Archive
Monthly Archives: April 2016
Monthly Archives: April 2016
How many times have you heard a cover band play Stevie Wonder’s seminal “Superstition” and think, “That doesn’t sound like the record.” One of the reasons why is because there’s more than one clavinet on the track, a fact that’s usually overlooked by the band. In fact, according to Bob Margouleff (who recorded and co-produced the […]
Continue readingI’ve always been a huge Who fan and just as big a fan of producer Glyn Johns work. This video is from an interview at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, November 19, 2012, and focuses on the recording of the seminal Who’s Next. What’s especially interesting is how many of the main parts in […]
Continue readingOne of the things about having your own studio is that you can do a project at your own pace. The problem there is that some artists never know when to declare a production finished and they end up with “the project that never ends,” literally spending years on it. Here’s an excerpt from the upcoming […]
Continue readingThe Beatles, and John Lennon in particular, loved to double track vocals but hated the act of doing it. Not only that, back in the 4 and 8 track days, the doubled vocal would take up a track that could have been used for another element of the production. That’s why Abbey Road chief engineer, […]
Continue readingNAB was pretty cool this year but one of the products that jumped out was the new Solid State Logic System T console. While this isn’t of direct interest to most of you in terms of a purchase, it’s worth knowing about since it’s stunning in both its looks and capabilities. The SSL System T […]
Continue readingThe Who’s “Baba O’Riley” is one of the most played tracks in the entire band’s catalog, to the point were just about every fan (and non-fan’s alike) know each note and part by heart. That’s why today’s isolated track is so cool. It strips away the arpeggiated synthesizer and, in some parts, the piano, to give you […]
Continue readingVinyl is all the rage again, but most people don’t understand just how chemical and mechanical the process really is. In this very quick video, you’ll see the electroplating process that goes into making the various stages of master, mother and stampers. That’s the messy part of the business, and the one that everyone hopes […]
Continue readingWhenever an engineer has trouble dialing in the EQ on a track, chances are its because of one or more of the 6 often-overlooked trouble frequencies. These are areas where too much or too little can cause your track to either stick out like a sore thumb, or disappear into the mix completely. Let’s take […]
Continue readingDoes the type of music we listen to provide clues to our personality? Empirically you’d say yes, but there’s a study that confirms that the music genre that we prefer goes a long way in outlining what we’re like in our daily lives. For better or worse, this is what the study found. Blues fans have […]
Continue readingIn an episode that you won’t want to miss, Producer/engineer/musician John Kurzweg is my guest on this week’s Inner Circle podcast. If you’ve listened to rock radio, you’re certainly familiar with John’s work, as he’s produced 12 #1 singles and another 8 top 10’s for bands like Creed, Puddle of Mud, Godsmack and many others. […]
Continue readingWe all love great room sounds and one of the most famous rooms ever recorded was on David Bowie’s “Heroes” by Tony Visconti. Visconti set up three microphones in the hall of Berlin’s Hansa Studios; the first for Bowie to sing directly into, a second positioned about 15 feet away and the third further back in […]
Continue readingThe band Toto has some of the most acclaimed studio musicians as members, which is why it’s always a pleasure to listen inside one of their songs. Today we’ll take a listen to the isolated drums, keyboards and horns from the Grammy-winning song “Rosanna.” This one’s a real treat! Here’s what to listen for: 1. […]
Continue readingIn what could become one of the more entertaining court battles in music history, Led Zeppelin is being sued for stealing parts of “Stairway To Heaven” from a song by the 60s band Spirit called “Taurus” more than 45 years after the song was written. The estate of Spirit guitarist and “Taurus” songwriter Randy California filed the lawsuit, […]
Continue readingI’ve received a lot of questions lately about my opinion on some very inexpensive vintage microphone clones. I love finding a great cheap mic as much as the next guy, but there are some things to watch out for before buying. I thought it might be helpful to repost the following from 3 or 4 […]
Continue readingThere are signs that Gibson’s move to diversify isn’t working out as planned. Moody’s Investor Service has downgraded Gibson Brands (formerly Gibson Guitar Corporation) credit to junk status, and according to reports, the company has put up two of its Nashville warehouses for sale as a result. Moody’s gave 3 reasons for the downgrade: 1. […]
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