I am not a crazy gear head. But don’t get me wrong. I love solid gear that will do what I want it to, but I don’t focus on the specs. It doesn’t matter if it’s tube or solid state. If it’s discrete or has IC chips. If it does what I want, when I want, and doesn’t flake out, then I am happy.

The Blue Mouse FET (large diaphragm condenser) does just that. It never gets in the way. It captures. And it captures accurately. Not to mention makes everything sound huge and amazing. And to be specific, I am talking about the early model that was black/gray that indicated it has the transformer inside. It really stands up to the Neumann FET 47. The FET 47 tends to be a tad unfocused in the lower-mids. I’ve used these two mics side by side and I generally grab the Mouse first. The bass is smooth and the upper-mid aggression is what you need to make instruments sit perfectly in your mixes.

I tend to use the Blue Mouse FET on many things. Namely, it sounds phenomenal on bass cabinets, 4 – 8 feet away from the cabinet. Ampeg SVTs sound great with a Blue Mouse FET. It also works well on kick drum or 18″ floor toms. And when I track with electric guitars and put the Mouse on it, I rarely need to EQ. It’s pretty versatile and great mic to have in your cabinet. Sure, it’s not the cheapest mic you’ll ever buy, but it will pay you back in time not needed in post-prodution. Oh and I did I mention this mic kills it on vocals? Open, airy, yet just the right amount of focus.

If you are bored with your RE20, U87 or random cheap chinese-built condensers, check out the Blue Mouse FET.

Instruments I use with the Blue Mouse FET

• Bass cabinets
• Kick drums
• Female vocals
• Upright bass
• Large floor toms
• Clarinet
• French horn

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.

On a recent day in September, music fans everywhere reacted to the news that R.E.M. had decided to break up. However, the same day a much less famous band, but perhaps one that still had a bit more potential for future growth, also announced that it was calling it a day. The breakup of the wonderful, inventive Baltimore quartet Ponytail was not exactly a shock — in fact their split had been preceded by a lack of touring and lots of speculation about the band’s status — but it was still sad to hear. But the band left behind one last album, Do Whatever You Want All The Time, released earlier this year before calling it quits, and it’s a worthy addition to their legacy.

The seven tracks on Do Whatever expand on the already expansive palette of sounds Ponytail displayed on 2007′s Ice Cream Spiritual. Guitarist Dustin Wong’s ear for unique textures has even grown with the experiments of his 2010 solo album Infinite Love, and vocalist Molly Siegel continues to be an inimitable, indefinable presence rather than a typical frontwoman.

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“Flabbermouse” stands out as one of the best tracks on the album, beginning with sweetly melodic guitar licks that could be out of a ’60s surf rock song,. But soon Ponytail are pouring a dozen other sonic elements into the pot, and letting the intensity of the track rise and fall in gentle waves, too subtle and unpredictable for a stereotypical post-rock band’s simple loud/quiet contrasts. The members of Ponytail may have had their reasons for disbanding, but their final album sure sounds like a band still thrilling each other with the joy of creativity.

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!

In a way, the continued existence of The Death Set doesn’t really make a lot of sense after the 2009 death of one of its two founding members, Beau Velasco. Not that remaining frontman Johnny Siera shouldn’t have pushed forward, but the band’s hyperactive fusion of hip hop and dance beats and pop punk sugar rush hooks simply doesn’t seem like a creative vehicle that can handle that kind of sadness hanging over it, and even the Death Set’s name feels awkward and perhaps even in poor taste now.

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Despite all that, their second album Michel Poiccard manages to both retain the Death Set’s unique energy and pay fitting tribute to Velasco’s memory. That takes shape in many ways, from the clip of Velasco’s voice at the beginning of the album, to songs like “It’s Another Day”  and “I Miss You Beau Velasco” marry the band’s speedy, yelping aesthetic to pretty, reverb-heavy guitar tones and memorably melancholy melodies.
Mostly, however, The Death Set is the same funny, chaotic band they’ve always been. “Kittens Inspired By Kittens” is a hilariously strange, short collage of beats and meows, while “Slap Slap Slap Pound Up Down Snap” takes their aesthetic to nearly irritating extremes while remaining as catchy as possible. Instead of taking a tentative step forward after tragedy, or squeaking out one more album before an uncertain future, Michel Poiccard sounds like The Death Set affirming that they are still alive and kicking.

[See post to listen to audio]

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!

White Life is something of a departure for Jon Ehrens, the prolific and chameleonic singer-songwriter previously best known for indie bands like the idiosyncratic Art Department and the lo-fi Repelican. For one of the first times in his career, Ehrens is sharing vocal and production duties on White Life’s self-titled debut, which was recorded with Chris and Mickey Freeland at Beat Babies, and features several lead vocal performances by his sister Emily Ehrens. But more significantly, White Life is a big stylistic left turn for Ehrens into the world of synths, drum machines and unabashedly pop vocal performances.

I Want Love
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The eight songs on White Life’s album, out this week on Ehse Records, each offer different variations on the project’s polished aesthetic and retro sensibility. The closer “I Want Love” is the album’s most overtly R&B track, with a bubbly synth bassline and a euphoric vocal by Emily Ehrens that could pass for an early ’80s boogie classic by Deniece Williams.

Follow
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Elsewhere on the album, the ’80s evoked by White Life is more along the lines of brooding synth pop, with Jon Ehrens offering some of the most passionate vocals and nakedly emotional lyrics of his career, which effectively lend a sense of gravity and sincerity to what could otherwise be an exercise in campy, ironic nostalgia. On one of the best tracks in that vein, “Follow,” his staccato verses give way to a chorus. that soars with help from backing harmonies by Jenn Wasner of Wye Oak.

Rjyan “Cex” Kidwell has been consistently revising and switching his modus operandi for recording and releasing music since his career began in the late ’90s. Early Cex releases featured instrumental IDM, before he began rapping, then singing, and later returning to making beats without vocal accompaniment. His first handful of albums tended to run an hour or more, before he began to favor concise 40-minute albums and even shorter EPs. And after beginning his career with high profile national releases on the trendsetting IDM label he co-founded, Tigerbeat6, Kidwell has released much of his music in recent years on deliberately low key vinyl or cassette-only releases, while remaining as prolific as ever. And since some of his best music yet has been on less heralded records like the 2007 Steely Dan sample collage Dannibal or the 2009 experimental club music of Bataille Royale, it’s proven worthwhile to give every new Cex record close attention.

One of Cex’s more low key recent releases is Evargreaz, a brief four-track album released digitally and on cassette by Automation Records. While many Cex albums feature some kind of conceptual hook or unifying theme, there’s no explicitly stated idea behind Evargreaz to distinguish it from his other instrumental records, other than a consistent mood that sounds like these tracks could have all been knocked out in the same rush of inspiration. In some ways, that’s a weakness, but that also makes it easier to take the music at face value as a pure aural experience, not refracted through the personality or agenda of its creator.

[See post to listen to audio]

“November Reign” continues in the tradition of Cex titles that obliquely reference the ’90s rock of Kidwell’s youth like the album Maryland Mansions or the song “Never Mind.” But rather than containing any elements of the Guns ‘N’ Roses epic, “November Reign” is an ethereal midtempo track, with melodic vocals run through such a heavy filter effect that the words, if there are any, are completely inaudible. That allows your ears to instead focus on the song’s rich textures, as a simple hand drum loop foregrounds the bouquet of synths and vocoders that keeps gradually evolving, like a time lapse video of changing seasons. Not every track uses that approach to such enjoyable results, and “Day Of 1000 Radiant Suicides” gets a little too easy listening, but in general Evargreaz is a worthy if nonessential addition to the Cex catalog.

Civilian is Jenn Wasner and Andy Stack’s third full-length album for Merge Records. But it feels more than anything like the continuation of a collaboration between Wye Oak and another duo, brothers Chris and Mickey Freeland of Beat Babies Studio, who began producing the band on last year’s My Neighbor / My Creator EP. The four songs debuted on that EP pointed toward possible new directions for the band, including a wider variety of instrumentation and some of their most lively and upbeat songs to date. Ultimately, however, the ten new songs on Civilian are closer in sound and mood to 2009′s The Knot, another dark and subtle album that gradually unfolds and reveals its charms over several listens.

Holy Holy
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The third track, “Holy Holy,” stands out as one of the most immediately alluring songs on Civilian, an instant Wye Oak classic. The patient throb of Stack’s tom-tom rhythm foregrounds Wasner’s tune, in which the verses are as catchy and memorable as the chorus, and the song slowly builds in intensity with with the soft-to-loud dynamics that have become a hallmark of the band’s songs. Along with “Hot As Day” in the second half the album, “Holy Holy” is an assurance that Wye Oak is still capable of big, bold hooks.

Plains
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For most of Civilian, however, the band is toying with their sound and their songwriting in clever, counterintuitive ways. “Plains” features an elastic tempo that slows down as the volume increases for a heavy, lurching riff, then picks back up as the song heads back into quieter verses. “We Were Wealth” does a complete 180 in tone and texture about halfway through the song. Wasner’s 2-minute solo performance on the closing track, “Doubt,” is a strangely meandering little song that leaves the album on an ambiguous, uneasy note. These songs all reach interesting conclusions that avoid the big distortion pedal explosion that some of Wye Oak’s past songs have conditioned you to expect.

There are many ways in which Wye Oak could fade into the background a just another indie band circa 2011. There are so many other male-female duos who are also couples, so many other records featuring hushed female vocals over reverb-heavy guitars. But Wasner and Stack are not simply a cutesy couple band, or a cozy comfort food indie pop band, or shoegaze nostalgists. And though they arrived with a fully formed sound on their 2007 debut If Children, they’ve steadily grown since then, with Wasner’s voice now possessing a gravitas her early performances only hinted at. The increasingly ingenius arrangements and darkly hued emotional undercurrents on Civilian‘s songs make Wye Oak so much more than what they may appear to be on the surface.