My Top 10 for the Baltimore City Paper for 2011.

1 Sigur Rós, Inni (XL)
2 She and Him, A Very She and Him Christmas (Merge)
3 Beyoncé Knowles, 4 (Columbia)
4 M83, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming (Mute)
5 Steve Reich and Kronos Quartet, WTC 9/11 (Nonesuch)
6 YEVETO, Remote Unelectrified Villages (self-released)
7 Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues’ (Sub Pop)
8 Florence and the Machine, Ceremonials (Island)
9 Foster The People – Torches (Columbia)
10 INFINITE HONEY, Infinite Honey (self-released)

JZ Vintage 47

The first mic I wanted to try out was the Vintage 47. In a similar analogy, just like the Blue Mouse (the original black one with the killer transformer) sounds remarkably similar to the Neumann U47 FET, the JZ Vintage 47 sounds remarkably similar, as well. Insanely accurate and smooth reproductions of bass frequencies and a top sheen that sounds gentle and bright with out being brash and overhyped in the upper highs like many of the more popular chinese-made condensers. This mic shined on vocals, bass guitar, cello and snare drum. The Vintage 47 is an electrostatic pressure gradient fixed carioid pattern mic. Maximum SPL is 134dB so you are more than welcome to try this on kick drum, just like the U47.

The Vintage 67 is supposed to be an echo of the Neumann U67 which is a tube mic. While I enjoyed the detail and precision of this mic, I didn’t find it sounding much like a U67. Possibly because the circuitry is vastly different and the Vintage 67 didn’t have a Telefunken EF86 tube inside.

JZ Black Hole

The staple of JZ mics is their Black Hole series. They say that having the hole in the mic reduces intermodulation distortion and reflections. Either way, they look really interesting and is certainly a good conversation starter as you are mic’ing up a band. The Black Hole BH1 is a great sounding, well-made mic. It has three polar patterns to work with: Omni / Cardioid / Figure – 8. There is also a pad. I used this mic for vocals and it stood up nicely amongst my other mics. It certainly has a usable sound and given the right circumstance this mic can really shine with the right vocalist. It was also used for electric guitars, a mono drum overhead and on a banjo. All gave wonderful open-sounding results.

JZ Bat 201

And next to Vintage 47, my favorite JZ mic was the in the Bat BT201. These mics offer removable and interchangeable capsules (small diaphragm condensers) which are magnetically held in. It’s pretty innovative as screwing in new capsules while isn’t intensely time consuming, does add up – especially when you are trying to capture a moment. Changing a capsule with the Bat series mic took no longer than 4 seconds. The capsules offered are the omni, wide cardioid and -20dB padded down wide cardioid. I loved the omni and the wide cardioid. I used a pair as overheads for an incredible drummer and they shined. Added the perfect top to a drum kit. It certainly complemented the Shure SM81. I liked the extra breath and wideness of the polar pattern. The SM81 definitely sounded more boxed in than the Bat BT201. I also enjoyed using the omni capsule for acoustic guitar. The bizarre thing that happened was the mic still passed signal even with out a capsule. Could the signal have arced? Either way, any mic that can record with out a capsule is something to try out!

I also had the opportunity to try out the rate Bat BT301. Certainly all the JZ mics are unusually designed, but this one was that much more. The 301 was very similar to the 201, but without removable capsules. The 301 offers a fixed cardioid pattern capsule. What’s most interesting about this mic is the 21mm mid-sized capsule making it perfect for acoustic guitar or even violin or viola.

Each mic I tried out from JZ was impeeciably designed and built strong. Juris Zarins, the owner and designer of all the mics really has something to say in a world where everyone and their Mom is designing and manufacturing mics. These mics aren’t cheap and rightfully so. They sound incredible, feel incredible and work incredibly well. My only complaint is that because of their unorthodox shapes the shock mounts that are used are not as easy to use as traditional mounts. But that’s a small aspect that is easily overlooked by the beautiful mic it’s holding up.

It’s time to showcase a condenser mic this month! And there’s nothing we like more than a versatile mic you can find for under $400.

I first got into recording doing a lot of solo and acoustic performers. I emailed one of my favorite songwriter/recordists at the time and asked him what mic he used to track his acoustic guitars. It just so happened the Audio-Technica 4033 was the mic he’d been using for years to record guitars and vocals. This being THE first studio mic for me, I put it in front of as many instruments as I could and received pretty incredible results. Audio-Technica even boasts that this was the mic to break the $1000-barrier in it’s class.

The 4033 is a fixed cardiod large-diaphram condenser, with a super wide and flat frequency response and a slight boost around 6k. It also features a 10db pad, and a bass roll off around 80Hz. It seems like a pretty basic mic, but I can’t tell you how many albums I’ve done almost entirely with this mic. Even today with all the vintage gear and fancy tube mics we’ve got in the studio, I still find myself grabbing this mic for most projects…call me sentimental!?

Instruments I like in front of the AT 4033

• Male/Female vocals
• Acoustic Guitars
• Banjo
• Cello
• Guitar cabs
• Brass Instruments
• Upright Piano
• Organ
• makes a decent room mic too!

No, not the SM57. The S-M-Seven.

While it’s not my favorite mic, nor is it the most interesting, by any means, it certainly reproduces many sounds wonderfully and accurately. Simply put, it’s utilitarian. And build like a tank. My SM7 has taken many o’ falls and still, many many years later, works like a charm. I’d say, in any given record I produce it’s used multiple times. And not on just one instrument. It yields great results with vocals, drums and bass/guitar amps. I’ve even used it on kick drums (more of the vintage flavor) and have been very happy with the output. It’s claim to fame was when it was discovered that engineer Bruce Swedien used this mic for most of the vocals on Michael Jackson’s 1982 record, Thriller. You know the record that spawned seven top 10 singles and has sold over 110 million copies? So aside from the fact that Michael sounds great behind it, other people do as well. It’s not just Michael’s amazing voice. It’s a cardioid dynamic mic that can stand up next to a U47, U87 or any other variety of vintage condensers.

Instruments I like in front of the Shure SM7

• Snare
• Male vocals
• Sibilant female vocals
• Kick
• Guitar cabs
• Voice over & broadcast
• Trumpet

What’s also nice about this mic is that is has two switches for bass rolloff and mid-range emphasis (presence boost). All that and you can score one brand new for $350!

It’s quite possibly my favorite mic. It’s a dynamic. But it certainly has qualities of a condenser. It’s definitely one of the most accurate, flat and detailed of the mics in my collection. I love what it can do with female voices that have a lot of sibilance. It’s my go-to mic for snare bottom. I love what it does to guitar cabs with just a little too much presence. What’s even better about this mic is the off-axis rejection with its super-cardiod polar pattern. Which means it’s incredible to use live, either in the studio or for performance. The mic also has a 5-switch bass roll-off just like it’s younger sibling the 421. It also has a high/presence boost which I rarely use, unless a snare is really dull.

Instruments I really enjoy sticking in front of the 441:

• Flute
• Female Vocals
• Electric Guitar
• Snare (bottom or top)
• Sax
• Clarinet
• Acordian
• Toms
• Percussion like tambourines and shakers

It’s pretty much my desert island mic. I can pretty much stick it in front of anything and it sounds great! I [heart] you 441!

Brooke Fraser Flags (Wood and Bone)
Fang Island Fang Island (Sargent House)
Lands and Peoples EP (self-released)
Prince 20Ten (NPG)
Katy Perry Teenage Dream (Capitol)
Secret Mountains Rejoice (Friends)
N.E.R.D. Nothing (Interscope)
OK Go Of the Blue Colour of the Sky (Capitol)
Trans Am Thing (Thrill Jockey)
Brian Eno Small Craft on a Milk Sea (Warp)

From The Baltimore City Paper:

“Everyone has their drama in their life,” Mobtown Studios co-owner Mat Leffler-Schulman explains, “and Katy Perry is my drama. She has a good voice, she punctuates, and she works with incredible producers. There’s good music and there’s bad music and within her genre . . . there’s a lot of bad.”

I recently had some down time and decided to pick up some records I hadn’t listened to in ages. The Complete Motown #1s Box was a great place to start. Killer songs, great arrangements and beyond stellar performances.

What I noticed on many of these #1 records was that there were noticeable “mistakes”. Some were in engineering, some in the musicality. There were distorted snare drums, out-of-tune harmonies, flubbed guitar strums and out-of-time tambourines. And we’re talking about accomplished, renowned artists such as Stevie Wonder, The Contours, Martha and the Vandellas, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes and The Temptations. Pretty heavy hitters. Yet they all had minor mistakes in there that I could pick up even with my rinky-dink iPod headphones. But it didn’t matter. The song was still strong and cut through any imprecision.

For these musicians, at this time, it all came down to how they used their craft. It was their performance. Their vibe. It was their insanely good song. I often hear musicians asking about which guitar or amp to purchase. Some say they want to sound like “x musician”. My opinion is that it’s not the guitar, it’s the fingers and the playing. You stick John Bonham or Ringo Starr in front of a kit and it will sound like them. You stick any other drummer on John’s or Ringo’s kit and it’s going to sound like any other drummer. Not John or Ringo. Same thing goes for the latest tube microphone or bass amp.

My point is that it’s not the $4,000 compressor or pre amp or $100 guitar you are using. It’s the song and the performance (mistakes and all) that matters at the end of the day. Remember, back in the good ol’ days of recording they didn’t have all the bells and whistles we’re spoiled by and not everyone had guys in white lab coats that knew how to work the gear. They had excitement and vibe, amazing instrumentalists, vocals and songs. So, rather than feeling bummed that you can’t afford a piece of equipment you believe will transform your music, spend that energy practicing, listening, writing and playing to craft and capture your own sound with whatever you have laying around.

1. Angela Desveaux – The Mighty Ship (it’s just beautiful and great on vinyl)
2. The Arcade Fire – Funeral (if you don’t respoond to ‘wake up’ you could be lifeless and dead)
3. Britta Phillips and Dean Wareham – L’avventura (again, it’s a beautiful record)
4. The Dismemberment Plan – Change (my dc friends make their perhaps last and greatest record)
5. Mike Doughty – Rockity Roll (no over-thought tunes. i wish this was longer.)
6. Duffy – Rockferry (what a voice!)
7. Eno and Byrne – Everything That Happens Will Happen Today (two of my favorites yet again on a record together this time writing great songs)
8. Godspeed You Black Emperor – Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven (the soundtrack to the first have of the decade for me)
9. Kanye West – Late Registration (that kanye certainly has something to say)
10. Kadman – Sing To Me Slower (if dave never wrote another song other than diesel and honeymoon’s end, we’d be ok)
11. Keane – Perfect Symmetry (stellar pop)
12. The Killers – Hot Fuse (see above)
13. Leisure Icons – Leisure Icons (angular mathy locals that has been in heavy rotation here)
14. Low – The Great Destroyer (dave fridmann + low = happy mat)
15. Luna – Rendezvous (i used to put my daughter to sleep to this record)
16. Mouse On Mars – Idiology (Mmmm, stomp pedals)
17. N.E.R.D. – In Search Of… (more drums please)
18. The Octopus Project – Hello Avalanche (my band opened for them this summer. i can’t stop playing this record)
19. Parts and Labor – Stay Afraid (new york’s finest)
20. Saint Etienne – Finisterre (sarah cracknell’s voice is to die for)
21. Sam Prekop – Who’s Your New Professor (i love the beats on this record)
22. Katy Perry – One of the Boys (good production, songwriting and a pretty face don’t always equate to crappy pop music)
23. Prince – The Rainbow Children (prince did have some good records this decade, and this is his finest)
24. Rod Lee – The Official (rod is a genius and you’ll be hearing more about baltimore club very soon)
25. Shakira – Fijación Oral Vol. 1 (that shakira can do anything)
26. Sigur Rós – Takk (birthing sounds)
27. Austin Stahl – The Things You Carry (austin can write about heartbreak like no other)
28. Radiohead – I Might Be Wrong (one of my favorite live albums ever and i am not a huge radiohead fan)
29. Rilo Kiley – More Adventurous (jenny lewis.)
30. Justin Timberlake – Justified (pharrell williams is one sick drummer, JT is someone who i’ve yet to get sick of)
31. Tokio Hotel – Schrei (they were everywhere in europe. who cares if they play their instruments.)
32. Trans Am – TA (my dc favs… they can do no wrong)
33. Wendy and Lisa – Girl Bros. (see above, they can do no wrong)
34. John Zorn – Live at Tonic 2001 (john zorn would be in the supergroup in my head. acharei mot is my jam in this set.

Adapting Your Song Structure for the Studio
Your band has just finished listening to a studio mix of the song that is most requested by live audiences. As silence descends, everyone looks kind of confused. It’s just not happening. Everything is played “correctly”, but it doesn’t really pop and snap like it does on stage.

Maybe that long build between the verse and the hook sounds repetitive. The volume increases, but there’s no crowd egging you on, no wave breaking into the chorus. Maybe the abrupt halt between the end of the chorus and the instrumental breakdown sounds forced and kills the momentum; the wowed audience – waiting breathlessly to hear you come back in right on beat – is not there to cheer when you do.

Whatever the specific problem may be, it’s only a matter of time before you realize an old favorite needs to be reworked if it’s going to sound good on an album. Of course, rarely do you have unlimited time in the studio and as such it’s rarely worth sitting around in the studio addressing a problem of this magnitude. If you get stuck on a song that is integral to the album you’re producing, it’s often best to move on to something else for that session. It will save a lot of aggravation and wasted money.  Instead, set up a rehearsal to focus on resolving the issue, whatever it may be.

Once again, there are innumerable hypotheticals that could exemplify this problem and its solution. Here is a solution to one of those described above:

The Build that Built Too Long
In a live setting, it’s the hottest part of your show. The band hammers out eighth notes together, all the while building from the subtlest pianissimo to a thunderous fortissimo before crashing wildly into the band’s best hook. The crowd loses its collective head and rose petals and panties shower down on you from all sides. In the studio, it just sounds…dumb. Everyone agrees. You decide to take 5, set up a rehearsal, and agree on a new direction for the day.

That night, you all get together to work it out. It can be difficult to conceive of a better way to play what has worked well for a long time and a good place to start is by identifying what’s wrong so you can do the opposite. You may not end up liking the opposite, but it will get you out of your rut.

If you’re dealing with a long build that relies on live dynamics, try going with something shorter that relies on musical cues to propel the song. For instance, if the build is typically four bars long, try going with one or two; instead of hammering out the same chord using eighth notes, write a 1-bar line or play a passing chord on the “and” of “3” that resolves to the chorus.

Once you’ve taken this first step, you will very likely be inspired and have some fun figuring out how to bring excitement to the song in a studio setting. Who knows: you may find that it brings new life to an already-reliable show stopper.

In all cases, it’s important to remember that this is about the songs and how they work in a given setting (in this case, the studio). This isn’t about individual musicians or even songwriters (although care should be taken not to dilute the songwriters’ vision). And, while these issues can be frustrating and difficult to resolve, they are also fertile ground for creative inspiration. That’s the beauty of creating and sustaining musical entities such as songs: what stumps you today often results in new directions tomorrow.

Some musical elements notoriously stand out in the studio: audio bleed, tempo, precise playing, being in tune, etc. But others are not as well known. In particular, and to the surprise of many artists, the songs themselves may not work in the studio like they work conceptually or even live.

Because each song is a unique creature, it’s difficult to list universal tips for reworking them in the studio. Instead, think of songs as living, breathing beings that react to drastic changes in their environment. Be flexible enough to hear where an arrangement might be well-served by subtle changes like removing a measure or adding a turnaround.

The following are examples of how songs might be forced to evolve in the studio.

Fills and Leads
Probably everyone who plays music — myself included — has at least a touch of exhibitionism within them. Why else would we get up onstage and play music for as many strangers as we can? For most of us, message matters and communing with a sympathetic audience is often paramount. Yet there’s a definite jolt of adrenaline when you’re onstage and the audience is feeling what you’re laying down. If you’re laying down your favorite guitar lead or drum fill and the audience cheers, it’s even better.

Unfortunately, on tape, that same momentous measure may just sound out of place at best, obstructive at worst. For instance, if you’re playing your lead back-to-back with a singer as she wails the hook to a screaming audience, it won’t matter too much if her exact words are lost. In the studio, you’re going to want to hear those words. There is no one way to fix this hypothetical problem, but here are a couple of options:

Option 1: Ditch it. This is drastic and it can feel like a huge sacrifice. After all, this is the “official” documentation of a song you love. If you find yourself reflexively opposed to ditching a favorite lead or fill, try to think about the issue in terms of what the song needs. Is the song better served by the confluence of melodic leads (the guitar line and the singer’s line) or by clarity of message?

Option 2: Alter the instrumental arrangement. Does it matter which instrument is playing that lead? Can a mighty drum fill be replaced by a subtle conga line (rimshot!)? Can the guitar part be played instead by the keyboardist? Here, you can really use the studio to your advantage. Timbre (pronounced ‘tahm-ber’) — a sound’s “character” — is important live, but in the studio it can play an enormous role due to the microsonic lens. Sounds that might come off thin live can become integral parts of the studio mix while staying out of the way of a more important melodic element.

Coming up…. Adapting Your Song Structure for the Studio.