ONE EFFECTIVE SOLUTION FOR DEALING WITH PROBLEMATIC ARTISTS

BY GEORGE PETERSEN
To me, one of the great mysteries of studio production is the whole idea of artists who hire the finest engineers, only to look over their shoulder and start grabbing knobs and telling the engineer how to mix. In the old days, when large analog consoles were formidable symbols of complexity—i.e., “what do all those knobs do?”—artists were for the most part in awe of the mystical black magic nature of the process. Those were perhaps the good old days, when artists did their performance and producers and engineers did the production end.

Now, especially with the affordability of —and ubiquitous nature of—Pro Tools and other DAWs, every artist is suddenly an expert on mixing/EQ’ing/mastering/etc. And often the worst offenders are band members who always feel their instrument should be the loudest —or at least far more present—in the mix. These are the same types who on playbacks, listen to an absolutely perfect take, but somehow can sense that one of the 1/128th note in a guitar run is slightly anticipated, thus making the entire take unusable—even though no one else in the control room can perceive this horrible atrocity.

Lately, the Internet has been awash with “flowcharts”—essentially step-by-step instructions for solving various problems, so I figured I join in the fray and do one of my own, this one focused on dealing with troublesome artists who insist on being present during the mix. And while it’s slated toward performers, it could just as easily be applied to label A&R reps, management types, ad agency types, or the drummer’s girlfriend/boyfriend—essentially any “creative” souls who insist on meddling in the production process.

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TRUTH SOMETIMES, IS STRANGER THAN FICTION
And while there’s a bit of satire/sarcasm here, there a whole lot of truth as well. I was once working on an album (sorry but the title/artist name of this gem is somehow deleted from my discography) where the performer wanted to add some percussion to a track. So far, so good and we suggested we bring in percussionist extraordinaire Pete Escovedo, who we had worked with in the past, always with amazing results. Pete is not only a pro player of the highest caliber, but whenever we did a session with him, we’d ask him how he’d interpret the part, and he always had great ideas, he was easy to work with and one of the nicest persons you’d ever meet. The last thing we wanted to do with Pete was to simply have him play some conga or cabasa chart.

Anyway, Pete drops by the studio, has a quick listen to the tune, and then on the first take, proceeds to lay down a brilliant performance—perfectly executed and exactly what we wanted. We had him come into the control room for a playback, and it was just spot-on. This was back in the analog recording days—where tracks were limited—in fact the project only had two tracks available for the stereo percussion part. But that didn’t seem to be an issue here—we had an awesome take and were ready to wrap it up. That is, until the artist’s girlfriend wondered whether we could get a better take, and suggested Pete do it again. We explained that this would mean wiping the existing track, which already was an “11″ on the proverbial “10″ scale. But she was adamant, and—despite our pleadings—convinced the boyfriend/artist that another take was a good idea. Pete was really nice about it and said “sure, no problem,” and proceeded to lay down another take, which was amazing, although I actually liked the first take better. Finally, the girlfriend approves of the new take, and while helping Pete load his gear into his car, I apologized to Pete, who actually thought the whole thing was funny.

After Pete had left, I asked the girlfriend what she thought was wrong with the first take. She said it was nothing really, but she was bankrolling the project and was bummed about having to pay him for an entire session after he had nailed the part in 10 minutes on a single take, so she wanted him to do it again! At that point I considered strangling her—or at least covering her in honey and tying her to an anthill—but then the studio wouldn’t have been paid for the session, so I took the Pete Escovedo attitude and just laughed it off.

And with this in mind, I proudly present my recording studio production flow chart for dealing with artists during the mix session.

POSTSCRIPT
For more about Pete Escovedo—a wonderful painter in addition to being a great musician—visit his web site at www.peteescovedo.com.
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YAMAHA BOWS AFFORDABLE, NEW LINE OF LARGE CAPACITY MIXERS FEATURING ONBOARD RUPERT NEVE PROCESSING, NUENDO RECORDING AND IPAD REMOTE CONTROL.

BY GEORGE PETERSEN
Today at ProLight+Sound/Musikmesse in Frankfurt, Yamaha Commercial Audio launched its stunning new CL (Centralogic™) Series of digital live consoles.

All are Dante network-based with remote I/O for a faster, more responsive operations. These 72/64/48 mono input consoles are differentiated only by frame size and input capability, and feature 24 mix buses, 8 matrix buses, plus stereo and mono outputs, 16 DCAs and onboard Rupert Neve-designed signal processing. The powerful small-footprint design was developed specifically for sound reinforcement applications such as performing arts venues, theaters, houses of worship, touring, and remote broadcast, with a high output bus count that’s perfect for live broadcast and monitor applications.

The Yamaha CL5 mix capacity is 72 mono + 8 stereo inputs (64 channels through Dante and 8 local), with 34 faders (16 on the left, 8 Centralogic, and 8 right plus stereo and mono masters). The CL5 also includes built-in output metering. The CL3 is a 64 mono input system, with 8 stereo inputs, and 26 faders (16 left, 8 Centralogic center, plus masters). The CL1 console is a 48-mono + 8 stereo inputs, and 16 faders plus two master faders (8 left and 8 Centralogic center, plus masters). All models feature 16 DCAs, channel encoders and support 48kHz and 44.1kHz sampling rates. An optional meter bridge is available for the CL3 and CL1 consoles. The CL5 and CL3 feature a built-in shelf for an iPad, and the CL1 has a shelf for an iPod.

CENTRAL CONTROL
All CL consoles has a top panel center section with a comprehensive selected channel section, a new 16-bit color LED backlit touchscreen, four User-Defined Knobs, 2-track USB recorder/player section, and more. also standard are sixteen 31-band GEQs, an 8U effects rack and a new 8U Premium Rack including Rupert Neve Designs Portico 5043 Compressor and Portico 5033 EQ as well as new Yamaha VCM compressors and EQs. Rupert Neve, who approved the 5033 and 5043 in the Premium Rack during its initial evaluation, called it ‘very sweet sounding’ and ‘indistinguishable from its hardware equivalent’.

Additional console features include simultaneous CL Editor/StageMix connection, multi-track recording via Dante Virtual Soundcard software, and File Converter Software for CL, PM5D, M7CL and LS9 consoles. A new recording software from Steinberg dubbed “Nuendo Live”, optimized for live recording and playback transport, will also be bundled with the console. CL Editor for Mac and PC as well as StageMix for iPad will be available for the series free of charge.

INPUTS, OUTPUTS
Up to eight external Rio (Remote I/O) boxes can be used for a total of 256 channels via the Dante digital network. The 5U rack space Rio3224-D includes 32 remote controlled mic/line inputs, 16 line outputs, and four AES-3 outs. The 3U Rio1608-D includes 16 remote controlled mic/line inputs and eight line outputs. Dante network I/O can easily be set up and patched utilizing familiar paradigms within the console user interface, with no external software required for network operations.

The fader sections of all CL consoles features new self-lit key tops, channel name and color bar visible in sunlight, new fader caps and a smoother drive circuit. The Centralogic section also features Undo and Preview keys for Scene Memory, fader bank select, and 16 user defined keys.

The CL console’s back panel consists of dual Dante ports, 3 MY card slots, work clock I/O, MIDI I/O, AES/EBU digital out, 8 Analog Omni ins/outs, 5-in/5-out GPI, and an external PW800W PSU connection.

Check out this video demo I shot of the CL5. Note: it’s nearly 12 minutes long, but goes into a lot of detail about the power of this mixer and its features. It’s definitely worth watching if you’re serious about understanding the CL5.

I WANT ONE!
Targeted MSRP for the Yamaha CL5, CL3, and CL1 is $27,499, $21,999 and $14,999, respectively. The Rio3224-D has a targeted MSRP of $8,499 and the Rio1608-D has a targeted MSRP of $4,799. The optional meter bridge for the CL3 and CL1 has a targeted MSRP $1,199. The flagship CL5 and Rio3224-D will be available in late Spring 2012, and the CL3, CL1, and Rio1608-D will be available in late summer 2012.

Stateside, you can see Yamaha’s CL consoles at the NAB show in Las Vegas, April 16-19, in booth C2239. Or for more info, visit Yamaha online.
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SMART INSIDER TIPS AND ADVICE ON SURVIVING THE WORLD’S LARGEST AUDIO/MUSIC TRADESHOW

BY GEORGE PETERSEN
With Frankfurt’s gargantuan Musikmesse/ProLight+Sound music/pro audio tradeshow just a week away (March 21 – 24, 2012), I figured I’d offer some advice to foreign visitors. It’s a huge show—sort a combined NAMM / AES / InfoComm / DJ Expo all in one, with more than a dozen exhibit halls, so this is one tradeshow that requires a bit of advance planning. And whether you’re a Messe regular or a veteran attendee, here are a few helpful tips to make your visit as smooth and pleasant as possible.

PREFLIGHT CHECK
This may sound silly, but make sure your passport is current. Years ago, I did a Musikmesse trip with a business associate whose passport actually expired while we were in Germany and he didn’t notice until Saturday—the day before we were set to return, so he had to stay a couple extra days and get things straightened out with the US consulate before he could go home. That scenario might be rare, but check your passport well before you leave and avoid the hassles. Also before you leave, make a photocopy of your passport and keep it with you in case yours get lost. Having that copy makes the process of getting a replacement easier.

While you’re packing, you might want to bring a AC plug adapter for your laptop/charger, assuming your computer/charger can run on 220 volts (many—though not all—can). Most larger hotels have low-wattage bathroom shaver outlets that are switchable to 110 VAC, but it’s not a sure thing and these won’t handle high-draw devices like hairdryers. You can get a plug adapter at most travel/luggage shops, or if you get stuck, you may be able to borrow an adapter and/or a 220-to-110 volt transformer from the hotel. Whatever, you do, be careful before you connect any 110V devices to a very unforgiving 220V socket.

Your suitcase and attaché probably have name tags on them, but your stateside address doesn’t do much good once you’re in Europe. I always also mark my bags with my hotel name (and stay dates) as well as a tradeshow name/booth number, just in case they get lost along the way. If you’re not exhibiting, you can always put the name of someone you know who does have a booth, where it could be returned if you lose it during the show.

ONCE YOU’RE THERE
Assuming you’ve made it all the way to Frankfurt, you’re almost there. You’ll need Euros. Currently the rate is $1.30 = 1 Euro, well improved over some years ago when it was $1.50 = 1 Euro. I always pick up some Euros on arrival from an airport ATM, which in German is called a “Geldautomat.” These Geldautomats are a common site all over Frankfurt (including several within the Messe site) and are a convenient way to get local cash. Most taxis (not all) also accept credit cards.

From the airport you can either get a taxi or catch the S-Bahn (subway) to get you into town. If you’re unsure which station is closest to your hotel, you can always just take the S-Bahn to the main Hauptbahnhof (train station) and grab a cab to your hotel from there.

A lot of Germans speak at least some English. Yet I always carry a copy of the name/address of my hotel in my wallet. This way I can always show it to a taxi driver who has trouble understanding me, and it helps get me back to where I need to go.

FREE TRANSPORT!
On show days, your Musikmesse/PL+S badge also works as a free pass for local public transit, including U-Bahn/S-Bahn (subway), streetcars and buses. Also, there’s a convenient S-Bahn station inside Messe in the central Torhaus. The system is relatively easy to navigate, with numbered and color coded routes, that make it easy, even if you don’t speak German. But be aware that Frankfurt’s transit system operates on the honor system; there are substantial fines if you don’t have a pass or ticket, so make sure you have your show badge. Click here to view/download a Frankfurt Subway map in case you want to check out the routes in advance.

THE CHEAPER CAB RIDE
The transit system is great, but in the morning if you need to take a cab to the Messe grounds and you’re coming from the general direction of the city center or the train station, have the driver take you to the Marriott Hotel instead. From there, simply walk across the street and enter the show near Halle 5.1. Those few steps will save you a lot of time and cash, as you’ll avoid an additional half-mile route down the congested street that the cabs must take get to a legal place to make a U-turn and return back to the Maritim Hotel/Messe Hall 5.1 entrance.

HALL… TO HALL… TO HALL
Getting from Hall 9 to Hall 5 can be a hassle and take forever, especially using the packed moving sidewalks and escalators. Instead, walk downstairs and hop on a free shuttle bus. These arrive every 90 seconds, looping though the fairgrounds and stopping at each hall. Several of the halls are stacked above each other, so getting around this huge tradeshow isn’t so problematic, once you get it figured out. There are also some quick shortcuts, like the stairs in the back of Hall 4.1 that take you directly to the shuttle level, rather than walking through the entire hall to the front where you take the escalator down.

IT’S SNACK TIME
Messe has some 20 restaurants of all types, from snackbars and cafeterias to pub, sushi and steakhouse eateries and some small outdoor hotdog/bier stands. Of all, my fave is Rotisserie (open 11-6pm), which has table service and decent food. It’s small, but at the end of Hall 6.1, it’s fairly quiet and perfect for a business lunch, although somewhat hard to find, which is probably a plus. For a full list of Messe dining, click on MESSE DINING IDEAS and plan out a couple places for your lunch excursions.

DISAPPEARING CABS
The cab stand by the Maritim Hotel/Musikmesse Hall 5.1 entrance is convenient. However, by 6pm all the cabs have long since vanished and the cab wait can be 30 minutes or even more if the weather’s bad. The same applies to the nearby Marriott. If you’re in this predicament, you can simply walk, or hop any streetcar heading towards the Hauptbahnhof train station, just a few blocks away and there are plenty of cabs there for the taking. The same applies to the taking the S-bahn from Messe to the train station.

WEEKEND BLUES
I’m not talking about Frankfurt’s music nightlife, but Musikmesse / ProLight+Sound opens to the general public on Saturday, the last day of the show. The flood gates open, the public pours in and often the key decision makers in many companies drop out of sight or head home. So if you’re planning to get anything done business-wise, Saturday’s not usually the day. However, if you’re interested in possibly buying a floor sample of a guitar or instrument, this may be your chance to score a deal. Although if this is your plan, you might make inquiries ahead of time either to reserve your pick or find out whether the company even makes such sales. Some do, some don’t, so it pays to find out in advance.

THE REAL SATURDAY FUN
For me a real highlight of any Messe trip is hitting the world-famous Frankfurt Flohmarkt (Flea Market), formerly always held along the south bank of the Main river in the Sachsenhausen area on Shaumainkai street. But after continual complaints from the nearby residents, it now alternates every other week between the river location and on Lindleystrasse, where it will be on March 24, during Messe 2012. The Flohmarkt is a great place to grab some unique (some very unique) gifts or souvenirs to bring back or just do a little morning bargain hunting before heading over the show in the late morning/afternoon. It’s also great for people watching, or grabbing a snack (crepes, coffee, sandwiches, sausages, pastries, beer, etc.) while having a fun and memorable outing, especially if you’re with a couple friends or a small group. While crime is rare and very unlikely, it might still be a good idea to keep your wallet hidden away or in your front pocket.

HAVE FUN (BUT NOT TOO MUCH FUN)
Almost every booth at Musikmesse/Pro Light +Sound seems to have a bar or lounge built into it. Germans are friendly and like to drink, and you may find yourself being offered a bier, glass of wine or schnapps at nearly every booth you visit. With that in mind, you might just consider avoiding the ten-beers-in-a-row fiasco and becoming completely sloshed. Try having a couple waters, juices or other non-alcoholic drinks along the way, so you’re at least mostly sober during your Messe travels. That way, you’ll probably at least make it back to your hotel.

HELP A FRIEND
If you have a colleague or friend who plans to go to Musikmesse / ProLight+Sound, please send them a link to this blog or click on the FACEBOOK / TWEET icons below to share this information.

So travel safe, travel smart and… Auf Wiedersehen!
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BY GEORGE PETERSEN
This week had a delightful treasure trove of web-based delicacies, so I figured I’d share a few of the highlights. Here we go, and don’t say I didn’t warn you!

GUITAR SINK? I WANT ONE!

Here’s a cool custom concrete bathroom sink, based on a Fender Stratocaster guitar by Chris Havill of Nova Scotia. The guitar sink mold itself was created from a tracing of an actual Strat and consisted of foam and Bondo body filler coated with resin. The concrete mix was 5000 psi Quickcrete with just a tad extra Portland cement and a smidge of liquid fortifier. Davis black added to the mix provided just the right color. Under the skin, the sink has a full wire and rebar support cage. It was then slurried, wet sanded, sealed and waxed. And the headstock makes an awesome soap dish!

Now you know how, so get out there and make your own DIY guitar sink! And not just Strats… How about Les Pauls? Gibson Doubleneck? Hofner Beatle bass? The choices are many, but I’d think an Ovation roundback would be easiest of all. But no matter how you design it, I definitely want one!

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I’VE SEEN THE FUTURE OF AUDIO
!
I never thought I’d see this and still can’t believe it, but I’ve finally seen the future of audio, and here it is… Speakers made from cheese could be the ultimate combination of vintage and new tech. Check this out and let me know if you agree…

It’s not only a great idea, but I hear these speakers are also going to be offered in a nacho style for Latin music, blue cheese (for blues, of course), hard cheeses (for metal), Velveeta for easy listening, brie for new age, and a smoked cheese for Phish/Dead cover bands!

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THINGS ARE STRANGE…
Ever wonder why things seem strange lately? Well, Mercury went into retrograde this week and will be there til April 4th. Anyway, here’s my band’s take on the whole thing. so here are those famed SF Bay area rockers ARIEL—featuring JJ Jenkins (guitar/lead vocals), George Petersen (drums, vocals), JX Loeb (lead guitar on the amazing Ralph Novax Fanned Fret® ax) and Bryan Weiss (bass)—performing “Mercury’s in Retrograde” a new single from the band’s upcoming JENPET Records CD in this live performance at Rhythmix Cultural Works. But in the meantime, you can click here to check out ARIEL on iTunes.
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BY GEORGE PETERSEN
I’m still somewhat in shock about the untimely passing of guitar phenom (and great guy) Ronnie Montrose this weekend. So I figured I’d relate a personal story that would provide an insight into what kind of person Ronnie really was.

Let’s flash back to about sometime around November 1989. I was cutting the debut album for my band ARIEL, which once had been a full ensemble, but attracted to the lure of multitrack recording, had become a duo consisting of myself and my longtime music partner JJ Jenkins. We wrote all the material, sang the lead vocals and were both multi-instrumentalists (me on drums, guitar and various odd-shaped string instruments; JJ on keys, horns, guitar and bass), so we did the entire album ourselves—tracked on an Akai A-DAM digital 12-track, that I had borrowed for a month. On that tight schedule (we were also working 9-5 jobs as well), we didn’t have enough time to track the lead guitar parts, so before the multitrack went away, we cut stereo submixes of all the tunes to Sony PCM-F1 digital 2-track, mixing on our highly modified Soundcraft 600 analog console.

Admittedly, we were addicted to the possibilities of digital recording, but having neither $35,000 for a 12-track A-DAM nor $250,000 for a Sony PCM-3324 24-track, I had devised a bizarre system using Sony F1 digital processors and banks of synchronized video recorders (one VTR for every two channels of digital tracks). And voila, we had a homemade, budget (though somewhat cantankerous) digital 8-track, which by swapping tapes, allowed us to record an unlimited number of takes—even if we were confined to an 8-track system. And whenever we did track bouncing on this rig, things got very interesting. Other than its overall bizarre nature, the main limitation was that the system was incapable of punch-in recording, so any take had to be a complete performance.

Back to the story, we had one song called “An American Girl” (no relation to the Tom Petty tune of a similar name) that was perfect for Ronnie Montrose. Unfortunately, I didn’t know Ronnie, and thought that with a personal plea, I might talk him into doing it. I did however, have several friends who knew Ronnie quite well and when I asked if they could intercede on my behalf, they adamantly refused to have anything to do with it—in fact they told me very clearly that due to a past encounter, Ronnie “doesn’t do session work for anyone,” although they did give me his business manager’s card. At that point we mostly gave up on the Montrose idea: Here’s a guy we don’t personally know, we were a very small label with little clout, and the guy doesn’t want to do sessions. The outlook was bleak, and in the meantime, we cut tracks with some very A-list lead players, including Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, Brad Gillis, Bill “Sputnik” Spooner, Danny Kalb and Craig Anderton. But we still wanted Ronnie , so on a longshot, I called his manager. She seemed very nice, and said she’d pass a tape of the tune to Ronnie. If he liked it, he might do it. I figured she was just shining me on, but I sent off a tape and a week later I got a call from Ronnie asking when we wanted to schedule the session.

THE SESSION
We had Ronnie come over to the studio one evening. We had a bunch of mics set up and ready, but he wanted to track in the control room. He had brought this single-12 Laney amp and had his own mic—a Sennheiser 409 with a custom bracket that attached to the amp and held the mic exactly in the sweet spot for the tone he wanted for his Strat. We also tried about five other mics, but his amp/mic combo was just perfect. No arguing with success. Before we got started, we ran through the tune a few times and warned Ronnie that although we could do lots of takes, each one had to be done without any punch in/outs. He just smiled and said no problem at all.

Originally, all we wanted was for Ronnie to do a 16-bar solo, but he also wanted to integrate a very cool riff he came up based around fills that flowed in/out of each verse. It also features some incredibly long sustained notes—as well as some very sweet violin-styled guitar sustains over the closing piano riff. This was far more than we would have dared asked him to do, but that’s just the kind of guy Ronnie was—he was 100% in it for the music—on any project, large or small.

We were worried that without punching, he was never going to get through this complicated part he’d devised. On the first take, there was one sustain that ended a bit earlier than he wanted, so we kept that and plunked in another tape. He nailed the part brilliantly all the way through—no punches/no edits/no comping at all—and that’s what’s on the final release. We had the “keeper” and later mixed the guitar track, layering it to the 2-track F1 submix, stored to—you guessed it—another F1.

Click here to listen to and/or download the original ARIEL single of “An American Girl”—featuring the amazing Montrose touch—at http://www.jenpet.com/amergirl.html.

While we were packing, I asked Ronnie who he had done sessions with recently, and he said he hadn’t done any outside sessions in years. He related a story about being called in by a producer friend of his to fix some lead parts on a track. This was a 24-track session with only one track available (back in those analog days before unlimited virtual tracks) and unbeknownst to Ronnie, his new part was wiping over the regular guitarist’s track. Sure enough, in mid-session, the band’s guitar player walks in and finds out the producer brought in this outside session guy to do his part and a huge scene breaks out. Understandably, Ronnie gave up session work for a while after that, and I guess my request brought him back into it.

Ronnie Montrose was not only one of the greatest guitar players of all time, but a super creative guy and an absolutely wonderful human being. I feel lucky to have worked with him and got to know him over the years and I am ever grateful to him adding some Montrose magic tho that album. Rest well, old friend…

For more info about Ronnie Montrose, visit www.ronniemontrose.com
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