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edbanky
= Cult of Ray =
Burkina Faso (Upper Volta)
388 Posts |
 Posted - 01/04/2007 : 10:16:34
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Listening to a lovely piece of recording mastery like "San Antonio, TX" leaves guys like me wide-eared. I can't help but wonder how the setup actually looked during the recording of this, and the other surprisingly isolated, tight-sounding tracks on DitS and the two 2002 releases.
So the small request I have is for a description of the arrangement of the players, what equipment may have been used to isolate sound, what sort of monitoring apparatus was used, etc. Were you all facing each other? Were you all tethered to your little taped-off areas? Was Frank being Frank Sinatra, directing traffic? Was it anything like watching the Catholics play live?
Better yet, are there any photos lying around of any of these sessions? Please do share. Maybe Miss Thing can infiltrate some hard drives or attic boxes for us?
I know, I know; these are teeny tiny little requests that I should totally expect to be filled. Alright--they aren't tiny.
Thanks in advance, and I won't expect much.
Sincerely,
Ed
Tiny Axe (MySpace)
Me singing |
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BenMumphrey
- FB Fan -
USA
20 Posts |
Posted - 01/11/2007 : 15:22:39
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Random info (before I forget) for enthusiasts on some of the gear used for BLD, DW, SMYT, parts of Snake Oil and OMRFTH that I recorded:
- 10-channel Neve Kelso (supposedly once used for the Tonight Show w/ Carson)
- Ampex MX-10 tube mic pres
- Ampex 102 1/4" 2-track
- Ampex 440c 1/4" for slapback
- Otari 1/4" full track ("Cold Heart of Stone", "True Blue", "How You Went So Far", "Heloise", "Velvety" -- all in mono)
- Microtech Gefell UM-56 for most lead vocs
- Sony C37a for some lead vocs, group voc on "Manitoba"
- Guitar amps usually in big flight cases with fuzzy interiors
- Neve 2254a comp on entire mix for SMYT -- some of BLD -- also used on bass sometimes
- Brent Averill API 312 pre for most vocals
- dBx 165 comp
- Manley variable MU comp.
- KRK monitors
BLD recorded in a loft in Little Tokyo in L.A.
DW recorded @ 3rd Encore/ North Hollywood
SMYT recorded upstairs @ Hollywood Sound / Hollywood
I remember "San Antonio, TX" having a large cast -- including EDF, Rob Laufer, Morris Tepper gtr intro...
I didn't do DITS, but know it was done @ Sound City (A room) on a 28-channel Neve 8028. Best sounding console ever... same one for FB&The C's and Pistolero.
Hope that wets yer beak...
quote:
Originally posted by edbanky
Listening to a lovely piece of recording mastery like "San Antonio, TX" leaves guys like me wide-eared. I can't help but wonder how the setup actually looked during the recording of this, and the other surprisingly isolated, tight-sounding tracks on DitS and the two 2002 releases.
So the small request I have is for a description of the arrangement of the players, what equipment may have been used to isolate sound, what sort of monitoring apparatus was used, etc. Were you all facing each other? Were you all tethered to your little taped-off areas? Was Frank being Frank Sinatra, directing traffic? Was it anything like watching the Catholics play live?
Better yet, are there any photos lying around of any of these sessions? Please do share. Maybe Miss Thing can infiltrate some hard drives or attic boxes for us?
I know, I know; these are teeny tiny little requests that I should totally expect to be filled. Alright--they aren't tiny.
Thanks in advance, and I won't expect much.
Sincerely,
Ed
Tiny Axe (MySpace)
Me singing
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coastline
> Teenager of the Year <
USA
3111 Posts |
Posted - 01/11/2007 : 15:49:22
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Gear used for listening to these same albums: my ears (left and right).
 And aren't you havin' fun? |
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Grunty Yodus
- FB Fan -
USA
51 Posts |
Posted - 01/11/2007 : 17:18:30
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| Thanx so much for the info Ben. It's great to get the details on those great recordings. Would love to get some notes on SMYT, especially "Manitoba." That trumpet sound and the back-ups with Jean and Co. are amazing!!! |
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Cult_Of_Frank
= Black Noise Maker =
Canada
11687 Posts |
Posted - 01/11/2007 : 21:25:08
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Thanks for swinging in Ben, always a pleasure to get the straight goods from the source!
 "Now you're officially my woman. Kudos. I can't say I don't envy you." |
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fbc
-= Modulator =-
United Kingdom
4903 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2007 : 01:58:01
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It sure is. No matter who they are.
I take it what Ben listed is part of the Catholic's glorious Mobile Recording Studio. Maybe.
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Ziggy
* Dog in the Sand *
United Kingdom
2462 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2007 : 03:16:51
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| Very interesting! |
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edbanky
= Cult of Ray =
Burkina Faso (Upper Volta)
388 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2007 : 18:43:45
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Boing! THANKS SO MUCH.
Oh, and incredible work on the records.
Tiny Axe (MySpace)
Me singing |
Edited by - edbanky on 01/12/2007 18:47:29 |
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BenMumphrey
- FB Fan -
USA
20 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2007 : 21:02:34
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I failed to answer your main questions -- Scotty Boots and Charles were isolated in their own little spaces -- sometimes closets and the like for Charles. Boots' drum booth doubled as his nap room, where we'd often find him crashed out snoozing alongside his cold drum hardware. Lots of thick curtains, too. We did the best we could working with some pretty hardcore limitations. It was nothing like the live set-up. There was no control room for BLD and DW; I monitored through headphones. Headphones for all... SMYT was done with a separate control room (thus the better sound, in my opinion). There may be a few photos of the SMYT sessions -- I remember taking some myself with Stan's camera, but this was before the days of popular camera phones... And the gear I listed dorkily in my last post was indeed part of the mobile rig. Charles was totally serious about it being mobile -- we got kicked out of one place (loft) and had the whole thing packed and gone in 6 hours...
quote:
Originally posted by edbanky
Listening to a lovely piece of recording mastery like "San Antonio, TX" leaves guys like me wide-eared. I can't help but wonder how the setup actually looked during the recording of this, and the other surprisingly isolated, tight-sounding tracks on DitS and the two 2002 releases.
So the small request I have is for a description of the arrangement of the players, what equipment may have been used to isolate sound, what sort of monitoring apparatus was used, etc. Were you all facing each other? Were you all tethered to your little taped-off areas? Was Frank being Frank Sinatra, directing traffic? Was it anything like watching the Catholics play live?
Better yet, are there any photos lying around of any of these sessions? Please do share. Maybe Miss Thing can infiltrate some hard drives or attic boxes for us?
I know, I know; these are teeny tiny little requests that I should totally expect to be filled. Alright--they aren't tiny.
Thanks in advance, and I won't expect much.
Sincerely,
Ed
Tiny Axe (MySpace)
Me singing
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gary13th
= Cult of Ray =
United Kingdom
632 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2007 : 05:56:36
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superb,thanks for that Ben!
----------
I joined the Cult of the Catholics, Oh when will they return ? |
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OldManInaCoffeeCan
* Dog in the Sand *
USA
1467 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2007 : 07:10:49
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Fuckin Aye, BEN fuckin MUMPHREY posting the low-down. How fuckin great is that!
Props to you Ben. Helluva engineer you must be. Thanks for sharing!
[We'd love to hear more, e.g., 'bout the mobile rig, live to 2-track, and all that other groovy stuff.]
________________________________
While waiting for Schwarma, I joined the Cult of SYSTEM OF A DOWN
and got mezmerized and hypnotized (and the other 3) |
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OldManInaCoffeeCan
* Dog in the Sand *
USA
1467 Posts |
Posted - 01/13/2007 : 07:50:23
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Hey, here's something I came across while combing through the corners of my can:
[I'll post these over in the FMRM thread, but since this thread is about
The Man's recording equipment, etc..., I thought I'd post it here too.]
FMRM: Session for Johnny Barleycorn, et. al.
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Cowboy Jack Clement’s "The Cowboy Arms Hotel and Recording Spa"
Guitar Town, USA
Jake Burns (engineer), Brooks Watson (house engineer for Cowboy Jack), Billy Block, Marty Brown, Jon Tiven, The Man, James
 
________________________________
While waiting for Schwarma, I joined the Cult of SYSTEM OF A DOWN
and got mezmerized and hypnotized (and the other 3) |
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Carl
- A 'Fifth' Catholic -
Ireland
11546 Posts |
Posted - 01/14/2007 : 08:06:34
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| Thanks and Happy New Year, CoffeeCan! Frank looks so different there, like the owner of a hardware store or something! |
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Mac E. Doobage
= Cult of Ray =
503 Posts |
Posted - 01/14/2007 : 08:17:23
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A hardware store that could rock the balls off a clydesdale...
quote:
Originally posted by Carl
Thanks and Happy New Year, CoffeeCan! Frank looks so different there, like the owner of a hardware store or something!
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OldManInaCoffeeCan
* Dog in the Sand *
USA
1467 Posts |
Posted - 01/14/2007 : 09:59:02
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All the Best to you and yours, Carl.
I can't believe Ben Mumphrey posted up to give some insight into BLD and DW.
I think of him as The Engineer for all the live-2 track stuff, but in addition to that,
he was the Producer on DW,BLD and some songs on SMYT.
FBandTheC's produced the Brown album, but Frank prefers a Producer other than himself.
Frank discussed some of his views on the subject at that American Music Assn conference two
years ago. He explained that one of the reasons he prefers a producer is that it allows him to
remain the Artist, absorbed in his creative MOJO.
He stated that it was really too much for one
person to do and he advised the singer-songwriters in attendance to get someone, even if it was
a friend who really dug their music without any other qualificiations, delegate that to someone
else and don't try to do everything yourself because your music will suffer from the
distraction. [Of course I paraphrasing, but I do have it all on my harddrive, the entire
presentation was about 30 minutes]
________________________________
While waiting for Schwarma, I joined the Cult of SYSTEM OF A DOWN
and got mezmerized and hypnotized (and the other 3) |
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fbc
-= Modulator =-
United Kingdom
4903 Posts |
Posted - 01/14/2007 : 10:16:19
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quote:
Originally posted by OldManInaCoffeeCan
I think of him as The Engineer for all the live-2 track stuff, but in addition to that,
he was the Producer on DW,BLD and some songs on SMYT.
and helped record Honeycomb, don't forget, aswell as engineering this session
http://forum.frankblack.net/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=17191 |
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Ziggy
* Dog in the Sand *
United Kingdom
2462 Posts |
Posted - 01/14/2007 : 16:54:02
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| Yes, it's excellent to have such informed contributions! |
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kfs
= Cult of Ray =
USA
889 Posts |
Posted - 01/15/2007 : 07:43:41
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| HOW did you get those pics, CoffeeCan? |
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edbanky
= Cult of Ray =
Burkina Faso (Upper Volta)
388 Posts |
Posted - 01/15/2007 : 10:54:07
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Once again, thanks. Between the two posts, this is precisely what I asked for.
If I haven't said it enough already, WOW. Remarkable.
"Scotty Boots" - hehe. AKA Spot, AKA Harris, AKA The Guy Who Imitates The Drummer Of 15 Toms
quote:
Originally posted by BenMumphrey
I failed to answer your main questions -- Scotty Boots and Charles were isolated in their own little spaces -- sometimes closets and the like for Charles. Boots' drum booth doubled as his nap room, where we'd often find him crashed out snoozing alongside his cold drum hardware. Lots of thick curtains, too. We did the best we could working with some pretty hardcore limitations. It was nothing like the live set-up. There was no control room for BLD and DW; I monitored through headphones. Headphones for all... SMYT was done with a separate control room (thus the better sound, in my opinion). There may be a few photos of the SMYT sessions -- I remember taking some myself with Stan's camera, but this was before the days of popular camera phones... And the gear I listed dorkily in my last post was indeed part of the mobile rig. Charles was totally serious about it being mobile -- we got kicked out of one place (loft) and had the whole thing packed and gone in 6 hours...
quote:
Originally posted by edbanky
Listening to a lovely piece of recording mastery like "San Antonio, TX" leaves guys like me wide-eared. I can't help but wonder how the setup actually looked during the recording of this, and the other surprisingly isolated, tight-sounding tracks on DitS and the two 2002 releases.
So the small request I have is for a description of the arrangement of the players, what equipment may have been used to isolate sound, what sort of monitoring apparatus was used, etc. Were you all facing each other? Were you all tethered to your little taped-off areas? Was Frank being Frank Sinatra, directing traffic? Was it anything like watching the Catholics play live?
Better yet, are there any photos lying around of any of these sessions? Please do share. Maybe Miss Thing can infiltrate some hard drives or attic boxes for us?
I know, I know; these are teeny tiny little requests that I should totally expect to be filled. Alright--they aren't tiny.
Thanks in advance, and I won't expect much.
Sincerely,
Ed
Tiny Axe (MySpace)
Me singing
Tiny Axe (MySpace)
Me singing |
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floop
= Wannabe Volunteer =
Mexico
15297 Posts |
Posted - 01/15/2007 : 10:57:32
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quote:
Originally posted by OldManInaCoffeeCan
Hey, here's something I came across while combing through the corners of my can:
what else do you got in the can? |
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Topic |
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Harris? Frnk?: Fly-on-the-wall details, please.
