GALA NYC Performance Series Debuting in May at Brooklyn Lyceum

GALA NYC, a unique performance series, will preview at the Brooklyn Lyceum for four concerts in May with a full season of twice-monthly shows to begin in September.

The first shows will take place on Saturday evenings at 8 PM on May 7, 14, 21 and 28, with tickets costing $15 in advance and $18 at the door. Tickets are available here.

Developed by the Juilliard-trained cellist and composer Mike Block, who has been described by Yo Yo Ma as “the ideal 21st century musician”, the concert series expands the musical conversation to create an artistically multi-lingual program that is intimate, immediate and interactive.

Drawing performers from a wide swath of musical styles and arts disciplines, GALA NYC serves as a platform for artists to collaborate and connect with one another, and with the audience, in a unique and spontaneous way.

“At the highest level, GALA NYC is about a personal interaction between the specific artists,” Mike Block says. “It’s not an academic exercise about how can we combine genres but a dialogue shaped by peoples’ individual backgrounds, responses and influences.

“I want to break down the barrier between audiences and performers so it becomes one creative community,” Block continues. “The audience can influence the direction the show takes.”

To open a more direct communication between musicians and concertgoers, the program will always include an improvisational element guided by audience members. In addition, Block will keep a blog during rehearsals that reveal collaborations in real-time and viewers can give their input on the music being created. As a result, responses to the concert preparations can actually influence the final performances.

The range of artists includes multiple Grammy winners and nominees, as well as other world-class musicians from diverse backgrounds. The concerts in May will feature Aaron Dugan, guitarist for the Top-40 band Matisyahu; and Classical Grammy nominees—Russian violin soloist Anastasia Khitruk, and the Enso String Quartet.

Among the other performers scheduled are: Aoife O’Donovan, vocalist for the Alt-Bluegrass band Crooked Still; Jay Foote, bassist for pop singer-songwriter Diane Birch; Mathias Kunzli, a percussionist for Lauryn Hill and Moby; Japanese folk and jazz flutist Kaoru Watanabe; Carmela Torchia & Chris Shiak Mathis (of the CxC StreetstyleContemporary Dancers); Syrian clarinetist Kinan Azmeh and his City Band; Kristin Andreassen, a folk singer-songwriter with Uncle Earl; and Shane Shanahan, a percussionist who performs regularly with Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble and for the Broadway show “Shrek.”

Martin Bisi: Producing Music from the Belly of the Brooklyn Beast

PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN: Despite its neighborly demeanor, it’s known that Park Slope has an industrial backbone. Step off the R train at the Union Street stop, walk a few blocks down, and suddenly you’re in something like no-man’s land. Welcome to BC Studio.

Martin Bisi will see you know. The administrator of this otherworldly recording warren since 1979, one of New York City’s most progressive music producer/engineers is steadily advancing his craft. Today he’s recording strictly when and with whom he chooses, a meditative phase for a man who’s discography includes many of music’s no-holds-barred risk takers: Brian Eno, Bill Laswell, Herbie Hancock, John Zorn, Afrika Bambaataa, The Golden Palominos, Sonic Youth, Iggy Pop, Cop Shoot Cop, Ginger Baker, Bootsy Collins, Swans, Alice Donut, Helmet, Cibo Matto. More.

Things continue to sound very interesting to Bisi, as is evident from his current projects. Experience the noxiously charged drag of Woman, the marching ska punk of The Stumblebum Brass Band, and the huge drums he recorded for Boston epic experimentalist rockers Face of the Sun. Or why not check out the man himself? He records plenty of his own tense, heady music with guest stars like the Dresden Dolls’ Brian Viglione.

Explore the massive live spaces of his studio – the inner walls of some chambers date back to the 1840’s birth of this former warehouse – then sit down with him, the glowing controls of his early 1970′s MCI board close at hand. And buckle your seat belts, because when the topic is music, Martin Bisi’s mind moves fast.

You seem to have an uncomplicated philosophy about recording.
What I say is, “Ears over gear.” What that means is that I use ears as the guide and the actual tool. I’ve found that for either beginning engineers, or engineers that aren’t very good, the actual issue isn’t skill so much – the issue is hearing.

Seeing what I do versus what other people do, that’s really the way I’ve begun to understand it more. It’s hard for me to explain to you what role the board has versus the electronics of the tape machine, or the monitoring, or the carpeting in the room. Until you actually start comparing variables back to back, you don’t really know.

For instance, I’m afraid of changing the color scheme in here. Because God forbid I do and something’s off, and I can’t think in the same way. That goes for a lot of things in music: engineering, production, bands in general. You don’t understand the chemistry that’s there. People come here, get a certain result with me, and they think they know why – maybe it’s me, the gear, or something else.

Then they try it in a different context and – surprise! – it’s different and they don’t know why. People may say then that there’s a problem with the other engineer on their project, so I’ll talk to that engineer and I find out they don’t think there’s a problem. That’s the problem. Because if the engineer thought there was an issue with the gear or the converters, he’d do everything it takes to fix it.

When I think I know what the problem is, I just start trying shit to fix it – the qualities of the gear don’t have to dictate the results. So that’s why I say “ears over gear”. It’s about having a sonic vision in mind. If that sonic vision isn’t there, you’re kind of lost a little. Within that, however, a reference point is important. That’s why I’ve kept NS10’s since the 80′s in addition to other monitors, and I’m generally afraid of changing monitors. Something has to be an absolute.

Sometimes I kind of have a sonic vision, and I just start trying different things. I move the mic a little bit, and I’m constantly surprised at how it sounds. It’s a big room here, there’s 300 places you can put an amp, and so far I’m only up to #200. When I’m mixing, people will say, “What are you doing?” and I’ll say, “I’m just fishing around.” I’ll try a hundred things in three minutes. Sometimes I know what I’m looking for, sometimes I don’t – I just know when something starts clicking for me.

For example, I don’t say, “Everyone who records here will get the same drum sound!” although my ears obviously often take me to a point that I like, and sometimes I get similar results. Ironically, I’m actually not proud of the fact that there’s a signature drum sound that I get, but you can hear it on projects like Face of the Sun.

But if musicians have a distinctive sound, doesn’t it make sense that engineers and producers would as well?
Naturally, we’d all like to be specialists AND jacks-of-all-trades. But that’s not how things work. To quote Dirty Harry, “A man’s got to know his limitations.”

Actually, I think a lot of professionals realize that they start working well in a niche, a specialty. I think there’s a lot of things I can do, but the places I’m going to shine and add something a little indispensable are in small niches. I’ve discovered that I’m not that exceptional with quiet music – not that I like it or dislike it. And some of these things take decades to understand the chemistry of what’s going on – you spend your whole life trying to understand why that is.

What’s a recent example of how your own approach shows up in the music that you work on?
How I affect the sensibility can be heard in my work with the band Face of the Sun. The drum sounds do sound like me – a vibe, a social thing, happens there. The guitarist and drummer came from Boston, and they wanted to work with me, and maybe there was a same-page situation thing happening. We got tuned into a sort of sound, and maybe that informed the overall quality of the project a little bit.

It’s another example of how it’s hard to know why things turn out the way that they do, but it’s definitely not just the gear. I roll my eyes when people say, “I want to record on your MCI board to get the Philly sound.” Forget it! It’s surprising to me that people think that if you work on certain gear, you’ll get a certain sound. It also comes down to the musicians: Jimi Hendrix always sounded like Jimi Hendrix. He was famous for taking guitars off the rack in music stores and sounding 100% like himself on instruments he’d never touched before.

Your collaborations include some of the most eclectic, pioneering and successful names in modern Western music: Brian Eno, Bill Laswell, Herbie Hancock, to name a few. How did you get on the same page with these hard-to-classify pioneers?
I think that musically, I’m not a purist – that’s a very common thread between me and those names you just mentioned. It’s a big deal: There’s really a big separation between purists and non-purists.

I’m very much in the Sgt. Pepper tradition. The recording is a piece of art, and the engineer should screw around and experiment in the studio. So I generally tend not to do projects, or draw projects to me, that involve a lot of just capturing a performance. That to me sounds average.

There’s a big difference between me and Steve Albini. He has an attitude that’s almost like jazz: He feels an engineer is there to capture a performance – that a band has a sound, and an engineer should be transparent almost. In his case, I feel it’s a little disingenuous, because his stuff does have a sonic signature. The project goes a certain way just because of his presence. I could even go in to work with Steve Albini and come out sounding like Jesus Lizard!

I tend to draw people who want me to massage a certain something into the music when I’m mixing. It’s funny because it sounds so normal to you and me that you would want that from an engineer. But I mentioned Steve Albini, because there’s a lot of people who don’t want that. That cuts out half of the people who might be interested in working with me.

So what projects wind up having a mutual attraction for you?

I’ve said that a producer should be a little trendy. For better or worse, I respond to trends, and I’ll be like, “We can’t have this project associated with this other thing.” Let’s say it’s hard indie rock, I’ll say, “Whatever we do, it can’t sound like metal.” Then I’ll do whatever it takes, like I’ll distort the vocals, so it won’t sound like metal.

When I start a project I’ll say, “What does it sound like? What are we going for?” If it’s indie rock, I go out of my way to make sure that’s what’s conveyed. A lot of people I work with have the same outlook, they just may not say it as shamelessly as I do. People are sometimes more caught up in scenes than they care to admit.

A lot of what I’ve worked on is connected with a social happening. I’m down with that. Laswell is smart enough to understand that social energy is important in the music. It causes people to say, “We’re angry about this music. We hate pop music, so we do everything we can to undermine it. We’re going to be lo-fi because we hate hi fi.” That’s good creative fodder.

Not to have a chip on my shoulder, but why I got into music is social happenings. Social trends. A lot of that was informed by the 60’s. I grew up in the ‘60’s – I was informed by the time and the music. I’m more enamored with “punk” than with punk music. I respond to the message. I think that spirit is what ties me into people for really effective collaborations.

In your opinion, what does a music producer do? That’s another topic I know you have distinct ideas on.
Process is a big part of it. One thing I say to all kinds of creative people is that an artist is only as good as their process. Without a good process, what the hell will come out?

Process involves understanding creativity as a sort of opportunism: Something presents itself, and I better jump on it, rather than fishing around. I think creativity requires a certain amount of subconscious screwing around. It’s good that I don’t know what this will lead to — that allows me to make mistakes, go up wrong alleys, and then a part of that is me jumping on opportunities. And a part of that is respecting the time-and-budget policeman. That’s why process is a good thing for a producer to have.

The other reason a producer is important is in the context of a recording studio. An artist might be used to their process, but here, for example, there is no audience:  Part of what’s compelling about the performance is missing in the studio. So the producer’s processes help make the most of the recording time.

Another place where a producer is important as a creative component is mixing. A musician is used to playing on a stage, and managing their levels, or arranging. It’s very different being in a room and having all the amps and instruments coming from different points. Try cramming that into two speakers, where things are on top of each other. Try having a snare drum on top of a vocal, all things coming from the same point. Maybe you can do a little panning, but that’s it.

So in terms of arrangement, I think arranging for a recording is quite different from arranging for live. Live, things come from different points: A drummer might wail, but a vocalist is over there, so imagine putting the vocalist right over the snare drum: When you’re mixing, that’s what you gotta do. And to do that takes years, and hundreds of hours of engineering, to get right.

I get the impression from some of the things you’ve said and done – like the videos on your site where you took your prized records off the wall in 2008 – that you’re interested in consciously evolving.

That’s really very true with me. I tend to jump ship a lot. I’ll say, “I’m sick of the attitudes of people who do free jazz. I’m sick of indie rock attitudes.” That happened. So I say, “I’m going industrial.” After five years of certain attitudes, I just get sick of it. I can only function if I’m reasonably happy on a day-to-day level. So having an agenda, or doing things for too much of a long range, careerist attitude – it doesn’t work well for me.

So it’s about the scene, and the right people with the right spirit and the right kind of energy – I’m drawn to that like a fly to shit. I’ve had a good social instinct, and I’ve been in the right place. I’m not sure if that would apply in Kansas, but it’s part of what’s good in NYC. Here’s there’s a lot happening. Overlapping. Big turnover. Things move fast. NYC is definitely a destination that people are drawn to.

You’ve been a prolific member of the NYC recording scene for a long time – working out of the same Brooklyn studio since 1979 – how would you describe the current condition of the music scene?
I’m generally quite happy with the way things are in Brooklyn. I am of the scene and the scene is of me. I’ve come to appreciate it from touring. There’s a lot more boring music out there – I’m surprised how much more straight and boring things can be in a lot of towns. You can make weird music anywhere, so why aren’t they?

Right now in Brooklyn, if you want to get a leg up: Be weird. Be twisted. That’s at a higher premium, and I’m all for it.

– David Weiss

Work it Brooklyn and Women In Music Present “Industry Focus: Music”, 4/20, in Greenpoint

Women In Music (WIM) has teamed with Work It Brooklyn (WIB), a progressive event-based networking organization formed to present “Industry Focus: Music.” The networking/panel event will take place Wednesday, April 20th, 7-10 PM at Coco 66, in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. (RSVP required, see below).

This panel and networking event, geared towards D-I-Y independent musicians and artists, features a panel of experienced music industry professionals eager to share their knowledge and insight as well as answer audience questions.

In addition, a select group of local industry VIPs will be in the crowd and ready to network with participants during the mingling slots of the evening.

PANELISTS:

• Jeff Price, CEO/Founder/President, Tunecore
• Liz Leahy, CEO/Co-Founder, Section 101
• Michael Corcoran, President, MusicSUBMIT
• Ben Markowitz, Product Experience Manager, Fanbridge
• Jayce Varden, Director/Co-Founder, Pledgemusic.com
• Shamita Carriman Esq. (moderator), Carriman Law Group,  Women In Music

THE EVENING:

• 7:00-7:15pm Check in and Mingling
• 7:15-7:40pm Speed Networking
• 7:45-9:00pm Panel Discussion and Q&A
• 9:00-10:00pm Mix, Mingle, and Demo Exchange

SPEED NETWORKING: Musical-chairs-meets-speed-dating: attendees get to meet and speak through this time-sensitive activity.

DEMO EXCHANGE: Attendees are encouraged to bring CDs to swap with other musicians, VIPs, or anyone else they encounter. There will also be a table where people can put their CDs, as well as collect those of other attendees.

Full Coordinates:
Wednesday, April 20th, 7-10 PM
Coco 66, Greenpoint Brooklyn.
$5.00@ the door, space provided. Free for Women In Music Members who enter the special code.
RSVP is encouraged as space is limited. To RSVP, visit: www.bitly.com/wimdiy

Studio Sweet Spot: Luminous Velocity Productions

Do you have tunnel vision, or are you constantly expanding your media universe? In East Flatbush, many disciplines are in action at Luminous Velocity, a nonstop melting pot of music and vision.

Facility Name: Luminous Velocity Productions

Website: www.luminousvelocity.net

Location: East Flatbush, Brooklyn

Neighborhood Advantages:
East Flatbush is in the heart of Caribbean Culture here in NYC. The West Indian Day Parade is held annually here. We’re close to the 4 and 3 Train, and Bus Access is even closer. There’s a great variety of Caribbean food within a short walk away, and there are lots of good down-to-earth people from all walks of life.

Date of Birth: Luminous Velocity’s Studio started in the summer of 2007. We’ve grown in leaps and bounds to our present state since then.

Facility Focus: Where we shine is putting it all together, and delivering on what our clients need. Our studio handles Audio Production, Mixing/ Remixing (on-site/ remote), Composition, Mastering (Analog/Digital), and Visual Arts (3D, Video Editing, Motion/Print/Web graphics).

Mission Statement: Our mission is “Maintaining the Speed of Thought”. We work every day to create unique content, and bring the ideas of our clients and crew into reality.  Simply put, our mantra is “make stuff real”.

Clients/Credits:
Real to Myself Project (Ari Up, Anna Ozawa, Rhiannon of Subatomic Sound System) –  Recording, Production, Drum Programming, Mixing, Mastering
LaGuardia Community College /Journey To Success — DVD Production
Hezekiah Walker — Recording, Mixing
X-Calibur / “Not a Club Song” — Production, Mixing Mastering
Tommy Tunes — Dance Mixes, Training
Dijay – Hood Divas -Deck Entertainment — Recording and Mixing for No Limit Artist Rick Flair – 20 Bricks
Denver Smith — Production & Drum Programming
3X Entertainment -Fire & Brimstone Project — Production, Recording, Mixing, Mastering
Aswad Kefentse — Production, Recording, Mixing
Deuce Fever — Production, Mixing, Mastering
Full Deck Entertainment/Bounty Hunters — Production, Mixing, Mastering
DJ Dino Mileta — Recording,Arrangement, and Mixing
Akhil aka Ambition – Major – JD Mac & Lyricosiz — Production, Recording, Mastering
Hefnaz Productions — Mastering
Soul Degrees Dubplate Project — Remastering
Legal Hustle Entertainment — Production, Recording, Mixing
Rolling Big Entertainment — Production, Remixing, Programming, Mastering
Tomkevich Studios — Custom Studio Acoustic Treatment
CC Cowan — Production, Drum Programming, Mixing
Our Children’s Foundation — Custom Studio Construction
Drama Desk Awards — A/V Setup & Engineering
TSA Records — Recording, Mixing, Artist Development
many more….

Key Personnel:

Asukaya Bailey (Kaya) – CEO/ Founder
Edward Jackson (Cott)– VP/Audio Production Director
Jorge Alexander Cifuentes – Art Director/ Packaging Designer
Jason Calderone – CG Director/ Lead 3D Artist
Isa Ramadan Shaaf – A/V Director, Producer, and IT Guru
Einstein Charles – Audio Producer & Musical Genius
Alana Conway – Marketing Supervisor

System Highlights:
PC Side:
•    Luminous Velocity Custom Built Intel Quad-core PC (XP/Win7) • RME Digi96/52 Adat Lightpipe Soundcard • Wacom 8.5 x 11 Tablet
• Tascam SX-1LE  Mixing Console • Event 20/20 BAS Monitors (pair) • Event Tuned Reference 5 monitors (pair) • dbx 586 Dual Vacuum Tube Preamp •  Native Instruments Maschine

Mac Side:
•    Macbook Pro • Digidesign MBox 2 • Yamaha HS50 Monitors (pair) • Native Instruments Maschine • Akai MPK-25 Midi Controller • Behringer Tube Ultragain (Vintage Series) • Alesis Midiverb 4 • Dbx PD48 Patch Bay

Modules and Keyboards:

• Yamaha Stage Piano • Akai MPC 2000 • Korg Poly61 Vintage Analog Synthesizer (Pre-Midi) • Roland Fantom 61 • Alesis QSR Rack • Korg Triton Rack with Sampler • E-Mu MP-7

DJ Station & Other Gear:

• 2 Technics SL1200 MKII Direct Drive Turntable (Silver/Black) • Vestax PMC 17A-  3Channel turntable mixer • Behringer Eurorack UB1204FX-Pro( 8 Channel Mixer) • Behringer Eurorack MX 1604A • Athena 8 Bay DVD Duplicator ver 1.35 • ART Tube Pac (Professional Tube Amplifier/Compressor)

Audio Software:

• Digidesign Pro-Tools 8 LE • Steinberg Nuendo 3.4/4.3 • Logic Studio 9 • Ableton Live Suite 8.13 • Propellerhead Record 1.5
• Propellerhead Reason 4/5• Image Line FL Studio XXL 8 • Native Instrument Komplete 7 • Native Instruments Maschine x2
• and a host of other software instruments and plugins

Graphics and Video Software:

• Autodesk 3D studio Max 2009-2011 • Autodesk Maya 2009 • Autodesk Autocad 2009 • Adobe Master Collection CS4 & CS5
• (Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign, Flash, Dreamweaver, Premiere, After Effects) •    Apple Final Cut Studio ( Final Cut, Motion, Sountdtrack) • Corel Painter XI •    Autodesk Combustion 2008 • Pixologic Zbrush 4.0 • and other design and visualization software

Distinguishing Characteristics: We provide a quiet and stable environment, sizeable recording booth, great atmosphere, and wealth of knowledge to each person that graces our facility. Our best features are based as much on our people, as they are on our equipment. Our crew & setup is extremely flexible and personable. A big part of what we do is working intelligently to give each client the necessary personnel, tools, and time to get their vision/sound just right.

The building is on fire, you only have time to grab ONE thing to save, what is it?
Our 1859 Scoffield Bible – and other rare books. Hopefully some HD drives. We’d like to get as much out as two hands can carry.

Rave Reviews: People love the atmosphere, sense of humor, and above all else the sound. One person called us “MIB” (Men In Black), as they would never know that there are so many tools, toys and treasures hidden in a small unassuming building in Brooklyn.

Most Memorable Session Ever: Two sessions over this past year come to mind. The first was an impromptu session in April with Rhiannon Erbach (Subatomic Sound), Anna Ozawa(an incredibly talented vocalist/ instrumentalist from Japan), and the late Great Ari Up (R.I.P) of the Slits on Bass.

The second most memorable session was with Reggae Artist Aswad Kefentse, Shabu Bak Men Floyd & Aquah Tcherbu Beale (two classical African Percussionists from Sheps Hetep Ancestral Music), Andy Bassford (great guitarist who’s played for the Legendary Jamaican Producer Coxsone Dodd, Shaggy, and others) and Larry McDonald telling us about the good old days of recording using Stones from the Flinstones Rock Quarry. Good times…

Session You’d Like to Forget:
A few sessions have taught us to do smarter business, and to respect our craft.

Dream Session: Cott’s Dream would have been working with Michael Jackson, Portishead, Barrington Levy, Dennis Brown, Black Uhuru, Hughby Banks and the esteemed Edward Jackson senior.

Kaya’s dream session would be Burning Spear, U2, Jimi Hendrix, Ras Michael and The Sons of Negus, Augustus Pablo, The Abbyssinians, Yoko Kanno, Pink Floyd, and Muddy Waters.

For Einstein’s dream session he would like to work with Will.i.am, Timbaland, Machel Montano, Lord Kitchener, Jr. Gong, & Usher.

– Asukaya Bailey (Kaya), CEO/ Founder of Luminous Velocity

Geeking OUT to Melodyne and Roland Space Echo with Jamin Gilbert of ishlab Music

DUMBO, BROOKLYN: On the 6th floor of 10 Jay Street in DUMBO, a hub for multiple businesses in the creative industries, you’ll find an inviting gem at ishlab music, a professional yet relaxed music studio and music licensing company that has embraced the truly diverse and eccletic arrays of music on the NY scene since it first opened its doors in 2001 to be a springboard for soul, funk, electronica, jazz, rock, drum & bass, classical, hip hop, world music, and so much more.

We recently caught up with ishlab’s President and CEO Jamin (pronounced with a long a) Gilbert to learn about what he’s been geeking OUT to at ishlab, past and present, and future of course!

Career Inspiration:
“Passion and fascination with music, ideas, problem solving, working with people, the creative process, building things, and the power of music as an instrument of change.”

Geeking OUT Back in the Day:
“It all began with good ol’ fashioned instruments, my papa’s drum kit, and my mom’s piano.  Then in ’92 I was enraptured by the Tech 12 direct drive turntable, and four track tape recorder combo; perfecting musical collages and DJ mixes was a laborious task compared to the tech today (and it was only eighteen years ago!).  In ’96, the Boss Dr. Sample, Roland DJ 2000, and Alesis ADAT brought a whole new world of possibilities. I could sample with the Dr. Sample, add effects with the DJ 2000, and record up to sixteen tracks on the ADAT. I could make real songs!

“Then in ’98 I got a Mac computer, Digital Performer recording and sequencing software, a Emu 5000 sampler, MIDI controller keyboard and a JP8000 synth. I spent nearly all my free time making music. All of the creative possibilities became so fascinating that I opened a full on recording studio, ishlab, in 2000. A creative home  where all could express their creative genius and geek out to the max.”

Geeking OUT in 2011:
“On the DJ tip, software like Serato and Traktor are getting better and better — my back is especially thankful, no more crate carrying — and it opens up DJing to almost anyone.

“On the production side, I’m amazed by the Melodyne isolating and tuning software, and the capabilities of the compact and robust NeKo and MiKo production stations. There are more companies creating software/hardware combos which provide so much functionality without the price of buying each facet individually. This is beneficial to anyone wanting to do a lot in a small space, or a lot with a small budget. I still love the classic vintage stuff though, like the Roland Space Echo, that’s a popular one at ishlab.

“And nothing has replaced the sound of analog instruments, amps and processors. The digital stuff is great, but I find recordings that mix analog and acoustic elements with digital to be the most compelling, interesting and undeniable.  I also find that technology can make one lose focus on the basics of texture, color, timbre, etc; it’s important to keep the basics in mind – you can accomplish a lot with a little old technology. The concepts will always be the same.  We’ve been having a blast with vintage synths – totally geeking out on synth layered with live guitar or bass or strings. And programmed drums layered with live drums – the energy of the live kit coupled with the definition of the programmed sounds is sick.”

The Here & Now & What’s NEXT:
“We’re launching our retail business background music styling/music curation service with some really talented and acclaimed DJs. We’re also expanding our multimedia music licensing services — indy and artists and labels can contact us as ishtracks@ishlab.com. A few recent notable placements include music licenses for ten reality TV shows, Production Glue and Huge. On the Ishlab artist production side, Betty Black, Leo Coltrane and Marc Griffin are slated for a few releases this year – they are sounding amazing.”

Words by Shamita Carriman – Entertainment lawyer, founder/ managing partner of Carriman Law Group PLLC, Board of Directors of Women In Music, and music tech enthusiast. She can be contacted at info@carrimanlawgroup.com.

Return of the Nomad Engineer II: The Top NYC Studios of Freelancer Ari Raskin, Part II

CHELSEA, MANHATTAN: Last week, in-demand NYC freelance engineer Ari Raskin (Whitney Houston, Wyclef Jean, Meshell N’Degeocello, Black Eyed Peas, Kanye West, J.Dilla and Illa J — Yancey Boys, and Justin Timberlake) let us in on five of his top studios in the city. Now, he clues us in to four more local options for capturing supreme sound.

Rough Magic Studios; Greenpoint, BKLYN

Every once in a while someone convinces me to step outside my usual 1-mile radius and travel into Brooklyn to do a session here.  It’s a couple of nice rehearsal spaces/live rooms combined with a couple of real chill control rooms.  It’s run by the musicians who rent the space, and it has a much different vibe than a typical studio.

They don’t seem to be interested in making big profits; it’s more just a spot to get some vocals tracked, or jam and record your band for not a ton of money and without having to leave Brooklyn. Fun vibe there.

Recently I did sessions there for Chapter 2, The Fyre Dept, and  Pharoahe Monch featuring Jean Grae. It’s good for writing, overdubs, small bands and Greenpoint/Williamsburg-based artists.

Avatar Studios A, B, C; Hell’s Kitchen
I would assume most readers already know about this place (and most of these places I’ve mentioned).  It’s one of only a few studios actually still capable of everything that would have been normal 10 or 20 years ago.  If you want to use 2″, it won’t be a disaster (it will be almost everywhere else in the city).  Big board mixes with lots of gear – not an issue.  Huge tracking sessions with 15 tube mics and 10 private cues – happens regularly.

The assistants are probably better engineers technically than 95% of the music engineers working in NYC.  They own almost every classic piece of gear, multiples of most, AND working properly.  They have a large VR in Studio C, not easy to come by lately — no one cares anymore but me! I like Neve VR’s, they have balls. Back in the 90′s, when albums sounded good, a lot of stuff was mixed on VR’s.  Their vintage Neve in Studio A works quite well for its age. And the main plus — the live rooms in A, B, and C are all incredible-sounding.

My recent sessions there include Erin Barra, Rich Hil. I recommend it for rock bands, jazz bands, scoring and orchestral sessions, overdubs of instruments or vocals — anything you’d want tube mics, Neve pres, and a serious live room for. In other words, for when making an enjoyable-sounding record is the goal.

MSR Studios, Studio A; Times Square
This is another real well-known room. MSR is the only studio I can think of left in NYC that’s actually capable of EVERYTHING. Remember when it was a standard for every major studio to have 2 Blackface 1176′s, 2 LA-2A’s, a DMX, an RMX, a plate, a 165, a pair of 160vu’s, a 480L, an SPX 90…? This is the only place I know of that still has these tools as well also having top notch monitoring and comfortable control rooms.

Some studios have gear but don’t have comfort, or good room tuning. Other studios have comfort but the gear is minimal. MSR actually has everything, and a good staff to set it up properly.  The mic collection is huge too. They have A827′s. Studio A’s live room is huge with lots of isos and nice high ceilings, and the piano is no joke either.  The control room sounds great too. Studio C’s control room mains are BANGIN’, and the lounge in Studio C is probably the nicest lounge in NYC — not the first consideration, but it reminds me of the level of service you’d get at Hit Factory or Sony back before they closed.

My recent sessions there include Claude Kelly, Wyclef Jean, Dayme. Recommended for pretty much anyone and everyone, from rock or jazz bands to songwriters to mixers, to film crews. Though for those who don’t want to, or can’t, spend the money to make a record “the right way” or just don’t need anything so extravagant – MSR might not be the first choice.

Robin Thicke‘s temporary home studio; SoHo

Last fall Robin’s manager called me saying Robin was going to be in New York for a few weeks and wanted me to track instruments and vocals at a loft apartment he was renting at the time.  Between Robin, his producer ProJay and myself, we put together a list of stuff we needed and gave it to Jim Flynn (they also were wise enough to throw in some forgotten necessities).

Robin wanted to write and get ideas, but of course a bunch of what we’d record would end up being final, and Robin likes to do things right (as long as it’s quick). He understands the importance of good gear, so we rented four 1073′s, a CL 1B, an ELAM, an HD-3 rig, a Big Knob, another headphone amp, a few pairs of 7506′s, a Motif xs8, some DI’s, and me and ProJay brought in some of our own mics and other gear.

The apartment was one of those huge SoHo lofts with high ceilings, so it was quite ambient, which Robin was cool with and wanted all over the recording.  This idea of putting a temporary but pro studio together worked out well, saved money in comparison to booking an equivalent studio, and it allowed the artist to literally roll out of bed, tell me to hit record, and kick me out 16 hours later when he was ready to go to sleep.

The vibe of the sessions was good too; we recorded all types of songs, all types of instruments, and never touched Autotune.  It was a great idea looking back on it, and I figured I should bring it up for this article as it’s just another example of being a traveling freelance engineer.

You can find Ari Raskin at REThuggz.com and AmIaGoodSinger.com.

Fat Beats Will Launch Monthly Pop-Up Shop This Saturday, March 5, in DUMBO

Fat Beats Records will be opening the doors of their Warehouse, located at 110 Bridge Street in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn, from 12:00pm to 8:00pm this Saturday, March 5th for the first of what will be a monthly Pop-Up Shop record store and music celebration.

DJ Spinna, DJ Evil Dee, and Rich Medina will make in-store appearances at the pop-up shop, in addition to a number of surprise guests throughout the day. Recreated to capture the atmosphere of the original retail stores, the event is intended to give hip-hop fans an opportunity to come together, celebrate, and support independent hip-hop once again.

In September, 2010, Fat Beats Records closed the doors of its final two retail locations in New York and Los Angeles. With the monthly pop-up shop, Fat Beats Records founder Joe Abajian aka DJ Jab notes, “With Fat Beats Brooklyn I wanted to give people the physical hip-hop experience that you got when visiting one of the Fat Beats stores.”

For more info, visit http://bit.ly/fmsTym.

Psyched on Sonics: Recording a Full TV Commercial Score In One Day — Without a Studio

Every month, Matt McCorkle of EqualSonics.com brings you a day in the life of a New York City recording engineer.

The Mission: Recording a song for a TV commercial in a Brooklyn apartment

Producer and multi-instrumentalist Michael T contacted me about recording and mixing a song called “Snow Falls in Brooklyn” for a television commercial. Michael T does song commissions for just about anything. Give him a topic, genre, theme, or a melody and he’ll craft a song for your purpose.

With most submissions for television or advertisements, one is given a rough guideline of what the company wants from the song (a particular tempo range, genre, style, feel and instrumentation). An example of a request is as follows: “Beat must be mid-tempo between 100-110BPM with a driving chorus and relaxed verses. Lyrics should be clean, but with high energy and clarity. Lyrics should refer to “having a good time” and “living life to the fullest.”  Then a few reference songs are provided in the style of how they would like their finished product.

When Michael T does a TV commission, one thing is of utter importance: turn-around time. We had one day to record, edit and mix this track before submitting it for television play the following week.

Listen to the master mix of “Snow Falls in Brooklyn” to hear where all this is going:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

The Location

The spot at which this production took place was at a mutual friend, Kalen‘s apartment in Brooklyn. She too is a multi-instrumentalist, who just happens to have about every possible instrument in her apartment, how perfect! Bass, keys, guitar, djembe, xylophone, marimba, glockenspiel, shakers and various auxiliary percussion.

The apartment is located in a relatively quiet neighborhood of Brooklyn, with little traffic outside in the street. This was a crucial factor in picking a location to do this production. When recording on location most places will not be 100% soundproof — I’ll be lucky to get an apartment that is 50% soundproof.

This particular apartment was secluded in the back of the building on the second floor. That’s great because recording from the back of the building dramatically reduces any noise from cars or people in the street, while being on the second floor reduces any low-end frequencies creeping up from the nearby subway tracks. The location was “sound,” so to speak, in the sense that it was as soundless as possible.

The Arrival

Once at the apartment I laid my gear down and took a brief walk around, moving to and from each room listening for any noise that would be detrimental to a recording. I am particularly interested in listening for AC noise, gas pipes, computer fan noise and birds chirping or dogs barking. Since this is New York City after all, I was listening for the possibility of rats clawing in the wall, fighting neighbors or other musical neighbors. All of these factors could suddenly ruin that “golden take.” It is essential to have a preliminary listen of the rooms to reduce the chances of such a horrible catastrophe.

Michael T and I began to examine the instruments that were so kindly lent to our use. We played different acoustic instruments in different rooms to get a feel of how each interacted with that particular room. After I had mapped out a game plan of where I wanted to record certain instrumentations, I went to start my setup of Equal Sonics Mobile.

The Digital Setup

The setup of Equal Sonics Mobile takes approximately 20 minutes. I start by unpacking and laying all of the equipment out within hand’s reach. This makes it easy to see and grab the equipment as I need it, in addition to augmenting and changing the rig quickly throughout the session, depending on any particular task.

WARNING! This section of the article gets technical. If you are not ready, uninterested, afraid of or become nauseated by reading excessive nerd talk, I recommend that you skip ahead to the “Time Is Ticking – Let’s Begin The Tracking!” section of this article a few paragraphs down.

Optics

Equal Sonics Mobile is based around ADAT (44.1/48 kHz) and S/MUX (88.2/96 kHz) optical protocol. I find ADAT and S/MUX to be a great protocol for this type of setup. The cables are lightweight, easy to break down and store, inexpensive and easy to find at various retail outlets. This system allows for total control over monitoring levels, individual artist cue mixes, and any other mixes that might be necessary, such as a video camera feed.

All of these optical connections are fed to an RME Digiface which inputs ADAT and outputs ADAT in groups of 8 channels at a time, when operating at 44.1 kHz sample rate. The RME Digiface is then fed to an RME HDSPe ExpressCard, fitted into a MacBook Pro ExpressCard slot, which allows for the transfer of these channels in and out of Pro Tools.

I begin by connecting the optical cables from the analog to digital converters optical outputs to the optical input sections of the RME Digiface. These connections are made to input my digitally converted pre-amp signals into Pro Tools. After the inputs are taken care of, I must connect another set of optical cables from the output sections of the RME Digiface to the digital-to-analog (D/A) converters. The D/A converters are for monitoring purposes, so that I’m able to provide myself with a control room and headphone mix, as well as providing personalized mixes for each artist, with a HearBack cue system.

Telling Time

Once I have my optical connections fitted and ready for use, I need something to tell them all exactly at what point they should do their job. I hook up every piece of digital gear to an Apogee Big Ben master clock. This is to keep a consistent sample rate across the entire digital setup and reduce jitter. A good analogy of what a master clock does for a digital system is as follows:

I’m at the studio and have a lot of work that needs to be completed before my client arrives at noon. I have 4 interns available to help with preparations. I need to send each of them out into the streets to get various items needed for today’s session. Each of these interns have 4 different watches, all yielding slightly different times. When I ask them to be back at noon sharp, I can assume that each intern will follow their respective watch. Of course, this will be inaccurate because all of the watches were not synchronized. One will show up at 11:56am, another at 11:58am, another at 12:03pm and yet another at 12:05pm. To their credit, each of these interns’ watches displayed noon as they arrived. However, when my timepiece displayed noon, I was stuck with two early interns and two late interns.

To remedy this situation before I send the interns on their tasks, I act as a master clock and synchronize each intern’s timepiece to my timepiece. Therefore, when my watch displays noon… their watches will display noon! As you can see, they would all be back at noon according to my watch and the session would go off without a hitch.

Now of course 24-hour clocks and digital clocking systems do not keep the same time, but that simple analogy can shed some light on how a master clock commands a digital recording environment, in regards to keeping a consistent sampling rate across the entire system. Sample rates must remain consistent across the entire recording system, otherwise phase-shifts can occur within the timing of samples. This is jitter, and yes, it is an audible problem!

The Analog Setup

After all the digital connections are made, I get to work on the analog side of things, making the connection from the 8 channel Audient microphone preamp to it’s 8 channel analog-to-digital converter counterpart. The API lunchbox, containing pre-amps, gets connected to an analog-to-digital converter as well. With the microphone pre-amps connected now, all that needs to be done is hooking a microphone up to whichever pre-amp we choose to use.

Time Is Ticking – Let’s Begin The Tracking!

With Equal Sonics Mobile up and running, we were ready to start with this production. I let Michael T sift through my personal drum sample library. This library contains samples that I have personally sampled, collected from friends, or received in sample trades with other producers/engineers. He had chosen a kick and snare sample he wanted to lay through the entire track as a skeleton and timing device. I programmed the samples into place and sent a copy of the drum tracks to his individual HearBack cue mixer. I labeled his mixer so he knew exactly where he could set his drum levels. The kick and snare drums were to be the only electronically programmed instrument on this track. Let’s get moving.

Bass

With the electronic drums laid down, we moved onto bass guitar. For this I decided to use a Shadow Hills Mono GAMA Pre-amp which has a hi-impedance instrument input. This pre-amp also allows the user to switch between three types of output transformers: Steel, Nickel and Discrete. We liked both the Steel and the Nickel output transformer sound on this particular bass guitar. So, we decided to have a little fun with this unique pre-amp option.

During the verses, we opted to use the Nickel setting as it was slightly more gentle in the low-mid frequencies and allowed the bass to breathe in the 1-2khz range. However, once the hooks hit we swapped Nickel for Steel, which gave us a heavier, more driving bass sound that was perfect for our goal of having the hooks drive and feel heavier than the verses.

With three passes — one pass for the verses, one pass for the hooks, and one pass for the bridge — we were finished tracking bass and time was ticking. Onto acoustic guitar!

Acoustic Guitar

We ended up picking the back bedroom for this acoustic guitar tracking. It was quiet, comfy, and the wooden floors provided a pleasant, warm texture for this particular acoustic guitar. I had Michael T play in various spots around the room listening for the best placement for him to track. We ended up placing him with his back towards the closet pointed to the center of the room.

Once he was situated in a playing position, I began my microphone placement. Since the guitar is going to be the main instrumentation on this track, I wanted to create a large stereo image of the acoustic guitar. I placed one AKG 414 pointed between the guitars sound hole and where the fret-board connects to the body of the guitar. I placed a second AKG 414 at the neck of the guitar around the 3rd and 4th frets. This setup was meant to pick up fret nuances and create a large and sonically pleasing stereo image.

I shut the bedroom door and went to the other room where I monitored on a set of active monitors.  Panning both microphones 100% opposite of one another in their respective Pro Tools tracks, I listened for phase discrepancies. I loaded a Vectorscope plugin on the master fader of Pro Tools to have a visual display of the two channels phase relationship. I didn’t hear anything un-natural and the Vectorscope meters read in the +1 range, meaning the channels were not canceling frequencies with one another. Pleased with the placement, I turned off my monitors and put on my headphones for tracking, in order to ensure that the active monitors would not be picked up by the microphones in the other room.

We put down a few different sections of acoustic guitar. Once the main sections were established, we started adding doubles of the acoustic guitar onto of each section to make the sound thicker. After the thickening was complete we laid down some overdubs, which were essentially varying motifs to make each section unique (in order to hold the listeners interest).

I turned the active monitors back on while Michael T and myself had a listen to what we tracked. We were both pleased with the performance and the sound, but the song was far from complete…

Padding

Now that the drums, bass and acoustic guitars were laid down, we wanted to add a bit more ambient texture to certain parts of the song. Fortunately, this apartment came equipped with a Nord Electro synthesizer. We patched it into a stereo line-amp that was directly patched into Apogee analog-to-digital converters, which in turn, allowed us to monitor these synthesizers in Pro Tools.

Switching between various patches on this synth, we came across a nice Rhodes sound. Tracking the Nord Electro throughout the hooks gave them a bit more padding and feel. After laying the synth down, I added a slight ambient reverb and a slight delay set at 1/2 notes with minimal feedback. The effects were added for additional sonic padding and to create an ambient, spacious texture.

Step Back

We were feeling good about the progress of the track thus far. The drums and bass were filling out the rhythm well, the acoustic guitar was doing rhythm and lead parts, and the Nord Electro was assisting the hooks by filling them out sonically.

There were a few more things left to do before we could edit, mix and submit this track. We needed to add what Michael T likes to call “garnish.”

Garnish With A Side Of Ear Candy

Djembe

We grabbed a djembe with the intent to add some nice sub bass tones to the kick drum in the verses. The djembe at the apartment had an incredibly rich, deep tone. We wanted to sample the djembe and mix it nicely underneath the kick drum hits. We decided to track this instrument in the bedroom with the wooden floors. I was only concerned with the bass tone of this instrument, so I placed an AKG D112 under the djembe.

Michael T played a few deep notes on the djembe of various intensities to capture different note sustains. This was not done while listening to the track, but thankfully the drum happened to be tuned to the key of the song. Lucky! Had it not been, we would have had to have gotten crafty with slight pitch shifting. We ended up using a sample that was almost a 1/2 note long, at our session tempo, and placed them with the kick hits in the verses. Later, I will mix them underneath the kick drum by slicing the high frequencies off and taking some muddiness out of the drum around 300 Hz to get a nice sub-drone sound.

Glockenspiel
The purpose of the glockenspiel was to add a variable attack to the Nord Electro’s Rhodes patch. Michael T played the glockenspiel at the beginning of each Rhodes note. We could now control the intensity of this newly added Rhodes’ attack by varying the volume of the glockenspiel track!

I miked the instrument with two AKG 414′s- one positioned on the low keys and another on the higher keys. Once more, after miking, I went to check my Vectorscope to make sure that there was no phase discrepancies. I sent both the 414′s to a stereo track so that I would be able to control the volume with one fader.

Shaker
The last garnish we added was two different shakers. One of them was a lightweight, smooth-sounding shaker, which we had planned to put in the verse. The other was a larger, heavier and more jagged- sounding shaker that we used to cut through the hooks.

I planted Michael T in the bedroom once again, and got his shaker station ready. I used an AKG 414 with a slight LF rolloff @ 80 Hz to eliminate sub frequencies. In addition, I placed the AKG 414 in a narrow cardioid pattern, as Michael T was literally right in front of the microphone.

Singing In The Shower?

The instrumentation was complete! The sun was starting to set, and it was time to lay down the vocals. We went from room to room, seeking the best possible place to record vocals. The bedroom was too lively, the living room would be difficult with all the recording equipment, and the kitchen was too reflective. I had the notion that perhaps the bathroom would be just right. It was small, but not too small and had towels lining one side to capture reflections.

The bathroom turned out to be too dark, but I did not give up on it! I had Michael T sing from inside the shower pointing out, towards the wall of towels. Perfection! This angle provided a nice lively feel without any ugly reflections. We fixed an AKG 414, the workhouse microphone of this session, to the shower curtain bar and fitted it with a pop filter. I went back to my setup and had him take a pass through the track to get a feel of how these vocals would sound.

The vocals were sounding nice.  I added a bit of reverb timed to the tempo of the track to provide a spacious texture around his vocals, and then we went through the various parts of the song starting with the first verse, layering each section with doubles and harmonies to thicken each section of the track. Once the main vocals were done, with their respective doubles and harmonies, we went on to add vocal ear candies throughout the track. These consisted of “Ooh’s” and “Aah’s” to provide a nice padding to the main vocals (a similar scenario to the Rhodes patch we used to thicken up the hooks).

The Mix!

Rhythm
Instrumentation was complete. Vocals were complete. It was time to mix this track and send it on its way! The sun was almost completely set and the apartment’s inhabitants surely on their way home, so we dove into the mixing process. I switched on the active monitors, hooked the system up to the apartment’s stereo and gave us both a pair of headphones. This provided three different methods of monitoring our progress. I then hooked up an Euphonix MC Control via ethernet to Pro Tools to make this process quick and efficient.

We started with the rhythm section, leveling out the drum samples, dejembe, bass, and acoustic guitar. Adding some compression and EQ, as needed, to each of the tracks. Moving on in haste, I created an ambient reverb, timed to the track’s tempo. We sent some of the rhythm acoustic guitar to this reverb, as well as the djembe. Once we were satisfied with the rhythm section, we moved on to the Rhodes, lead acoustic guitar, and vocals.

Lead

Leveling out the Rhodes, acoustic guitar, and vocals with one another, I began to add some compression and EQ to these tracks where I felt it was needed. I created a reverb to put my acoustic guitar in, and another for my vocals. The acoustic and vocal reverb were both timed to the tempo of the track, with exactly ½th note of time difference between the two of them to create slight separation.

Next, I created a delay for the vocals, and ended up using an 1/8th note delay with slight feedback. I wrote fader movements with the Euphonix MC Control via EuCon protocol into my Pro Tools tracks.  The integration between these two is simply amazing! Riding the Rhodes in and out of the hooks crafted a very dynamic performance.

Listening
After all of these elements were put in their place, I started to make some final adjustments with effects, fader movements, panning and compression/EQ settings. Monitoring on all three systems (headphones, active monitors, apartment speakers) we felt that the mix was near completion. We walked around the room listening to the mix from various positions.  I also left the room and listened to the mix from another room, after all, who watches TV with both speakers of equal distance from each ear forming a triangle (the correct position for mixing). Realistically, very few would take the time to set up such an intricate arrangement to watch a television show.

Concluding our critical listening, we were both satisfied with the final product. I printed a main pass of the song, an instrumental pass of the song, and just the hook of the song. This was so the end client could have multiple variations of the song, and use as they saw appropriate.

Time Was Up
It was a successful day of production. We submitted the track by 7pm, the deadline. Thanks to Kalen, we were able to have a place to record that was stocked up with plenty of instruments!

It is always fun and exciting for me to record in some difficult and challenging places. Making the location you’re provided with work — by listening to various rooms to figure out which will provide the best recording, escape from outside noises, and achieve the best finished product — certainly adds a unique and exciting element to the production process.

As the owner and operator of his own mobile recording studio, Matt McCorkle of EqualSonics.com is capable of bringing professional audio to anyone, anywhere, anytime. His specialties involves acoustic instrumental recordings, vocal productions, live tracking sessions, electronic music production and mixing. Whether in the studio or out in the field, Matt’s goal is simple: To create new music and sounds with passionate artists. To contact Matt please visit EqualSonics.com.

Return of the Nomad Engineer: The Top NYC Studios of Freelancer Ari Raskin, Part I

CHELSEA, MANHATTAN: No one can say Ari Raskin hasn’t paid his dues. This in-demand freelancer engineer may regularly make the rounds of NYC’s top studios today, but it’s only after he’s sweated it out for a decade-plus, making a name for himself in the city’s fiercely competitive studio scene.

Raskin can contribute in many ways to a project – tracking, mixing, editing, drum programming, and even the occasional master – and has done just that for a wide range of artists: Whitney Houston, Wyclef Jean, Meshell N’Degeocello, Black Eyed Peas, Kanye West, Kid Cudi, J.Dilla and Illa J — Yancey Boys, and Justin Timberlake among them. His career got moving after he departed Berklee College of Music with the goal of being the next Brendan O’Brien or Andy Wallace, then went from being an intern at Chung King to House Engineer.

Today, no longer afforded his home base that was Chung King, Raskin makes music all over Manhattan and beyond – a positive vibes traveling man that makes him the perfect subject for the return of our Nomad Engineer series.

How would you describe the ups and downs of a New York City freelance audio engineer in 2011?
The real benefit of freelance engineering and traveling is getting to choose which studio is right for the project — be it the sound of the live room, the sound of the control room, the vibe of the control room, the gear, the rigs’ plugins, the budget, or just how late the staff stays — so that you can comfortably make a great recording that fits the music. Also, having clients agree that you suggested a good studio for them is a nice thing too.

If you’re a staff engineer at a small Pro Tools studio with a 5′ x 8′ live room, and a rock band is introduced to you by the studio manager, you’re never going to be able to tell them, “We should do the rhythm section at Avatar or Skyline. You’re never gonna get real big drum sounds here, and these reissue mic preamps and 414′s just don’t have the real rock-star vibe you’re after.” Although of course most of us now would just shut up and do the modern thing and use Drumagog or SoundReplacer.

I’d like to note, though, that when I first stepped into the major-label part of the recording industry when I moved to New York 10 years ago, there were LOTS of freelance engineers working from studio to studio. It seemed much less common for labels to use house engineers unless it was for a transfer session. Engineers definitely used to be more highly regarded before everyone and their sister had Pro Tools, so I think that’s why hiring the respected freelance guys was much more the norm in the day, whereas now labels just want a house engineer who knows how to use Pro Tools and isn’t expensive.

Lately, whenever I run into former Chung King clients at other studios, I constantly get told “Oh, I didn’t know you were still working since Chung King closed,” or “You work here now?” as if the idea of a tracking engineer being freelance is now an unknown concept.

We’re glad to get the inside track from you on your fave NYC recording spots. What made you say “Yes” to this article, rather than keeping your top studios close to the vest?

Seemed like a fun topic, and I do work around, and do have opinions on a number of various rooms. I just wish there were more large-format rooms in this city, with all the standard vintage outboard gear and mics. Five years ago there were a lot more real-deal pro-studio choices, and 10 years ago a lot more than that.  It’s getting hard now, especially when your first choice-room is already booked, and you’re actually trying to do a serious recording and not just track vocals. Therefore…

Downtown Music Studios, Studio A; SoHo, NYC

Many positives about this place.  For one, there isn’t a vibe like they are dying for business and need to squeeze every penny they potentially can out of your clients.  Also, the ProTools rigs have more plug-ins than any other rigs I’ve seen.  Unlike so many rooms, the studios at Downtown were planned and configured by good working engineers, so things make a lot of sense in real world practice.

Studio A there is possibly the most accurate-sounding control room in the city that I’ve worked in, and has no room EQ on the mains. The almost-mint Neve 8014 console they just installed is not only amazing for its sixteen 1084 pres for tracking, it’s also possibly the best summing amp in Manhattan for Pro Tools in-the-box mixing. There’s also a ton of clean vintage and high-quality modern gear — they won’t let someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing assist in sessions.

The live room in Studio A is very clean and neutral-sounding, great for tracking vocals, instrument overdubs, or a live band. You can easily get a dry drum sound, or put up some far room mics, 1176 them, and get a big rock sound. Studio B has a great rig as well, with good external converters, a totally different vibe from Studio A, and is probably the most-equipped room for the money in Manhattan.

Some of my recent sessions there include Sean Paul, Black Thought, Kat Deluna. I’d recommend this studio to any type of client, other than a gigantic orchestra or those craving a huge castle drum sound, or those wanting to mix on an SSL. The Neve console they have has no automation, but for mixing a jazz, acoustic, or a small production, it sounds incredible.

Platinum Sound Recording, Studios J and K; Times Square, NYC

The “sexiest” of the big studios in NYC. I think it’s the only studio I know of — not that I claim to have worked in every studio — that has a designated receptionist and interns always ready for runs, 24 hours a day. That might seem like a minor detail, but for those who have clients who like to work past midnight, it’s a major concern.  Very cool vibe, cool staff.

They have a real live K, and a J — and unlike most SSL’s in NYC, they get used for mixing regularly still, so the assistants aren’t new to that: big board mixes with old-school engineers who use lots of gear are often the most demanding type of session for an assistant. Also, I haven’t heard the new Augspurger speakers in studio K, but the J room has the HEAVIEST bass of all time — although Studio C at MSR is quite thumpin’ too.

Some of my recent sessions there include Wyclef, Kat Deluna and Ritz Crackers. This is a good studio for SSL board mixing; good studio for late-night artists/producers; decent-sized live room with some good mic pres, so it’s not a bad choice for producers who like live instruments. The best for those who like it so loud their faces melt and eardrums shred. Great for those who like to vibe and create.

Premier Studios, Times Square, NYC

Premier is the former Studios A and B of Quad, renovated and heavily cleaned up, with two newer, very good Pro Tools “writer’s” rooms, very fairly priced.  Studios A and B were both recently tuned and both sound accurate and get quite loud. The live room in B is great for a clean drum sound, and great for any vocal or instrument overdub.

The staff there is eager and friendly and understands the concept of working towards the future — in other words, they don’t take the clients that come in for granted. They have real LA-2A’s in most rooms — which didn’t used to be unusual anyway — and they are maintained.

Another great thing — they have four rooms, all with excellent Pro Tools rigs with all the necessary plugins, so if a room is booked, there’s still likely others open. How many other 3+ room studios are left and commercially-bookable in NYC today? Also, so many other studios are opening now with gear you can also easily get at Guitar Center, and not enough real mic pres or compressors in the room, forcing clients to rent every little thing (which, along with today’s tight budgets, can make a freelance engineer seem needy).  Instead, Premier seems to be constantly investing and trying to improve their gear arsenal to impress engineers and producers. The recent addition of two perfect vintage Neve 1073′s and the overhauling of their Studio A Steinway piano are both welcome improvements and important tools for making great recordings.

My recent sessions there include Oh Land, Duane McLaughlin, Rich Hil, Kat Deluna. Premier is great for J9000 mixing, Pro Tools in-the-box mixing, instrument and vocal overdubs, pop songwriting sessions, and jazz and rock bands that want some real isolation but don’t want to pay for one of the city’s massive rooms.

Grand Street Recording, Williamsburg, BKLYN

I only worked there once, but I think it’s by far the best studio for tracking instruments for the money.  Amazing selection of vintage mics, pres, keyboards, amps, and drums — nothing I used there seems modded or overly repaired, and none of the current reissue stuff (that doesn’t actually have any magic. I’m a snob about having the real vintage stuff, clearly).

The staff is knowledgeable too.  The ceilings aren’t that high and live room isn’t terribly ambient, but for plenty of bands it’s perfect.  You can make a real, classic-sounding, proper recording there for not a lot of money.  And their vintage mics may be in better shape than any other studios I know of.

I recently did a tracking session there for the jam/rock band Moose Convention. I think Grand Street is great for rock or jazz band tracking — live and overdubs — and vocal tracking.

(Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly referred to this studio as Grand Street Studio. It should have referred to Grand Street Recording.)

jrock Studios, Chelsea, NYC

I saw you guys did a piece on Jamie Siegel and his studio recently, and I will second that it’s a cool spot. Great location, nice dry-sounding live room that has some breathing space so it doesn’t sound like you’re tracking in a closet, some nice pres, and a real chill pleasant vibe, good for getting work done.  And of course, not nearly as pricey as the big SSL rooms.

Recently I did some vocal and percussion sessions there with singer/songwriter Erin Barra. Recommended for anyone who wants a relaxed spot to do overdubs, writing, or Pro Tools mix sessions.

Next Week! Return of the Nomad Engineer Part II: More finds, from Midtown to Greenpoint.

You can find Ari Raskin at REThuggz.com and AmIaGoodSinger.com.

Winter Workshops Announced at Vaudeville Park: Electronics in Music, Voiceovers

Williamsburg-based community arts center Vaudeville Park has announced several new winter workshops, which will begin in February and March.

Those interested in the below are encouraged to register now to hold their place in classes, free of charge! Email “info@vaudevillepark.com” to be added to the the class list of your choice.

Start dates for each workshop will be confirmed upon registration. All courses are approved by the State of New York Education Department, and sponsored by New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA).

ELECTRONICS IN MUSIC

This 3-part workshop returns after a successful run in the summer of 2010.  Attendees will learn about electronics, synthesis, and sound design by working with real circuits, hands-on, and get educated on how to make their own electronic instruments and devices, and expand their musicality.

Course A in February

Week 1- “Money-Saving Skills for Musicians”: Build your own contact mics for acoustic instruments, and save $$$ by making your own instrument cables.
Week 2- “Hands-On Synthesis Workshop”: This workshop includes synthesis history, theory, and most importantly, hands on sound design using rare analog keyboards from our collection.
Week 3- “Instant Circuit Bending”: Bring your own electronic toy to take apart and make music with.  Attendees will learn the basic skills of circuit bending in minutes and begin making warped sounds with ease. All tools provided.

Course B in March

Week 1- “The Two-Hour Theremin”: build your own light-sensitive Theremin in just one class. Then, adorn your new instrument with custom colors and containers.
Week 2- “Hands-On Synthesis Workshop”: Version B.
Week 3- “Instant Circuit Bending”: Version B.

Pricing
Standard Price
$50 per Workshop
$140 for a 3 week Course
Special Promotional Price is now
$40 per workshop
$100 for 3 week course

**For Course A there is a $12 parts fee for building your contact mic and instrument cable, and a $10 parts fee for the Circuit Bending workshop.

***For Course B there is a $15 parts fee for the Two-Hour Theremin workshop, and a $10 parts fee for the Circuit Bending workshop.

VOICE OVER WORKSHOP

A one-part introduction into the voice over field.

This hands-on class walks attendees through creating their demo reel, and includes live performance tips from an experienced voice actor.  Practice your new skills in a live recording session in this rare look into an exciting field.

Email Vaudeville Park at info@vaudevillepark.com to add your name to the registration list, and receive new updates and discounts as the class develops.

« Previous Page — Next Page »