King's X @ WireWorld

[mwagener]

Hey guys

The King's X session is going really well. The guys arrived last Wednesday and we just finished tracking 12 songs today, drums bass and rhythm guitars, having all kinds of fun.

I thought you might like to see some pictures:
click here

more pictures coming up soon.

[everybody's x]

probably a bit chilly to track anything outside this time huh?

[Drumsound]

Are those SM58s on the toms?

[mwagener]

Originally posted by everybody's x
probably a bit chilly to track anything outside this time huh?

freeeeezing right now, well it's still in the fourties, but we rather stay inside close to the nice warm tubes

[mwagener]

Originally posted by Drumsound
Are those SM58s on the toms?

Yes Sir, the 58s made the race on this setup, and Sennheiser 504s underneath.

[dkatz42]

Originally posted by mwagener
Yes Sir, the 58s made the race on this setup, and Sennheiser 504s underneath.

Hmm, looks familiar somehow. 57 on the snare? Is Fritz in the room again?

Is that Randall #3 in the background? What's between it and the tuner?

[Just got back from a rather intimate MOAW with Michael. The most fun I've had in years. Plug plug plug. And it was nice meeting all you sluts over dinner...]

[mwagener]

Originally posted by dkatz42
Hmm, looks familiar somehow. 57 on the snare? Is Fritz in the room again?

Is that Randall #3 in the background? What's between it and the tuner?

[Just got back from a rather intimate MOAW with Michael. The most fun I've had in years. Plug plug plug. And it was nice meeting all you sluts over dinner...]

Yep, even the 57 on the snare, full circle. Fritz is in the back just behind and above the Shure mic.

Both Randall RT 2/50s are now permanently on the WireWorld equipment list

Under the tuner is my Bradshaw guitar splitter, 1 in 4 plus tuner out, no degradation of sound.

[Jam]

Thanks Michael

Keep 'em coming ( the pics that is )

Jam

[Jules]

2 x royers on one 4 x 12

Are you using an IBP to get them EXTRA in phase?

[Fletcher]

WTF with the clear kik drum heads... did I teach you nothing?

[toledo3]

I will always think of that room mic down by the floor as the "gursky" technique

[mwagener]

Originally posted by Jules


2 x royers on one 4 x 12

Are you using an IBP to get them EXTRA in phase?

Actually, the Randall cab is set up in stereo = 2x2x12. The Randall RT2/50 poweramp has two sets of output tubes, two 6L6 and two EL34s for 50W a side. Each set is going to one side of the cabinet, so we have more sound combinations just by different mic levels. The Randall cab also has two direct outs "after" the speakers, which give you a really “in-your-face” tone.

So the setup is as follows:
I send pink noise to only one side of the cab, then listen with headphones in mono for the best placement of the 121. It is really hard to explain, but if you move the mic around in front of the speaker, (sideways and back and forth) you will hear the sweetspot when you come across it. When the best spot for the first mic is found, send pink noise to the other side as well, at equal volume. Split the headphone feed in your console to left and right and make sure it's exactly the same volume left and right. Then, by listening to your headphones (preferably a set with extreme isolation, since you’ll sit in front of a blasting guitar cab) you move the second mic towards and away from the speaker until the pink noise appears in the middle of your head. That means it's in phase with the other mic. It takes a little practice, because the two sides sound different, but after a while you can clearly hear the noise moving from one side through the middle to the other side.

To add the direct outs to the mics, which are a few inches away from the speaker, you have to listen to mic and direct out in reverse polarity and delay the direct line until there is a good chunk of highend cancellation, though it won't null out completely, but you can tell by the high end disappearing the most at one delay setting and coming back when you delay it one more or one less sample. In my case it ended up being 22 samples between mic and direct.

The preamps used are: Chandler TG-2 for the Royers and GreatRiver MP-2NV for the direct, mixed together to one bus and send through the HEDD for some Tape process, awesome tone. I see Ty smiling as soon as he takes the Randall off standby and hits a chord.

I love working with those guys, amazing musicians, and I think King's X fans are not going to be disappointed

[mwagener]

Originally posted by Fletcher
WTF with the clear kik drum heads... did I teach you nothing?

it's actually still the same head with the heavy kevlar (?) pads that we used during the MOAW. I'd sure wish you would be here tuning the drums, they've never sounded as good as when you tuned them.

Jerry is just a MoFo on the drums, I get goosebumps just watching him play. No EQ on nothing so far and it sounds amazing.

[mwagener]

Originally posted by toledo3
I will always think of that room mic down by the floor as the "gursky" technique

Actually I got the idea from one of Jon's posts (our ex-moderator bud) from a while back. We used it for the back room on the Titanium Black surround album with two russian Octava mics in combination with two Fostex M11RP in the upper corner of the room, and it sounded great.

But I'm sure Mr. G used this way before I ever heard of it.

[Cosmonauta]

King's-X
Wow... I love these boys!

[dhughes]

Inspiring! Thanks for sharing this with us.

[PRuthenburg]

Cool,thanks for sharing Michael.

Happy Holidays,
Pete Ruthenburg

[Tim L]

Originally posted by mwagener
... So the setup is as follows:
I send pink noise to only one side of the cab, then listen with headphones in mono for the best placement of the 121. It is really hard to explain, but if you move the mic around in front of the speaker, (sideways and back and forth) you will hear the sweetspot when you come across it. When the best spot for the first mic is found, send pink noise to the other side as well, at equal volume. Split the headphone feed in your console to left and right and make sure it's exactly the same volume left and right. Then, by listening to your headphones (preferably a set with extreme isolation, since you’ll sit in front of a blasting guitar cab) you move the second mic towards and away from the speaker until the pink noise appears in the middle of your head. That means it's in phase with the other mic. It takes a little practice, because the two sides sound different, but after a while you can clearly hear the noise moving from one side through the middle to the other side....

Very cool!!!... (scribbling feverishly taking notes! )... Do you use this method when two different mic's are set up as well (121 and a 57 for example) or only for pairs of the same model?

[Larrchild]

Paulina and Virginia Cayia say hello, Michael, and so do I. I'm on here babbling about Fairchilds.=) Larry in Ft Lauderdale

Seasons Greetings!

[mwagener]

Originally posted by Tim L
Very cool!!!... (scribbling feverishly taking notes! )... Do you use this method when two different mic's are set up as well (121 and a 57 for example) or only for pairs of the same model?

same method, just harder to tell, might want to eq one of the mics to even it out with the other during setup.

[mwagener]

Originally posted by Larrchild
Paulina and Virginia Cayia say hello, Michael, and so do I. I'm on here babbling about Fairchilds.=) Larry in Ft Lauderdale

Seasons Greetings!

Hey Larry great to see you here. Please give my regards to the "girls". Hope all is well.

[Meriphew]

Michael - I always dig your 'Rockumentary' style session photos. They never fail to get me pumped for recording.

[Joe Cole]

Great stuff.

I know you will bring out some great music and sounds from them.

I loved much of their stuff, but the bass and vocals sounds on Dogman where just a cut above!

Make it so.

[loudist]

Originally posted by Larrchild
Paulina and Virginia Cayia say hello, Michael, and so do I. I'm on here babbling about Fairchilds.=) Larry in Ft Lauderdale

Seasons Greetings!

Larry, you old plate voltage survivor,
Call Howard, Mack isn't doing so well.

[Ol' Betsey]

Hi MW,

Thanks for the photo's!

BTW what else are you using on the kick besides the 'woofer' mic?

I tried to pick out if there's anything else there but quite frankly I've just woken up, the coffee hasn't kicked in, and I'm having difiiculty seeing clearly...

That IS a drumkit, right?

R.

[Tim L]

Originally posted by mwagener
same method, just harder to tell, might want to eq one of the mics to even it out with the other during setup.

Yup, I had a feeling the different freq responses would affect this a bit. Thanx very much... I'm definitely gonna give this a shot! thumbsup

[5down1up]

cool pics and infos michael ... as usual

enjoy your guitar tone cd ... drop you some lines when i am through !

say HI to the kings

[Jeff A. Roberts]

Things I learned at the MOAW with Michael, Fletcher and King's X:

1. I must learn how to tune drums.

2. Two different 4x12 speaker cabinets is not enough.

3. Guitar amps and players should be in the control room.

4. Bass tone can be nasty and distorted and huge.

5. Royer ribons.

6. Room mics.

7. Guitar layering (worth the price of admission alone).

8. Doug has some serious pipes.

9. Some of Ty's guitar licks are so nasty that you need a cigarette and a shower after hearing them.

10. Jerry is the most patient drummer in studio history.

11. King's X is one very talented and PROFESSIONAL group.

12. King's X is great to hang out with.

13. Three mic drum technique.

14. Doug convinced me to watch out for hydrogenated fats.

15. Michael is the king of good, positive talkback communication.

16. Doug is one hell of a songwriter.

17. Fletcher. Need I say more? What can I say?

I really wish I was down there now. I miss hanging out in the studio with you guys. What a workshop!!!

[Fletcher]

Originally posted by Jeff A. Roberts
What a workshop!!!

Yes, it certainly was OUTSTANDING

(this was meant to give Michael a giggle... nothing more, nothing less)

[mwagener]

Originally posted by Fletcher
Yes, it certainly was OUTSTANDING

(this was meant to give Michael a giggle... nothing more, nothing less)