, songs, then what’s the point?
How did you got interested in recording “Who produced that? That sounds great!” I’d say, Do you do much pre-production outside
and music? “Well, I did.” They’d say, “Well, who engineered it?” of the studio, or do you hit the
I was always fascinated as a kid. I was an information “Me.” “Okay, cool. Who played it and wrote it?” After ground running with the artist
junkie. I took in all the album notes and credits. I was answering that it was all done by one person, I working in the studio?

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obsessed with who did what, and what did it mean started getting calls asking me to do [the same] for I used to do a lot of preproduction, especially when we
when it said, “Produced by,” “Engineered by,” or their artists. I started doing production for signed were still on tape and I really needed to “see” the end
“Assistant Engineer.” I didn’t even know what most of artists and had some success right out of the gate of the tunnel before I started making the record. If I

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that was. Pre-internet age, when no one was smart with it, which was awesome. Basically, my own little didn’t, there was a lot that could go wrong. Now, with
about this! Now everyone seems smart, because they records that came and went – and didn’t really technology on our side and most people being in
can look it up. You had to stumble into it, especially amount to much in the grand scheme of things – DAWs and working in Pro Tools and whatever, I’ve
when you were in northern, rural Georgia in a small paved the way to producing outside records for other changed the workflow a little bit, and most other
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town. The only music exposure I got was what was on people. I’m still doing it now. people have too. Instead of sitting in a rehearsal
the radio or, after 1981, what was on MTV. [I also Do you only work at your studio, room and working out kick drum patterns with a
relied on] what I read in music magazines, which I RubyRed Productions, or are you drummer, with everybody playing at once… I’m not
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was obsessed with. It didn’t matter if it was Teen working in other studios? saying that it’s not important; you can do that with
Beat, Tiger Beat, Hit Parader, Creem, Guitar Player, or I don’t like playing in other peoples’ sandboxes. I did it great results. But I find that if I have everybody here
Modern Drummer; I loved all that. I was able to a lot coming up. Before I was established, and could in the room mic’d up and we’re going, the pre-
acquire a little bit of knowledge from those make records wherever I wanted, a lot of times I’d production is usually getting done as we’re going. It
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magazines. I saved up my grass-cutting money and have to fly to L.A. or New York – when I was living in goes in tandem with the actual production. Let’s say
bought a 4-track cassette recorder. The first one I had Atlanta – and work out of places wherever the artist it’s a live band set up in the room, everybody’s
was a Ross 4-track recorder. The “chicken coop” was was. It was always hit-or-miss. Sure, the studios were playing, and I’m tracking it at the same time. If we
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my parent’s antique and crafts place behind our incredible. I got a chance to work in pretty much all get it, which a lot of times you do when you’re not
house. My dad was an antiquer and my mom made the greatest studios in New York and L.A. I’m envious thinking about it, then we got it. But if we’re like,
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country crafts, and they had this cool wooden shack of the build of these places, the vastness of them, “That pattern isn’t working on the snare or the kick
built behind the house. It eventually became my and how cool the vibe and the history is; but, at the drum,” or, “That pattern on the bass is not working,”
playroom, jam room, and make out room; everything end of the day, that doesn’t fucking matter. I could then we can sit there and do it all together. I find
as a teenager. I started having band rehearsals there. have the worst musical experience of my life on one that there’s a freshness and a fire in the tracking
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All I had was some cheap, shitty microphones. I of those days, and not only would it be a total waste when I do it that way. Anyone who’s way too
hooked those up and started learning from trial and of money and time for me and the artist, but half the rehearsed on a song sounds more phoned-in to me
error. The first time I played back what I recorded, time I didn’t feel inspired. It felt disruptive. It didn’t when I finally go to record it, because you’re too
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they were all super distorted and crappy. But it was a feel fluid to me. It felt like it was always a distraction; comfortable with it. I don’t always make records that
really cool experience, and a way to learn. people coming in and out and watching. I realized sound like this, but most of my favorite records were
You’re a songwriter, a band guy, and a growing up, making music by myself in a bedroom or where they recorded ten songs in one day. They went
multi-instrumentalist. At what point making records in houses and makeshift garages, that with the first take and nobody knew the songs. Like
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in your career did you really take a that’s where I was most comfortable. I spent the time old Motown records; the session guys came in [and
look at things and say, “I’m a collecting and accumulating the gear. We’d get to the generally] had never heard the song before. They
producer and engineer”? point where I was able to make records that sounded hadn’t practiced the song at home. They heard the
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Well, I don’t know if I ever did. I always grew up like they were on the radio and ready for mastering, song for the first time, worked it up together, and
admiring people who were able to have their hands right there in one little room. That’s the way that I’m then, boom, they recorded it as a band right then and
in all kinds of cookie jars. Prince was one of my still doing it today. I mean, sure; I’ve got a pretty there. There’s something exciting about that. They
B. Walker/(continued on page 34)/Tape Op#138/33
 might not be perfect, but perfect is boring. That’s of being able to go to the studio every day and work You released a rock opera, American
why I try my best not to over-abuse the tools of in isolation. I have at least four shots of espresso, Love Story, this year. I listened to that
digital, where you can make people like me an listen to some music, work on my shitty 50-year-old and watched the accompanying short
incredible drummer when I’m not, just by clicking one lower back, do some stretches, and, if I’m feeling film. I’m guessing we’re about the
button and putting every single kick and snare on the adventurous, I get on my bike and try to get my same age; I’m 50. I listened to it and I
grid and on the beat, or take a singer and make every blood pumping a little bit. The normal routine, pre- felt like, “Oh, there’s a Thin Lizzy
single syllable in perfect pitch. I don’t love the way pandemic, would be everybody I’m working with – if moment, a Billy Joel Glass Houses
that sounds. I certainly don’t like it, and fight artists they’re coming into the studio at all – they’re rolling bit,” or, “That reminds me of Mike
who want it. A lot of times now, everybody wants it. in by noon. I do a lot of work between 10 a.m. and Campbell with Don Henley.” I love
You’ve got to be a little cautious if you want it to 12 p.m. to the songs I’ve been working on the day the musical references, but it also
have any character at all. before; the most important part of the day for me. really grabbed me lyrically.
With a band like Green Day [Father of All I’m alone, my mind is busy, it’s working, it’s racing, I appreciate that too. I’m glad you got it. You nailed the
Motherfuckers], did you have a but it’s focused on what I’m doing. I tend to references right on the head. That’s exactly a lot of
conversation beforehand about how experiment more and get the track more realized the references that are there. Obviously, a lot of my
you wanted to work? I can see that when I’m alone; modeling, shaping, and forming the influences as well. I was a rural Georgia country kid
being a challenge with some bands song. When everybody gets in at noon, I can press growing up with only access to music of what was
that are super-established. They’ve playback and they’ll hear something that’s as close getting played on the radio or MTV. Late ‘70s and
gotta buy in. to done as possible. Then it’s the face-to-face hours, early ‘80s were very formative years for me, and also

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A lot of my pre-production is having a lengthy where we’ll record from noon until five or six. Not the time that the story in my record reflects. Probably
conversation of, “Okay, here’s how I like to work. Are grueling hours, but I get a lot done. I tell everybody yours too, because we’re the same age. With that
you open to arrangement ideas? Are you okay with to come in and be ready to go, and to have already being said, it’s absolutely a walk through time, by

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me being an extra band member in the room?” That’s had lunch. So much downtime always frustrated me design. I didn’t want to make this modern-sounding.
what I like to act like; I’m an auxiliary band guy. A when I was on the other end of the glass, growing The whole idea was to give you the feel. It was my
lot of that you can find out from the get-go, and up and making records with producers. It always whole plan to give it the space, sonically, of those
that’s important to get out of the way. With Green bugged me if it was a two-hour lunch break. I would moments. I loved doing it because it was so fun to
Day, with Billie [Joe Armstrong], he was excited. He be like, “What the fuck! I’ve got all these ideas in my explore those recording techniques, styles, and
was stoked; he liked the records that I’d made. head. I want to work and can’t stop obsessing about sounds. I love that shit. It’s in my DNA.

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Especially the ones that I did on my own, so he was making music.” Distractions and downtime do Why did you feel it was important to tell
a fan of the production element. I was a huge Green nothing but dilute inspiration. That’s the most this story?
Day fan, so I felt like, “Let’s make something fresh.” creative part of the day for me, and for a lot of other Growing up with a lot of that [racism] in my trajectory,

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He was already to that point. He was a little burned people. Work in between the meals; from noon until that subject matter, and also being a byproduct of it
out on making and producing the band’s records for dinnertime. I’ll go home after that. Nothing after [was something I wanted to address]. Being
the last decade by himself, basically. It was perfect dinner for me. Never. I’ll take the track, put it in the complicit sometimes, and also that shit being
timing to come in and have him say, “I’m open to car and listen on the way home, and get a better normalized to me growing up in a small town in the
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anything.” It was great. We ended up getting a perspective outside of the studio. My drive home is South; and then when there was the [2017]
different dimension of Green Day, and it worked. We easily 30 minutes to an hour, depending how Los Charlottesville riots, not that that had ever gone
got a number one album out of it. I’m pretty happy. Angeles traffic is. My studio in Tennessee is at my away. Over time, throughout my years, I’ve seen lots
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That speaks to the value of collaboration. home, so I don’t have to drive. The one here is all of bad shit happen on the news due to racial and
A lot of younger artists say that they’re part of this routine that is really helpful and bigoted behavior; hate crimes and news like that.
open to collaboration, but, when it productive to the record-making process. Then I get From all walks of life and all cultures and ethnicities.
comes down to it, they want to put home and I can have dinner with my family. But it broke my heart in two when I saw the
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their arms around it and claim it as I can talk to my wife about the day, go to bed, Charlottesville riots, because I felt like we stepped
their own. and then get up and do it all over again. I don’t work back to 1950, or even 1980. I never had the blinders
We’ve all loved listening to this record and playing it on weekends. It’s Monday through Friday, and on where I didn’t see it out there. But it made it more
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back, because it was a collaborative experience. I’m I love it that way. apparent. Obviously, at the risk of coming off as
as proud of what I did on it as they’re as proud of So many people getting into the partisan here, a lot of it was due to the enabling of
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what they did on it. That does make for a great business work themselves 15 hours a this behavior by this current administration. Having
experience when you’re making a record. I have a lot day, but as you get older, the balance actual white supremacists and bigots endorsing this
I won’t listen to anymore, because making the album part of life becomes important. President proudly? I couldn’t sleep. When you’re
was such a dreadful experience! I did that in my younger years; my single years. When I coming to write a record, you start to get that itch
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Yikes, yeah. What are some questions had a studio at home, I’d fall asleep in my fucking for that next thing to get that creative juice flowing.
you don’t get asked in interviews, but robe making records. It’d be five in the morning, or You’re coming up with lyrics and melodies. I couldn’t
wish you did? I’d see the sun come up. That was part of putting in write about anything else. I had nothing to say about
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“What’s the daily routine? What’s the schedule like? the 10,000 hours, which I’ll never regret. That love or relationship songs, or anything like that. The
What do you do before you come in? What do you do afforded me the knowledge in life to be able to work first few songs were all those situations. I sent some
after?” There’s always a question about the process, almost regular office hours now, and have my of the demos to my manager, and he said, “It sounds
but that’s usually more technical. weekends off to spend with my kids. A lot of that like you’re making a rock opera or a concept record.”
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So, what are your days like? work I did when I was younger, working that long was I thought, “Oh, I am? It’s not what I set out to do,
I get up, usually at about 6 a.m. I get up with my kid, just ambition, trial and error, curiosity, and having but I guess I will now!” That’s what I did. I decided,
we make breakfast, and he gets ready for school. He’s the energy and the strength of a 22-year-old to burn. “I’m going to make a story, and it’s going to be based
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12, so we can the shoot shit for a little bit. I’ll get But I realized that my best work did not happen loosely on characters I knew growing up, as well as
out the door after he starts school around 8 a.m. – bleary-eyed late at night. It happened during the day, based on myself.” Then I sat on it for two years. I did
right now, he’s doing video school. I have the luxury when my brain was fluid. it and then I was like, “Okay, I’m done. I can’t put this
34/Tape Op#138/B. Walker/(continued on page 36)
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 out. I gotta think about this.” Maybe, at the time, I That was funny, because that was Jake [Sinclair] who One of the most sensitive areas for a lot
was a little too scared of it coming off as divisive. was my engineer for six years and my best friend. We of singers are their lyrics. How do you
Even though it’s not that kind of record at all. If you are still super tight, and he’s one of the most navigate that if there are changes
know the story, and you listen to it all the way incredible musicians and talents in the studio. Yeah, you want to make? Sometimes
through, it’s got a silver lining and a happy ending. he was a pain in the ass with his opinions, and that’s digging into lyrics has the potential
But we live in a bumper sticker society that’s okay. Sometimes it takes a very strong opinion to for people to get a little more
triggered immediately by three words, and nobody make you better, as opposed to everybody being yes defensive.
takes the time to invest in the story. It’s all about a men. You can’t get an honest outlook when Protective.
headline. I was a little worried about putting it out. everybody around you is telling you, “Everything’s Yeah, protective is a better word.
We went through a bunch of shit; a second fire out great.” Sure, it’s opinions, and a lot of times they’re I understand it, and I respect it; but I also try to go
at our home when half of California burned a year and wrong and I’m right. [laughter] But there are so into a project knowing I’m at least going to be able
a half ago, and we lost almost all of our property. Life many things that I can overlook – [it’s easy to] get to have some say in helping out with that, or to be
hit hard. Then, the fucking pandemic! That actually caught up in your own little vortex of self-doubt, a believer in their ability as a lyricist to change it
gave me the confidence to finally put this out. spin your wheels, and not really get anywhere. I feel and make it better themselves. I try not to work
Everybody was canceling tours, because they had to. like no matter how tense it might get, it always with too many artists who need a lot of help in the
Everybody was canceling release of records. I lights a fire under my ass and I always walk away lyric department. If they do, that’s talked about on
thought, “Everybody’s dying for music right now, and learning something from it, no matter what it is. the front-end. But I have been in some situations
probably having a lot of pent-up aggression, and That’s a battle I choose to risk being brought to the where I thought it was going to be collaborative and

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thoughts, and frustration.” copacetic, and then I
Not only about the
pandemic, but also about “We live in a bumper sticker society get in there and all of a
sudden they get really
that’s triggered immediately by

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social divide. This whole precious, insecure,
record was to spark a
conversation. I thought, three words, and nobody takes the clamp down, and don’t
want to hear any
“Okay, fuck it. Let’s put this time to invest in the story. ideas. At that point,
out right now.” I was worried
it would be the opposite It’s all about a headline.” I’m just a knob jockey,
and that’s not my

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reaction from everyone strong suit. I’m not
when it came out. Luckily, people seem to understand table, by letting people work as a collaborative going to sit there and be like, “How does this sound
it. [This interview was conducted before the George effort. If you want to be a solo artist your whole life for you?” And then after they do a vocal say,

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Floyd arrest and ensuing protests. -ed.] but not have a band give you input or opinions, “Sounds great! You’re amazing!” That’s not going to
In your interviews, all the way back to that’s your call. I’ve chosen most of my life to do behoove anybody, especially me. I’ll end up hating
SouthGang, you really seem like the that, but I’ve been in bands long enough to know my job. I’ve had to bail on some records, or decline
same guy to me. You seem to that sometimes that fight can be productive. You’re second opportunities, because of that kind of shit;
on
genuinely enjoy this job and are referring to when I had [Butch Walker &] The Black people thinking that nothing they do is ever broken.
grateful for it. Widows together, and we made those records. That It’s also encouraging to hear that you
Well, thank you. I am. There are so many people I grew was a conscious effort on my part to bring in these still run into that occasionally, even
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up with who either tried and didn’t have any success, guys who were my friends. I respected their own at your level of success and the people
or had lots of success and are now not doing it musical endeavors, to be equal input and equal say you’re working with. I guess that’s
anymore. I thought I’d burn out a long time ago, on what happened to the song, the way this album just humans.
because I figured that’s just what happens after was produced, and everything. I loved it, even It is! You never know. You could get some young band,
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you’ve either said all you had to say, or you’re not though, like I said, there were some opinionated and some kid who’s 20 and thinks his shit doesn’t
inspired. I’ve had enough life happen along the way motherfuckers in that group! But I’m glad; I came stink and hasn’t experienced failure yet. I’ve dealt
that it strangely rekindled the spark when the flame from being one, so that’s not a problem! You learn a with that many, many times. I stop myself from
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would burn out. I’m really grateful that I get to still lot from it, if you don’t let it eat you inside and let yelling at them. “I remember my first record deal.”
make a living making music. Being able to make a your ego take over. That’s what you want to say to them, but I try not to.
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living in music is like finding a fucking unicorn in the When you’re working with somebody I get it. That’s not going to help anybody. But, like I
woods. Believe me, I didn’t [have that] for the first who comes in with songs, how much said, I pick and choose my projects based on whether
half of my life. I didn’t have a dime until I was about of what happens is Butch, and how I feel like I have a lot to offer, as well as whether or
30. Then I lost those dimes and had to make them much is the artist? not it’s something we’ll have fun doing and have no
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back. But it’s the best job in the world, because it’s I feel the person out if I don’t already know, through and egos involved. r
fucking music, and it’s amazing. I get inspired every through, what their capabilities are and what their
<www.butchwalker.com>
time somebody comes into the studio with a song goal is. I feel like I’m equal parts extra band member
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that I’m like, “Wow, you wrote that?” and also like everybody is bringing something in. But
In your documentary, Out of Focus, you the other part of me is the guy who likes to sit alone
have that moment with your bass in the studio with the tracks and be the band, which
player where he had a suggestion I am on a lot of records. It’s cathartic for me, and I
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about one of your tunes. After a little love it, and sometimes artists don’t have any desire
scuffle, you conceded and met him to contribute to that part of the skill set. That’s okay.
halfway. What about personalities But pushing them to get great results at what their
and dynamics in the studio, when
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strengths are? Absolutely. If it’s a singer who sings

you’re working with a band, or even their ass off and they phone it in, then sometimes
an artist one on one? you gotta tell them, “You can do this so much better.”
36/Tape Op#138/B. Walker/(Fin.)
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Randy Kohrs You started out as a player and a So, you had a pretty good collection by
songwriter, right? the time you hit Nashville?
I sure did. Getting into recording for me was buying a I did. I hooked up with [luthier] Tim Scheerhorn shortly
The Old and The New pair of mics and a stereo preamp so that I could after I moved to town, and he made my collection of
interview and photo by Larry Crane record myself and make sure that I was a better guitars pretty powerful. We’ve gotten to be such good
I first met Randy Kohrs years ago at the player when I’d get called. It made me sharper. A lot friends. I still call him sometimes for advice. Half my
Summer NAMM tradeshow in Tennessee. Randy is of live players don’t take the time to do that, and I collection of lap steels I went out to his shop and built
known as a hotshot player; a multi-instrumentalist was converting from being more of a live player to myself with him watching over my shoulder. Life lessons
who’s respected for his resonator guitar/dobro becoming a session guy. that I’ll never forget.
abilities. But he’s also a Grammy award-winning That’s a smart way of approaching it. We learn by mistakes, that’s for sure.
producer, recording engineer, and studio owner at Yeah. It’s that Midwestern work ethic. I’m from middle It’s the same way with recording. You’re not going to come
Slack Key Studio in Nashville. Along with a number America; south-central Iowa. out of the chute and make the most incredible sounding
of solo releases, he’s performed and recorded with What happened when you first came to record the first time out. You’re going to have to stumble
Continental Divide, Dolly Parton, John Fogerty, John Nashville? and fall. Especially when it comes to new software. I use
Cowan, Hank Williams III, Jim Lauderdale, and I went to work playing on Lower Broadway; me and an Steinberg Cubase here, and their VariAudio system is so
many others. And he continues to stay busy, acoustic guitar. When I’d see other singers come into wonderful for time alignment and polishing intonation. I
saying, “I’m constantly going back and forth the bar to have a drink, or in between shifts getting don’t like to get carried away. I would rather make a singer

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between tracking and mixing. Right now, we have ready to play, I’d say, “Hey” and we’d hang out. I’d get sing a lot and then make a great comp. It’s all budgetary.
12 records going for people. Anytime that there’s a them up to play my guitar and sing, and I’d play dobro. If there’s not a budget for a singer to sing a song for an
down day that’s not booked to track, I’m mixing.” People would see me playing other instruments besides hour or two, and you have a lot of takes to pick from, then

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Randy might be well-versed in old school music, acoustic guitar, and I turned into that “utility” guy. it comes down to having to use software more. I have to
but his embracing of some helpful plug-ins, as well Had you built those skills up on weigh my options against the budget every time.
as many newer mic choices, are smart and different instruments in Iowa? I know there’s a wide variety of sessions
refreshing. As if all of this wasn’t enough, he even Yeah. There weren’t that many people up there to play you do.
has a signature EQ guitar pedal coming out from with. If I could play instruments that weren’t in a Yeah. More so than ever. When I first moved to town, I
[traditional] band, then I’d get hired more. The more played on quite a few bluegrass records. Obviously,

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Benado Effects! I was excited to pick his brain about
mic’ing techniques, and I learned a lot during our instruments I played, the easier I got the gig. I’d the resonator guitar is a very notable instrument in
chat on a hot, muggy summer afternoon. reinvest in nicer instruments, and it snowballed. the world of bluegrass.

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38/Tape Op#138/R. Kohrs/(continued on page 40)

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 Right. You became mostly known for Someone who hasn’t delved into the I was touring with my own band, and I wanted it to be
your dobro work early on. bluegrass world would think it’s all my recording oasis. I kept getting calls. “Can we come
Right, and high harmony singing. Those were my two big about live performance and blending in and record? We love what your record sounds like.”
calls. I started getting work on a lot of records. At everybody in the room, like the I was like, “You know what? That’s going to pay the
one point in the ‘90s, I was on almost all of the classic singing around the one mic. mortgage this month. Yeah!”
prominent records that were done by individual acts; But I know from my experience that Your studio is in the basement of an old
ones that weren’t bands that already had a dobro recording this style can be technical, house.
player. as well as more about perfecting Yeah. This whole place was built in ‘35. It was a
Right, or they hired Jerry Douglas. those performances in isolation. makeshift studio to start with, and I’ve kept modding
Well, Jerry kind of bowed out right in that era. He said, It very much used to be about standing around one it until it worked.
“Hey, there’s this new kid who moved to town. Here’s his microphone. With the advent of technology, isolation But now you haven’t done a solo record
number. You won’t regret it.” Jerry was so nice to me. rooms, and being able to overdub, bluegrass went the in about ten years.
You don’t even need a business card if way of blues and jazz and other forms of music. I’ll use Yeah, it’s been a while. I’ve got tracks in the can. I’ve
that happens! Steely Dan as a perfect example. Those guys worked got an old-school country record, and I have a more
Exactly. Of course, Rob Ickes has been here in the scene, for a year carving, and making records, and replaying, modern Americana one, but I haven’t mixed them yet.
and Andy Hall was here for a while. There have been and making it right. The Bluegrass Album Band [led by It’s hard to find time. I got unmotivated. I had a few
some wonderful players, and we all learned off of each Tony Rice and J.D. Crowe] came before, but Alison years of trying to figure out what I wanted to do.
other. I don’t feel a competitive bone in my body Krauss had a huge influence. Alison’s attention to Musically?

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against any of them, because we are all working. detail and perfection, as well as Gary Paczosa’s Yeah. I had to face the fact that I got too old for a lot
What were you picking up about engineering, upped the whole ante on how records of major country deals and major record label deals. I
recording techniques in studios as a were done. She changed the face of bluegrass, in that had to face that inner rage. Then I started doing

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session player? regard. Some people – the die-hard traditional fans – bluegrass; they’ll accept you up until the day you die.
For some of my favorite records that I got to work on, Chuck question that a little bit. They want that raw and real Blues and other formats idolize their elders instead of
Ainlay [Tape Op #97] or Ed Seay were engineering. One thing. They want to hear Lester Flatt sing flat. putting them out to pasture like country music does.
of my favorites is Gary Paczosa [#108]. I learned a ton But other people carry those traditions You’ve done some great records with Jim
from him. I would wait until after the session and limit on. Lauderdale.
myself to asking one thing each time so that I wasn’t Right. Whenever I’m producing, it’s whatever an act I’ve done seven records with Jim. We’ve had an

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bombarding him with questions. gives me the vibe of what they want to do. If they incredible working relationship for years. He was here
You’re not “that guy.” want one of those slick records, I’m all for it. I’ll give a week ago. There’s a band, Carolina Pine, from here
That’s a good way to not get called back to a session! you what you want. As a producer and studio owner, in Nashville; a duo of Kennedy Fitzsimmons and

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He was always very forthcoming, and he helped me you’ve got to be a pleaser. It’s their vision, not Woody James. Jim came and they recorded an old
so much. necessarily yours. It’s your job to make it the best Louvin Brothers song. Instead of it being a duo, like
Reverbs you can be. the Louvin Brothers, we turned it into a trio and had
I’ll use the [Universal Audio] Ocean Way Studios Do you have pre-production meetings Jim sing the center part. They love Jim, so it was a
on
reverb, and I’ll put everybody in that room. I’ll pan the for a bigger project? big thrill for them. Jim’s the most prolific guy I know
band out. I’ll send the room reverbs to where they’re I like to sit down with people, and I tell them to bring in his relentless chase of different facets of music.
panned in the mix, so it gives them an identity. It’s a 20 songs because we’re going to strip it to 12. When he cuts bluegrass, it’s pretty strict old-school
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pure way to go about it. To me, it sounds like if you close What will you do during pre-production? style bluegrass. In fact, the last record we did [Old
your eyes and picture it, “Okay, the bass player’s standing I like to set them up in the front room of the studio here, Time Angels], we stood around a couple of stereo mics
in that part of this room.” Whether they were or weren’t, let them play, and feel them out. Sometimes I’ll throw and did it. That was the first one I’d done in years like
you’re making that illusion. I actually just bought up a microphone in the control room and record them that. It was fun, and also unnerving!
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Universal Audio’s Capitol Chambers plug-in. For acoustic without them knowing it, and then play it back. It’s like, “I can’t fix this!”
chambers, it is glorious. There’s a German company called That’s the bulk of the pre-production. “How organic Right. But we’d do another take. I think that a lot of
HOFA-Plugins. I love their [IQ-Series] Reverb. Their plug- do you want this record to be?” people think it’s going to be a lot cheaper, because
Or, “How much control do you want to
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ins are really affordable, and they’re intuitive. they’re not going to be doing any fiddling around in
have later?” post. Well, no, because you’re going to spend an extra
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You recorded and played with Dolly If they’re wanting a pretty advanced-sounding, modern day for those players to play those takes three, four,
Parton in the early 2000s. record, maybe we should be in booths. five, or six times each instead of one or two. The
That was done in East Tennessee actually, in Knoxville. Or, if you’re doing a bluegrass-style studio time doubles, and then you have to pay all
Gary Davis was the producer and the banjo guy in the session with a drum kit, then you’ve those players instead of just the engineers. It
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band. Dolly called the band The Blueniques. Her got to start thinking about how to balances out to the same price. It’s all about the mojo
whole premise was she wanted to make a record that isolate that. and what you want to capture.
was still bluegrass but very unique to her. It’s Right. On the bluegrass records I do, there’s never a You can spend a long time perfecting
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mountain-y and folky. drum kit. If they do anything, they’ll put on a quiet overdubs.
There’s a series of her records around brush snare drum after the fact. That mandolin chop’s Oh, yeah. I’ve done 150 takes of a flatpicking guitar solo
then that are in that vein. got the backbeat. When we’re tracking, if they’re before the guy’s happy. I’m over that. I’d rather hire
Yeah. Jerry [Douglas] did the others, and I did the very wanting that tight, Alison Krauss-style, I’ll use somebody who’s great and gets it in a few passes. But
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last one, Halos & Horns. [Steinberg] Groove Agent or [Toontrack] EZdrummer. when I’m working with bands, I realize that those
Halos & Horns jumped out at me back Pipe a beat into the headphones? guys aren’t recording every day so it might take them
then. I liked the playing on it. Yes. Instead of it being one of those harsh “boop boop longer. I’m more patient with bands than I ever would
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It followed a pretty extensive year of touring. We had a bleep” annoying metronomes, it’s more fun to play be with session guys. The guys that I usually call for
blast and went all over Europe. There are some definite with a drum kit that’s playing a groovy train beat. sessions around here, I’m never waiting on them.
experiences from that tour that are very memorable. How did your studio come about? They’re insanely good.
40/Tape Op#138/R. Kohrs/(continued on page 42)
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 The Assistant Do you put something down near the I do top and bottom. I like to put them at the f-holes.
My assistant, John Osborne, will take the flash drive f-hole of the bass? Right in front of the right hand. That’s where all the
home with the files from a tracking session; he’ll clean I use one of the passive Cloud [44-A ribbon] mics right in pick definition will come from. If you can find that
up, channel everything out for me, and bring it back the f-hole, and then down a little bit farther in front of happy medium between the f-holes and where the
ready to go. He’s watched me enough. He’s been a super the bridge I’ll use an Audio-Technica AT4060 [large front of their hand is, you should be able to get a
big asset for me. I’m trying to give him more and more diaphragm tube mic]. That’s a very underestimated pretty good sound from that. Then I’ll use the Royer
work all the time. I want to be able to track and then microphone. It used to be my main vocal mic before I lined up to the right of it (if you’re looking at the
final mix, not all the editing in between. If it’s a record got more high-end choices. What’s shocking about an Royer), where it’s capturing lots of warmth and
that has a tight budget, and they’re wanting it done upright bass is how bright you truly need to record one fatness. A lot of times I’ll be able to use just the
right away, then I might let him comp a song or two. I before it sounds detailed in a mix. Royer for the chop.
trust his ears. He’s a fine singer too. He’s watched me You’ve got to be careful though. Right, which will feel a little softer.
comp, and I think he gets my mojo to the point he can It’s murky, yeah. That’s why I use three mics. The Cloud I’ll have them on a group channel where I can run that,
do a fair job. Sometimes he’s not here when we track, so ribbon mic gives me all that 40 to 60 Hz push and and then have the pencils on another group and be
he’s hearing all those takes with fresh ears. Sometimes powerful, thunderous, controlled bottom end. Then the able to automate those. When it comes time for the
that’s a good thing. 4060 will give me all those beautiful mids. With upright solo, I can bring up the brighter mics, and all of a
One of our jobs as a producer is to be bass, there tends to be a cloudiness with every one of sudden that pick articulation cuts through.
the resource that hires the proper them in the 200 to 240 Hz register. Upright basses are I was going to ask if you do that.
players. also notorious for all their D-notes to jump out. It’s the Oh, yeah. It makes mixing go twice as fast.

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Call the right person. That’s the most crucial element. string with the most tension, so it speaks louder. A lot Yeah. Letting the mics do the work.
One wrong call and all of a sudden the whole band is of the guys who are in the know have controllers on the Exactly. It still sounds natural. If I’m graceful with
rickety and isn’t what it should be. bridge that make the tension even right behind the automation, I don’t hear a tone change either.
With banjo, you’ve got the resonant

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Being that you record so much acoustic- bridge. Then it’s much easier to record, and you’re not
based music, I’m curious about some wrestling it in post. I’ve recorded some doozies, where head and barky tone. What mics and
of the mics you use. I had to go through and every time they played a D placement do you find helps to sit
I’m happy with a lot of the modern takes on note I’d “clip gain” and drag the volume down. right in the mix later?
microphones. They’re doing beautiful work. I have 33 I saw a drum kit here with mics set up. I’ll do two different styles. If the song is a ballad, and I
ribbon microphones, and I use nine-tenths of them That’s my house kit. I’ve got it pretty dang dimed for know I’m working with an act I’m going to be

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pretty regularly. They’re a big part of my sound. I like that room. I’ve got my drummer list, about five or six recording a lot of ballads on, I will do a single
pairing them with acoustic guitar, for example. I’ll use people on average. Most of them are right-handed, so condenser microphone, about where the head and the
two Peluso P-28s [small diaphragm mics] top and the kit somewhat stays the same. I usually keep 17 neck meet in that join [where guitar necks meets body

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bottom, at the 10th or 12th fret. Back by the player’s mics on the kit. This past week I was recording -ed.]. Then I’ll take a figure-8 Royer and do mid-side.
right hand, where all that thump comes from a Martin Natalie Brady & The Nite Owls. The drummer was Banjos are so full of transients and they’re so pointy.
[acoustic guitar] – especially when you’re recording playing excellent, but, for whatever reason, I wasn’t It’s easy to get them to poke out in the mix, but when
bluegrass, where the guitar has to be chunky and getting enough ghost notes. I said to my assistant, you want to bury the banjo in the back to get that
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percussive. I’ll put a Royer mic back there so it’s John Osborne, “Let’s get out that Copperphone [mic] beautiful roll, it’s much harder when you use super-
getting all that meaty wood sound and blend that in. and put it above the kick drum, pointed at the snare.” directional microphones. But with mid-side I’ll record
A lot of people don’t want to work that hard with All of a sudden, all those little rolls popped. I made the track twice [two instances] and pan them left and
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three microphones, but I make sure that everything is the right call and felt blessed. right, hard. I’ll flip one of their polarities, and I’ll put
in as close to phase when we track as I can, and then You can have a lot of high-end mics on them on a group. I’ll have my main banjo mic and
I’ll use [Sound Radix] Auto-Align to make them tight. a kit, but there’re still times where then I’ll have the stereo feed of the mid-side. I can
Does Auto-Align work well on multi- some of the subtleties of the playing move those two faders, and there’s my blend. You can
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mic’d acoustic guitar? will disappear. recess a banjo back by pulling that main mic down
It sure does. It’s wonderful. It looks at where the mics For rock and blues records, I’ll put a PZM mic underneath and bringing the mid-side up. You can feel the banjo
are spaced and lines them up. Even a few samples the floor toms and back away a foot or so. It’s slide to the back of the mix. It’s so great.
I’m going to try this out.
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makes a huge difference. Ten milliseconds of delay catching all that noise and all that vibration going on
one way or the other on a microphone, and it starts… in the floor. Sometimes I’ll use that in post, and Oh, it works like a charm! Especially the more clangy the
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…collapsing! sometimes I won’t. It’s easy enough to shut it off, but banjo. Even if you have a hard-driving track that
Yeah. For me, phase is like looking through binoculars you can’t add it if it’s not there. Why not have another you’re featuring the banjo on, and you want it to
that aren’t dialed in yet. Once you start getting that mic going if you’ve got enough mics, preamps, and spike and be the front part of the mix, that mid-side
phase right, then all of a sudden you’re seeing a much space in the room. will still make it bigger and wider. You’re probably not
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clearer picture that is richer. All the bottom-end is Mandolins always present their own going to use as much of it as your direct mic, but it
properly captured. All of a sudden that guitar that issues when recording. will make it sound as big as a house because you’re
was woofy is no longer woofy, and that bottom is Yep. Mandolins, when they chop for the rhythm, they giving it that natural psychoacoustic thing going on
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completely smooth and controlled. I do that with tend to be very percussive. Then when they pick in the track.
upright bass too. I have a bright pencil [small [notes] they nearly disappear, because their volume How much compression are you using
diaphragm mic] up top to capture the fingertip noise cuts in half. I will use a matched pair of Miktek C5s while tracking?
of the right hand. or [Neumann] KM 84s. I actually have a pair of some I’m not going to bash other engineers, but for some
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On the fingerboard? Shannon Rhoades [MicRehab] modded [Mojave] MA- reason engineers despise transients. They’re always
Yeah. If the bass player’s right handed, striking the 100s that I use on mandolin a lot, and I will throw attacking them so they can make their source louder,
strings. Some players have gut string basses and up my [stereo] SF-12 Royer. I guess. Banjos are loud enough as it is for me. The
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some players have steel string basses. They’ll show up When you’re using a pair of small- sound of a banjo played properly is all about the
with one or the other and surprise me, so I tend to diaphragm mics on a mandolin, transients. It’s the sparkle and those fingerpicks
have a ribbon mic and a condenser ready. where are you placing them? hitting the string and the pinch of the hand.
42/Tape Op#138/R. Kohrs/(continued on page 44)
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Please Support Our Advertisers/Tape Op#138/43

 Favorite Outboard Gear But when it’s affecting yours, you must. Finding a nice A classic technique.
That’s how you and I met, through Bob Starr of RTZ way to do it is artful. That’s way harder than it looks. Listen to Flatt & Scruggs
[Professional Audio]. He builds a lot of my gear. I love his What about recording players who are a records, and they’re nearly perfect. They sound
preamps and EQs. I use them every day I’m recording, and little bit less experienced? I’m always automated, they’re so good. It’s like, “How in the
they’re used again on every mix. His gear just consistently trying to keep people from moving world did they do that?” They played every day
has the tone I like. A few session guys who have studios too much on upright bass, acoustic together, sometimes three or four shows a day on
are starting to become hip to him through working here guitar, mandolin, and banjo. radio shows. They were traveling, living, and
with me, and they have been picking up RTZ gear. I have That is always a challenge. Even singers! A lot of singers, breathing the same air. There’s something to be said
a pair of Ingram Engineering EQ50 equalizers, the MPA 685 if they know the songs, they’ll close their eyes and for that.
stereo preamp (with DI and re-amping), and the MPA 575 drift. I hate having singers feel like they’re being It’s a different level.
full channel strip (in 500 series!). Ingram Engineering interrogated, so I have soft lighting with purple lights Yep, it is. They morph into one entity instead of being
makes some of my most used gear as well. up that have a nice, soft ambience. I’ll record with a individuals. r
bright condenser and a ribbon mic, and I’ll capture
That little bite of metal sound there. <www.slackkeystudio.com>
vocals with both at the same time. I have that tonal
Yeah! You take that away, and for me it’s no longer a
option in post after I’ve Auto-Align’d both of those
banjo sound. I guess I’m much more of a purist when
mics so they’re dead in phase. But it’s very apparent
it comes to that. I have 40 compressors in here, but
when they start moving.
I’m gentle with them. My favorite engineers are the
Especially a ribbon!

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same way. It’s more for the transformer colors, the
Yeah. I’ll hear the tone change because they’ve gotten
richness of the transformers, tubes, op-amps, and FET
more over on one side of the mic than the other. I’ll
color that I like. Good players here in Nashville are
have to stop and speak up.
playing a $250,000 Lloyd Loar mandolin, or something
What about with instruments? Do you

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equivalent. Those instruments are so beautiful
have to go in and double check
sounding. Why would you want to over-compress them
where they’re standing?
and choke them out? They sound unbelievable. I have
Yeah. It’s natural to move a little bit when you play,
to be careful in a session not to offend anybody. I’ve
especially with acoustic guitar and mandolin. When I
had to ask engineers, “Hey man, I don’t know what’s
hear records with moving around like that it feels

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going on, but that compressor is messing with my
organic. It doesn’t feel like a staged recording. On the
timing. Can we back it off a bit?” It’s always awkward
last Jim Lauderdale record that I did, everybody’s
to tell somebody how to do their job.
standing around a couple of microphones and we’re
You shouldn’t have to.

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moving in and out. We’re automating ourselves.
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44/Tape Op#138/R. Kohrs/(Fin.)

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Please Support Our Advertisers/Tape Op#138/45

 Upstate New York is an odd place, with its
mix of old Dutch Farmers, economically
depressed towns, and a slew of aging
hippies. This is especially true in the town of Woodstock,
nestled in the Catskill Mountains; a quaint country town
two hours north of New York City, with under six thousand
D. James Goodwin residents and no traffic lights. I spent my pivotal years in
Woodstock, and I’ve always had a love/hate relationship

Into the Hardship with the struggle and balance between the touristy rural
Americana and ‘60s nostalgia. The multidimensional blend
of creativity and salt of the earth people has always been in
flux since the town’s early history. A ton of musicians and
studios have tucked themselves away as a refuge from the
overcrowded rat race of New York City. It’s also where
by Elijah Torn Daniel James Goodwin decided to create his own music-
making retreat. I sat down with Daniel in his studio, The
photo by Monik Geisel Isokon, to talk about the environmental impact of working

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to tape, working with artists such as Bob Weir, Kaki King,
Heather Woods Broderick, and working with ECM Records,
as well as his life and what he says, “F*ck you” to.

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How did you end up here? It depends. For instance, Kevin Morby’s last record [Oh I used to consider myself pretty far left on most days, but
I grew up upstate, and then met Paul Antonell at the My God], we tracked mostly live – drums, bass, guitar, there are some things where my main goal is to know
Clubhouse Recording Studios when they were in and Kevin’s vocals live in the room. Trying to track the truth of the matter. I think being in this world for
Germantown. I started assisting there. I was always 80% live is the way I like to roll, and then adorn it so long, you start to understand personality
the guy in the band with the 4-track in my dad’s as necessary. But if I ever need to isolate somebody, archetypes. If the band is sitting here with me, I know
basement. I did a Murder by Death record [Who Will I throw them in one of the other rooms. I did a record that they all fill whatever niche that is. I always find
Survive, and What Will Be Left of Them?] and thought, [Invitation] with Heather Woods Broderick. Heather that there’s one person who’s kind of the class clown.
would be on piano with vocals, the drums behind her,
“Well, I guess I’m good at this, so I’ll keep doing it.” Everybody subconsciously in the room looks to that
This is all I’ve ever done for my life. and then the other instruments isolated when person to help in hard situations. If they’re trying to
So, Clubhouse and then… necessary. work out a song, that person’s always there to make
My ex-wife and I bought a house outside of Woodstock, She came in with most of the song sure everything’s still okay. I think it’s instinctual. But
and I built a mixing room in there. I started mixing structured? there’s a place in which I think I can hear, or tell,
[there], but tracking at the Clubhouse, within a performance if
Brooklyn Recording, or wherever. After a Everything about the analog it’s still progressing. I’m
couple years of that, I decided that I wanted not a precious guy in
process is really inefficient and terms of, “You’re the
to have a place to track and mix. I found
this place in 2010. I hated the feeling of
bad for the environment. It singer. I can only do
reflected a pragmatic, viable, three takes.” But I’m

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being in a proper studio. That’s why I
wanted to find a house and make it a studio. touchable thing, whereas digital also not a militaristic
How do you usually track in is not. I can understand the guy in that way. I try to
here? balance the two. A lot
nostalgic relationship, but it

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of conversation
has no functional use for me happens in the records
anymore, aside from tape echo. that I do. One thing I
miss about tape is
Moving a microphone makes more rewind time; you’d have
difference than tape does.

td
a quick 3-minute
conversation, and then
My input as a producer on that record was the you’d get back to it. I’m a full take kind of guy, singer
adornment of it – like a film director, basically. I want is full takes, guitar player is full takes. It’s fun to run

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her to write the script, but I’ll direct it. It’s a really a full pass, talk for a bit, then run another. The best
brilliant record. I played a bunch of pedal steel, people are pretty much “on demand” at that point,
guitar, and keyboards. when the comfort level is high.
I love pedal steel on anything. So, for the analog versus digital cliché
on
Me too. I got that pedal steel from Kaki King, actually. question, you appreciate the rewind
I produced and recorded Glow and the record after time of the tape?
that, The Neck is a Bridge to the Body, which she did I was a tape purist until 2006. One time I couldn’t get
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a touring show with – with projections on the guitar. tape and I had to do a record. The first playback I
We did some work on the Everybody Glows: B-Sides & thought, “Wait a minute. Everything sounds exactly
Rarities record in between those two. how it sounded going in. That’s weird.” I had to
How did you go about mic’ing her? readjust my methodology, because I was always used
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I had a core setup, which might have been two to the moving target of tape and working within that,
[Neumann U] 87s out front of her and then a mono which I appreciate on some level. But when I heard
Lomo [Russian-made mic] somewhere. Sometimes the digital come back the same way I put it in, I
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there was a contact mic in the guitar, a contact mic realized that I can make a record sound however I
on her chest, or even behind-the-ear mics. We ran want it to sound. I didn’t need to align the machine
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amps on a ton of sounds. She brought huge suitcases every day. Everything about the analog process is
with shakers; we spent three days doing shakers. really inefficient and bad for the environment. It
She’s masterful at it. reflected a pragmatic, viable, touchable “thing,”
Are you a big fan of those Lomo mics?
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whereas digital is not. I can understand the nostalgic

I’ll use a Lomo 19A13 a lot of times on acoustic guitar, relationship, but it has no functional use for me
which is a somewhat rare mic. The 19A19 would also anymore, aside from tape echo. Moving a microphone
get used. I use them on everything. My mother’s makes more difference than tape does. Everything
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family is Russian, so I think I had some strange desire I’ve done since 2007 has been digital.
to feel connected to the homeland. I ended up Do you think people are coming to you
buying Lomo mics back in the ‘90s because they were to say, “Hey, I want to do this album
differently”? The Donna Lewis album
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really inexpensive. I loved the way they sound. And

now I love them even more than anything else. I also [Brand New Day] was well outside of
have my huge Lenin and Marx library in the back what she was known for.
here! I guess myself, David [Torn, Tape Op #49], and Donna
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You can get into political and ethical had the impetus to be contrarians.
debates when it comes down to Can you talk about the band and what
recording? you use on her vocals?
D. J. Goodwin/(continued on page 48)/Tape Op#138/47
 We decided the Telefunken ELA M 251 was the one to use honestly. I have all my shit here; my reverbs, my
on her, because she has a lot of breath in her voice. It echoes, and all my pedals. If I’m doing a record here
was a crispy, visceral sound. Dave King would play and have access to all my gear; if we have the sound
drums in front of her, off to the side. I wanted that it gets printed.
“Columbia 30th Street Studios” vibe, where the drums We haven’t even talked about your
were “over here” but you hear the reflections making it projects yet. How was Snowflake born?
wider. The drums were ostensibly in mono for the most I was going through a divorce and grappling with
part, but cantered to one side. It was all about using changes. I’ve never really been an autobiographical
the reflections of all the leakage in ways that made the writer. But I remember the day; I had finished a record,
stereo image feel “right.” Piano would’ve been tilted but I still had drum mics set up. I started playing the
more to the right, and that had drums in it. Donna’s piano and writing a song. It took a year, but that whole
vocal mic had more of the bottom end of the drums year I was working on the record [We All Grow Toward
because of how it was positioned. The bass was the Sea]. I put a band together to play it live. We
cantered off to the left with the drums; they sat in their recently tracked a new record, which is basically done.
same location. The reflections ended up making it It’s about an astronaut who leaves on his last mission,
sound wider than we had placed it. but the machine fails and he’s left in space. It’s his love
You and my dad [David Torn] did a letter to his long-lost wife, from space.
shootout with the EMT plate reverb You’re in a space machine here, with

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between the Universal Audio UAD all the knobs and meters. Do you feel
plug-in on her vocals and the real detached?
EMT plate here. You both went with You make the choice. Sometimes I’d go that way and not

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the UAD. home. I made that decision and it definitely had an
You go with what works. If I ever had to recall a mix back impact. It’s a lucky person to find somebody who can
when it was fully analog, it would piss me off because deal with what they have to endure with somebody
nothing sounded the same. With the UAD, I’ll open it like us. I’m at a different place in my career; I can
up three years from now and it’s going to sound take three months off a year. I couldn’t do that when

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identical to how it sounded then, and that’s important. I was in my 20s. But to get to this place it takes
One of the first jobs I did as an engineer was working 16 hours a day for ten years straight to do it.
remastering a bunch of old prog rock records. We Now, I’ve got two mixes to do and then I’ve got
couldn’t get the master tapes to play on some of them, nothing to do until next week. But that’s great.

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even after baking them. I would have to take a first- The pay-your-dues aspect of this
generation vinyl pressing, pull that into digital land, business; one of those dues is
and take out all the pops and clicks. relationships. It’s brutal.
If somebody bumps a mic for you, you When you’re younger you look at it as unfair. Some
on
don’t have to redo… people are meant to do this, some people aren’t, and
I know what to do. I use [iZotope RX] Spectral Repair all some people aren’t good at it. It’s ultimately the
the time, which is amazing. I did a record [Clare nature of the universe; to gain something you need
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Bowen] with [producer] Josh Kaufman last year for a to lose something else. There’s only so much space. I
singer named Clare Bowen. She’s on that show, don’t want somebody to listen to my records and
Nashville. There was one track where she did a scratch think, “Oh, he’s doing the same thing with all these
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vocal, and then she got really sick that same day. It artists.” But I like having a sound; I definitely do, and
was a brilliant vocal, but it had click track bleed I embrace it.
throughout. In the old days, you would basically have You have a sound, but it’s not
to mute the vocal. But she had her headphones so loud overpowering.
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that I couldn’t really do that. I had to go into Spectral I definitely do have a specific view of drum sounds. I
Repair and pull out every click on the song, but it don’t do stereo overheads. It’s usually a mono Lomo
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worked. Half an hour later we had a totally usable, tube mic up top. Always a large diaphragm condenser
perfectly keepable take. on the snare drum. If I need tom mics, it’ll be the
How did Bob [Weir] end up working with you? [Sennheiser MD]421s. I run [sounds] into the Bogner
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Josh Kaufman and I have been working on records for Wessex [overdrive] pedal a lot for drums. I have the
several years together. Josh had this idea that he and Lomo 19A19 coming in above the kick and the snare.
Bob talked about, about doing a cowboy record [Blue Bring that fader up, listen to it, and then everything
Mountain]. Josh produced and I engineered and mixed else comes after it.
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it. We decided to do the first sessions here. And then You know where to position drums to
we did a couple at Applehead [Recording & get the stereo spread rather than
Production], Dreamland [Recording], and Clubhouse. I doing the overheads?
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had never worked at Applehead until then, and it was I would rather it was more like [Miles Davis’] Kind of
great. It’s woody, warm, and has really tall ceilings. I Blue, where you can hear the walls of the room. I find
like the desk there. that interesting.
What’s your desk here? You can picture the band in that space?
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I love this desk. It’s an early ‘70s MCI JH-400, and it’s Even if that space is amorphous. There are tracks on
all discrete. MCI gets a bad rap because it’s not a [Pink Floyd’s] The Dark Side of the Moon where the
Neve, an API, or an SSL. I prefer it to all those, drums seem to be coming from this ever-moving,
48/Tape Op#138/D. J. Goodwin/
 shifting space. I appreciate that too, as long as it What would you suggest to the next
puts me somewhere. generation that wants to do this?
And guitars? I would do it the same way: Work my ass off and put
I’m a small amp guy, for sure. I’m a big condenser mic myself in the most uncomfortable positions possible,
fan. I learned that from Neil Dorfsman and John at the youngest age possible, so I got to learn
Holbrook; both were big mentors of mine, and both quickly. Make coffee, clean toilets, and run the food
used condensers on guitar amps. I always like to have – that shit is invaluable. I wouldn’t change a thing
that picture, and then modify that with a weirdo about how I started in this world, because I learned
thing. I have a couple of mics that do weird shit. To quickly. That proved to me that I liked it, and that I
manipulate that against the main picture is really wanted to be doing what I was doing, because if I
interesting. didn’t, I would’ve left. It also provides a basis for the
And on bass, you said you preferred DI? little things that are taken for granted. I’ve had
I DI, usually. I have these old Scully tape machine assistants in other studios where if I asked them to
preamps that sound fucking fabulous on bass. wrap a mic cable, they’d get indignant about it. I
What are unattended mixing sessions always think, “You’re ready to make records now?” If
like for you? you don’t like what you do, you’re not going to
It’s an interesting process, because I can do what I want endure the hardship. Put yourself into the hardship

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for a few days and only send tracks when I’m right away, and if you get through it, then great.
comfortable. I can work for three hours on a mix and You’ve got all that behind you.
be like, “I’m not in the place where I’m feeling the What are some other artists or bands
decisions I make are serving anything.” That was you’d like to record or produce?

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never possible in the old days. It’s massively If I love the artist I don’t need to work with them. I love
important for an artist, especially if they’re used to Björk. I think she’s incredible. I never want to work
hearing it a certain way for however long they’ve with her, because I want to keep that perspective. I
been working on a record. This other person is mixing would love to keep making records with Tim [Berne].
it, and out of nowhere they get this Dropbox link. ECM Records, as an idea, is compelling to me and

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Their initial reaction – especially with my work – speaks to all that curated experience that I have as
might be, “Oh, shit, I’m not used to this.” They have an artist. Manfred [Eicher, ECM’s founder] wrote a
to live with it for a few days. I think that’s a better message to me once expressing that I was one of the
way to judge work than the old days, where you’re in few outside engineers that he was a fan of. He’s an

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the room at the same time. I mean, I like hanging icon to me. To continue working on ECM Records
out. I could’ve had somebody else mix the Snowflake would be a great honor, for sure. It’s art.
record, for a different perspective, but for control Your studio’s named The Isokon. Why?
on
reasons I never would’ve done it. These Jewish Bauhaus architects in Germany in the late
Do you nerd out about other producers ‘30s decided to get the fuck out. They went to London
and mixers? and lived at this building – they called it the “Isokon
I nerd out more about film than I do records and Flats” because it was short for isometric construction.
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producers. But certainly, The Dark Side of the Moon, It was a Bohemian condominium, and it represented
Bitches Brew-era Miles Davis, and Talk Talk’s Laughing equal part socialism and idiosyncratic libertarianism a
Stock – those three records are the gold standard for “fuck you” to the state of Germany. All the contrarian
me. Every decision I make comes from one of those
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things that compel me are encapsulated in that

places. Film does the same thing for me. The name, and so I coopted it.
[Stanley] Kubrick-ian thing influences my music, for What’s your “fuck you” towards, then?
sure. Also [Andrei] Tarkovsky; the pacing, the I guess the “fuck you” is towards the studio world. This
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thoughtfulness, and the rumination of it appeals to is a house in the middle of the woods and built by my
me. Producer-wise, Rudy Van Gelder [Tape Op #43] own hands, not some posh studio that was designed
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had a big influence on me, and definitely Alan by some high-end designer. Anything to subvert the
Parsons [#42]. And Phill Brown [#12, Are We Still machine! [laughter] I’m happy with making the
Rolling?] was a huge one for me, because he did the decision to build my studio up here and not be in
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Talk Talk records [Laughing Stock, Spirit of Eden]. He Brooklyn for 20 years. It was a huge question mark. I
also did that Beth Gibbons & Rustin’ Man record [Out work on great music. I make a living. It took 20 plus
of Season], which is brilliant. Tchad Blake [#16, years of work, but I’m here. r
#133] was a big one as well. As I mentioned earlier,
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two people that meant a lot to me were John <www.the-isokon.com> <thesatelliteunion.bandcamp.com>

Holbrook and Neil Dorfsman. They were big mentors
of mine that I worked with, and they’ve both had an Elijah B Torn’s life has gone from having his diaper changed
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indelible influence on me forever. at CBGB’s to becoming Creative Director at MassiveMusic. He

Was it being in the studio with those recently finished a heavy-metal laden novel called Mental
guys and seeing how they work? Case and resides in Brooklyn, NY. <www.elijahbtorn.com>
The sounds that they got had a huge impact on me.
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Without them, my process would be very, very

different, and I don’t know if it would be for the
better.
D. J. Goodwin/(Fin.)/Tape Op#138/49
Jeff Larson
America: Archiving the Group
by Larry Crane

Founding members of the band America, Dewey Records/Gonzo Multimedia, including Lost & Found
Bunnell and Gerry Beckley, have kept the group America and Archives, Vol 1. Now, because it’s the 50th
going 50 years, and this year sees the release of Half anniversary of the band, they are releasing an archival
Century, a seven CD/one DVD box set of rare archival box set, Half Century.
studio recordings of alternate mixes, demos and Oh, wow! What are the London Early

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rehearsals. I dropped a line to Jeff Larson, a musician Demos?
and America archivist, to talk about the projects he’s London Early Demos are these three guys on stools with
been involved in for America Archives/America Records, acoustic guitars working to get a deal by laying down

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including Half Century on Gonzo Multimedia, the their songs at Chalk Farm Studios, with Dick James
Heritage series on Omnivore Recordings, Rhino’s recent [Publishing] and Polydor. The band held onto these
collections, and more. reels over the years. I had them baked and transferred
and only some slight treatment on hiss was needed.
What led you to America and their The tapes and the performances are as they were, for
archives? the most part.

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I’ve been working with these America guys for 22 years.
In 1998 I covered one of Gerry’s songs for a project I George Martin, Gerry, Dewey
was working on, and then he sang on one of my songs

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a year or so later. Dewey got involved singing
harmony as well, and then it went back and forth for
a decade. I’ve always had license deals with Japan
and France, wherever I could find pockets of interest.
on
That led to a lot of these projects, and eventually
Gerry producing an album of mine, Heart of the Valley,
in 2008. They were early musical heroes of mine. As
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time passed we became friends, and I guess some

trust was gained to where I could take on this new With sessions that Geoff Emerick was
role as their archivist. engineering, and George Martin was
How did you get involved with releases? producing, were those really easy to
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When I somewhat burned out on pushing my own mix?

music, about five or six years ago, Gerry basically I had come across all the 2-inch tapes of rehearsals for
asked if I would go to the band’s locker, sort through the album Hideaway, from 1976 - these were from
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the audio, and help get things up and running. I Caribou Studios in Colorado. These consisted of very
showed up with a 2-terabyte hard drive, and I came early recordings, none of the lush productions that
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away with a Mac tower, cases full of old hard drives, made the album. This was America when they were
and miscellaneous other items that piled up to my working out the songs and didn’t even have the
earlobes driving home. Along with Gerry’s large audio titles in place, in some cases. The tapes were
output over the years, I found some unreleased transferred with the help of Michael Romanowski
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America music. Initially this was all DAW sessions, [Coast Mastering] and a connection he had at
some ADAT and DAT’s; but eventually I started finding Skywalker Sound. The result was an immaculate
analog tapes, going back to 1970. He was an early conversion to digital. These transfers fell in place,
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adopter, as far as home studios go, and he kept where I could take some existing mixes that were
things. His Buzz Studios on King’s Road in L.A. was bounced back then, and do four or five mixes from
where America rehearsed their early albums, and the multitracks. The album the band was working
those sessions are represented on some of the early towards was the follow-up to Hearts (1975), not to
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archival releases. Gerry was a tape op back in the day mention their multi-platinum, History: America’s
at Morgan Studios in London. That is actually where Greatest Hits. This was also following a number one
“A Horse with No Name” was recorded. So far, I’ve song, “Sister Golden Hair.” They were flying high.
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done two collections with Omnivore, Heritage and This was also tracked in the cold of winter in
Heritage II, assembled the Rhino/Warner Music set in Colorado, where the air is thin, and that was a little
2019, The Collection, and various releases for America challenging for vocals. The cream of these sessions
50/Tape Op#138/J. Larson/
 are on the Omnivore release, Heritage II. Because I think Tom Anderson was the engineer who also had
these were early sessions, there was a maximum of worked with George Martin on America sessions in
three takes per song. It was before any overdubs the past.
were done. I didn’t have the luxury of hearing the Nice.
string sections that George did. I didn’t even have That was done in Marin. They did two records in the
the vocal harmonies, in most cases, or the solos, or ‘90s, and I found loads of sessions. Unfortunately, it
anything else that would be overdubbed. I had the was ADATs and DATs.
band in the studio or, in some cases, two or three Oh, boy. Yeah.
guys working songs out. That said, this one was a I had to deal with that. There was a lot to sort through.
lot of fun. I felt like I was a fly on the wall. I Somebody gave me a well-oiled DAT machine
comped between two or three takes. I didn’t want fortunately, so I was in business at home doing that.
to step on anything or fix much, so I comped it One of the “new” songs came back from an ADAT
pretty clean. For the song sessions that weren’t from ‘95. I have a friend who was in the Beach Boys
complete three-minute songs, I cut out sections of band, Jeffrey Foskett, who is now sidelined with
false starts and some of the incomplete tracking to some health issues. I was helping Jeff out with his
create a montage at the end of this particular album deal with BMG last fall. I was always looking for
in the set. I also wanted to include some of the anything that he sang backing vocals on. I found
chatter in between takes. This adds a sense of that he did these great backing vocals on one of

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warmth for the listener, where they feel like they are Gerry’s songs called “Remembering” – an early
there hearing false starts and these guys having fun. version of the song he later cut on a solo release. I
Anyway, Hideaway didn’t sell, no big hits; but it’s found the backing vocals and acoustic guitar, then

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one of those releases that fans tend to cling to. had real drums put on a few months back. I also sang
When you look at archival discs like a little on the bridge. Soon after this “proof of
these, you’re able to get this fly-on- concept,” I went over to Dewey’s house and tracked
the-wall viewpoint that you him doing an answer part, and there you have it. It
wouldn’t do on a proper album. closes out the Half Century box set.
With America, the band had a lot of hits, but they were One of the concepts that’s interesting

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really AM radio. Fans were used to very well-sanded, here is that it is malleable. Songs
three minute pop songs. To try to go beyond that and can be overdubbed on and changed
convince their fan base, “Hey, the Beach Boys, Neil into something as everyone’s still

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Young, Bob Dylan, Robbie Robertson and seemingly here and involved.
every legacy act is doing collections from that era. Yeah, to me that’s the whole thing. I’m 58, so I grew
Why not America?” The non-hits are better than some up in the analog world, but more as a singer-
of their hits. Many people don’t know this. I feel I songwriter going to studios. I didn’t really get to any
on
almost have to try and sell it, to say, “Hey, take a look kind of knowledge of it until [Apple] GarageBand
under the hood of this band a little bit.” To me, it’s a came around. I was still playing out with studios and
nice complement to their more polished body of work other people and thought, “Ah, I can do this at
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that Warner/Rhino and Capitol owns. The studio home.” Then I got [Apple] Logic and eventually
albums are well represented, with a fresh box set from [Avid] Pro Tools; always in a nominal way, just to
last year [50th Anniversary: The Collection], so these cover myself. Then Gerry produced an album of me
archive releases always need some explanation. singing some of his songs, and I felt I had to go
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Hits are easier to sell! deeper into the audio production side of things.
Easier to sell, yes. The catalog’s pretty healthy that There’s a new America album that could be put
way so... together similar to the process of “Remembering.”
With the tapes, are there still more
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We have several existing tracks that were done in

tracks that haven’t been released to Digital Performer, or other formats that I have since
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dig through? converted to Pro Tools to work further. It’s fairly easy
Yeah. With the Half Century box set, we tried to show to do this, if they’re open to it. There are probably
the output from each decade, including previously four or five songs that are already rock solid, without
unreleased songs from each era. We’ve got the early any compromise.
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years, mid-‘70s, the 80’s, a load of tracking from Do you find yourself doing a lot of
the 90’s, and so on. The 80’s set is titled “The cataloging?
Poison Oak Sessions.” They were no longer with I catalog everything on spreadsheets. I come from a
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Warner Bros. and had moved on to Capitol Records. tech background. I was in Silicon Valley way early
This set of songs was just before their comeback on, so I catalog everything like a geek. That had
with “You Can Do Magic” [from their tenth album, to be done.
View From the Ground]. They were paring down their Analog tape can be a nightmare to
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live act and writing a lot of songs, trying to transfer.

rediscover themselves. They were also now a duo I was fortunate with the multitrack tapes, as noted
with two albums and no hit. Dewey had a studio in earlier. I should mention Michael Romanowski
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Marin county called Poison Oak. Those songs are a [Coast Mastering, Bay Area] is a good friend of
lot of fun to listen to because they sound hungry mine. He masters most of these projects, with me
Dewey & Jeff
and they are having a good time in the process. driving him crazy on some points! [laughter]
J. Larson/(continued on page 52)/Tape Op#138/51
 Were there any tapes that couldn’t be
transferred?
I think only one was seriously damaged. I sent it to Iron
Mountain to see if they could salvage it, and they
couldn’t do it. That was a symphonic version of their hits
and deep cuts with an orchestra, like a George Martin
symphonic-type treatment. That would have been a
great release, but unfortunately it’s all flaked.
It’s terrifying when you see tape shear
right off the mylar, the backing’s gone,
and there’s nothing that can be done.
I took it to all the right “doctors.” They couldn’t salvage it.
Do you use any software like iZotope RX for
restoration?
Yeah, iZotope is a go-to for everything. I’m a big fan of
using that for getting rid of hiss or clicks. It’s a miracle
worker. I don’t like playing around with hiss too much,
because when it’s a group that’s acoustic guitar and

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vocals, removing the hiss sometimes makes the acoustic
guitar a little brittle. For any live performance where I
have a healthy soundboard mix of, I’ve been using

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[Audionamix] XTRAX STEMS to try to do track extraction.
Michael Romanowski & Jeff
It’s not an exact science yet. It’s a little better on the
at Coast Mastering studio tracks, but I’m making it work even harder on
I know Michael. He’s great. this, because I’ve got a Hollywood Bowl live show with
We have a good relationship. If Michael couldn’t do it, he had a lot of imbalance and the whole “fan thing” going. It’s
a connection over at Skywalker or whoever still had the been a struggle. Out of 20 songs, I’ve got two that work.

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machines. I have also used [Tardon Feathered’s] Mr. Toad’s r
on occasion for transfers. This was just a circle that fell in
America: <www.venturahighway.com> Jeff Larson:
naturally from us all of us in the San Francisco Bay Area.
<www.jefflarson-music.com>

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on
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52/Tape Op#138/J. Larson/(Fin.)

 ot
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 instance, the latest LUNA update addresses several minor UX audio files to disk. As suspected, poking around inside the
optimizations suggested by the user community – LUNA Session package is not recommended. I’m confident
for example, using option+click to change all parameters (like that these minor issues will be addressed with future updates
mutes or solos) no longer affects hidden tracks. to LUNA, and there are no doubt very practical development
Recording in LUNA is a revelation: Exposing all of the reasons for elements like the hidden file structure. Ultimately,
power of the UAD platform to a full-fledged DAW (dammit!) it’s easy enough to export stems straight from the session
recording environment, from simple tasks like building a cue and re-import processed as needed.
mix to punching in and out with pre-roll, to creating custom In some ways, my thoughts around just how I intend to
UAD tracking chains – well, it all seems so fluid and natural use LUNA are evolving. Part of me views this system as an
that you genuinely do feel a little more connected to what exceptional digital front end, and that there may be specific
really matters: The Music and the inspired moments that a sessions that I’ll want to transition via AAF export to another
great-sounding take can create in the studio. Maybe this DAW for mixing or mastering. But there are
sounds like marketing-speak, but the pure function of certainly compelling reasons to stay put and mix entirely in
recording through Unison plug-ins in LUNA is as close as I’ve LUNA, notably the paid LUNA Extensions like the Neve

Universal Audio come to having the immediate satisfaction of recording with

tape-based systems. Committing to a sound and printing it,
Summing emulation of the 80 Series console bus amplifiers –
wow! Inserting Neve Summing across the stem and master
LUNA Recording System where every next step, every next take is fast and rock solid, busses makes an unbelievable difference in character and
Senior Writer Dana Gumbiner covers the bulk of this major and I don’t even have to think about saving – LUNA auto- heft. And again, the implementation is optimized for speed
new software release from Universal Audio, but we’ve also saves and offers 64 levels of undos even after you’ve quit and – features like automatic gain compensation when

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asked our newest reviewer, John Radin, to comment from a re-launched. The undo cue is persistent over multiple adjusting headroom on the summing controls are stellar.
guitarist’s point of view. -SM sessions, meaning the undo cue is maintained upon opening Of course, there is room for “Moonbase LUNA” to grow in
Please don’t call it a DAW! Universal Audio’s new recording any session or backup – this can be handy in verifying what future versions – my wish list: It’d be nice to have more

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system LUNA is here, fresh out of beta and free as hell – work was last done on said session. Awesome. interface customization options, especially concerning
provided you’ve invested in at least one of Universal Audio’s Editing audio and MIDI in LUNA is similarly familiar, with keyboard commands, and perhaps a greater emphasis on
Thunderbolt Apollo [Tape Op #130 & #136] or Arrow systems. most keyboard shortcuts and general paradigms customized macros within the control bar “workflows,”
LUNA sounds stellar, is beautiful, powerful, easy to acclimate corresponding to those found in Pro Tools (again, my muscle External control or fader surface support (HUI and/or EUCON
to, and also very much in a version 1 state. This is not a memory is grateful). MIDI editing is somewhat limited in this protocol). Personally, I’d love to see ARA support for plug-ins
cheap dig; instead, it’s intended to signify excitement for the version when compared to, say, Ableton Live [#126]. like Celemony Melodyne [#84] (a la PreSonus Studio One

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journey ahead – if this is the launch platform, we’re in for a But most of the low-level work inside of LUNA is mercifully [#132). I wish the search features in the focus browser
successful mission! Overall, LUNA feels... surprisingly free of menu-diving or focus switching. Because Console is offered contextual search such that I could use other search
comfortable. Can a DAW feel cozy? (recording system, I folded into the LUNA environment, there are only two strings to scan through my plug-ins. Searching by type of
mean!) Yes, it can. primary workspaces to navigate: Timeline and Mix. Provided effect like “Distortion” and have it reveal all of my harmonic

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Although this is version 1, LUNA has an abundance of you have enough screen real estate or multiple monitors, distortion options, like Thermionic Culture Vulture, would be
mature elements under the hood, including an innovative LUNA allows you to run multiples of each of these windows, a time-saver. Additionally, more customization of the plug-in
and completely autonomous “Accelerated Realtime each configured with a different focus – super handy browser would be an ask for future revisions (currently plug-ins
on
Monitoring” system. ARM is an integrated under-the-hood for complex sessions. One important note: As of this version, are only displayed by vendor – you can filter by vendor and
management of Apollo low-latency Unison and UAD plug-ins, you cannot run a LUNA session without a Thunderbolt Apollo plug-in name). Lastly, third party VST3 support would be
allowing real-time tracking through the plug-ins without the or Arrow system attached to the host computer, so for mobile cool. However, most of my plug-in library does offer AU
twin hassles of switching between the Console app and editing (remember when humans would travel together on versions, so, meh – maybe it’s time to kick VST to the curb
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your DAW’s buffer settings. One button to enable it, and ARM planes and trains?), you’ll want to find a portable solution (I know plug-in developers have contrasting and
goes to work. Console is fully integrated (“absorbed” is like an Arrow, Apollo Twin X, or similar. Otherwise, your post- hotly contested opinions about the format). I’ll be sure to
probably a better description) into the LUNA tracking session editing is a bit land-locked – UA, may we ask for a submit all of the above via the handy feedback button!
environment, and all buffer management is invisibly handled bus-powered Apollo Micro with DSP and a headphone out? Kudos to UA for LUNA – especially for its early release during
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behind the scenes, so the tracking workflow is fast, fluid, and LUNA’s built-in (free) Shape virtual instruments are lovely, these rather trying times when many musicians and producers
friction-free. Note: Standard, non-UAD AU plug-ins are as are the pay-to-play options in Ravel (modeled Steinway are stuck at home. This is a really exciting and promising
temporarily disabled when ARM is enabled on a given track. Grand) and the impeccably emulated Minimoog. It’ll be recording system (ahem), and I can’t wait to see more!
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ARM also automatically controls the muting and unmuting of interesting to see how UA’s library of LUNA Instruments grows -Dana Gumbiner <danagumbiner.com>
Apollo input channels (no more switching over to Console to over time and to what degree these paid options will charm Let me take you back to the first day I really started to
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mute open Apollo inputs between setups). users with larger existing VI libraries. The Spitfire Chamber rethink my relationship with the guitar. It started with a
While we’re on the topic of general workflow and speed, Strings, Woodwinds, and Brass are tremendous. conference call for my day job getting canceled, so my mind
the onboarding and getting started periods with LUNA is Mixing in LUNA is another highlight, with a few minor turned to trying out some new things on my guitar during my
hands-down the fastest of any DAW I’ve used. Again, there is version 1 caveats that I’ll speak to upfront. External hardware (very) brief lunch break. I scurried on over to my closet to
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a comfort factor here: The folks at Universal Audio Mission insert sends using bus tracks are not yet supported but is lug my carefully curated boutique analog pedalboard and
Control have wisely opted to closely parallel most of planned for a future release. The other minor point tube amp, then plugged them in to warm up. I went out to
the familiar Avid Pro Tools [#126] keyboard shortcuts. My of confusion for me was precisely where my rendered or grab some lunch around the corner, and came back to realize
immediate reaction to simple tasks, like the creation of new consolidated audio files live on my hard drives – UA has I had neglected to power up my Toneczar Echoczar dual-
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tracks or navigation around the timeline, was that it felt implemented a consolidated file structure for LUNA sessions channel analog delay pedal, which was going to be front and
familiar. After years of trying to break from that Pro Tools such that there is just one visible file, with no folders or center for my new ideas – this beast was going to take
muscle memory, at some point, you eventually ask, ability to access the session audio pool. Right-clicking on a another 15 minutes to warm up! My smile evaporated, and I
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“Why fight it?” UA has published a brick of helpful content LUNA session file allows you to expose the package contents decided to just scrub the impromptu jam session. This
online (check out their “Office Hours” series of videos for and inspect a folder titled “audio” where your audio files lingered with me throughout the day and was most
some really useful deep dives), and I keep uncovering little live alongside related JSON files. Sometimes I need easy upsetting. There has to be a better way to do this in our
hidden gems that save me time. access to those files, and I feel like I risk breaking my session modern age. From that day, I set out to try to find it.
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The built-in one-click feedback form makes it simple to by poking around in a file package that wasn’t meant to be The last time I had looked into simplifying my guitar had
capture little feature or change requests that (thus far), the opened in this fashion. Universal Audio recommends using been with a green, kidney bean-shaped amp simulator pedal
Universal Audio team has been very responsive to. For the Export Files and/or Export Mixdown commands to export that simply did nothing for me. However, since then I’ve run
54/Tape Op#138/Gear Reviews/
into a new acquaintance who recommended I take a look at
the Universal Audio ecosystem. Before taking the plunge, I MXL Electric & Company
did some online research and found some videos of Pete Revelation II tube mic EC6 tube preamp
Thorn (an amazingly talented guitar session player and gear The Revelation II is MXL’s newest offering from their Based in Austin Texas, Electric & Company builds and
aficionado who I have always respected) demonstrating what Premium Studio microphone line. This large-diaphragm, restores boutique preamplifiers. The EC6 is a mono tube
was possible with the Universal Audio Apollo and its guitar continuously variable pattern tube mic features top-shelf preamp based on the preamps from the Ampex 600 series reel-
amp and effect plug-ins. I was sold, and picked up an Apollo components: Internal Mogami cabling, a hand-selected to-reel tape machines. The EC6 boasts +60 dB of gain, with
with a smattering of plug-ins and haven’t looked back since. EF86 Pentode tube, and a dual gold-sputtered 6-micron Cinemag input and output transformers, pushing three stages
For me, tone has always been sacrosanct. It is always fun diaphragm. The power supply has toggles for polarity with an EF86 pentode tube, and a 12AU7 twin triode tube. On
to play, but if it doesn’t sound good, what am I reverse and bass roll-off (12 dB per octave at 125 Hz), plus the input, you can select between Mic, Pad, and Line modes –
accomplishing? To my ears, the Universal Audio models a continuously variable pattern selector. Physically, the your patchbay will appreciate these options all coming from a
sound authentic and responsive, with low latency – I have mic’s silhouette is similar to a Neumann U 47fet while single input jack. The only knob present is for gain. A DI input,
been very satisfied after taking the jump. My favorite amp remaining distinctive unto itself with a dark violet and a Phase Flip switch, and a +48V phantom power switch are
emulation is the Diezel Herbert, plus I use several of the black chrome finish, plus a -10 dB pad located on the back selectable on the front panel. I really like the solid feel and
reverb, chorus, and delay plug-ins as well. I had started of the body. In addition to the power supply, bundled design of this enclosure, and flipping on the power switch feels
with the Universal Audio Console application, but as a non- accessories include a 7-pin Mogami cable, a Mogami gratifying when the big red bulb lights up.
audio technician, I found it a little confusing to try to route standard XLR cable (nice bonus), a shock mount, and a I received the EC6 right as the COVID-19 pandemic hit. This
my signal to Apple Logic for my preferred punch in/punch cleaning cloth. MXL and Mogami are part of the same parent kept me out of the studio for a while, and kept clients out of
out and monitoring workflow. However, Universal Audio’s company, explaining how premium cables don’t bump up the studio even longer, so a lot of my use with this pre was in

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new LUNA Recording System is a fantastic piece of software, the retail price. utilizing the line input in a mix situation – the EC6 shined in
and I’ve been using it now since the day it was released. My first test of the Revelation II was as an accent mic on this scenario. On several sources, including processing a vocal,
I’ve found it to be vastly superior to my favorite DAW in a drum kit for a pop rock piano EP. I placed it at knee height, kick drum, bass guitar, and snare drum, the EC6 added some

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terms of workflow, with an extremely well-designed and about six feet out and to the left of the rack tom (right- soft compression and richness to everything in an appealing
intuitive UI, providing a unified base for everything I need handed drummer’s perspective). After sweeping through way. The ability to add punch while beefing up any source that
or want to do in my studio. patterns, I settled on omni, which permitted the room to I sent through the EC6’s line input made me almost wish this
I would like to see some wah-wah and pitch shift plug-ins, bloom more while offering a sense of space to the guitar. It pre was (gasp) a plug-in! Then I had the idea, “What if I used
as well as a small, simple foot hardware controller with two also sounded fantastic alone as a mono drum mic. This this pre as a parallel punch bus?” In this way, I could send
expression pedals and two switches to toggle through placement can be very hi-hat heavy, so a mic with a crunchy anything I want to through it, as long as I’m careful with how

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complete guitar amp and effects configurations – like some high end can render the track useless if you aren’t careful. I much level I send to the input. Guess what? It was cool! I love
of the features found in Universal Audio’s OX Amp Top Box found the Revelation II was silky rather than strident, any unit that does double duty in both tracking and mixing. I
[#128]. I do find it addicting to be able to just click between providing a well-rounded track I can pepper in as needed. used this method while finalizing a few mixes, and the artist
entire rigs and signal chains at will, instead of tap-dancing Next, I used the mic on a 4 x 12 guitar cabinet during noticed the difference in weight and forwardness on both bass

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on my old pedalboard. Overall, I heartily recommend LUNA to tracking for a punk/metal album. I already had a Sennheiser guitar and kick drum. I also found it useful to insert the EC6
the guitarist who also wants to partake in everything else MD 421 with a ribbon mic yin/yang pairing placed close to after a plug-in compressor to impart some analog reality.
Universal Audio has to offer. With software instruments like the cabinet, so I auditioned the Revelation II in cardioid I did have a chance to track with this mic pre for an
on
Ravel, Shape, and the Minimoog, it really is a complete and about four feet out. While close mic’ing is standard aggressive adlib R&B vocal. The EC6 gave the voice some edge
uncompromising system at your fingertips. procedure, I was really concerned with capturing the sound while holding it in place so it could be heard behind a wall of
(free for Apollo Thunderbolt owners; uaudio.com) of all four speakers coalescing. In this application, other vocals. Under a normal tracking schedule I would be
-John Radin <[email protected]> the Revelation II proved to be forgiving in just about any reaching for this pre quite a bit. I auditioned the EC6’s beefy

The Ballad of
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location. It supplied a rich, focused sound while taming DI while rehearsing some bass parts for a project and can’t wait

Tommy LiPuma some of the screeching overdrive from the amp. Clean tones to use it in this way for tracking.

(book)
remained dynamic, articulate, and punchy. I’m not sure the EC6 should be the only mic pre in your studio,
Vocals through Revelation II sounded open, yet present. A but if added harmonics with a little edge is what you’re looking
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by Ben Sidran small bump at 8 kHz on the EQ added a little sizzle without for, this delivers. Supporting small businesses right now is
The late Tommy LiPuma’s career covered seven hit-making going overboard. Paired with a signature tone and the ability important. If you can swing it, Electric & Company gear is worth
decades of music, and musician/writer/etc. Ben Sidran to sweep patterns, this mic was starting to sound like I could the price tag. ($1199.99 MSRP; electricandcompany.com) -Justin
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[father of Leo Sidran, Tape Op #135], who worked with use it on anything. The versatility that a variable polar Mantooth <justinmantooth.com>
Tommy extensively in the studio, does justice in telling the pattern microphone can add to your studio is hard to
KickBlock Products
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story of Tommy’s life in this engrossing biography. From his understate – do not assume that cardioid is the only pattern
upbringing in Cleveland to producing George Benson’s for vocals. Adjustable mic patterns can be some of the easiest KickBlock drum anchor system
breakthrough, Breezin’, to amazing sessions with Natalie Cole stepping-stones between the sounds you get and the sounds If your studio is anything like mine, you see a variety of
and Diana Krall, Tommy LiPuma was the artists’ producer, as you’re trying to get – all at the simple twist of a knob. drums come through and sometimes the kick drum will not
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the role shifted from company-man supervisor to musical For recordists that don’t yet have a large-diaphragm tube stay in place. Developed by drummer Will Butera with his dad
collaborator and supporter. As Paul McCartney said, “Tommy condenser, the Revelation II is an impressive microphone at Jay, KickBlock is a must have for every studio and gigging
was a fantastic producer. He would sit in the studio with us a modest price point that can affordably beef up any mic drummer. A simple, super lightweight foam (or natural cork)
musicians and make every session a complete joy.” Tommy locker. The pros: Open and detailed sound, outstanding brick that’s 11” by 3” by 2”, its bottom is covered with 27
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helmed records that sold over 75 million combined – he was value, versatility, and rock solid build. The only con for me square inches of a military-grade Velcro hook pad. This pad
doing something right – and The Ballad of Tommy LiPuma is that I just bought a new interface and am in the middle sticks to all the carpets I tried (like on stage or in the studio)
tells his story over 284 pages with a rich, human tone. of paying that off, so the prospects of purchasing this mic and with the drum’s pressure against the edge it stays in
place and keeps the kick from slipping away from the
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(bensidran.com) -LC right now are bleak. It’s a good thing MXL didn’t send two.
Who knows how I would have resisted a pair of Revelation drummer. No more drums creeping up on your mic stands,
Tape Op is made IIs! ($499 street; mxlmics.com) and a simple solution when you need it. Keep one on hand!
possible by our -Dylan Ray <[email protected]> KickBlock is available in black, red, and natural cork, with free
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Please support them and tell them
you saw their ad in Tape Op.
Gear Reviews/(continued on page 56)/Tape Op#138/55
 API situation by placing the DI jacks on the front, right under the
armrest. This makes it super easy to quickly plug in a bass
my patchbay. Feeding these summing inputs is a set of external
mic pres that have a variety of gear hanging off them: Synths,
THE BOX 2 console guitar or synth to record (the last four inputs can have theirs drum machines, more mics, etc. When I want to sum a mix, I
With the shift to digital recording and razor-thin budgets wired up at the factory for a fee). Another feature unique to just patch in the DAW outputs to the summing channel inputs.
in recent decades, recording consoles have disappeared from the first four inputs is their ability to easily access the This setup transforms what initially appears like an 8-channel
many modern recording studios. In place of a 96-channel onboard pair of 527 compressors. These VCA compressors mixer into a 26-channel mixer (32-channels if you steal the
behemoth, a new studio may have a simple desk topped with provide both feed-back and feed-forward compression types, Monitor Sends) with an optional summing section. If it’s not
a sleek DAW controller, or even just a mouse and keyboard. high-passing of the sidechain using API’s THRUST cicuit, and obvious by now, the new BOX, like most consoles, is far more
While this evolution may make sense financially, what are we stereo linking. Missing from the original 527 is the output flexible with a patchbay. While the cabling and patchbays are
missing in our Brave New World? Is it possible to be gain control, which can make level-matched comparisons no small investment, it’s well worth it if you want to take
streamlined and fiscally responsible without giving up the tricky. By default, the compressors are assigned to the mix advantage of every inch of the mixer.
sounds and techniques made possible by a traditional bus, but a pair of buttons allows you to individually assign A feature I find incredibly useful on the summing channels is
console? Only a handful of legacy console manufacturers have them to the first four inputs. Having the 527s a button press the 0 dB unity gain button. When engaged, it takes the fader
attempted to answer that question, and API is one of them. away makes it easy to tame inputs during tracking, but I also out of the signal path, allowing for quick and precise recalls. I
In 2013, they unveiled the original BOX [Tape Op #101], find myself running recorded tracks into the line inputs so I was disappointed that API didn’t add this button to the mic
which was a compact console squarely aimed at the modern can use the compressors during mixing. A related feature I input channels in the new version. It would make using those
studio. Covering all the basics and then some, the first BOX use all the time is the Comp Post button, which moves the inputs during mixdown as easy as the summing channels. That’s
could be the centerpiece of many compact musical spaces, compressor from before the 500 Series slot to after. Being able a small complaint, however, and can probably be filed under

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and over the last two years it’s proven to be just that in my to make all these changes right on the console, without “can’t have it all.”
project studio. With the BOX 2, API has expanded on the having to move your head out of the sweet spot, is awesome! The final feature of the summing channels is shared with the
original concept of creating a big console sound in a small Did someone say “500 Series?” Where the original BOX input channels: The Aux Sends. The BOX has two mono and a
format by adding four additional input channels along with a came with two immovable API 550A EQs and two empty slots, single stereo send – each with a pre fader option. The Stereo

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few other welcome additions and improvements. With eight the new BOX allows more freedom by shipping with eight Send can be toggled to feed the dedicated Cue Bus on a per-
mic inputs including 500 Series slots, a 16-channel summing empty 500 slots. The lack of modules also keeps the initial channel basis, which makes it easy to create an artist
section, three Aux Sends, a monitoring system, and two built- purchase price down, although you’ll no doubt want to fill headphone mix. In the Master Section (more on that later),
in API 527 compressors, the new BOX 2 is a console that’s these slots sooner than later! The 500 Series integration is each send has a Master Level knob and Solo button. There are
much greater than the sum of its parts. I had the chance to well-appointed, with extensive I/O around back, allowing not no dedicated Aux Returns on the BOX, which I find only
try out the new version of this console in my studio for several only direct patching out of the mic pre (before the 500 Series occasionally unfortunate. Most of the time, I just return on

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weeks and thoroughly enjoyed it (despite my original BOX module) but also in and out of the 500 Series module itself. unused summing channels, which opens the door for
giving the new one the side-eye). Paired with a patchbay, this becomes a powerful way for a experimenting with controlled feedback by using the channel
You can tell a lot about the BOX 2 just by looking at it, single channel to use multiple 500 Series modules. While Aux Send. Another option is to use the Program Sum input as

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largely because the control section is nicely elevated, making there is no button to disable the 500 Series slot, I never found an FX return. This stereo input only has an On/Off switch, which
everything easy to access. This is a clever ergonomic design that to be a problem, since many modules include ON/OFF makes it less useful at pleasing my inner King Tubby.
decision, as it allows you to stay planted in the mixing sweet switches. Each channel has a direct output fed by the fader Tying everything together is the Master Section that sports
spot while making adjustments. The layout of the board is signal with all its 500 Series and insert processing. Engaging the same summing specs as its bigger brothers, the 1608 [#81],
on
split with eight input channels on the left, a Master Section the “Dir Pre” button moves the output to earlier in the signal and 2448 [#130] consoles. The Solo Section ticks most of the
in the middle (the original center section lived slightly to the path, directly after the preamp. While there’s definitely an boxes with SIP, AFL, and PFL options, plus the all-important Solo
left, between the Inputs and Summing Inputs), and 16 allure to capturing the complete sound during tracking, the Clear button! The Control Room section supports two sets of
summing inputs on the right. At the bottom of all 24 ability to record the dry output showed its merit during the monitors with the requisite Mute and Dim functionality. If it’s
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channels, you’ll find identical controls anchored by 100 mm COVID-19 lockdown. Since it was essentially illegal to have important to you, you’ll need to bring an external solution for
channel faders, Mute and Solo buttons, plus a pan knob. I anyone over to record, I found myself playing and recording controlling your subwoofer since the BOX has no affordances for
certainly haven’t tried every console out there, but in my drum tracks myself. I’d engage Dir Pre to bypass the 500 that. The Control Room Mix can be fed by the Program Mix or
experience if the faders don’t feel good it’s a big turn off. The
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Series module and get a solid level to the DAW from the direct any of the four stereo 2-track Inputs. All of these sources can’t
BOX 2’s faders glide smoothly, allowing for precise level out. Each of the drum tracks in the DAW had inserts, which be monitored simultaneously because API expects the stereo 2-
changes. This is a noticeable improvement over the original were patched directly into their originating channel’s 500 track Inputs will be used as DAW returns and therefore should
BOX in my opinion, and to that end, API claims to have Series module. On playback, I could dial in the right EQ be exclusive to prevent any feedback. While this is a fair
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worked directly with the manufacturer regarding component setting, and eventually disable Dir Pre so it was applied to the assumption, I personally don’t use the inputs like that and
quality. The console’s mute and solo buttons are also bigger mic signal on future takes. If that’s all a little confusing, just would get more use from them if they were all available at once.
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and more responsive than those on the classic BOX. I found know that this little BOX packs a lot of versatility. The Cue System is comprehensive enough to support a few
them much easier to use for live and dub style mixing, and On the other side of the console, the summing channel setups. In mixing, you could use the Stereo Cue Output like
they’re brightly backlit so you can quickly read the state of strips present a simpler affair. They’re laid out in pairs with another Aux Send, and then in tracking use it to feed an artist
the mix at a glance. the clear intention of being fed by stereo stems during mix. For simpler headphone mixes, the BOX provides the same
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Each of the eight input channels is based on API’s mixdown. New in this version of the BOX is the addition of a routing buttons as the Control Room section, allowing you to
renowned 2520 op-amp, providing balanced mic and line small four-segment LED meter. You’re not going to make any fold in the Program Mix, plus any of the 2-track Inputs
inputs. The mic signal path includes an input transformer and precise decisions with it, but it’s handy for quick visual (additively, this time). When tracking vocalists, I’ll often return
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+65 dB of gain, whereas the line inputs are fixed at unity confirmation. Plus, who can’t appreciate more blinking lights? a reverb to a 2-track Input, then route that only to the artist’s
gain. I found the fader’s +12 dB of gain sometimes isn’t The limited controls and lack of preamps may have you cue mix. There are plenty more 2-track Inputs to use here for
enough for many synths and drum machines, and I had to run thinking that these summing channels are a one-trick pony, things like metronomes and guide tracks.
them through DIs before heading into the console. Speaking but think again! Each channel has a balanced insert that can Separate from the Cue Mix, there is a dedicated headphone
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of DIs, the jacks on the original BOX used to be located on be used for your typical hardware processing during summing. mix that can be fed by either the Stereo Cue or the Program Mix.
the back of the console, alongside the other I/O, which made The interesting bit here is that the Insert Send is constantly In practice, this means you can route the Program to your
them difficult to access. When an instrument cable was active, regardless of whether the Insert Return button is headphones for monitoring (with a jack on the front of the
inserted, the mic input is defeated, which meant you had to engaged. This means you can use the send as a direct output, console), and then create a customized artist mix using the Cue
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reach around back and unplug a cable when changing just like on the input channels! For example, I have the Send on each channel. Along with the built-in talkback mic’s
sources. With the BOX 2, API has addressed this awkward summing channel’s Insert Sends normalled to DAW inputs on ability to be routed to several locations, I’ve rarely wanted for
anything else from a Master Section.
56/Tape Op#138/Gear Reviews/(continued on page 58)
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 If you’re considering making a sizable hardware studio
investment, reliability and customer support are clearly factors ADAM Audio
to consider. API was super responsive the one time I needed to T8V powered monitor
contact their tech support due to an issue and didn’t even shame Let’s use some simple steps for choosing monitors, based on
me when, after a week of diagnosing, they discovered the issue how one might select a bottle of wine. Set your monitor price
was just some bad cabling on my end. On the reliability front, point (much like wine, with monitors you’ll likely need to buy at
op-amps are a component known to go out on consoles, and least two), pair them with your space (not with your food), and
APIs are not immune. New to this version of the BOX are maybe pick a bottle with an interesting character that suits your
socketed 2520 op-amps, making replacement quite literally a palette. If you’re on a budget, need a listening solution for an
snap. The channel electronics are arranged into individual area larger than a bedroom, and are on the hunt for something
assemblies, which means if there’s a problem with one it can with a warm, wide-bodied listening experience that won’t wear
easily be removed, then shipped back to API without getting out you out, ADAM Audio’s new offering may just suit the occasion.
the soldering iron. All of this, plus the other improvements Their new T8V active monitors offer a full, powerful sound,
mentioned in this review, proves that API listens to their featuring polypropylene woofers and the U-ART 1.9-inch
customers and knows how to support them. accelerated ribbon tweeter driver employing the same
Two years ago, the BOX changed my focus in the studio from technology found in their more expensive models, all at a
the computer to the console. Having a console makes things reasonable price. Our own Geoff Stanfield wrote about the
more immediate, spontaneous, and frankly more fun than always smaller T5V and T7V [Tape Op #128]. Now I’m here to tell you
mousing around. If you’re looking to upgrade your workflow, give about their bigger sibling eight-inch model.

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your productions some more punch and depth, and generally get Boxes containing the new models arrived safely at my doorstep
more hands-on with your music, the updated BOX should be at and were well packaged without excessive material waste (thank
the top of your research list. ($16,795 MSRP; apiaudio.com) you, ADAM Audio). The T8V’s rear panel controls include a simple

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-Ed Hickey <edhickey.com> rotary level control (with no 0 dB detent), plus switches for low

oeksound
frequency and high-frequency response adjustment. Balanced and
unbalanced connections are provided. A power switch with a green
soothe2 plug-in LED is located right next to the IEC AC connecter, above the rear-
I do a lot of mixing of home-recorded projects for my fine firing bass-reflex port. It should be noted that T series monitors
clients from all over the world. As plug-ins have gotten more don’t have power indicators on the front panels.

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adept and way smarter, I’ve become dependent on ones like Most of us are familiar with ADAM Audio’s signature folded
Brainworx’s bx_refinement [Tape Op #102] and Soundtheory’s ribbon tweeter design, but let’s talk more about the
Gullfoss [#131] to help me sculpt some of these less-than- polypropylene woofers. This type of plastic cone is somewhat
inexpensive to produce (with more consistency in manufacturing

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stellar sounding sources into workable, nicer-sounding tracks.
A good friend who does a lot of similar mixing jobs, Jeff Stuart results), is extremely rigid, and highly damped while offering a
Saltzman, told me about the original soothe [Tape Op #127] controlled breakup that results in a smooth midrange and low
many years ago, and with the new soothe2, I finally got to hear end response. Combined with the wide sweet spot and gentle
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what this “dynamic resonance suppressor” was capable of. vibe of the folded ribbon tweeter, the T8Vs ooze a mellow sound
The makers of soothe2, oeksound, claim it can “reduce and never seem to wear the ear out. Some would say that the
harshness, sibilance, and mud” and they are correct. I’m really combination of a ribbon tweeter with a polypropylene woofer
glad I came aboard for the second generation of this plug-in, might lack punch, but I found the drivers (20 watts and 70 watts
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as they’ve added a lot of control yet made it more efficient. I respectively) provided plenty of lift in my playback, resulting in
like that it now can go down to 20 Hz, and I’ve used it to tame mixes that translated well. Don’t get me wrong, I like to hear the
electric bass, upright bass, and kick drums. The new Soft and crack of a snare drum as much as anyone (and with an alternate
Hard mode switch is brilliant, allowing me to jump right into set of monitors alongside the T8Vs, I was able to get my
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deep salvage via Hard mode when needed. There are many fix/check my mix in that instance) – but listening and working
controls and options available, but I didn’t read any is enjoyable with these boxes! Initially, I thought my room was
instructions and dove right in via the load of presets, tweaking too small for 8-inch speakers, but with my 6.5-inchers I am using
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them a little as needed. I found the Depth knob to be key, and a subwoofer to get where I need to be in the low end. Next to
I’d see how much of soothe2’s effect was really needed by my smaller monitors, it was refreshing to hear such a full sound
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auditioning a track against the entire mix while boosting and (even at moderate levels) without a sub. T8V specs claim a
cutting. Keep in mind that soothe2 can work with individual frequency response down to 33 Hz, and though I did not confirm
instruments, on a sub bus, or even full mix bus (plus in that with measurement, I was feeling it, and it was nice to have
mid/side mode if needed). I found this very useful when a focused, big, low end.
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restoring music off of old cassettes. In use, I didn’t hear much of a character change after a 24-
What’s funny is I also still use refinement and Gullfoss to hour break-in period – perhaps due to the polypropylene
solve certain problems, and swapping out the different plug- speaker? Electric guitars seemed easier to mix on the T8Vs than
ins gives you three wonderful options when hard restoration I expected when there were competing sources in similar
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work like this is needed. I love soothe2 and have been using it frequency ranges. I never struggled to find the right place for
on almost every mix session since I installed it. Perfect. It every element in a mix with the ADAMs – good midrange is
works on all current platforms, and an iLok account and iLok something I really look for when evaluating monitors, and I get
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License Manager installation are required. that with the T8Vs. The tweeters took some time to get used to
(199€ or 50€ upgrade; oeksound.com) –LC at first, but the low end was immediately descriptive. For my ears
and space, I needed to boost the high-frequency response and
found myself switching between cutting the lows (depending on
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how close to the back wall I placed the monitors). Every monitor
takes some time to get comfortable with, but so far my first
mixes are referencing well.
58/Tape Op#138/Gear Reviews/(continued on page 60)
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 If you’re looking for punchy playback with a strident,
brassy sound, this isn’t the monitor for you. However, if you SPL electronics
want to be inspired and emotionally pulled into the mix Mercury Mastering DA converter
landscape, the T8Vs are a great introduction to the wonderful SPL electronics is a 35-year-old German company that makes
world ribbon technology that I would highly recommend. I’m everything from the Vitalizer sweetener/equalizer to a well-
finding them indispensable as an alternate set to my main regarded de-esser and desktop digital interfaces to mastering
pair of monitors – the character difference between dome consoles and signal path controllers. Their model 1734 Mercury
and ribbon tweeters is so different to my ears, but I really Mastering DAC is a red-faced, single space rack unit that allows
like both. Though my previous comment about picking a for seven digital inputs (USB and two each coaxial S/PDIF, XLR
monitor for your space is still good advice, the T8V’s 8-inch AES, and optical TOSLINK). The model 1730 version of the
woofer felt right at home in my bedroom-sized mix space. If Mercury is black, 1733 is all black, and 1734 is red. The DAC
you can afford to upsize your monitoring (within reason) or converts 16, 24, or 32 bit PCM at sample rates from 44.1 to 768
just add a second set, go for it – at this price, you can’t afford kHz and also direct-converts a DSD stream.
not to. As Geoff said in his review of the T5V and T7V, “Some The Mercury includes two pairs of balanced XLR analog
of the best money spent on your studio is in your playback.” outputs: Fixed level, with relative dBu gain set on the front
($599/ea. MSRP: adam-audio.com) –SM panel, and variable with output level controlled by an ALPS RK-

DDMF 27 “Big Blue” potentiometer (known for their channel-to-

channel consistency). I mostly used it with the variable output
Plugindoctor plug-in analyzer connected directly to my Benchmark AHB2 power amplifier

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DDMF is a German company that publishes two kinds of [Tape Op #111]. I also ran the fixed outputs to a Mara
audio software: Outstanding signal processors and Machines MCI JH-110C tape machine to perform a record align
innovative utilities that no one else makes but should. and make a mixtape from digital sources.
Plugindoctor is one example of an invaluable tool. I

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SPL touts the 120V Technology in the analog output stage
purchased version 1.0 shortly after it was released, and have of this DAC. Basically, they’ve developed an op-amp that runs
come to use it regularity. on +/-60 VDC, as opposed to the more typical +/-15 V or 18 V.
As the name implies, Plugindoctor will analyze VST2, VST3, This gives you a voltage swing of 120 V as opposed to 30 V or
and AU plug-ins. With this stand-alone application, simply 36 V, which equates to greater dynamic range and headroom.
load the plug-in you want to examine, choose from the In mastering-grade digital equipment, this matters. For one

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various test options, and Plugindoctor will provide details thing, the Mercury can drive +24 dBu loads all day long with
about what’s going on with your sound. Do you want to incredibly low distortion (each unit comes with pages of
know how a compressor’s knee actually turns over? Would individual test results from an Audio Precision audio analyzer).
you like to test that magic EQ people keep talking about on Suffice to say, dynamic range, noise floor, and distortion

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podcasts? Do you want to verify that one manufacturer’s EQ measurements are very impressive.
is sonically identical as another’s (except for the graphics)? Another unique feature of this DAC is in-house designed
Plugindoctor will show you. low-pass filtering post-conversion, in the analog domain.
I can hear the cranks in the audience bitching that we
on
According to the SPL engineers, “The filter is a second order
should use our ears. To quote Billie Eilish, “Duh!” That’s low-pass. The AKM AK4490 (digital to analog converter chip
great in theory, however, as the Roman gourmand Apicius used) features what AKM calls OSRD (Over Sampling Ratio
purportedly stated, “We eat first with our eyes.” Let’s face Doubler). This puts the out-of-band noise up to the highest
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it, we lose our minds (and money) when plug-ins with sample rates’ Nyquist frequencies, and allows us to use two
beautiful GUIs hit the market. It’s human nature that we’re filters (one for DSD and one for PCM) to cope with the artifacts
drawn to attractive products, but it can unduly influence our there – quite clever from AKM actually. Otherwise, you would
evaluation. Audio software testing is certainly one area need filters for each sample rate (10x PCM and 3x DSD) which
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where measurements remain relevant. is not doable.” SPL founder Wolfgang Neumann is known for
I wanted to send a love letter to DDMF. I loaded every his analog filter designs.
Pultec EQP-1A3 emulation I could find. As it turned out, a The front-panel source switching worked great – no
few were similar, some added harmonic distortion reflecting
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hiccups or noise bursts when switching from a 192 kHz/24

their reference model, while another imparted a 2 dB curve bit playback via USB to a CD playback through optical or
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despite all controls being set to zero. S/PDIF input. The pushbutton switches performed and felt
I strive to restrain my language in reviews, but there are a like they are built to last and belong in a top-notch
lot of plug-ins with marketing promises that are complete equipment rack. There is a Mute button after the source
bullshit. If you want to know which titles I’m referring to, get selectors. There is also a Sync button, which not only selects
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a copy of Plugindoctor. Don’t rely on SSLMonsterMan2000, who the sync source for every input except USB (external word
has 9,354 posts on that audio forum. Rely on your clock source sync, or using one source to sync another
experiments. DDMF offers a demo and a 30-day money-back source) but also, when pressed and held for two seconds,
guarantee. ($25 direct; ddmf.eu) -Garrett Haines <treelady.com> selects the output reference level. Factory standard is 0 dBFS
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= 18 dBu, switchable to 14, 15,16, 18, 20, and 24 dBu.

The Mercury Mastering DAC is designed to fit into SPL’s series
Tape Op is made of mastering studio gear built around their 120 V op-amps, and

possible by our
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is thus aimed at the upscale mastering facility. Its design sets

it up for transparent, undistorted sound with the ability to
advertisers. drive whatever monitoring system is present. This proved to be
Please support them and tell them the case in my studio. From the get-go, it sounded like a top-
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you saw their ad in Tape Op. drawer DAC, which to me means it basically had no signature
sound – it just converted the digital signal and buffered it for
playback through the power amp. It’s a good “proof of work”
60/Tape Op#138/Gear Reviews/(continued on page 62)
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 converter – the last thing to put between your master file and your speakers in order to hear
exactly what your digital master sounds like. The Mercury would also be useful for sending a
digital mix to a tape master (if that’s the preferred result) as it doesn’t add or subtract anything
from what’s in the mix, and adds basically zero noise to the analog signal. The same can be
said about sending a digital master to a record-cutting lathe.
Because the variable output works so well (the channel-to-channel balance is perfect
at all levels I measured), it would be good to have at least one analog pass-through, so
the Mercury Mastering DAC could also be used as a high-end monitor controller in a mixed
analog/digital studio, but that’s a minor quibble. This DAC will reproduce any pro format
digital file and add or subtract nothing from the sound that’s in the bits. Its very solid
and attractive build quality is in line with its premium performance and price.
($2999 street; spl.audio) -Tom Fine <[email protected]>

Bitwig 3
Bitwig Studio
Is it a modular sound design tool masquerading as a DAW, or is it a DAW acting as a
modular instrument? Bitwig Studio blurs these boundaries, creating an environment where
traditional linear time and clip-based arrangements coexist. Modularity weaves through all
facets of this application, and full modular systems cannot only be constructed but also

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interact inside of the DAW. The tools you have come to expect from a recording platform
are all there, and it is a serious music creation tool. After investing time learning Bitwig’s
workflow, I must admit that there is no way I can cover all the features of this software
within the scope of this review, so let’s focus on the features and concepts that I found

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most exciting.
Bitwig’s UX design is well considered and musically mindful. The GUI is vector-based, and
scalable, displaying as much or as little as is required. Navigating Samples, Presets, and
Devices (virtual instruments, audio effects, and other tools to create and process sound) via
the pop-up browser allows auditioning, tweaking, and playing of different sounds without

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stopping playback. With a keystroke, the brilliant Help window appears, featuring an
annotated, interactive version of the Device in question. While learning what every knob and
button does, you are actually changing the Device on that track. Bitwig is cross-platform
compatible – macOS, Windows, and Linux (about time)! Because of this, there is no support

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for Audio Units. However, full native support of both 32 and 64-bit VSTs do exist without
need for a bridge. If a plug-in crashes during a session, the Sandbox feature keeps your
project from crashing and allows control over plug-in hosting options. I did not have the
capabilities to try the touch integration built into the DAWs architecture, but Bitwig hosts an
on
open controller API which allowed me to utilize an existing Ableton Push controller [Tape Op
#97], as well as a Lemur iPad controller template to interact with the software.
Modularity is what Bitwig is all about. It utilizes a simple concept called Device Nesting
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in order to create complex signal chains that can be saved and recalled, but more importantly,
it allows for creative signal routing – think feedback loops or creating need-specific
multiband devices. There is modulation on every device, including third-party plug-ins – the
power of this is not to be understated. With over 30 modulation types, what was once static
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becomes very dynamic. From simple uses of a sine wave LFO modulating a filter cutoff, to
more complex concepts via modulating the modulator, these sources can be routed anywhere
within a nested chain, plus a single modulator can affect multiple destinations.
With the release of Bitwig 3, The Grid was announced as a modular environment, bringing
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us two devices: The Poly Grid and the FX Grid. Within the Grid environment there are over
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160 modules, ranging from oscillators, filters, and math-to-logic functions (which can be
cabled together in any fashion). The Grid’s devices can be nested with other devices and are
completely intertwined in your project. This would be worthless if it didn’t sound good, but
it does – good enough to be a standalone device. I have invested a considerable amount of
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money into the Eurorack format, and with Bitwig the integration between DAW and modular
has never been tighter. Through a DC-coupled interface, external hardware modular systems
can not only be controlled by and within Bitwig, but parameters can also be commanded via
control voltage. I love making music without a computer screen and a mouse, but the
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modules included in The Grid environment expanded my synthesis by the number of outputs
I have – add something like an Expert Sleepers’ ES-8 USB interface for the Eurorack, and you
have even more CV options!
Bitwig implements what is called a Hybrid Track that allows for both audio and note clips
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on the same channel without bouncing in place or losing Devices. Full MPE (MIDI Polyphonic
Expression) support is built into Bitwig and allows for individual note automation. There is
also a Micro-pitch device that not only allows the user to divert from traditional scales with
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custom note values, but could also be used for matching previously recorded out of tune
instruments. Another MIDI bonus is the ability to edit multiple MIDI clips in one edit window
separated by colors. This is great when editing orchestral arrangements or groups of related
62/Tape Op#138/Gear Reviews/
instruments. One useful implementation is the background display setting that allows a
track’s waveform to be visible behind MIDI notes – helpful for lining up to transients. Bitwig
fully supports the Ableton Link technology, which allows users to sync beat, tempo, and
phase across multiple applications that are all connected to a local network. While concluding
this review, Bitwig 3.2 was released with upgrades to EQ+, the addition of a Saturator Device,
Arpeggiator, and Selector devices which leads me to the company’s upgrade model: When you
purchase a perpetual license, you also receive 12 months of free upgrades!
Bitwig is a stunning piece of software that allows so much freedom when creating with a
toolset that is forward-thinking and musical; one that lends to experimentation. This
software’s workflow is very fast once acquainted with its concepts – during use, I never found
myself painted into a corner or getting stuck. There are a few things that keep me from using
Bitwig on a larger scale production, particularly with multi-mic recordings. Comping recorded
audio tracks can be cumbersome in comparison to other DAWs, and although there are some
workarounds, it is not an effortless task. Also, I would love to see a video track for locking
sound to picture – it seems like it would be the icing on the cake for sound designers! Bitwig
feels more like one huge synthesizer than it does a DAW, and that is inspiring – different
methodology leads to different results! ($399 direct; bitwig.com)
-Kevin Friedrichsen <greyroom510.com>

Solid State Logic

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SSL 2 USB audio interface
SSL has officially dived into the crowded sea of interface making with the intent of
bringing a professional level of sound quality to music makers of all levels. The SSL 2 is a

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simple two input USB-C affair with facilities for playback via its rear-facing single headphone
and stereo TRS monitoring jacks. Level is adjusted via a large SSL blue knob, with a separate
small control for Phones. Monitor Mix is set by another single knob rotating clockwise from
100% Input playback to 100% USB (computer) listening – an effective process reminiscent
of the old Digidesign Mbox [Tape Op #30]. Simple, yet effective: Five knobs, five connections,

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some buttons, and a dream.
Right away, you’ll notice the Legacy 4K (indicating 4000 series console, not 4 kHz) buttons
below each of the two channel’s gain adjustment pots on the SSL 2’s top charcoal grey panel:
It’s this feature that we’re most interested in. Legacy 4K mode imparts “an all-new analogue

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enhancement effect.” At first I was skeptical of printing any “enhancement effects” to my
tracks from a box that costs just over $200. But here’s what’s happening based on my
understanding: 4K mode engages an additive circuit to the input path, resulting in a
pleasant, high-frequency boost with some “finely-tuned” second-order (and a touch of
on
third?) harmonics, resulting in a thickened presence. Once I hit the 4K button (red when
active), I never switched it off. At the risk of publishing an oxymoron (I’ve been called
worse), I found that this feature offered an unusually subtle and transparent distortion: A
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little thicker, but never stodgy or crunchy – bright, but not bite-y. I have been reassured by
SSL that the 4K feature employs an all analog circuit with no DSP.
In addition to the preamp features mentioned above, each of the channels provide for mic
(w/ option of +48V phantom), line, and, instrument-level inputs selectable via dedicated
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buttons on the corresponding channel. The bare preamps (without 4K) offer a gain range of
62 dB (nice) with good transparent headroom for basic clean recording tasks – you’ll get more
than your money’s worth here! But like I said: Once engaging the 4K button, I never went
back. Even on acoustic guitar and bare vocal, this feature gave me a nice push with a mix-
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ready vibe. I’m not prescribing to use the 4K feature in every situation – folk music and
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podcasting might not be appropriate applications.

Though simple and utilitarian, the SSL 2 is sturdier than one would expect at this price
point. Just slightly larger than a paperback book, it’s easy to throw in a backpack for on-the-
go recording tasks. This interface is bus-powered, so there’s no need to worry about a wall
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wart. I appreciate the signature (and tall) SSL knobs, but this prevents throwing the unit into
some smaller laptop bags – shorter controls would be better here. Also, I would’ve preferred
a headphone jack on the front panel instead of the back. Small dings aside, you’ll be stoked
when you first open the box, install the drivers, plug it in, and start working in less than five
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minutes – absolutely a no BS affordable interface that stands out from the pack. In the
crowded sea of 2-channel interfaces, the SSL 2 offers a level of quality and fidelity above
most boxes I’ve seen in its class.
The SSL 2+ adds a second headphone jack with dedicated controls, MIDI I/O, and an extra
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stereo output (unbalanced RCA) for just $50 more. Both interfaces include necessary USB-C
cables, and the SSL Production Pack with SSL Native and AAX plug-ins, Pro Tools First,
Ableton Live Lite, Native Instruments Hybrid Keys and Komplete Start, plus 1.5 GBs of
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Loopcloud samples.
($229 street; solidstatelogic.com) -SM

Gear Reviews/(continued on page 64)/Tape Op#138/63

 McDSP and vocal intelligibility. The more utilitarian side of the
compressor’s plug-in GUI contains a VU meter that indicates
Moo X Mixer APB-16 plug-in output level but is also a gain reduction meter when clicked.
Colin McDowell of McDSP, and his gang of wickedly smart Additional controls include polarity reverse, Solo, and Mute –
development minions, haven’t been sitting back and the latter two operate in conjunction with the individual
complacently idling away since releasing the plug-in channels that are assigned to the Moo X Master Mixer (say that
controlled, all analog APB-16 [Tape Op #134]. The company ten times fast!). The input channels can also be named, and
has recently announced their all-new APB-8 (half the analog this will then appear in a “scribble strip” in the Moo X Mixer
processing of the original at nearly half the cost), as well as Master; the feature was borne out of multiple APB-user
expanding their current AAX support for the APB series to requests and is lovely to see McDSP listening to those in the
include VST and AU compatibility: Cubase and Logic Pro X for trenches using the gear! Finally, there’s an Output attenuation
now, with additional hosts to follow. In case you missed the knob at the end of the processing chain.
original review, the APB-8 and APB-16 provide 8 and 16 The second Moo X Mixer plug-in is revealed when creating
channels, respectively, of analog dynamics and saturation a Moo X Channel stereo instance of the plug-in on your master
processing that are handled in the single rack space unit and output channel or an aux return. Choosing a channel
controlled via a plug-in interface for each of the included assignment of Master turns the Moo X Channel into the Moo
processors. This processing, along with 32-bit AD/DA X Master Mixer. The Master plug-in UI offers a large, 8-channel
conversion, is handled sample-accurately via a single strip and master section display where all parameters from

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Thunderbolt cable. each individual channel instance become visible in one place.
Certainly, the most anticipated update to the APB platform There’s also a toggle switch that banks to channels 9-16 if
thus far is the release of the Moo X Mixer plug-in. It’s actually you have enough processing resources on an APB-16. This is
comprised of two plug-ins: The Moo X Channel, a hybrid where plug-in control and analog hardware interaction truly

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analog/digital channel strip with dynamics, EQ and starts to feel like a proper summing mixer by grouping all the
saturation, and the Moo X Master Mixer that can control all of parameters available into one place. Audio signals are still
the individual channel instances, finished off by the addition routed by the DAW, but the Moo X Mixer controls all the
of a stereo bus compressor at the end of the chain. Have more processing on the assigned Moo X Channels while also
channels that you want to bring into the Moo X Mixer, or want offering a stereo master bus compressor and custom
to use the other APB dynamics plug-ins and analog saturation circuit for the track where it’s inserted. The

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processing once you’ve filled the mixer up? Up to five APB additional features of the Master section include a Solo
units can be chained in series via Thunderbolt for additional volume, a Master output knob, and a Master compressor
processing power! (analog, again!) with expanded dynamics controls: Threshold,

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Starting with the Channel plug-in (which can operate Attack, Release, and makeup Gain. Clicking on the Master’s
independently on any mono or stereo track, or can be output VU meter switches the left meter to gain reduction
assigned to and thereby controlled by one of the 16 channels mode and leaves the right in output mode – handy!
in the Moo X Master Mixer instance – more on this later!), The Moo X Mixer and an APB-16 is worth the price of
on
there is a two-band shelving EQ with an LF range of 40 to 160 admission. How many super high-quality mono or stereo
Hz and a HF of 4 kHz to 16 kHz. Both bands have ±12 dB of analog compressors can you get for $7000? Factor in an
gain, and this runs natively on your computer. After this incredible sounding summing mixer with tasty EQ and
stage, the signal passes to the APB hardware, then through compression on every channel, plus access to all the other APB
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the saturation and compressor circuit. Saturation control is a plug-ins. Do the math and you’ll start to see what a true
one-knob affair that can be switched between pre- or post- bargain this system is. Do I have any complaints? There are
compression. I find this feature to be one of the most still some growing pains with regards to sample rates higher
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powerful aspects of the whole Moo X ecosystem – not just than 48 kHz (the rare, but occasional “Bandwidth Error” that
because I’m a distortion junky. It can range from adding an appears in the APB Status app and requires the unit to be
almost imperceptible amount of hair/warmth/edge (choose power cycled to come back online), but these are still the early
your favorite word for saturation) to a thick and gooey, days with this revolutionary platform. Colin is an insanely
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buzzing distortion. The beauty of the saturation circuit is that smart guy, so I can only guess that everything will continue
it never gets bright, thin, or shrill – even at extreme values to improve with future software and firmware updates.
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there’s something very pleasing and musical about it. I found I love mixing in the box for the speed and convenience of
that using it in conjunction with the compressor was the recall, but I also love analog processing. Having the best of
perfect way to push a vocal through a dense mix. both worlds together with complete, instant recall, plus the
The compressor is also a treat to use with only two true flavor of genuine hardware processing is almost too
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controls; one knob for a combined Amount/Threshold (along much to believe. Welcome to the future! (free w/ APB
with auto makeup gain), and then a second knob for hardware; mcdsp.com) -Don Gunn <dongunn.com>
adjusting the time constant with faster attacks/releases in
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the counter-clockwise direction, getting slower as the knob

travels to the right. Like the Saturation control, this
Tape Op is made
compressor can easily go from a transparent feeling to stun, possible by our
and at no time does it ever sound bad in any way. I’ve been advertisers.
Please support them and tell them
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putting an instance of the Moo X on my main buses in Pro

Tools (drums, bass, guitars, vocals, etc.), and am finding that you saw their ad in Tape Op.
just a touch of the compression on these buses solidifies
everything in a mix while not being too heavy-handed. Also,
www.tapeop.com
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as I mentioned above, on vocal tracks (both solo and groups),

pushing the compressor harder produces incredible presence Bonus content online!!!

64/Tape Op#138/Gear Reviews/(continued on page 66)

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Please Support Our Advertisers/Tape Op#138/65

 Useful Arts still sounded very nice. I recorded the drums on separate
tracks: First two hi-hats, then snare with room mic, then two
SFP-60 2-channel mic pre very openly ringy toms, and finally bass drum. The sounds
I make purchases based on several factors, but often when were all very pleasing, present, and full without being pushed
I’m buying something for the studio it’s primarily to fill a or driven hard. Bass was my first chance to use the SFP-60’s
hole. I look for pieces that do something different than the DI. The part I recorded was very open, with a lot of long
gear I already have. In the past, I’ve had (and used) several notes. The Fender Precision bass I used always tracks well,
inexpensive tube mic preamps and owned one very high- and it seemed to love the SFP-60. I put more color on than I
quality tube channel strip. I stopped using the tube channel had with the drum tracks, resulting in a solid, creamy
strip because I didn’t really like all of its separate sections, foundation to the sound. Electric guitar was also DI’d, as the
and I’ve wanted another high-quality tube pre in my tool kit. player has some lovely patches ready to go through his
Those who know me well understand that I’m not the kind of Fractal Audio Systems Axe-FX effects processor. Again, I used
guy that likes a rack full of outboard pres. I’m happiest when the input and color controls to get a warm, pillowy sound
using my console’s pres, but there’s always that pull to have that suited the song’s slow, spacey feel.
a tube option for vocals or other standout tracks. I’ve used the SFP-60 on a few different male singers
I did a fair amount of research, online listening, cost and recently, and it has done exactly what Useful Arts claims –
feature comparisons, and finally decided to buy the stereo offering a transparent tube or mix-ready sound. If the same
Useful Arts SFP-60. I had originally considered the single- singer is tracking melody and harmony vocals, it’s worked
channel version (SFP-30) but wanted a stereo option for quite well to simply use two different Color settings to give

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sources like solo piano, direct keyboards, and small ensemble a different tone to each part. This is particularly wonderful for
recordings. Form factor was also important. The SFP-30 is a working quickly as inspiration meets talent. We all know how
tabletop model with I/O on the front, while the SFP-60 is a changing a mic can be a good idea for this but can also kill

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traditional rack unit with I/O on the back plus DIs on the the flow of the session. A simple adjustment to the Color and
front (making control room overdubs quite simple). There are Output knobs allows the session to keep moving – the singer
also the standard feature switches you’d expect on a mic pre; doesn’t even need to be made aware that you’ve done
polarity, high-pass filters, phantom power, input pads, and anything, just that you’re ready for the next part.
input selectors (rear mic in or front panel DI). These are all I’ve had the chance to use the SFP-60 on Hammond organ
controlled with high-quality toggles and include LEDs for with a Leslie speaker only once since I’ve bought it, but it

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each – no signal passes through these switches. The metallic sounded stellar. I placed two beyerdynamic M 88s on the
and olive-green faceplate is finished off with a beautiful blue Leslie’s rotary speaker, at close proximity, while driving both
backlit VU that indicates output level. the organ and the SFP-60 for some push. The resultant track
The SFP-60 is unique in that it has two tube stages: An sounded almost like you were inside the Leslie! Electric

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EF806 pentode tube on the input and an ECC82 triode tube guitars sound thick and very present, with just enough
on the final two stages. Each channel offers separate controls rounding of highs and transients to tame harshness. I’m
for Input, Output, and Color. The second tube stage is shaped excited to try this pre on other sources too – specifically on
on
by the Color control. It can add up to 10 dB of harmonically direct keyboards. The SFP-60 delivers a wide variety of tones,
enhanced gain to the signal and, unlike most standard tube with a very simple interface and high build quality.
preamps, allows the operator artistic control of the harmonic ($3499 MSRP; usefulartsaudio.com)
distortion. Having an onboard Output control is great for -Tony SanFilippo <[email protected]>
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ensuring that you aren’t creaming the next input stage

(recorder, EQ, compressor, etc.) even if you are creaming the D’Addario
sound. The SFP-60 features Cinemag input and output
transformers with Class A circuitry throughout.
9V Effects Pedal Power Adaptors
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Decades ago I grabbed my soldering iron and whipped up

I received my unit in January and have been using the SFP-
this exact device – an adaptor to allow one to externally plug
60 on a lot of sources since, to great satisfaction. One of the
a 9-volt battery into a stompbox’s power jack. Given that
first things I tried the preamp on was drum overheads with a
many pedals no longer feature a battery compartment, this
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pair of Octava MC012 mics [Tape Op #25] in ORTF over the

type of adaptor can be a lifesaver. In the studio, I will
house drum set. I made three passes, playing with various
frequently move players over to battery-only power in order
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feels and dynamics. Pass one with the SFP-60 Color setting at
to reduce AC line hum or ground loops – it’s amazing how
0; pass two at 5; and pass three set to 10. At 0 on the Color,
much I can clean up the signal with this simple trick. The
there was a very transparent, and quite pleasing sound.
D’Addario 9V Effects Pedal Power Adaptor’s package gives us
Cymbals had nice articulation, the stereo spread was clear,
two (straight and right angle) 6-inch jumpers with solid,
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the snare was present, and toms spoke well. At 5 things

molded ends. The battery jack is bigger than I expected and
started to get interesting – some saturation made the snare
covers up the entire 9 volt’s top, keeping any stray wires or
sound more like a finished mix, with added presence and
metal from contacting the terminals. Smart. Keep in mind
tone, also toms felt bigger. At 10 it became more of an effect.
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that these only work with the current standard, tip-negative

The drums were crunchy and thick.
polarity jacks. Any polarity reversed, eighth-inch jacks or
Shortly after my initial drum testing, I went into song
other oddball pedals (or voltages) out there won’t work. I’m
production mode, where I planned to track everything
glad there’s a nicely designed, clean version of my homemade
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separately, including the drum set. This became a perfect way

adaptor, and I’d advise any guitarist or studio owner to pick
to use the SFP-60 on every track. We started with acoustic
a pack of these up. ($10.99 street; www.daddario.com) -LC
guitar and vocal guide tracks. I recorded Sara Quah playing
and singing with two sE Electronics T2 mics in figure-8

www.tapeop.com
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patterns. Using the Color and input controls I was able to get
a really lovely sound from the acoustic guitar while adding
some midrange harmonics. The vocal required less drive but Bonus content online!!!
66/Tape Op#138/Gear Reviews/
 Hazelrigg Industries you get when you dig into the guitar and make the amp break
up a bit. I felt like the VDI enhanced that dynamic in my playing
VDI tube direct box even further – maybe the VDI’s tube was acting as a thickening
The Hazelrigg Industries VDI is a single channel, all-triode, agent? A few weeks after that project, I was asked to play
vacuum tube-based DI featuring the same circuit from the D.W. session bass on a couple of tunes. I tracked using my Fender
Fearn VT-I/F and VT-3. The VDI offers an uncomplicated design: Squier Mustang bass (that I call “El Cheapo”) with flatwound
Instrument Input, instrument Thru to amp, ground lift, an XLR strings, straight into the VDI, then added a little compression to
output that runs at mic level, and an IEC connector feeds the taste to achieve instant Beatles-style vibes!
internal power supply. While spending time with the VDI these In summary, the Hazelrigg Industries VDI is a most excellent
past few weeks, I focused not only on the sound of the DI itself box to have around the studio. I would think this would be a
but also on how it performed as a transfer medium for guitar and valuable asset for anyone fond of direct bass or keyboard tones
bass re-amping. Since the VDI needs to be plugged into an but might be looking for some extra polish. I’ll admit the VDI is
external mic preamp to bring the signal to line level before your a bit pricey relative to other DI boxes, however, it’s now the first
DAW, all my testing was done with an Undertone Audio MPDI-4 box I grab from the shelf when I need a workhorse for my
[Tape Op #109] set with both transformers and load switches sessions. ($1350 MSRP; hazelriggindustries.com)
turned off. I wanted to hear and review the VDI’s performance in -Jeremy Wurst <coyotefacerecording.com>
its purest form without any coloration from a microphone preamp.
I’ve been struggling to find a way to describe the sound of
BABY Audio
Hazelrigg Industries VDI without making contradictory I Heart NY plug-in

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statements here. To my ears, anything I’ve run through this box I admit it, I don’t always feel like creating a separate aux
sounds remarkably true to the sound of the original source, channel to add parallel compression on my drum tracks. Enter
transparent – for lack of a better word, yet with an enhanced BABY Audio’s I Heart NY parallel compressor plug-in, a bus
compressor that allows you to mix a dry source signal with the

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dimension and realism compared to most DI boxes I’ve come
across to date. Most typical DI tones are a little boring and flat compressed signal. Simply defined, parallel compression (also
sounding to my ears. The VDI offers rich musical tones right out known as New York compression) is a dynamic range
of the gate. I did a little research on the VDI circuit design, and compression technique used in sound recording and mixing. It
found that the goal of this particular box is meant to enhance is achieved by mixing an unprocessed “dry” signal with a
second-order harmonics, as is the case with a lot of tube-based compressed version of the same signal. The I Heart NY

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equipment. In my opinion, it’s those harmonics that helps in compressor simplifies this technique with one plug-in that
highlighting the definitive uniqueness of musical instruments. delivers what BABY Audio refers to as a “fat and punchy flavor.”
I was lucky enough to get to work on some original songs with I Heart NY has four simple controls: Spank, Parallel Signal,
members of the band Tigerwine <facebook.com/tigerwinemusic>, Output adjustments, and a Solo button. It’s compatible with all

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and they were kind enough to let me use them as test subjects major DAWs on Mac and PC. The Spank knob controls the
while reviewing the VDI. Initially, we tracked drums, then jumped compression algorithm – “a mix of high-ratio compression with a
into some overdubbing with a Fender Precision bass into the VDI transient-friendly envelope – and a bit of EQ – combined with a
low end preservation filter.” I found that a little Spank goes a long
on
– straight Pro Tools with no amp (yet). I used the Thru output
from the VDI to my rack mount tuner, so we could check tuning way while adding a lot of vibe with a wide range of compression.
while keeping the tuner itself out of the signal path during The Parallel Signal slider allows you to blend the dry and wet
tracking. We were going for a grimy tone, so I loaded up a compressed signals to get a desired balance while the Output
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SansAmp PSA-1 plug-in with Universal Audio’s Ampeg SVT-VR UAD knob will either helps keep the plug-in from overloading the
plug-in as a placeholder bass tone, with plans to re-amp a final track or gives any desired make up gain. Lastly, the Solo button
sound once the performance felt right. This particular bass was gives the option to use the plug-in as a traditional bus
one that I’ve owned for years – I’ve recorded it countless times in compressor with no parallel signal or to audition the sound of the
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this same manner. I was pleasantly surprised how alive the bass compression alone.
sounded even with the placeholder amp plug-in simulations. The I found I Heart NY to be a usable substitute for parallel busing
guitarist asked me multiple times if I’d re-amped the bass tone in drum groups and very simple and easy to use. It was also
yet – he couldn’t believe how well the tone was already sitting. handy to put on individual drum tracks – even when using
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Fooled! We used the same signal path for guitar tracking, traditional parallel busing – to beef up kick and snare or to
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swapping out the plug-ins for placeholder tones, and adjusting control overhead mic transients. Using multiple instances of the
the preamp gain accordingly. Then we prepped for re-amping. plug-in did not seem to tax the CPU significantly, so it can be
Re-amping is a huge part of my workflow. Almost every implemented liberally throughout a session.
project I work on now incorporates this process in some way. An EQ bell curve before and after the parallel compression
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I’ve spent a lot of time researching and trying out different DI would be a welcome feature for use on bass tracks. This would
boxes that have the least amount of coloration and signal loss. enable the use of an old Motown trick of pumping up the low
I want my re-amps to sound identical to plugging a guitar right end to drive compression then taking it back out after without
into the amp. The boxes I’ve relied on heavily to date are the having to create an additional aux. Yes, I’m getting lazy and
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Avalon U-5 active DI [#28], and Undertone Audio’s MPDI-4 want I Heart NY to do more of the work!
(with all color settings turned off). Needless to say, I was eager In addition to drums, I found this plug-in also works well for
to throw the VDI in the ring against these two heavy hitters. adding punch to vocal tracks, guitars, and about anything you
feel like throwing at it. The trick is to start subtle with the Spank
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After re-amping all the guitars and bass, I was quite pleased
with the final sounds. All the final re-amped tracks had this knob, then add enough parallel signal to make sounds pop. The
interesting polish that I’d never quite achieved with my current I Heart NY Parallel Compressor is an all-around useful plug-in for
DIs. Not better or worse; just different. The clean guitar tracks, adding punch to any source while maintaining the original
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especially, had a nice gloss to them, plus a subtle boost of extra character. And for $29, there’s little reason not to add it to your
shimmer and chime without any additional EQ. I am a guitar mixing toolkit. You can even try it for free! ($29 direct;
player myself and am always chasing the classic tube amp snarl babyaud.io) -Ben Bernstein <benbernsteinmusic.com>

Gear Reviews/(continued on page 68)/Tape Op#138/67

 Roll Music Systems
Vacbax 500 Series Tube EQ
There’s something appealing about a two-band EQ. It implies a broad stroke – “just a
bit of this and a pinch of that” – in a way that is optimistic, confident, and unfussy. Simple
tools work particularly well in hybrid situations, like feeding Pro Tools sessions out to a
console using hardware EQs to provide a gentle tilt to summed stereo groups, or on single
sources after a surgical plug-in EQ that notches out any offending frequencies. At tracking,
two-band EQ can be great for quick coloration and excitement with minimal opportunity
for a misstep. One can, of course, do all this with any decent equalizer, but if we’re
choosing our tools, we may as well pick the ones that resonate with our workflow.
For me, a quick, simple interface with a degree of limitation reminds me to keep moving
forward and focus on the essentials. Roll Music Systems’ Vacbax is such a unit, featuring a
switchable 8 or 16 kHz high band, a fixed 150 Hz low band, and a high-pass filter around
80 Hz. Being a Baxandall-style EQ, both bands work on gradual curves that reach far
inwards from their noted frequency points, capable of ultra-smooth tone shaping that is
more like the program Treble and Bass EQ controls on a home stereo than a console-style
parametric EQ. While this style of equalizer has gained a following for its smoothness on
mix bus and mastering processing, it’s also a useful quick tracking tool. It’s worth noting

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that the Vacbax isn’t a 100% true Baxandall circuit, but rather a passive spin on the design
to further facilitate big moves without distortion. The Vacbax’s passive EQ circuit and 240
V vacuum tube output amplifier feature transformer inputs and outputs. Activating the Out

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button (bypass) removes the tone controls while leaving the filter, amplifier, and
transformers in line. All this sounds like they should be turning your equipment rack into
an oven, but nope – these units run no hotter than the standard solid state gear. There’s
a rudimentary meter by way of a color-changing signal/clip indicator LED that goes from
green to yellow and then red. Regardless of its LED hue – the input transformer acts as a
step-down to maximize headroom, while the output operates at a fixed gain to help keep

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the unit in its tonal sweet spot. Props also to Roll Music Systems for the clever low-
waste/low-material use shipping boxes they use.
My first tracking session with the Vacbax was one where I didn’t really expect to see a
lot of use for it – the day was to be almost entirely electric guitars, and the lack of

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midrange control didn’t point to it being a big part of that process. I decided to give it a
shake nonetheless, and ran it behind an AEA R92 [Tape Op #56] ribbon mic plugged into
a Retro 500PRE [#135] to record a Rickenbacker 330 electric guitar through a Fender Super
on
Champ amplifier. Then came a (literal) moment of clarity – the guitarist was playing
fingerstyle with a healthy dose of reverb and delay. Pushing the highs on the Vacbax
brought out a welcome definition and high end texture to showcase the precision of the
performance against the effects. This subtly enhanced the presence of each pluck without
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undoing the character of fingerstyle playing – if anything, it enhanced the distinction

between finger and pick. This was notable in that there was no sense of adding a point of
focus to a specific frequency, but rather registered as though the change was at the source
itself. I first had that same feeling about an EQ when using Pultec EQP-1A3s at Avatar
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Studios years ago – not bad company to be in! Later that day, with guitars complete, we
ran a pair of Vacbaxes between a stereo drum machine output and sampler input. Though
the drum machine’s kick drum had plenty of punch, its bottom was a little anemic. We were
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able to dial in huge low end without losing the focus and added in just a tiny bit of high
end which kept the hi-hats crisp against the guitar tracks. Once again, the smoothness of
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the Vacbax curves made our adjustments sound natural and easy. It’s a great tilt EQ to have
on hand for tracking – especially if your preamps and mics don’t have built-in high-pass
filters. Regarding the curve shape, Justin Ulysses Morse [#84] from Roll Music Systems
says, “it’s not exactly a shelf. It’s not exactly a bell. It’s a Bax!”
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In addition to some simple additive EQ moves, I love the flexibility you get when
playing the low boost of the Vacbax against its high-pass filter but sometimes wished I
could drop the band frequency to between 70 to100 Hz on many sources. Similarly, I ran
into a few acoustic guitar and male vocal tracks in mixing where the high frequency boost
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selections just weren’t landing right. With an API 550A or even a JLM Audio PEQ500, I
could quickly find the slope I was looking for. To be fair – I’d applied EQ at the time of
recording to these tracks, and they were perhaps past the “broad strokes” phase, being
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very close to where they needed to be in the mix already. While we’re complaining, the
bypass (Out) switch emits a scratchy static sound when pushed. It’s not terribly loud, but
I did hear back from Roll Music Systems that they have implemented a design change to
minimize this, and that the pair I had for review may have predated this change. In all
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cases, the switches are self-cleaning. The noise did become less present over time.

68/Tape Op#138/Gear Reviews/(continued on page 70)

 Gear Geeking w/ Andy…
I imagine many of you have utilized extra shelter-in-
place hours to work on DIY projects in the studio or
home. I certainly have, and despite all the hours I’ve
dedicated to these tasks, my fixit list continues to grow!
I’ve mentioned worklights in this column several times.
As far back as 2011, I discussed how my Husky 3 Watt
LED headlamp [Tape Op #85] provided just enough
light — without glare — to tweak and finesse things at
close range. I retired the Husky a couple of years ago,
and now I’ve got a collection of Soft Digits headlamps
that fulfill the same role, as well as several other roles.
Like so many products on Amazon, this same model is
available under various brand-names. I purchased mine
from a listing with a typically endless title that starts,
“Soft Digits 1000 Lumens USB Rechargeable
Headlight, 8 Modes Work Light...” <amzn.to/31GkB42>
($19.39 for a 2-pack). The best feature of this
headlamp is its soft-light mode, which utilizes 16 micro

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LEDs embedded in translucent diffusor panels. This
design minimizes hard shadows and harsh reflections,
so I can comfortably see what I’m working on, with
very good depth perception and peripheral vision to

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boot. As a bonus, it also provides beautiful, natural-
colored lighting for photos. Seriously, I’ve taken
amazing night photos using this headlamp and my
Google Pixel 4 phone! But more importantly, peering
into gear to remove or solder down a tiny component
is so much easier when I’m wearing this headlamp. The

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other great feature is a motion sensor. If both of my
hands are holding tools or are covered in grease (or fish
slime from my night-fishing missions), I can just move
my hand or elbow in front of my face to turn on/off the

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light. (Out of the box, the sensor is too sensitive for
me, so I cover the emitter/sensor pair with small pieces
of white artist tape to achieve the perfect sensitivity.)
In addition to the diffusor-mounted micro LEDs, the
on
headlamp has a single projector-lamp LED that casts a
beam strong enough that it’s my primary light for
navigating my boat in unfamiliar waters. The built-in Li-
ion battery recharges via standard Micro USB, and
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there’s a 4-segment battery-level meter on the side. So

far, the headlamp has proven to be rain and splash–
proof. I have eight of these distributed across various
toolboxes and cabinets. Another essential item in my
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toolbox is the 3M WorkTunes Bluetooth hearing

protector <3m.com>. It looks like 3M’s standard, heavy-
duty circumaural model, except it functions as a
Bluetooth headphone too. With 24 dB (NRR) of passive
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noise reduction, and 40 mm drivers inside, it sounds way

better than its $43 Amazon price implies. Frequency
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response is very neutral. There’s a midrange dip at 1 kHz,

but it’s not objectionable, and I can clearly hear
fundamentals down to 30 Hz and up to 14 kHz while
listening to tone sweeps. A 3.5 mm jack allows for wired
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use too. When I’m using loud power tools, like an impact
driver or angle grinder, I don this hearing protector —
whether or not I want to listen to music. I’ve also worn
it on long flights when I’ve wanted to concentrate while
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working on my laptop, thinking that nothing says “please

don’t bother me” better than an industrial hearing
protector over my ears. Unfortunately, people invariably
ask me questions about the WorkTunes when they realize
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I’m nodding my head to music. Its battery lasts for days

(before a voice-prompt warns you of low battery), but its
maximum volume is nowhere near the level that
headphones from lifestyle brands are capable of.
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Personally, I think the WorkTunes protector is loud

enough; I’m trying to protect my hearing, not destroy it!
–AH
Please Support Our Advertisers/Tape Op#138/69
 While the Vacbax was less universally applicable than some other equalizers on individual
tracks at mix time, it quickly proved handy on mix groups. Across a group of backing vocal BUFF
tracks, stacked in a Beach Boys tonal harmony style, it sounded killer! With the filter Multifunctional Headwear
engaged, a little low end bump for control and solidity, plus a nice boost to the high end, At the time I am writing this, despite vastly different and confusing advice and
the vocals sounded exactly right – lots of presence, but smooth enough to not push their regulations from governments around the world, almost all doctors and scientists agree
way out of place in the mix. Next, I put the Vacbaxes to use on drum groups: Both main that if you care about the people around you, you should wear a face covering to help
and parallel drum buses. I found the 16 kHz band to be great for rolling off highs and prevent the spread of COVID-19. As we emerge from shelter-in-place and try to restart
softening cymbal harshness without making the drum kit feel dark or muffled. On parallel our lives and the economy, this makes things tricky. It’s especially difficult to work in a
drums, in particular, I could dip the highs substantially while pushing a low boost against recording studio while everybody is wearing face masks. My friend, recording engineer
the high-pass filter to keep the heavily compressed drums focused where I wanted them, Matt Cohen, turned me on to BUFF’s Multifunctional Headwear. It’s a fine mesh cloth tube
thanks again to that quality of being able to make substantial changes without leaving made out of 100% recycled Microfiber that you pull over your head and wear around your
negative artifacts or compromises. That character came through a few other places, too. neck. I’ve tried several different face coverings, but the BUFF seems like an ideal studio
Though it had been a little hit-or-miss at mix time on the previously noted male vocals, we solution face covering. It’s soft and comfortable enough to wear all day, and then when
found the Vacbax to be absolutely perfect on the single female voice I had to work with you need to cover your face you simply pull it up. For casual use – like when you’re not
(which, coincidentally, I hadn’t EQ’d at all at tracking). Big boosts at either the high or low that close to people and for just a few minutes – you can pull up one layer and it’s much
frequencies never got harsh, and, while you could certainly go too far, it never went outright more comfortable and easier to breathe through than most masks I’ve tried. If you are
bad. The 16 kHz setting gave air to the performance while 8 kHz (along with a slight low going to be around people for extended periods of time, you can double or even
bump) gave the vocal an electric presence and closeness that sounded so good that I quadruple the layers for extra protection. BUFF’s Multifunctional Headwear seems like a

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considered remixing the material we’d finished before the Vacbaxes arrived! great solution for studios as it’s re-usable and washable. Get a dozen of them in different
Across the mix bus, this EQ lived up to the Baxandall reputation. Small boosts to both colors for clients to utilize, and you can wash them when the session is over. I even
bands gave a smooth and tasteful take on the addictive “smile-curve” profile that feels experimented with cutting some vocals through the Multifunctional Headwear (with one

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invisible until you disengage it (I pretty much always wanted to re-engage them). The layer) on the vocalist I was tracking. There was, as expected, a very slight attenuation of
knobs aren’t stepped and do have a light feel, but I didn’t find it difficult to keep balance the very top end on the vocal track, but no problem that would keep a vocal from being
when using the units over stereo groups. The high band really comes into its own on the a keeper take, and nothing that a very slight nudge from a decent EQ wouldn’t put back.
full mix. The 16 kHz setting opens things up unobtrusively but appreciably, whereas the 8 The low end and midrange were imperceptible between the Headwear on and off, with
kHz setting offers that top end sheen with an added extra snap and presence to midrange the exception that the BUFF track had very few plosives. You’re not only getting some
sources like electric guitars due to the long slope as you get into anything but the tiniest COVID-19 safety benefits, but the Multifunctional Headwear is also acting as pop filter!

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boosts. While I enjoyed using the Vacbaxes for cuts on subgroups, I couldn’t get over how For overdubbing a final lead vocal you would probably want do it without a mask on, but
good they sounded for boosts across the full mix. If these weren’t as beneficial during for cutting basic tracks or a scratch vocal, a band would be much, much safer with the
tracking, I could imagine leaving them wired to the outputs of the console! ($799 MSRP; BUFF than without. It’s a no brainer; if you care about the people you make music with,
rollmusic.com) -Eamonn Aiken <thebastillestudio.com> you need protection. ($20, buffusa.com) -JB

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70/Tape Op#138/Gear Reviews/

 Weird Audio
Little Red Monster tube condenser microphone
Can a modern classic really emerge from a sea of clones and copies? Weird Audio,
a boutique microphone manufacturer located outside of Austin, Texas, thinks that
they may be on to something. Referencing vintage designs yet not simply creating
another clone, the Weird Audio Little Red Monster incorporates modern component
design and manufacturing in hopes of improving on the classic designs. Let’s face it;
if classic mic designers had access to the precision tools and processes available
today, they would have used them!
The Little Red Monster (LRM) is a large-diaphragm, multi-pattern tube condenser
microphone influenced by the Neumann U 67. The first thing I noticed is the striking
red grill against the black mic body, featuring the Weird Man logo – described by
Weird Audio’s Thomas Parker as a “...bandit, cowboy, rogue knight... champ for the
little guy.” A heavy duty Pelican-style plastic flight case contains the mic, power
supply, 7-pin XLR cable, and a shock mount. I really like this Rycote InVision [Tape
Op #84] style shock mount, with its three threaded posts that securely but gently
tighten to grip the mic with silicone rubber pads – it stays put. The cable is 25 feet

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long – plenty to position the mic where needed. The full specs are available online,
so I won’t belabor them here.
I powered on the mic and let the tube break in for a few hours before I began

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tracking drums at a friend’s studio. His place is rather dead sounding, so he doesn’t
generally use room mics. I placed the Little Red Monster about 4 feet off the floor
and 10 feet in front of the kit with a figure-8 pattern, straight into the console.
Upon playback, we both immediately noticed how it captured a full and balanced
picture of the entire kit. After smashing the track with a compressor and adding a
little to the drum mix, suddenly we were in Headley Grange!

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The next opportunity was to track male vocals for a rock band. The Little Red Monster
was set in cardioid mode and connected to a Hairball Audio Copper preamp (Neve
1073-style, 500 Series). After settling on the best take and comping a few lines, I was
ready to EQ but quickly realized the track sounded fine as is! There is a bit of a

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presence boost, but not an overly sibilant one, and the bottom end is so well balanced
that I didn’t even add the usual high-pass filter. With a little bit of compression the
vocal sat in the track perfectly. For comparison, I put up another tube mic that costs
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twice as much, and it could have worked too after some EQ, but we all agreed the
Little Red Monster was the clear winner in this case. I had several more sessions with
different male vocalists, and was equally impressed with the results.
On a female vocalist with a strong voice, I had nearly the same experience. This
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time there was a slight sibilance, which required some de-essing, but I’ll take some of
the blame for that. I thought I’d change things up a bit, so I connected the mic to
an A-Designs EM-Blue preamp, which has a Nickel-wound output transformer (known
for accentuating the highs). In the end, it was slightly a little bit too much sizzle.
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I own several tube condenser mics, and while the Little Red Monster may not be the
quietest of the bunch, any self-noise is certainly nothing to worry about. The fan on
my computer, passing jets (even in my mostly sound-proof studio), and the almost
silent ticking of the Zildjian cymbal clock on the studio wall are significantly noisier. As
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of this review, Weird has switched to a Sovtek 12AX7WB tube for quieter performance.
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In the studio, a microphone is a tool for the recording engineer. I’m not so much
into brand hype or names. I don’t really care if it looks like a Telefunken U 47, or if
the capsule is sputtered with unobtanium and hand-built (tentacle-built?) by extra-
terrestrials in a secret underground lab. However, if I can work more efficiently while
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quickly achieving the sound I’m after, then that’s a tool I can use. And I will
absolutely be using the Little Red Monster again!
($857 direct, $577 on sale; weirdaudiotech.com)
-Mike Kosacek <doubledogrecording.com>
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Gear Reviews/(Fin.)/Tape Op#138/71
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[email protected]
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72/Tape Op#138/Please Support Our Advertisers/

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Please Support Our Advertisers/Tape Op#138/73

 Equalizers and Equality
by Larry Crane

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Booker T & the MG’s recording
with Carla Thomas at Stax in 1967.
L to R: Al Jackson Jr., Booker T. Jones,
Donald “Duck" Dunn, Steve Cropper,
and Carla Thomas

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One of the cities in the United States that changed the That impetus spread across Memphis to places like Royal Studios, with

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face of popular music more than anywhere else has to be Willie Mitchell [#44, #120] cutting Al Green’s breakthrough hits. Chips Moman
Memphis, Tennessee. It’s also a very important story of racial went on to open American Sound, tracking songs for The Box Tops and Wilson
integration; of black and white cultures coming together to Pickett, with another talented, racially-mixed crew. Later on, John Fry’s Ardent
create amazing, timeless music. Recordings [#58] hosted extra tracking for Stax sessions, along with artists like
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Sam Phillips famously opened Memphis Recording Big Star.
Service in 1950, initially tracking artists like B.B. King, Memphis is just one example of the musical landscape through the ‘50s and
Junior Parker, Rufus Thomas, and Howlin’ Wolf before finding ‘60s, and the changes that the equality of working together could bring.
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some guy named Elvis Presley. In the ‘60s, Stax Records was Visionaries like noted civil rights activist John Hammond [Columbia Records]
famous for an integrated work environment, and was helped lay the groundwork, promoting artists like Billie Holiday and Fletcher
eventually run by the brilliant black co-owner and executive, Henderson. New Orleans also led the way; meanwhile Detroit was soon to
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Al Bell. What drove everyone was searching for music that spawn Motown Records, and, in New York, label heads like Ahmet Ertegun
would connect with an audience, while challenging each [Atlantic Records] were bringing awareness of black culture to a broader
other to excel. Who could write the best song? Who could audience.
arrange and record it? Who played the parts well? Who could Working together, equally, as songwriters, musicians, arrangers, singers,
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get it on the radio? All involved continually encouraged each engineers, and producers, they helped find a new way to bring some of the best
other to grow and be their best.
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music into the world. Let’s make sure we keep building on the history from
As songwriter David Porter told me in 2017 [Tape Op these past eras, promoting equality with the spirit of everyone working
#118], “I was going into [Stax’s] record store, and Estelle together, making more music for the world to celebrate.
[Axton, co-owner] got comfortable with me. I finally was Decades on, we need to go further. We need to acknowledge that systemic
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able to ease my way into the recording studio. I was pushing racism exists in the United States. Change needs to happen
[producer] Chips [Moman] to give me a chance. On the demo across the board; empathy and understanding
session I was doing, I brought in Booker T. Jones, who need to take over. We all need to take responsibility in learning
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played baritone horn, Andrew Love, who played tenor sax, more, and supporting every one of our fellow humans so we can all live better
and William Bell, who sang background.” Soon, a fledgling lives. Cooperation in the recording studio may have helped pave the way, but
country western record label turned its sights towards R&B, it doesn’t stop here. r
and to an amazing future. Even the lineup for Stax’s “house
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band,” Booker T & The MG’s, was a lesson in balanced racial

equality within itself.
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74/Tape Op#138/End Rant/

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