NEWS
08-18-10 The Opposite of Brevity
Wow, has this summer been gross or what? The studio had been an absolute nightmare until a couple weeks ago. When I built it last year, I figured I'd just wait and see how the hot season would play out. Plus, the studio build was more expensive than I had anticipated, and I just wanted the damn thing done. Who would have thought that 9 track lights, 3 pieces of tube-filled gear, 2 layers of drywall full of insulation and an airtight seal would result in a south-of-the-equator-style scorch-fest? Well, probably anyone besides me. So we got the AC fixed and ran ducting into the studio. I was pretty worried that all the work we did isolating the room's structure from the rest of the place would be ruined by cutting holes in the wall and basically tying the studio into every other room. Thanks to the Gearslutz and the John Sayers forums, I found some pretty slick and easy plans for an insulation-lined plenum box to quiet down the roaring AC and attenuate the sound bouncing around. And it worked really well! I can master fully dressed once again. Now you can stop wondering why most of my sessions are unattended.
The other amazing addition to the studio (besides fresh air): the Manley Massive Passive. Holy sweet lord. I know a poor craftsman blames his tools and all that. BUT. This thing sounds like no digital plugin I've ever used, period. Of course, I'm on a Mac and am somewhat allergic to ProTools, so I haven't had much experience with a lot of high-end TDM or PC-only VSTs. That said, the thing totally smokes. One of my favorite new tricks is setting a shelf and boosting around 47 Hz-- it magically brings out kick drums without adding mud in the vocals or guitars. The midrange can be really focused and gives guitars an almost 3-D effect. I'm still getting used to the extreme high end, but even with my playing around it takes a lot of gain to make cymbals and 'ess'es sound brittle.
I also built a little insert plug for my OCL-2 compressor (thanks again online forums) which hi-passes the signal coming in and side-chains the compressor to anything above around 150 Hz. in other words, the energy of the kick and bass guitar doesn't make the compressor react before it sees the vocal, snare, or anything else with lots of midrange information, resulting in much smoother, thicker compression. Coupled with the Manley and not having to rely on a ton of plugins , I've had some really nice sounding work roll out of the studio lately.
I've been quite busy since I last wrote. I'm particularly excited about the remaster for Brandtson's "Send Us a Signal" vinyl, which should be coming out very soon. The kind folks at Dreamover Records partnered with Kickstarter, a sort of "pledge-drive" type service and thanks to some really excellent people, the goal of $2500 was reached well before the deadline. It was such a nice change of pace to not have to worry about competitive levels and the inevitable "squash" that is associated with present day CD mastering. I tried to keep as close to Ed Rose's original mixes as possible (which were already amazing) and only had to do some minor massaging to make the tracks sit together. The snares pop like never before, and you can really crawl in and experience the subtle nuances this record has to offer. The CD sounded great but this is a different ride all-together. The project was made possible completely by fans of the band, so I felt very honored to take part in it.
Some other projects that crossed the Cauliflower threshold included a new track for our pals in the Restless Habs (who the Bats have shared the stage with several times recently), an excellent full-length release from Uva Ursi (super pretty stuff), a brand-new dirty rock record from the late Coffinberry, a live performance by acoustic troubadour David Ullman, a full-length from electro-pop collective Indoria, an EP for Cleveland punkers Flanked by Red Flags, full-lengths from local legends Bluto's Revenge and soon-to-be-legends Punching Moses, and I'm currently smack dab in the middle of a full-length solo record from Blue Taxi's Bill Campuano. An amazing amazing few months… I apologize if I've forgotten anyone.
I am still (still????) finishing up the Swarm of Bats record, as I've been busy with all this other stuff and traveling and whatnot, but that should see the light of day fairly soon… some exciting news on that front possibly forthcoming. The new songs we recorded in the spring sound really good if I do say so myself. Myk did a great job recording the guitars and vocals so I'm not completely breaking my arm to pat myself on the back. We played 2 shows last month, which is quite an accomplishment for four aging rock dudes.
And Hot Coma, the project I worked on last year with Robert Cherry (courtesy Plastic Ants, ex-Ethernet, and himself) should be coming out soon as well. We are working on some promo stuff next weekend, and soon 3 pretty/dark, primitive, electro-ballads will hit the streets. Cover your ears unless you want to hear the awesome.
So there we have it. It looks like my monthly, then bi-monthly blog is morphing into a quarterly blog. I am still trying to make time to update the website and the samples section to include stuff I've actually done in the past year. I also just realized that most of this probably comes off as merely an advertisement for myself, gear, and the bands I work with. Well, cram it. I'll try to be more scandalous next time.
Scandalously yours,
Adam.
The other amazing addition to the studio (besides fresh air): the Manley Massive Passive. Holy sweet lord. I know a poor craftsman blames his tools and all that. BUT. This thing sounds like no digital plugin I've ever used, period. Of course, I'm on a Mac and am somewhat allergic to ProTools, so I haven't had much experience with a lot of high-end TDM or PC-only VSTs. That said, the thing totally smokes. One of my favorite new tricks is setting a shelf and boosting around 47 Hz-- it magically brings out kick drums without adding mud in the vocals or guitars. The midrange can be really focused and gives guitars an almost 3-D effect. I'm still getting used to the extreme high end, but even with my playing around it takes a lot of gain to make cymbals and 'ess'es sound brittle.
I also built a little insert plug for my OCL-2 compressor (thanks again online forums) which hi-passes the signal coming in and side-chains the compressor to anything above around 150 Hz. in other words, the energy of the kick and bass guitar doesn't make the compressor react before it sees the vocal, snare, or anything else with lots of midrange information, resulting in much smoother, thicker compression. Coupled with the Manley and not having to rely on a ton of plugins , I've had some really nice sounding work roll out of the studio lately.
I've been quite busy since I last wrote. I'm particularly excited about the remaster for Brandtson's "Send Us a Signal" vinyl, which should be coming out very soon. The kind folks at Dreamover Records partnered with Kickstarter, a sort of "pledge-drive" type service and thanks to some really excellent people, the goal of $2500 was reached well before the deadline. It was such a nice change of pace to not have to worry about competitive levels and the inevitable "squash" that is associated with present day CD mastering. I tried to keep as close to Ed Rose's original mixes as possible (which were already amazing) and only had to do some minor massaging to make the tracks sit together. The snares pop like never before, and you can really crawl in and experience the subtle nuances this record has to offer. The CD sounded great but this is a different ride all-together. The project was made possible completely by fans of the band, so I felt very honored to take part in it.
Some other projects that crossed the Cauliflower threshold included a new track for our pals in the Restless Habs (who the Bats have shared the stage with several times recently), an excellent full-length release from Uva Ursi (super pretty stuff), a brand-new dirty rock record from the late Coffinberry, a live performance by acoustic troubadour David Ullman, a full-length from electro-pop collective Indoria, an EP for Cleveland punkers Flanked by Red Flags, full-lengths from local legends Bluto's Revenge and soon-to-be-legends Punching Moses, and I'm currently smack dab in the middle of a full-length solo record from Blue Taxi's Bill Campuano. An amazing amazing few months… I apologize if I've forgotten anyone.
I am still (still????) finishing up the Swarm of Bats record, as I've been busy with all this other stuff and traveling and whatnot, but that should see the light of day fairly soon… some exciting news on that front possibly forthcoming. The new songs we recorded in the spring sound really good if I do say so myself. Myk did a great job recording the guitars and vocals so I'm not completely breaking my arm to pat myself on the back. We played 2 shows last month, which is quite an accomplishment for four aging rock dudes.
And Hot Coma, the project I worked on last year with Robert Cherry (courtesy Plastic Ants, ex-Ethernet, and himself) should be coming out soon as well. We are working on some promo stuff next weekend, and soon 3 pretty/dark, primitive, electro-ballads will hit the streets. Cover your ears unless you want to hear the awesome.
So there we have it. It looks like my monthly, then bi-monthly blog is morphing into a quarterly blog. I am still trying to make time to update the website and the samples section to include stuff I've actually done in the past year. I also just realized that most of this probably comes off as merely an advertisement for myself, gear, and the bands I work with. Well, cram it. I'll try to be more scandalous next time.
Scandalously yours,
Adam.
18 Aug 2010 | by: adam |
04.03.10 Springs and Things
Ah, Cleveland in the Spring, how I've missed you. I've been travelling for the better part of a month and a half for my day job. Don't get me wrong, spending time abroad been amazing… I got to meet some amazing folks and did some amazing things. Great food, great beer, great music. But there's something about sitting on a porch in Lakewood, Ohio that just does it for me. Maybe it's because I've spent the last 3 days indoors in a cold-pill induced haze, editing music for hours between discarded kleenexes and bad daytime television. Maybe it's because I've been away so much that it's sort of dawning on me how much I like my little second-tier podunk town. There seems to be a new energy here these days. People are doing important things. Good restaurants, good bars, good music. Ah, Cleveland in the Spring.
Anyhow, it's been far too long since my last update, as usual. I've been steadily churning out the jams. I'll admit that my daytime commitments have kept me occupied quite a bit these days, but I've seen some amazing stuff come across the mastering desk as of late.
The all-new Cauliflower Audio's first-ever attended session featured none other than the venerable Struttin' Cocks. We ripped through their brand-spankin' new full-length in a brisk 7 hours. Scrappy, raunch-filled rock & roll penned about the mean streets of Cleveland, Ohio. You can sing along if you can dodge a fist.
On the flip side, I mastered the forthcoming EP from acoustic balladeer Abby Kondas, who I believe pals around with the Speedbumps, another Akron-based force to be reckoned with. Some excellent, delicate yet jaunty guitar-based, cello-sprinkled tunes, all expertly recorded at Central 8 Studios. Brilliant stuff.
And then some aggressive, D.C.-infused indie rock came in the form of 5 tunes for a forthcoming Boss Tuneage compilation featuring the Restless Habs, recorded by my pal Mike McDonald. Glad that I'm not the only one that pines for the days of smart people with guitars. Mike also sent over a massive piece by Tiger Hatchery for mastering… 12 minutes of spine-curdling chaos and freedom in the form of a jazz ensemble. Mike is a total darling, he is.
I also tested the patience of my neighbors by tracking drums and bass for 3 more Swarm of Bats tunes in the studio. Apparently the 3 months of construction were worth it, as it really wasn't audible at all outside. Bonus. We got some really great high-and-tight tones from the drums… should be interesting to see how they mesh with the other 8 tracks we finished earlier in the year. Still figuring out how and when to release the damn thing. But it sounds really good considering we've spent no money and barely any time at all on it. Of course, we're all geniuses so it's really not THAT surprising. We are releasing four of these songs on cassette at our show tonight 4/3/10.
What's next? I've got another forthcoming EP from Claus Muzak to work on this weekend along with some other stuff, but I think I'm going to wait until my ears have recovered from this god-awful sinus thing that seems to have taken hold of me. Check out the new updated "Discography" section. Why isn't your band listed there? And, I shall be updating the music player soon, I promise.
May you all have a pleasant holiday.
03 Apr 2010 | by: adam |
01.07.10 New Studio and Best of 2009
Holy cow. It's been 5 months since we last spoke. I can't believe how quickly time flies when you're an old fart. So much has happened since August; the most monumental of which is where I am writing to you from-- the comforts of the all-new Cauliflower Audio HQ, located in the bowels of my new home in beautiful Lakewood, Ohio. The last of the teeny tiny tweaks will happen this weekend and finally, the studio will be complete. Well, until I decide to make another tweak or buy a new piece of gear. Stranger things have happened you know.
I got quite lost in the process, which seemed to take forever but also seemed to scream right by. Like a fool I didn't keep a photo-journal or anything. Suffice it to say, it was a mess of jackhammers and mud and concrete and Booses and metal studs and drywall dust and glue and wires and plywood and fiberglass and burlap and anything else you can imagine that:
A) Makes you itchy
B) You really don't want in your house, and
C) Drives your wife and cat nuts.
But it is done, it is pretty, it sounds great, and it suites our needs rather nicely. I can host 2-3 people comfortably for attended sessions, we can get loud and stupid, and it's isolated enough that it won't disturb anyone, and no one will disturb us. Perfect. Check out the pictures! If you need remodeling work done, I can name names.
Thankfully, during this little transition between homes, my clientele didn't forsake me. As a matter of fact, I was actually pretty busy in my little make-shift dining room set-up. I got VERY familiar with the stereo in my Civic, and made a lot of coasters out of CDs too. Let's see, I mastered the latest full-length "What You Are About to Witness" by uber-brutal metalcore outfit MARGIN OF ERROR, a forthcoming release for Plastiq Musiq proto-synth genius TRAVELOGUE, an EP for Californian electronic storyteller LORIN MORGAN-RICHARDS, an EP for acoustic troubadour DAVID ULLMAN, the debut full-length for Cleveland collegiate-rockers LIGHTWEIGHT SLAMS, a couple remixes for frigiD TOUCH, and by the end of the week a full-length from Cleveland's PRISONERS and a new EP from PUNCHING MOSES.
In the mixing realm I tackled a tune by a new alt rock band called INDUSTRIAL AMNESIA, featuring Steve Copley of OUR LOVE IS SPECIAL (whose record I mixed last year), in addition to forthcoming debuts from HOT COMA (my electronic future/primitive side project with ROBERT CHERRY... dark 'n' thick like syrup but not nearly as sweet) and SWARM OF BATS (I play drums, former bandmates play guitars and sing; it's loud and mean... but you can still read Twilight to it). When the dust settles, so to speak, I am planning on releasing a sort of "Greatest Hits You Never Heard" from my old synthpop band FURNACE ST., remixing and remastering where necessary.
So yes, now that the studio is up and operational, I intend to continue my monthly blog assault on you all. I have created a Facebook page here... please become a fan. I will be updating my mastering/mixing samples soon as well, so you've got that to look forward to. And now, without further ado...
Mr. Boose's Top 10 Favorite Somewhat Unrelated Happenings of 2009:
10. Vinyl is on everyone's lips these days, even more-so than last year. Been mastering a lot for the medium recently. And now there's even a pressing plant in Cleveland! Super news indeed, although I still like CDs a lot.
9. I mixed 10 or or so songs for upcoming editions of Rockband/Guitar Hero/DJ Hero and the like at my day job.
8. I stopped caring about hip music and embraced my inner Hot Jam enthusiast (remarkably, the same thing happened to me in '99).
7. Possibly related... I finally got over my fear of being beardless and shaved a few times. My real face looks okay. I know, monumental right? I quit smoking again too, for like the 50th time.
6. My favorite guitar band of all time Jawbox reunited after 12 years for one night only on Jimmy Fallon. It was mindblowing. Look it up! Also, check out their official MySpace page for a "Savory/In The Club" mashup I did for them for fun last year.
5. My hunger for creepy sound design is quenched by Robert Cherry and our new collaboration, the aptly-titled Hot Coma. Acoustic guitar-destroying electronics and real songs. New EP, mixed and freaked by yours truly coming early '10.
4. I finally get to play real drums in a band (Swarm of Bats, duh) after 20 years of wishful thinking. And it turns out I kinda like punk rock. Huh. Watch for the debut full-lenth in early '10, again mixed by yours truly.
3. Cauliflower Audio turns two.
2. My wife and I bought our first home in our favorite part of Ohio.
1. I built an honest to God, bona-fide mastering studio in said house. Being a grown up beats being a kid.
I got quite lost in the process, which seemed to take forever but also seemed to scream right by. Like a fool I didn't keep a photo-journal or anything. Suffice it to say, it was a mess of jackhammers and mud and concrete and Booses and metal studs and drywall dust and glue and wires and plywood and fiberglass and burlap and anything else you can imagine that:
A) Makes you itchy
B) You really don't want in your house, and
C) Drives your wife and cat nuts.
But it is done, it is pretty, it sounds great, and it suites our needs rather nicely. I can host 2-3 people comfortably for attended sessions, we can get loud and stupid, and it's isolated enough that it won't disturb anyone, and no one will disturb us. Perfect. Check out the pictures! If you need remodeling work done, I can name names.
Thankfully, during this little transition between homes, my clientele didn't forsake me. As a matter of fact, I was actually pretty busy in my little make-shift dining room set-up. I got VERY familiar with the stereo in my Civic, and made a lot of coasters out of CDs too. Let's see, I mastered the latest full-length "What You Are About to Witness" by uber-brutal metalcore outfit MARGIN OF ERROR, a forthcoming release for Plastiq Musiq proto-synth genius TRAVELOGUE, an EP for Californian electronic storyteller LORIN MORGAN-RICHARDS, an EP for acoustic troubadour DAVID ULLMAN, the debut full-length for Cleveland collegiate-rockers LIGHTWEIGHT SLAMS, a couple remixes for frigiD TOUCH, and by the end of the week a full-length from Cleveland's PRISONERS and a new EP from PUNCHING MOSES.
In the mixing realm I tackled a tune by a new alt rock band called INDUSTRIAL AMNESIA, featuring Steve Copley of OUR LOVE IS SPECIAL (whose record I mixed last year), in addition to forthcoming debuts from HOT COMA (my electronic future/primitive side project with ROBERT CHERRY... dark 'n' thick like syrup but not nearly as sweet) and SWARM OF BATS (I play drums, former bandmates play guitars and sing; it's loud and mean... but you can still read Twilight to it). When the dust settles, so to speak, I am planning on releasing a sort of "Greatest Hits You Never Heard" from my old synthpop band FURNACE ST., remixing and remastering where necessary.
So yes, now that the studio is up and operational, I intend to continue my monthly blog assault on you all. I have created a Facebook page here... please become a fan. I will be updating my mastering/mixing samples soon as well, so you've got that to look forward to. And now, without further ado...
Mr. Boose's Top 10 Favorite Somewhat Unrelated Happenings of 2009:
10. Vinyl is on everyone's lips these days, even more-so than last year. Been mastering a lot for the medium recently. And now there's even a pressing plant in Cleveland! Super news indeed, although I still like CDs a lot.
9. I mixed 10 or or so songs for upcoming editions of Rockband/Guitar Hero/DJ Hero and the like at my day job.
8. I stopped caring about hip music and embraced my inner Hot Jam enthusiast (remarkably, the same thing happened to me in '99).
7. Possibly related... I finally got over my fear of being beardless and shaved a few times. My real face looks okay. I know, monumental right? I quit smoking again too, for like the 50th time.
6. My favorite guitar band of all time Jawbox reunited after 12 years for one night only on Jimmy Fallon. It was mindblowing. Look it up! Also, check out their official MySpace page for a "Savory/In The Club" mashup I did for them for fun last year.
5. My hunger for creepy sound design is quenched by Robert Cherry and our new collaboration, the aptly-titled Hot Coma. Acoustic guitar-destroying electronics and real songs. New EP, mixed and freaked by yours truly coming early '10.
4. I finally get to play real drums in a band (Swarm of Bats, duh) after 20 years of wishful thinking. And it turns out I kinda like punk rock. Huh. Watch for the debut full-lenth in early '10, again mixed by yours truly.
3. Cauliflower Audio turns two.
2. My wife and I bought our first home in our favorite part of Ohio.
1. I built an honest to God, bona-fide mastering studio in said house. Being a grown up beats being a kid.
07 Jan 2010 | by: adam |
08.05.09 I like to move it.
Tomorrow is the big day. I am tearing down the studio and preparing for the move. Shirin and I bought a house, and I will soon begin construction on the all new, super-powered Cauliflower Audio 2.0. We've spent the last week removing wallpaper, painting, and basically living at Home Depot. It's been an amazing, albeit draining experience. The studio will be a bit out of commission for the next month, but when I reconvene, I will be thrilled to work in a properly designed, sexy, comfortable space. Pictures will ensue.
Besides all of the crazy house stuff, I've been pretty busy in the old studio with some great projects. I got my hands on 2 vinyls that I mastered in the past couple months-- COFFINBERRY's self-titled LP, and a 7" from THE VERY KNEES. Both amazing bands, and the records look and sound fantastic! Yay vinyl. There's rumor of a vinyl pressing plant opening in Cleveland in the coming months, which is the coolest thing to happen to this town since Michael Stanley... although I will thrown down the gauntlet and claim that he can't love you like I love you. Whatever.
Just finished up the masters for "Parting Waves" by CLEMENS, an amazing piece of work that reminds me a bit of Coheed and Cambria transcribed by Radiohead. One of the most engrossing full-lengths I've had the pleasure of working on, recorded by my friend Sean Larson at Central 8 studios. Check these guys out!
Also worked on 2 EPs by some more acoustic-based artists, both again from Akron. The first was for pop-folk singer/songwriter DAVID ULLMAN (again recorded by Sean Larson), and the second was for alt-country quartet LO-WATT RADIO, recorded by the esteemed Mike McDonald. Both expertly crafted. It's really nice sometimes to break out of the rock world, get my head out of "loud" and into incredible subtley. I've been blessed with great quality lately.
Then again, sometimes loud is just what the doctor ordered. I worked on an EP for my new/old friend/collaborator ROBERT CHERRY for his forthcoming "Dirty Chrry" release. It's loud, grimy, visceral, and glamtastic. Recorded by another Cleveland luminary (Don Depew), this time I didn't cringe when I heard distortion-- I reached for the gain knob and cranked it. Rob and I are also working together as well as HOT COMA. He provides the acoustic guitar and voice, and I do my damnedest to freak it out with every glitch-inducing piece in my arsenal. 2 songs down, 1 in the works. Watch for a digital EP in the coming months.
Also did some more work-in-progress mastering for long-time clients BLACK INK, PAPER WHITE and CHANTILLY LACE. A lot of mixing work for the Rockband/Guitar Hero series at my day job too. Just been a bit too busy to write, and wanted to make sure I was making the move before the big announcement.
And, I can neither confirm nor deny my involvement in SWARM OF BATS. I can tell you that A) I've been playing drums in a new band, B) I've broken out a lot of my old analog toys, C) I've spent the last 4 months writing and recording with friends, and D) there is one person in my household that sleeps hanging upside down and happen to drink blood, two if you count Celeste.
Alright friends, that's it for now. When I write again, it will be coming to you from my all new facility. Now to go paint, again. Stay tuned!
Besides all of the crazy house stuff, I've been pretty busy in the old studio with some great projects. I got my hands on 2 vinyls that I mastered in the past couple months-- COFFINBERRY's self-titled LP, and a 7" from THE VERY KNEES. Both amazing bands, and the records look and sound fantastic! Yay vinyl. There's rumor of a vinyl pressing plant opening in Cleveland in the coming months, which is the coolest thing to happen to this town since Michael Stanley... although I will thrown down the gauntlet and claim that he can't love you like I love you. Whatever.
Just finished up the masters for "Parting Waves" by CLEMENS, an amazing piece of work that reminds me a bit of Coheed and Cambria transcribed by Radiohead. One of the most engrossing full-lengths I've had the pleasure of working on, recorded by my friend Sean Larson at Central 8 studios. Check these guys out!
Also worked on 2 EPs by some more acoustic-based artists, both again from Akron. The first was for pop-folk singer/songwriter DAVID ULLMAN (again recorded by Sean Larson), and the second was for alt-country quartet LO-WATT RADIO, recorded by the esteemed Mike McDonald. Both expertly crafted. It's really nice sometimes to break out of the rock world, get my head out of "loud" and into incredible subtley. I've been blessed with great quality lately.
Then again, sometimes loud is just what the doctor ordered. I worked on an EP for my new/old friend/collaborator ROBERT CHERRY for his forthcoming "Dirty Chrry" release. It's loud, grimy, visceral, and glamtastic. Recorded by another Cleveland luminary (Don Depew), this time I didn't cringe when I heard distortion-- I reached for the gain knob and cranked it. Rob and I are also working together as well as HOT COMA. He provides the acoustic guitar and voice, and I do my damnedest to freak it out with every glitch-inducing piece in my arsenal. 2 songs down, 1 in the works. Watch for a digital EP in the coming months.
Also did some more work-in-progress mastering for long-time clients BLACK INK, PAPER WHITE and CHANTILLY LACE. A lot of mixing work for the Rockband/Guitar Hero series at my day job too. Just been a bit too busy to write, and wanted to make sure I was making the move before the big announcement.
And, I can neither confirm nor deny my involvement in SWARM OF BATS. I can tell you that A) I've been playing drums in a new band, B) I've broken out a lot of my old analog toys, C) I've spent the last 4 months writing and recording with friends, and D) there is one person in my household that sleeps hanging upside down and happen to drink blood, two if you count Celeste.
Alright friends, that's it for now. When I write again, it will be coming to you from my all new facility. Now to go paint, again. Stay tuned!
05 Aug 2009 | by: adam |
05.24.09 Who the f*** still uses a payphone?
'Tis a glorious weekend here in the world of Cauliflower Audio. I've been bike riding like a madman, loving that Spring has finally arrived to the usual grey skies of Cleveland. I think I'm finally growing up... I've been regularly eating fruit! And we're thinking about permanently settling down here. For some strange reason, I've fallen in love with Cleveland all over again. Might be the "Hastily Made Tourism" video, might be that episode of 30 Rock... but it's a pretty rad city, warts and all. And no, I don't quite give a crud about the Cavs.
In non-Cleveland news, my day job has gotten like 1000 times cooler this past month. I'm now preparing mixes for forthcoming releases of Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and other related games. We receive and digitize the raw multitrack master tapes for various tunes, and I basically have to re-create the album mixes and stem out the individual processed/edited parts, i.e. vocals, guitars, bass, drums, etc. These stems are then sent to the game programmers, where they work some sort of magic involving "codes" and "vectors" that I don't understand, but my part in it is incredibly fun, challenging, educational, and just plain awesome. I've already learned so many new tricks.
Now then... the real news. The studio has been keeping me more than busy lately. Last month I received quite a few new requests for info and quotes, and several previous clients have been referring my services too. I don't want to count my chickens yet, but it looks to be a busy summer. I hope to be relocating and building a better "facility" by year's end.
Work-wise, I mastered a 3 song demo for Cleveland rock 'n' rollers FLANKED BY RED FLAGS. Tough, straight-up workin' class rock recorded by Keith from the amazing PUNCHING MOSES... for whom I also did mastering for this month for what looks to be a vinyl release. Lots and lots of vinyl these days. Gotta love it. I recently heard a test pressing of the COFFINBERRY LP that I worked on a few months back, and I'm really really excited for that one to come out. THE VERY KNEES have a record coming out soon, too. Madness!
In more electronic-related news, I revisited ex-State of Being member Chris Foldi's frigiD project (now called frigiD touch), remastering 2 of the tunes for the forthcoming CD release. On today's plate I plan on finishing up 3 songs by LA's postpunker/darkwavers BLACK INK PAPER WHITE. And I got my hands on a hard-copy of the finished LUDWYG EP. Pretty snazzy.
And now, after 2 years of relative quiet, it looks like I'm involved in 2 new musical endeavors-- programming synths/"beats" for a sort of dark, future primitive-type electro-gospel duo, AND playing real, honest-to-God drums for a scrappy, ugly, broken-down punk band. How does this happen? Okay, so maybe I'm not quite done growing up yet. Hit me!
In non-Cleveland news, my day job has gotten like 1000 times cooler this past month. I'm now preparing mixes for forthcoming releases of Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and other related games. We receive and digitize the raw multitrack master tapes for various tunes, and I basically have to re-create the album mixes and stem out the individual processed/edited parts, i.e. vocals, guitars, bass, drums, etc. These stems are then sent to the game programmers, where they work some sort of magic involving "codes" and "vectors" that I don't understand, but my part in it is incredibly fun, challenging, educational, and just plain awesome. I've already learned so many new tricks.
Now then... the real news. The studio has been keeping me more than busy lately. Last month I received quite a few new requests for info and quotes, and several previous clients have been referring my services too. I don't want to count my chickens yet, but it looks to be a busy summer. I hope to be relocating and building a better "facility" by year's end.
Work-wise, I mastered a 3 song demo for Cleveland rock 'n' rollers FLANKED BY RED FLAGS. Tough, straight-up workin' class rock recorded by Keith from the amazing PUNCHING MOSES... for whom I also did mastering for this month for what looks to be a vinyl release. Lots and lots of vinyl these days. Gotta love it. I recently heard a test pressing of the COFFINBERRY LP that I worked on a few months back, and I'm really really excited for that one to come out. THE VERY KNEES have a record coming out soon, too. Madness!
In more electronic-related news, I revisited ex-State of Being member Chris Foldi's frigiD project (now called frigiD touch), remastering 2 of the tunes for the forthcoming CD release. On today's plate I plan on finishing up 3 songs by LA's postpunker/darkwavers BLACK INK PAPER WHITE. And I got my hands on a hard-copy of the finished LUDWYG EP. Pretty snazzy.
And now, after 2 years of relative quiet, it looks like I'm involved in 2 new musical endeavors-- programming synths/"beats" for a sort of dark, future primitive-type electro-gospel duo, AND playing real, honest-to-God drums for a scrappy, ugly, broken-down punk band. How does this happen? Okay, so maybe I'm not quite done growing up yet. Hit me!
24 May 2009 | by: adam |
