Capturing The Bass In A Live Performance

Capturing The Bass In A Live Performance - (these tips can also be used in the studio)




1. The Performance
It all starts with the performance. This is ultimately what matters the most. You want a good player who knows the songs well. Otherwise you will end up spending more money to fix things after the fact.

2. The Instrument
The next step to a great bass recording is the Instrument. You want to use a quality bass that is in good condition (no fret buzz, bad jacks or pots, well intonated, etc.) It is also important to keep the bass in tune between songs. Fresh strings can be important as well but it is recommended to change them a few days before the show since they can be too bright and noisy when first changed. Also, planning ahead and having a backup instrument can save a show from disaster.

3. Di or Amp?
Should you use a direct box or mic the bass amp? It is recommended to always use a direct box in live situations so you can have a bass signal free of bleed. If the bass amp is well isolated from the stage and you have the ability to mic it in addition to the direct box, go for it. Just be aware that if you are mixing a bass amp and direct box together, there will most likely be a slight timing difference between the two tracks. The Direct box will be very slightly ahead of the amp since it has a shorter path to travel. This can cause phase issues and cancel out the low end of the bass. You will have to phase align the two tracks in your Digital Audio Workstation after the fact. You can also always apply a bass amp plugin or send the direct recording to a bass amp and record that in post production.

4. EQ and Compression
Subtle EQ and compression can help bring out the dynamics of the performance. If not done properly however, it can also hinder the recording. If in doubt, bypass any such effects. From experience I’ve encountered bass recordings that sound very thin even though they sounded fat on stage. This could be caused by many factors. Sometimes a bassist is misled by the sound coming from the bass amp. As a result they tend to drop the low frequencies on the instrument thinking there’s enough low end from the bass amp only to realize that the recording had little to no low end. Again, If in doubt, capture the recording with no processing.

5. Monitoring
Always keep an eye on the input signal. Even if the signal was not clipping during soundcheck, there is a good chance the player will be playing harder during the performance. In the digital domain, you want to avoid clipping as it can ruin a recording. Recording too low is preferred to clipping in the DAW, so leave yourself plenty of headroom. One way to help prevent this is to make sure that the player has enough of themselves in their monitors while they are playing at a reasonable volume during soundcheck so that once the band starts they don’t struggle to hear themselves and start playing louder. The bass player could also be clipping his amp/direct box before it gets to the engineer, so use your ears as well to tell you if there is a problem. One issue often overlooked, is the proximity of the bass player to their amp. Low frequencies are heard best from a distance since they have long wavelengths. Standing too close to the amp can actually give the impression that there is not enough low end. If possible have the bass player move farther away from the amp until they can hear the true tone of the amp.

In conclusion, meters are crucial but let your ears be your ultimate guide.

by Daniel Ayittah

Capturing Drums in A Live Performance

Capturing Drums in A Live Performance
-by Daniel Ayittah




1. The Drum Kit.
Your choice of the drum kit or instrument for that matter will greatly influence your recording. This is because each instrument sounds different sonically depending on the material used to build it. The choice of kit is as critical as the microphones used. If your drums are cheap you should expect a cheap sound in your recordings.

2. Performance
The first step to getting a good drum recording is to use a good drummer. A bad performance cannot be fixed later in post production. If you’re willing to invest in a live recording you might as well invest in a good drummer.

3. Tuning and Changing heads.
Second on the checklist is to make sure your drums sound good using your ears first. The drums have to be tuned appropriately to achieve this. Tuning your drums properly will help them to blend in the mix properly. It’s also preferable to change your drum heads prior to a recording. You should also have spare heads available. If you don’t know how to get your drums to sound good, get a drum technician or a professional drummer to help. You can’t expect to record a bad snare with a good mic and expect the microphone to do the magic. Many a time I find people making the mistake of using the “we’ll fix it in the mix” path. That’s a trap for failure. Check drum parts for unnecessary noises which can affect the recording. An example is the rattling of snare wires. These can be silence by adjusting the lever on the side of the snare else you can place a towel or cloth in between the wire and the bottom of the snare. It is also advisable to have spare snares available. Squeaking drum thrones can be dealt with by applying some oil to the joints.
Cymbals cannot be tuned unfortunately so you may have to replace them if they don’t sound good.
Dampen your drum heads where appropriate to avoid unwanted resonance. You can put a small cushion or padding at the bottom of the kick mic to deal with too much sustain. However don’t stuff your whole laundry into it. Padding it too much will change the sound of the kick drum into a less interesting thud.

4. Placing microphones
Proper mic placement will help you to get a good signal from your drums. This is a wide topic but a rule of thumb is to have the mics for the snare and toms pointing to the Center of the drum heads instead of the sides. Overhead mics should not be too close to the cymbals as well. It is also advisable to do a test recording of the kit and adjust mic positions till you get the right sound. There are several resources online about drum miking techniques which you can check out if you’re not sure of what you’re doing.

Using good microphones is crucial to the fidelity of your recording. If you use cheap mics you should not expect a pro sounding recording.
There are many mics to choose from hence we’ll not dwell on that. However it goes without saying that a shure sm57 has been an all time favorite for snares. Speaking of snares it’s always preferable to record the top and bottom of the snare. You can get away with using a single mic for the kick but make sure you’re doing it right. If in doubt consult a professional recording engineer. Your FOH(Front of House) engineer would be the best place to start.

5. Drum Enclosures
There's usually a debate about whether to use enclosures or not, also popularly known as a drum cage. I would suggest that if you have a lot going on the stage, it may be advisable to use an enclosure. Same goes if your stage space is too small. The enclosure not only helps to isolate the drums but also prevents the drum sound from bleeding into other sources on stage. That's worth taking note of. 

See you in the next episode...

Classical Piano Recording: Update

A couple years ago, in honor of my late brother, Frank (an avid Chopin fan), we did a short series on piano miking.  A big thanks to my good friends and excellent engineers Randy Poole (Anita Baker, Michael W. Smith, CeCe Winans) and Kevin Edlin (Nashville Symphony, Kings Singers) for contributing their techniques and tips to the GetYoshed blog!

The project Kevin was recording while writing this blog was a solo piano album for acclaimed pianist Agnes Wan (http://www.agnes-wan.net).  This album has recently been released and we wanted to share it with you to listen to while you're reading Kevin's post and thinking about your own piano recordings. The album can be found on Soundset here or iTunes here. Here's what Kevin wrote:

"Thanks for having me, I really appreciate it. As far as classical piano recording techniques go, here are some of my thoughts. The first thing to consider is the type of piece you're going to record - whether it's a work for solo classical piano, or rather a piano concerto (a piece written for piano and orchestra) with the pianist as the featured soloist. Further consideration needs to be given to the approach of the recording, i.e. a live concert as opposed to a closed session. As you may know, in classical music the aesthetic is generally for recordings to be made in somewhat of an audience/listener's position, but yet having more clarity and detail than seated patrons can observe.  

For purposes of this discussion, I'll leave out anything related to recording a piano as only a part of the orchestra, where it is only an element of the music and not a featured instrument. I'll also only include non-studio techniques, as most classical recordings are made on location in different concert halls and performing arts venues.  

For a solo classical piano piece, the first thing one should do is make sure the instrument is in a good spot on the stage. The sound of the piano as it resonates in the hall it's played in can change greatly if moved from the front to the back of the stage. Generally, you'll want to have the instrument somewhat in the center. This however can vary slightly though, as some performers like to have the center of the sound board directly in the middle of the stage, while other prefer to have the hammers and action in the middle, thereby putting the keys and the performer in the center as well. Sometimes this is done for acoustic reasons, and sometimes it may be done like this just for the sake of appearances. After this has been decided upon, it's a good idea to talk with the performer about past experiences he or she might have had playing in that hall (if they ever have before) to gain any insight from them, and just to make sure they're comfortable. It's also paramount to do a little moving of the instrument from upstage (closer to the back wall) to downstage (closer to the audience) - and a lot of critical listening while the performer plays through a few excerpts of the material at hand. I can't emphasise this enough. Sometimes, just a few feet in either direction can make a big difference in finding a particular spot on the stage where the sound blooms.  

When it comes to equipment, I would normally start with a spaced pair of omnidirectional microphones positioned 4 to 5 feet over the opening of the lid at full stick, with the angles of the mics generally at the same degree as that of the open lid. This would be used as the main pair of mics, and for the most part be responsible for capturing the instrument and the overall sound of the recording. For this, my preference would generally be the DPA 4006. I have however had good results using a pair of high quality cardiod or sub-cardiod microphones, such as Schoeps or Neumann, in an ORTF position or something similar. I also try and use the cleanest, quietest, and most neutral preamplifiers available, typically by manufacturers such as Millennia, Grace, or Lavry. The Millennia HV-3D 8 channel unit is very commonplace for this application. For a solo piano, I might also put up a pair of flanking omnidirectional microphones, with each one being 6 to 8 feet or so to the left and right of the main pair. This is primarily to capture the reflections of the stage and to allow for a greater width to the recording. Lastly, I almost always have some sort of ambient hall pair of mics. These are usually omnidirectional as well, and could be anything ranging from the DPA compact series to some sort of high quality large diaphragm condensers. Using these allows one to capture the natural reverberation of the hall. They can be placed anywhere from the far left/right corners of the very back of the hall and high up near the rear ceiling, to mid-way down the isles near the stage and fairly close together - or anywhere in between. The exact position can depend on the size the room, whether it's a small recital hall or a large concert venue, and the given rooms acoustics.  

Another major factor involved in classical mic technique that I have yet to mention is whether or not an audience is involved. This can be much greater factor than most people first imagine. In live concert recordings, microphones are often times not allowed to be placed on stands on the stage during performances! Depending on the venue management, the performer and/or music director, and what the audiences of that venue are accustomed to seeing, equipment such as mics, stands, and cables on stage can be thought of as cluttering and unsightly. It can therefor be necessary to suspend them in the air somehow from the ceiling, rafters, or architecture of the building. This could mean hanging them from the overhead grid or catwalk railing of a performing arts center, or even through the rafters and attic of a church. Naturally, this can pose some problems. The ways and means of doing this could be the subject of an entirely different essay, and would well go beyond the scope of this one. Suffice to say, in a live audience situation, a good classical recording engineer must be able to get the microphones in the best spot available despite the possible adversities. So, whatever mic placements you have decided are best from your acoustic experiments and critical listening, you may now have to suspend in mid air and secure properly so that all performers, patrons, and backstage personnel are safe from any falling equipment! The placement of ambient hall mics are a good illustration of this. While in some occasions no one will care if the main or flanking pairs of mics are attached to stands on stage or not, it will always be against fire codes to put equipment in the isles or seating area of a hall during a performance. Mic stands, cables, or anything that could be a trip hazard will always be completely off limits when a live audience is present. This however becomes a non issue during a closed session! One then has the freedom to choose to narrow the focus of the ambient pair, as opposed to hanging them from the one accessible beam found in the back of the hall. This however can even affect the mic choice of the main pairs as well. For instance it is usually easy to hang a pair of small diaphragm  condensers on a stereo bar in front of an audience, while it may be nearly impossible to suspend a pair of Neumann M 50's or M 150's (with their accompanying tube power supplies) safely in the same hall.  

This concludes many of my thoughts on recording a solo classical piano piece. I'll leave the topic of recording a piano concerto to another essay. And while I know that I have recored Chopin pieces before, I can't recall which ones, or exactly when or where. I'm sure I've recorded the Nashville symphony performing the music of Chopin in concert, and probably also the Aspen Festival Orchestra as well. And while I have never recorded an album of his music, I am never the less both humbled and thrilled to be included in your blog."

Best Sounds Ever

My good friend, Ed Wyborski, recently wrote to me, posing the question of the “best ever” sounds.  What is the best snare sound, trumpet sound, mandolin sound, etc.  Of course, “best” is always subjective, but so many great sounds are very distinct or unique.  Here’s what Ed wrote; please add to the list and comment on your favorite sounds and, if you know, how they were created. We will be at the AES booth at NAMM this weekend asking people for their input as well.

The Question - What is the best ever use of an instrument (or close to an instrument) in songs we know at this point in time, if you believe in a linear timeline.  What is the thing that gets your attention when you hear a song that makes you say “I know that song – it has a great…?).  You can pound to it, dance, and jump or just yell out.  “Ya baby – I remember when this came out – it was soooo cool”

So, I open for debate, to honor all those great musicians, recording engineers and producers that have captured these incredible sounds. What is the best ever – What, Who, When, Where and now the hard part “How?”

The virtual phone is now open.  Please add and expand in every direction.

      - Hand claps – Buffalo Springfield,  For what it worth

      - Leslie speaker with organ – Devil with the blue dress?

      - Leslie speaker with guitar – John Jaszcz, Detroit 1977, hot night, cool drinks, great song – no idea what    it was but it was cool (note: This speaker got me a “A” at Wayne State in the Psychoacoustics of physics class 500 level)

      - Leslie speaker with other – Good Question

      - Cow Bell – Mitch Rider and the Detroit Wheels? – Little Susie was only 5 years old – rock and roll? 

      - Bongo -  must be Santana – Soul sacrifice – a long time ago (extra points for the place)

7    - Something cool – Ride with me  - some kind of sound at start

8    - Best “hey hey hey” - Don’t you forget me Simple minds?

      - Saxophone – Deacon Blues?

      - Talk Box – Rocky Mountain Way 

Kirk Franklin: Hello Fear

Kirk Franklin is a phenomenal producer and choir director, and together with his production team, incredibly talented singers, and Fo Yo Soul Records, he created a masterpiece entitled Hello Fear, that Yosh had the distinct honor of contributing mixes.  

Certainly congratulations to Kirk are in order after a huge first week, selling nearly 90,000 copies (making it the 4th best selling gospel album of all time) and debuting No. 1 on the Billboard Gospel Chart as well as No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and appearing in top spots of several other charts as well.  Even amidst all this success, however, what makes Kirk Franklin Kirk Franklin is his heart.  As he told UGospel.com, "I am just humbled.  It is a blessing to know, that after all these years of making music, God continues to give me songs that people want to hear. I knew going into this project that God was not as concerned about what I do in the process of this album but what I become in the process of this album. I am hopeful that Hello Fear reaches the hearts of everyone who purchased the CD and helps them along their process of becoming who God would have them become." 

If you haven't heard the album yet, it is available in any record store, or Walmart, Amazon,
as well as iTunes.  He is also on tour with Steve Harvey - a show definitely worth seeing.

Check out one of the single's "I Am"

11 New Years Resolutions for 2011

There are always ways to improve oneself, and the beginning of a year brings a renewed inspiration to make oneself better.  So whether your new years resolutions have a tendency to fade mid-February or become habitual, we thought we’d compile a list of ways we Audio Engineers can improve our work and ourselves.

Add your own tips in the comments below and let us know what you think of ours!

In No Particular Order... 

1.  Check crossfades prior to consolidating.

 

It can be as simple as doing a batch fade (highlighting across multiple edits and hit Command-F in Pro Tools), but neglecting to crossfade edit points will cost hours of work later trying to remove clicks and pops from the track.  Before consolidating, we always duplicate the playlist in case something is wrong, and crossfade all the edit points.  We know from experience, trying to copy/paste audio, or drawing with the pencil tool to remove clicks is a tedious and frustrating process.

2. Check disc allocation.

In today’s audio world, sessions are constantly moved from hard drive to hard drive and worked on by different engineers, in different locations, at different times.  With all this change in location, Pro Tools sometimes gets a little confused as to where it should place your audio files and fade files.  It is very good practice to hit Setup-Disc Allocation and be sure every track will write to the proper drive so sometime down the road you don’t get a call asking for a drive that should be located on your “Macintosh HD/user/desktop.” It is also great practice to keep the drives you’re not writing to in “Transfer Only” mode.  In the Pro Tools workspace, keep your audio drive on “Record” and the others on “Transfer.”

3. Name Audio Tracks.

Don’t press record on that audio track you just created until you name it!  It’s never convenient to look at a session and see Audio 1, Audio 2, Audio 3, etc.  Big Synth, Ac Gtr, Ld Voc, is much easier to know, at a glance, what is on that track.  Also, the name of the track is what Pro Tools will name the audio file you record on it.  So when we lose an audio file, It’s good to know what it is that’s missing and have a name that makes sense in order to find it.

4. Back up… and do it again.

Music is expensive to create, and it can never be recreated exactly. Thus, when you put your heart and soul into a recording, take the time to back it up.  Many have said, “it’s not backed up unless it exists in 3 locations.” Great advice, but at least have it in two!  If your hard drive breaks, or is lost, or you accidentally delete the wrong folder, save yourself the time, money, and stress by having it backed up.

5. Print it.

So you just spent an hour and a half with the fancy new delay plug-in you bought and came up with the perfect delay for that one word in the bridge. You love it and listen to it on your rough mix for weeks while you send your session to your mix engineer, who then hears the delay in your rough and has a feeling you want it there, but has no idea how you got it and doesn’t have that obscure delay you use.  Simple solution, print the effect – on a separate track of course; the mix engineer still needs control, but give him what you have.  Chances are, if it’s really that good, he’ll want to keep it, but you can allow him more time to make the other parts of your song sound great if he’s not spending all his time recreating your delay.

6.  Stay in Touch.

With the majority of music happening in home studios and project studios these days, an engineer can go weeks or even months on end without talking to other engineers.  You don’t see them in the studio lobby because you’re not in the commercial studio that often.  Call them up, have lunch, do whatever it takes to stay connected with other professionals.  Community is a great tool for learning, staying current, and creating more business for yourself and your fellow audio engineers.

7. Study Music.

If music is your business, make it your business to know music.  If you’re a young engineer and know all the current Top 40 hits, but don’t know the history, don’t know where that music came from, you’re not getting the full picture.  Likewise, if you’re an engineer who’s been doing this awhile, but somewhere down the line lost interest in pop music and don’t know what the current guys are doing, you can’t stay relevant, and you can’t be your best. Make it a goal this year to improve your musical repertoire.

8. Do it right.

Whether in a major recording studio, a live recording session, or a bedroom with an Mbox, a good engineer will take the time to get their levels set correctly, make sure the sound is good, and make sure there’s no noise on the channel.  The same is true through every step of making a record; if this audio is going to be heard, even if it’s only by those who made it, then it’s worth taking the time to make it right.  This is your craft and your job, and your name will be on it, make that name stand for quality work.

9.  Stay Organized.

It can get very difficult to stay organized as life gets very busy, very quickly, but it can really save you.  Know where your sessions are, know where the backups are, know how you label things, and where you put things.  Consistency and organization will really help when that client calls that you did one song with 3 years ago and asks you for a file, and it can save you a lot of costly and time consuming mistakes.

10.  Never Say “No.”

You may absolutely know that your client’s idea is simply not going to work, or completely disagree with their request to change something, but they’re the client, and if they’re making a request it’s because they hear something that they think can be better and “better” should always be the goal.  So maybe they are wrong, and maybe it feels like a waste of time, but just maybe something better will come out of trying. 

11.  Be healthy.

“Getting in Shape” is such a cliché New Year’s Resolution, but it’s a good one.  The music business is hard on one’s health.  From the sitting in front of a computer or a console all day, to being on the road all the time, to the never-ending supply of coffee and soda they have at the studio, to the long, long hours, it can do wonders for your future to eat healthily and exercise.  And don’t forget to keep your ears healthy.  Wearing earplugs to concerts, and not listening at full volume for too long will help keep your ears functioning properly much longer. 

The Attitude of Engineering - by Grant Greene

Get Yoshed is excited to welcome back Grant Greene in this week’s post!

Hi everyone! It’s been awhile since you have seen me on getyoshed.com. A lot of things have happened since Yosh’s and my first blog. In what may seem a bit of irony, I have gone back to school to finish up my undergraduate degree. If you recall, Yosh suggested that I needed to take a ProTools training course. As it turned out, I did have to take a hard disk recording class as part of my degree. While it might seem there isn’t a lot to learn in an intro to hard disk recording class for someone that has been working with ProTools and other hard disk recorders for over 15 years, I did learn a few tips and tricks, but what I learned the most was a few perspectives of the up and coming engineers in this business and the instructors teaching these students.

During one of the first discussions of the class, the instructor asked the class what made each student hirable in the industry. Most of the students answered that their personality, or good attitude, made them good candidates to be hired at a studio. The instructor quickly dismissed these claims and said that to him, as a studio owner himself, knowledge and skills were more important than anything else. While I agree that you need to be smart and have a knack for learning quickly, I disagree with him that attitude takes a back seat to how well you know how to record, mix, or wire a studio.  Over the past 11 years, I have learned A LOT watching Yosh work. I can’t recall once where he told a client that something couldn’t be done. You give Yosh a problem, he will find a solution. While this might seem to validate the opinion that knowledge is more important to attitude, it is actually the opposite. It’s Yosh’s attitude that drives him to come up with a solution to any problem. He might not know the answer immediately, but he will come up with one, if not five. This is what makes a great engineer in my opinion.

Over the years, Yosh has had many interns and I can tell you this, while most had the “chops” to be successful recording engineers, few had the right attitude. The right attitude makes up for any lack of knowledge. Back in the “day”, there were no schools for recording. Those interested in breaking into the business didn’t walk into a studio with the knowledge to run a large format console, multitrack tape machines, and all the outboard effects gear. They weren’t expected to be able to record a full band or mix an album on their first day either. What they were expected to do was to make coffee, answer phones, get things for the clients, clean the studio, and keep their mouths shut. So you might ask yourself, how did they learn? Well this is where attitude comes in. Those with the drive and determination found a way to learn. If they were told there was a session at 10 a.m., they would arrive at 8 a.m., or earlier, to be sure everything was in order and help the client set-up for the session. If they were told that they only had to work until 5 p.m., they would stay to 2 a.m. to help the assistant engineer tear down. If there was no session happening at the studio, they would ask the studio manager if it was o.k. if they used the studio to hone their chops. Those with the right attitude can always learn something they don’t know. Working in an industry where things are rapidly changing, we are constantly having to learn. There is no way we can know everything about every piece of gear or software out there, but we can have an open mind and a drive to educate ourselves and add more tricks to our arsenal.

In my next appearance here on getyoshed.com, I’ll touch on things interns should and shouldn’t do in the studio.

 - Grant Greene

Shure SRH840 Headphone Product Review

These days, it is always good to reference your mixes on headphones.  Sometimes listening to your mix on an iPod with earbuds just isn't enough…

Recently I had the opportunity to try out a pair of Shure SRH 840 headphones.  Shure is a company known for quality, durable, professional products.  We know that about their microphones, and their headphones are certainly set to the same bar.  Before you even put them on your head, the SRH 840s stand out.  Opening the box reveals sturdily built headphones that come with a convenient carrying bag, nearly 10 ft. detachable cord (love that length!), replacement pads for the ear cups, and a high quality, gold plated 1/8’’ to 1/4’’ adapter.

If you want your investment to last, the replacement pads are a great benefit, and even if you wear both included sets out, you can buy more pads sold separately for under $20.00, or swap them out for SRH440 pads if you like those better.  The detachable cable makes a big difference as well.  It makes replacing the cable of the headphones both amazingly easy and really affordable.  Of course, with Shure-like robustness, they made certain the cable won’t fall out of the headphones mid-take with a special bayonet clip. 

Decidedly, the importance of sonic quality heavily outweighs all this out-of-the-box appeal, and the SRH 840’s sound live up to the same standard of quality.  My first impression was that there was a clarity and tightness in the bass, and still a consistent balance of all the frequencies in the mixes I referenced.  When producing headphones it’s easy to screw up the bass, the high end, and the mids, and it’s a great treat to listen to a pair with such accurate bass, smooth highs, and a midrange that creates a good mix, consistent with my reference speakers.  So many headphones have a scooped out midrange that sounds hyped, but as a professional, I don’t want hyped, I want precise.  I need to know what frequencies are being produced.  Professional grade equipment should absolutely be different from consumer gear, and Shure’s SRH 840s were truly built for the professional engineer or musician. 

Certainly, if you’re in the market for a new pair of headphones, the SRH 840’s are a worthy candidate.  Comfortable enough that those long hours of headphone use won’t leave your ears in pain, one of the best headphones sonically I’ve ever heard, and the same durability the Shure name is known for.  These headphones are an incredible bargain, as well.  Priced at only $199.95, the SRH 840’s are a sure bet (pun intended).  

I’ve outlined a few specs for you below.  Have any of you used the 840’s?  What do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

Transducer Type: Dynamic neodymium magnet

Frequency Range: 5Hz – 25kHz

Max Input Power (1kHz): 1000 mW

Impedance: 44 Ohms

Sensitivity: 102 dB/mW

Driver Size: 40 mm

Piano Miking 3 - Kevin Edlin

This is Part 3 in a series of blogs dedicated to my late brother, Frank Jaszcz who passed away earlier this month while fishing in Yellowstone National Park.  My brother was such a fan of Frédéric Chopin.  He would always try to play his favorite piece, the Polonaise in Ab Major, Op. 53, and though he wasn't the greatest pianist I've ever seen, his passion was a joy to watch.  In light of his love of classical piano, this week's blog posts are all about recording piano.  We started with some of our thoughts in Part 1, got opinions from Randy Poole in Part 2, and this is Part 3 with special guest Kevin Edlin.

Kevin is an extraordinary engineer who has done many classical recordings for the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, Aspen Festival Orchestra and has done recordings of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess for Decca Records, and the Liszt Piano Concerto No. 1 on Naxos among many others, in addition to his role as a guitar player and sound designer for his band Seven Cycle Theory.  My Brother would have loved him because he obviously has a genuine love for classical music.  He was kind enough to offer GetYoshed his thoughts on recording classical piano:

Piano Miking 2 - Randy Poole

This is Part II of a blog in tribute to my brother, Frank, who recently passed away while fishing in Yellowstone National Park.  After spending a weekend in Iowa with my family remembering his life.  One of those memories was his love of Frédéric Chopin, so it is in his honor that we wrote our blog on recording classical piano, and in his honor we are posting this follow-up today.

Randy Poole is a good friend of mine, and also a marvelous engineer.  Working for such artists as Take 6, Natalie Grant, Smokie Norful, and Anita Baker, Randy has gained a reputation for quality engineering.

Of course, every engineer will have a slightly different take on mic techniques, choices, and placements, so we asked Randy for his thoughts on miking a piano.  Here's what he said:

Classical Piano

My brother, Frank, recently passed away in Yellowstone National Park. A biology professor for many years, he retired this year at age 65 and was doing what he loved most… fishing. I spent the weekend in Iowa with my family, celebrating the life he lived and the lives he touched. So many memories were re-lived, and one of my favorites was his love for Frédéric Chopin. I’ve seen him attempt to play the “Heroic” Polonaise in A Flat Major countless times, a piece he truly loved. It is that memory that inspired this blog entry on the recording of classical piano.

The Beats: LM-1 and LinnDrum

I was trying to remember exactly when I saw my first LM-1.. I remember seeing it on a session that I was setting up for as an assistant, but I couldn't recall the artist.  I checked in with one of my engineering mentors, Greg Reilly, at the Disc ltd. in Detroit. Greg started out at Holland Dozier Holland when he was barely out of high school. He has an R&B history that is longer than the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit.  Anyway.. He informed me that the first sessions that were done with Linn drum at that time were with a group called One Way.  They were a local Detroit R&B band that came into the studio in late ’79 or ‘80..  I believe at this time there were only 40 of these LM-1s in existence.

Once the more compact LinnDrum was actually released we saw them more frequently and their popularity peaked around ‘84 when Prince did "When Dove's Cry."  Leave it to Prince to eliminate the bass line and still get a hit!

My early experiences with the Linn were with a group called RJ's Latest Arrival..

The Beats: Roland TR-808

Twenty -five years ago the powers that be said hip-hop and rap music was a fad and it wouldn't last. Seemed to me at the time that I was witnessing the beginning of a new music era that would last a lifetime. There was too much passion for it to go away! Whether you are into the music or not, the one thing that we can all agree on is that the sounds that were used permeated all music including Rock and even Country. The basic sounds that were used then and used now come from the same sources. I remember the first time I saw an 808 drum machine. Dave McMurray, saxophonist for Was Not Was had just purchased it and was programming up a storm... It was like he had taken up a new percussion instrument and he was becoming intimate with every nuance of the piece. Up until this time musicians who had a penchant for rhythm but didn't play drums had to wait until they could get with a drummer and percussionist to work out the rhythm.

Now, one guy could sit at home and come up with the whole concept of the song with new and interesting sounds to boot! On first hearing those sounds it was a little unnerving because we had all been listening to natural sounds. What were we to do with such a thing? Why is it that the bass drum is sounding like an oscillator? The snare sounds like a toy drum!? Well, it soon became apparent that once a drum machine was laid out it inspired all sorts if sonic creativity....

Nashville Flood

Last week Nashville saw its worst flood any residents had ever witnessed. After 18 inches of rain in just two days, the local rivers just couldn’t contain the massive amounts of water. I’m very thankful my home and family are safe, but many lost a great deal of priceless items and more than 20 people lost their lives as a result of the flooding. Though the damage to the music community’s items don’t come close to comparing to those who lost their homes and family members, many priceless instruments and an incredible amount of gear was lost during the flood.

Conversation with Jaebets

I sometimes receive questions about mixing, music, and audio; I do the best I can to answer these questions and help out other engineers and students. Jaebets Honore (pictured at bottom) is a young engineer in Montreal, Canada. He and I have been emailing sporadically. This blog posting is our stream of emails.

Jaebets works for IBM during the day, but at night, this multi-instrumentalist is working hard to make it in the music industry. He plays, records, and mixes gospel music, and studies at Musitechnic in Montreal. Like many from Montreal, his primary language is French, and his English is a little choppy, but his questions are very valid. This is an ongoing conversation: Remember.. read with French Accent!

Jaebets:

Hi

I’m a young musician and mixer from Montreal, somewhere in Canada, and

a fan of your work and want to learn from the best.

I listen a lot of your mixing and would like to know what is your

approach or how you dealing to mix a gospel song that you have to mix

from any one, other words, like the tye tribbett live album, or the

Israel one, did you take all the tracks from the live show or a lot of

the tracks are remake on studio...

and if you want to give something to encouragement me to never give

up... im here to learn...

thanks ...

Yosh:

Hi Jaebets,

The answer to the live recordings you are talking about is this:

They are usually a mixture of live tracks from the original recording and complimentary studio tracks that are recorded either before the live show or after.

For instance on Tye.. the drums, bass, many of the keys, guitars, lead vocals, and background vocals are from live.. But additional background vocals are rerecorded and blended with originals and certain lead vocals are repaired in the studio.. They also may have added more keyboard parts and guitars... There is no formula.. Just whatever needs to be bigger is made larger than life..

As far as encouragement ... If you love music there is no better way to enjoy it then by working in a studio.. So mix on my friend and have fun with it. Don't ever be too serious and miss the joy in the music!... And.. remember to take time to be with your family!

John

Jaebets:

Ya, i do read all your stuff, it wonderful!!! U a lucky guy to have

that chance to mix all those tracks and albums.

For my concern, the work on a good studio it so hard, or all the

studios are full of assistants, now i try to run some gospel and r&b

projects but the money running low and the quality of the singers are

poor in my entourage, they do not like to push themselves. but i know

God helps me.

How ever, more technical, I like the idea to blend the live with

studio, but after, that's mean you could finish with 40 tracks for the

vocals... WOW! but what are your favorite tools to make a good gospel live

sound, you use a neve console, api, plug ins and hardware?.... and the

reverbs? ..

ALSO, the presence of the PIANO!!!YES, WHY THE PIANOS ON ALL THE

GOSPEL TRACKS ARE THAT FAR IN THE MIX, AND I FEEL LIKE YO DO SOME

AUTOMATION TO LISTEN SOME MELODY NOTES...

AND FOR THE BRASS SECTION, EXAMPLE ON THE CLARK SISTER PROJECT, THE

BRASS SOUND COMPRESS TO THE MAX... AND ALL THE GOSPEL CD SOUND THE

SAME ON THAT POINT, IT IS THE CLIENT WHO ASK YOU TO MAKE IT SOUND LIKE

THAT... FOR A GOOD EXaMPLE : LIFT HIM UP FROM HEZEKIAH WALKER...

Yosh:

Didn't mix the Clark sisters cd.. just tracked it.. Not my work

How do the horns sound on Kirk Franklin? Or Check out the horns on the latest Ken Reynolds cd " One World/one God" (Integrity). You might like..

But yes sometimes the producers do want things overly compressed and sometimes there can be problems with mastering after it leaves me.

About the track count....after you record the vocals bounce them in stereo pairs .. Tenor, alto, soprano to make them more manageable ..

Anytime you can make decisions like that ...the easier it is to mix..

John

Jaebets:

Nice Drum mix on the Ken Reynolds project; compress to the max ...

like that... and brass sound a little bit more musical... like that...

but you didn't answered about the gear that you like to use to mix

vocals or instruments for gospel... and the piano have to be always on

the back ...

Yosh:

Gear is not that important.. I use what's available.. As far as pianos.. In today's gospel there are way too many elements competing for each other.. I love the piano to be up front but can't always have it.. If there is just b3, piano and guitar then of course the piano will be prominent ..if people would go back to the roots then piano would be paramount again.. You should start a new trend and go back to minimalist gospel.. And as far as horns and strings are concerned they should be used minimally on a CD 1 maybe 2 songs ... Go listen to "Oh Happy Day".. That's minimalism at it's best.. Your comments have nothing to do with mixing ..no disrespect .. What I mean is that the things that bother you about gospel mixes are the arrangements .. If one is going to use all those instruments there must be a sense of arrangement.. A good example of how to use all those instruments if one chooses to do so is by listening to any Sinatra tune.. Listen to how everything falls into place.. There are moments when instruments are featured.. And when the vocalist sings.. Nothing competes.. If you want a great mix find a way to blend a great Gospel song with a great arrangement and the mix will mix itself.

Jaebets:

wow this was good, u right... sorry for my misunderstanding, i forget

the arrangement part. like jazz big bands...

Just to clarify, the arranger is with you when you do the mix, right.

Sorry but i taught that we have to do the in and out of every

instrument that we want to be hear at a specific moment, like

movies...

I will do some good mix with the material that i have and tried to

push me more and listen more music ( i already listen on repeat

tracks). but my mix for now will never sound like yours... i have to

practice more and try to fine a good studio to accept me has an

assistant...

I like the example that you give me to pay attention; could you give

me some more... to learn...

thanks.

Jaebets:

Hi,

I did a arrangement for next week and i use the same approach that you

told me, and it's good, for it's so hard to influence people to be

that professional, but it's a good start for them.

Just like that, i read something about the LA-2A; that machine could

boost you sound about 40 DB!!! My question is : Did you use a lot of

compression on your mix?

Did you like hardware compression module or Computer like the Waves

plug ins? (I know that you told me you use what's available, but be

precise)

And give a example of somehing that you compress a lot and something

that you don't have a lot, and your point of view.

Yosh:

Bravo on trying to make the arrangement better..

About the LA - 2A. I doubt that it would boost your mix 40 db ... But it is a great compressor/ limiter.. Used mostly on vocals and bass.. There's a switch on the back that goes from compression to limiting.. I use it mostly on compression for tracking vocals.. It is very smooth.. Have never used two on the two mix, though..

As far as mixing in the box I use McDsp compressors and Mcdsp Filterbank eq's and some waves stuff including the SSL strips and two-mix compressor.

I also use some plug-ins from a company called PSP audio;

Vintage Warmer, and some of their other eq's and compressors

For efx... I use all the stuff from Sound toys.. Echboy, tremolator, filterfreak, etc...

Verbs... I rely on TLspace and Waves Rverb..

Hope this helps..

John

Jaebets:

this will help...

This week end i will rec a church service with the 003 plus and

externable device to have 16 inputs, I am limited but i told my self if

in the past people were able to record with a 4 tracks... i could do

it ... and i will do my best to make this sound good...

What that i learn from you, it's that's you trying stuff, you not

stuck to one plug ins, but you use everything that you could have in

the hand.

For now i will buy a APA32 from waves to run the RTAS from them and

also I have a UAD-1 from UA. And I like the sound of the Pultec on

drums and some instrument.

But the Best Plug ins made for me it's the Waves Plug ins, With the

Vintage and the SSL ( but I never tried the API but people said they

sound good.)

And also Im trying to Buy a TC Electronics M-One XL for the RVB and

Delay, for my live sound and Studio...

I think with all i got now i could do a good Job, and practice.

Jaebets:

BY THE WAY, WHEN YOU LISTEN SOME THING BEFORE YOU MIX WHAT DO YOU PAY

ATTENTION OF... THE CHEMISTRY AND WHAT ELSE...

AND I READ FOR THE BASS AND THE KICK, WE HAVE TO PUT A GATE ... HOW

WILL YOU DO IT?

THANKS FOR THE ATTENTION YOU GIVE ME.

Yosh:

I pay attention to the song and the vocal performance to see where it leads me.. Once I understand the structure I tear down the structure and build it back up.. Most times that means starting with drums and bass and making that foundation solid.... Then add the rest of the instruments.. But you have to put the vocal in soon after to make sure there is space for it..

Not a fan of gating bass.. Kik sometimes.. Depends on what you are going for.. You could use the SSL plugs for gating if you wanted to experiment.

John

Jaebets:

Now I’m working on a mix, and never satisfy with the sound but i have

waves plug ins ( V comp, SSL... ) I trying to make it sound good. My

question is:

how many hours you could put on a mix... To be satisfy, and when you

feel like you finish to mix that song.

Yosh:

As far as your question about how long to spend on a song..

To start it is best to try to do the initial mix as quickly as possible. I generally am able to get the basics of the mix together in 3 to 4 hours or faster.. Then I take a break and rest my ears and then dig into the details.. Usually my first mix instincts are the best and the rest is just "icing in the cake." if I spend too much time in the first part of the mix I could miss the whole point of the song..

The whole process should take 8 to 12 hours spread out over a day and a half.. But you have to know when to stop.. Sometimes it may only take a few hours..

Spring Mixer 2010

April 15^th is more than just tax day here in Nashville; it’s also the date for the AES sponsored annual event known as the Spring Mixer, a mixing competition for audio engineering students. The participating students will be given the multi-track for a professionally recorded song, a studio at MTV’s downtown Nashville facilities, and eight hours to mix the track. They’ll then anonymously submit their mix to a panel of industry professionals, volunteering their time to support these students by offering their critiques and advice, and by judging the competition.

This year the students will mix a song entitled “Wall” by the hip-hop artist Da’ T.R.U.T.H. from their Grammy nominated album Big Picture, originally mixed by John Jaszcz and produced by Freddy Washington Jr. They will be judged by a great lineup of judges: Chris Stevensn (Carrie Underwood, Matt Kearny), Otto Price (Natalie Grant, Barlow Girl), Ken Love (Switchfoot, Toby Keith), Brett Teegarden (Veggie Tales, DC Talk), and James Waddell (Vickie Winans, Donald Lawrence). A big thanks to all of these Nashville engineers for their time and holding the responsibility of awarding the coveted “Top Mixer” trophy for the school who’s representatives create the best mix.

Schools participating this year will include Belmont, MTSU, SAE Institute, International Academy of Design and Technology, and the Art Institute of Nashville. The goal of this competition is education. It is an invaluable experience for these students to work and be taught by some of Nashville’s finest engineers. Thank you to these recording schools for facilitating their student’s educations and allowing them to participate in the event.

You can go listen to the mixes and hear the judging at 7:00 p.m. after a 6:30 social. More information is available at http://www.aesnashville.org. It’s a great opportunity to support the engineering students of Nashville and is a great AES event.

Studio Monitor Controllers

Home studios are growing hugely in popularity. Smaller budgets for projects and far cheaper professional equipment are making the home studio more and more appealing for many engineers today. We do quite a bit of Yosh mixes at home. We wanted to talk about one important component of a studio: the monitor control section.

The monitor controller has a number of important jobs in a DAW based studio. It allows the engineer to control the volume at which he listens, select reference monitors, select inputs, provide talkback, cut the speakers, listen in mono, and (maybe most importantly) convert the audio to the analog realm.

An engineer’s ears are his greatest tools and he has to be able to trust what he hears. This is why engineers buy very high quality monitors and keep them around for years after they “get used” to them. It is also why high quality processing is key. A signal path is only as good as it’s weakest component. Here at French Beach Studio, we use the PreSonus Central Station. One of the main reasons for this choice is its completely passive circuitry. It provides a very clean signal path, allowing the listener to trust the mix being heard is the actual mix, not the mix through another box.

The Central Station also allows flexibility to use powered monitors, a power amp with passive monitors, a cue system …whatever the studio requirements are. We use their digital input and high quality converters to feed our powered Adam A7 monitors.

Before we get too carried away selling one particular unit, however, there is one issue with it. We have used the Central Station in many studios, including our own, and have been very pleased with it. Nevertheless, we recently purchased a second unit, and found the folks at PreSonus made a change. The “dim” feature, and single button to pad the output, now attenuates the monitors by a whopping 20dB, rendering it pretty useless. It’s very convenient to listen on dim and then press one button to listen loud for a while, and go back to the previous level, without moving the knob. With a 20dB attenuation though, there’s just no use for it. If you start at a reasonable volume it’s practically inaudible when engaged, or blasts your ears if you disengage it. It is a severe disappointment in the unit, and PreSonus was less than helpful with the issue.

When shopping for a control section, it’s important to find a product that you can trust to process your audio and has all the functionality and flexibility that you need in your studio. Thankfully, there are many great products available today. Besides the PreSonus we have, there is the ever popular Mackie Big Knob, JBL makes a handy little desktop model with built in “room mode correction technology,” and there are even really affordable models such as the Samson C-Control. Whatever you choose, the unit has to work for you and aid in how you work, have the right inputs and outputs, be easy to use, etc. We’re mostly happy with the PreSonus, except for the new one. It doesn’t adequately aid in how we mix music, in the workflow.

Nashville Recording Workshop and Expo

I had the distinct pleasure of attending the Nashville Recording Workshop and Expo hosted by the Audio Engineering Society last weekend at Belmont University. The two-day event featured panels, master classes, and demonstrations with some of the industry’s dominant professionals, and during any downtime between these events several companies and organizations were represented to exhibit their products.

NRW+E was kicked off in great fashion by renowned artist and producer Ben Folds. He delivered the keynote address; discussing the making of his new album he is just finishing now. From the recording techniques he and his engineer, Joe Costa, used for the strings, to his process for writing some of the songs, and struggles he had to complete his first major album without record label deadlines, Folds captivated the audience with humor and great insight.

From the moment the keynote ended, the cast of amazing music professionals began delivering information rich presentations. The list is too long to give credit to everyone deserving, but to name a few: Nathan Chapman (Taylor Swift, Jewel), Lynn Fuston (DC Talk, Michael W. Smith), Trina Shoemaker (Sheryl Crow, Iggy Pop), Mills Logan (Toby Keith, Rascal Flatts) Bob Bullock (George Strait, Reba) … I feel bad leaving so many out, but the list goes on.

The discussions covered a lot of ground. There were panels to discuss mixing, recording electric guitar, long distance collaboration, and developing a song in addition to several others. John Mayfield, well-known Nashville mastering engineer gave a master class on the basics of mastering. John Storyk, internationally known, New York based studio designer gave a presentation of practical acoustics. AES Nashville’s own Mike Poston gave a master class with Michael Fleming on home studio tech essentials.

Several retailers attended the NRW+E to exhibit their products and services as well as many manufacturers. AEA Microphones, Mackie, Endless Analog’s C.L.A.S.P., CAAB Audio, Whisper Room … Harrison, the legendary console manufacturer was there to demonstrate their audio editing and mixing software Mixbus. All in all there was a fairly decent turnout of exhibitors supporting the workshop.

For engineers it was a great opportunity to network with other professionals and catch little tips and tricks that may be of use. So often people in the same line of work don’t have the chance to talk with one another very often because they’re working at different places, but the benefit of seeing others work and hearing other’s viewpoints is undeniable. For students it was a huge learning experience. The wealth of knowledge represented was staggering and information was freely given.

I and the community owe the Audio Engineering Society Nashville Section a huge thank you and a round of applause for their highly successful second annual NRW+E. I would encourage you all to attend the 2011 edition. -Jon Blass

Recording Drums... a few tips.

The drum recording can make the mix a joy or a gigantic hassle. The drum kit is one of those key elements of a mix that really make great music shine, but it all starts with the recording. What mics, where are they placed, how does one get the amazing drum sound they’re after?

First of all, it doesn’t matter if it’s a live recording with audience, a PA, and far too loud floor wedges, or if it’s a studio recording in any of the best drum rooms in the world, the most important component of a great drum sound is the drummer. Get a good drummer! He’s got to feel the pocket and hit the drums the way only a true drummer can. Additionally, a good drummer knows his instrument; he knows how to tune the drums, how to play the right cymbals, how to hit the drums, and how to make the kit itself sound right. Without a good drummer, any of the following advice may help, but won’t get that sound your mind craves.

Let’s start at the bottom. The kick drum is crucial. Ask any two engineers what the right way to mic a kick drum is and you’re sure to get at least two different answers. I’ve miked a couple kits with Yosh and he is not one of those engineers with “one right way.” I’ve seen him use an RE-20, and MD-421, a Beta 52, an Audix A6… It really depends on the drum and on the style. It takes a good engineer to know the microphones, know how they’re going to respond, and know how the sound they pick up will translate in a mix. The Beta 52 is a really consistently good microphone inside a kick drum, however, and Yosh likes to use it, especially in coordination with the Yamaha Subkick. It gives nice support for the bottom.

Next in line: the snare. Usually double miked, one from the bottom and one from the top, the snare is another really crucial part of a recording. As such, usually the snare, along with the kick go through the choice pre’s the studio offers. Yosh sometimes even brings his own favorites, Neve 33114’s. These pre’s are from an old Neve broadcast console and really help punch out those elements of the kit. Typically the top snare mic is a SM57 or sometimes a good pencil condenser like a KM 84 that has a 10 dB pad and high SPL handling. Typically this would be angled in from under the hi-hat, keeping it as off axis to the hats as possible. The same mics make excellent choices for the bottom, angled in at the snares to get that sizzle.

Speaking of the hi-hat, Yosh often mics it with a small-diaphragm condenser, but not too close. He keeps it a good 3 inches, or so above the hat.

Toms are usually MD-421’s, a classic. Again, don’t put them too close, the tone of the drum needs a little space to develop, but we’ll typically put one of these on each rack tom, and then on the floor tom we put one above and one underneath the drum. This technique really allows the power of the floor tom’s lower end to come through and fully impact the sound of the kit. Make sure that the bottom mic on the snr and the floor tom are electrically out of phase by inserting the phase switch on the pre.

It’s important to remember when dealing with a drum kit that the kit itself is an instrument as a whole. Each drum is not treated as an instrument but as part of the one instrument. This is one of the reasons why the overhead mics are really an important part, and often a good place to start listening. Though overheads are used primarily for cymbals, it makes such a difference when the engineer is careful to make sure the whole kit sounds good through them. The overheads can help a tom drum sound full and big and can add the perfect ambience for the snare track.

The method Yosh uses for his overheads vary, once again, on the style, situation, and room. In a studio situation, he typically uses two large diaphragm condensers, one on either side of the kit, above the crash cymbals. Quite often he’ll keep these rather low and close to the cymbals. Of course, with this technique, take great care to make sure the microphone can handle the high SPL of being so close when the drummer feels inspired. Another problem that can arise if the engineer is not listening attentively is the whooshing noise of the air as the cymbal moves after being hit. Really good microphones such as U-87s make great selections. Another technique we sometimes use is the XY pattern over the drummer’s head. This is a bit more spacious and doesn’t always achieve the same stereo width, but is sometimes the right method for the situation. However, in a live situation, Yosh uses three condensers: left, right, and center. This allows him to bring them in rather close to the kit to achieve as much isolation from the live elements of the PA as possible without losing the center in the mix. This is done because sometimes vocals are fixed in the studio and by keeping the original vocal out of the overheads it it is easier to repair the vocal without the bleed.

Where to put the room mics completely depends on the room. We try to find a place in the room to put two microphones that will capture the sound of the room and add reality and great space to the kit. Often, Yosh will select a pair of good ribbon mics that respond smoothly and evenly.

Beyond that, it’s up to the creativity of the engineers to get the sound they’re looking for. Sometimes what’s needed is the sound of a 57 pointed at the glass and then run through the worst sounding guitar amp the studio can manage to find. Most importantly, use your ears. If it doesn’t sound good, don’t do it because you read it in a textbook or on a blog. Each day in each room with each kit is going to be so different that there is no one right way, the only right way is the way that sounds great.

This will be an ongoing discussion with some more interesting techniques to follow.

Tracking at Westlake

Best part about coming to LA are the restaurants. My favorite hang is Canter's! Not only for the food but for the Seinfield like atmosphere!

Only a mile from Westlake on Santa Monica, it certainly beats breakfast at the hotel..

Speaking of Westlake... They are still one of the best studios in LA.. Unlike some studios they stay up with the technology and make sure all their PT systems are up to date with the latest software.

Not only that, but they still have a fantastic mic selection.. Their Neuman M-149 turned out to be the best fit for our vocalist that Kurt Carr was producing.

I also had the opportunity to work in studio D, the room that "Thriller" was done in, recording the 11' Yahmaha.. Boy did that piano sing! Since there were several tracking sessions going on at the complex and the mic selection was running low I used two AKG C 414's running through a pair of Neve 1073's. Of course it didn't hurt that Kurt Carr played on one song and Michael Bereal on another!

After that we went on to record Kurt's background singers... Always a treat.. The room souned great using some Neumann U-67's .. but, because we do multiple passes and to avoid buliding up too much room we placed some baffles around the vocalists to minimize it.
All in all, it was a great session.

Yosh