I had the pleasure of working with Chris Farmer, who was the drummer and co-composer for the pioneering math-rock band Breadwinner who had a few albums out on Merge Records. I loved that band and always wondered what he had been up to since the band broke up. We recently met when he played a solo set at NOVO 2011. It was tremendous. Sadly his sampler died and we only got half a set. It was well worth it, however, even for such a short set.

Luckily, since then, he decided to start working on his third full length album, recorded live. John Morand (Sparklehorse, Royal Trux, Camper Van Beethoven) engineered, recorded and mixed this record. I had the pleasure of mastering the record.

I am always pretty critical with drummers, as in another lifetime I played drums in many of bands. But Chris is one of the most innovative, creative and dynamic drummers I’ve come across in a long while. He’s also a genuinely nice guy! And this record is no exception. His drumming is impeccable. The record was written on electric keys, coded in to MIDI, arranged live on an MPC2000, and outputted to a Casio and a Novation synthesizer, accompanied by drums. Stylistically, the record is math-jazz, ethereal soundscapish and avant-awesome. It’s a great listen. One in particular I like to listen to in the car.

Enjoy my favorite cut:

Techtonics
[See post to listen to audio]

Following the positive reception of his first album, The Scarehouse, Baltimore composer and sound effects artist Glenn Ricci (aka Delirium Dog) journeys further into a haunting world of sonic mayhem with Fever Brain Battery.

I had the pleasure of working with Glenn in mastering this record. This record is filled with blips and bleeps. And while it’s certainly post-industrial you will see no eyeliner near this record. It’s half carnival, half giant slab of metal being thrown off a ledge, of course will stellar quirky beats and detailed soundscapes.

Glenn’s music reaches across genres and occupies a unique space between the post-industrial work of Nine Inch Nails, the sonic exploration of Amon Tobin and the creativity of Mark DeGli Antoni.

Check out a sample from the record below:

Vortex
[See post to listen to audio]

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!

The New Lines, from New York City, have just finished mastering their first full-length record with me after releasing a handful of 7″s. Fronted by Hewson Chen (Vitesse), he is joined by René Dennis and Michael Donofrio. I always feel that this band reminds me of Nico and The Velvet Underground meets Jesus and Mary Chain if they were all from France. It’s a wonderfully lush pop album complete with totally drippingly delayed vocals, vintage organs and garage drums.

The album will be released in the UK on the The Great Pop Supplement imprint later this summer.

Voyager Program 1977
[See post to listen to audio]

Adrian and I have spent the better part of two years working and recording his debut record, Better Son. Adrian, from Southern Illinois,  does a lot of listening, and speaks selectively. But when he sings, he SINGS. It’s compelling. He has a voice that makes you stop to listen – And wonder where he’s been. David Bazan and Jay Farrar come to mind with out being derivative.

Better Son could arguably be called a concept album. The nearly chronological songs tell of Adrian’s self-destructive romances and indignant attitudes toward the faith that would ultimately rescue him. The lyrics range from poignant verses on the attack, to soft-spoken pleads for mercy and a second chance (or third, or fourth). The sound he achieves is clearly based in roots/Americana, but polished with a love for pop music.

The record is sprinkled with Baltimore guests. The always awesome and rather prolific Frank Corl plays drums on all but one track. Christopher DeMeo (Infinite Honey) laid down drums on the last cut, E.Joseph and Paul Mercer played guitars on a few tracks and Ruby Fulton and Andrew Histand (both from We Used To Be Family) played violin and cello, respectively.

Recording-wise many of ribbon mics (close and room) were used to track the initial vocal and acoustic guitar parts. Many of the original scratch takes we recorded in the studio were actually used in the final mixes, as well. It’s more proof that first takes are always quintessential to incredible and heart-felt performances.

This record is very special and hope you check it out. A tour is planned for later this summer and early fall. Below are my two favorite tracks.

Better Son
[See post to listen to audio]

Scavenger
[See post to listen to audio]

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!

I had the pleasure of working with Sahffi this winter on her third release Expectations. Expectations was a grand experiment, featuring 10 different producers on 10 different songs. Sahffi recorded the main tracks here at Mobtown, and gave the tracks to the producers with no expectations of how they should be produced. The result is a rich album full of different genres that range from pop to hip-hop to electronic to alt rock, which highlights Sahffi’s unique ability to shine in many different lights.

I had the privilege of producing one track and mixing a handful of the other tracks with some of the producers (Num63r S!x, mOsno, Chuck the MADD OX, N’Dinga Gaba, Chris Mandra, Angela Taylor). This record was such great experience. I’ve never done a record like this before and it kept me on my toes. Not to mention was great to finally work with Sahffi. This is a record that pulls a folk artist out of the boundaries of a folk artist. She’s experimenting and crossing lines that feel better when crossed than not.

Be sure to pick up a copy of the record here on bandcamp.

Ticktock Islands (Produced by Num63r S!x)
[See post to listen to audio]

Heart Strings (Produced by mOsno)
[See post to listen to audio]

On one level you can take Deep Sea Cavalry‘s debut album as though it is written as a philosophical position paper which investigates the folly of competitive hierarchy, the inadequacy of most forms of communication, the exploitation of all-things-new, and various other faults of the human condition such as the inner battle that we call the self. On another more surface level, however, the album is simply 15 highly palatable indie-rock anthems.

Or more simply, this album reminds me of what would have happened if Bob Mould was born in Ireland and turned on the lo-fi button. I love this record. The music is melodic and driving and is a perfect spring soundtrack for a weeks worth of rain.

Below is my favorite track and their first single from their record I mastered. Be sure to buy the record here.

Robber Barons
[See post to listen to audio]

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.

Some folks are surprised that mixing requires that much of an investment. After all, you spent all that time tracking to make sure you got just the right sound. Isn’t it now just a matter of twisting some pots and sliding some faders?

Well, no. First, it depends on the quality of the recorded tracks. It’s true that a mixing engineer can’t polish a turd and most of the time garbage in will be garbage out. But there are basic techniques to make a mix shine. Secondly, even when the tracking is glorious, there is a myriad of variables to consider when mixing the final sound. Just as a film editor can make or break a great movie, a mixing engineer can be either the barrier or the stepping stone to the sound you hoped to achieve.

And then there’s the question of who will mix your record. This can play into your budget as much how much time it takes. A good engineer should have not only good ears and knowledge of his/her gear, but an understanding of the band’s vision and where to place the sounds. When hiring a mixing engineer, listen to their previous work and talk about what your goals are. Be specific. Cite your influences and inspirations and what really resonated with you in your favorite records. The engineer can then take that feel and translate it into “more bass here, less reverb there, add a tape delay on that, and pan this hard-right”.

A byproduct of placing an emphasis on mixing is, of course, a greater need for time and money. Keep this in mind when you’re planning. If you don’t have the ideal budget for mixing, consider doing a shorter record or an EP. It’s better to have a fabulous short record than a mediocre long one. Some bands even get away with doing an incredible single and touring on that until they’ve raised the funds to make the full-length that they want. You may also want to consider a digital-only release to avoid pressing costs. And make efficient use of your tracking time by rehearsing, rehearsing, rehearsing before you get in the studio. Mixing is as much a part of the creative process as tracking is and you don’t want to end up rushing through it because you ran out of resources.

I came across my friend’s record a year ago and loved the way it sounded. It turned out that it was mixed by Jason Martin. Now it’s not every day that you hear of a small band hiring a mixing engineer with credentials like Jason’s. This caught my attention.

I asked Ed (the songwriter) why he decided to hire Jason. He said he wanted cohesiveness to his record. In the rough mixes, vocals popped out of nowhere; drums were distracting; the bass was too loud; and the guitars were thin. Of course, this was what Ed was expecting to hear when he received the rough mix. But he wanted to go in a different direction for the final mix. He wanted to be able to pull out different sounds and create a feel that was a little more sophisticated than what was usually done. And by budgeting for the mixing process and hiring a good mixing engineer, he had a record that did his music justice. Take a listen…

Below you’ll hear the rough mix and the final mix of one of my favorite songs from Ed’s record entitled “Changing Trains”.

Changing Trains (Rough Mix)
[See post to listen to audio]

Changing Trains (Final Mix)
[See post to listen to audio]

You can hear more of Ed’s music here. And I encourage you to pick up a copy because it’s both sonically and musically engaging (i.e. It rocks!).

You don’t have to break the bank to mix a record. You don’t need to spend 4 years doing it either. But you do need to budget and plan for a good mix.