There are some great sounding drums out there. Gretsch immediately comes to mind because my experience recording them has always been satisfying. In fact, many sponsored drummers are secretly using Gretsch in the studio. Is it the bearing edge, wood choices, plies or grey automotive paint used inside the shell that makes them sound so good?  Yes. All these factors play into the sound of a drum or even a drum company.

Which company’s approach is right and which is wrong? They’re all right. It’s all good. There are many drum companies to fit many different kinds of music and needs. Previously I discussed the drum head. Now let’s look at the wooden shell.

The first function of a shell is to support the pressure of the head tensioning (and the tensioning mechanism). In this basic function it’s easy to see why a wood like, say Balsa, isn’t used. Balsa would crush under the tensioning pressure, especially with modern marching drums.  Also remember, the wood must be steamed and bent into a cylinder; a cylinder that holds its shape. So, high on the attributes list is how easy it is to form into a permanent cylinder. And, for the company’s bottom line, is the wood readily available and cost effective to buy, ship, machine and finish?

After these considerations the musical qualities of the wood come into play. I honestly believe early drum companies chose their wood based primarily on cost and ease of forming alone. Modern drum companies have developed ways to form thinner shells from a variety of woods allowing them to focus more on the musicality of the shell.

Most shells are made of plywood. Plywood is merely thin veneers of wood glued together under extreme pressure, with the grain of each layer usually 45 degrees from each other for stability and strength. The resulting wood is stronger than solid wood of similar thickness. So, for the same strength a plywood shell can be considerably thinner and lighter. In older shells the veneers are usually thicker and range from 3 plies up. They can have pretty wood on the outside layers and junk wood in the middle, or layers of different musical woods, or even many layers of the same wood.

As a side note: Steinway Pianos laminates the sides for their pianos with all the wood grains in each veneer running the same way. Their research shows that increased volume and tone are produced this way as opposed to alternating the grain like traditional plywoods. Take note drum companies.

How do you evaluate varieties of wood for their musical value? One way is the Janka Hardness Test. It works like this: they press a steel ball into wood until the ball indents halfway and then note the foot pounds of pressure it took to do it. Near the upper end of the scale at 3840 pounds force is Rosewood, a dense hardwood used in Marimbas, guitar sides and fretboards. Very musical and very expensive.

At the bottom of the scale is Balsa at 100. Most drum woods rate somewhere in the middle of the range, with Maple at 1450, Birch at 1470, Ash at 1320, Beach at 1300 and the new flavor-of-the-month, Bubinga at 1980. Strike a marimba (made of rosewood near the top of the hardness scale) and a piece of  Eastern White Pine at the bottom (380). Note the musical difference and use your tonal imagination as you consider shell woods. Need a warm tom tone? Need more attack to help cut through? Want a dark tone?

Let’s look at another percussion instrument, the piano, specifically a Steinway. The sound board is made of Sitka spruce, a light, strong wood also used in guitar tops. (and early wooden airplanes!) Because it’s light and machined thin, spruce sound boards can be quite responsive; light and quick to transfer energy making the piano sound beautiful with rich overtones. Actually, the acoustic piano just may be the most beautiful instruments of all time and a percussion instrument at that! Now, this is an important point. The lighter and thinner the shell, the quicker and easier it will be excited by the head strike resulting in more shell tone.

Now, if rosewood is denser and more musical, then why don’t piano makers use it for sound boards? Well, besides being terribly expensive, it’s harder and denser and would take considerable more energy to excite to the same level as spruce. The piano has very strong sides and massive cast metal harps which handle the immense pressure of the string tension, therefore allowing the spruce sound board to be unhindered (free-floating) in vibrating and producing tone. Drums, except for Sleishman (to my knowledge), have to vibrate and support the tuning mechanism. This ‘free-floating’ concept is now common with tom suspension mounts but not much further than that. I’ve recorded Sleishman’s and they have the most sustain I’ve ever heard in a drum and more drum companies should consider exploring this area.

Here are some final points to think about when considering a drum shell. The basic pitch of a drum comes from the diameter (and depth to a degree). The thinner the shell the easier the shell will be excited, thus more shell tone. The thicker the shell, the less shell vibration and more of the head sound (attack), thus a louder drum. The deeper the drum, the more shell there is to excite, thus more wood tone and projection. The harder the wood the higher the tone with more projection. The softer the wood the lower the tone with less projection.

And remember all these nice shell attributes can be nullified with the wrong head choice…all this stuff works together.

So, we have to compromise to a degree when choosing or designing a drum shell. We need the shell to be strong (to hold up to the pressure of tuning), thin and light (so the energy transfer can be quick)  a musical wood (so the wooden overtones can be rich), beautiful and easy to work with so the shells can be easily formed and beautifully finished and cost effective (because not all drummers have a bank account like Mick Fleetwood).

In the next blog I’ll continue discussing alternative shell materials and coverings.

Drumheads

Most of the sound we hear when a drum is hit comes from the drumhead. The shell and other factors play into its tonal qualities. Don’t believe it? A Roto Tom (a metal frame drum without a shell) makes a drum-like sound when hit, and in this case, it’s the entire sound. When a drumhead is coupled to the shell via the bearing edge, energy is transferred to the shell and the characteristics of the shell tonally combine with the drumhead(s). It’s at this point that the type of wood used, number of plies, how the bearing edges are cut and other factors combine to make the ‘sound’ of different drums and even the sound of an entire drum company. But it all starts with the drumhead.

In his book, John analyzed the physics of striking a circular membrane and what happens with the sound, especially the overtones. John analyzed tympani because drums with two heads are infinitely more complex to measure. We are assuming the head is evenly tensioned and tuned. Circular membranes vibrate with several modes when struck. A mode is a line where tonal amplitude is at its peak. There are many modes when a drumhead is hit but John writes that beyond six basic modes, others don’t supply enough musical content to be concerned with. An initial hit produces a fundamental tone from the entire head surface, which we’ll call the first mode.  In the second most-useful mode (designated by the black hash line in the photo) the head divides in half and the two sides vibrate opposite of one another, out of phase; that is, one half the head moves up while the other side moves down.  (No console phase button for that.)

In the next mode (blue hash lines) the head divides into ‘quarters’ and these sections also vibrate opposite one another. Next (red hash line) there’s a modal line in the shape of a circle about half the size of the head; next the head divides into six pieces (purple hash lines) and finally another circle mode with a mode that again divides the head in half (green hash lines).  As you would expect, these modes are not the fundamental tone but actually overtones (light bulb moment) that are not harmonic. I’ll say that again – they – are – not – harmonic. The lowest tone that lasts the longest is the second mode, (black hash line) the one where each half is vibrating out of phase. The following mode’s frequency is 1.42 of  the second mode pitch, the next is 1.53 of the second mode pitch and so on, thus explaining the basic difficulty in tuning drums to begin with and the futility of tuning a drum to a ‘note’. Remember, this is a tympani, a drum that that should be tuned to a note. John again states that two headed drums are way more complex because of the vibrating second head, space between heads, air volume inside the drum, tuning, etc.

The initial strike moves the most air on the fundamental (mode one) but dies out quickly. You can demonstrate this yourself by lightly hitting a drum dead center and you’ll notice a ‘drier’ quick fading tone but if you strike off center the drum will have more sustain. The fundamental mode provides the ‘thump’ but the other modes supply the sustain and quality of the tone. This has to be repeated; the other modes supply the sustain and quality of the tone. Dampen these modes too much and you’ll will get a boxy sound (hello Eagles). Tune the drum evenly, let the head freely ring and you will have more sustain and better tone.

Here’s a way to check out the second modal line (the one with the most tone, which is a straight line across the drumhead). Back in the day, I would find the place to put the tape using this method (I know, yes I too liked dead snares then).  I still use this technique today to find the spot to put a touch of moon gel to cut a little overtone. Take your snare (with the snares off) and tap the drum lightly in the center while moving your finger around the drumhead about an inch from the rim. If you very lightly touch the drumhead as you move it around, you will hear a point where the ringing is less. That is the second modal line that runs across the drumhead and where you place the dampening material.

Here’s a video link where you can see 4 of the 6 useful modes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4ELxKKT5Rw&feature=related

Modern drumheads are made of plastic and are manufactured to exacting standards, so your results from head to head can be quite consistent. If you prefer a particular head, every time you replace the head you can expect a similar result, something impossible in the days of calf skin heads. When I started playing, white single-ply coated heads were just about all we could buy. We wanted clear heads so we would scrape the white coating off with a razor blade. Ugly for sure but we could see our shoes through the drum as we marched! As rock music came in full force, drumhead companies started introducing all manner of heads with multiple plies, dots, rings and colors. Musically driven? I don’t know. But I guess they introduced reinforced dots because drummers were playing harder and couldn’t afford to replace heads often, dual plies to darken the tone and eliminate the ring, colors for visual flair and so on.  And today, wow, there are several companies with all kinds of formulations and combinations.  Here is why all this is so important. If you understand fundamentally what happens to a head when it’s hit, you should be able to match your style of playing with the type of music you are playing with your particular drum set and choose a head that will give you the sound result you are expecting. Once you get good at this, you can even look at a kit and heads and know the sound it will make even before someone plays it.

So what is the best drumhead?  That depends on the music, but the drumhead that will allow the drum to “speak the most” is a single-ply clear head. All other heads dampen modes one way or another. Understanding how they dampen will allow you to alter the tonal qualities of your drums if that is what you’re looking for. Some heads are made for durability in live situations or if you play hard and can’t afford to change heads often. Some heads reinforce the initial ‘thump’ while making the head more durable. Some are designed to dampen the ‘ring’ a little. Some are just marketing gimmicks to lure the uninformed, which may possibly be the largest group of head types.

What I’ve noticed in the studio is when drums are tuned for maximum tone and sustain, they sit better in the final mix and feel more musical to me. Keeping the drums in this heightened state while playing hard will mean head changes as the sessions progress. It’s amazing how quick a head will ‘go dead’ in the studio with a hard-hitting drummer. Plastics also break down and harden over time. Do old heads, whether top or bottom, dampen modes, thus affecting tone?  Yes. This also explains why new drum heads, top and bottom, give you more sustain and tone. Even though you don’t hit the bottom head, over time, after countless vibrations, the plastic hardens and self-dampens. Take your favorite credit card and bend it and see what happens.

Once you understand drum heads and basic modes, you begin to think through your drum sound and will possibly think outside the box a little. For example, does it make sense to have a bass drum beater strike dead center on the head where the fundamental dies quickly and overtones are minimal?  No, unless all you want is smack and in some music it’s all about the kick smack. If you want a little more tone from the kick adjust the beater so it doesn’t hit dead center.

This is a lot of info to think about without discussing shell woods, plies, bearing edges, coverings, hardware, rims and sticks. And, actually, I have covered very little about heads, but hopefully enough to understand why drums sound the way they do.

In Part 2, I’ll write about the drum itself.

1. I like Old School almost always. I like New School when it isn’t ignorant.
2. I like drummers who can play to a click but don’t need to.
3. I like live show mixes that aren’t mostly kick drum.
4. I like tape. I like the smell, the sound and the visual of a recorder as big as a washing machine spinning ribbons of iron.
5. I like a clean studio without pests or vermin.
6. I like to listen to music and not look at it (whether for work or pleasure).
7. I like songwriters who are well read.
8. I like musicians who can read.
9. I like musicians who are bold enough not to have a tattoo.
10. I like well tuned drums.
11. I like guitarists who don’t have to rely on pedals.
12. I like pedals sometimes.
13. I like the excitement of musicians playing together in the studio.
14. I like any song that can be played simply on an acoustic guitar and still be recognized as a great song.
15. I like old instruments.
16. I like tube amplifiers.
17. I like musicians who know their craft.
18. I like mixing on an analog console.
19. I like cell phones turned off in the studio (even producers).
20. I like well made mics that aren’t Chinese or Australian.
21. I like music that doesn’t have talking in it.
22. I like musicians who can dance a whole lot better than dancers who are musicians.
23. I like to listen to music at a better quality than MP3.
24. I like assistant engineers who don’t talk much.
25. I like producers who don’t talk much.
26. I like girlfriends who don’t talk at all.
27. I like being payed in cash way better than forgetting the checkbook.
28. I like all music that isn’t elevator music.
29. I like people who know my definition of elevator music.
30. I like four string basses better than five string basses.
31. I like the mechanical noises that a real piano makes.
32. I like drummers and bass players who have decided who owns the bottom.
33. I like producers who allow me to be the engineer.
34. I like artists who allow the producer to be the producer.
35. I like singing all the choruses.
36. I like recording until I get a performance rather than trying to create a performance through editing.
37. I like #36 a lot!
38. I like great songs played well.
39. I like mastering engineers only when they make it better.
40. I like recording more songs than an album needs and dropping the stinkers.
41. I like bands that don’t fall in love with the stinkers.
42. I like bands that can recognize the stinkers.
43. I like albums with about ten songs.
44. I like recording on rainy days.
45. I like tea in the afternoon.
46. I like drummers who don’t try to play through the drum.
47. I like budgets that match ambition.
48. I like ego that matches talent.
49. I like musicians who know it’s a business.
50. I like having time to think about it.
51. I like doing business with a handshake.
52. I like not having to deal with lawyers.
53. I like great vocalists.
54. I like great songwriters better than great vocalists.
55. I like recording at 96/24 and mixing to tape or DSD.
56. I like not having to chase the demo.
57. I like mistakes when they are magical.
58. I like a studio to be quiet and cool (comfortable) at the same time.
59. I like studios that are cool(aesthetically)
60. I like the way music stores used to be.
61. I like conceptual albums.
62. I like things to be very organized.
63. I like recording music that doesn’t come with pre-dictated sound sets.
64. I like bands that don’t want to sound like Nickelback (or any other band).
65. I like jazz that isn’t Dixieland.
66. I like country music the way it used to be.
67. I like how modern country music is what rock used to be.
68. I like how alternative is no longer alternative when everyone is down with it.
69. I like the fact that NARAS still gives a Grammy to polka.
70. I like bands that leave their image at the door.
71. I like recording drums without triggers.
72. I like making decisions as I record and not saving them for later.
73. I like comping complete lead vocal takes.
74. I like dynamics.
75. I like deposits.
76. I like Remo heads better than Evans.
77. I like when everything serves the song.
78. I like American made drums and guitars.
79. I like people who do what they say they are going to do.
80. I like melody.
81. I like VU meters.
82. I like when song timing is revered.
83. I like the excitement of an artist’s first time in a real studio more than the  complacency of a veteren.
84. I like studio musicians for what they can bring to a session.
85. I like the pizza delivery boy for what he can bring to a session.
86. I like the fact that there is no competition in true art but plenty of competition in commerce.
87. I like real music made by real musicians in real time.
88. I like how recording forum moderators don’t know the basics of recording that entry level second engineers had to know before digital recording came along.
89. I like the fact that nobody knows it all.
90. I like assistant engineers who understand that they don’t know it all.
91. I like ‘tone’, and ‘tone’ does contain midrange.
92. I like to have time for experimentation.
93. I like recording instruments knowing I won’t have to resort to using samples or modeling.
94. I like having pictures of fun times while recording.
95. I like Zildjian cymbals the best.
96. I like musicians who bring their game to the studio.
97. I like musicians who don’t bring their games to the studio.
98. I like mics that cost as much as a good vacation.
99. I like being in the studio with people I admire.
100. I like what I like.

Nothing gets more acclaim and adulation in music these days than the title of “Producer.” It’s so coveted that in rap sessions anyone who comes up with the slightest idea or even a minute fader move demands a credit as “Producer”. Producing is probably the most misunderstood role in the recording process. Some think a producer is the idea man, the one who comes to the session with every musical phrase worked out in his mind and the artist performs in servitude to his vision. Others think he is there to be a yes man to everything the artist says or does, providing an eternal positive response to the number one question heard in studios around the world, “What do you think?”

This is my fourth attempt to define and write what a producer does. Though I know one when I see one, it’s hard to quantify exactly what they do and how they do it. It’s complicated because producer styles are so varied, ranging from polar extremes, from those who hardly do anything at all to those who are Hitler-esque in their domination of the session. Some are schooled arrangers who read and write music prolifically while others can barely write the language they speak. How do you quantify this, especially when every artist has a different take on what a producer does as well? Maybe it isn’t what they do or how they do it, but their responsibilities that define them.

I was watching the news some time ago and there was a story about a mayor who was trying to ban fast food from his obviously obese town. Well, not ban exactly but have a “fast food tax”. The reporter asked him to define fast food, trying to catch him in a faulty definition of calories verses nutritional value or something like that. The mayor calmly replied, “Fast food is when you have to pay for it before you eat it.” Brilliant. He defined it, not by what the food is, but by how it’s purchased.

As I thought about this, it hit me. A producer is the person in the session with the final decision on song selection. That’s it. Simple. Song selection leads, in turn, to arrangement, which leads to the performance. This is the Holy Trinity of the producer’s responsibilities: song, arrangement and performance. If you, as the artist, are not allowing the “Producer” this ultimate decision then maybe you are actually producing and that person you are paying is along for the ride. Maybe you will allow their input on the arrangement or performance, but that’s not a producer with a capital “P.” Obviously there is a bit of trust that has to happen here. My favorite analogy is “the artist is the tightrope walker and the producer is the rope.”  Do you trust your producer’s judgment (or talent) that much?

Established producers gain this kind of trust quickly with an artist, especially if the producer is well known and the artist isn’t. Everyone understands that the producer will pull the artist up to his level. This is why record labels have favorite producers they like to work with. That, and the fact they can deliver an acceptable product on time and on budget. It also doesn’t hurt if there’s a hit or two in there as well.

But what if you are not with a label yet and can’t afford to hire a ‘big gun’ producer? Like most artists, you either try to self-produce, or hire, or persuade a local producer-engineer-studio-owner-type to produce you. First, if you can’t find a producer that you can trust explicitly to turn over the song selection (be honest here), arrangement and performance, then maybe you should self-produce. But before you get too excited about that prospect, be forewarned. Can any artist successfully be his or her own producer? Probably ‘no’ if the goal is a great record. Probably ‘yes’ if you just want to get through the process and have a CD. There are very few artists who can successfully produce themselves. Almost all the projects of self-produced artists are below par in my opinion. Sorry, but it’s true. It seems in a collaborative art form like modern music, you need the additional honest opinions, guidance and input from others who can ‘hear’ the big picture.

I recently bought a CD from a band that really inspired me as a teenager. Though this band hasn’t been together for many years, they decided to get back together to release an album and tour. I bought the album without hesitation. I took it into my studio and listened to it. This may be the worst album I’ve heard in quite some time. Produced by a member of the band, he failed at all three of my major producer responsibility points with terrible song selection, average performances and dated, flat arrangements. See, you can still have a hit by failing at any two of my points, but not all three.

In popular music, the producer can take on a role like that of the film director. It’s his vision and micro-managed. He’s calling the shots. The artist is subservient to him. Song selection is under his control (he probably re-wrote some or most of the tunes –mo money!); arrangement is under his control (cut and paste–whoo hoo!) and performance as well, even if the artist can’t really do it (AutoTune, Beat Detective, Sound Replacer, etc.). Of course this example is an extreme one but kind of typical for a ‘pop princess’ or ‘alt rock’ type album. Beware of hack producers like this.

Most of the time a producer is somewhere between the extremes I’ve written about where there is a comfortable fit with the producer’s personality and the artist’s. One thing I’ve observed is the more talented the artist the less domineering the producer has to be. The less talented the artist the more the producer dictates. Oh, and a producer will bring the same organizational skills that he has in his own life to your sessions. The main thing a producer does, believe it or not, is make sure the record gets done.

Now, here’s the part where I may get hate mail. If you enlist the services of a producer whose responsibility is to make you sound like your favorite artist (read ‘radio ready’), what you are looking for is a “re-producer”. It takes very little skill to deconstruct a genre and reconstruct it with your parts. Kiss goodbye every chance of coming up with something new or possibly becoming “the next big thing.” You will sound like everyone else in your genre and a few years from now you will hate your music from this period. But, if that is your goal, it will be easily obtained. I’ve written about all the ‘art’ stuff but session scheduling and budgeting are part of the job as well, but few artists want a producer that “really knows how to schedule!” I wish a producer’s role could be as exactly defined as, let’s say, the piano tuner. We all know what he does; tunes the piano, nothing more, nothing less. But the producer in modern music has to be part psychologist, part boss, part servant, part accountant, part authority, part anarchist, part musician, part fan, part honest friend and part liar.

Setting up and mic’ing drums in the studio can be a depressing experience if things don’t go well. Here are a few pointers on how to prep your kit for the studio.

First, a great live kit may not make a great studio kit. Most drummers have one kit which they have refined for live shows. This includes head choices that may not work in a studio environment. If you plan on using your live kit for the studio, before you buy heads, check the shells for cracks or breaks. Check the hardware for rattles and buzzes. If the shells are damaged there is no use bringing them to the studio. I  had a session where the bass drum shell was cracked on the bottom. The roadie had dropped the drum somehow and failed to fess up about it. The drum couldn’t be tuned and buzzed with each hit. I replaced it and two of the toms that were suspect. Something seriously bad happened to this kit. When checking the shells, don’t do it in your living room with the CD player blasting away. You need a quiet room, not too live, and a couple of towels. With the heads on, just hold the drum and hit it. Listen closely for hums, buzzes and rattles. If you hear something, try to isolate the source. Could it be loose screws inside the drum? On vintage drums, the plys may come unglued over time or the wrap can become unglued. These buzzes can be very hard to find. For live shows it may be fine but the studio is a super quiet environment; you will hear flaws. Newer drums have excellent shells so this is not as problematic. The lug casings in older drums may ring. This is caused by the spring inside vibrating sympathetically with the shell and is easily fixed by removing the casing and filling it with cotton. Again, modern lug casings usually have this problem solved.

If the drum passes the stick hit test, get your felt bass drum beater and hit the shell while again holding the drum. This low frequency impact may reveal other noises that a head hit won’t reveal. If you have successfully found that all your drums are mechanically sound, then it’s time to buy heads. If  you can’t isolate the problem, then you may need to borrow or rent a kit. Check to see if the studio has a kit but beware; make sure they know drums.

When you get heads, get bottom heads as well. Even though you don’t hit them they still go ‘dead”. Just consider this studio prep as an annual overhaul and cleaning. Don’t talk yourself out of bottom heads. When you strip the drums of their heads, carefully check the bearing edges for damage. The drum should be round (duh!), the bearings straight without chips or dents and flat. You can check this by placing the drum on a glass table. Place a light inside and if you see light escape, the bearing edges aren’t perfectly flat. If they need repair, don’t attempt to do this yourself. Get the drum to an experienced drum tech.

So the drums have passed all inspections, found to be perfect and now it’s time to put the heads on. Head type and tuning I’ll leave to another post, but one thing I want to discuss is seating. Head seating allows the head and the bearing edge to ‘seat’ properly against one another. To do this properly, put the head on, thumb tighten, then put the drum on the floor with the towel under it (protect those bearing edges) and press as hard as you can down on the center of the drum. I’ve heard of some standing on the drum. Don’t worry, the head won’t pull loose from the rim. All the cracking you hear is just glue snapping. Next, crank the head tight. Press hard again. Since you are doing this the night before your session (you are, aren’t you?) don’t tune the drum yet, you can do that at the studio.

Sometimes irregular bearing edges can be helped by a light rubbing with surfboard wax. Nothing heavy, just a light touch to make a better seal with the head.

Next, check stands and hardware for rattles. Sometimes, when the tubes are not fully extended, they rattle when the cymbal is hit. Make sure you have all the felts. Any mechanical noise you hear will be huge when close mic’ed. Check the pedals and oil if squeaky. If you use a cage, borrow enough stands to separate the cymbals from the drums. Sympathetic vibrations will just make extraneous noises. Cages are fine live, problematic in the studio. I also don’t like stands that hold both drums and cymbals. They are great for live, but in the studio one stand per instrument.

Check your cymbals too. Hairline cracks are sometimes difficult to see in the grooves. If the cymbal doesn’t have a pure tone, check them carefully. Some feel that dirty cymbals darken them and make a desirable tone. Others feel clean cymbals are clear with clean overtones. There is no right or wrong here.

Now, the beater. Most drummers want a huge, powerful, low-sounding kick with plenty of attack and rich lows. So they have a 22” or 24” kick with the latest “power-head-deadening-gimmick” drumhead and a thin, plastic girly-beater. These same drummers detest plastic-tipped drumsticks but readily will use a plastic beater on the one drum that needs to be the biggest sounding in the kit (or world, they hope). Swap that silly beater with a hard felt or wooden beater and, kaboom, there’s a kick. And guess what? Wooden beater equals big lows and sharp attack…a lot less EQ needed in the mix. What? You can’t play double bass with those heavy beaters? Come on. Be a man. Grow up and get some chops.

1968 Ludwig Kit mic'd for session

Here are a few things I have learned in my 35+ years of doing this…

1. It’s the singer’s band. It doesn’t really matter if you own the PA, it’s the singer’s band.
2. Sometimes you’re the pigeon, sometimes you’re the statue.
3. In the studio, sometimes smaller is bigger.
4. An engineer (or producer) will bring the same organizational skills to your session as they bring to their own life.
5. At any given time there is a pimpled-faced thirteen year old who can play better than you.
6. There is always a Yoko.
7. The world is run by “C” students. (thanks, Joe. T.)
8. Get your guitar’s intonation checked before the session (by a pro) and borrow the best guitar you can as a back up. Sessions will grind to a halt if not.
9. Poor instrument tuning or intonation will turn your Master Recording into a DEMO.
10. Incredible performance and feel can turn your DEMO into a Master Recording.
11. The least heard phrase in Nashville, “Have you seen the banjo player’s new Mercedes.”
12. Least heard phrase in Orlando, “Lou Pearlman gave us a great deal!”
13. A relative, usually Mama, finances most studios these days.
14. Monitoring is everything. Make sure your monitoring system costs more than your DAW.
15. If you can’t afford to use new tape, you shouldn’t be in business. (I don’t know what the modern equivalent is yet)
16. Those who “can” do. Those who “can’t,” teach. (This is an old one I’ve always heard.)
17. Church musicians are never as good as they proclaim.
18. Be nice to everybody because you’ll see the same folks on your way up and on your way down.
19. Avoid stereotypes: not every African American can play drums or has rhythm.
20. Expensive instruments do make a difference.
21. People who post a lot on forums read magazines more than they work.
22. In music, timing is the whole ball of wax.
23. People who have great rote memory skills can be incredibly stupid.
24. Learn something new everyday.
25. Work out your publishing arrangements (as a band) before you come into the studio.
26. The goal in the music business is to not hate anyone when you’re done. (or have them hate you)
27. Don’t believe anyone at Guitar Center.
28. There is more to modern music than a kick drum. (especially live)
29. Look at an old sailor before you get that tattoo.
30. Every children’s song sounds like The Ballad of Davy Crockett.
31. The low end is the hardest thing to get right.
32. Change bottom heads too.
33. If you can’t stand plastic-tipped drumsticks why do you like plastic beaters?
34. Credits cost you nothing. Give them away liberally.
35. Put two recording engineers in a room and you’ll have three opinions.
36. When recording there are no rules, only principles.
37. There’s no competition in pure art.
38. The need for a domineering producer is directly proportional to your lack of talent.
39. Engineers who have ‘tone’ in their description (such as ‘The Tone King” or Tone Miester”, etc. etc.) usually don’t get it (tone).
40. You save money and time when you hire studio musicians.
41. Yellow is the new red.

Euphonix Console

There was a time when mastering was a back-room affair. It was a thankless job and rarely credited. Heck, even the engineer and producer were rarely credited. So how did mastering become the coveted, high profile position we revere today?

The answer: digital audio. You see, before the availability of cheap digital gear, music recording was a costly proposition that needed very expensive gear. There were fewer studios around and the best engineers filled the top positions (usually). These were real pros with apprentice-learned skills.

Today, in a digital world, studio gear is cheap and readily available. Studios are everywhere. (see my blog on “What is a Studio”) And talent? Well, without the filter of extreme competition for a few available positions, anyone with a couple of thousand dollars can get a DAW up and running. Couple this proliferation with the current trend of “Lo-Fi” sounds and production techniques and now you need a serious technician to make something listen-able out of these messes we call “final mixes”. I always find it amusing when reading an article about the production of an album and the artist/engineer/producer talks about his radical production or mixing technique. I wish magazines would have a sidebar where the mastering engineer reveals the extreme measures it took just to make the mixes work. Of course it would be like getting your surgeon to say something bad about your family physician…it ain’t gonna happen. After all, it’s the reason mastering engineers are so busy these days and why some are approaching cult status. I’ve had bands in my studio on the first day of tracking debating who should master.

In the end this is a good thing I guess. Another set of ears and fresh perspective is always helpful. And in today’s world of hyper compressed releases the mastering engineer is the “keeper of the gate” so to speak and can transform the album to meet today’s release standards. I would say the biggest mistake of many people mixing modern records is the pressure to make each song loud at the mix stage. In trying to match the loudness of a mastered release (the CD of who the band wants to sound like!?), all the life and punch of a recording is forever gone. Mix the most open sounding, dynamic record you can and let the mastering engineer earn his pay.

Dr. Z Carmen Ghia

OK, if you’re a guitar player and don’t know these basics, then you deserve Amp Farm™.  This is the foundation on how to get and develop your tone.

First, always turn on the power switch and wait for about a minute before switching the standby on. This allows the tubes to heat up a little which will extend their life. Reverse the process to shut down. Never turn an amp on without a load (speakers) or you may damage the output transformer and power tubes. Always match the impedance of the amp with the speaker cabinet.

Basic reasons that guitar amps sound different.

OK, the main reason is the tubes! Distilled down, it’s basically an American sound, like Fender™, or the British sound, like Marshall™. Of course it’s not quite this simple, so stay with me. 6L6 (or 5881’s) are the classic American sound. They sound crunchy, sweet and crisp with a bell-like ‘chime’. This tube has great mid-range tones and distorts very naturally. In contrast, EL34 (or 6Ca7, KT77) are the classic sound of Marshall™ or HiWatt™ amps. They distort easily with a very recognizable bite, compression and crunch. The 6550 is a US tube for domestic Marshalls™ from the 70’s through the 80’s. A little punchier than the EL34’s. Think Ampeg SVT™ tubes. To contrast, 6V6’s are smoother than 6L6’s. They are pushed into distortion easily and have great tone. These are usually found in low power amps. Finally, EL84’s (or 6BQ5) are a British answer to 6V6’s. These tubes distort readily, especially in Class A circuits, with rich, complex harmonic saturation. Think Vox AC-30™.

Speaking of Class A, or AB circuits, it’s not as much as a factor as you would think when it comes to guitar amps. In Class A circuits, one power tube handles all 360 degrees of the output waveform. Class AB divides the waveform into halves (180 degrees each) with one tube (or set) handling the ‘push’ and another handling the ‘pull’. Class A is somewhat less efficient so it may sound ‘juicier’ or more ‘tube’ sounding. Class AB, because the work is shared, is tighter sounding with higher headroom.

Speakers, modern or vintage?

Now, let’s add another set of variables, the speakers. Does size matter? Well, this is rock and roll! Of course size matters!…a, ahem, well, it doesn’t really. Size really has an effect on the attack and response time, not so much on the tone. The time between the pluck of the string and the tone from the speaker is relative to the size. A 10” speaker is very quick and articulate. A 15” speaker is not as articulate with less of an attack. The 12” is somewhat in the middle and therefore is the most common size for guitar cabinets.

Vintage speakers, or low power speakers, usually have a power rating up to 30 watts. American Jensen™ 15 to 30 watt speakers with Alnico magnets have a ‘bell-like’ high end, very open midrange though slightly ‘boxy’, and sometimes ‘farting-out’ on the low end. To contrast, British Celestions™ with Alnico ring magnets sound rich and sweet, very musical midrange tones, nice highs but not a tremendous low end. The ceramic magnet “greenbacks’ are the classic British speaker with plenty of warmth, though gritty and edgy. There isn’t much low end, but when enclosed in a closed-back cabinet it has plenty of ‘oomph’.

Modern speakers, or high power speakers, can obviously handle more power. JBL™’s have a rounded midrange, just a bit of an edge, and sometimes piercing highs. EV™’s are muscular, very balanced and aggressive. They are a little “Hi-Fi” sounding. Celestions™ and Eminence™ have speakers with similar characteristics.

Once you decide upon the basic characteristic of the speaker, then the type of cabinet and cabinet material further enhance the sound. An open back cabinet will further accent the highs. The tone can be broad, quite realistic and very well rounded and transparent. The low end is attenuated just a bit. Open backs appear to be louder because of the omni directional characteristics of the open back. This also makes the cabinets full-throated, gritty and edgy. A closed back cabinet will have a tighter, fuller low end. It will sound more directional with slightly attenuated highs and a ‘spongy’ midrange.

A cabinet with a single speaker will be more focused, while multiple speakers will be slightly blurred due to the natural phase cancellation between the drivers. If the cabinets are made of Pine, or any other solid wood, they will be more resonate, plywood not so much, and MDF stiff and less musical. The final variable is wiring. Wired in series, the speakers will run looser and sound more raw and open. Wired in parallel, the speakers will exhibit a slightly tighter response with a smoother break-up.

Well, that’s it. This is only the beginning for your quest for amp tone. From this Chinese menu you should be able to imagine the sound necessary to fulfill the arrangement, pick and choose the possible tone combinations, add your knowledge of guitars, pick-ups and string choices and what their cumulative effect will be on the amp. I’ll add my knowledge of microphone choice and placement and room acoustics and you end up with killer guitar tones.

Manley Reference Cardiod

“I have a studio now!” is the common cry from most folks after purchasing their recording set-up from the local Banjo Mart. Well, do you really have a studio?

For song writing demos, band demos for bookings, etc., your home set-up may be just fine. But when it comes to commercial releases, you may need some help. The marketplace today is very crowded and it takes an extraordinary record to stand out. Except for the abundantly equipped project studio, a professional studio offers the extra effort most projects need.

A couple of definitions first. A computer with a sound card is not a studio. A ‘studio’ is a ‘system’ that incorporates acoustical spaces with audio recording equipment and all the support mechanisms that allow complicated systems to work together effortlessly with the musician(s). Does this describe your space accurately? If so, you have an enormous investment in both time and money! The fact is, when digital workstation technology was in it’s early stages, the allure to many was the dream of not needing a large studio anymore. That meant less space to lease, less investment for equipment and a lot more accuracy in both editing and recording. You could compete against “the big guys” with a lot less investment. I know because that’s how I started. You can do incredible work “in the box” given adequate support gear, talent and, drum roll please cause this is the big one, “time”.

But… the big records are still being made in real studios.

A real studio…

• has been designed by a recognized studio designer
• doesn’t let the noise you’re making out nor the outside noise in
• you can record and mix with the air conditioning running and not hear it or record it
• contains more gear than you need, all working and accessible
• all gear is properly installed, grounded and balanced
• usually has a large format console and extensive monitoring capability
• the monitoring system costs way more than the DAW system
• has a knowledgeable staff in many musical forms
• a legal, licensed, tax paying business entity.

A project studio is…

• a studio where the gear set-up is not flexible and usually permanently patched to accommodate one person’s style
• the only acoustic treatment is surface mounted, off-the-shelf solutions, usually devised and implemented by the owner
• no expense has been made to quiet the HVAC system, sometimes requiring a shut-down when recording with open mics
• never quite has the gear you need
• the owner is usually knowledgeable in one musical genre
• “We don’t need no stinkin’ console”
• the DAW is the most expensive system in the place
• a mix of pro and semi-pro gear and usually a mix of pro and semi-pro levels
• usually a sole proprietorship flying below the legal radar.

So, when deciding to book a “studio” to start or complete your project, analyze your needs carefully and book the appropriate space.