Gear Wanted

by Joe Wallace

I have been doing more work in location audio and sound effects capture as of late and am putting together a collection of field recording gear. If you have used gear you’re interested in selling, please get in touch as I am assembling multiple bags for field work.

It might seem odd that I’m collecting gear to run more than one field bag, but I’m farming out some of my work to other freelancers (who are also friends) and am assembling a small gear locker. I am in search of  mics, blimps and suspensions, field mixers and field recorders.

So if you have shotgun mics (particularly Sennheiser 416s, ME 66s, etc) field mixers like the Sound Devices 302, or recorders (the Sound Devices 744T is a favorite), and you are looking to sell, please get in touch with your contact information, what state you live in, etc. I would be happy to talk with you about purchasing your used gear.

You can drop me a line at:

jwallace242@gmail.com

And please include any price lists you might have. Many thanks in advance and I look forward to hearing from you.

Building a Studio…

…one piece at a time. I’ve been down the rabbit hole, as it were, assembling a studio from various pieces and upgrades in the last few months. A Focusrite Saffire Pro40 interface, a few new amps (including the ultra-portable MarkBass Mini CMD 121P) and a variety of mics including the AKG D112, M-Audio Luna, and a handful of SM 57s/58s. I’ve also added a NI Maschine which needs serious exploration along with an old Command 8 control surface.

What I’ve got is a solid little recording space complete with some vintage synths (Juno 106, Korg 01/W and a few other lovely pieces) and a variety of gear cobbled together over the years finally coming into more extensive use. I mention all this not to inspire gear envy, but rather to remind myself not to try and put together an entire working setup in a matter of weeks.

As my coursework at Tribeca Flashpoint rolls on, I’ve been paying particular attention to the gear list and other technical details, trying to put together a list of to-purchase things that work for me and keep things moving forward. I’ve been working on three album projects at once, trying to get a line on submitting music for licensing and placement, and hatching schemes to connect with indie filmmakers who need soundtrack work–especially horror-related and suspense type material. I’m a huge fan of the 60s/70s era Morricone stuff, so I’d be very happy to work on a film or three with those aesthetics in mind.

But the music releases do beckon so expect to see more details about them in this space. It occurs to me that this is a very good place to flog those releases and soundtrack work in general, so I suppose Now-Sound could start mutating soon into a place where you can buy tracks, contact me about freelance soundtrack work and other projects. I’ve been writing electronic and synth-based music steadily since 1992…it’s likely about time to start moving it into new areas of opportunity.

Solving Your Aux Sends Problems in Pro Tools

One of the trickier parts of learning Pro Tools, at least for me and several of my colleagues, was sorting out the proper use and routing of aux sends. For a newcomer to DAWs, this can provide a challenge, but learning how to manage aux sends gives a better understanding of how to do other things in Pro Tools. Seeing how the dominoes fall, so to speak, in this area unlocks understanding in other areas.

This Pro Tools tutorial video, by Jonathan Owens, will help you get well on your way to using aux sends in Pro Tools. It should be pointed out that this clip is NOT for Pro Tools HD users per se, it’s aimed at an entry level user of Pro Tools LE, hence the lack of discussions of grouping, master tracks and other features. I ran across this clip while searching for various audio resources on Pro Tools and thought quite useful–nice work, Jonathan!

Studio Recording: Old Versus New

Danger–studio nerd rambling ahead:

The image you see here is from a recording session at Tribeca Flashpoint Media Academy, where a reggae band called Hurricane Reggae was laying tracks this week. Yep, that’s a room full of students learning the craft. You can barely see the lights from the rack of mic pres–a lovely collection of Wunder Audio, Great River, API, and John Hardy mic preamps.

Once upon a time, I was working in radio and television production using the oldest rotary pot boards for radio to some of the most state-of-the-art broadcast consoles, all hardwired and racked to the max with signal processors, Studer reel-to-reel machines and other analog tools. What the kids are learning today is that it’s all control surfaces now–your mixing board looks a lot like the old ones with some flashy updated interfaces and controls, but not a single sound passes through that board.

Old news to the experienced pro, not so much for the people in this picture.

Frank Zappa, that pioneer of the elaborate home studio–he had one in his Laurel Canyon home and simply went to bed when he was done recording and mixing for the day instead of commuting–used to complain about the piles and piles of tape hiss and other analog sound problems faced by the recording pro. Today, the folks in this picture are setting their input levels at the mic pre, removing a bit of unwanted audio mange via peak/shelf EQ and finding their bigger challenges in making the right choices at the mixing desk.

Not that mixing was ever EASY, but it’s just less complicated by tape hiss and other issues than back in Zappa’s day. I’m talking in huge oversimplifications, but you get the idea.

What’s fascinating is being able to observe the learning process in people who have never touched this equipment before. There’s a real gear nerdiness required to excel in these environments, and you can start seeing people separating themselves from the pack in terms of drive, eagerness to learn and other factors. Who are the hobbyists and who are the pros? Who are the no-hopers and who are tomorrow’s go-to engineers? You can see it beginning here….it’s fascinating. It’s just as interesting as configuring a Blumlein array or deciding which mics and pres sound best together on a bass cabinet.

If you’re a newcomer to all this interested in diving in with both feet, all the gear, terminology and the learning curve can be very intimidating. But it doesn’t take long for a dedicated learning to discover what they’re interested in and start moving towards it. Don’t let the tidal wave of technical talk hold you back from getting in to sound, recording, editing, mixing, performing. There’s just one place you need to start–with your own interests and projects. Follow your muse and teach yourself along the way. When you get into a more formal training environment you can still learn a great deal even as a self-taught studio nerd. It’s a big field, and you need to start SOMEWHERE. As the computer types say, “hack your own life first”.

The Business Of Audio Engineering by Dave Hampton

Newcomers to the business of audio engineering should take note of this book by Dave Hampton, who has definitely been around the block in the industry and then some. The Business of Audio Engineering is packed full of Hampton’s experience including excellent examples of what TO do and what NOT to do in conducting business as an audio professional.

This book is not a tech manual where you learn how to be an engineer. Instead, this is a book written for freelance and potential salaried staff members on how to do business as an audio professional–that’s a critical distinction to make.

You can be the best engineer on the block, but if you don’t know how to handle your taxes, how to negotiate, and how to manage yourself as an audio pro, your skills might not get you very far.

This book is a worthy addition to any professional library. To give you an idea of how much clout this book has, consider the fact that it’s on the required reading list for audio professional schools like Tribeca Flashpoint Media Academy…if you want to learn from an industry insider who has not only seen it all but knows how to keep it in perspective, get The Business of Audio Engineering. It’s available in a standard print format and as a Kindle download.

Darren Callahan On Sound For Film

Darren Callahan runs Phantom Soundtracks, a label that releases soundtracks to imaginary films; some might call them “non-existent” movies, but the idea is to imagine the movie while listening to the soundtrack, so that description falls far short of the intent of the label.

Callahan is also active behind the camera–collaborating with Glass City Films on the amazingly fun trailer “Children of the Invisible Man“ plus he directed the short horror film, Under The Table (also with Glass City Films).

In part two of our interview, Darren Callahan talks about doing sound for film, soundtrack recording, and much more…

Composing a soundtrack and doing overall sound design for a film are two completely different things–describe the learning curve you had managing sound issues for film outside composing.

I know a great deal about the use of sound from radio dramas. I won an award from NPR for my audio drama, “Uncle Ant,” and that led to writing a lot of thirty minute plays for other outlets. Plus, I’m just naturally a headphone guy, so I appreciate really tricked out sound. I’ve produced over half of my own records and also produced albums for other bands, such as SEVEN SPEED VORTEX.

I’ve never mixed my own sound for film, unless you count “Children of the Invisible Man,” where I mixed the voiceover and the music. I was very lucky on “Under The Table,” as Matt Oliva, who is this amazing young sound designer for Glass City Films, just knocked it out of the park.

You can always tell a low-budget film by the quality of sound. I like to do little-to-no looping (ADR) and I also like a lot of room ambience – but those are tough things on a tight schedule. So, like I said, I got lucky with Matt Oliva.

I do “hear” movies, though, and always appreciate really experimental sound design. For example, “THX1138” – you could listen to that movie and not even see the picture; it’s like a symphony. I also love bold choices, like in “Punch Drunk Love” where Adam Sandler trashes that restaurant bathroom and the sound is completely distorted. Or the climax of “The Parallax View,” with just the convention center sound.

I’m also a big fan of the extremes – loud, or layered, or silent – and “The House That Screamed” is a cool example of that, even though it’s all overdubbed from Spanish. Oh, and “Timecrimes” has great sound, speaking of Spanish flicks.

Let’s get technical. What gear did you use to do the sound on Under The Table and how did you bringyour sound design plans to your satisfaction in the editing room with foley, creating sound effects forthe horror sequences, etc.?

Matt used a Edirol R-4 pro 4 channel recorder, two Sennheiser wireless mics with Sanken Cos-11 lavs and a Schopes CMIT shotgun mic. All sound was edited with Soundtrack Pro and Pro Tools.

For the score, I recorded everything at a studio in Chicago to 24” analog Grand Master Gold tape from the mid-1990s then dumped to digital through analog Italian pre-amps. All the synths were analog or analog modeling. The piano is a real 9’ Steinway through an Electro-Harmonix Cathedral stereo reverb pedal, which I manually dialed while playing piano live to tape. I think we used a Wurlitzer on the dinner music and there are some Yamaha CP70 electric piano overdubs in the main titles.

The CP70 is my favorite instrument of all time – this baby grand electric only made in the mid-70s with a great hammer sound. Peter Gabriel used it a ton on his earlier, more exciting records. Now the bands KEANE and COLDPLAY have brought ‘em back in vogue, so you can’t get ‘em anymore.

I dumped a few tracks to Tascam 464 four-track cassette and still others to TEAC 4070G reel-to-reel to make things really dirty. It was the same techniques I used on the soundtrack for “Spikes,” which worked very well for horror. Allthe music was all mixed in AcidPro 7 with Sound Forge as the editor. It was mastered in Pro Tools before being laid into the mix at 48K.

(The film’s soundtrack is available for free download at http://www.darrencallahan.com/under_the_table_soundtrack/index.html)

Good sound is so important to a film, yet so many filmmakers take it for granted–what has been your most important lesson moving into the director’s chair in this area?

Sound, to me, is even more important than picture. I think “Under The Table” has a great visual sense and DP John Klein did a fantastic job (42 set-ups in one night!) But, what makes it seem more like a big budget movie, aside from the choice of 2:35:1 and very wide lenses, would be the crystal clear sound and very exciting mix.

The first part of the film is intentionally static and the combination of elements makes the tension rise beautifully. Then, the latter half, which is all screaming and blood, really pays off with some jumps and unusual choices – like the Goblin-esque music cue as the waiter goes in with the knife.

One hard lesson for many indie filmmakers with regard to sound has to do with playback at festivals and in public vs. playback in the studio. For a studio pro these issues are pretty obvious, but what advice do you have for a filmmaker without much audio recording/engineering/mastering experience who wants to make her indie movie and start entering it into film festivals, but doesn’t want to get burned by a lack of technical knowledge about good audio when it comes to optimizing their work for playback at festivals and screenings?

I recently read a David Lynch interview from the 1990s where he talked about mixing sound for “Twin Peaks.” He was used to mixing for big theaters. Then, he has to start mixing for television. The first few shows had a great mix, or so he thought, but no one could hear anything on tiny TV speakers. He realized two things…

First, decide what is the most likely viewing experience? If you’re going straight to DVD and just doing small festivals, don’t spend much money and just go for as exciting a combination of sounds as you can get which will play back in those environments.

Second, check out your mix on as many televisions, sound systems, headphones and speakers as possible. Each one will be different, but look for bad spots – like not being able to hear the dialog.And, if you’re in trouble with your sound – it just didn’t turn out good at all – do what the Italians did. Just overdub the entire thing from scratch.

If you’re worried you don’t have the skills or money to do it, watch “Carnival of Souls” – a classic low-budget horror film from the 1960s. That has some pretty shady dubbing in it, but man it totally works in its favor. Half the film only has a pipe organ playing and you never notice. Try and turn a weakness into a strength. Check out the overdubbing in the $7,000 movie “Primer” – this fantastic time travel movie from 2005. So good.

Darren Callahan on Recording, Part One

Darren Callahan has written drama for the BBC, the SyFy Channel, National Public Radio, and Radio Pacifica New York. He’s is also a busy recording artist and has released several records on various labels including his own, Phantom Soundtracks. We asked Darren about the label and many other audio-related topics.

Phantom Soundtracks has a unique concept–describe it for us and how you decided to go noir after doing sci-fi and horror themed releases overt he last two years or so.

About 2008, I had put out six records in about 18 months and was burnt out. I wanted to do something really unusual (for me), plus try and build a resume for soundtracks.

I decided to do the soundtrack to a non-existent slasher film in the style of John Carpenter’s old scores or Jay Chattaway’s “Maniac.” Now personally, “Maniac” is not my cup of tea, but I’m not offended by it or anything; however, it has the quintessential analog synth film score and it’s so bare and raw I totally dug it.

Around that time, someone told me there was already a fake film score for Logan’s Run 2. I thought, “Crap. I can’t do what’s already been done, but what I can do is double-down.”

I’d start a whole label that only does fake films. Then I could maybe score some, maybe direct (the photoshoot of lobby stills) for others, maybe write a couple of them. All the work is in support of the soundtrack. There is no movie. I’ve got making records down so well now that I can make and distribute them very cheaply. I know a lot of actors from theatre and film. Each project only costs about a thousand dollars and it’s a good way to give people a resume builder. I like finding new talent.

The first release was actually Eric Leonardson’s score for “The White Airplane,” which also contained sound design elements by Heath Hays. That was a real play, not a fake film, but it was ready, so I did a split label release with Brazildisc.

The second release was “Spikes,” the slasher film. It was so perfect. Really hit the vibe. Lots of fun. The third release was a 1970s-style sci fi movie called “Alien Terrain” by Demetri Fox. Beautiful record. Then, just released, is Christopher LaPorte’s “North Point,” a black & white late wave noir (more European than American). Christopher has scored for Steppenwolf and others and I’ve always dug his work.

All the releases have been genre films. I’d like to do a nature film next. There’s talk of another horror film and perhaps a rock n’ roll road movie. I’m waiting for someone to propose a John Hughes-style soundtrack with ten fake bands. Really, there is no idea I won’t encourage. If you know a budding composer, send them to phantomsoundtracks.com.

What’s the reaction to Phantom Soundtracks releases? How tough is it to carve out a following with these releases which defy standard music-industry ideas about touring to promote a release, developing a cult of personality around a band or group of performers and trying to succeed in that way? It’s definitely a breath of fresh air in a very crowded market full of “me too” concepts and follow-the-leader ideas.

Sales are very slight, I must admit. What I’m most surprised about is how hard it is to get press! I thought this was a unique way to get attention, but there is so little space in magazines anymore. Rue Morgue did some great online pieces, as did Kitley’s Crypt. But I really had hoped the film sites or film soundtrack sites would bite. In the meantime, we do very small runs of each record. The packages are very nice. We usually release photos on Facebook and the website, plus tie-in things like posters and t-shirts. But, definitely, still waiting to for the label to get some sort of steady following.

When I grew up, a lot of the soundtracks I bought were for rated R movies. I remember buying Brian May’s “Mad Max” at Peaches records in Dayton, Ohio in 1982. Great poster, great pictures on the back, a little synopsis of the movie. I wouldn’t see “Mad Max” for another three years, when it hit HBO, so I had to live the movie through the soundtrack. My thought was: what if I could NEVER see the movie?

You can never see “North Point,” but you hear that album and you know the story just as well.

In Part Two of our interview with Darren Callahan, we’ll talk about recording music for film and other challenges.

Bobby Owsinski On Mastering

Bobby Owsinski has written a collection of books about recording, mastering, and many other topics. In this Youtube clip he discusses the basics of mastering. Good advice dispensed here includes not participating in the loudness wars and killing your dynamic range. Pretty basic stuff–but for a newcomer to the craft you should have a look and get some intro perspective. The warnings about over-compression really need to be taken to heart!

Ric Wallace on Kicks, Snares, and Hi-Hat Mixing

This video by Ric Wallace (no relation) was shot during a sound check and covers some concepts of live sound for percussion. This is good stuff for anyone learning the trade…don’t miss the written notes during this clip!

FOH Sound With Engineer Andrew Thronton

This video, by WavesLive, features a look at Andrew Thornton’s front of house sound setup for Mark Ronson. If you’re interested in live sound mixing and are new to the business, this is a good clip to watch.