Author Archives: Damian

In The Studio With Bekah Kelso

If you’re not familiar with Bekah Kelso then you haven’t heard one of the most talented performers(real) around. Take natural talent and  drive it with extensive gigging and you get a performer with laser sight acuity. On Bekah’s last recording, “Departures”, I prided the project on the fact that no pitch correction was used. It might seem careless if you believe at least a “safety” tuning pass is the least you can do to a vocal performance. Bends, vibratos, expressive formant tonality, etc. are, to me, what makes a performance. So again we tracked relatively quickly and let the song tell us where to go.

We took that approach further on the 4 out of the 10 possible songs we started with and decided to work on. We had limited time as Bekah was getting ready to make a big move out of Texas to Seattle. We will continue to forge this project through online collaboration and wrap up in May.

First we recorded “demo” takes (Guitar/Vocal/Click) to about 10 ideas Bekah has been looking for the right time and place to bring into this world. We narrowed it down to 4 songs we fastidiously worked, sculpted, rearranged, manipulated and tracked. We started by adding Bass guitar. After the initial “guide” take I decided to lower the click and feel the original acoustic guitar/vocal take. That gave us a fluidity that can easily be lost or edited out of music.We kept throwing around the idea,”This is what we do.” and suddenly most first takes were right where they needed to be. That wasn’t the case for all tracks but it sure made the aggregated tracks jump and move.

I tried to maintain the flow of one song at a time but if at some point the “feeling” was absent we’d listen to another and if that caught our vibe we’d attack and conquer. After the bass was complete we now had a foundation of groove. Bass against guitar. We’d then track “keeper” acoustic takes and replace the guides. There’ was no real plan or list to follow. It was really based on the vibe or feel we were attuned to and inject as much as possible to the recording of the performance. As chaotic as it might seem there was a calmness about what we were doing that led to some magic and confidence in our decisions. Totally worth it.

We then would move on to electric guitars and other instruments.

The Electric guitar was tracked using a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe and a G&L semi-hollow ASAT mic’d with either and AKG C414B or a Samson VR88(same as “Departures”) depending on what the song called for. We layered some percussion tracks also recorded with the 414. by this time the click was muted and they started to feel like complete songs.

We moved on to Vocals using a Neumann TLM 193 through Universal Audio’s 4110. This combo caught the airy, harmonically appealing, breathiness of Bekah’s voice while maintaing a natural tone. On the last day we both decided that one song in particular was not ready for vocals or just wasn’t matching up to the other songs so with ruthless empirical zeal we scrapped it and reworked, arranged and tracked a completely new song. Talk about magic. In a matter of hours 2 counter point Acoustic Guitars, Bass, were ready for final Vocals and with in a few takes the song was now ready to move forward.

We will track drums when all other songs have been pre-produced and rehearsed to the rough mixes. Ryan Kelso will pull drum duties while Marty Barrera will add more percussion. I am excited about the prospects this project holds in store for us. Stay tuned and please check out Bekah Kelso

 

Photos by Sean-Micheal Argo

Preamp Choice for Acoustic Guitar

1 Reply

Today we’re listening to a few preamps for Acoustic Guitar (Taylor 414 GC). Digi 002 BLA Signature Mod, Universal Audio 4-710d, Universal Audio 4110, and Noetek Series 1E.

Download 16bit/44.1k files (.wav)

Each track is an individual performance of the same 6 bar riff. Levels were matched as close as possible using Waves’ PAZ-Analyzer so there is no post processing.

Signal chain was kept simple to avoid external factors. The Taylor was recorded using it’s Expression System directly in to the mic pres. Then AD was done by DIGI 002 BLA SigMod.

 

 

The Most Transparent(clean) was the 002. The rest have a “heavier” color giving them more weight.
Now, between the Tube and SolidState on the 4-710 there is a tonal change that is noticeable and can help expand the palette helping elements fit in the mix using the same box. The cool thing about this unit is it’s ability to mix both Tube and SS to make perfect blend for your track. The compressor was not engaged.

The 4110 to me, has a more tangible sound and also offers tonal variances by engaging it’s Shape Control Switch
From The Manual:
“Position OFF
This position selects the purest signal path, and is called the Modern position; Clean, clear, full bandwidth that is distortion free.
Position 1
This position selects transformer loading, and is called the Vintage position. This setting changes the loading on the mic/line input transformer to provide more of that “iron” sound popular in vintage transformer-coupled preamps. This could be described as warmer and more present, with increased sensitivity to the microphone’s impedance curve; A bit of harmonic coloration enhancing mid- frequency tone and presence, or a more three dimensional character. Higher Gain settings will increase these characteristics.
Position 2
This position is the same as position 1 with the addition of a soft limiting circuit. We call this position Saturate. This setting uses the same transformer loading as Position 1, but also adds additional loading to the first stage preamp, which is perfect for smoothing out transients without clipping. When using this position the input signal is naturally lowered. Experiment with higher Gain settings to achieve greater “saturation” when using this mode.”

The Neotek sounded full and the closest to the 4110 in Position2.
Please download the files above and give a high quality listen.
I’d like to hear from you!

Out of the studio and onto the stage

Leave a reply

Last night was a magical moment for some lucky people. Bekah Kelso was on fire. The band was locked in tight. I had the pleasure of c0-producing Departures earlier this year and the only constants from the recording were Bekah and brother Ryan Kelso. Ken Valentine on bass and Chris Williams on percussion have ben backing Bekah for some time now. For various reasons I didn’t join up until their last gig at One2One bar in Austin,TX. Just great musicians coming with it on their parts. The smooth grooves Ryan and Ken lay down, peppered by Chris’ dynamic percussion, made it easy for me to fall right into place.

As a session musician/engineer/producer sometimes parts are written and recorded on the spot. As a musician I usually don’t perform these parts again. Ever. Well, this show was a great exception. I was able to bring out a cuatro for it’s live debut. and my electric was happy , since my current endeavors are mostly with acoustic guitar(www.smallestbundleoflight.com). Bekah in the studio is one of the most precise performers I have worked with. I was proud to say no auto tune or vocal “treatments” were used in the production. Seeing her live will help understand what I’m talking about. Her consistency helped me sing some harmony making us sound like we’d been playing together for years. So first show for me, last show for the band as Bekah will be planting seeds in Seattle for 2012. There is no doubt she will continue to make great art.

I understand One2One bar will be relocating, but for this evening it had a great vibe and extremely courteous staff and the sound was perfect. It was great to see the weather didn’t keep people away.

A new album is in the works for next month.

 

 

Pro Tools 10 with Complete Toolkit 2

Leave a reply

Pro Tools 9.0.3 to Pro Tools 10, MacPro 2.8 GHz Quad-Core with 10GB RAM
Sure I was upset at the announcement of Pro Tools 10. It hadn’t even been a year since the release of PT9. I bit the bullet and upgraded anyway. I can understand some concerns such as compatibility and the nuances that come with a studio’s DAW and workflow until recently were mostly negative. I fearlessly, without backing up, upgraded. To my surprise the upgrade was painless. It was easy like a CS update. All my 3rd party plug-ins had no issues(Waves, Serato, Sony Oxford, Slate Digital VCC, Trigger, Tonelux). All my settings from PT9 were intact.
My previous sessions opened correctly and sounded good. I was pleased to find the Input Monitor button made available. That was only on HD systems before. Latency has been vastly improved. I was using 256 samples H/W Buffer and could not hear any. Once I tracked, I began to edit. I felt right at home with the gain adjustment from the “clip”(previously “region”). Being able to set”handles” for AudioSuite processing is also a time saver. You can now process and crossfade with out having to see that annoying warning, buh-bye. I used to process more area than I needed. Then I would Trim the region/clip back to the intended section and cross fade. Every second counts.

System 5 EQ is a great channel strip.  I’ll usually boost a shelf gradually from 4k up to see how the highs do. The sound was transparent and smooth. Dynamics section is usable but not what I would call “vibey”.  The gate gives Metric Halo’s Channel Strip a run for it’s money.

Behind the scenes Pro Tools just feels faster and leaner. Delay Compensation has been extended by 4X(16,383 samples@ 48k), making CPU intensive plug-ins like de-noising, easier to set up and not worry about hand aligning regions, oops, I mean clips.

Most non- Pro Tool users can probably say,”oh, my DAW has had that for awhile now.” like the Channel Strip and the Clip gain feature. That’s ok. I’ve been using Pro Tools for a long time and as a professional still see it as one of the most reliable platforms for digital recording. But by all means, don’t let me stop you. We will use the best equipment  we have at hand at the time.

Avid just brought PT9 users closer to HD.

Highlights:

Possible Audio Tracks(48k)- 768
Possible Aux Inputs- 512
In-application web browsers for AVID account, support et al.
New import and export features
New Control surface/worksurface features
Storage and dick performance enhanced
Avid Interoperability- AAF, OMF
Change session settings in the Session Set Up window

Want More Specs

New Smallest Bundle of Light- FORCES

Leave a reply

Glad to announce the new release by Smallest Bundle of Light. FORCES brings together Martin Barrera on Drums/Percussion and Joush Younke on Cello. This started as an accompaniment gig and turned into a new direction.

Guitars and vocals we’re laid down first. Cello was brought in for the lead melodic lines. Then the drums were added. Bass was added lightly to round out the low end. You can listen to the entire EP at Smallest Bundle of Light.


ComScore

Damian Rodriguez

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Martin Barrera

 

 

 

 

 
ComScore

 

Josh Younke

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drum Kit with 3 mics up.

 

 

 

 

It’s easy

Leave a reply

More often we come across someone who has a studio. This studio can vary from a laptop and earbuds to high end gear setups.
As an engineer, you want to get your hands on the best(subjective) gear at the time.
An interesting thing has been happening as my ears mature. The expensive stuff can make recording good sounds easier. The creative judgement to know when to say when is still required. This creative judgement can only be attained by experience.

There are many factors that determine the quality of your recordings even before the mics warm up.
Great instrument, great player, tuning, arrangement and production.
This by no means is a deterrent. I encourage you to keep practicing any and all of these things to be a better engineer.
Keep the tape rolling!

Universal Audio 4-710D Review

1 Reply

It’s in my rack now and will not be going anywhere.

The 4-710D blends tube and solid state signals for”tone-blending” 4 channel microphone preamps with 1176-style compression. This unit also has 8 channels of Analog to Digital(A/D) conversion. 4 Channels of Mic Pres. 4 Line Ins. On every mic channel there are insert points that expand routing capabilities. The Inserts can be engaged from the front panel. Visit Universal Audio for specs and more info.

My go to mic pre, lately, has ben the UA 4110. So I am familiar with Universal Audio’s pedigree. My first concern with an all-in-one box was the A/D converters. My current set up is a Black Lion Audio Signature Mod DIGI 002. I recorded bass and vocals into the 4-710 pre and went out ADAT into the BLA 002 and Line out into the BLA converters. Well, there are no bad guys here. The 4-710D’s sound was “punchy”, “more tangible”, “upfront” while the BLA 002 seemed more open on the top end. I could see both getting used for different tasks. My concerns were immediately quelled. I compared the unit with GENEX and Apogee Rosetta 200 converters. The 4-710D sat nicely between the 2 with “punch” and “clarity”. This makes a great front end for any studio, project or professional.

I also ran a couple of recorded tracks through the 4-710D. I normally run track outs of Pro Tools(9) into hardware for that “special” something. In this regard, the 4-710D offers more still. Just running the track through the Tube side gave the track some depth. Being able to blend the Solid State signal in, I was able to “sit” that track in the mix almost immediately.Tip: a little tube saturation goes a long way when you’re stacking tracks. You should of seen the smile on my face when I realized I now had 4 1176-style compressors in my arsenal for mix-down. Listen To Audio Samples

This is an investment that will serve me well into retirement.

It’s not Neve or API, but nothing else is. It is 100% Universal Audio

Thanks for listening

I’m In the Studio

Leave a reply

I totally get a kick from some first time “artists” in the studio. The room is excited. Everyone has done their homework. We are in the process of setting up; making sure the environment is at it’s best. Inevitably, someone’s phone will ring and I’ll hear,”… yeah, I’m in the studio.” Big smirk and a nod of approval. Before I remind everyone to turn off their phones, I remind myself I was once in the studio for the first time and remember my synapses having their own rave party as I walked around trying to take it all in. The idea the energy an artist is putting forth will permanently be captured either on magnetic tape(analog) or a 0’s and 1’s (digital) can seem magical yet daunting. Don’t be scared my friends. Here are a few tips to make your studio experience a positive one.

Do your homework. It’s a recording studio not a practice studio. Knowing what needs to be done allows one to better explore other possibilities efficiently and effectively.

Be on time. Sounds simple enough. In most cases, the studio is paying for the engineers time with or without the artist there.

Respect the control room. The engineer’s job to listen and capture is a critical process. While the engineer is recording, listening, editing he/she is focused and trying to get the best possible sound for you. Talking or noise that has nothing to do with the task at hand can go to the lounge area or another room. It’s like getting in front of a camera while the photographer is taking a picture of something else. It’s your time, your money and I’m sure you want the best for that.

No such thing as a stupid question. Most of us are happy to share our knowledge with anyone who asks. If you want to know more about the process you are undergoing, make a list of questions, wait for a break, and fire away. You might be surprised. We might not shut up.

Have a good time. You’re capturing a moment. Make that moment beautiful and you’ll end up with beautiful music. This is easier said than done. Maintaining positive relationship between two people is difficult enough. I’m sure a five piece band can provide a deterrent for polygamy.

The studio can seem like a microscope exposing all the imperfections. One should use that to improve and grow as an artist. What happens in the studio, stays in the studio… until the CD comes out.

Happy New Year and thanks for listening!

Avid’s Pro Tools 9

1 Reply

So, 7 weeks into Pro Tools 9 with the Complete Production Tool Kit 2 and I’m loving it. I was using PT8 LE with the DV Toolkit 2 my workflow was as streamlined as I could get it, but ADC(automatic delay compensation) was always the biggest issue. I’m using the DIGI 002R with the Black Lion Audio Signature Mod. So really, the limits were in the software.

In brief, Pro Tools LE seemed always restrained to maintain a distinct separation from ProTools HD. Pro Tools HD’s power came from their dedicated DSP processing cards. Now that computers have achieved higher processing power, users have more options. There are plugins that only work on HD and as great as they might be, this upgrade is totally worth it. LE ceases to exist and non-HD users can achieve a better product. You can check out AVID for more details.

ADC is now available in PT9. As soon as I opened an existing session, I heard a difference. I work on both HD and LE systems and had found that although achievable, it always took a little longer in LE to get the sound just right. PT9 now has the space and clarity that helps make better decisions in the mix; inevitably increasing workflow. I then took a session(24bit/48k) with 24 tracks and copied in triplicate to make 72 tracks. All the tracks had at least 3 plugins and there were 3 (DSP hog) Mach Five Plugins. The session ran smooth as CPU usage read 32%.

I never really ran out of tracks in my previous system. Now I don’t even have to worry. Their audio record(simultaneous) track input count has jumped from 18 to 32. You can connect a third party Firewire interface to your computer and add more inputs. The playback track count has also increased to 192 from 64. That’s really nice!

These 2 upgrades alone have made PT9 and option for studios reluctant to go to Pro Tools because of limitations that are not an issue in other DAW(Digital Audio Workstation) like Cubase, Reaper, Logic, Digital Performer, et al. The ability to use a third party interface or none at all has re-invigorated this old Pro Tools fan. It might not be HD but I run mine like it is.

Thanks for listening!