Bobby Owsinski's Big Picture Production Blog

ZZ Top "La Grange" Isolated Guitars

2013-06-19T21:30:00.000-07:00

Today we gave a great study in how to use electric guitars in a song. It's Billy F Gibbon's isolated guitar parts in ZZ Top's break-through hit "La Grange" from their Tres Hombres album in 1973. Here are some things to listen for:

1. The intro clean guitar has a nice short delayed reverb on it.

2. The verse distorted guitar is doubled and spread out left and right. It also has a different reverb.

3. The solo (which is one of my all-time favorites and was played on a 55 Strat through a Marshall Super Lead 100) is a completely different sound, which keeps the song interesting as new elements and sounds are introduced.

4. When the clean intro guitar is introduced again after the solo at 2:15, it's dry except for what sounds like some recorded room ambiance.

5. Listen to the amp noise in between the phrases during the outro solo at 2:33. Not that anyone ever heard it in the track though.

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Recording The Bass Amp

2013-06-18T21:30:00.000-07:00

Using a Beta 52 and SM 57 on the bass cabinet

Today everyone is conditioned to go direct with the bass guitar that many times miking a bass amp is completely overlooked. That's too bad because it can bring something to the track that you just can't get any other way. Here's an excerpt from my Audio Recording Basic Training book that provides an exercise for bass amp miking.

"Back in the 60’s and 70’s, the way engineers recorded the electric bass was by miking the bass amp. As direct boxes became more and more available, the trend eventually swung the other way, with most bass recording done direct. Today it’s very common to record a bass using a combination of both an amp and direct, which provides the best of both worlds. While the bass will sound full and warm with a direct box, the amp can add just enough edge to help the bass punch through a mix.

When using a direct box, be aware that they’re not all created equal in that some will not give you the low fundamental of the bass that you expect when recording this way. Active DIs do a better job at this than passive, although some passive boxes (like the ones made by Radial) do an excellent job because of the large Jensen transformer used in the circuit.

Depending on the sound that fits the track best, mix the amp track with a DI track. The sound will change substantially depending upon the balance of the DI and miked amplifier. ALWAYS check the phase relationship between the amp and DI to make sure there’s no cancellation of the low end. Flip the polarity switch to the position that has the most bottom. Also remember that there’s no rule that says that you have to use both tracks, so don’t hesitate to use just a single track if it sounds best in the mix.

E7.4: Miking The Bass Amp

A) Listen closely to the amp as the bass player plays. If there are multiple speakers, find the one that sounds the best as in E7.1A.

B) Place a large diaphragm dynamic mic like D-112, RE-20 or Beta 52 a little off-center and a couple of inches away from a cone of the best sounding speaker in the bass cabinet.

C) Move the mic across the cone. Is there a spot where it sounds particularly good? Keep the mic at that spot. Is the sound balanced frequency response-wise? Can you hear any of the room reflections?

D) Move the mic towards the end of the cone? Is there more low end? Is it more distinct sounding?

E) Move the mic towards the center of the speaker? Is there more low end? Is it more distinct sounding?

F) Move the mic about a feet away from the speaker. Is there more low end? Is it more distinct sounding?

G) Move the mic about 2 feet away from the speaker. Is there more low end? Is it more distinct sounding? Can you hear more of the room? Does it work with the rest of the instruments?

H) Raise the cabinet about a foot off the floor. Is there more low end? Is it more distinct sounding?

I) I) Place the mic where it gives you the best balance of body and definition, and balance between the direct and ambient room sound."

You can read additional excerpts from this and other books at bobbyowsinski.com.

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Queen & David Bowie "Under Pressure" Isolated Vocals

2013-06-17T21:30:00.000-07:00

Here's an isolated vocal track from the Queen and David Bowie 1981 hit "Under Pressure," a song that continues to be played and covered even today. As with most isolated tracks from this period, it's pretty interesting in what it reveals.

1. The reverb is very long, delayed, and kinda mid-rangy. It does sound like the high and low end has been filtered, which is why it fits into the track without being too noticeable (unless it's isolated like here).

2. This doesn't sound like there were too many takes recorded. Of course, Bowie was famous for only doing a single take on most of his records. There are some flat notes by Freddie Mercury, especially at the end of phrases, but they're not noticeable in the track with rest of the instruments (That's a good lesson for producers who beat up their vocalists).

3. There's a modulation effect on the vocals to widen them out. This might've been a Harmonizer, as this was a trick used with the device.

4. Listen how the effects are taken off the vocals during the bridge (1:43) so they're up closer in your face.

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New Music Gear Monday: Zoom H6 Digital Recorder

2013-06-16T21:30:00.000-07:00

A number of years ago I presented the specifications for a pro level handheld digital recorder I designed to a respected manufacturer of electronic devices. "There's not a big enough market. Not enough people have a need," I was told. They should have listened. Flash forward about ten years and the hand-held recorder has become a standard accessory for every single musician, producer recording engineer, not to mention videographer. While stereo digital recorders predominate, now Zoom has one-upped everyone else in the market with their new H6 6 track digital recorder.

This is one of the coolest devices ever. It has 6 recordable channels, 4 with mic preamps and two from the onboard mic (although you can change the mic with a module that has two additional inputs), it records up to 96kHz, and it's layout is far more streamlined than you'd expect a device like this to be. Plus you can change the X/Y stereo mic, with a shotgun or an MS mic, along with the aforementioned dual input module.

The price is $399, and supposedly it will be in stores in July. Check out this video, which explains all.

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Jimi Hendrix "All Along The Watchtower" Isolated Guitar Track

2013-06-13T21:30:00.000-07:00

Here's a real treat. It's the isolated guitar track from Jimi Hendrix's seminal cover of Bob Dylan's "All Along The Watchtower" from his Electric Ladyland album. The song was magnificently recorded and mixed by Eddie Kramer, with the basics recorded at Olympic Studios in London and the overdubs and mixing at The Record Plant in New York City. The original recording was done on a 12 track (yes, that was a format for about a half a second), then later transferred to 16 track. There were so many overdubs that many had to mixed together on the same track, as you'll hear. Here are some things to listen for:

1. The delayed reverb on the guitars. This is an Eddie Kramer signature.

2. The fills in the first two vocal verses, many of which you can't hear on the record.

3. The track is in stereo, with the lead slightly on the left and the reverb on the right. The stereo is very apparent during the 2nd and 3rd solo and again on the outro as it pans hard right to left.

4. The 12 string that plays on the intro later reappears during the last vocal verse.

5. You get to hear the entire ending, instead of the one that fades on the record.

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FLAC Gets An Update

2013-06-12T21:30:00.000-07:00

For those of you who enjoy FLAC (which stands for Free Lossless Audio Codec) files, you'll be heartened to know that the lossless file format has undergone it's first update in almost 6 years. The new version is 1.3.0.

There's not all that much new in the updated version, but it's not the features that's the big deal but the fact that it's still being supported at all. FLAC 1.3.0 now supports RF64 and Sony's Wave64 format is now built in, and also the ability to change the replay gain for sampling rates up to 192kHz is now available.

FLAC is one of those formats that seems to be just under the radar of not only the public, but musicians and engineers as well. It's widely supported, and used by many artists as the format of choice for selling their concerts online, but it's not exactly a format in everyday use in the music production world.

That's a shame, since it has lots of uses. It's a great substitute for MP3, since it makes a smaller file that's totally lossless, it supports up to 8 channels, and sampling rates up to 655,350kHz. Although the files aren't as small as MP3s, file size isn't that much of a problem like it once was thanks to DropBox, YouSendIt and other file transfer services. The point is, your client can listen to something closer to what you're hearing with FLAC than with an MP3.

Give FLAC a try, you'll like it. Version 1.3.0 can be downloaded here.

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4 Vocal Mic Placement Tips

2013-06-11T21:30:00.000-07:00

The vocals are always in the spotlight of a song, yet sometimes they receive far less attention during setup than other instruments like the drums. In this excerpt from Audio Recording Basic Training, you'll not only get a few great tips, but an exercise that will lead you through the different ways of vocal miking that will show you their pro's and con's.

"Just like with a great sounding instrument, many times with a good singer you'll get the "sound" automatically just by putting him/her in front of the right microphone. On the other hand, with a bad or inexperienced singer even a high priced microphone or signal processing won’t add the polish you’re looking for. That said, if you start with the correct technique, you’re half-way there.

There are a number of things to remember before you begin to place the mic:

The best mic in the house won’t necessarily get the best vocal sounds, so don’t be afraid to experiment with different mics.

Decoupling of the stand from the floor will help get rid of many unwanted low-frequency rumbles that occur from truck traffic, machinery being used down the street, footsteps, and things that are even lower in frequency than normal hearing. Just place the stand on a couple of mouse pads or a rug for an inexpensive solution.

One of the main things that you’re trying to do with mic placement is eliminate pops, lip smacks, and breath blasts.

An easy way to have a vocalist gauge the distance from the mic is by hand lengths. An open hand is approximately eight inches while a fist is about four inches. By saying, “Stay a hand away”, the vocalist can easily judge his distance and usually doesn’t forget (see the figure on the side).

Exercise Pod: Recording The Lead Vocal

E8.1: Recording Lead Vocal

A) Place the mic even with the vocalist’s lips about one hand away (see the figure on the left) and have him or her sing the verse of a song. Did you hear any pops or breath blasts?

B) Move the vocalist back to about two hands away and sing the same part of the song. Turn up the gain so it’s the same as before. Did you hear any pops or breath blasts now?

C) Move the vocalist back to one hand away and readjust the gain. Place the mic even with the vocalist’s nose and have the him sing the verse of a song. Did you hear any pops or breath blasts? Did the sound of the vocal change? Is it more or less defined?

D) Now place the mic even with the vocalist’s eyes and point it down towards the lips (see Figure 8.3). Have him sing the verse of a song. Did you hear any pops or breath blasts? Did the sound of the vocal change? Is it more or less defined?

E) Now place the mic even with the vocalist’s lips about one hand away again. Either change the pickup pattern to omnidirectional or change the mic to one with an omni pattern. Have him sing the verse of a song again. Did you hear any pops or breath blasts? Did the sound of the vocal change? Is it more or less defined?

F) Place the mic so there’s no breath blasts or pops."

You can read additional excerpts from this and other books at bobbyowsinski.com.

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A Look Inside A Vacuum Tube

2013-06-10T21:30:00.000-07:00

While the rest of the world has moved on, guitar players, audiophiles, vintage gear lovers and studio geeks are still passionate about their vacuum tubes. Changing tubes is easy, but few ever get to see or understand what goes on inside one of these mini-marvels.

Here's a great look inside a 6L6 power tube entitled "Journey to the Center of a Tube," courtesy of Tubedepot.com.

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Follow Me On Forbes

2013-06-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to announce that I'm now contributing to Forbes online, analyzing the new music business. The first post is "Trent Reznor Changes The Paradigm Again," which you might enjoy.

This means that there will be some changes over on the Music 3.0 blog from this point on, in that the focus there will now be more on social media and how it effects the music business. The more music industry focused stories will appear on the Forbes blog site.

I invite you to follow me over at Forbes.

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Help support this blog. Any purchases made through our Amazon links help support this website with no cost to you.

You should follow me on Twitter for daily news and updates on production and the music business.

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New Music Gear Monday: Softube Console One

2013-06-09T21:30:00.000-07:00

Some sort of controller is an important addition to any DAW, but most of them follow the same general design, with a group of faders and some soft knobs and switches used for general adjustments. Softube has taken a different approach with their soon to be released Console One.

Console One comes with not only the controller, but a software package that roughly emulates an SSL 4k. Plus, the controller itself has dedicated controls for EQ and dynamics, but it seems like they're limited to only Softube plugins. The best part is it looks like it's possible to do an entire mix without ever having to look at your DAW.

Console One is compatible with most DAWs, but since it's not released yet it's hard to be sure exactly what that means. If the controls can't be mapped to the everything in the DAW, it might be more valuable to those who will use the entire package, rather than just the controller. Now if it only had a fader!

The price has yet to be determined.

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Lynyrd Skynyrd "Free Bird" Isolated Guitar Solos

2013-06-06T21:30:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I posted an analysis of the solo section to Lynyrd Skynyrd's iconic "Free Bird," and now here's the isolated tracks of the guitar solos. There are a number of really interesting things that you hear when the tracks are isolated that you don't notice with the rest of the tracks.

1. The solo is doubled (and towards the end tripled), but each one begins to vary from around the 1:30 mark. Since the song was composed two years previously and played live over that time period, the solo was mostly composed before it was recorded, so there were several takes. When both sounded so good together, they were allowed to stay in the mix.

2. Until 3:48, the sound of the guitar is exactly the same (and even when it changes, it only sounds like a coil-tap of a pickup), as all the tracks were played by the late Alan Collins on a Gibson Explorer.

3. As is many times the case, the record label didn't want this song on the album, yet it went on to become the song that defined the band and has remained a rock anthem 40 years later.

4. Guitar World Magazine rates the solo as the 3rd greatest ever.

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How EDM Is Changing Mixing And Mastering

2013-06-05T21:30:00.000-07:00

Both mixing engineers and mastering engineers are tied at the hip, though many don't realize it. Yes, it's true that many mastering engineers are dependent upon a mixer's business to keep the doors open, but that's been changing, since many times there's a shoot-out between mastering engineers to see who gets the gig. Usually, the one who can provide the loudest master wins (there's that loudness war again).

But that's not the real issue, nor where mixing and mastering engineers are mostly tied together. In fact, the concept of a separate specialized mixing engineer and a creative mastering engineer both began at nearly the same time during the late 70s, and continued to grow in prominence from that point until today. Before then, engineers were somewhat interchangeable and came with the studio that you rented. Usually the same engineer that recorded the project would mix it, since the projects were generally short (as in a few weeks) to begin with.

As for mastering engineers, they were just part of the process of transferring the audio signal from tape to vinyl disc (and later CD). It wasn't until legends like Bernie Grundman, Doug Sax and Bob Ludwig began to make mixes sound better, and louder, than the mixer could, that the mastering engineer came to be what he is today - the last part of the creative process.

But EDM is changing all of that. Today there's less perceived need for someone to mix an EDM track. The writer/programmer gets the sound he wants right from the start of the track, and since the kick and bass are already out in front and have a lot of impact, most feel that there's no reason to hire a specialized mixer for that particular bag of tricks.

The same goes for mastering engineers. Thanks to some great tools from a variety of plungin companies like Waves, Slate Digital, Universal Audio and iZotope to name a few (the same tools that many mastering engineers use), EDM mixers can pretty much make their mixes as loud as needed, so it's not surprising when they ask, "Why do I even need a mastering engineer?"

One of the things about EDM is that there's a different kind of finesse involved in its creation from what a great many of the industry veterans are used to, where manipulation of the sound is encouraged and celebrated, and distortion is viewed as simply a byproduct of that manipulation. That's the antithesis of most mix and mastering engineers that don't deal in EDM, where in their world distortion is something to be avoided. In fact, getting impact from the rhythm section without it is almost revered.

As my buddy (and mixing legend) Dave Pensado recently expressed to me, "We've (mixers) been too concerned with sonic quality, and it's hurt mixers when it comes to EDM as a result." It should be noted that Dave is one of the few mixers who does a fair amount of EDM, so he can speak with some authority on the subject.

Is this trend going to kill the market for mix and mastering engineers? Probably not. When it comes to music made by real instruments instead of samples and loops, it takes a great deal of expertise that only comes from experience with that type of music. I have a friend who creates fantastic electronic music, but is hopeless when it comes to either recording or mixing real instruments (especially the drums).

In many ways, it's apples and oranges, but EDM is an ever-growing musical genre that now dominates the music business. As Aaron Ray, a principle in the management company The Collective said last week during a talk that I attended, "EDM has decimated rock. It's now an entirely different business."

The point of this post is to open up the eyes of those in our business who may be a little too tied to the past way of doing things, since there's a whole genre of music that's mostly ignoring you. In the end, we're all in a service business and the client is still king. It's great to have principles, but if you hold them too tightly, you might find yourself not working as much as a result. If a client wants something that violates your aesthetic sense, in today's world, you might consider suppressing your arty urges and give them what they want, because there's a whole group of people right behind you that are more than willing to do just that.

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The Rolling Stones Mixing "Little Queenie"

2013-06-04T21:30:00.000-07:00

Here's a great piece of history in a behind the scenes look at Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stone's (along with piano player Ian Stewart) mixing "Little Queenie," a single they released from their 1969 live album Get Your Ya Ya's Out.

You'll see a good example of the way mixing was done before automation, with multiple hands on the board, each with a different move to do. The engineer is the esteemed Glyn Johns, but you also see his brother Andy at the console (which looks like a Helios) as well.

Check out the sound that the tape made as it rewinds, something that was later fixed on next generation machines. It's 8 track, of course.

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The Master Checklist For Mixing

2013-06-03T21:30:00.000-07:00

One of the questions that many new to mixing ask is, "How do I know when I'm finished?" While many times your mix is dictated more by time than creativity where you have no choice but to declare a mix finished, even if it's before its time, there are a number of ways to know when you've reached the threshold where you're just making it different instead of better. Here's a mixing checklist from the 3rd edition of The Mixing Engineer's Handbook that can help you determine when it's time to say "finished!"

"Here are a number of items to check to determine the strength of your mix.

Does your mix have contrast? Does it build as the song goes along? Are different instruments, sounds or lines added in different sections?

Does your mix have a focal point? Is the mix built around the instrument or vocal that’s the most important?

Does your mix sound noisy? Have you gotten rid of any count-offs, guitar amps noises, bad edits, and breaths that stand out?

Does your mix lack clarity or punch? Can you clearly distinguish every instrument? Does the rhythm section sound great by itself?

Does your mix sound distant? Try using less reverb and effects.

Can your hear every lyric? Every word must be heard.

Can your hear every note being played? Automate to hear every note.

Are the sounds dull or uninteresting? Are you using generic synth patches or predictable guitar or keyboard sounds?

Does the song groove? Does it feel as good as your favorite song? Is the instrument that supplies the groove loud enough?

What’s the direction of the song? Should it be close and intimate or big and loud?

Are you compressing too much? Does the mix feel squashed? Is it fatiguing to listen to? Is all the life gone?

Are you EQing too much? Is it too bright or too big?

Are your fades too tight? Does the beginning or ending of the song sound clipped?

Do you need alternate mixes? Did you do at least in instrumental-only mix (TV mix)?

Did you document the keeper mixes? Are all files properly named? Are you sure which file is the master?

An interesting mix is all in the details and those take time to sort out. Working through each one of these steps may take a while, but the end result can definitely be worth it."

To read additional excerpts from this and other books, go to bobbyowsinski.com.

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New Music Gear Monday: Sennheiser Laser Drum Mics

2013-06-02T21:30:00.000-07:00

Talk about hi-tech, what if you had lasers controlling your mics? That's exactly what Sennheiser is proposing with their e904 and e604 clip-on mics.

Actually, the laser mic is a misnomer. It's actually a laser mic clip that's the innovative piece.

Everyone knows that leakage into drum mics, even from other drums in the kit, is something that we'd like to get rid of in many situations to clean up a mix. By placing a laser and a sensor in the mic clip, the laser can then precisely measure when the drum head is struck and open up a noise gate, so what you're actually hearing is a laser-controlled mic (we'll get to those real "laser mics" someday soon, as this is the just a glimpse into the future).

The laser drum clips are still in the prototype stage, so there's no pricing yet, but you can see and hear how well they work in this video.

A big shout-out to my buddy Frank Coleman for the heads up on this.

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"Whole Lotta Love" Isolated Drum Track

2013-05-30T21:30:00.000-07:00

Here's a really treat for all you Led Zeppelin aficionados. It's the isolated drum track from their hit "Whole Lotta Love" off of their 2nd album. This cut illustrates perfectly why drummer John Bonham's sound and style is still emulated to this day. Here are some things to listen for (the drums don't enter until :39).

1. The drum kit sounds like a single instrument instead of a series of closely related pieces. That's because that was the way recording drums was approached way back then (1969), where there wasn't enough mics or input channels to even think about miking each drum. As a result, the overall sound was more important than the individual drum sound and there's a lot of space around the drums because they weren't close miked. Still, there's plenty of power in his kick and snare, because he played them hard!

2. Bonham plays a modified shuffle feel in the song that really makes it work. That's why you rarely hear a cover band play it as well, since most drummers never quite hear inside the beat.

3. Check out the cymbal pattern Bonzo plays in bridge. It sounds random, but it isn't.

4. You can hear him singing (grunting) along at 4:00.

5. Bonham's fills are simple and powerful. Most drummers would flash technique in a song like this.

6. Listen for the song ending that you never heard on the record.

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"I'm Not In Love" Isolated Vocal Loops

2013-05-29T21:30:00.000-07:00

Here's another case of something that's common today but state-of-the-art way back when. I've posted here several times about the making of 10CCs "I'm Not In Love," a hit that relied on an amazing array of tape loops used as the pad element of the song. Today we would just play these loops on a keyboard and sequence them in a DAW, but back then these custom loops were actually played on the faders of a console during mixing. Check out this movie about how it was done.

The movie below allows you to hear all of these loops isolated by themselves. It's a fascinating piece of days gone by. Here's the song in its entirety where you hear the loops in context.

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An Interview With Mixer Andrew Scheps

2013-05-28T21:30:00.000-07:00

Andrew Scheps Home Studio (note the dual Neves and sidecar)

When I was writing the 3rd edition of the Mixing Engineer's Handbook, I really wanted to include Andrew Scheps, since I greatly admire his work. Always kind and gracious, Andrew wanted to do the interview at his studio, which is a wonderland of analog as you can see from the pictures on the left. I'm so glad he did, as I had a great time ogling his gear. Here's a portion of the interview explaining how all that analog gear came to his studio.

"Andrew Scheps has worked mega-hit albums for a who’s-who of superstar artists like The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, U2, Justin Timberlake, Jay Z, The Rolling Stones, Linkin Park, Jewel, Neil Diamond and Adele."

You said that you mixed in the box for a long time. How did you get back into using a console?

Andrew Scheps: For Stadium Arcadium [by The Red Hot Chili Peppers], the band wanted the record mixed on a Neve. It was tracked on a Neve and they wanted it mixed on one too. I tried all of the available Neve rooms in town and it just wasn’t working for whatever reason, so I ended up renting a console and realized that this room could easily accommodate it. The other thing is that I just loved having a console, and as an investment, it’s not going down in value, unlike an SSL who’s values are still plummeting.

Andrew's Outboard Rack

The first desk had 32 inputs but when I knew that I was going to be mixing Metallica, I knew that I needed more. 32 inputs plus the other 10 on the BCM 10 [the small Neve broadcast desk that Andrew uses as a sidecar console] wasn’t going to cut it since their drums alone had around 30 channels. They weren’t all going to be coming up on the board, but 32 just wasn’t enough inputs. I was going to rent the console that I used for Stadium Arcadium again but in the process convinced them to sell it to me. As far as the outboard gear, studios keep closing and that’s where most of that comes from, since it tends to come in batches.

Where do you do your automation; in the box or on the desk?

Andrew Scheps: Most of the automation is done on the desk. The only thing done in the box is for extreme fixes. Once the mix is pretty much done and we’re adjusting something like background levels with the band, it’s easier to do that in the box because sometimes it’s just a certain word that they want louder, and then you don’t want to be sloppy with a fader ride on the console. It’s more precise in the box.

Do you ride the rhythm section for fills or is your mix fairly static?

Andrew Scheps: I still do ride things because the compressors are sucking out some of the natural dynamics of how the instruments were played, especially on some of the louder rock stuff. I’m only adding it back in, rather than creating something out of nothing. I don’t turn the whole mix up at every chorus, for instance. Some people can do that with success but I always hear it when I do it. I do definitely push the drums for the downbeat of the chorus and really try to accentuate anything that might be cool in a guitar performance, as well as some of the idiosyncrasies. The rides aren’t drastic, but most things are moving.

To find out more about Andrew and to see pictures of his great studio, go to punkerpad.com."

To read additional interview excerpts, go to the excerpts page at bobbyowsinski.com.

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Why It's Worth Recording In Louisiana

2013-05-27T21:30:00.000-07:00

File this in the "why don't other States do this?" bin, but Louisiana actually has a tax credit program that provides a rebate for those who record in great state. The Sound Recording Investor Tax Credit Initiative was created in 2005 to promote music in the state and provides a 25% rebate on eligible expenses on projects that spend at least $15,000 in recording costs.

You'd think that a program like this might be restrictive in what it considers a "recording cost," but it not only covers studio, producer and session musician fees, but in some cases even travel for out-of-state-musicians. And all kinds of recording besides music in the studio are covered as well, including film scores, spoken word performances like audio books, and even live recording.

There are some restrictions to the program however, but a lot of these are in place to make sure that the system isn't gamed. Expenses not included are recording on projects that didn't originate in Louisiana, producer fees in excess of 20% of the project total, excessive equipment rental fees, and duplication and marketing costs. Mixing and master costs also don't qualify unless the recording was initiated in the state as well.

While artists like R.E.M, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Trombone Shorty have benefited from the program, it does max out once it hits a ceiling of $3million per year, and there's speculation that the new legislature may decide to decrease that amount. Also, it can take anywhere from 5 to 8 months to receive any rebate from the program, so the project still has to be fully funded upfront.

Still, it's a great idea that I wish more states initiated. The biggest question I have is, why am I hearing about this only now?

Here's more about The Sound Recording Investor Tax Credit Initiative.

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New Music Gear Monday: The AT 2020USB+ Mic

2013-05-26T21:30:00.000-07:00

So much of our everyday audio communication happens at the computer these days, from Skype conversations to Google+ Hangouts to podcast and video blogs. Where once upon a time we could get by with the less than ideal built in mic in the computer, it's more and more important that we sound as good as possible, especially if what we'll be doing will end up on YouTube.

While most of us have home studios, sometimes it's just too complicated to set it all up just for a quick Skype conversation. That's why the new upscale USB mics are all the rage. They're quick and easy to use and make you sound like a million bucks. Which brings us to the subject of this week's New Music Gear Monday - the Audio Technica AT2020USB+.

The 2020USB+ is the latest iteration of the mic that now adds a headphone output for zero latency monitoring. There's also a new mix control that allows you to mix the level of the mic with the output of the computer in the event you're playing something back. It doesn't have much else in terms of controls (besides a level control), but eliminating the need for a preamp and a couple of cables just made your setup so much easier, at no cost in audio quality. The mic has a street price of around $169.

Check out this video that not explains how it works, but give you an idea of how it sounds as well.

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Chicago's "25 Or 6 To 4" Isolated Parts

2013-05-23T21:30:00.000-07:00

A while back I posted the isolated vocals from Chicago's famous "25 Or 6 To 4," a perennial hit from their second album simply titled Chicago. Here's another shot of the same with more isolated parts, this time from the lead guitar, horns and vocals. Here are some things to listen for:

1. The horns are in stereo, and the stereo is spread out more than normal during some portions of the song.

2. The vocal reverb is pretty long, slightly delayed, and sounds really good.

3. The harmony vocals are incredibly tight, not only pitch-wise, but articulations as well. I would image the singers (Peter Cetera, Robert Lamm and Terry Kath) were more aware than most vocalists of their time about those things thanks to having horns in the band.

4. The sound of Terry Kath's guitar doesn't sound that good by itself as it seems distorted and muddy with little sustain, yet works great in the track (no shock there as it happens often). That said, it has some really nice short ambience on it.

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Bruce Swedien's Mic Closet

2013-05-22T21:30:00.000-07:00

Bruce Swedien at his Harrison console

Bruce Swedien is truly the Godfather of recording engineers, having recorded and mixed hits from everyone from Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie to Barbra Streisand, Donna Summer and Michael Jackson. He's a mentor of mentors, as so many of his teachings are now handed down to a generation now just learning (his interview in The Mixing Engineer's Handbook is a standout).

Bruce is also a collector of microphones and will not use one he doesn't personally own, so he knows the exact condition of each. Recently he posted a bit about the mics he uses on his Facebook page, and I thought it worth a reprint.

A couple of things stick out to me.
1. His use of an Sennheiser 421 on kick. I know it's a studio standard for some reason (especially on toms), but I never could get it work on anything in a way that I liked.

2. His use of the relatively new Neumann M149, because it's eh...........new.

3. His synthesizer advice (under the M49) is a real gem.

Here's Bruce.
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Constantly being asked about my mics, so here goes:

My microphone collection, spanning many of the best-known models in studio history, are my pride and joy. My microphones are prized possessions. To me, they are irreplaceable. Having my own mics that no-one else handles or uses assures a consistency in the sonics of my work that would otherwise be impossible.”

AKG C414 EB
“My first application would be for first and second violins. It’s really great mic for the classical approach for a string section.”
Hear it on... the first and second violins in Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’.

Altec 21B
“This is a fantastic mic, and I have four of them. It’s an omni condenser, and [for jazz recording] what you do is wrap the base of the mic connector in foam and put it in the bridge of the bass so that it sticks up and sits right under the fingerboard. It wouldn’t be my choice for orchestral sessions, though.”
Hear it on... Numerous recordings for Oscar Peterson between 1959 and 1965.

RCA 44BX & 77BX; AEA R44C
“[The 44BX] is a large, heavy mellow-sounding old mic with a great deal of proximity effect. This is very useful in reinforcing the low register of a vocalist’s range if that is desired. If I am asked to do a big band recording of mainly soft, lush songs, I almost always opt for ribbon mics for the brass. I suggest AEA R44C or RCA44BX on trumpets, and RCA 77DX on trombones. Ribbon mics are great for percussion too.”
Hear it on... trumpets and flugelhorns in Michael Jackson’s ‘Rock With You’ (at 0:54); percussion in Michael Jackson’s ‘Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough’.

Sennheiser MD421
“The kick is about the only place I use that mic, and I mike very closely. I frequently remove the bass drum’s front head, and the microphone is placed inside along with some padding to minimise resonances, vibrations, and rattles.”
Hear it on... the kick drum in Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’.

Shure SM57
“For the snare I love the Shure SM57. In the old days it wasn’t as consistent in manufacture as it is now. I must have eight of those mics, and they’re all just a teeny bit different, so I have one marked ‘snare drum’. But the ones I’ve bought recently are all almost identical. On the snare drum, I usually go for a single microphone. I’ve tried miking both top and bottom of the snare, but this can cause phasing problems.”
Hear it on... snare drum in Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’.

Telefunken 251
“These mics have a beautiful mellow quality, but possess an amazing degree of clarity in vocal recording. The 251 is not overly sibilant and is often my number one choice for solo vocals.”
Hear it on... Patti Austin in ‘Baby, Come To Me’, her duet with James Ingram.

Telefunken U47
“I still have one of the two U47s that I bought new in 1953, and will still frequently be first choice on lead vocal. This is a mic that can be used on a ballad or on a very aggressive rock track. It has a slight peak in its frequency response at around 7kHz, which gives it a feeling of natural presence. It also has a slight peak in the low end around 100Hz. This gives it a warm, rich sound. For Joe Williams, another mic would never have worked as well. I figured out that it was the mic for him when I heard him speak. After you’ve been doing this for as long as I have, you begin to have instinctive sonic reactions, and it saves a lot of time!”
Hear it on... Joe Williams in the Count Basie Band’s Just The Blues

Neumann M149
“I have a pair of these that Neumann made just for me, with consecutive serial numbers, and they sound so great. That’s what I use now in XY stereo on piano.”

Neumann M49
“This is very close sonically to the M149, but not quite the same. It’s a three-pattern mic and the first that Neumann came up with which had the pattern control on the power supply... you could have the mic in the air and still adjust the pattern. I use these for choir recording in a Blumlein pair, which is one of my favourite techniques because it’s very natural in a good room. When I was recording with Michael and Quincy I was given carte blanche to make the greatest soundfields I could, so what I also did was pick a really good room and record the synths through amps and speakers with a Blumlein pair to get the early reflections as part of the sonic field. The direct sound output of a synthesizer is very uninteresting, but this can make the sonic image fascinating. You have to be really careful, though, to open up the pre-delay of any reverb wide enough to not cover those early reflections. They mostly occur below 120ms, so with 120ms pre-delay those sounds remain intact and very lovely.”
Hear it on... Andre Crouch choir in Michael Jackson’s ‘Man In The Mirror’, ‘Keep The Faith’.

Neumann U67
“The predecessor to the U87, and an excellent microphone, but it’s not one of my real favourites, as a purely instinctive reaction. It’s just a little bit too technical perhaps, and it doesn’t have sufficient sonic character for me to use it on a lead vocal, for instance. It’s a good choice of microphone for violas and cellos, however, and the U87 can also work well in this application.”
Hear it on... violas and cellos in Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’.

I'll post a bit of Bruce's interview from The Mixing Engineer's Handbook in a future post.

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The Ins And Outs Of Subtractive Equalization

2013-05-21T21:30:00.000-07:00

One of the most effective ways of equalizing is to use a method known as subtractive equalization. While the natural tendency is to boost when using the EQ, subtracting can be much more effective and sound better as well. In this excerpt from The Audio Mixing Bootcamp (a similar explanation can be found in latest 3rd edition of The Mixing Engineer's Handbook), you'll see just how easy and effective subtractive EQ can be.

"While it’s natural to believe that by adding some EQ here and there that you’ll make the instrument or vocal sound better, that’s not necessarily the case. There’s a very effective EQ technique called “subtractive equalization” that works by attenuating frequencies instead of boosting them. Many superstar mixers love this method because it makes the sound of the track more natural than if you boosted any of the frequencies. This is because every time you boost an EQ, there’s an slight amount of something called phase shift that’s added to the signal as a byproduct of the way an electronic equalizer works. By using subtractive equalization, you completely avoid this artifact. As a result, the track is better able to blend with the others.

Here’s how to use subtractive equalization:

1. Set the Boost/Cut control to a moderate level of cut (8 or 10 dB should work.)

2. Sweep through the frequencies until you find the frequency where the sound has the least amount of boxiness and the most definition.

3. Adjust the amount of cut to taste. Be aware that too much cut makes the sound thinner.

Alternately you can try a different approach.

1. Set the Boost/Cut control to a moderate level of boost (8 or 10 dB should work.)

2. Sweep through the frequencies until you find the frequency that really leaps out above all others. That’s the frequency to cut.

3. Adjust the amount of cut to taste. Be aware that too much cut makes the sound thinner.

There are two frequency ranges that are particularly effective when using subtractive equalization; from 400Hz to 600Hz and between 2k and 4kHz. The reason why 400Hz to 600Hz is chosen is because most directional microphones provide a natural boost in that frequency range because of the proximity effect brought about by miking an instrument or voice up close. Likewise, many mics that are known as good vocal mics have a presence boost between 2k and 4kHz. Cutting those frequencies a few dB (more or less as needed) can make the track sound much more natural than if you were to try to boost other frequencies instead.

These two problem areas usually crop up when you’re recording everything with the same microphone, since there’s a buildup in the those frequency areas as more and more instruments are recorded. By cutting a few dB from these frequency ranges you’ll find that the instruments sit better in the mix without every having to add as much EQ."

To read additional excerpts from this and other books, go to bobbyowsinski.com.

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My Top 10 Compressors

2013-05-20T21:30:00.000-07:00

I was recently intrigued by a really good article on Beatport's Attack blog called "Top 20 Best Compressors Of All Time." Since the bog is primarily dedicated to electronic music, you can probably dismiss some of its seemingly dubious entries to the way they're used creating that type of music. The article did get me thinking about the top 10 compressors that I like though, so I thought I'd do my own version.

Although the other list was primarily hardware compressors, this list is a combination, since most of us live in a DAW world these days. Okay, here we go.

1. Universal Audio 1176: I don't care which version you use, the 1176 is about as close to a desert island compressor as you'll get due to its versatility. I like to use it on kick, snare, guitars, bass, vocals - just about anything. It can be aggressive sounding, but nothing pulls an instrument out of a mix in the same way.

2. Teletronix/Universal Audio LA-2A: Once again, I don't care which version of the hardware or software you use, the LA-2A has a sound and feel all its own. It can work pretty well on most instruments, but stands out for vocals, and is dead easy to use. I never use too much, as I like the sound of 2 to 3 dB in most situations.

3. Universal Audio LA-3: Perhaps the ultimate electric guitar compressor, I've used it successfully on piano and keyboards as well. Nothing works quite the same with electric guitars in a mix.

4. Fairchild 660/670: When it comes to buss compression, the Fairchild 670 stands is king of the hill for many kinds of music (especially retro or acoustic). It just adds a glue and warmth that you have trouble getting any other way. Just a little bit (a couple of dB) works a lot better than a whole lot. The 660 is the mono version of the more widely known 670, and was the sound you heard on many of The Beatle records (Ringo's drums, for instance).

5. SSL Buss Compressor: This is the sound that made so many pop and rock records in the 80s and 90s, and it still works great in those genres. I once worked in a studio that had the buss compressor on their 9k labeled as "The Good Button." Why? Because no matter how your mix sounded, once the SSL buss compressor was engaged, it sounded better.

6. Waves L1: You can't beat a classic and the Waves L1 is probably the first software limiter that worked so well that it was abused. If used correctly, few limiters are as capable of controlling the peaks of a mix. If used badly, it can suck the life out of a mix faster than you can say "hypercompression."

7. Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor: Few modern compressors have caught on so widely as the Distressor, and that's because there are few that are as versatile. I like to track with it on vocals to keep the peaks under control, but there are few compressors that are as effective on room mics, especially when it's set to "Nuke."

8. dbx 160: I just love the 160s; any of them. For a punchy drum sound, you can't beat the hardware 160X's (or even the A model). In software, the UAD 160 sounds great. My favorite for aggressive kick and snare, but it will pull a piano or acoustic guitar up front as well.

9. Neve 33609: This is another case of a buss compressor that really works well, especially if you only need a little to tighten up the bottom. It's not always my first choice, but it usually works in a situation when the previously mentioned ones don't.

10. FMR Audio RNC: The Really Nice Compress (RNC) is a great little hardware unit that provides tremendous bang for buck. I don't feel that it necessarily excels at any one thing, but it does work well in most situations. For a home studio with not a lot of money to burn, the stereo RNC (and it's companion RNL -Really Nice Limiter) is a must-have.

Honorable Mention. Pro Tools Native Digirack Compressor/Limiter: I personally think this is one of the most versatile compressors that you can find. It can sound transparent and it can sound aggressive, and since it doesn't take up much in the way of systems resources, you can use a lot of them in a big mix. Don't overlook it.

Once again, these are my personal opinions because these are what I always use. There's lots of other great ones out there (especially in software), but I've come to rely on these units because I know what they'll do in most situations.

Which are your favorites?

By the way, check this out for a good lesson on compressor setup.

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New Music Gear Monday: Rupert Neve 5060 Centerpiece

2013-05-19T21:30:00.000-07:00

Desktop mixers and summing amplifiers are all the rage these days and rightfully so. We live in a DAW world and well over 90% of all studio music mixing is done in-the-box. We've seen SSL and AMS-Neve recently introduce their own products in this category, but a new one from Rupert Neve Designs (not to be confused with AMS-Neve, his old company) is something completely different.

The Rupert Neve 5060 Centerpiece is basically a 24 channel summing amp with a monitor controller built in. What makes it unique is that it also has 4 stereo inputs each controllable by a fader as well as a master fader. Add a USB/MIDI transport section, and RND's totally unique Texture color control and the 5060 Centerpiece becomes a unit different from anything else on the market. Retail price is $7995. Check out this video for some of the details.

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