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IN-STUDIO COMPRESSORS (PART TWO)

STUDIO MONITORS

With premium materials, components and an all-new design that reflects over 30 years of speaker innovation, ROKIT G4 monitors are a significant advancement, bringing professional reference monitoring to everyone. All system elements are cohesively designed to work with the drivers made with Kevlar®, making your mixes precise and reliable no matter the genre of music. It’s why KRK has been the number one reference monitor brand for decades. And it’s why ROKIT G4 will take your music to new levels of professional sound.

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PRODUCER PROFILE

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RECORDING TECHNIQUES WITH MICK WORDLEY LEARNING HOW TO FIND THAT SWEET SPOT BETWEEN APPRECIATING EQUIPMENT AND OBSESSING OVER IT. WORDS BY PETER ZALUZNY.

f you head into Mixmasters Studios in South Australia, you’ll find yourself in what can only be described as a church of recording equipment. Though there’s some modern gear, vintage is the main game down there. And yet, the owner, engineer and producer-in-chief, Mick Wordley, doesn’t describe himself as particularly technical. You’d be forgiven for thinking that Mixmasters is a place where hardcore audio experts go to drool over the never ending list of exquisite equipment, but for Mick, it’s all about options. The musicans can play with their toys, so long as they learn to pull back just before diving down the rabbithole – because at that point, the music is almost secondary. So how on earth did you wind up with an SSL 4000-E console? It was the first one sent to Australia, and actually began life in INXS’s studio in Surry Hills. But my friend, who originally started working with me, had built a nice room in the Apocalypse building in Crows Nest [in Sydney], which by then had the SSL up on the second floor. Then, [producer and engineer] Rick O’Neil was doing a lot there at the time, and he said I had to get a hold of the SSL. When I went to have a look at it, all it was doing was nursing a Yamaha. So I worked out some

crazy deal with their accountants, swapped some gear and cash, drove over in my trusty Mercedes station wagon with a huge trailer hooked up, and spent about four days pulling the whole room apart. Is there any more classic console equipment in your studio? I mainly have 1064 Neve channels, which came out of the Neve 80 series from a studio in Sydney called Trafalgar, some 33114 broadcast (class A/B) channels, and BA 183 line amps which sound great. I also have a wonderful Neve 8108, which is a two-inch channel strip console full of transformers. It sounds huge, but still very musical. I mixed some of my very favourite records on that console and they still sound wonderful – like a controlled log fire. But these days, that console remains stored away, awaiting some TLC. Are you still into tape, or have you made the transition to digital storage? I still print to tape if the project suits it. I record the live tracks to a Studer 827, using ‘hot’ tape without noise reduction – usually Ampex 499 or BASF 900 – and monitor off of Pro Tools in the process. Tape has a definite sound that’s like a soft limiter, and when you mix it – even in Pro Tools – the track sounds more

connected. It’s perfection that comes from the imperfection, I guess. You’ve also got a huge collection of vintage and modern mics in there. Do you have any go-to options for different genres, and a crown jewel that you can always turn to? Oh God, that’s too hard! I’m a huge fan of ribbon mics, which I picked up after spending some time with Steve Albini. He gave me my first lesson with an STC 4038 BBC designed British ribbon mic. I also have a nice mob of Neumann U-47s and U-48s which I love for their story, as well as their sound. But I don’t really have any genre picks. I’ll never underestimate an SM-7, but I also love a Beyer M-88 or a 201. In fact, sometimes I record a snare with a 201, and an SM98 taped to the side. I think it’s a good thing to try something new in every project, whether that’s the mic or placement. When I recorded The Imposters [Elvis Costello’s backing band, with Heath Cullen] at Sing Sing Studios, for example, the door to the Neve room didn’t close completely, but the sound coming through the wee opening sounded interesting. So I pointed a small condenser tight pattern straight at the crack in the door. That little bit added something to the snare that was awesome.

So you’re always mixing it up? Well, I have recorded a lot of acoustic guitars in my time, and my Neumann KM-84s and KM-54s are the guys, usually in stereo. But I often use a Heil dynamic on the bridge with a KM-84 on the neck, because they catch the ‘wood’ very nicely. People often speak about finding the right mic for the singer, but you rarely hear about finding the right preamp. Is there an art to that? Its black art – there’s no rules, really. Personally, I don’t stray too far from my Neves, Chandlers, Telefunkens, Avalons, and Retros. And though I’m not really technical, I think it’s because I like the musical harmonic distortion. But one can get lost pissing around, which dilutes the music and performance. I think it’s better to get going quickly and not be obsessed with gear, like I always recorded Jeff Lang with a Neumann U-47 and Neve 1064, but when I recorded Archie Roach for the Tracker soundtrack, I ended up with an inexpensive Studio Projects T-3 mic, but it just sounded great, so I used it. Remember that many benchmark records were recorded through one console [no ‘channel strips’], and we use them as examples of great recordings. And aren’t some of our favourite performances bootlegs?

72 |

HOME RECORDING

COMPRESSION IN THE STUDIO - PART TWO

LAST ISSUE, WE LOOKED BROADLY AT THE VARIOUS TYPES OF COMPRESSORS AND THEIR BASIC FUNCTIONS AND CONTROLS. IN THIS ONE, WE’LL TAKE A LOOK AT VARIOUS WAYS OF USING COMPRESSORS IN THE STUDIO AS CORRECTIVE AND CREATIVE TOOLS. WORDS BY ROB LONG.

ABOVE: STICK IT IN...

BELOW: ...THEN GLUE IT TOGETHER

LIMITING VERSUS COMPRESSION

A good starting point is to grasp the difference between compression and limiting – quite simply, it’s all about the ratio. A compressor has a low ratio that gently attenuates the level of the source material when it goes beyond the threshold, whereas a limiter has a high ratio that limits all of the source material once it hits the threshold. In a nutshell, a limiter is a compressor with a high ratio and, generally, a fast attack time. Compression with ratio of ten‑to‑one or more is generally considered limiting. Brickwall limiting (discussed later in detail) has a very high ratio and a very fast attack time.

GLUING YOUR MIX TOGETHER

Many tracks these days are put together piece by piece, multi‑tracked at different times in different spaces and even different studios. Regardless of the genre, at the end of the day it’s imperative to have your track sounding like a coherent and cohesive entity, where everything sounds as though it belongs together. There are many factors contributing to this, and many ways in which to enhance the ‘togetherness’ of a final mix – none as powerful as compression. The ‘glue’ effect happens when you are treating either the entire mix together, or subgroups of tracks – for example, rhythm sections, guitars and backing vocals. The general approach is to use a very low ratio, somewhere between 1.5‑to‑one to two‑to‑one, since your goal here is not to compress the signal too much.

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Use a long attack time, to avoid deteriorating the peaks. The release time ought to follow the groove, so the compressor breathes naturally, following the tempo and rhythm of the music. Use a relatively soft knee setting, so the compressor acts progressively, but not too much, otherwise the compression will be ‘too audible’. The threshold should be set so that you get around ‑1dB (decibels) of gain reduction, so that all you get is a very gentle effect. When choosing the ‘glue’ compressor, it’s usually best to go for something with character that may introduce some harmonic distortion, like a vintage analog compressor or a serious virtual emulation of one. The distortion acts as a final layer of varnish on your track.

TWO-STAGE COMPRESSION

This technique involves using two compressors on one source in a chain. Sometimes it’s preferable to treat dynamics in two stages, with two different devices. Rather than try to tame peaks and give the track a nice, warm audio massage with one unit, why not use a separate device to deal with the stray spikes, and use a second unit to deal with more general compression duties? It makes perfect sense, as each task requires very different settings, and ironically, compressors work best when being fed with a limited dynamic range – it allows for a smoother transition between contrasting sections. For example, think of how dynamic the human voice can be. It needs to be treated with care in order to retain some of its natural nuances, while at

the same time keep things within an audible range in the mix, whilst using compression to enhance the vibe and sonic flavour. Two compression units in tandem will give the engineer much more control over how the voice sits in the mix. Another great source to try this on is bass.

SIDECHAIN COMPRESSION

‘Sidechain compression’ is the process of using one sound source to trigger compression on another sound source. Originally, this technique was mainly used to automatically ‘duck’ a music track to allow for a voiceover in radio or TV. Many software compressors have a sidechain input built in, and some hardware units will have a physical input jack. A classic application of this technique (especially in dance music) is to place a compressor over a bass line, then trigger its sidechain input from the kick drum track. This effectively drops the bass level on every kick hit, which helps the kick punch through, whilst ‘sucking’ the bass back momentarily. Extending the idea, it can be applied to a sound source that needs to drop in level to allow room for another part to take precedence momentarily, such as triggering a string pad via the melody instrument to allow it to poke through the mix. Check out some EDM tracks to hear the effect – or better still, try it yourself!

MULTIBAND COMPRESSION

One small, yet critical piece of information for those working

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ABOVE: FIRST IN, BEST DE-ESSED

BELOW: STEP INTO A PARALLEL UNIVERSE

with audio compressors is that low frequencies have more energy or power for the same perceived loudness. The upshot of this is that lower frequencies will trigger more compression than you'll have at higher frequencies. What this means is that if you slap a compressor over any source which encompasses a broad range of frequencies – from very low to very high (a full mix, a drum kit sub mix, some piano or synth parts...) – the lower frequencies will trigger the compressor disproportionately to the mids and highs. Thus, you can end up with a mix which virtually pulses in time with the low‑end parts. This has its place, of course, but is often an unnatural, ugly sound. Normally when you place a compressor or limiter over an audio source, the entire frequency range is treated together. A multiband compressor allows the user to select specifically which frequencies or ranges are compressed. This is a powerful tool for treating issues across entire mixes, or on instruments which cover a broad frequency range. It’s possible to surgically zoom in on frequencies that are creating problems, and tame them without needing to rely solely on EQ. Using compression can be a smoother approach than simply dipping a frequency with EQ. Typical uses include master buss for clearing up problem areas like low‑mid buildup, or on lead vocals to tame harshness in the 5‑10k range.

TOP LEFT: THE OL' CHAIN (SANS BALL)

DE-ESSER

An even more surgical way of compressing source material at specifically chosen frequencies can be achieved by using a de‑esser. This is usually used across a vocal track to reduce the sibilant ‘ess’ sounds that often occur on many vocal recordings with words emphasising the letter S. There are a number of factors which can lead to overly sibilant vocals – over‑compressing a vocal; recording a vocal in a poor acoustic environment, over‑boosting frequencies that cause sibilance, or simply recording a singer who has a naturally sibilant voice. Treating sibilance with a broad, EQ‑cutting top‑end is usually far too extreme, and results in a lifeless, dull vocal with little presence. Any compressor with a sidechain input can be turned into a de‑esser by inserting an EQ and boosting the offending frequencies – many modern de‑essers, however, have very sophisticated circuitry and controls that are optimised for achieving results beyond what would be easy with a simple compressor with an EQ in the sidechain.

LOOK-AHEAD COMPRESSION

‘Look‑ahead’ compression analyses an input signal ahead of time, and essentially applies compression (based on your desired settings) before the transient actually occurs. It’s most useful in ‘limiting’ applications, as it prevents the ugly crushing effect that results from a peak being unnaturally slammed by a limiter. Other practical applications include anything with prominent, fast transients – for example, snare drums. An interesting way to explore the concept using a regular compressor is by duplicating the original signal onto

ABOVE: LOOKING FAB! another track in your DAW, shifting the file back a few milliseconds in time, then placing a compressor on the original signal, and using the duplicated audio as the sidechain input to trigger the compressor. Parallel compression refers to feeding signal from a source you’d like to compress into a parallel channel, FX or auxiliary buss which is heavily compressed. Essentially, you end up with a dry fader, and a compressed fader side‑by‑side. The idea is simply that the original audio remains natural, unaltered and unprocessed, whilst the compressed signal adds colour and can be blended at will. This is especially good for drums, as you retain all the original punch and fatness, whilst dialling in the room and vibe of the compression track as desired.

BRICKWALL LIMITING

This technique simply means setting an absolute ceiling on the level of a track by ensuring it cannot pass a certain threshold. This is generally used to control peaks and clipping on a mix, and is the last thing in the chain. It has technical functionality as system ‘protection', particularly in live applications and broadcast. In the studio, this style of limiting is intended to make the overall mix as loud as possible without clipping – the quiet passages are raised in level to effectively minimise dynamics in the track. For some genres this is desirable, whereas for others, the ‘volume war’ does little to enhance the integrity of the work and only crushes dynamics. Compressors are fun, and can be some of the most creative tools in the studio at any level. Whether you use software, hardware, or a combination or both, the technical and creative variables that can be obtained are... Dare I say it... Limitless.

Rob Long is a multi-instrumentalist and producer working @FunkyLizardStudios in Newcastle.

| 73

ABOVE: FIRST IN, BEST DE-ESSED

BELOW: STEP INTO A PARALLEL UNIVERSE

with audio compressors is that low frequencies have more energy or power for the same perceived loudness. The upshot of this is that lower frequencies will trigger more compression than you'll have at higher frequencies. What this means is that if you slap a compressor over any source which encompasses a broad range of frequencies – from very low to very high (a full mix, a drum kit sub mix, some piano or synth parts...) – the lower frequencies will trigger the compressor disproportionately to the mids and highs. Thus, you can end up with a mix which virtually pulses in time with the low-end parts. This has its place, of course, but is often an unnatural, ugly sound. Normally when you place a compressor or limiter over an audio source, the entire frequency range is treated together. A multiband compressor allows the user to select specifically which frequencies or ranges are compressed. This is a powerful tool for treating issues across entire mixes, or on instruments which cover a broad frequency range. It’s possible to surgically zoom in on frequencies that are creating problems, and tame them without needing to rely solely on EQ. Using compression can be a smoother approach than simply dipping a frequency with EQ. Typical uses include master buss for clearing up problem areas like low-mid buildup, or on lead vocals to tame harshness in the 5-10k range.

TOP LEFT: THE OL' CHAIN (SANS BALL)

DE-ESSER

An even more surgical way of compressing source material at specifically chosen frequencies can be achieved by using a de-esser. This is usually used across a vocal track to reduce the sibilant ‘ess’ sounds that often occur on many vocal recordings with words emphasising the letter S. There are a number of factors which can lead to overly sibilant vocals – over-compressing a vocal; recording a vocal in a poor acoustic environment, over-boosting frequencies that cause sibilance, or simply recording a singer who has a naturally sibilant voice. Treating sibilance with a broad, EQ-cutting top-end is usually far too extreme, and results in a lifeless, dull vocal with little presence. Any compressor with a sidechain input can be turned into a de-esser by inserting an EQ and boosting the offending frequencies – many modern de-essers, however, have very sophisticated circuitry and controls that are optimised for achieving results beyond what would be easy with a simple compressor with an EQ in the sidechain.

LOOK-AHEAD COMPRESSION

‘Look-ahead’ compression analyses an input signal ahead of time, and essentially applies compression (based on your desired settings) before the transient actually occurs. It’s most useful in ‘limiting’ applications, as it prevents the ugly crushing effect that results from a peak being unnaturally slammed by a limiter. Other practical applications include anything with prominent, fast transients – for example, snare drums. An interesting way to explore the concept using a regular compressor is by duplicating the original signal onto

ABOVE: LOOKING FAB! another track in your DAW, shifting the file back a few milliseconds in time, then placing a compressor on the original signal, and using the duplicated audio as the sidechain input to trigger the compressor. Parallel compression refers to feeding signal from a source you’d like to compress into a parallel channel, FX or auxiliary buss which is heavily compressed. Essentially, you end up with a dry fader, and a compressed fader side-by-side. The idea is simply that the original audio remains natural, unaltered and unprocessed, whilst the compressed signal adds colour and can be blended at will. This is especially good for drums, as you retain all the original punch and fatness, whilst dialling in the room and vibe of the compression track as desired.

BRICKWALL LIMITING

Rob Long is a multi-instrumentalist and producer working @FunkyLizardStudios in Newcastle.

74 | REVIEWS

ROKIT G4 NEARFIELD STUDIO MONITORS

RRP: $299+

KRK ARE BACK WITH THE NEXT GENERATION OF THESE ALL-TOO-FAMILIAR STUDIO MONITORS. ALEX WILSON CRANKS UP A PAIR TO SEE WHAT’S GOING ON.

he very yellow KRK Rokit series of speakers are infamous for two reasons. The first is that they are the world’s highest-selling line of nearfield studio monitors. The second claim to fame – that they are the ill-informed first choice neophyte home studio owners duped by the inaccurately hyped sound and low low price – is one that the bigwigs at KRK would very much like to bury. KRK don’t appear content to cruise on the fact that people keep buying Rokits. The company is intent on leveraging its market advantage into a product that is not just the best-selling, but the best-sounding. Having already reviewed a pair of Rokit G3s among these venerable pages about a year ago, we have some context for assessing what improvements these new speakers have nailed. We’ll start with the sound itself, and then move on to some of the added features.

WHAT’S THE FREQUENCY, KENNETH? If you’re new to the world of nearfield monitors, you may be asking what all this fuss about hyped frequency response is. In short, Rokits are known for exaggerating the treble and particularly the bass frequencies. This leads to a big, bright sound that makes music and mixing sound exciting (literally). However, an experienced mix engineer knows that a truly useful studio monitor is “flat” – representing the sound is it has actually been recorded, no extra

TOP FEATURES • Aramid Fiber speaker and tweeter • Foam base padding • Front-facing ports to reduce noise and resonance • Excellent onboard DSP • Forthcoming KRK Audio Tools app

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flavour added or subtracted. Monitors like this can sound less good to an inexperienced ear but are far superior for the diagnostic and surgical tasks that mixing often requires. The good news is that the Rokit G4s do represent a significant improvement in performance and accuracy. KRK’s promotional boilerplate states that these new Rokits have been “completely re-engineered from the ground up” in order to provide the best sound at the lowest price. And while no monitor in this price range is ever going to afford the specs to be truly flat, the Rokits nonetheless present a balanced, full-spectrum sound. The bottom end still feels nice and large, but also calmer than the hyped thud of the G3s. This difference is apparent in the improved punch and transient response of the bass instruments. In short, the low-end accuracy is improved by reducing the exaggeration and increasing the detail. There’s also improvement to be found in the top end of the frequency spectrum. Compared to the somewhat dark G3s, the Rokit G4s simply have more brightness in them. This is not a bad thing at all – again, it feels more like a truer representation of the source material rather than a dial pushed too far. In terms of engineering, these new Rokits now boast full Aramid Fiber (aka Kevlar) composition for both the tweeter and the main speaker, so there is a solid basis for why we’re hearing these improvements.

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM Apart from the significant performance improvements, the other noteworthy feature of these new Rokits is the onboard DSP for tuning your room. On the back of each speaker is a backlit LCD display that allows you to customise the frequency response. The amount of detail and user-friendliness built into this system is usually not available in products at this price point. It’s a great incentive for beginning engineers to learn about acoustics and room treatment when their entry-level speakers can handle this kind of sophisticated correction. To make this feature even better, KRK has also release a companion Audio Tools app, boasting useful diagnostic tools to help an engineer identify and eliminate phase and stereo imaging issues, as well as an automatic calibration feature that will help your new monitors perform best in your studio space. While I didn’t personally have access to this tech, beta-tester reports from the internet suggest these tools are in good shape and will provide genuine value.

THE BOTTOM LINE

KRK have used their position as a market leader to significantly improve a flagship product. The company has struck a tremendous balance here between great performance and an awesomely low price. With this new generation of Rokits, we can now feel assured that the new generation of audio engineers have access to a great product so early on in their careers.

WHAT WE RECKON PROS Massive improvements in audio performance compared to the prior generation Incredibly affordable A great introductory product

CONTACT CONS Will never have the same accuracy of a more expensive high-performance monitor

JANDS Ph: (02) 9582 0909 Web: jands.com.au

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CAPTURE THE SOUND

C I S U M MAKING R O F N U F E N O Y R E V E ETT

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STUDIO TESTED

COMPRESS TO IMPRESS WITH OUR ULTIMATE

• QSC KS112 POWERED SUBWOOFER

GUIDE TO IN-STUDIO COMPRESSORS

• SENNHEISER EW 500 G4-CI1

Purchase a pair of QSC CP Series Powered Loudspeakers and receive a free Shure BETA58A Microphone by redemption, when purchased from an authorised Australian reseller only. Offer valid 01/05/2019 to 30/06/2019 or while stocks last. How to redeem and full terms and conditions available at www.jands.com.au/promotions

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PRODUCER PROFILE

| 69

RECORDING TECHNIQUES WITH JESSICCA BENNETT

YOU CAN HAVE THE BEST EQUIPMENT AND BAND MEMBERS, AND A GUARANTEED GOLD RECORD READY TO GO – BUT IF YOU DON’T FEEL COMFORTABLE IN THE STUDIO, YOUR MUSIC IS GOING TO SUFFER. THAT’S WHY SAFE RECORDING SPACES, LIKE LOVE SHACK STUDIOS IN MELBOURNE, ARE SO IMPORTANT.

reativity can be difficult at the best of times – particularly if you’re the kind of person that pours their heart and soul into their work. But most artists need a place where they feel completely at ease in order to really dig those emotional depths. In Jessicca Bennet’s experience, those spaces were few and far between for underrepresented groups in the recording industry. Women, LGBTQI+, gender non‑conforming individuals and so on, would enter a session without knowing if it was a safe space, or a hub of outdated attitudes that would mess with their mental health and stem the creative process. These people needed a place where they felt safe and comfortable – thus, Love Shack Studios was born! Why is the safe space philosophy so important to you? Truthfully, I found it quite anxiety‑provoking to work in someone else’s space. It was quite debilitating for me, and I came very close to giving it all away. I feel like a lot of that came from being a queer, gender non‑conforming woman in a heteronormative industry. You get so sick of all the discrimination, and it’s something I had to deal with, and witness, for

many years. It made perfect sense for me to create an all‑inclusive space where people can focus on their music without feeling judged, threatened, patronised or harassed.

Love Shack have lead to people feeling more comfortable with opening up, being themselves and sharing their vulnerabilities through their life’s work.

Is that sort of behaviour still prevalent in the audio industry? While we are slowly making progress in the industry, sadly these attitudes and behaviours are still alive and well. I have many examples. I’ve come across some men in the industry that have genuinely made an effort to counter these discriminations, and they have good intentions and I really appreciate their support. But on the flipside, I’ve also encountered men who have been more opportunistic and presented as a ‘knight in shining armour’, here to save the world – but it’s a charade; an opportunity to gain business.

Speaking of the music, a lot of the artists that come through Love Shack write songs with very prominent dynamics that explore a range of frequencies. Where do you start with music like that? I like to start with the low end, personally, and make sure the drums and bass are tight and working well together. Drums and bass tend to go hand in hand. They are the rhythmic backbone of a band, and I aim to give them their own space, but I also make sure that they are moving together and complementing one another. These days, I’m working hard on depth of field, using a combination of EQ, compression, panning and effects to place instruments and parts accordingly, because it’s important for each instrument to have its own space in the frequency spectrum and stereo field. It varies from track to track, but some key frequencies that I tend to focus on initially are around the 50‑hertz, 80‑hertz, 100‑hertz and 330‑hertz area. In terms of dynamics, contrasting dips and peaks are very effective.

How does that impact the creative process for a band or artist? The effect is that people still don’t feel like they can be themselves openly. It creates a lot of internalised rejection, which harms their psychological wellbeing, and it’s really demotivating and so hard to work on a creative project when you feel like you’re worthless and don’t belong. Safe spaces like

Are there any other tricks with that style of music? One way to catch the listener’s attention and draw them to another instrument or part is by creating little inconsistencies in a mix – for example, a ping pong delay coming through a vocal reverb panned further out to the sides. Other than that, volume automation, EQ and variation in effects are helpful tools to make something stand out. For example, you might use a slightly different EQ on a chorus vocal as well as boosting it in volume and using a different effect. You’ve also worked with some really full-sounding, gritty, ‘90s-esque indie-punk outfits like Face Face. How do you structure that kind of dirty wall-of-sound in that scenario? I used every trick I knew when it came to mixing. A lot of parallel compression on the drums, gated reverbs, and I constructed walls of guitar by cutting up the original takes and running them through EQ’s and effects to change the timbre. There was a lot of distortion, compression and limiting on vocals, as well as a lot of volume automation and double vocals. For tracking, I mostly used dynamic mics because it was a live recording in the one room. The only exception was drum overheads where I used a couple of condensers.

70 | REVIEWS

RRP: $1,899

QSC KS112 POWERED SUBWOOFER

QSC’S LATEST SUBWOOFER PROMISES TO BE LIGHTWEIGHT, BUT STILL LEGIT WITH THE LOW-END. ALEX WILSON TURNS IT UP AND GETS READY TO FEEL THE RUMBLE.

f you’re the kind of musician who needs to bring your own PA to a gig, you’ve traditionally been faced with a bit of a dilemma. As, say, a busker or a wedding performer, you need your rig to be portable. But to make the best impression, you also want it to sound fantastic. A speaker setup that won’t break your back risks breaking your audiences’ ears with the shrill sound that a smaller rig tends towards. Here’s where QSC step in. The KS112 Powered Subwoofer is designed to provide extra low-end, making your performance sound bigger and better without adding too much bulk in your boot.

both professional and clean. There’s a lot of flexibility built into the design. It can be securely placed in either a vertical or horizontal orientation, and there’s two sockets to allow for pole-mounting. This would typically be used to sit the woofer on the ground and mount the other speaker on top. Rounding out the versatility is a set of low-noise casters on the back of the unit, where the controls are. They were, indeed, quiet and smooth. Overall, getting the KS112 from my third-floor apartment, into my car and finally into the jam room for testing was pretty painless.

IT’S APARTMENT FRIENDLY!

The amp itself powers a 12-inch speaker, and is specified to provide 128 decibels of SPL measured at one metre, with a frequency response of 41-to-108-hertz. In layman’s terms, this means the KS112 is very loud and fat. This is all well and good, but what’s truly impressive is the definition and dynamics – thump, impact – imparted alongside the power. I tested the KS112 with a diverse playlist of material and it handled each style with aplomb. On Rage Against The Machine’s “Take The Power Back”, for example, the introductory kick drums and slapped bass riffs were augmented by big, clean and pleasing sub frequencies. The KS112’s sound is clean and fast, able to handle relatively low-end content that moves quickly. The amplifier module itself cranks out 2000 watts of Class D power. While audiophiles often extol the virtues of Class A and A/B designs, the size required

QSC have been at the live sound game for half a century at this point. Formed in the late ‘60s and hailing from California, they’ve traditionally focused on the big end of Live Sound Town. The KS112 forms part of a more recent bevy of products that are taking QSC’s reputation for exceptional sound and performance into a more consumer-friendly direction. Accordingly, the KS112 is designed to be paired with another speaker (or two) so that the mids and highs are covered. QSC offers a small ecosystem of products that work together nicely in this fashion, but the KS112 can also be used with any speaker from any brand. Measuring 622-by-394-by-616 (milimetres) and weighing in at 28.4 kilograms, the KS112 can be physically handled by one person. Its frame is wooden, but is finished in a sleek black design that is

TOP FEATURES • 2000 watts of Class D power • Well-designed profile with casters attached • Multiple mounting options

PACKING A PUNCH

EASY PEASY The final thing to outline here are the unit’s controls and connections, located on the back panel. Even this placement is well-considered. No matter whether the KS112 is lying horizontally or vertically, the controls are within reach. There are the standard XLR inputs and outputs; two of each. In addition to these is a trim pot, a rotary selection knob, a couple of buttons and an LCD screen. Manipulating these enables the user to control a bunch of useful settings. There’s a switchable crossover frequency of 80 or 100 hertz, a three-way delay setting, and the ability to save these settings as ‘scenes’.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Overall, this is a great piece of kit that could certainly help travelling performers or small venues take their live sound to the next level. It’s not the cheapest option in its class, but there’s bang for buck in the quality on offer.

WHAT WE RECKON PROS Portable and lightweight

• Scene saving

High quality sound

• 128 decibels of SPL at 41-hertz to 108-hertz

Reasonable price point

| australianguitarmag.com.au

and heat generated makes them quite unsuitable for a compact live subwoofer. Not to mention that the technology that powers Class D amps has been leaping and bounding in recent years, with once deal-breaking issues to do with distortion and noise now practically negligible. This is an interesting topic with plenty online to research, but suffice to say that the KS112 sounds incredibly loud, clean and dynamic for such a stocky little unit.

CONTACT CONS Could potentially have more detailed controls

JANDS Ph: (02) 9582 0909 Web: jands.com.au

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RRP: $1,349

SENNHEISER EW 500 G4-CI1 WIRELESS SYSTEM

SENNHEISER STRIKES BACK WITH THE NEXT GENERATION OF THEIR WIRELESS GUITAR SETUP. ALEX WILSON TUNES IN AND RIFFS ON THE RESULTS.

o, why would you want a wireless guitar system in the first place? Chances are, you’re not The Boss and don’t need to be able to run to every part of a stadium stage. But even those of us playing smaller venues can get justifiably irritated by instrument cables. And if you’re a guitarist whose performance depends heavily on physical movement, you’ll immediately sense the benefits of dispensing with an ordinary lead. But before you get all hot and bothered with visions of yourself jumping back-first into the crowd mid-solo, there are always cons with the pros. Transmitting your signal aerially involves learning some basic wireless theory and practice.

YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR... Because of some of the challenges involved in making wireless sounds, Sennheiser’s previous range of G3 units had been the product of choice for many customers. Everyone from bands, to theatre companies, to event managers have come to rely on the G3s for reliable performance, straightforward setup and solid construction. While you’ll generally pay a bit more for a Sennheiser, the vibe is that you’re getting quality with the higher price tag. The new G4 series are Sennheiser’s latest product range of wireless transmitters, and the EW 500 is a multi-product pack that comes with

TOP FEATURES • Auto-scan of frequencies • ‘Sync’ function between transmitter and bodypack

everything you need to connect your guitar to your amp, sans instrument cable. Well, except for the very short CI-1 instrument cable that connects your guitar to the SK 500 G4 Bodypack Transmitter, which speaks wirelessly to the EM 500 G4 Rackmountable Receiver. I can verify that it’s simple to get the EW 500 system up and running. This is thanks to Sennheiser’s auto-frequency scan and sync features. Basically, with a quick read of the manual and a few button presses, it’s a straightforward procedure to get the system to identify what radio frequencies are free in the area you’re working in, and then sync both units together. This will be sufficient for the vast majority of players, but if you want to get under the hood, there’s lots of details that one can tweak – there’s 3,520 tunable frequencies, 32 different channels to choose from, and an ethernet port for remote control via Sennheiser’s Wireless Systems Manager. Other great features include a ‘squelch’ function for eliminating interference when the transmitter is turned off, auto-lock to prevent accidental changes of settings, and a programmable mute.

...AND YOU PAY FOR POWER Anyone who’s ever run a buffer on their pedalboard will be familiar with the sound of the

EW 500 G4 system. There’s a slight high frequency boost as well as an overall smidge of extra volume. Even with the gain pushed on my two test amps, the system ran cleanly. There was no additional noise introduced when A/Bing the system against a plain instrument cable. I also tested the response of the volume pot through the wireless system. Because of a process knowing as ‘companding’ (compressing and expanding) that is used in wireless systems to manage dynamic range, responsiveness to volume changes can suffer. Overall, I didn’t notice an issue in that respect. In summary, the EW 500 G4 is clean, transparent and responsive. As a side note, however, my research indicates that a known issue with wireless guitar systems is that certain fuzz pedals, treble boosts and germanium overdrives can sound really bad when confronted with a buffered output from a wireless. Although I didn’t have any of these kind of pedals on hand to test with, it seems this is a problem the EW 500 G4 might be subject to. Make sure you test the unit with your pedalboard before purchasing.

THE BOTTOM LINE

If you’re in the market for a wireless guitar system, then this is an industry standard solution that will cover all your bases. It won’t be the cheapest option, but it will be one of the best.

WHAT WE RECKON PROS Easy to use

CONTACT CONS

• Squelch function

Strong sonic performance

Not a big improvement on the previous G3 line

• Auto-lock to prevent accidental tweaking

Options under the hood

May not play nice with all your pedals

• Backwards compatibility with other G Series gear

SENNHEISER Ph: (02) 9910 6700 Web: sennheiser.com

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COMPRESSION IN THE STUDIO - PART ONE ROB LONG CRACKS THE CODE TO COMPRESSORS.

electing and applying compressors is one of the most daunting yet creative tasks in the studio. It's daunting because there are so many possibilities, and because it appears to be such a technical process which is critical to ‘get right’. But on the flipside, any process with so many variables just has to be full of creative potential! This is part one of a two-part look at compressors and their various usages. In this one, we'll take a look at the types of units currently available to the masses – in the next edition, we'll discuss the wide range of potential usages in detail. Generally, it’s fair to say that most musicians tend to get the hang of EQ and reverb early on, as they are the most commonly found effects found on guitar amps and small PA systems. Compression is not in every guitar player’s kit, as it tends to work better for some playing styles than others. Compression on a small PA desk can be used judiciously with | australianguitarmag.com.au

great success, but can certainly complicate things in the wrong situation. If there are feedback issues from poor mic or speaker positioning, or from other reflections in the room, compression will often magnify the issues. There’s a world of difference between using a stompbox compressor on a guitar and patching a studio compressor over a guitar amp mic. The stomp pedal interacts more with the player, and the way the part is played before the guitar is even amplified. The mic/amp compression, on the other hand, interacts more with the room and atmosphere that the amp is in. Not everyone has had the opportunity to apply or explore the possibilities of using compression on live drums, but most people playing in bands have probably heard the effect of recording a jam or rehearsal through a phone, camera or other small device with an inbuilt condenser mic. You’re doing well to hear anything other than drums, as the compression effect from the

ABOVE: THE LIMITATIONS ARE ENDLESS!

BELOW: TOTALLY TUBULAR

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ABOVE: IN THE RED

circuitry crushes everything into a wall of sound. It may sound a little crunchy and chaotic, but there’s an undeniable energy and excitement created by the interaction with the compressor, and this is one reason compression can be such a creative tool when it's used correctly. Even for those who are recording regularly, very few actually get the chance to work with the real-deal hardware compressors that many plugins are modelled on. Even if they did, it would take years to master them and understand the nuances between units. Nevertheless, getting a thorough understanding of the various types of compressors, their designs, characters and typical applications is still relevant even when using mainly digital versions. When you tell people that compressors and limiters are used to reduce dynamic range – for example, the span between the softest and loudest sounds – they tend to interpret that as the last thing they’d want done to their songs. But the reality is that most music we hear has at least a basic level of

BELOW: SMALL 'N' SWEET

compression, through to the heavy handed. Compression is necessary to control maximum levels and maintaining higher average loudness, at least at the mastering stage. Obviously, over-compressing your music can flatten things out too much and create an unpleasant crunch. But used subtly, it'll make everything more natural sounding and intelligible without adding any unnecessary distortion, resulting in a smoother mix which ‘glues’ everything together. Additionally, many compressors will have a distinctive colour which can inject some character and energy into your tracks. There’s a common set of parameters and controls common to most compressors, though obviously things vary from model to model.

THRESHOLD

When a signal passes above the set threshold, it will be compressed. Any signal under the threshold level will pass unprocessed. Thus, if you set the threshold high, most of the signal will pass uncompressed. If it’s set low, most of the signal

will be compressed. When all of the signal is being compressed, it’s known as ‘limiting’.

ATTACK TIME

Once the signal reaches the threshold point, the time it takes the compression to be applied depends on the attack time setting. Attack times between 20 and 800 microseconds are considered fast, whilst slower times generally range from ten to 100 milliseconds.

KNEE

The 'knee' of a compressor is simply the transition from the non-compressed to compressed states of the signal running. Compressors are often designed to perform either soft or hard knees, though many are switchable, making them more versatile. Some units provide even more flexibility, allowing a selection of any position between soft and hard. As you’d imagine, a ‘soft knee’ produces a smoother and more gradual transition to compression than a ‘hard knee’, but both have their applications.

RELEASE TIME

This is simply the time it takes for the compressed signal to return to the original uncompressed signal level. Release times are usually longer than attack times, and can range from five milliseconds to five seconds. The classic compression “pumping” effect is heard when a heavily compressed signal has the release time set very short, causing a cyclic activation and deactivation of compression. This is a very interesting effect, though it's one that will often sound very ugly in the wrong circumstances.

RATIO

The ratio specifies the amount of attenuation to be applied to the signal, and is usually expressed in decibels. To clarify, a ratio of two-to-one indicates that a signal exceeding the threshold by two decibels will be attenuated down to one decibel above the threshold.

OUTPUT GAIN

Because compression attenuates the overall signal by setting a threshold, it’s usually necessary

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ABOVE: DIAL YOURSELF IN

to have an output gain stage, or ‘make‑up gain’ to bring the overall level back up. The trade‑up here is that the quieter passages will now be more audible and coherent. Many compressors provide switchable metering that can show input or output level, or ‘gain reduction’, which visually indicates the total attenuation in decibels. Be aware, though, that the metering is often only a guide to what’s happening to the audio. Always use your ears! Choosing the compressor model will obviously play a role in how your audio is processed. Some compressor types will naturally have faster attack and release times than others, and some will have more coloration or character based on the circuitry or software modelling. Here’s a very brief look at the various design types and how they differ.

Tube or Variable-mu Variable MU is ‘tubespeak’ for gain. Anything ‘tube’ is generally sought after for vibe and character. Good tube compressors tend to be harmonically rich but have a slower response and slower attack and release than other forms of compression. They do exhibit a | australianguitarmag.com.au

distinct coloration or ‘vintage’ sound that is nearly impossible to achieve with other compressor types. The famous Fairchild compressor featured over 20 tubes, and was the sound behind many '60s recordings. Cheap tube compressors usually just add ugly noise.

opTical

One of the earliest types of purpose‑built compressors, optical compressors feature a light element and an optical cell. The incoming signals’ voltage causes a variation in the intensity of the light source; the intensity in the light source as received by the photocell will determine the amount of compression that is applied. Thus, the more light the element emits, the more attenuation of the signal will occur. The most famous version is probably the Teletronix LA‑2A, which features naturally smooth compression and a simple two‑knob setup controlling input gain and peak reduction. It also has a compressor/limiter switch, which essentially raises the compression ratio for limiting applications.

FeT

FET – or Field Effect Transistor –

compressors emulate the tube sound with transistor circuits. They are fast, clean and reliable. The Urei‑developed 1176 is the best example of this, and is popular for vocals, bass, acoustic instruments and more. It’s also killer for patching over room mics to enhance ambience and generate excitement and vibe. It has a fixed threshold, and thus, the amount of compression is controlled simply by the input level. Interestingly, the attack knob has a detent for ‘off’, which works as a bypass through the compression circuit if you just want to pass audio through the transistors for some vibe.

Vca

A relatively more modern concept, VCA compressors are built on a voltage‑controlled amplifier, which enables full control of attack and release parameters and a smooth, transparent compression. They are typically fast and punchy, and due to their versatility, can be used in a wide variety of situations – especially mix buss compressions and mastering. The SSL G‑series bus compressor is the most famous VCA compressor. Its signature sound is on thousands

of widely known classic recordings. The DBX 160 is also another VCA classic, which is famous for bringing percussive tracks to life. The only hitch with VCAs is that because they are relatively cheap to manufacture, there’s a wide variation in quality. As an experiment, load up a few tracks in your DAW – for example, a raw vocal, guitar, bass and maybe a drum mix or separate tracks patched into a submix if you have them, and try loading various compressor types over each track. This should help you to get familiar with the different sounds and parameters on each plugin. In the next article, we’ll go into detail on typical scenarios that artists tend to find themselves in when using compressors on their recordings. We'll also dig a little deeper into how you can make tweaks to each of the various compressor types.

Rob Long is a multi-instrumentalist and producer working @FunkyLizardStudios in Newcastle.

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PRODUCER PROFILE

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RECORDING TECHNIQUES WITH ALEX WILSON

THE MUSICAL MASTERMIND BEHIND SLEEPMAKESWAVES HAS STARTED TO PRODUCE THE BAND’S RECORDS. IT’S A REWARDING PROCESS, BUT ONE THAT REQUIRES A CERTAIN DISCIPLINE TO UNDERTAKE. WORDS BY PETER ZALUZNY.

lex Wilson is a man of many talents. He’s the bassist and key creative force behind Sydney post-rock outfit sleepmakeswaves, he regularly pens gear reviews for this very magazine (just a few pages away), and more recently, he’s stepped outside the recording booth to learn the art of record production. Though he’s already amassed a sizable collection of clients, Wilson has also started working on his own music, with the ultimate goal of handling all the recording duties on the next sleepmakeswaves record. Writing an album is one thing, but to produce, engineer and mix your own music requires a certain set of skills, discipline and emotional disconnection to achieve. Though it has it advantages, moving from musician to producer isn’t the easiest process according to Wilson. You’ve co-produced the last two sleepmakeswaves records. Why did you want to get involved behind the desk? For albums like ...and so we destroyed everything, Love Of Cartography and Made Of Breath Only, I was overseeing a process of making quite detailed pre-production demos of every track. I was also doing all the electronic production and sequencing, and that’s a big

part of our sound. So in retrospect, it seems like co-producing was a natural outgrowth of our band’s creative process, and one that I was really eager to jump into. It wasn’t the easiest transition, because I don’t have any formal training in music production or audio engineering. I was very confident in my ability to “produce” in a musical sense, but I realised quickly that I had much to learn as an engineer of recorded sound. What are the advantages of producing your own work? Understanding the personal dynamics of the band – the things each musician needs to excel and feel satisfied with the result – are some of the really tricky things about producing. So the deep personal connection I have with my bandmates means that they can be pretty straight-up with me about what they want and what needs to be better. Does that mean you have to be disciplined, and disconnect from the music to some degree? It’s tempting to leverage the power I have in producing sleepmakeswaves to get my way, and even though collaboration brings better results, I have to fight an urge to make a process fit my vision. When I was co-producing, I tried to act more like a

representative for our band as a whole, but in terms of me working alone for sleepmakeswaves, I try to think of myself as an employee of the group. Is that the most difficult thing to overcome? The hardest thing is managing perfectionism when I mix. There’s always a nagging feeling about how my work stacks up, and I can sink hours into tweaks or different approaches to try and bring the best out in material. Obviously this is amplified when it’s my band. I’ve been training myself to sever that emotional connection to some extent, simply for the preservation of my sanity! I lean pretty heavily on Tim [Adderley, drums] and Otto [WicksGreen, guitar] and their particular sonic tastes, to help guide my choices. They haven’t invested the time I have in learning to be a mixer, but they still have tremendous ears and ideas that are crucial in guiding the process. For example, I often want to prove my mix skills by adding as much “polish” as possible, and Tim and Otto have often been the ones that push me back towards making things rawer. Do you produce with the live show in mind as well, or do you view the records as a studio product and keep them in that context? We went through a very beneficial

phase where we realised that the amount of touring we were doing was changing the nature of the band and we wanted to capture that on record. These days, I’m aiming to keep that core of live performance energy and then build a panoramic world of sound around it – headphone recordings that still feel authentic. What we need to pull that off live is a bridge we’ll cross when we come to it. Based on your experience and ongoing education in production, mixing and so on, do you think more bands should try their hand at getting behind the desk? I don’t think there’s an ideal way for a band to make music. Self-producing suits my goals at the moment, and is a path we want to pursue as a band. It means autonomy and efficiency, and since we’re not the biggest band in the world, it makes all the creative avenues we want to explore more affordable. That said, over the past year we’ve kept on doing parts of the process with other established Sydney producers like Nathan Sheehy and Simon Berckelman. There are so many great people to work with out there and I think it would be foolish to close the door on collaboration, just because we’ve expanded our skillset.

68 | REVIEWS

SHURE MV88+ PREMIUM DIGITAL STEREO CONDENSOR

THE COMPANY’S PROMOTIONAL BOILERPLATE PITCHES THIS PORTABLE MICROPHONE SQUARELY AT PODCASTERS, VIDEOGRAPHERS AND CONTENT CREATORS. LET’S CHECK IT OUT AND SEE WHAT IT HAS TO OFFER A MUSO. WORDS BY ALEX WILSON.

n a world where mindless algorithms are constantly plowing content down our virtual throats, the audiophiles among us would at least like our viral videos to please the ear. Poorly recorded smartphone audio can be a distressing sonic experience – up there with a kindergarten recorder choir or Pitbull. Shure released the original MV88 a few years back, and with this new iteration, they’ve added a ‘plus’ onto the name along with some cool new features. The basic component is a stereo condenser microphone with switchable pickup patterns. These are controlled from Shure’s MOTIV app, which is available for Android and iOS devices. Within the app you can set the mic as cardioid, bi-directional, mid/side and width-adjustable stereo. There’s also some basic, yet well-considered DSP on board. You’ll have access to a limiter, compressor, a channel swap, and a five band EQ with a high-pass filter. Presets are available for beginners, but experienced users will also be impressed by the degree of control that available using these tools. A very nice touch is that you are not restricted to | australianguitarmag.com.au

using the MOTIV app when recording with the mic. Your settings for the MV88+ will be retained even if you’re using a different iOS or Android app as your DAW. This flexibility is very welcome, and other companies would do well to follow this example. There is also a related MOTIV video app, which unfortunately I don’t have the space to explore in detail. Suffice to say, it’s easy to use and succeeds in allowing users to create a quality AV product using just their phone and the MV88+.

SHURE IS EASY TO USE The first pace that I put this setup through was recording an acoustic guitar. Unboxing and assembling the MV88+ for this task indicated the quality that has gone into this product. Shure have collaborated with respected AV supplier Manfrotto for the tripod, which is both sleek and sturdy. It sits nicely on a tabletop, and the legs also fold together into an easily grippable handle if you want to take it on the go. On top of this you can attach the phone clip and then the mic, or just the mic clip itself.

These parts also feel reliable and solid, fitting together logically. I was easily able to assemble everything without consulting a manual. Another big plus was the roll-up neoprene and velcro sleeve, mesh compartments inside housing each component. Overall, full marks for ergonomics, sturdiness and aesthetics. Downloading Shure’s MOTIV app and connecting my phone using a supplied cable was the next step. With everything ready to go, I was able to select an acoustic guitar preset and record. Everything sounded great from the start. This is a solid little mic, as befits one of the world’s legendary microphone manufacturers. While lacking the character of a boutique mid-range condensers, it is admirably transparent, responsive and balance. The noise floor was clean, leading to a clear and detailed reproduction of my acoustic. The stereo field was captured nicely, and also collapses into mono without any nasty phase issues. Additionally, I was able to plug monitoring cans into the MV88+ itself to check the recording as we

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RRP: $399

went. This is excellent, as not all significant aspects of a recording are available from visual feedback. I can see certain artists benefiting greatly from the MV88+’s basic application. Today’s music scene relies very much on content, and artists can catch a break with nothing more than a viral video. This combination of hardware and software allows artists to have a very respectable AV package on hand. If you’re a singer-songwriter, the MV88+ is pretty much all you need to turn that acoustic strumathon into something ready for YouTube or Facebook. For more complicated applications, I can see the MV88+ sliding nicely into an existing setup. If you want to record your band jamming in the practice space, Shure’s product will provide you with a good image and a quality room microphone. You could then supplement that with another portable recording rig to track spot mics and integrate everything into the post-production mixdown.

TOP FEATURES • Excellent hardware • Portable and light carry sleeve • Simple, yet solid DSP via MOTIV app • Switchable microphone pickup patterns • Inbuilt headphone monitoring

PC GONE MAD! Unfortunately, things were not so straightforward when I tried to connect the MV88+ to my recording PC via USB. Tracking into REAPER led to glitch-riddled recordings, no matter how long I pushed the latency. I encountered similar audio degradation when recording via the MV88+ into a MacBook Pro, so it’s not just a PC thing. I was hoping to be able to harness the tabletop convenience and solid sound quality of the MV88+ for a library music job, yet when connected to a computer, the recordings were unusable. A workaround was a cable that converted the headphone jack’s monitoring output into a stereo signal that I could plug in to two channels on my interface. It’s still annoying that this was required to get a usable result for an advertised functionality. Frustratingly, there’s nothing in the MV88+ user guide about computer recording. It feels like this capability was tacked on to make the product

appear as versatile as possible. If Shure want to appeal thoroughly to recording musicians as well as online content creators, then more care should be put into this aspect of the design.

THE BOTTOM LINE

While I was quite disappointed in the MV88+ when connected to a computer, there’s no denying that it succeeds overwhelmingly in its main application. For an affordable price, you get a very respectable condenser from one of the world’s best companies, useful AV hardware and a flexible, intuitive software environment. While the benefits of this won’t be immediately apparent to all musicians, there are undeniably artists out there that will have their careers and expertise enhanced by using this product. If Shure was to invest a bit more effort into studio compatibility, then the MV88+ could truly be called a no-brainer.

WHAT WE RECKON PROS Good sound quality Intuitive and highly usable software environment Affordable price point

CONTACT CONS Poor connectivity with PC and Mac computers

JANDS Ph: (02) 9582 0909 Web: jands.com.au

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REACHING FOR THE NEXT LEVEL

ROB LONG BREAKS THROUGH THE BARRIERS KEEPING YOU FROM SOUNDING LIKE A TRUE MUSICAL LEGEND.

t’s likely that if you’re travelling the path of making music – be it playing, writing or recording – you’ve at some point found yourself at a crossroads, or at the foot of a mountain that seems impassable. It can be very frustrating when you're trying hard to get your work to the next level, but feel like you just keep hitting a wall. Any creative pursuit involves constantly seeking to develop and improve your work. In a nutshell, your work will only ever be as good as the weakest link in it. It could be the song, the performance, the instruments, the recording gear, the engineering, the mixing, the mastering... There's a lot of variables, is what I'm trying to get at. Sometimes it’s just a matter of stepping back and taking a critical look your processes, and identifying what’s holding you back from achieving your intended goals. This is possibly the trickiest part, as it often involves some critical self-analysis and possibly some confronting realisations. The simple fact is that very few people can do everything themselves! People often try to take everything on in order to save money and/or to maintain full control of the creative process. Obviously it’s just fun, too. Each stage can be | australianguitarmag.com.au

part of the creative process, so why shouldn’t you explore them all? However, if you’re not getting the results you want for whatever reason, breaking things down and diagnosing the issue is mandatory. Before you start criticising your work, sometimes it’s healthiest to actually note what your strengths are – what are you happy with? Analysing what got you started on the path is often a good way to begin. Are you predominantly a writer, singer, instrumentalist, a tech nut or gear junkie, or an enthusiast who loves being involved in music but doesn’t actually perform? Your strengths will no doubt lay in the area you’re most familiar with, and your weak spots will be the polar opposite! Those technically minded may be more focused on the ‘knob tweaking’, and may actually play the PC better than they play the guitar. On the other hand, I had a client who was hell-bent on making his own product from beginning to end. After a huge investment in time, gear and building materials, he threw in the towel and handed his project to me. Some people just don’t do the tech side very well – it's okay! The first step is to ascertain whether the issues are mainly musical or technical. Even if you’re

ABOVE: THE ONLY CHAIN YOU SHOULD HAVE WITH YOU IN THE STUDIO

BELOW: RACKING 'EM UP

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LEFT: DON'T BE A KNOB – USE SOME OF THEM INSTEAD! an experienced producer, it’s interesting to go through the process of asking yourself some questions about your work!

POINTS OF REFERENCE

BELOW: DIAL IN YOUR SOUND

We hear music constantly, but achieving excellence in audio and music requires listening at a whole new level. If you sign up for an arts degree, one of the most important aspects of the course is studying the masters. It’s not that you want to emulate others, but simply building knowledge of what’s come before you, and how it was achieved. Doing an A/B test with what you consider ‘successful’ work is a great way to set a benchmark for your own material. It’s not just lifting ideas, it’s hearing what options are out there and studying the way they’re executed. This is typically a producer’s role – they are hired to bring the ship home using a combination of musical and technical knowledge, and communication and interpersonal skills. They know when a performance is in tune, in time, believable, dynamic, emotive, and the performers is committed and giving all they can. They also know when an instrument is right for the track, when the tone is working and when it’s being captured correctly by the engineer.

ARRANGEMENT

Putting all the elements of a track together without overcooking it is a fine art. The starting point

ABOVE: SO, HOW MUCH IS THE RENT? is to clearly define what it is that makes the track interesting in its most basic form – then capitalise and enhance that where needed, without swamping it with superfluous elements that take away from the original idea. Generally, less is more. The spaces between notes are music too. Everything needs a reason to be there and a space to dwell in.

PLAYING AND PERFORMANCE

This is really where the magic lays. In all honesty, if you don’t have this, you don’t have anything! There’s obviously a truck load of variables on what constitutes a great performance. It could be water-tight grooves; a dynamic, expressive vocal take; a wall of sound that throws you against the back wall; or an intricate, complex instrumental part executed to perfection. Pitching and timing are always important, but commitment is the most essential ingredient. This is why sometimes the scratch vocal is actually better than the final, as the artist was in the zone, and less inhibited. A good producer will coax musicians and artists to work to their highest ability. They’ll have a sixth sense about how far they can push things without crossing the line and burning the performer out. At the end of the day, it’s about taking your time and investigating why something doesn’t sound like you want it to sound during the

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ABOVE: MARSHALL + MIC = THE SOUND OF AN EXCLAMATION MARK tracking stage. That’s the time to address it, not at mixdown!

DON’T HESITATE TO DELEGATE

This is really when things get moving. Knowing when it’s time to call in expertise in a particular area is one of the most liberating points to reach. Whether it’s for time efficiency; to introduce another influence, texture or skillset; to produce a better artistic or technical result generally; or just to have a fresh set of ears; experts in all fields will seek out peer advice and assistance where necessary, rather than cut corners. Another great benefit of incorporating skilled friends and professionals is that you can learn by observation – and it may just be that next time you’ll know how to do it yourself! There are producers out there who really just getting by via knowing who to call to take what role on. They assemble great teams around the artist.

GEAR LUST

Obviously you need gear – and the right gear – but the myth that expensive, big name kit will always produce perfect results is one of the biggest misconceptions | australianguitarmag.com.au

in the music industry. I’ve heard self‑produced works of art made on a modest setup that were way more engaging on every level than some expensively produced projects recorded in dream studios. The difference is the way the music is put together, and the level of care and attention to detail. Basically, someone who has a clear vision from the outset, and the patience and dedication to bring it to fruition, even using the most basic setup, will beat a poorly planned, production‑heavy ‘expensive sound’ every day of the week in my book.

ENGINEERING TO STAY ON TRACK.

At some point in your life, spend some time in a pro studio with a pro engineer – and pay attention to every detail! Sure, you may never have the luxury of the gear list and choices that they might have, but the techniques work across the board – and that’s where the gold lays. Getting the sounds into the box at the highest possible level is arguably the most important stage of the process if you’re hoping to end up with a great product. Fixing it in the mix should always be a last resort. It’s important to learn what

a good sounding tracking space sounds like in its many variations. Some are live. Some are tight. Some are a balance between the two extremes. Above all, you need know when it’s wrong. Likewise, you need to know what good reference monitoring really is, how much it really costs and what you really must do to achieve it. Learn what mic positioning and pickup patterns do for a recorded sound and experiment as much as possible. It’s astounding the difference that a few centimetres in either direction can make! Things like gain structure, headroom at the preamp, phase and drive all need to be fully understood if you’re self‑engineering. Knowing the difference between a ‘clean’ sound, and a ‘coloured’ sound is critical. You want to be able to manipulate things sonically by taking advantage of every possibility to bring out the character you’re going for, not just fluke it!

MIXING

One can’t oversimplify the mixing process – it’s definitely a dark art with infinite variables, and sometimes things can get messy and need a lot of work. A good starting point is realising whether you’re colouring something,

or trying to repair it. Check out your raw tracks in fine detail – individually and as a rough mix. If you get the raw tracks right you’re almost there. If your mix to sounds 80 percent of the way there when just playing back the raw tracks with all of the faders at unity, no effects or mixing and only the pan knobs set to centre, you know you’re winning! The better your raw tracks are, the simpler the mixing will be. Theoretically, all you’ll need is some spice and space to get it where it needs to be. A lot of engineers suggest not spending too much time on individual tracks though – treat the piece as a whole. There are so many variables in recording and producing music. What works for one person may be the wrong direction for the next. Always seek out people who know more than you do, ask lots of questions, and experiment as much as you can. You can’t learn to swim by walking around the pool!

Rob Long is a multi-instrumentalist and producer working @FunkyLizardStudios in Newcastle.

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62 |

PRODUCER PROFILE

RECORDING TECHNIQUES WITH JAMES RUSSELL

LIFT YOUR WALL OF SOUND OFF THE GROUND. WORDS BY PETER ZALUZNY.

all-of-sound production seems pretty straightforward from the outside, but it’s one of those things that’s easy to do, but difficult to do well. An amateur will just throw a bunch of loud sounds at the wall, but professionals like James Russell from Heliport Studios spend day after day filling the frequencies with endless EQing, balancing reverb and placing harmonics in the perfect position. The right mics, mixing board, amps and software are essential – along with an in-depth understanding of how to hide instruments in the background to subtly plug gaps. The wall-of-sound technique is a delicate, intricate work of art that takes a long time to master. You’re quite enthusiastic about wall-of-sound production, particularly in rock music. Where do you start producing a track like that, and how do you carefully place it together? Wall-of-sound guitar layering makes the most of the Haas Effect. Basically, if you get a guitarist playing exactly the same part twice and pan one left and one right, the small organic timing and playing discrepancies in each track will create a perception of stereo width. Then, you track the guitar numerous times, with varying tone settings, to build it up. This kind of layering gives productions greater texture | australianguitarmag.com.au

and depth that can’t be achieved any other way, so I also employ a similar technique for tracking backing vocals. Palm muting, harmonies, octaves and counter melodies can help create depth and texture, too. How do you plug the gaps? A synth can be used to fill the frequency gaps or add body to the part and bind the guitars. Another big trick in rock production is using a piano part low in the guitar mix to create attack, because piano can have a fast attack and add transient value to a part. But there are so many tricks that a producer or mix engineer will do to beef up a mix and obtain body. Do you have any rules when micing guitars for this sort of work? When tracking guitars, my favoured setup is a Royer-121 and Shure sm57, through Neve 1073 preamps into Distressors adding second or third harmonics, EQ’d and analogue-summed into one mono channel through the SSL Duality. That way, I get all the bandwidth of both mics and a more manageable track count. As far as tracking amps, Heliport has the holy trinity of studio amps: the Vox AC15, Fender Deluxe 15 and a rare Marshall Studio 15, all 15 watts as that’s the best for recording in a studio, as you can get more drive at lower volumes.

A lot of the tracks you produce are characterised by lots of layers with perfect interplay between the instruments. How do you manage that in a mix? Busses are something I use a lot, especially in a complicated mix, as it’s not uncommon for big projects to have 60-plus track counts. So I use busses to combine all guitars, backing vocals, keys and so on, and treat them as one in the space. The only thing I don’t bus is drums, to maintain definition, as bussing will spread an element in the stereo field. That’s something we don’t want in the kick snare, bass or lead vocals. One interesting example of that is “Kings Of High” by Chris Flaskas. It has, among other things, a big, boomy low-end with drums and didgeridoo, but they don’t detract from the acoustic guitar’s clarity. How did you place it all in the mix? There were some challenges in achieving that, because the kick drum is so dominant and exists in the same space as the didgeridoo and the bass. I always pay attention to masking, which is when two instruments exist in the same space, and one will quite often obscure the other. We hard panned and layered the acoustics and electrics, making room for the vocals, kick and bass to sit in the middle. Then I had to squeeze every bit of definition and clarity I could out of it, while attenuating

individual frequencies to keep clarity. For instance, the body of the vocals were around one-to-three kilohertz, so those frequencies need to be attenuated in the acoustics and guitars. I then had to boost the acoustics at eight kilohertz so they could still be heard. That sounds so complex! That’s just one example of a thousand moves that have to be made. Another technique is the use of compression and reverb to create dimension and space. Compression not only tames peaks and solidifies a track, but it moves elements forward in the mix if done right. That’s how the relationship between the guitar and kick worked – we compressed the kick and sat it forward in the centre of the mix, with dry reverb so it was right forward. The guitars, however, were less compressed, with high-pass filters and wetter reverb, sending them back in the mix to create dimension. So dimension is just as important as balance? A good mix is more than just EQ, reverb and compression. It’s about creating body, vibe and character using harmonics. More often than not, I will add body with second or third harmonics, the second being valve and the third being tape. Tape also creates a natural roll-off in the high end, adding a vintage feel. You have to think in 3D.

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64 | REVIEWS

SHURE SE215 IN-EAR HEADPHONES + RMCE-BT2 COMMUNICATION CABLE

SHURE PROVIDES AN ELEGANT AND HIGH-PERFORMANCE SOLUTION FOR A CROWDED IN-EAR HEADPHONE MARKET. WORDS BY ALEX WILSON.

inding the right pair of earphones for the job can be a tricky proposition, and we’re increasingly needing them in all walks of life. Whether it’s enjoying your favourite tracks, appreciating hi-fi sound or rocking them onstage, we need our buds to jack all trades. Shure’s SE215 In-Ear Headphones offer high-performance sound at a midrange price. And while they were designed for the stage, with the BT2 Communication Cable they can now pull double duties as excellent leisure earbuds when you go about your day. Podcasts in the streets, monitor mixes in the sheets!

TINY BUT MIGHTY Let’s start with the SE215s, which have been around for a bit and are still going strong. They’ll be a good step up from your stock earbuds without burning a hole in your pocket. For a start, they are actually in-ear headphones rather than earbuds. In-ear headphones travel deeper into the ear canal, providing better isolation and sound quality. The drivers are housed outside the ear, and | australianguitarmag.com.au

each side is connected to the audio source using a detachable Shure cable. The stock one that ships with the SE215s ends in a standard 3.5-millimetre headphone jack. It doesn’t have any inline controls, but this is appropriate for a cable intended for live sound applications. The SE215s sound above average, though they aren’t exactly mindblowing. The frequency response is clear and neutral, without a strong preference towards bass or treble. They also avoid the two major pitfalls of small headphones: the top-end is detailed without being harsh, and there’s perceptible and pleasing dynamics in the lows. The earpieces feel smaller than they look, and are cleverly suspended from above the ear to resist gravity’s pull. Earpiece fit is a highly subjective topic. This (very finnicky) reviewer found the SE215s to land in the ballpark of comfort as his custom-molded in-ears, which cost about eight times as much. The firm fit, fine sound quality and small portable profile of the SE215 make it an excellent choice for a musician that needs earbuds for live music applications. They are a reliable, affordable

set of buds if you are working a gig onstage of side-of-stage. If you have no need for or budget to afford expensive custom molds, these guys will be decent replacements and will serve you well.

ON THE RUN With the addition of the BT2 Communication Cable, you can be far more mobile. The purpose of the BT2 seems to be to transform these live performance-style in-ears into a consumer-grade audio product. The BT2 would be unlikely to perform in a live sound situation – the inherent latency in Bluetooth makes it unsuitable for applications where fast response is paramount. However, Bluetooth 5.0 excels in daily life. Rather than be physically tethered to a phone in your pocket or a bodypack on your belt, you can now operate your music hands-free. There’s inline controls, with a built-in mic for voice controlling your device or talking on the phone. The cable is weighted by a small, yet hefty plastic battery with a clip. It attaches comfortably to clothing, and despite looking a bit unwieldy, it

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RMCE-BT2: $279 • SE215: $175

actually contributes ergonomically, providing an extra anchor point for the earpieces during motion. I trialled the BT2s on trains, buses, footpaths, the gym and my living room couch and in all situations, they felt discreet and comfy. The BT2 can provide between eight and ten hours of playback on a full charge, which is very respectable for a Bluetooth 5.0 device. The Bluetooth reception itself was reliable and uninterrupted – a noticeable improvement from the earlier BT1 cable. I would have preferred a more up-to-date charging mechanism than micro-USB, but it’s not a deal-breaker. Additionally, the BT2 provides support for multiple

TOP 5 FEATURES • In-ear sound isolation • Eight-to-ten hours of Bluetooth playback • Support for multiple audio codecs

audio codecs, including Qualcomm aptX, aptX HD, aptX Low Latency, AAC, and SBC for superior digital audio reproduction. The unit’s Bluetooth 5.0 architecture is also backward compatible and will integrate with all Bluetooth sources. Additionally, the BT2 is compatible with all Shure detachable earphones with MMCX cable connectivity. This might also be a good point to stipulate one final bonus of the modular design of Shure units. Cables are highly susceptible to wear and damage. By making them replaceable, Shure are not only offering versatility, but also a cheap repair solution should your cable die.

WHAT WE RECKON PROS Above-average sound quality

• Inline controls and mic

Versatile and modular design

• Bluetooth 5.0 with backwards compatibility

Excellent price point

THE BOTTOM LINE

To buy both the SE215s and the BT2 will set you back just under $400. This seems like a big spend for such an unassuming product, and is a decent whack of money by any standard. The key consideration here is versatility. With the SE215s, their stock cable and the BT2’s extra functionality, you have all your bases covered for in-ear sound as a musician and a listener. In that sense, they are providing quality sound in a range of applications at a moderate price. For a punter with a mild budget, they could be the perfect fit.

CONTACT CONS Outdated charging cable

JANDS Ph: (02) 9582 0909 Web: jands.com.au

66 |

HOME RECORDING

TUNING AND PITCH

ROB LONG EXPLAINS HOW TO GET YOUR TUNES INTO TUNE.

n the last issue, I discussed the importance of timing, feel and groove, and looked at various ways to assess the project and deal with the issues at hand. In this one, I’d like to look at the equally critical ‘sister’ issues of tuning and pitching, which I’ll treat separately. It could be broadly stated that between pitch and timing, it’s timing that is more flexible. Feel and groove are highly fluid and genre-specific elements of music. Tuning and pitching, on the other hand, tends be more universally understood and agreed upon, irrespective of genre. It’s typical for an instrumentalist to tune their instrument, but it’s far less typical for them analyse their rhythmic performance against a grid in a DAW. Generally, people will notice tuning issues long before they’ll pick up on timing issues. Even the casual non-musical listener can usually tell that there’s something not quite right, even though they may not have the language to explain it. Needless to say, if you make computergenerated, auto-tuned music, scroll on! There’s nothing to see here!

CHEWING OVER TUNING Having said that, I’d have to say that I spend a lot of time helping

performers of various stringed instruments working through the finer details of tuning. Nine times out of ten, they can’t hear the problem!

TRACKING ONE HEADPHONE OFF

To a certain extent, this is understandable. So many people treat an electronic tuner as ‘the final word’, tuning at the beginning of a rehearsal, gig or recording, and that’s it. They figure that the tuner looks happy and then sign off on it. End of story. Factors like playing at high volume and the chorusing effect of lots of instruments playing simultaneously tend to mask the finer tuning problems. Personally, I’ll tune between songs, recording takes, every time I put on a capo or remove it... All the goddamn time. When recording, I’ll take it even further – I work through the chord shapes I’m intending to use, one at a time, and test for discrepancies and adjust as necessary. People work under the assumption that a good instrument with healthy strings will, once tuned with an accurate tuner, will be in tune at any point on the neck, and will stay that way. They can then relax and enjoy perfect intonation and

ABOVE: A CLASSIC TUNER FOR SOME CLASSIC TUNES LEFT: ALWAYS KEEP AN OPEN EAR

| australianguitarmag.com.au

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LEFT: SCREW THIS! never need to give it another thought. In essence, they stop listening out for the hiccups. Unfortunately this is rarely the case. Having put super high-end, collectible instruments through their paces, I can attest that the instrument’s price tag does not assure perfect intonation – the most important aspect of good tuning is the player’s ears. Possibly the biggest telltale sign of a tuning or intonation issue is when either unison or octaves notes are played. If it’s not bang-on, you’ll soon hear an unpleasant dissonance. Hence, I’ll always tune an open string against an octave on another string, as discrepancies here will be more noticeable.

CAPO GUITAR

If a capo is being used, always tune with the capo on, and the tuner in chromatic mode. Putting a capo on a guitar or banjo neck changes everything! The player’s technique is another can of worms. It’s so easy to sharpen a note by pressing too hard on the fretboard, or to throw a whole chord out by bending one string, but people often don’t realise it’s happening until it’s under the studio microscope. Getting intonation correct is a dark art, and many (arguably most, to be honest) instruments are simply beyond ever being perfect. Generally, the position of the bridge and saddle is the most critical element. But the

ABOVE: GET YOUR STRINGS INTO SHAPE depth of the nut slot has a huge effect on the intonation of the first five frets – too shallow a cut will mean you’re fretting sharp up that end of the neck.

INTONATION

So, often it becomes a compromise, to the point where it’s actually plausible in some cases to alter a part or arrangement in order to avoid weak spots on the instrument. One little trick I often do is to simply lay down a piano or keyboard track, even if it’s not necessarily for keeps, purely as a tuning reference. It should only take around 10 or 15 minutes to lay down the basic chord patterns – simply turn the track off once it’s no longer required.

WHERE TO PITCH IT?

It really pays to listen to the singer work through a song in the control room with the track, or playing campfire style with a guitar or piano before sending them into the fray. You’ll learn a lot about simply hearing them perform acoustically in the room with you, without the technical and psychological minefield that is the ‘red zone’. They’ll be more relaxed, less likely try and impress everyone in the room, and you’ll hear the natural timbre of their voice that you’re about to try to capture. It’s also important to ascertain

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HOME RECORDING

ABOVE: WHEN IN DOUBT, DAW IT OUT

ASAP whether the vocal part is actually set, arranged and finished. Are they improvising or changing it every time they sing it? Are they attempting to recreate some demo from eight years ago when their range was two tones higher? Are they making it up as they go and never quite nailing it? If so, they’re more likely to be focussed on creating a part than singing well. The old ‘one headphone off’ trick is an oldie but a goodie. It allows the singer to hear at least a percentage of their voice naturally. Headphones create an airtight seal around the ears which greatly alters the natural, free-field listening environment which people are used to. If it’s a a capella piece, simply play a drone as a pitching reference. It’s super quick and easy to set up, and just helps the vocalist(s) from wandering too far off the mark. If the piece begins with a solo vocal entry, make sure you lay down an intro chord. If you forget, simply copy and paste a bar from somewhere in the track. When things really aren’t going well, sometimes it’s necessary to reach for the big guns. This could mean literally playing the melody on a keyboard, using a suitable sound such as a flute. Some producers will go as far as to | australianguitarmag.com.au

auto-tune a vocal take to use as a reference. Obviously this is fairly extreme, and does railroad the vocalist into a trying to perfect ‘set part’ – but it’s a solution!

MELODYNE

Monitoring is obviously critical in any recording situation, but never more so than tracking vocals. Always have a good listen to the headphone mix you’re sending. Don’t rely on the performer to tell you what’s going on – they may not have the experience to know what’s ‘normal’. Even if they are experienced, they may not be familiar with your setup or headphones. You need to know that everything is working as expected before you go chasing your tail with someone who may have a whole different language for describing what they are hearing. I don’t know how many times I’ve had someone say, "It sounds great," only to realise they are singing a semitone flat because all they can hear is a muddy mix through the talkback mic. Getting the volume right is important. The genre will guide you – it’s hard to rock out at ‘elevator’ volume. Likewise, don’t blow the folkies out of the room! When the vocals are too loud in the

phones, many singers will actually back off and project less, which can cause them to sing flat. If the vocals are too quiet, some singers will sing too hard to hear the vocals properly, causing them to hit the notes sharp. It’s often advisable to simplify the mix, thinning out complex, distracting elements which inhibit more than they enhance. If the singer normally plays an instrument, focus the monitoring around that and make them feel at home. Try skewing the headphone mix to give the vocalist some audible separation. Pan the backing track pan left by 75 percent and the vocal track right by 75 percent or similar. Allowing vocalists to sing along with the track and find their pitch well before a punch-in point is far more desirable than a tight drop in, where they are forced to suddenly pitch perfectly from a cold start. Sometimes headphones simply just don’t fit the bill. It could be the genre, or it may be their volume or singing style. It could just be that the vocalist feels like they’re wearing a sonic chastity belt! Using studio monitors or even setting up a small PA to monitor them isn’t as crazy as it sounds. Send a mono mix to two speakers on either side of the mic. Put one speaker out of phase and the sound

cancels at the mic (once you get the placement correct). Then, the singer can dispense with headphones and just sing to what they're hearing through the speakers. There will be some bleed of music onto the vocal track depending on how loud you run the speakers, but it’s often no more than you would get from someone running loud headphones while they’re doing a vocal track. Likewise, for some genres, it’s a matter of feel and performance style. Changing the vocal session from a sterile ‘studio capture’ with a big intimidating large diaphragm condenser into a live performance using a more familiar handheld dynamic mic could be the ticket. Most of all, build confidence! Support is often the game-changer. Nerves cause a singer to tense up and create an efficient breath flow. So praise them when they nail it, and support them when they struggle. If they get some of it right, they can get all of it right!

Rob Long is a multi-instrumentalist and producer working @FunkyLizardStudios in Newcastle.

A journey of 10,000 gigs begins with the very ďŹ rst one. Make it count.

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60 |

PRODUCER PROFILE

RECORDING TECHNIQUES WITH FRASER MONTGOMERY FILLING OUT VOCALS CAN BE TRICKY, BUT FRASER MONTGOMERY HAS A FEW TRICKS TO PLUG EVERY INCH OF YOUR MIX. WORDS BY PETER ZALUZNY.

hether it’s a ten‑piece outfit or a singer‑songwriter with nothing but their voice and an acoustic, Fraser Montgomery can make any track sound full‑bodied and beautifully balanced. In fact, he’s got a particularly good ear for getting vocal tracks in just the right place, then building them into every unoccupied corner of the mix. That, and he knows how to build a track, reach that explosive peak and inject the perfect attack when it’s time for an instrument to punch in. In other words, if you take a visit to Aviary Studios in Melbourne, Montgomery can turn your takes into statements. One thing that characterises your work is a consistent, full-bodied sound, particularly in the vocals. How do you bring that across after the artist nails their performance? Microphone choice, and how the singer uses it – such as using proximity effects – has a huge influence on how much space the vocal takes up. I love our Russian tube Soyuz‑017 LDC on most occasions, but to be honest, getting up close on an SM7b can be perfect. The right compression also helps. I use the Retro Doublewide vari‑mu compressor to gain some extra weight – with 10‑20 decibel gain | australianguitarmag.com.au

reduction on the metres, it really owns it. For an up‑tempo vocal, the Hairball Blue‑strip 1176 is amazing. Coupled with a Pultec‑style EQ and a Neve 1073‑style preamp, such as our Aurora Audio or Heritage Audio units, they’re the go‑to chain for lead vocals. None of these things are as important as the performance and the lyrics, but they all help. How do you fill out a vocal-oriented track when there are only a couple of other instruments involved? Oftentimes, the most minimal arrangements are the easiest to make sound big. When every element is recorded well, has its own uncompromised tonal character, and isn’t fighting to be heard, the whole song can sound ‘bigger’. It’s dependent on the song, of course, but sometimes having no reverb can have the biggest impact. Either way, I like to visualise the vocal being wrapped up in a warm blanket, and it has to compliment the vocal at all times. Where does the reverb sit in a track? That depends on the mood of the song and the day that it is mixed, but automation is king. I record with analogue reverbs and delays. I’ll always have my spring unit, Roland 301 and 501 running when recording. I end up with a large count, but also

with effects that are unique to many elements. These can then be blended, panned and further manipulated for a rich tapestry of sounds. I also use the UAD EMT 140 and AKG Spring for global reverbs. Similarly, you’ve worked with a few artists who create songs that gradually build to an explosive ending, and yet that full-bodied sound is still present throughout. How do you work a track like that? The key is increasing intensity in performances, rather than pure volume. A guitar player that gradually digs in harder, letting the amp break up more and more as the song goes on, is far more effective than just turning it up, for example. Once you have the core elements doing that, adding extra instruments effectively is a bonus, along with detailed automation in the mix. Then the delicate dance begins. The trick is to make the intro sound as loud and full as it can, and engage the listener as if it were not going to get any bigger. Once you have them, you can hit them with the explosion. That philosophy is pretty prominent on “Drive” by Gretta Ray, which you engineered drums on. In that case, the gear played a small part in pulling the sound

we were looking for, especially in shaping the kick and snare. We did that mostly with Neve preamps and little compression. I remember heavily shaping the kick with a Kush Electra EQ, which really allowed me to find the sweet spots, boosting them heavily with the Proportional Q. Having said that, the drums were played by Josh Barber, who also produced the song. You can basically attribute the build and swell to his playing. At the same time, you also know how to give instruments a lot of punch if required, without allowing them to take over from the otherwise balanced mixed. Your work with pizzicato strings is a good example. How do you get that strong, but not overbearing pluck? I generally start with a ribbon mic, like a Coles 4038 or AEA 44, then find a placement so as not to get too much attack. However, tone is key so they don’t sound too thin. In the mix, I use the Fab Filter Multi‑band Compressor a lot, where you can compress certain frequencies and get a touch of the attack, but not let it dominate. Then it’s a bit of a dance with reverb. The pre‑delay has a big influence on how much presence and attack you let through, as does using a short plate.

A journey of 10,000 gigs begins with the very ďŹ rst one. Make it count.

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64 |

HOME RECORDING

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE... TIMING!

ROB LONG EXPLAINS TO US WHY KEEPING THINGS IN TIME CAN SAVE YOU PLENTY OF... WELL...

hen I’m asked, "What’s the most common challenge you face in the studio?" I usually respond within less than two seconds – usually depending on whether or not I have a mouth full of coffee – "Timing!" This usually prompts the response, "You mean finding time to record?" Well, yes, but no – I mean getting people to play in time! I couldn’t say how many times I’ve sat in the control room and listened to a solo performer, someone overdubbing, or an entire band and thought, "This is fantastic – great song, great tones, great ideas and parts... I wouldn’t change a thing... If only it was in time!" And thus, it begins... No, I can’t simply sit back and watch this all go down, enjoying the grooves, the lock, the sure-footed tightness, the seamless joining of musicians working as one entity – in the pocket with the zip done up! No! Now I’m going to have to really earn my money. Most of the time, I’m going to either have to find out if there’s some credible reason why this is sounding like everyone’s playing in a different band, or if the

| australianguitarmag.com.au

performer has just forgotten to put their headphones on. If there’s no technical excuse for the sloppy timing, then I’m left with three simple choices: ignore it and keep smiling through the glass, resolve that I’m going to need to spend a lot of time massaging the tracks later, or raise the point with the artist and – assuming they are receptive – see what we can do to tighten things up! Obviously, there are types of music which require absolutely clock-perfect timing with no compromise. But then there’s the natural push and pull that occurs when normal human beings play and vocalise together. Of course, there’s super lazy, swampy, 'see ya when ya get there' stylings. Some genres are going to work with a click track, whereas others need to breathe like a living creature. There are no rules, but there are conventions. The thing is, a jazz band would pack up and leave if the producer suggested they use a click. They may well push the tempo and feel all over the shop in the course of one piece, but you can bet that they make it sound like the musical forest

ABOVE: TIPPING THE SCALES BELOW: GETTING READY TO DRUM UP A STORM

has grown from one seed – and ultimately, that’s the kicker. It’s not about the clock – it’s about intention, sync and groove. Good players can do anything. Less experienced players need to work a lot harder, and they are often the people smaller studios are dealing with. If you’re producing, it’s your job to be the policeman for such things as tuning and timing, and to help steer the piece or project in the appropriate direction. The first step is to make a call on exactly what is appropriate for the genre, the people involved, where the project is being pitched and the relevant expected outcomes. Is the ‘looseness’ within acceptable boundaries for the piece or style? Or is the audience going to feel slightly seasick listening to it? Once you’ve ascertained that there is a ‘bit of an issue’ at hand, it becomes a case of how best to deal with it. The greatest single stumbling block is that nine times out of ten, the musician is blissfully unaware that there’s even a problem, though they’ve come to you to record or produce their work and have handed you part of the responsibility to help bring it home. So, breaking the news can be tricky, but that’s part of the gig!

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ABOVE: MILLENNIAL DRUM CIRCLE

BELOW: CLICK-CLICK-BOOM

So often, people using studios are writers and singers first and foremost, and ‘players/musicians’ by default. By nature, these creatives tend to play mostly alone, or with other musicians who are not necessarily out there every weekend polishing their craft. Thus, they often struggle to play parts that they’ve invented themselves, but don’t realise until they get under the microscope of the studio and get some feedback from people who do it every day. Rehearsal spaces, like live gigs, often mask the more subtle issues with the ‘wall of noise’ effect. Generally, I find the issues tend to centre around transitions. To use an analogy, straight roads are fine, until there’s a bend. You have to readjust mentally and physically to make smooth transitions. Most people will be able to sit nicely on a groove, and even play the next groove well – but moving from one to the next seamlessly is often where the cracks appear. Drum fills are the classic telltales. It’s almost par for the course that people will physically slow down during a busy part that requires more chops and even beat distribution, then speed up when things swing up to a beat or two per bar, and they’re not properly counting the rest of the beats. If you’re going to a photoshoot, you’re probably going to have a good look at yourself in the mirror

and sort your grooming and funky threads well before you let anyone snap you – you should have the same mentality when it comes to your music. It’s critical to have a really good listen to yourself and your parts (individually and as a group) before you start forking out hourly rates in the studio. If you’re producing for other people, encouraging pre-production is mandatory. This could be as simple as having them send you iPhone recordings of their kitchen sessions, and allowing you to troubleshoot and provide them with valuable feedback in advance. If you’re working to a click, life will be simpler. You can drop in, mix and match takes, and generally use the grid as a guide to push and pull things around in post-production. But this should always be a last resort – if you can minimise manipulation and get things down right at the time, you’ll always end up with a more organic sounding product. Using a standard four-beat click with a typical hi-hat or rimshot sound will work okay for some people. If that doesn't do the trick, try going with eight beats to the bar, as it saves the distraction of counting on the artist’s behalf. I find that most people feel more comfortable with some kind of groove – either a drum feel based on the intended groove, or a percussion loop. I’ll still run this as a guide even if the intention is to have a

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HOME RECORDING

ABOVE: THERE'S SO MANY LAYERS, THIS TRACK MIGHT AS WELL BE AN ONION percussion‑free final product, and just ditch it once there’s a solid bed track to build on. Headphone mixes are highly crucial when it comes to nailing parts and getting then the pocket. Whatever part of the track is the designated ‘God of Time’ must be clearly audible up and over what is being overdubbed. Oftentimes, inexperienced players will saturate the headphone mix with their own tracks, then wonder why nothing is gelling when they hear it all played back. Sometimes it’s necessary to analyse, and then simplify a part in order to get it down. It could be that a tricky passage can be split into several parts or totally reappropriated. For example, I once had a drummer struggle with a change that had him playing 16ths on the hats for one part, then eighths for another. I simply suggested that the 16ths would feel better and sit more comfortably in the mix if played by a shaker or small tambourine. | australianguitarmag.com.au

RIGHT: HEADPHONE HOME

Similarly, a busy acoustic guitar part in one song was replaced by an overdubbed mandolin, which actually improved the texture and dynamics of the overall song. It’s incredible how a lazy or anxious vocal take can make it feel like the whole track is out of sync. So many vocalists (at all levels) are anxious about recording and get thrown off their game. Oftentimes they are simply not used to hearing themselves so clearly, and it takes time to relax. Sometimes I’ll grab a vocal take and push it back in time a tiny bit, just to get it to sit more ‘musically’ in the grander scheme of the track. If I think it’ll help, I’ll actually do that while the singer is watching, and then point out the difference. If they are receptive (and often, they are putting a lot of trust in you as their engineer or producer), you can get a much improved result right off the bat! Tracking in sections can really help, especially when there’s a major feel change and you can

virtually hear the tension rising as it approaches. Breaking things into bite‑sized chunks takes the pressure off from that, and allows people to focus on one thing at a time. For musicians tracking live together, visual cues are critical. A simple nod of the head, eye contact, being able to see drumsticks or hands laying down a groove, or marking an accent is what most people are accustomed to. The pros can do without it, but it still helps people at all levels. Before you set yourself up for a marathon session and end up with

a sterile, lifeless track that sounds nothing like the artist, try to draw the very best out of them during the tracking stage. You won’t end up with RSI and a caffeine overdose, and their ears will be happy!

Rob Long is a multi-instrumentalist and producer working @FunkyLizardStudios in Newcastle.

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HOME RECORDING.

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94 | REVIEWS

QSC CP8 LOUDSPEAKER

THE VENERABLE QSC ARE BACK WITH A LOW-PRICE OPTION TO ADD TO THEIR ALREADY WIDE RANGE OF LOUDSPEAKERS. ALEX WILSON LOOKS UNDER THE HOOD TO SEE HOW MUCH BANG YOU’RE GETTING FOR YOUR BUCK.

peakers are often a trade-off between quality and size. The smaller you get, the less good-sounding volume you can juice out of the cabinet. If you want that big, clean sound, you normally need to pay for it, both with bucks and backbreaking effort shifting your speaker around. QSC’s very new range of CP speakers aims to get around this conundrum. Quilter Sound Company has been around for 50 years now, and have mainly made their name in sophisticated live sound, cinema and systems products. While the company has been going strong since starting in California in 1968, the CP series seems to be part of a relatively recent push towards smaller and simpler products that aim to preserve the brand’s serious reputation. Interestingly enough, company founder Pat Quilter remains at QSC as chairman of the board, while simultaneously starting another brand that bears his name. Quilter Labs is his new venture that creates high-end, small-scale solid state amps. | australianguitarmag.com.au

Worth a look if that’s your bag, as they continue Quilter’s tradition of high-performance design.

LOW FREQUENCY, HIGH QUALITY But back to the CP series! While we’ve got the version with the eight-inch low frequency driver, there’s a similar version boasting the same speaker in a 12-inch configuration. The first thing you’ll notice when you pull the CP8 out of the box is how light it is. Even noting its streamlined design (CP stands for Compact Powered) it weighs in at a slim 9.5 kilos. Right off the bat, this is good news for anyone looking to buy a portable speaker. It’s going to punish you less when you’re lugging it around than similar products may. The edges and contours are cleverly designed. As well as being able to be pole-mounted, the angles of the housing mean it will face a performer well if being used as an instrument amplifier or a foldback wedge. There are also options to add an extra yoke mount and buy covers and bags if transport is going to be a common occurence.

In terms of the sonic specs, there’s 1000 watts on hand. That’s a decent amount of grunt and enough room to turn a busy mix up loud. Drilling down into the numbers, you can get up to 124 decibels SPL (sound pressure level) out of the CP8, with the frequency response covering 47 hertz to 20 kilohertz. The sound projects far and wide as well, with the dispersion offering 90 degrees of coverage. Getting away from the theory for a moment: the loudspeaker sounds really good. QSC have a reputation for high performance audio gear, and the CP8 is no different. In practice, I found that meant that the low-end on this little box was unexpectedly formidable. There’s a dynamism and clarity to the bass response that is crucial in creating pro-level sound. Additionally, there’s a Contour knob on the back that allows for some additional DSP processing. There are presets for dance, floor monitor setup and speech, with additional options that allow a subwoofer to be attached in standard and dance mode. Although some users will undoubtedly

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prefer an EQ with more precise controls, I think there’s a lot to be said for the ease and immediacy of this system.

PACKING A PUNCH Where I think the CP8 really shines is in the input stage. There are three available inputs: one line, one mic/line with mic boost and a stereo 3.5-millimetre mini-jack input. All three can be run simultaneously and have separate volume controls. Ultimately, what this amounts to is that a simple mix of up to three channels can be done directly on the unit itself.

TOP 5 FEATURES •

124 decibels SPL between 47 hertz and 20 kilohertz

•

Wide dispersion with 90 degrees of coverage

•

Three inputs with separate gain controls

•

Contour switch for useful DSP options

•

Portable design

Say you’re a busking vocalist and guitarist that plays to a backing track off your iPod. Your whole mixer and speaker system can be handled by the CP8. It’s a simple setup offered by QSC here, but it’s well-considered enough to be truly valuable. Especially when combined with the portability of the CP8, this flexibility makes it a great option for any player working outside a band context. Finally, the CP8 is priced very reasonably. It’s not the very cheapest option one could buy, but you get a lot of value for money at a relatively low price point. QSC are a company renowned for high-quality products, and in this case they’ve

maintained that level without passing that much extra cost onto the punter.

THE BOTTOM LINE

QSC’s CP8 loudspeaker delivers excellent performance in a surprisingly compact package. The Class D 1000-watt amp delivers an impressive amount of volume relative to the CP8’s lightweight frame. The portability and sound quality alone make a strong case for purchase, and when you combine that with the well-considered I/O design, the newly-released CP8 lands firmly among the best in its class.

WHAT WE RECKON PROS Portable Versatile Excellent price point

CONTACT CONS Contour preset EQ lacks detailed controls

JANDS Ph: (02) 9582 0909 Web: jands.com.au

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PRODUCER PROFILE

RECORDING TECHNIQUES WITH CRAIG HARNATH

HOW HOTHOUSE STUDIOS HARNESSED A HARD TO FIND NEVE CONSOLE, AND USED IT TO MAKE MUSIC ROAR. WORDS BY PETER ZALUZNY.

racking down Australian studios with a legendary Neve console has become a bit of a thing in this little column of ours. They’re extremely rare nowadays, and they’re always filled with amazing stories. Of course, Craig Harnath’s 8024 – which currently calls home to Hothouse Studios in St Kilda – is no exception. Rock‘n’roll royalty has pumped through its veins since 1974, and that continues to this day with the likes of You Am I, The Living End and even Franz Ferdinand laying down tracks with the Neve at Hothouse. But as Harnath is keen to explains there’s much more to these consoles than mere history. The big drawcard of your studio is the 1974 Neve 8024 console. How did you get your hands on that? It’s had a colourful life. It started out at Albert’s in 1974 with [Harry] Vanda and [George] Young in the big chair. Air Supply, The Angels, Bon Scott and The Divinyls are among those that used it. Then it landed at Fairlight CMI, where it went hand‑in‑hand with the ARR1 that arguably gave birth to electro and made Blade Runner cool. At some point, Billy Fields took possession of it at Paradise Studios, and he left it to languish for years | australianguitarmag.com.au

in a warehouse like the Ark of the Covenant. Then one day, I saw a tiny ad for it in an audio rag, and was tossing up between it and a 48‑track Tascam in Melbourne. In the end, someone much wiser than myself said, “Would you rather a new Commodore, or an old Mercedes?” So I bought the Neve – the Red Violin of desks. And what unique characteristics do the board – and its 1073 mic preamps – bring to a recording? The Neve has been used on so many great albums that you kind of know the sound. There’s a tonal weight that it does so well – drums get bigger, guitars get fatter, and vocals get more texture without taking up any extra room. They’re full, fat, and rich without having to do anything. Also, any acoustic stringed instrument tends to sound less glassy and more textured when it’s played through the Neve preamps. You keep the warmth without losing any of the definition. You were lucky enough to record a track with Franz Ferdinand a while back – “L. Wells”. There’s a lot going on in that track, including some very well defined, jangly acoustic guitar. How did

you keep everything so crisp amongst all the action? That was a fun couple of days. Franz came in to do a fan club song and ended up doing two others as well. The acoustic was recorded though a Neumann KM84 and U47 mics. We used a Urei 1176 compressor, Universal Audio LA2A and Empirical Labs Distressor as well. Microphone placement is still the key to good acoustic tones, but a good room doesn’t hurt. Yeah, that U47 is a bit of a Holy Grail among studios, isn’t it? It’s my go‑to vocal mic, and it sits beautifully with the Neve. All genres benefit from the range and warmth. It loves a good screamer, the clarity works great for hip hop, and it brings the best out of softer vocalists like Penny Ikinger or Rodrigeuz. It’s just in your face – no effects needed. A vocal client once asked me if I could make him sound like Morgan Freeman with bigger balls, and I’m pretty sure I did. Speaking of screamers, you’ve got a few loud bands in your clientele. Are there any tricks that can make the music seem louder and much more intense without turning up the volume? Just jumping over to a different

amp or cabinet can open up or close down a guitar tone. It only depends on what you’re looking for. There are a bunch of vintage ‘70s amps at Hothouse, including a 1974 Orange, a JMP Marshall and a Sound City 102R, alongside over thirty ‘70s and ‘60s guitars to choose from. The tone palette is almost endless. Plus, the Neve doesn’t mind being hammered with loud things. You can rattle the hinges at Hothouse and you’ll still get a sound that doesn’t suck. You just have to be careful not to do it to everything in your mix, or clarity goes out the window. Are there any EQ tricks that help to retain clarity at higher volumes? I like to high‑pass the things that don’t need any bottom end on the way in, just to improve clarity. EQ is job‑ and instrument‑specific, but that top end knob on the Neve EQ is very enticing. The Neve may take centre stage at Hothouse, but are there any other bits of gear you can’t live without? My box of crazy pedals, which includes a few special ones made by my in‑house tech, Richie Blackam, and my Logitech Trackman Marble. RSI is a bitch when you’re working 12‑hour days [laughs].

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64 | REVIEWS

QSC TOUCHMIX-16

QSC THROWS ANOTHER HAT INTO THE CROWDED RING OF PORTABLE DIGITAL MIXERS, AND ALEX WILSON MAKES A CALL ON WHETHER THE TOUCHMIX-16 STANDS OUT FROM THE COMPETITION.

ouchscreen and tablet technology has forever changed the world of mixing equipment. Venues, artists and manufacturers have embraced designs that assume and necessitate ownership of an iPad or similar device. This is not a terrible thing at all, but it does present its own set of problems. What do you do if your iPad breaks or can’t communicate with your hardware? What about those situations where a touchscreen just doesn’t feel as good as a real pot or fader?

LESS IS MORE... The TouchMix-16 by QSC is an attempt to answer these questions without curtailing the flexibility of a digital mixer by a tablet. It’s easy to see that competing product lines like Soundcraft’s Ui, Mackie’s DL and Behringer’s X Series are all quite similar – your preference just depends on which specific take on the boxy rack-of-analog-ins-’n-outs design suits you best. QSC read the situation well, instead offering a unique take on digital mixing technology. Rather than being reliant on a tablet, the TouchMix-16 is only more flexible and intuitive with one. No more, no less. And for when your | australianguitarmag.com.au

tablet fails (because let’s be real here, your tablet is bound to screw you over at some point in a task), the overwhelming majority of the mixer’s detailed and intelligent control system are still accessible via a built-in touchscreen and hardware controls. Anyone who is familiar with Murphy’s Law will immediately sense the benefit here. The 16 is QSC’s midrange product, sitting between the 8 and the 30, and they appear to be fairly similar apart from the obvious channel count. And it’s true that the TouchMix’s 20 input channels are a little less than similarly priced units, but that’s a feature, not a bug. At this price point, there are legitimate reasons for favouring accessibility and reliability over channel count.

NEW AND IMPROVED Despite being around since 2014, constant firmware support keeps the TouchMix up to date with industry standards. The latest 3.0 update rehauls the GUI with some more modern graphics, as well as a slew of new features that will be covered below. What remains unchanged is the unit’s compact design. It’s 35-by-30 centimetres, with a slant that pushes the back

end up by a meagre five centimetres. The touchscreen takes up just under a third of the device’s real estate, but uses this amount of space well without feeling too small. Tap a parameter on the screen and you can shift it using the control knob off to the right – this tap-and-tweak workflow is really smooth. When you factor in that the knob allows you to press down to activate fine adjustment, it’s also easier (and simply put, better) than using an iPad to wrangle some mixing tasks. Having the tablet on-hand takes usability to another level. Apart from the obvious mobility benefit, I really liked having my mixer display set up on the tablet and being able to play around with the channel adjustments using the in-built controls. It’s a marvellous feature.

POWER IN SIMPLICITY The GUI itself approximates a modern digital console. The EQ is a full-featured SSL-style parametric; onboard are hi and lo filters, switchable hi and low shelf/bell controls and a real-time analyser. The comp can be set to either pre-EQ or post-EQ settings, graphs the action of the algorithm for you, and includes a de-esser.

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RRP: $2,149

The gate is controlled like an inverse of the comp, again in the SSL style. You also have a useful channel overview to control all of the above, your FX and AUX sends, and input delay. Routing of the sends can be set to pre- or post-fade settings as well. There’s nothing remarkable here; it’s all just powerful, sensible and easy to use.

...BUT THERE’S MORE, AND MORE, AND MORE, AND... YOU GET THE POINT And speaking of ease of use, one of the biggest selling points of the TouchMix series are all the awesome workflow perks that belie the unit’s humble appearance. You have DCA and mute groups available. You have a talkback line built in.

TOP 5 FEATURES • 12 mic, four mic/line and two stereo TRS inputs • 14 outputs: Main L/R, six AUX sends, two stereo TRS, phones and monitor cues • Built-in touchscreen • Hardware control knob and control surface • Two USB ports for device connectivity

You have two user-defined buttons, and two that can be used for copy-pasting parameters. You have a ‘simple’ button on most channel controls, which is as useful for a veteran working on a time crunch as it is for a beginner just starting to figure things out. You have scene-based mixing capabilities, but also the ability to lock certain channels out of scene-based changes. You have AUX and FX ‘wizards’ to get your routing up at a glance. You’ve even got in-built pink noise for testing systems. And you have two USB ports, which can be used for connecting WiFi gear, multi-tracking to HD, playback of audio files or DAW connectivity. There’s even more to be uncovered, too, should you choose to really dive deep into the manual.

Despite its unassuming looks and lack of big name recognition, the TouchMix-16 is a serious contender when stacked up against well-known products like those from Mackie, Behringer and Soundcraft. And it’s a notably versatile piece of kit: whether you’re an audio engineer who needs a portable rig, an artist looking to control their own mix, or a small venue looking for a system, the TouchMix-16 is certainly worth a serious look into. OSC’s product offers a high degree of control, is very portable without sacrificing features, and deeply integrates tablet synchronisation without being reliant on it. If this was a piece of cake, you truly would be able to have it and eat it too.

WHAT WE RECKON PROS Portable Versatile Well-considered design and software

THE BOTTOM LINE

CONTACT CONS Fewer channels than some similarly priced competitors Multitouch doesn’t work on the built-in touchscreen

JANDS Ph: (02) 9582 0909 Web: jands.com.au

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HOME RECORDING

DRUMMING UP MORE BUSINESS

ROB LONG TELLS US HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR RECORDING SESSION, AND KNOW WHEN A SONG IS FINALLY DONE.

ne issue that comes up time and time again, on every recording I do, is knowing how far to take the production process and in what direction – where are we going, and how do we know when we’ve arrived? Like any artform, once you begin to work on a piece – song, video, painting, sculpture, etcetera – part of the challenge and skill is knowing when you’re looking at or listening to the finished product. Take the analogy of baking a cake, then having an entire cupboard full of toppings and decorations at your disposal to dress it up in a thousand different ways. Suddenly you’re faced with virtually infinite possibilities – an overwhelming prospect! Do you put one cherry on top? Do you cover it so the cake itself is invisible? Who is going to eat the cake? A room of screaming kids, or one special person with some very specific tastes? With today’s digital recording rigs, even humble setups can provide more options than a sophisticated studio did in the mid-to-late 1960s. So, it follows that once you’ve got yourself a modest setup happening, you’ll have an audible world of possibilities at your fingertips. But does that mean you need to use them all?

| australianguitarmag.com.au

RECORDING VERSUS PRODUCTION

Back in the day, when this crazy industry we call the recording business began, it was actually just that – the business of recording a performance in its most simple form. You might possibly do a few takes, then simply choose the best one. That was it! There was no overdubbing, no drop-ins, no editing, no mixing, no processing – just raw performance captured live and unadulterated. You either had something or you didn’t. The production, as such, was all in the artistic preparation, presentation and performance – the right singer, song, musician(s), key, tempo, arrangement, style, chemistry between performers, and so on. The magic was in the music, not in the studio or the post-production. Obviously, there are people who still strive to write, perform and record this way. We see so much video footage of people performing live in the studio, almost as a return to the heydays of early recordings. People are visually showing that this is a ‘live performance’. There’s very little post-production or studio trickery – just clever arrangement, good performance and good engineering. This is refreshing and very positive, but it’s not going to work for every session. I’d say I do one album per

ABOVE: A FICKLE LINE TO CROSS BELOW: DAW OVERLOAD!

year that is literally what I’d call a ‘live capture’ of what is happening in the room(s). The post production for such a project is minimal, and I’ll often stem the entire set of songs into one single DAW project, thus making mixing simple and streamlined. I can set up a mix/busses/FX for the first song and simply do minor tweaks for each song after that. This works well for solo or duo performers, up to small ensembles – say, a tight three-piece outfit – with minimal overdubbing, a guitar solo, some backing vocals and a bit of tambourine here and there. Occasionally, I’ll get a larger ensemble wanting to track 100 percent live – including live vocals – but unless they're seasoned pros, you find cracks starting to appear, fatigue sets in and there are complications with tuning, spill, monitoring... They usually end up splitting things up and overdubbing parts to keep the quality high. So, at one extreme, we have the ‘live capture’ that, like a simple line drawing on paper, is virtually complete as it stands; frame it and hang it on a wall! At the other end of the spectrum, we have completely computer-created, sample-or-loop-based tracks that are layered, edited and otherwise manipulated to within an inch of its life. There’s no right or wrong, and

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LEFT: KEYED IN

each to their own. In today's business, so much music is made where the only ‘instrument’ is the computer. But regardless of the content, recording medium, instrumentation or genre, you still have the same issues: when is it finished? Is it appropriate for the target audience? Returning to the more common, middle ground projects, the typical scenario is an artis or act who makes the most of the sounds they want on their recording when they play the piece live. With a decent live capture of the basic elements and a small amount of overdubbing, the piece is pretty much nicely cooked and ready for some basic work in the mixing and post-production phases.

OVERCOOKED VERSUS MEDIUM RARE

Overproduction tends to be more of an issue when there’s an over-zealous artist with too much money and not enough experience to know that if you live alone, five bathrooms is possibly overkill. I’ve seen everything from the jaw-dropping one-take-wonder that left us with an unrepeatable, pristine take that waited for nothing; to the kids in the toyshop who started with something quite respectable, then proceeded to bury their own treasure in mountains of trash percussion,

ABOVE: STRUNG OUT

tuneless ‘roadie’s chorus’ backing vocals, swirls of over-effected Hawaiian lapsteel played by someone who wanted to ‘have a go’, and a hellish clapping orchestra from some Gary Larson cartoon. You can imagine what the mixdown session was like! Generally, people tend to want things left simple, and are under the impression that what they are doing, playing or singing is fairly complete in itself, and will require minimal musical or technical assistance or enhancement. This is often the case, and is usually the most enjoyable type of project. However, often it’s necessary to build a large track one brick at a time. It may be that you’re working with a solo artist who has ditched the idea of working with a band for a multitude of reasons, yet still wants to have a product that sounds like a band. It could be the your client(s) don’t actually play an instrument at all, and is going to rely on you to co-write parts, arrange the music, organise musicians and tell them what to do – handing you a seed and wanting you to give them back a tree! I see many artists who approach their project with the philosophy that the recording should be a neat and tidy version of what they do live – no fancy stuff, all 100 percent reproducible. This is noble and often totally achievable,

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HOME RECORDING

ABOVE: JUST A FEW OPTIONS

but not necessarily always desirable. I feel that the recording should be a work of art in its own right. Likewise, the live performance should stand independent and complete from the recording. It’s the artist’s prerogative to interpret and reinterpret their own work as appropriate for the situation. In today’s climate, artists must often be able to present their show in different sized packages. Having the full monty with all the bells and whistles is often only possible on special occasions, unless you’re commanding large audiences!

THE LAST TWO PERCENT SYNDROME

If you find yourself bogged down with a client at the 11th hour tweaking things that only a trained ear would hear through a $2,000 pair of headphones – after you’ve told them what to listen for – then you could be into the ‘last two percent’ of issues, which only the artist will notice or care about. That’s not to say you shouldn’t pursue it – as a producer, it’s your job to make the artist happy, | australianguitarmag.com.au

RIGHT: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

but also to manage time. If you can’t hear the difference after A/B-ing something three times knowingly in perfect listening conditions, then it’s unlikely a casual listener will.

TARGET PRACTICE

So much of knowing where to pitch something and how much time, energy, effort to put into something depends on your target audience. If you set up a fancy table on the street at 2am selling $45 mains to the night zombies, you’ll risk attracting abuse! Likewise, serving up nuggets and dim sims in a five-star restaurant will fry your culinary future. It has to be said that sometimes the ‘target audience’ is the artist themselves, and ‘both of their fans’. Whatever the motive for recording, setting a relevant and realistic goal before you start is the. Let the intended audience, context and motives inform how you produce.

PLAYING TO WIN

Working to the artist’s ability is

paramount. The recording scenario opens up possibilities for artists to explore and extend themselves beyond their normal field or abilities. Sometimes the best sessionist is the artists themselves, as they are inside the music more than anyone – as long as they're not using productive time floundering in an indulgent dreamscape. It’s fairly frustrating to watch someone learn how to play a shaker when there’s a paid session drummer out the back making the coffees. Finding the balance between time, budget, ability, dreams and reality is a tricky business. Navigating

a project through a multitude of obstacles – expected and unexpected – can be challenging, as is knowing when the cake is baked. A trusted set of ears, and even a trial ‘taste test’ with expected target audience members, is sometimes a great way to get feedback.

Rob Long is a multi-instrumentalist and producer working @FunkyLizardStudios in Newcastle.

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PRODUCER PROFILE

RECORDING TECHNIQUES WITH MICK GORDON HOW ONE MAN WROTE THE SOUNDTRACK TO HELL. WORDS BY PETER ZALUZNY.

ou might not know his name, but if you’re into video games, odds are Mick Gordon’s music has hammered its way through your headphones at some point in the last few years. This one-man crew from Queensland has composed, produced and performed the soundtracks to some of this generation’s most memorable games, including Prey, Wolfenstein: The New Order and the 2016 reboot of Doom. Yep those destructive, visceral tones that shattered your skull as you eviscerated Hell’s arm with chainsaws, shotguns and the mighty BFG were born in the brain of one guy. And with the Doom reboot’s soundtrack finally seeing a release on vinyl and CD this year, it seemed like the perfect time to learn the stories behind some very memorable music. How did you go about finding sounds and tones that suited the in-your-face action of Doom? Doom was about pushing the extremes with everything, and that philosophy was the most important thing. Instead of six-string guitars, it was nine-string guitars. We had five-string bases tuned all the way down to F-sharp, and everything in the mix was really over-compressed and over-distorted. I like to spend a lot of time creating the sounds in Ableton, FL Studio or Cubase, and I like to experiment without any rules. Then, I’ll look out for anything cool that | australianguitarmag.com.au

came out of it, and I’ll build libraries of things that happen during those experimentation periods. My philosophy with mockups is that I usually try to demo the track with the worst sounds I can find – Sawtooth waves, 808 kick drums, noise snares and stuff like that – because if you can make the song good with those bad sounds, then you know it’s going to be a good song. That was how I approached Doom. I’d get to that point with a combination of all sorts of things on the chain: parallel compression, transient designers, 20 different plug-ins... Plus, I get bored if something’s subtle, and Doom was the biggest, loudest, most offensive game I’d ever looked at doing. Was it tough to EQ a soundtrack that’s so complex and punchy? When a note hits a point, I want to make sure I’m pushing all the frequencies that best represent that note. Then, when the next hit comes in, those things get shifted out of the way and whatever needs to take the centre stage comes forward. That’s an incredibly time consuming process, but it’s how that [punchy] Doom sound comes about. Every single 16th or eighth or quarter note gets attention. “BFG Division”, for example, is technically a sextuplet rhythm, but it has that groove there and the hit on the first note. As that comes about in the mix, I’m tweaking the settings everywhere to make that groove come through as much as possible. It needs

that push and pull. If you just layer up your parts, compress everything and give it a bit of an EQ, it’ll sound like music. And that’s fine, but this super surgical method is more akin to what an EDM artist might do. So it’s closer to an EDM mix than the metal or djent feel it’s often associated with? Philosophically, it was more of an EDM mix with some sort of lower midrange to allow the eighth and ninth strings to come through. A lot of EDM stuff is sub, kick and snare at 200Hz, 2000Hz, 5000Hz and upwards. So I kind of took that – and then the lower mid-range of 300 to 600Hz – from heavier genres. Did that contribute to the relentless punch that pulses through the soundtrack? The trick with that is that your ear needs a relative point to judge what’s punchy and what’s not. If everything is punchy then nothing is punchy, so you need those background sounds and those atmospheric elements. Then, when the kick comes in, that comparison makes it feel much louder. The most important part of that, rather than compression settings, is the philosophy of pushing air. If you just take a drum kit and compress it to the point where the speakers aren’t moving, you’re not pushing air, you’re just generating noise. Whereas a great drum kit that’s compressed in a nice way really pushes with the beat – that’s what I’m aiming for.

What role did reverb play? I hate reverb, generally, but I do use a couple of other things that play the same role as reverb. If I’m using a drum kit, for example, I usually run a mic from the drummer’s position into a guitar amp that’s in a neighbouring room, and then we’ll record that amp using a far mic. That gives us an interesting room reverb tone that’s more effective than, say, an ‘80s linear reverb on your snare. Does that mean you’ve got a never-ending wall of effects, too? I’ve totally lost count [laughs]. I’m not even kidding. I have four large cupboards with 24 shelves, all full of different pedals. Did you use those, or plugins, to create distortion? The majority of my pedals are distortion or drive circuit pedals. I like hardware distortion more than plugins, because you can feed a really strong signal through hardware and it will maintain the note. I have pedals with really nice transformers, and I have lots of really old, cool valve equipment. I bought Jeff Lang’s Ampex Tube preamp that they used to use in the ‘50s for tape recorders, and I’ve got a Culture Vulture that I really like. I love Soviet stuff because they’ve got completely random components. I love distortion, and the philosophy of it too. Everything is distorted all the time – everything! To me, distortion is music.

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Convenience and control come together with a Lightning connector and five DSP preset modes for voice and instruments. Together with the free ShurePlus MOTIV mobile app, any iOS device can record 24-bit/48 kHz audio and take advantage of advanced settings including adjustable stereo width, EQ and limiter/compressor.

68 | REVIEWS

KRK ROKIT 5 G3 STUDIO MONITORS

ALEX WILSON INVESTIGATES THE LATEST ITERATION OF THESE COMMON, LOW-BUDGET STUDIO MONITORS TO SEE IF THEY DELIVER THE GOODS.

f you’ve spent any amount of time in small project studios, you’ve likely come across a pair of KRK Rokits. Their astoundingly low price has made them mainstays for upcoming producers, and the bright yellow branding means they stick out like a sore thumb (but, like, in a totally good way). Since their initial release 25 years ago, the KRK Rokits been one of the highest selling and most consistently popular sets of speakers out there. Not only will you find the monitors in studio environments, but they are finding their way more and more into the DJ booth as well. This is largely due to their famously pronounced low frequency response, which makes them a go-to option for those who want to mix contemporary styles that need the sub to be hyped. The Rokit 5 G3 pair is the latest set of speakers in this product line and size. And despite having a commercial winner on their hands, KRK seem keen on continually optimising and refining this design, as they’ve done here. For five-inch near-field monitors, they sound quite good. While certainly not providing the world’s most accurate listening experience, they’re capable of helping you pull a great mix – | australianguitarmag.com.au

of course, that is provided you know what you’re listening out for.

BASS FOUNDATIONS The Rokit 5 G3s provide a relatively flat response in the midrange and treble frequencies. I feel as though there’s some degree of top-end attenuation happening here, but it’s nothing too bad. They just sound a little darker than other speakers, while still providing enough clarity in the ever-important high mids to represent a mix the way it deserves to be. The characteristic Rokit sound comes from the speakers’ exaggerated lower frequencies. This is a bit of a double-edged sword. It certainly makes them exciting to listen to – the hefty lows in the mix increase the perceived loudness of the sound, and also makes mixing and producing an enjoyable experience. Those big lows mean that your mix is going to sound fat and punchy without too much trouble. There’s definitely a welcome gratification factor here – even after long hours holed up in the mixing booth, these monitors are still going to pump out your song in a way that makes it sound good and stay fresh.

However, this is also where the potential problems start. There’s no getting around the fact that these hyped sub frequencies lead to a somewhat inaccurate representation of the sound you’re playing through the Rokits, and your mileage with these speakers will depend on how you approach this fact. Certainly, mixing to reference tracks with great bass response or checking your mix on different speakers will go some way to managing and mitigating this aspect of the Rokits. At the very least, the user will need to ensure that their critical listening skills are in play to get the most value out of the Rokits’ low price. In a recent issue, we reviewed a pair of KRK’s V4 monitors, which came as the company’s attempt to make a cheap set of monitors with a more accurate response. Comparing the Rokits with the V4s in a brick and mortar store would be a good way to decide which one is more worth your purchase.

ROKIT SCIENCE In terms of the specs making this sound, each pair has a high quality one-inch soft-dome tweeter that can reproduce sound up to 35

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RRP: $249

kilohertz, passing well beyond the average human’s upper hearing limit; if you like your music loud, this will surely be a lucrative feature. The larger woofer is made of a glass-Aramid composite designed to provide a clear response in both the mids and lows. The overall size of the speaker is 246-by-188-by-284 millimetres, and it weighs in at a very light 5.9 kilograms. When switched on, the KRK logo on the front lights up in white and yellow, which we must admit looks pretty damn cool – as does the stylish curved port sitting between the woofer and the base. In fact, a few clever design choices regarding the ports mean the Rokits are optimised for smaller studio spaces. The speaker’s front-facing ports

TOP 5 FEATURES • Switchable boost and cut on bass and treble frequencies

reduce noise from diffraction, air turbulence, and bass issues caused by close placement to walls. A factory-installed foam pad helps minimise vibration, and the enclosure itself is designed to reduce resonances caused by similar vibrations. In terms of controls, volume can be tailored between -30 decibels and +6 decibels. Low and high frequencies can be boost or cut independently, at settings of -2 decibels, -1 decibel, 0 decibels and +2 decibels. There’s capacity for connections via balanced XLR, balanced ¼” TRS and unbalanced RCA. Power comes from a standard IEC kettle cable. All in all, its specs feature nothing that reinvents the wheel, but a lot of welcome flexibility nonetheless.

WHAT WE RECKON PROS

• Foam base padding

Fun and punchy when mixing

• Front-facing ports to reduce noise and resonance

Incredibly affordable

• Stylish curved port between the woofer and base • One-inch soft-dome tweeter

A great introductory product

THE BOTTOM LINE

When all is said and done, the KRK Rokit monitors are some of the most popular in their class for a reason: they provide a tremendous amount of value for a tremendously small amount of money. The combination of an incredibly low price point with the generally good frequency response makes the Rokits ideal for someone just starting out in the world of near-field studio monitors, either as a producer or listener. In fact, anyone in this position would be remiss not to at least check them out in person. While their particular frequency response won’t be suited to all tastes, the overall quality of this product means it remains a serious contender.

CONTACT CONS Pronounced bass will not be to everyone’s taste

JANDS Ph: (02) 9582 0909 Web: jands.com.au

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HOME RECORDING

DRUMMING UP MORE BUSINESS

ROB LONG SNARES – ER, WE MEAN SHARES – A FEW INVALUABLE TIPS FOR PRODUCING SOME QUALITY DRUM SOUNDS.

n the last issue, we took a brief look at the evolution of drum sounds through history, and discussed different ways to approach your microphone count, choice and placement. There are, however, countless factors influencing the way drums sound on a recording before the mics even come into the equation. As a home producer, the more of these variables you're aware of, the more chance you’ll have of dealing with issues, chasing tones, guiding musicians and being able to produce an outcome, rather than simply throwing mics up in front of the kit and hoping for the best. Fair warning, this article isn’t actually aimed at drummers; it’s aimed at the people who work with them and want to learn how to tweak the sound at the source. Getting a great tone is a team effort between the drummer and the engineer. Rather than reaching for plugins, effects or replacement samples in order to rescue or completely rework drum takes after the fact, engineers should make decisions about the final sounds before the drummer has even played a beat.

HERE KIT-Y KIT-Y !

ABOVE: THE LOUDEST THING ABOUT THE SILENT FILM ERA | australianguitarmag.com.au

The evolution of the drum kit is well documented, from the late 19th century when multiple drums were played by multiple people to create rhythms, to the invention of the bass drum pedal, which allowed one person alone to build similar rhythms, but in a new way. Thus, an industry was born, and drum design is ever-evolving to this very day. Unless you’re hiring in tailor-made kits, it’s unlikely you’ll have the chance to choose the perfect kit for every session – a little background knowledge is still handy, though. Most drums are made from some type of timber and are constructed of plywood (layers of sheet timber glued together). But as you’ll soon find out, that’s just the beginning! The shell material, thickness, construction style, diameter and depth all play a part. For example, mahogany shells are generally softer, warmer, and produce deep lows, whereas birch shells tend to be louder a brighter with a stronger attack. Thinner shells are more sensitive and tend

to provide a richer tone, but less volume and attack. As you'd probably come to expect, thicker shells are the opposite. Obviously, larger diameter drums produce lower tones – as do deeper drums. Snare drums vary the most. Generally, wood is warm, full-bodied and rich, while metal is louder, brighter and sharper. Snares are typically a signature element in a track, so nailing them is critical. Most experienced drummers have their favourites, but as a producer, it’s often necessary to suggest changing things up in some way – especially if you're working on an EP or full-length album. Hearing the same snare on every song is a little monotonous and fairly limited creatively. I have about six different sounding snares in my studio, and I strongly encourage their usage. The key is to be aware of a range of tones and subtle differences. Are you chasing a ‘crack’ or a deep, fat thud? A short hit, or one that's long and resonant? Dry? Wet? Is there too much snare rattle, or not enough? Audition a set of snare samples and picture what kind of song each would suit. As an exercise, listen to snare drums across a broad range of genres and eras (rock, country, jazz, metal, '60s, '80s and so on) and see if you can find a sample that matches a specific tone. This valuable ear training familiarises you with what’s ‘typical’ for various situations.

TUNE IN TO TUNING

This brings us to the ‘black art’ of drum tuning. With a stringed instrument, you’re tuning for pitch, and it’s either correct or it’s not. With drums, you’re tuning for pitch and tone. Two drum heads – top and bottom – equal double the complexity. The top ‘batter head’ is generally thicker than the bottom ‘resonant head’, which resonates in response to the top head. There are as many ways to tune a drum as there are drummers, but the general conventions are that the top skin is looser, and also that the tension on each lug is as consistent as possible. Each drum tends to have a sweet spot where it ‘sings’. The top head controls attack and ring, while the bottom head controls resonance,

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LEFT: STACKS ON STACKS ON STAAACKS!

ABOVE: DON'T SLEEP ON THIS TECHNIQUE

sustain, overtones and timbre. If the bottom head is too tight, it will tend to produce longer overtones which can be boomy and generally unpleasant. If it’s too loose, you tend to get an unnatural and choked ‘donk’ with little resonance and clarity. With kick drums, many people will tune the front, resonant head lower that the batter head to get a deeper note.

DON’T BE A WET BLANKET!

Next, let's look at the other dark art: dampening. Reasons for dampening a drum include the minimisation of ringing, overtones and sustain, or to cut high-pitch frequencies, tone or volume. Remember, drums naturally resonate, and a well-tuned drum has a pleasing resonance! When any instrument is put under studio mics, it inevitably sounds different to rehearsals or a gig – every little rattle and overtone is amplified. Thus, too often a badly tuned drum ends up with the top head covered in tape before any attempt is made to deal with the tuning – usually because it’s an ‘easy fix’. Over-dampening may leave you with a lifeless sounding cardboard box, in which case the drum should be retuned from scratch. Of course, the type of drum head heavily influences the sustain and resonance of the drum, and it’s not ridiculous to keep at least a couple of snare heads at hand in the studio. There’s a wealth of heads available with built-in dampening effects, including double ply heads, heads with inlaid rings around the edge, hydraulic heads with a layer of oil

72 |

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RIGHT: A FULL KIT FOR YOUR FULL KIT

between two skins... The list goes on. Minimal dampening is totally legit, and there are many ways to approach it. Duct tape is cheap, and one strip toward the edge of the head can be enough to tone down the sustain; a small piece of paper towel or felt taped to the head can also be effective. Commercially made Moongel is a great product to keep in your studio. It’s a non-toxic and self-adhesive gel that sticks to drum heads and doesn’t leave residue. Muffling rings are pre-cut out of drum skins that run the whole circumference of the drum and sit neatly inside the rim. Similarly, an old drumhead with the metal rim cut off can be placed directly on top of the skin to act as a dual layer dampening system. Then, there's a personal favourite: the wallet on the snare. By default, when you strike one drum, any other drum in the room will make a sound as well through ‘sympathetic resonance'. Sometimes you’ll be going for a nice, open, resonant sound with lots of ‘room’ in the mix. In this case, the resonance is generally your friend and adds colour. But there are times when it can get ugly – the most common situation is when a rack tom is triggered by a snare, or vice versa.

This usually happens when drums are tuned too closely together. Tuning one a little higher or lower should help minimise this. Of course, there are many genres that call for each drum sound almost as if they are completely isolated from the rest of the kit. Generally, noise gates can deal with this in mixdown. But little things can help – a blanket laid out over the front half of the kit that also covers the kick mic; a piece of foam straddled over the snare and tom mics behind the capsule to narrow the pickup area; setting the hi-hat pedal abnormally high about the snare drum to stop hats spilling into the snare mic (most drummers will hate you for changing their setup, though). Either way, make sure you listen to the kit as a whole as much as you listen to each individual drum. Monitor your tom mics and see how much spill you are getting from the kick and snare, for example – many engineers will literally delete or mute the tom tracks when they are not being played.

| australianguitarmag.com.au

BRUSH UP ON YOUR STICKWORK

Last but not least, choosing the right implement to hit the drums with can really turn a track around.

While possibly 90 percent of tracks call for typical matched wooden sticks, it’s nice to change things up every once in a while. Heavy sticks are a ten and steel brushes are a one on the loudness/attack scale. The options in-between are worth looking at, and it's crucial to know what they sound like. I love the sound of ‘hotrods’, which are almost like a bunch of kebab sticks taped together – you’ll still plenty of attack, but still not trigger a drum to the same velocity as a full stick. Nylon brushes are heavier than steel; they’ll give more attack and be easier for non-jazz players to use. Finally, a set of mallets is great for cymbal swells and atmospheric tom tom work (think timpani). Likewise, check out the range of different kick beater options – these are typically wooden, plastic or felt. They all have

their place. As for the kick drum, the old "20 cent piece taped to the kick skin trick" is great for adding some extra ‘click’ to your sound! Every engineer and producer should spend time with a drummer and completely pull down a kit, tune and retune each drum, swap out snare drums, and just generally get their head around some of the possibilities before a microphone even comes into the room. It’s the only way to really isolate issues and get to know the possibilities.

Rob Long is a multi-instrumentalist and producer working @FunkyLizardStudios in Newcastle

engineers and artists for mixing and mastering hit records around

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the globe, as they need to hear every nuance of the audio being design philosophy, so regardless of your musical style, genre, or particular mixing needs, KRK Rokits deliver.

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