Made in NY: Fink Analog Audio

From a distance, you might mistake Dennis Fink for a trucker, a contractor, or a retired lumberjack. He’s a tall bear of a man who wears clean, faded blue jeans and beat-up work boots, with a thick shock of grey-blond hair that reaches his collar.

If you never spoke to him, it might surprise you to hear he has two advanced degrees: a Masters in electrical engineering, and another one in business administration. But up close and in person, Fink has a soft voice, an easy smile, and an unpretentious kind of intelligence that’s uniquely American.

“During times of economic downturn,” Fink says, “the thing you really want to spend money on is the development of products. On innovation and engineering. That way, once the economy comes back again, you’ve got some new product out to whet the whistle. Some guys don’t get that.”

Fink has seen his way through plenty of business cycles in the audio world firsthand. He’s even worked alongside two generations of Bill Putnams – First, with Bill Putnam Sr. at UREI, Fink wired up some of the most highly regarded professional tools of the day, and then again with Bill Putnam Jr. at Universal Audio, he helped bring iconic vintage designs to a new mainstream market.

Today, Dennis Fink is at work on his own line of pro audio processors, and his modus operandi is cramming far more classic tools into a single 2RU box than you’d ever expect.

Two years ago, Fink Analog Audio hit the scene with the CS2-FA.

To put it simply, it’s a tube/FET dual-channel-strip. To put it bad-ass-edly, it’s two full-fledged 610-style preamps, two classic 1176 opto compressors, and two Pultec EQPs all in one 2RU box.

Oh yeah, and somehow, it’s made right here in New York and New Jersey and can be had for well under $4,000.

“I priced it out at some point,” says Fink, “and we figured out that if you were going to buy all those pieces separately, out on the open market, it would run you somewhere around $14,000.”

When pressed, Fink contends that he’s not just offering “lite” versions of these circuits so that he could cram them all into a small box and meet a pre-set price point. I ask him point-blank if he’d put his version of the 1176 from the CS2-FA up against a real one, by itself.

“Absolutely,” says Fink. “I would absolutely do that.”

And so he has, more or less.

After introducing the CS2 and then the CS1, Fink decided to try his hand at a stand-alone version of the classic 1176. But then he thought to himself, ‘I’ve got some extra room in here – Why don’t I just throw in an LA-2A while I’m at it?’ And so he did.

The resulting LC1-76LA is essentially two of the most iconic limiter/compressors ever designed, wired together in one box. Or at least, Fink’s version of them.

Of course, there are some differences. Most notably, Fink’s take on the 1176 sports a tube signal path that leaves it sounding a little more open, perhaps a little less aggressive, and with a slightly smoother top-end than the original. By default, it’s wired first in series with the unit’s LA2A-style compressor, but there’s a switch to change that.

“Using a fast limiter in front of a slow limiter is a classic recording chain,” says Fink. “A lot of great American recordings in the 60s, 70s and 80s were done like that.”

“But the cool thing is, with a single switch you can change the order. So instead it can first go into the LA2, the slower limiter, and then into the 76, the faster limiter. That’s a classic British limiter chain from the same period. With that chain you can hit the slow limiter at around 2-3 db [of gain reduction], just to set the overall level, and then you can just crush things following it. ”

“There’s also a third position that will give you two separate limiter/compressors – an independent 1176 and an independent LA2A, or at least, my version of them.”

This year, Fink also announced two more multi-channel units. Because his tube version of the 1176 compressor and his 3-tube take on the 610 preamp were built to work on small pre-fab cards, Fink realized he had the opportunity to create a couple more products at a negligible R&D cost.

Pretty quickly, the PA4 and LM4 were born. They’re Fink’s 4-channel versions of his preamp and compressor designs. Since they were already built to be compact, he says there was no need to dumb the circuits down to make all four work together in the 2RU chassis.

It sounds like a great idea from a designer’s perspective, but I asked Fink if in a digital age, he thinks buyers will really be attracted to a 4-channel analog compressor.

“Sure,” he says. “I mean, it’s basically four 1176s in a box. If you were in a live front-of-house situation it would be great on your buses. If you were doing a mixdown session, even in a small studio, and wanted to try some real analog compressors on drums, you could put these in the chain and print them all in one pass.”

“But there’s also still a whole bunch of high-end, working studios that just can’t have enough limiters. When you’re talking about 32, 48, 64 tracks on a large-format console, they need as many channels of great analog compressors in their stable as they can get. And can you imagine how much space it would take up to have four actual 1176s in the rack compared to one 2RU box?”

For a big guy, Fink gets how much power there is in keeping things compact.

The full line of Fink Analog Audio processors is available through Alto Music NYC, and at select retailers throughout the country. Product prices range from roughly $2,500-$3,800, and Fink says discount pricing is available on the CS2-FA through the end of 2011.

Justin Colletti is a Brooklyn-based producer/engineer who works with uncommon artists, and a journalist who writes about music and how we make it. Visit him at www.justincolletti.com.

IK Multimedia Announces Black 76 and White 2A

IK Multimedia is a company most widely known for their popular iRig guitar interface for iOS devices and Amplitube app which allows you to achieve incredible guitar tones by using your iPod or iPhone as a digital amp multiFX unit.

Last week, IK Multimedia posted a few mysterious audio files on their SoundCloud page (which now contains even more of these particular plug-in demos) with icons displaying a familiar-looking 1176 knob and an LA-2A knob. Both had examples of unprocessed and processed files but no further information was given…

Now IK Multimedia has come clean and turned themselves in with the official announcement of the “Black 76” limiting amplifier and “White 2A” leveling amplifier. Both software plug-ins can be used with most major DAWs and can also be integrated into IK Multimedia’s T-RackS suite of mixing and mastering effects. The Black 76 and White 2A are available now, each for MSRP $99.99 for Mac OS X and Windows XP/Vista in VST, RTAS and AU.

Here is what IK Multimedia has to say about their new additions:

“…Black 76 Limiting Amplifier

Modeled after what is probably the most used, most known, most wanted, and most universally recognized compressor / limiter in the audio industry.

This compressor can be used on literally everything: drums, drum sub-mixes, vocals, bass, guitars, piano, choirs, brass, strings, etc. It adds its sonic footprint to the sound that for many reasons simply makes music sound better. Vocals, for example, will gain presence, consistency, clarity and punch in a way simply not obtainable with other units. Drums will gain power and density with total control over the level of “snap”, and guitars will get a magic midrange zone that makes them truly sing. The Black 76 is a must for mixing, but thanks to the perfectly stereo linked version we provide with MS option, it can also be effectively used for mastering if used with care!

White 2A Leveling Amplifier

Based on the most legendary vintage vacuum tube optical limiter.

Originally intended for use in broadcasting, it immediately became a truly signature unit for music recording and mixing. It’s a must-have for both tracking and mixing vocals, but it’s also tremendously effective on electric bass, upright bass, piano, winds and many other tracks where you need a gentle compression with great warmth and consistency. This is one of the few units in the audio industry that nobody will allow to be substituted for anything else.

Main Product Features
Both the Black 76 and the White 2A are available as single T-RackS mixing plug-ins for all popular DAW platforms in RTAS, AU and VST formats. They also give the flexibility to be perfectly integrated with the T-RackS suite of effects as they can be opened inside the T-RackS twelve slot serial-parallel processor chain, both in standalone and plug-in mode, taking advantage of T-RackS advanced routing, metering and preset capabilities. With the addition of these two new classics, T-RackS users will have a total of 12 superior dynamic and EQ effects to choose from including a full-fledged professional metering suite for all of their professional mixing and mastering needs…”

Made in New York: Anthony DeMaria Labs

NEW PALTZ, NY: Anthony DeMaria never intended to create an audio company. “In a way, it created me,” says the one-time wiz-kid turned entrepreneur.

Like many makers of boutique audio electronics, DeMaria had little formal training to start, but found himself attracted to sound, organization, and work that demanded fine manual dexterity.

“Although I didn’t have a lot of background with circuits, my father was a model-maker, and I think that influence made me comfortable working with my hands,” says DeMaria. “My first schematic was the [Teletronix] LA-2A, and I quickly found that I could turn out prototypes pretty immediately.”

From there, DeMaria would go on to streamline and expand his one-man operation, before teaming up with PreSonus to bring high-fidelity tube preamps to the masses, and then ultimately throw his chips back into the boutique world to develop a faithful recreation of the breathtakingly over-engineered, 20-tube, 14-transformer behemoth known at the Fairchild 670.

Over the decades, his sense of excitement, awe and graciousness has barely receded: “It’s just so cool that I can have a thought in my head, put it into metal, and someone will come along and say ‘what do I owe you?’ All money aside, it’s so great that out of a whole world [of gear makers] out there, they call me.”

If you ask DeMaria and his clients, it’s that eagerness to pick up the phone and interact with his customers that kept ADL selling high-end niche merchandise throughout dire economic times. ADL 670 owner and Brooklyn-based producer/engineer Joel Hamilton reminisces that “Anthony said it best when I first started to talk to him about getting a 670: ‘I’m not selling boxes, I’m cultivating relationships with engineers and users of this stuff’. That was years ago, and he’s stayed so true to that very high standard all the way.”

Back in 1987, DeMaria’s initial, successful stab at the LA-2A evolved into a product called the ADL 1000.

Although it’s been eclipsed in the press by his newer, more sensational pieces, DeMaria’s version of this classic opto circuit is what built his company, and it remains an essential backbone of his product line.

And, over 25 years DeMaria has labored to see that circuit maintain its integrity: “If I were to re-interpret one little thing, I’d have to explain why, and lose a certain crowd.”

There are challenges: “Whether you’re doing 10 or 100 you have to go though the entire parts list, make sure all the vendors still have those parts available. There are so many parts that go into any product, and if you go into production without checking that every part is still made, you’re playing Russian roulette. You could have to change your entire design if you can’t find or make a suitable replacement.”

The hardest thing, DeMaria says, are the transformers: “The sonic footprint of any good piece of tube gear is, hands down, the transformer. You have to nail that first – if you screw it up, you’ve got nothing.”

Some of the most critical elements are built in-house. “Often, the original transformers we try to duplicate are very old and there’s no documentation. You measure everything, but at the end of the day, you’re throwing a dart. You create the transformer, stick it into the original design and say ‘Okay, what’s it doing? Should we go up, down, left or right?’

“It could take a month or two and 4 or 5 versions, or it could be 8 months and 12 versions. You don’t really know until you try.”

All this experience re-engineering vintage circuits and maintaining standards in his own creations prepared DeMaria for his biggest challenge yet: if the ADL 1000 was DeMaria’s original flagship, the ADL 670 has usurped that title through sheer ballsiness and heft. With a 6RU mainframe and 4RU power supply that weigh in at a combined 84lbs, the ADL 670 is a heavy load on the back, and the wallet. This elegant giant lists at $19,000 MSRP. And it sells.

670 user and Strange Weather Studio engineer Daniel James Schlett says, “It can be subtle at times, but what it is doing cannot be done with any other units I’ve used in the past.”

“The 670 is pretty fantastic on a lot of things,” says Schlett. “It’s not a ‘blow up your room mics box’, but it does a fantastic job of imparting  great character  on a vocal or bass track while staying extremely hi-fi. It can give a singer that extra sparkle that was missing in the chain, or help pull out a performance no one in the room was ready for.”

“It’s also in constant use on the mix buss – here is where the 670 has a way of standing out and blending in all at the same time.”

Studio G‘s Hamilton agrees that the unit excels on the stereo buss, a function that’s driven the value of the original Fairchild through the roof: “I’ve used the ADL 670 on almost every single record I’ve mixed since I got it years ago. I could probably just normal it to the main mix insert point on my Neve, and save the trouble of patching it at all.”

An impressive box for sure, but is it worth over $9,000 MSRP per channel? It’s one of those unanswerable, subjective questions. Value, as always, depends on the user’s resources, needs and desires. But this much is clear: DeMaria’s 670 delivers the tone of the original, at a lower price than a vintage unit, with a new warranty and uncommon customer service.

Hamilton’s own story about his interaction with DeMaria, for example, is far from unique: “I was in the middle of doing the new Pretty Lights record, and we were printing live to two-track tape with the ADL 670 on the mix. I was running everything hot, and had the power supply in a ‘less than optimal’ position. My power supply fried. I said “Wait… Does anyone smell that? Something burning?’ And someone replied ‘smells like your wallet’.”

“Anthony drove down from his shop that morning (on a Sunday!) with a calibrated bench unit for me to continue tracking. Besides the fact that I like Anthony personally, that he goes out of his way to really make things work is just incredible and dear to my heart. Try getting that type of service from a random manufacturer. You’d need a time machine and cab fare from White Plains to make that happen with an original Fairchild 670.”

But what about the sound? The ADL has routinely passed discerning user’s tests, coming up as nearly indistinguishable from the original. To this engineer’s ears, mixes seem to take on new weight, depth, and girth when the 670 is laid over the mix buss. It’s an effect that is at once powerful, satisfying and refined. As soon as the inserts are engaged, whole productions sound as if they’ve pumped out 100 push-ups and chased them down with a couple of grass-fed cheeseburgers.

Of course, not all of DeMaria’s designs are so pie-in-the-sky. In 2006, a collaboration with PreSonus brought high-end tube audio down to earth for thousands of pro and semi-pro studios across the world.

“Economy of scale made that product possible,” says DeMaria of their creation: the ADL 600. “It’s the only way we could bring the product in at that magical $2,000 price-point. A connector that costs me a buck, might cost them a penny.”

Unlike many of his other best-selling designs, the 600 is a novel creation that takes a more indirect inspiration from vintage circuits. “We looked at tube preamps that The Beatles used, but in the end some of them had too much character. When you want to capture it pristine – this is the piece. We decided the best thing to do in a preamp like that is to give people the most open sounding pre with the most amount of gain.

“And it’s just got an enormous amount of gain,” he notes. “You’ll never outrun it. It’s a really nice-sounding preamp.”

We asked DeMaria if he learned anything from that mass-market collaboration  which has been useful at his own boutique operation, where he hand-assembles units in New Paltz, NY. “They really understood simplicity and clarity of layouts, and have a great ability to maximize the ease of manufacturing. There’s this old adage, ‘Go slow now, go fast later’. Those guys really know it.”

He’s even applied some of those concepts to his own designs, adapting the mono ADL 1000 and stereo ADL 1500 circuits to work in the same chassis, using interchangeable platform boards that allow quick fixes in-the-field. “Now, instead of a client sending me the unit, I can send a replacement board overnight in a soft-pack. I just helped a client install a power supply board over the phone in 4 minutes and helped save the session! How happy was he?”

DeMaria says that it now takes less technical aptitude to build his earlier designs, saving more time for QC and answering phones. On the flip-side, there’s an increased part count, but allowing these two units to share some elements has helped control prices and enhance uniformity across the line.

Having mastered point-for-point recreations of classic gear and super-clean mass market creations alike, DeMaria has is ears set on new horizons: “I’d love to create another branch-out company. I’ll always continue to make the traditional ADL pieces, but I also want to create products that go the other way – less expensive. Gear that disrupts the sound. I’ve already created a box to make the most pristine sound. Now I want to go in the opposite direction. It seems like musicians are shifting away from capturing pristine sounds and moving toward effecting it.

“I want to be on the ground,” he says,” See what’s going on, visit some of these studios. I’ve always been talking to musicians and studio owners. That’s where the ideas come from. So much has changed in recording, and the question becomes – how do you reconnect the dots?”

And staying in New York is a big part of that plan, according to DeMaria, who was born in Brooklyn and toys with the idea of opening an office in the borough. He tried a move to California for a while, but couldn’t “sink his teeth” into LA.

“I couldn’t see myself anywhere else,” he tells us. “I mean, where are you gonna get the best food? In Brooklyn! C’mon!”

Justin Colletti is a Brooklyn-based audio engineer and music producer who’s worked with Hotels, DeLeon, Soundpool, Team Genius and Monocle, as well as clients such as Nintendo, JDub, Blue Note Records, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Visit him at www.justincolletti.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.

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.

Behind the Making of “Brooklyn Heat”: Recording Six of BKYLN’s Finest in Six Days

GREENPOINT, BROOKLYN: When it’s this cold outside, huddling up together makes perfect sense. With this week’s release of Brooklyn Heat – a collection of singles recorded by six BKLYN indie bands in six days last summer – we can all hope to feel the searing goodness of NYC rock and roll come shooting through our speakers.

Interestingly, Brooklyn Heat’s helmsman, Producer/Engineer Shane O’Connor, had to warm up to the idea of making a compilation. But the offer of free studio time from Monsterland Recording Studio (now RIP) proved impossible for this hard-core recordist to refuse, and that’s a good thing.

When the collection officially launches this Thursday night (1/20) with a party at Greenpoint’s COCO 66, people are bound to hook onto what they hear. Each Brooklyn Heat band – Quiet Loudly, Gunfight!, Shark?, Quilty, Little Racer, and Magnetic Island – make their own urgently artful contribution to the comp. The rock here is as compelling, raw and real as it is well-recorded.

For music producers, engineers and artists who are as interested in how to capture a concept as they are in overdubbing a Clavinet, the machinations behind Brooklyn Heat are worth knowing.

How did the idea for Brooklyn Heat come together?
I was approached by Bones Howell (his stage name, he specifically asked me to not use his given name), the owner of Monsterland Recording Studio about working out of his studio in the winter of 2010. I did a few projects out of his studio but I had other studios around NYC and Boston that I was working at as well. His studio was more of an overgrown — and built out — project studio with great gear.

Monsterland existed for about six years in various forms and he was tired of running the studio as a commercial venture — I owned a studio for three years in Boston and I can completely understand why owning a commercial facility can be frustrating.

Bones asked me if I would be interested in some free studio time to work on a project outside of the typical confines of a commercial recording. He suggested a compilation project, but my reaction was lukewarm at best: To me, a compilation was something that ska bands from 1997 put together. It was rarely, if ever, seen as a comprehensive work and was usually meant for the purpose of selling a larger product like an album or a touring bill.

I thought about the proposition more, and I decided that a compilation in the year 2010 didn’t need to be for the purpose of commerce at all if I didn’t want it to be. With this opportunity of free studio time from Monsterland, I could create a meaningful body of work outside of commerce that was purely for the promotion and proliferation of the artist. With this goal in mind, Brooklyn Heat was born.

That’s an organic genesis – the best kind. How did you select which bands would be involved? And with the sometimes questionable nature of compilations, why do you think this was something they wanted to be a part of?

The primary factor in choosing artists for Brooklyn Heat was my personal interest in their work. I had to really dig what they were doing, and their potential in the future for selection in this project. I also wanted the artists to know each other. There are a multitude of micro scenes in Brooklyn and I wanted to highlight a moment of  “rock” in the summer of 2010.

Through the filter of my personal interest and selecting artists from the same social circle, there’s a cohesive sound to Brooklyn Heat that I was not initially intending, but I think its the most significant part of the project.

The project’s sound happens to be fast, somewhat punky, and largely stripped down. For the bands that I picked, there was an effort to stay away from things that are often indulged in with home recordings such as wild effects and endless layers of keyboards. The record is more about capturing bands in a moment that an inserted production aesthetic.

You definitely get that. The bands each have their own sound, but there’s a clear common thread between all of them as well. So how did Monsterland work out as the studio for the project?
Unfortunately that studio is now closed, but I hope to do similar projects in the future. I’m not sure where yet, but I’m sure someone I know will throw me some studio time for another venture like this! But Monsterland happened to be well equipped to record a rock band in a live setting, which is how most of this project was recorded.

The Brooklyn Heat Website says that you recorded six bands in six days. Was it tough to work this way? On the other hand, what are the benefits of recording a band-a-day?
The press releases all say “six bands in six days” which is partially true but also a lie. There were some mix revisions that happened outside of that time constraint, but not far beyond 10 hours per song. The time constraint was actually created by me, not by the studio owner. Monsterland’s owner would have been fine if each song took a month, but that wasn’t what I was trying to create. I think a day to record a rock song is a perfectly acceptable amount of time.

I tend to push for live recordings as opposed to an overdub method. I was trained as an engineer by very traditional producers and engineers who tried to keep recording styles of the ’60’s and ’70’s alive, and I think the time constraint adds to that aesthetic as well. I like schedules. It keeps people honest about what’s important in a recording.

The workflow was very casual since there wasn’t a dollar sign attached to the clock. Each band cut basics before lunch and then we would cut any overdubs and vocals that were left in the afternoon. Most of the mixes were done in two hours. It’s easy when the song is good and everyone is relaxed.

For recording equipment, most of our tools were rather standard: We had a Pro Tools HD1 rig with a Lynx Aurora 16 box, and I mixed mainly in the box with a Dangerous Summing Buss on the back end, and I had some nice compressors on crucial elements such as kick, snare, vocals, bass — I had an LA-2A, two 1176’s, and a Distressor. Those all helped, but because the dynamics of the performances were on I opted for a lot of group compression with plugins. I like those Stillwell Audio plugins a lot.

Throughout the entire record I was testing the ADK S-7 and A-6 microphones for a review. I usually don’t test gear in actual recording sessions, but for this project I felt it was appropriate. They are nice mics.

Sounds like an uncomplicated workflow, which is totally appropriate for the project. Was there a song from the bunch that you really enjoyed capturing?
The Gunfight! cut (“I Would Be Your Man”) was probably my favorite song to record for this project. On this song, members of Quiet Loudly lent a hand with some guitar solos, and backing vocals. Both bands share the same bass players so there was this weird incestuous quality about the creation of that song that felt like I was really capturing something special. Gunfight! and Quiet Loudly were on tour together all summer so they had all kinds of unspoken chemistry that I had to tap into very quickly.

On a usual record I may have a month or more to develop relationships within a band so that once we’re in a studio, I understand who’s the boss, who’s the diva, and who’s the “recording guy”. With Brooklyn Heat I had to discover individual roles in ten minutes.

Even though you had your own doubts before getting started, I’d say overall that producers, engineers, studios and artists seem increasingly interested in creating compilations like this, where there’s a common thread to how the record is produced/created/etc… What’s the attraction of doing a focused project like Brooklyn Heat — what makes it good for everyone involved?

It’s great for the artist — specifically with this project — in that they’re given a platform to create without the financial constraints that the “recording industry” typically puts in place.

For me, it was a way to do what I love without a lot of the downsides put into place by the financial reality of recording. I can only hope that it shines a positive light on the artists I am showcasing. An added benefit would be recognition of my engineering work, but that is not really the intention of the project.

Hopefully, for our intended audience it’s a document of a time in Brooklyn rock.

Those are admirably modest — yet somehow lofty — goals. For you, what’s the particular draw of documenting, and being a part of, the NYC audio scene right now?
I lived in Boston working as a producer and an engineer for six years, and the scene is great there. NYC in comparison has a commitment to create something special. People move here from all over the world to create a new thing — from that perspective I think it is an ideal place to live and work in music.

The flip side is that it’s expensive, dirty, and competitive. Most cities are. I would rather record some awesome bands in NYC and spend less money than record more less-inspired bands in Rochester or something. I’m not saying that one has to live in NYC or Nashville to “make it” — but it is certainly easier.

Here here. You definitely seem to have some righteous influences going. Who’s inspired you to approach producing and engineering  the way that you do?
Although I don’t make records like his, Phil Elvrum (Mount Eerie, The Microphones) has always interested me. People put a “producer” cap on him, but I think of him as more of a songwriter put into a recordists chair out of necessity. He was given solid tools to work with well before the home recording thing got big, and he made the most out of what he had.

Fast forward ten years, most 14-year-old kids with a laptop have access to what he had, and yet you don’t see those 14-year-old kids with the Dr. Dre laptop/headphone bundle creating lush atmospheric and dramatic productions like Elvrum. I think he’s a testament to creativity over gear.

Catch the Brooklyn Heat Project Launch LIVE! The show is January 20th, 8pm at COCO 66 (66 Greenpoint Ave) in – you guessed it – Brooklyn, NYC. All of the bands on the bill are on the compilation, including Quietloudly/ Gunfight (collaborative performance), Shark?, Quilty, Little Racer, and Magnetic Island.

– David Weiss

Living Room Recording: Producer Nic Hard Makes The Perfects Feel Right at Home

PROSPECT LEFFERTS GARDENS, BROOKLYN: No slave to the studio, Nic Hard. For this in-demand indie producer/engineer/mixer (The Bravery, Aberdeen City, The Church, The Kin), professional recording often means a move away from controlled conditions into creatively comforting confines.

Hard’s latest project, capturing the arresting rock/new wave/electronic concoctions of Baltimore’s the Perfects, bear out his current preference for recording world-class albums in the living room, as opposed to the live room. A former Philadelphia DJ, Hard had meshed well with the Perfects’ love of synths, electronic drums and ‘80’s influences, first on their 2005 self-titled debut EP and subsequently on the 2009 full-length future automatic.

Collaborating on the Perfects’ upcoming (Spring 2011) album, Hard recently had the band come up to a Bushwick loft where his own personal “Living Room Studio” workflow could be effectively deployed. Recording in sonically informal environs happens every day, of course, but Hard’s approach – borne out of an unexpected set of sessions with the Bravery – shows that there’s always another spin.

Tell us about your take on the “Living Room Studio”. How do you go about it?
Basically, the idea is taking the recording process away from a traditional “pro studio” setup with the big desk, the glass, the sweet spot and the perfect listening environment, and forcing yourself to listen in a more casual way. Instead, we set up a room — rehearsal space, warehouse, house or living room — with whatever gear is needed centered around a couple of couches, coffee tables, and maybe a nice rug.

For most of my career I’ve worked primarily with independent bands. Most bands don’t have unlimited funds, and therefore booking Electric Lady for three months isn’t usually in the cards. I’ve always leaned towards working at less expensive studios so that more time could be spent. To me time is by far the most valuable thing in the recording process: If it came down to it, I’d rather have a month with a Mackie and 57’s than a week at a studio like the Hit Factory (RIP). That’s not to say I don’t use good stuff, but the time means more to me.

That seems like a sound theory and a music-first approach. When did it start to take shape for you?
I’ve done a bunch or recording where gear has been brought into an ordinary space, like The Kin’s “Rise and Fall” record which was done in an old farmhouse out in Pennsylvania. Even with that record there was still somewhat of an attempt to have a “control room” type situation.

It wasn’t until I was working with the Bravery on their most recent record that I got the idea to take it one step further. I ended up cutting almost all of the vocals for that record in the singer’s apartment — oh — and a couple of hotel rooms and on their tour bus! This was done mostly so that (vocalist/guitarist) Sam (Endicott) could be totally comfortable, and take as much time as he needed in an environment that he was used to listening in.

The record was mixed by Michael Brauer, but when it came time to pass the tracks off we still had stuff to finish, so we setup in Brauer’s lounge, which also happened to be a live room. There was a couch, a TV, nice rug and a pair of ProAc loudspeakers. As I sat on the couch and kicked back with my laptop finishing things up I realized that not only it was way more comfortable, but that I wasn’t listening as much to the quality of each individual thing — not focusing in on the technical aspects — but more just listening to the song. Since then I’ve done a handful of records where I’ve gone out of my way to setup in a way that was non-traditional.

I think personal workflow innovations are always best when they’re discovered like that, organically. When it came to the Perfects, where did you and the band work, and what kind of rig did you take with you to the space?
For the last round of songs I did with the Perfects we sublet a loft in Bushwick. Logistically this ended up being more convenient than Baltimore for me, because I was also doing a couple other projects and needed to be close.

The rig consists of a 192, a tower with three Pro Tools cards and a Dangerous Music D-Box. The D-Box has been great in a tracking situation, because one of the things I’ve missed about tracking with a console is the ability to blend mics on guitars or keys down to one track — you know, commit! Using the sum inputs on the D-Box has been great for that.

Typically in these situations I have a friend who I’ll rent mic pres, compressors and mics from as-needed. In the case of the Perfects we had a couple of Vintechs, a pair of Distressors and an LA-2A. We were also lucky enough to have been loaned a couple of BAE pres and a Burl B2 bomber by Audio Power Tools to test out. For this project, a lot of the drum sounds were a hybrid of live and electronic, so I opted to track minimal mics on the kit, sometimes just the Royers as a pair of “kit mics”.

You told me that you’ll also mix in the band’s gear where appropriate…
Since Pro Tools and Logic became “consumer” products i.e. cheaper, it’s allowed artists to have the ability to track themselves. When this began I remember being worried that I’d be out of a job, but it has actually turned out to be great: I get tons of demos that people have put together in their bedrooms or sometimes I’m mixing something that has been tracked entirely in that way.

What I’ve found is that it’s led to is a level of creativity that is unobstructed by technology, and people can come up with some crazy shit when they are up at all hours of the night with the ability to multi-track. The advent of these bedroom room studios also means that a bunch of bands also buy lots or recording gear, and this can always be used in the process and keep the budget down.

The “Living Room” approach sounds like it would be perfect – no pun intended – for a straight-up rock band. How does recording the Perfects’ many electronic/programmed elements live work in this scenario?
With the Perfects it’s a lot of synths, heavily-effected guitars and electronic stuff. I’ve recently been getting into Ableton Live and found that it allows me to do more on the fly, because when searching for sounds it’s just so fast to tweak/add/destroy things, all without having to stop and add a plug-in. Sometimes I’ll loop Pro Tools on my rig and run Ableton on a laptop, synced with MIDI through an Ethernet cable just to have more fluidity in the process of finding a sound.

Moving on to the mix, where did you take the tracks after the recording? What’s your own personal approach to mixing?

As of the beginning of 2009 I’ve had my own mix room in my house, which has been awesome! It has by far been the smartest thing that I’ve done for my mixing — about half the work I get is straight-up mixing, so it has really enabled me to hone my skills because of the ability to gain perspective. I’ll mix for as long as I feel fresh, then I’ll do something else, then later on come back to it. I’ve been way happier with the mixes I’ve been turning out.

Another great advantage has been that the feedback given by the band seems way more useful. I think for a lot of people, listening during a mix session on speakers and in a room they aren’t used to can be less objective than if they listen in their own house, or on whatever they usually listen on. It really takes the pressure out of the situation, and allows me to work on something until the band and I are happy with it.

What did the band think of the workflow?

Given the music’s electronic core and the need to mess around with sounds and parts to find the right stuff, it just seemed like a good way to do it…Oh, that and they don’t have a bazillion dollars!

It seems pretty clear that you like working the “Living Room” way as well — what makes it good for an engineer/producer like you? Do you think this is especially good for NYC recording, or is this a universally useful technique?
The main reason I like this has to be the more relaxed atmosphere and comfort in knowing that I have time to play around. I’m not sure how it will progress or if it will even last for me, but right now it seems to work.

I think that there are probably huge numbers of people all over the place doing very similar things. I think many “pro” engineers and producers still prefer the safety and control of a studio, and the living room thing definitely has its disadvantages — but they’re ones that I am willing to concede.

– David Weiss

“Analog Classics” Audio Plug-Ins Bundle Highlights New Universal Audio UAD-2 DSP Accelerator

Universal Audio has just updated its UAD-2 DSP Accelerator Packages.

Now all UAD-2 SOLO, DUO and QUAD DSP Accelerator Packages will feature smaller, “greener” packaging, and include the new no-additional-cost “Analog Classics” software bundle.

The “Analog Classics” bundle features:

– LA-2A Classic Audio Leveler — Previously only available for purchase online, this plug-in is an extremely accurate emulation of UA’s electro-optical, analog compressor.

– 1176LN Classic Limiting Amplifier — Also previously only available for purchase online, this plug-in is an extremely accurate emulation of UA’s FET-based hardware unit.

– 1176SE Limiting Amplifier — A DSP-optimized version of the 1176LN,
yielding higher instance counts and its own unique characteristics.

– Pultec EQP-1A EQ — A highly accurate emulation of the classic analog EQ.

– RealVerb Pro Room Modeler — A very flexible and natural-sounding reverb plug-in.

Tainted Blue Stage II: The Story of an NYC Studio Console Switch

MIDTOWN, MANHATTAN: Hard to believe, but it’s been almost five years exactly since the storied penthouse of Quad Studios was sold and became an entirely separate facility, Tainted Blue.

Then, as now, the top-end NYC studio scene felt like a big mystery, and many a big room has gone since 2005 (Sony, the Hit Factory, Legacy A509, Sound on Sound, Clinton Recording all RIP). But at the respectfully competitive Times Square address of 723 Seventh Avenue, which houses Quad and Tainted Blue, as well as Premier Studios NY on consecutive floors, the tracking/mixing beat goes furiously on.

Today, Tainted Blue owner Andrew Koss feels wiser – and no doubt older – as the landscape continues to shift. For the world-class studios that remain, the choice of large format console remains one of the most critical decisions, and Koss just shifted gears in a surprising way: His advanced Lawrence P. Swist-designed control room no longer houses an SSL 9080J, but a newly acquired Euphonix System 5.

Tainted Blue’s switch from a flagship analog board to a digital audio mixing system raised a lot of eyebrows citywide, but as we were reminded in our latest chat with Koss: everything happens for a reason.

How do you feel the studio business has evolved since you opened Tainted Blue?
It’s certainly been interesting to watch the rise, fall and challenges of how studios are trying to restructure themselves in the city. But I also think there’s been a swing back in the last few years to larger production, larger sound. There was a run of the indie style, where minimal was cool, and you could do it in the bedroom with a laptop. But if you look at the Billboard Top 50 now, none of the tracks are like that today.

So I think maybe producers and musicians hit the wall, which I think I hit before I opened up the studio here — the frustrations and limitations of what you could do at home with a minimal setup. You start wanting more creativity, and a sound you just can’t capture without the acoustics of a live room.

The challenges have been that it’s a new generation of engineers, and new generation of producers who grew up with a very different education. The way they work is so different that you have to be able to cater to their needs. They’ve learned the software version, and then they come in and see the hardware version of the LA-2As and Pultecs.

We’re not catering towards the older generation of engineers, who really have their own spaces and their own environments that they work at, so we try to cater to the younger, next generation of engineers who are more comfortable in a digital format, and in a hipper more stylistically designed room, where the vibe is more important to them than it ever was to the older clients. It’s really the younger guys who want that exclusive, luxury feel and we’ve worked hard to provide that.

We built this as a boutique studio. And it’s a little more refined — the feeling when you’re here. Having a piano that’s always tuned and ready to go, instruments and drumkits at hand, and we don’t charge rental fees for any of this. They’re here to be used.

I think there’s more potential clients than we’ve seen in years. But it’s a different kind of project. Sure, people can do pre-production at home, and because of that, the project they bring in doesn’t require a week of studio time, they just need six hours. But there’s so many of those people, that it’s all right that we only get them for one day, instead of twelve-day lockouts. There’s plenty of that business out there — it’s just a different kind of booking.

What makes a large console format remain important in those considerations?

There’s certainly a lot of people who work in the box and don’t need the audio channel capacity that we have. But at the same time having a console like the Euphonix System 5, that can turn into a control surface makes our approach to that market that much easier.

That’s because if they want to they can work in software and the console can turn into a  controller with the EuCon software. It caters to people that don’t necessarily need the large format console, and just want the control space and to be able to retain access to all our outboard gear. At the same time, having 116 audio channels and near infinite routing options for the people that want to work across the console give us the perfect blend of both of these worlds.

I think also that the live room and the gear is still appealing to a lot of producers: being able to track drums, live piano and multiple musicians at the same time will always have its place.

We also have clients who come in and just take their mix out of the box through our outboard gear — bounce it out of the box, and go home. They put it through the EQs, bus compressors, print it, and take it home and keep mixing. As much a fan as I am of plug-ins, there are some things I just can’t create without a Thermionic Culture Phoenix compressor, or an LA-2A, for example.

What did you consider leading up to your decision to switch to a Euphonix System 5 from an SSL 9080J?

The cost and upkeep of the SSL was becoming difficult for us in a business where we have to think outside of the box, and try to find ways to keep revenue coming in.

The energy cost of the SSL was extreme with two air conditioners running 24 hours a day, even in January! The other issue was that the younger clients didn’t have experience on an old J console. If they did, they used it rarely for what it could do, and it wasn’t getting the use that demanded having it here, as parts were starting to go and setup times were increasing. Now because of the System 5 and its Patchnet system, if we have six hours to work with an artist, I can zero the room out in :30, as opposed to two hours. If someone wants to come in and play their session from last night, they can come in, open up the files and it’s exactly where they left it, including all routing and outboard patching.

Of course, the SSL sounded great, and a big concern with the Euphonix was getting a console that a lot of people hadn’t tried themselves. It takes a little convincing to show them what it can do, and seeing that it’s not just a digital control surface. People see it and they think “ICON”, whereas this is a true console, with 116 audio channels, 24 group busses, 24 mix busses –and not just stereo because they can be in 7.1, 5.1 and stereo all at the same time.

I’ll bet a lot of manufacturers wanted to get their board into Tainted Blue next. Why did you settle on the Euphonix?
We looked at a few choices out there. There’s actually less digital consoles on the market that are geared towards music production/tracking/mixing. Many of them are post production video type workstations.

Then we met Jay Spears over at Euphonix and we started talking about the System 5. He took me over to Studio B at what’s now MSR Studios, and I had never seen anything like it. The Euphonix seemed to be the most out in front with the technology with a 40-bit point floating point processing system, being so modular that you could have control surface and audio tracks right next to each other, or wherever you wanted them – this as opposed to some consoles that are either in controller mode or audio mode, one or the other.

And the support was a big issue. Jay and his team took the time to show the staff my board, and physically set it up with my team which was pretty spectacular. Having a company large enough that I knew I could count on was really important, and having them understand we were taking a risk with them: We’re a big room in Manhattan, there’s not a lot of us left, and this was a major change.

You bought your System 5 right before Avid acquired Euphonix…
The merger with Avid is a huge plus for us. The integration with Pro Tools is going to go through the roof, now that Avid’s involved, so for our clients it will be a win-win. It will be everything the ICON is, and way more because of the actual audio processing. I believe you’ll see the System 5 becoming Avid’s flagship console.

I think for studio owners switching consoles is the next most-dreaded prospect to moving studios altogether. Was making the physical switch from the SSL to the Euphonix difficult?

The buyers were responsible, thankfully, for the decommission of the SSL, but we weren’t sure what spider webs we’d find underneath it. We did the decommission in two days, which was remarkably fast, and the installation of the Euphonix took about eight hours. The slow part of the process was the patch bay, because we had to sell the old patch bay with the SSL, which meant we had to rewire the audio DL’s  into the wall, and add some new gear as well.

But we used that time to problem-solve issues with the room that have been here since it was built, reducing some noise and grounding problems. In Manhattan, there’s always issues with electricity, and (Tainted Blue Studio Manager) Sax took the time to reduce noise floor on the gear. It took a week to turn over, but the studio has never sounded this good, and it’s been here thirty years. I think they reduced noise in the mic lines by about 20 dB, which is pretty dramatic.

The System 5 setup itself couldn’t have been easier. Four rack pieces and it plugs into the wall! With Ethernet, it’s so easy. One DeltaLink handles all 116 audio channels i/o of Pro Tools. Two DigiLink cables and two SSL Alpha-Links handle all the outboard gear.

[See a time lapse video of the console switch at Tainted Blue right here:]

Now that the board’s in place, what are the impressions — yours and your clients’?
Since I work here all the time, for my work it’s the greatest thing that could have happened. The Euphonix computer controls our entire patch bay, and every time I open a session, all of my outboard gear is routed back to that session, so buss compressors, inserts, outboard EQ, reverbs, etc… are all brought back to where they were the last they were used. Obviously you have to move the knobs on the outboard gear, but the patching which was a such tedious aspect is now gone. I can A/B different vocal chains with the press of a button in real time. So it’s done a lot for me, before the session even starts.

Clients have been having a blast because it’s something new to play with, but also because we can contour the templates to their workflow. We know if they work out of the box, we’ll directly route Pro Tools to the monitoring section. Or if they want to use the control surface on one side and audio on the other, they can do that.

People love the EQs and dynamics of the System 5, because there so clean – “surgical” is the word I’d use. Reminiscent of an Oxford console to me, which is why we added some outboard gear with lots of sound — I went with outboard gear that’s dirty and crazy and fun.

There was a visual impact the SSL had, but I’ve been surprised about the number of people who have seen the way the room looks with the extra space, and say that it looks like 2010, not the late ‘90s. The 24’ LCD screen with Cinema Display dead center is an awesome way to work in an era when clients are hands-on now, not sitting in the back making calls but doing the editing and effects. It’s a clear, clean listening field and makes for a nice comfortable experience.

We’ve talked a LOT about gear just now. Any intangibles to take note of?

Just recently we’ve made Sax our studio manager. He’s been in the studio scene for 15-20 years now. He’s seen it since the heyday, and really knows what make studios succeed and fail. He’s working very hard on how the whole experience transfers on to the client.

In the end, the energy that clients feel coming in is so important. And while you’d think it would be intuitive that the gear is the most important factor, it’s not: the experience and how they feel while they’re here really matters. It’s so important.

Along with that, we’ve been out trying to find new ways to bring in business for us that are outside the box. Using the studio as more than just a place to record, be it for film, photos, and our “From the Penthouse” series where we’ve been doing small artist showcases here.

We’re really having a blast, and we’re sharing that with the people who come in — it’s a fun place to work. We’re excited to let people see that and have them create their music here.

– David Weiss