Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Edwin Jagger DE Razor



My New Edwin Jagger DE87 Razor. I think the Merkur will be retired!

Friday, December 16, 2011

421 for Bass cab still wins!


421 along with a DI on a Fender Jazz - nothing beats it!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Saturday, December 10, 2011

"The Blissters" Drum Tracking


D122 & 664 in the kick
57 on Snare
421's on Toms
81 on hat (with pop filter) & ride
414 EB (Silver) on Oheads






Tracked to 2 inch

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

C.O. Bigelow Premium Shave Cream



I never thought I would switch from mug soap - but this stuff is amazing! It produces a very thick lather with eucalyptus overtones! Best shave to date...

Monday, October 24, 2011

Electric Bass Overdubs on The Duece Record - Continued



SWR 350 Head with Audiophile Cabinet
421 on the Cab along with an Avalon U5 DI on the Bass

Sunday, October 23, 2011

From The Archives - Getting TONE in the 90's



From The Archives - A Picture of me getting Tone in the early 90's - Star Trax Recording

Friday, September 30, 2011

"Nude Sunrise" - Recent Tracking Session


Drums:
Kick - D112 and Beyer M88
Snare - Sm 57 Top and Bottom
Floor Tom - MD 421
Hat - Sm 81
Overheads - 414XLS's


Kick: D112 on the pillow and M88 on the beater


Keys and Effects - Gepco DI and MD 421 on Amp


Guitar Amps: 121 and 57


Tracked on a Neve Console to Protools H.D.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

PAISLEY PARK STUDIOS - MINNEAPOLIS, MN






History:

Paisley Park Studios was opened in 1987 by PRINCE, the legendary musician and entertainer. Paisley Park fame has grown around the world throughout the 80’s and 90’s and continues today.

Since its inception, many of the world’s top artists have used Paisley Park Studios to create chart-topping music, full-length feature films, commercials and music videos.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Kick Drum Miking



D112 to capture the lows and 664 for the attack. A perfect combination....

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Hi Hat Miking - Side!


Small diaphragm condenser with a pop filter. Sounds "Crisp" and "Detailed" with less snare bleed. The mic is also completely out of the drummer's way.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

AKG 414 - Last Attempt - on Vocals....


This 414 is a silver "EB." Fans of the 414 speak of this model as one of the best. Tried it on vocals recently - again with the same results....No Tone!!!!

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Olivia - Born July 1st - 2011



She prefers the Sennheiser 770's over the AKG 240's... I am not sure that this is my kid!

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Neotek Elite - Great Picture



Great Picture of the Neotek Elite that was part Star Trax Recording.

Sometimes the light is just right!

Star Trax - R.I.P. January 2007



**

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Chicago Sessions: SHAWN MAXWELL • URBAN VIGILANTE




Shawn Maxwell – alto saxophone;
Matt Nelson – piano; Bob Lovecchio – bass;
Brandon Dickert – drums.
Recorded 3/13 & 3/20/2011.
Produced by Nick Eipers and Shawn Maxwell. Engineered by Nick Eipers.

“... the noticeable new wrinkles in Maxwell’s studio persona lift his already distinctive playing to another level. You hear this most immediately in the unusual, even striking articulation Maxwell applies to phrase after phrase of his solos on Urban Vigilante... you’ll find that these devices have purpose; they disturb the lines in small but important ways, and it makes a world of difference. “It emphasizes things in a way you don’t usually hear them,” Maxwell explains of his approach to articulation. And when added to his timbre – with its keening bittersweet urgency and swirling overtones and nearly physical presence – these devices help mold an edgy and powerful improvisatory style.

Maxwell’s decision to reveal his real musical self in his solos dovetails with the more adventurous and challenging compositions he unveils on Urban Vigilante... So we get to see the writer, as well as the player, behind the mask.”
- Neil Tesser (from the liner notes)


To Purchase CD: www.chicagosessions.com

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Inside The American Mobile Truck



96 Channels of True Systems Mic Pre[s]
Sync I/O
2qty - Protools 64 Input HD Systems [128 inputs]
D-Command ES Control Surface
Genelec and Adam monitoring
Sony LCD
Radial Stage Spliter



Owned by Chris Shepard

http://www.americanmobilestudio.com/American_Mobile/Home_Page.html

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Blumlein - Royer 121's with Console Tape = Tone!



Royer 121's on a Stereo Bar with Console Tape = "Perfect Blumlein"

Stereo Micing Never Sounded So Good!


Thursday, May 5, 2011

Recording Magazine Online - The Compleat Recording Musician Part 21 - How to Get a Great Vocal Sound



"Special thanks to Bernie Mack at Flashpoint for supplying the raw female vocal tracks to create these examples as well as to Claire Stalienbacker for lending her enviable talents on both voice and guitar. Thanks also to Bernie for supplying the last two mixes comparing the R 121 and the U87 on the same tracks."

Consulted for the above article on Recording Vocals:
http://www.recordingmag.com/resources/resourceDetail/367.html

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Guitar Amp Miking


Guitar Split with a STD box into a Fender Combo and Orange Combo miced with 57's


Fender Combo miced with a U89 and 57


Vox Combo Miced with a Coles 4038 and 57

57 - still wins

Friday, April 22, 2011

Current Favorite - 421 for Bass Cab - Rock!



SWR Head with an Acoustic 2x 15 Bass Cabinet

421 into a John Hardy M1 with 1176 Compression = Tone!

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Chicago Sessions : LARRY GRAY TRIO• THREE EQUALS ONE



RELEASE DATE: April 26, 2011

Larry Gray– double bass;
John Moulder – electric & acoustic guitar;
Charles Heath – drums.
Recorded 2/20/2011.
Produced by Nick Eipers and Larry Gray. Engineered by Nick Eipers.

Reviews:

“Gray’s trio has found a separate identity of its own, the product of an ongoing conversation among its three members... Moulder’s musicianship is matched by his protean versatility. His work runs a gamut that includes starlit jazz balladry, gothic romance (as on his own recent album Bïfrost), bebop coruscations, and slashing fusion (as a member of drummer Paul Wertico’s bands). In Gray’s trio, his improvisations marry ravishing melodies to relaxed propulsion, staking his claim within the modern guitar mainstream... Heath, a precision-tuned dynamo at the drums, leaves Gray shaking his head at “his openness to different musical idioms, but also the openness – the wideness – of his beat...” Heath is also among the most melodic drummers in modern music, giving tuneful shape to each rhythmic phrase, and he has an arranger’s ear for tone and shading ... Such qualities perfectly complement a bassist whose sensational technique, unerring taste, and seamless comp work made him a first-call sideman and invaluable soloist for the first three decades of his career – and that was before he spent a dozen years touring and recording with pianist Ramsey Lewis (from 1999-2010). The bassist left Lewis’s trio last year to concentrate on his own; as this recording suggests, that decision rests on sound logic. Streaming three crisply delineated instrumental lines into one river of sound, the album captures one of contemporary jazz’s great guitar trios, in full force and gorgeous glory.”
- Neil Tesser (from the liner notes)

To Purchase CD: www.chicagosessions.com

Apricot Stuffed Pork Chop with Smashed Potatoes and Oven Roasted Carrots



Working on "Plating"... Let Me know What you Think...

Saturday, April 9, 2011

57!



DAMN!!! - Nothing beats a 57 for Snare Top!

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Royer Ribbon For Guitar Solos - Still Wins!



Royer faced at the speaker, back a few feet - no science involved, just TONE!

Friday, March 18, 2011

"Pillow Talk" Records at Flashpoint



Acoustic Double Bass
Telecaster with Fender Twin Amp
Snare Drum
Vocals

Great Session!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Recording Mag Online Article on Dynamics



By John Shirley

"Special thanks also to recording engineer Bernie Mack and the band Deuce for the use of the guitar track from the demo for “Baby Baby” which was used for examples 29 and 30."

http://www.recordingmag.com/resources/resourceDetail/359.html

Saturday, January 29, 2011

I still hate this Microphone - The 414 is Worthless!


414 and 57 on Guitar

I tried it again, but got the same lame results...The 414 is a completely WORTHLESS microphone. Maybe a good doorstop? I hate this microphone, it has no TONE! I guess it works if you want a muddy mid range and a distorted top end. Complete garbage.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Kick Drum Microphone Combination - Still a Favorite


D112 & Ev 664

D112 on pillow to capture the low end only
EV664 towards the beater for attack only

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Recent Vocal Preference FET 47





Recently I have been using a FET 47 with a John Hardy M1 & 1176 compressor for lead vocals. Man or Women - it sounds amazing!

Monday, January 10, 2011

Chicago Sessions -MATT NELSON TRIO• NOSTALGIAMANIAC



Matt Nelson – piano
Graham Czach – bass
Matt Nischan – drums

To Purchase:
www.chicagosessions.com

Friday, January 7, 2011

New Aftershave by Adventurous Gentlepersons



Excellent aftershave! Made the old school way, like it should be!

Highly Recommended! Bay Rum - Amazing Results!

Meet the maker: http://www.adventurousgentlepersons.com/