Avatar Action: Sugarland, the Michel Legrand Orchestra, State Farm Was There

Avatar Studios session action recently was fast and furious, as reported by the studio. Superstars returned, and multiple major label and indie artists tracked along with TV, film and Broadway cast recordings.

Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush AKA Sugarland recorded in Studio C on the Neve VRP 72-input console with producer Byron Gallamore. Engineer Tom Tapley was assisted by Bob Mallory.

Tony Bennett returned to Studio A and the Neve 8088, with Lady Gaga and producer Phil Ramone. Engineer Dae Bennett was assisted by Fernando Lodeiro and Tim Marchiafava.

State Farm made a choral recording in Studio A for a 9/11 Spike Lee-directed commercial with producer Eric David Johnson. Engineer Jonathan Duckett was assisted by Charlie Kramsky.

Joe Jackson recorded in Studio C. Engineer Elliot Scheiner was assisted by Aki Nishimura.

Bassist/singer Esperanza Spalding recorded in Studio G with engineers Fernando Lodeiro and Brian Montgomery assisted by Tim Marchiafava.  The sessions are being produced by Esperanza Spalding and Q-Tip.

Studio B and the SSL 9000 J were on duty for Dar Williams, recording with producer/engineer Kevin Killen assisted by Fernando Lodeiro.

Horn specialist Mark Rivera recorded in Studio B with producer Jimmy Bralower, and engineer Roy Hendrickson assisted by Charlie Kramsky.

Rock singer/songwriter Danielia Cotton recorded in Studio A with engineer Dave Swanson assisted by Bob Mallory.

Producer John Oddo was on point for Broadway singer/actress Christine Ebersole, recording in Studio B with engineer Roy Hendrickson assisted by Tim Marchiafava.

Legendary jazz drummer Jack DeJohnette recorded in Studio A with producer Bob Sadin, engineer Dave Darlington assisted by Bob Mallory.

Continuing on the jazzzzzzzz tip, artists Claire Martin and Kenny Barron recorded in Studio B with producer Philip Hobbs, engineer Calum Malcolm assisted by Charlie Kramsky.

Also in Studio A, the 52-piece Michel Legrand Orchestra tracked with producer Sylvain Taillet. Engineer Lawrence Manchester was assisted by Bob Mallory and Tim Marchiafava.

Another ensemble, the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra was in Studio A with producer Howard Cass, while engineer Paul Zinman was assisted by Tim Marchiafava.

The Birdland Big Band dug into their first studio album in Studio C. The team of producer Tommy Igoe, engineer Phil Magnotti, and assistant engineer Aki Nishimura oversaw the recording.

On the music-for-media front, score for the film Friends with Kids was recorded in Studio C with producer/composer Marcelo Zarvos, engineer Erlin Velberg assisted by Fernando Lodeiro.  The film stars Kristen Wiig, Megan Fox and Jon Hamm.

The cast album for Stage Door Canteen was recorded in Studio A with producer Hugh Fordin, and engineer Cynthia Daniels was assisted by Aki Nishimura. Meanwhile, a benefit project for Broadway Cares was recorded in Studio B with producer Lynn Pinto, engineer Andros Rodriguez assisted by Tim Marchiafava.

In Studio A, the cast album for Death Takes a Holiday tracked with producer Tommy Krasker. Engineer Bart Migal assisted by Bob Mallory and Charlie Kramsky.

Sessions at Avatar Studios with Jean Morrison, Lady Gaga, Tony Bennett, Aretha, Kenny Garrett

July was a hot month in Hell’s Kitchen, as Avatar Studios hosted sessions for some of the biggest names in the biz. Let’s fire it up!

In Studio A, the Neve 8088 captured the sweet sounds of Tony Bennett (happy 85th birthday this month!) recording a duet with Lady Gaga in Studio A for his upcoming Duets II album. The session was produced by Phil Ramone, engineered by Dae Bennett, and assisted by Fernando Lodeiro and Tim Marchiafava.  Tony Bennett also sang and recoded a duet with Intergalactic Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin in the spacious Studio C, with its Neve VRP 72-input console, for the same project.  Both sessions were filmed.

Also in Studio A, Jean Morrison recorded for her upcoming album with help from Nile Rodgers and Vernon Reid.  Diego Paul produced the session and Hillary Johnson engineered, assisted by Charlie Kramsky.

Detroit-borne jazz great Kenny Garrett recorded some transcendent new songs (SonicScoop received a special preview – story to come) in Studio C with producer Donald Brown, engineer Todd Whitelock, and assistant  Fernando Lodeiro.

Studio B and the SSL 9000 J were on duty recording for an Evanescence project. Nick Raskulinecz produced, and engineer Paul Figueroa was assisted by Fernando Lodeiro.

Scarlett Johansson recorded vocals in Studio G through the SSL 4000G+ for a Dean Martin project. Producer/engineer Eric Rosse and assistant Charlie Kramsky were on point.

The Gaddabouts returned to Studio A to record with producers Steve Gadd and Edie Brickell. Engineer Andy Smith was assisted here by Bob Mallory.

Studio A and G were rocking with the bluesy jams of The Zak Smith Band, recorded in Studio A and G by producer Zak Smith, engineer Milan Sudzuk assisted by Aki Nishimura.

Saxophonist and composer Jane Ira Bloom was recording in Studio B with super-engineer Jim Anderson, assisted by Fernando Lodeiro.

Michael Maier and Freddie Cole tracked vocals in Studio W, in a session produced by Michael Maier with engineer Bryan Smith.

In the TV realm, music for the Discovery Channel’s show The Rising: Rebuilding Ground Zero was recorded in Studio C with producer Robert Miller. Peter Hylenski engineered, assisted by Charlie Kramsky.

For the multimedia realm, James Sheldon, author of Before I Forget – Directing Television: 1948-1988, was in Studio E reading from his own book for an upcoming audio book.

“The Audio Mechanic” by Jason Finkel: Editing and Mixing Drums

Have you heard the expression; “You can’t polish a turd”? I remember the first time I heard it. I was sitting in Studio C at Battery Studios with Shane Stoneback working on a live track for a major pop star that — to put it nicely — was going to require some work.

Shane turned to me and dropped the famous line. This always stuck with me as a challenge. “Why can’t you polish it? How bad does it have to be?”

My name is Jason Finkel: I am a producer, mixer, engineer and part time new music blogger in Brooklyn, NYC. For the last 10 years I’ve seen how far you can take out-of-time, out-of-tune, over-written, under-produced, and poorly recorded tracks.  I have found many ways to overhaul broken recordings and even more ways to record better the first time.

Over the next few months I’m going to share some of these ideas so if all you have is a rehearsal space and a few mics, you’ll get better results and see some simple ways to manipulate whatever came out a bit brown.

OK, a little background info. I came out of the NYC large studio system that mostly does not exist anymore. I worked at the previously mentioned Battery Studios with superstar pop-divas, boy bands and almost everyone in hip-hop. I worked at Right Track with icons like Mariah Carey, Gwen Stefani, Rod Stewart, and James Taylor, to namedrop more than a few.

The point is these were hardly budget sessions. I once ran Pro Tools for an 80+ person orchestra plus drums, guitars, and bass for engineer Frank Filipetti and producer Phil Ramone with Clive Davis looking over my shoulder. I was well versed in no-holds-barred recording. When I left Right Track to start my own production company with little funds, I had to learn quickly how to incorporate my own ideas of professional techniques into less-than-perfect recording situations.

So let’s get started by taking a look at mixing tracks that have already been recorded. The subject: CHAPPO’s “Come Home”, a track that was recorded in an apartment in Brooklyn that ended up in an Apple iPod commercial.

During the summer of 2009 I stumbled into Don Pedro’s in Williamsburg and caught the middle of one of CHAPPO’s sets. It was a psych-rock explosion in my face. I knew exactly how they needed to sound. I immediately wanted to work with them.

After a few months of back and forth I found myself with their Garageband-recorded EP in my studio. My task was to just mix the EP. Simple right? Well, I certainty was not going to get off that easy. Zac Colwell (Jupiter One, Fancy Colors) had recorded/produced the EP in the band’s apartment using a few mics and fewer inputs. He had done a great job, but I had a few ideas that were going to require a little more flexibility and a lot more time. After transferring all the raw unprocessed tracks to my Pro Tools HD rig from GB, I got to work. For the first post I’m going to go over mixing the drums. Let get technical.

PART ONE: MIXING DRUMS

I like to pull up all the tracks and see what a song is doing right at the beginning of a mix, but after I have a clear vision for the track, I like to start with drums. The drums for all the songs on the EP were recorded on three separate tracks: kick, snare, and a mono overhead.

Sometimes having a mono overhead is great because it sits up the middle leaving space for big guitars/synths or for whatever left and right. Moreover, if you’re going to use a spaced pair and not an XY it can get real weird if you don’t know what you’re doing or can’t monitor correctly. Not to mention it’s another microphone, microphone pre, and input that you may or may not have.

SWEAT THE EDIT

First, I edited the feel of the drum performance. Now, quantizing drums definitely has a stigma and I would much rather work with tracks that felt great on the day of tracking, but anything less than that is going to get cut. If the rhythm section has a weird feel it’s really going to have a negative effect for the listener despite how good the song may be.

One thing that can be helpful when editing is to listen to the bass or another rhythmic element to see if it has a better feel and cut the drums to that. If I am using a click to record a band live, I try to let only the drummer hear the click so the band plays with each other. If I am only mixing then who knows how it was recorded. If the bass player was listening to the click then maybe his feel is the best for the song.

Just remember, editing drums in an already completed track is like moving the basement in a six-story building, the other levels may collapse, so listen to the other instruments and try to determine what the best course of action is.

Let’s get back to the track. I used Beat Detective to drop markers and then went through the track hit by hit to make sure the markers were at the tops of each drum hit, high hat hit, and cymbal strike and were directed to the right destination point. This may sound tedious, but trying to figure out where your track is out of time or not noticing your tom roll is off the intended beat after you have moved things is way more time-consuming. Measure twice cut once.

After I processed the edits, I listened back to make sure no transients were clipped and there was not any weird double attacks from incorrect cross fades.

Check out this video for an audible demo of the change in feel. If you notice, I only squeezed the performance tighter, I did not edit it hard to a grid:

SELECTING SAMPLES

After the drums were nice and tight I added samples. Yes, that’s right… samples. Remember, we are trying to fix a recording that does not meet the needs of the vision for the end product. The recorded sound of the drums was fine but it was not going to satisfy the vision I had for “Come Home”.

Try to think of samples as both EQ and Compression without having to do either initially. Choose a sample that will fix what the recorded drum is lacking — not by the sound of the sample. If the original snare is tubby then choose a sample heavy on attack or vice versa. The trick is to preserve the best part of the original recorded drum and not try to eliminate it. The consistent level of a sample when balanced with the original also helps to average out the combined level, limiting the dynamics of the drum.

Another great aspect of using samples is the ability to send them to reverb, delays, or other effects without annoying cymbal bleed. In this track’s case, the apartment did not provide the luxury of a nice tracking room’s ambience, so having the extra control to create a believable fake space was helpful. I also heavily gated the snare samples and original leaving just the attack. This allowed me to utilize the mono overhead for the tail of the snare, which gave the whole kit more believability.

Here is how I add the samples: I always go through a track by hand, tabbing to transient, and pasting samples. There are a bunch of programs that claim to do it for you, but in my experience, something always gets messed up. I then have to go and fix it, so instead I just go through manually — that way, I know it’s correct. I often audition samples in the first few bars and then, when I find ones that work, finish the song. With some practice you can drop samples to a drum track in a three minute song before the song can play out. It’s really not that difficult. On a typical track I can use anywhere from one to four samples per drum. I have worked on some mainstream records that have used way more than that.

PHASE CRAZE

I want to briefly touch on the topic of phase cancellation. Phase is a deep topic that could have its own column, but to oversimplify: If an instrument is equal distance from two mics that are facing each other, those mics will be 180 degrees out of phase and when summed together can cause major-to-complete cancellation of sound. Pretty much any two microphones pointed at the same instrument that are not perfectly aligned are, to some extent, out of phase. That’s going to make it difficult to have nice drums, let alone big drums.

The solution? Start with the kick, snare, or tom and solo the track. If you have multiple tracks for that drum, solo the first, then solo the additional track and flip the phase of either. Does it sound fuller…more low-end response? More attack? Does it sound worse? Go back and forth. It might not be obvious at first. Repeat with the next drum (generally any under-the-snare or tom mics should always be flipped out of phase). Then solo the overheads and see if they are in phase with each drum individually. Try the rooms and each drum as well. Flip the samples too. They may sit better in the mix.

It might be a puzzle to get the best combination but it will be worth it. Both kick samples in “Come Home” sounded better out of phase.

READY FOR THE FUN STUFF! DYNAMICS, ETC…

Now we have fixed the feel, corrected for whatever couldn’t be captured in tracking and made sure all the elements work together. Now it’s time to focus in on your balances, grab some EQ’s, some compressors and limiters…and maybe some more compressors and make those drums explode! It should be easier to work with now.

Check this movie I made demonstrating how I incorporated some of these topics to create the drum sound in “Come Home”:

Jason Finkel works between speakers all day in his Brooklyn, NYC mix studio, 4A.  Check his website for contact/info and follow his new music blog This Music Doesn’t Suck.

Manhattan Center Studios Hosts Sessions for Tony Bennett, “Tintin”, Broadway

Manhattan Center Studios has had a string of big sessions for major artists, film and Broadway at their expansive facilities on 34th and 8th. Recent highlights from the Grand Ballroom include:

Recording a 52-piece orchestra for Tony Bennett’s Duets Album 2 on Sony. The all-star team on the sessions included Producer Phil Ramone, Conductor and Orchestrator Jorge Calandrelli and Engineer Dae Bennett.

Renee Fleming was recorded singing live with a  69-piece orchestra in the Grand  Ballroom and adjacent Studio 7, equipped with the massive 108-input Neve VR,  for Steven Speilberg’s animated film Tintin. Two video crews were present at the sessions, one for a polycom set up allowing Speilberg and composer John Williams to attend the session from LA. The  second crew performed motion capture, which will allow the film’s animators to capture Fleming’s facial expressions exactly for her animated character.  Todd Whitelock was the engineer on the session.

Also, MCS recorded the cast album for How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, starring Daniel Radcliffe and John Larroquette.  The sessions were engineered by Adam Long and produced by Robert Sherr for Decca Label Group.

Session Buzz: Who’s Recording In & Around NYC — A Monthly Report

GREATER NYC AREA: Both through the grapevine and straight from the source(s), we’ve been hearing about a number of different recording projects going on in studios throughout the NYC area. The following is but a sampling of recent sessions, and works in progress…a snapshot of what’s going on around town:

Germano Studios has been going non-stop in 2011, between multiple months of lock-out sessions with Lady Gaga, and sessions with a host of other major artists.

Gaga and crew have been working out of both Germano Studio 1 and Studio 2, recording and mixing her upcoming album, Born This Way – due out May 23 – and the title track lead single, released in February.

Also – as previously reported – T-Pain was also at Germano Studios, recording vocals in Studio 2 with Levar “LV” Coppin producing and Javier Valverde engineering. And producer Steve Jordan and engineer Dave O’Donnell were in tracking basics with Kelly Clarkson and writing/recording with Keith Richards.

Meanwhile in the Brill Building, KMA Music has been going strong, with Beyoncé locked out Studios A and B for writing, recording and mixing sessions for her new album with an array of producers – The-Dream, Switch, Robert “Shea” Taylor, Jeff Bhasker – and engineers, including Swivel, Pat Thrall, Serge Nudel. Mya also booked out KMA for tracking and mixing sessions with producer Chuck Harmony and engineer Ben Chang. And Joe Jonas tracked and mixed material for his new solo project with Danja producing and Marcella Araica engineering. Lil Wayne was at KMA for a late-night vocal session as well.

In Brooklyn, producer/engineer Tim O’Heir has been holed up in his “Golden Ear” studio in the Music Garage in Williamsburg mixing the upcoming Austin TV double album epic. Austin TV, according to O’Heir, is “an instrumental group from Mexico City who compare themselves to Mogwai but with more ‘theatre.’

“The tracks were produced by Meme from Cafe Tacuba in Mexico and they FTP’d the Pro Tools sessions to me here in NY. It’s been a trip as these pieces are 100% math rock. The trick for them, and myself, was to get them as musical sounding as possible. (I think that was accomplished.)

The tracks were mixed in the box, summed through a Dangerous D-Box. Waves and Sound Toys as well as a few Digi plug-ins brought the whole thing to life.”

Nearby at The Bunker in East Williamsburg, Aaron Nevezie tracked and mixed the debut album by the Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra. This is an 11-piece traditional salsa band tracked live, playing fresh arrangements of indie-rock songs by LCD Soundsystem, Arcade Fire, Spoon and more. Nevezie also produced new releases for local Brooklyn bands Des Roar, and Crinkles, and mixed Peoples Champs.

The Bunker is also excited to have added a 1969 Steinway M grand piano and a new pair of vintage RCA ribbon mics to the studio.

And down in the financial district, Engine Room Audio has been popping with projects up in its SSL 4064G+ equipped penthouse tracking/mixing room, including G-Unit’s Tony Yayo and Waka Flocka tracking a new single with engineer Drew Fisher. Sean Kingston and Trav also mixed a new single at Engine Room, with engineer Sam Jacquet. Indie rock band Lowry just wrapped mixing on their new full-length album for Engine Room Recordings, with Mark Christensen producing and Fisher engineering. And “indie-pop-on-Mozart quintet” Wakey! Wakey! has been in recording for an upcoming Engine Room Recordings compilation.

Down in his mastering suite, Christensen’s been working on a new OK Go! live album, mixed by Dave Fridmann, as well as a new album by The Color Bars. Christensen also recently mastered the new Ryan Leslie single, “Glory,” and a new record by Cheryl Englehard.

Inside another popular NYC mastering haunt, The Lodge, mastering engineers Emily Lazar, Joe LaPorta, Sarah Register, and Heba Kadry have been busy with releases by Serg Tankian and Shirley Manson, Against Me!, The Naked and Famous, and Chris Taylor’s newest production work on Blood Orange’s upcoming 7″. (Lazar and LaPorta also mastered Foo Fighters’ Wasting Light!)

Other albums recently mastered by The Lodge crew: Tune-yards’ w h o k i l l, Fucked Up’s  David Comes To Life, Ford & Lopatin’s Channel Pressure, Cold Cave’s Cherish The Light Years, EMA’s Past Life Martyred Saints, Liturgy, Xray Eyeballs, Eternal Tapestry/Sun Araw, White Hills and more.

Back uptown at Area 51 NYC… singer Vita Chambers was working on a new release for Universal Motown with producers CJ, Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers, and Henry “Skem” Kaprali engineering, assisted by John Lurie. Also for Universal Motown, Gail Scott was in session working with producer Kenneth “Soundz” Coby and Michelle Figueroa engineering. French house DJ/producer David Guetta was at Area 51 co-producing new material with CJ, and engineer Dan Smith, for Guetta’s own Gum Productions.

Area 51 also installed new Augspurger mains in the North Room. Says Area 51 co-owner/manager Tony Drootin: “We purchased the dual 15” cabinets and subs that used to reside in Studio D at Sony Studios. We replaced all the components, added a new crossover, and tweaked the system to our room.” He also reports that Area 51 is now configured for drum tracking out of the South Room, and has added some new mics and outboard gear to its arsenal.

Nearby at Avatar Studios, the city’s most famous “Studio A” hosted… a duet by Tony Bennett and Sheryl Crow, produced by Phil Ramone, and engineered by Dae Bennett; Elvis Costello recording a song for an upcoming film with engineer Kevin Killen; and James McCartney recording new material with David Kahne producing and Roy Hendrickson engineering. Meanwhile in Studio C, Steve Reich / So Percussion recorded with producer Judith Sherman and engineer John Kilgore.

At Threshold Recording Studios NYC… singer/songwriter Alana Kessler worked on her new single “The Best Thing” with producer/engineer and multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Sklarsky; composer / PBS producer Tim Janis prepared for his upcoming annual Christmas show at Carnegie Hall with Alexa Ray Joel; and Bad Company drummer Simon Kirke was back as part of the Road Recovery Performance Workshops Program.

And finally, Stratosphere Sound hosted New Jersey indie rockers The Static Jacks for a month, recording their debut full-length in Studio A with producer/engineer Chris Shaw. R&B legend Aaron Neville also recorded vocals at Stratosphere recently with Geoff Sanoff in Studio A.

And Amanda Ghost, producer Dave McCracken and engineer Andros Rodriguez – long-term clients in Studio B – have been working with female rapper KFlay, singers Sky Ferreira and Murray James, as well as John Legend.

And we know there’s so much more going on out there! If you’d like to be featured in “Session Buzz,” please submit your studio news to submissions@sonicscoop.com.

Avatar Studios Hosts James McCartney, Travis Barker, Regis Philbin, Roberta Flack

The rooms at Avatar Studios have been crowded this past month, with projects for everyone from global artists to talk show royalty. Top producers and engineers have been in on many of the sessions as well.

Studio A, with its legendary 2,496 sq. ft. live room, accommodated a duet by Tony Bennett and Sheryl Crow, produced by Phil Ramone, engineered by Dae Bennett, and assisted by Fernando Lodeiro. Elvis Costello was also in A, recording a song for an upcoming film with engineer Kevin Killen, assisted by Fernando Lodeiro.

Staying in Studio A, James McCartney recorded in Studio A with producer David Kahne, engineer Roy Hendrickson assisted by Fernando Lodeiro. Mark Ronson recorded music there for Warner Pictures’ Arthur, with engineer Vaughan Merrick, and assisted by Bob Mallory. On the drumming tip, Travis Barker recorded drums for an ad with producer James Covill, engineer James Ingram, and assisted by Bob Mallory.

Roberta Flack recorded in Studio A as well as well as the SSL 9000J-equipped Studio B with co-producer Sherrod Barnes, engineer Roy Hendrickson, and assisted by Bob Mallory.

In Studio C with its Neve VRP 72, Constantine Maroulis recorded with producers Phil Galdston and Marc Copely — engineer Lawrence Manchester was on hand, assisted by Bob Mallory. In addition Rebecca Arons recorded with Regis Philbin in Studio C with engineer Anthony Ruotolo, assisted by Bob Mallory. Also in C, Steve Reich / So Percussion recorded with producer Judith Sherman, engineer John Kilgore, and assisted by Charlie Kramsky.

On the multimedia front, Cirque de Soleil recorded in Studio C with producer Phil Ramone and engineer Roy Hendrickson, assisted by Fernando Lodeiro. Music for HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” was recorded in Studio B with producers Stewart Lerman, Jim Dunbar, engineer Stewart Lerman, and assisted by Bob Mallory. Last but not least, music for Fox’s “Glee” was recorded in Studio G with producer Tommy Faragher and engineer Bryan Smith, assisted by Fernando Lodeiro.

Dream Weekend at Avatar: Lessons Learned At METAlliance

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN: Dream weekend. I spent February 19th and 20th with the METAlliance at the historic Avatar Studios in New York City.

Who is this Alliance, you ask? Al Schmitt, Phil Ramone, Chuck Ainlay, Ed Cherney, George Massenburg, Frank Filipetti, and Elliot Scheiner — the absolute elite top recording and mix engineers in the music business, committed to providing real-world product reviews and endorsements and sharing their years of experience with up-and-comers through events like the one I attended.

If you don’t recognize some of these names, go to allmusic.com and look them up to identify all the records you grew up with that these guys recorded and mixed. It’s very humbling.

We spent the weekend tracking two artists – the delightful Kat Edmonson and the rocking Lazer Cake and attended a mix class with George and Frank “In the Box” and Chuck Ainlay on a J-series SSL.

I own and operate Outloud Audio, a three-room music and post facility in New York City. Even with my 10+ years in the business, I leaped at the chance to spend some time with guys who defined the sound of great music and see if I could tap into their magic.

I quickly learned why these engineers are the tops. Their work is absolutely amazing and each one displayed an enthusiasm for our business that brought me right back to the first time I heard a guitar and wanted to be a part of the world of music.

While much of what I learned I want to keep in my personal arsenal, here are some nuggets from the seminars.

First, some of these guys work in the box, and some work on analog boards.  Most work with Pro Tools, some with Nuendo. All of their work is world class.  So I learned if I can’t make it sound good, it’s the driver, not the car.

Second, check phase! Every one of them checked and rechecked phase on their mics and in some cases on the wiring throughout the systems – identifying incorrect wiring at any point in the chain!

Third, every one of them eschewed pitch correction and timing correction in the face of what was a compelling performance. Focus on how it sounds, not how it lines up on a grid.

Chuck Ainlay provided terrific perspective to help get us away from looking at the computer.  He noted that we are all visually trained and yet our eyes are fooled by 30fps; they convince us that we are seeing motion, whereas it takes 44,100 samples per second to convince our ears of a natural sound. And, in some cases, even that fails.

So turn off your monitor, don’t take visual cues, and listen to the mixes. Our ears are our most sensitive instruments.

In addition to these observations, I also met and made music with people I greatly admire. All in all, if you have the money and the time, I urge you to run to one of the METAlliance events.

With so many of the big studios closing in recent years, access to engineers like these is becoming scarcer.  This is the closest you can get to a mentor opportunity inside of a weekend, and if you are serious about your music, this opportunity is a must.

Mark Kondracki is a composer, recording and audio post engineer.  He owns and operates Outloud Audio, a studio that provides original music, sound design, mixing for TV, film records and radio, VO and ADR, and audio book recording. Visit www.outloudaudio.com to get in touch!

Record and Mix With Some of the Best Engineers on the Planet at Avatar (Feb 19-20) with SonicScoop Discount

Hello New York! There is an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime-type event coming up at Avatar Studios next week — an immersive, weekend-long experience in recording and mixing with some of the best engineers on the planet. And as a media sponsor of this event — the METAlliance “In Session with The Guys” (Feb 19-20) — SonicScoop is offering discounted passes to our readers. (see below!)

Check it out: over two days at Avatar, attendees will participate and interact in live recording and mixing sessions with none other than Phil Ramone, Al Schmitt, Elliot Scheiner, Ed Cherney, Chuck Ainlay, Frank Filipetti and George Massenburg. Organized in phases, the sessions will be extremely intimate and hands-on, capped at 8 attendees per section.

In this format, the event will work like a practicum for engineer attendees (established and up-and-coming) looking to up their game by learning from the best. Over the course of four sessions, the group will record and mix with Brooklyn synth-pop band Lazer Cake and jazz vocalist Kat Edmonson.

In the Recording portion of the program, attendees will get a close-up look at tracking and mic techniques in two sessions and two environments:

Session One: Phil Ramone and Al Schmitt recording Kat Edmonson
Session Two: Elliot Scheiner and Ed Cherney recording Lazer Cake

In separate mixing sessions, they’ll be presented with the detailed procedures in significant detail, plus experience in-depth critical listening workshops. Mixing methods will also be explored in two different studio environments…

Session Three: Chuck Ainlay mixing on an SSL console
Session Four: In-the-box “home studio mixing” with Frank Filipetti and George Massenburg in a home studio environment

Over the course of this program, attendees will be gaining practical recording and mixing expertise from the engineers behind some of the most sonically distinctive records ever by legendary artists including Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Paul Simon, Steeley Dan, Dire Straits, The Rolling Stones, Lyle Lovett, Jackson Brown, James Taylor, Emmylou Harris, Van Morrison, Diana Krall, and Neil Young. And that’s the super short list.

Attendance to all four sessions of this event is $2,495, but you can save $500 through our negotiated sponsorship at SonicScoop by contacting Janice Brown at janice@sonicscoop.com.

Visit www.metalliance.com for more information and to register now!

Food and refreshments will be provided to attendees throughout the program, and Avatar will also host a special private meet-and-greet gathering on Friday, February 18 to kick off the weekend’s events.

Attendees will also be automatically entered in drawings for a series of gear giveaways, including a Steinberg Nuendo 5 Education Edition with Nuendo Expansion Kit (value: $2340.99 + $390.99), a Lexicon PCM Native|Reverb Bundle ($399), and an iZotope Ozone/RX/Nectar plug-in bundle ($897).

Other valuable products provided by the METAlliance Pro Partners will be put to use throughout the sessions.

METAlliance stands for Music Engineering and Technical Alliance. The seven founding engineers participating in this event at Avatar are the recording industry’s advocates pushing for better audio standards.

Through research and development, efforts in standardization and cross platform interoperability, education and mentoring, METAlliance is working to ensure the highest standards of audio production and delivery through developing consumer formats.

Events like this one, and the inaugural “In Session With” event held last year at Capitol Studios in Hollywood, help to fund the METAlliance’s continued efforts, and provide a platform for sharing expertise with working, up-and-coming and aspiring recording and mixing engineers.

For more information, and to register, visit www.metalliance.com.

METAlliance NYC “In Session” With Ramone, Schmitt, Scheiner, Cherney & More at Avatar February 19-20

The METAlliance (Music Engineering and Technical Alliance) is presenting the second In Session event, February 19-20, 2011 in NYC at Avatar Studios.

Attendees to this weekend-long event, called “In Session with The Guys,” will participate and interact with the METAlliance founders and celebrated engineer/producers — Phil Ramone, Al Schmitt, Elliot Scheiner, Ed Cherney, Chuck Ainlay, George Massenberg and Frank Filipetti — in live recording and mixing sessions.

Every attendee will participate in four sessions, each designed to provide different experiences in the recording process and led by the founding members. Space is very limited. If you’re interested, you should register early: http://metalliance.com/academy/registration.php

Recording:

Session One: Phil Ramone and Al Schmitt
Session Two: Elliot Scheiner and Ed Cherney

Mixing:

Session Three: Chuck Ainlay
Session Four: In the Box home studio mixing with Frank Filipetti and George Massenburg in a home studio environment

Amenities include catered food and a special private gathering February 18 for those who register by January 18, 2011. Attendance to all four sessions is $2,495 and is “extremely limited,” so register now/soon.

For more information and registration forms visit: http://www.metalliance.com .

Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp NYC to Feature Roger Daltrey of The Who, Phil Ramone as Special Guest Counselors

From January 12th to 17th in New York City at Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp, rock enthusiasts and amateur musicians will have the opportunity to interact with, learn from, jam with and perform alongside their idols as part of the rock camp that became the centerpiece of VH1 Classic’s new series – also called Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp.

The series debuted October 16th as the most watched series premiere in network history. It has also proved to be beneficial to the local music industry, making frequent use of NYC-based producers, engineers and recording facilities.

Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp New York City will feature several of the celebrity counselors from the Mark Burnett-produced VH1 Classic show. Along with special guest counselor Roger Daltrey, Grammy Award-winning producer Phil Ramone, Tommy James, Simon Kirke of Bad Company, Rudy Sarzo of Quiet Riot, Kip Winger of Winger, renowned singer/songwriter Mark Hudson, and many others, will help build the skills of rock hobbyists.

Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp was founded by David Fishof in 1997 as the ultimate music experience for the amateur or aficionado, pairing music lovers of all levels together with rock icons for a first-hand immersion in the rock lifestyle.  In the process, camp attendees move from spectator to band member.

The NYC campers will form their own bands; spend over 10 hours a day in-studio jamming and creating original music under the guidance of a famous rock counselor; meet and jam with Roger Daltrey; take a variety of specialized master classes conducted by rock icons; break bread with industry insiders; and play BB King’s in Times Square.

Campers have their choice of three packages: the four-day Rock Star package, and six-day Headliner and Recording Star packages. The most comprehensive package – The Recording Star – includes two extra days of recording time in a renowned studio with a professional engineer, allowing campers to leave with a series of professionally-mixed and produced songs.

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