Production workshop - Page 3

**mwagener** · 25th August 2003, 10:27 PM

Well, the first workshop is over, way too soon, in my opinion. I have to say it was a lot of fun and very educational for me as well. A big THANK YOU to Casey and Mark for being such cool guys. We did all the stuff that you always wanted to do, but don't really have time for in a ‘real’ production. I’m sure the musicians where quite bored at times (as evident by the empty bottle of Jack Daniels), doing the same part over and over until WE where happy with the microphone or the preamp, and during the workshop we probably didn’t have the ideal creative environment for getting the best performances out of them. But that was not our objective, this was OUR project, this time WE got to say: “I can do this better”. I was reminded, that sometimes it is not easy to explain in words what you have been practicing for so long that it became second nature, but it sure refreshes the memory.

Following are very personal opinions on the stereo bus compressor shoot-out (is it bus or buss?). Please keep in mind that the main objective was to find a stereo bus compressor with the least amount of color (for lack of another word) and the least amount of 'visible' compression artifacts. I just want the compressor to raise the dynamically low parts of the song a little without changing the mix. Casey and Mark, please chime in whenever your opinion differs from mine or if you have any additional comments.

First off, let me say that it was mindboggeling to have a chance to compare all those great machines and an extra special thanks to Fletcher, Dave Martin and everybody else who contributed gear to the shootout. It also was a pretty full plate, to learn 14 compressors within a few hours and very difficult to quickly find the optimum settings for the task at hand.

We recorded our (somewhat) final mix back to two tracks of the R-1 and fed that back to the compressors via separate busses of the R-1, so in essence we simulated a mastering session, where the mix could not be changed while compressing. Then we made our adjustments and recorded the results back to the R-1 in sync with the original mix, adjusted for level. There was no compression on the stereo bus on the original mix. We used the Massive Passive (boost at 2 ‘o clock, shelf up from 4.6 K) via the insert of the HEDD. The HEDD had the tape knob on 6 and the Pentode at 4, Triode was set at 0. The mix itself was very dense in the chorus but lighter in the verses, based on the arrangement and the recorded instruments. Compression was only used on the vocal track while tracking (17 – 20 dB on the Distressor) and on the drum submix (via the Spider, squeezed with the Chandler EMI TG-1 on limit)

Participants in the September workshop, you might want to stop reading here (yeah right), in order not get biased. I will have most of those compressors around for the September workshop for you to come to your own conclusions.

All the compressors where great in different ways for different applications and as a real Gearslut I would kick neither one of those out of my studio.

Here we go, in no particular order:

JOE MEEK – SC2 V1.07:
Too colored for the task at hand, odd controls, we were not sure if this one was working to specs.

MANLEY – VARI-MU
Created great harmonics, we didn’t really hear the compression (which is good) but it had somewhat of a loose bottom end around 100 – 200 Hz. I am not sure exactly which model Vari-Mu this was (T-Bar mod or not), maybe Dave Martin could shed some light on this, as it was one of his compressors (thanx for dropping them off Dave). My mastering engineer uses the Vari-Mu with great results, but I would not pick this one for the permanent WireWorld equipment list, because it does not make much sense to go through the same compression circuit twice.

MANLEY - ELOP
Absolutely great to squeeze drum submixes, similar sound to the Chandler TG-1. For the stereo bus it was a little too colored. This makes a great tracking comp.

MILLENIA – TCL2
This one has a very thick color and is a little too slow for the stereo bus, for my taste.

CRANE SONG – STC-8
This is my personal favorite and it WILL make the permanent WireWorld equipment list, just have to decide on which version. The STC-8 did exactly what we were looking for; it made the mix sound bigger without changing the relationship of the instruments to each other. It brought up the dynamically lower parts of the song without squeezing the louder parts audibly. It also had the added bonus of a built in peak limiter, which allowed us to raise the overall level of the mix some more, even though we didn’t use that function on the comparison track. The presets allowed for settings from (slightly) colored to absolutely transparent and I can’t wait to dive deeper into the different settings. The STC-8 glues the mix together in a very positive way. Thank you Mr. Hill.

INNER TUBE – STEREO SQUEEZE BOX
This is a very ‘warm’ and round sounding compressor. It is very involved in terms of interaction of the different controls, but allows for a big variety in settings. It was THE hardest one to figure out.

DRAWMER – ME 1969
Very colorful and very fat sounding box.

AL SMART – C2
This is the compressor to get (out of the bunch tested) if you are looking for the ‘modern squeezed’ sound. Very HiFi sounding, but not subtle by any means. It’s also very easy to set up and we liked that it had one knob controlling both of the outputs when switched to stereo link. The crush button creates a very interesting sound. Gotta dive into that some more as well. This one is moving straight to the top of my equipment wish list.

PENDULUM – ES-8
The pendulum was a very pleasant surprise, both in the drum submix test and the stereo bus compressor shoot-out. It has a big bottom and an unexpectedly clear top end for a tube compressor, very easy, detailed controls with a wide range for input and output.

CRANE SONG – TRAKKER (stereo linked pair)
The two linked Trakkers had a very open sound with a nice top end. They had a little more color and were not quite as big as the STC-8 on the stereo bus. If somebody already has the STC-8 this would make a great addition for tracking (hence the name, I guess), but I wouldn’t hesitate at all to use them on the stereo bus either.

MANLEY – SLAM
Great box. The SLAM is another unit that requires a lot of time and experimentation to get familiar with all the possible combinations of settings and I’m not sure that we exhausted all of them for this test. It was definitely the cleanest tube of the bunch. During the recording part the A/D kicked major butt.

API – 2500
Nice color on all settings, it definitely adds its own character to the mix. Given the somewhat hot level of the original mix, we had a hard time to get it NOT to compress. I guess a variable input control would be an improvement to the 2500; it seemed to be very sensitive.

DAKIN – 91579 (stereo linked pair)
Very colorful, NEVEish sound. I would definitely consider those for tracking. They worked fine on the stereo bus but were not what we were looking for in terms of transparency.

CHANDLER TG-1
This is the most colorful beast of the bunch. It is the absolute monster on drum submixes and makes a great tracking compressor for a lot of instruments and voices. Needless to say it was not what we were looking for on the stereo bus. This one should be on everybody’s wish list.

EMPIRICAL LABS – EL8 DISTRESSOR (with stereo link option)
I have been able to make the Distressors work on almost anything when tracking, but I was not sure about using it on the stereo bus. Well, now I am, big surprise. It sounds bright and open and is very versatile due to the extensive, easy to handle controls. If I had to start a studio from scratch this would be my first set of compressors.

...and last but definitely not least:

FMR – RNC
This little box had surprised us in a very positive way during the drum submix test, by squeezing the heck out of the drums and adding a lot of midrange color to the pie. On the stereo bus the added midrange wasn’t really what we were looking for, but if set to a lower compression ratio it was not bad at all and faired very well with the ‘BIG DOODS’. Considering the price it should be in every studio’s rack.

There you have it. As mentioned above, our tests were not very scientific and had a very special goal in mind. It helped me making a decision for the WireWorld stereo bus compressor. I guess I’ll have to click the GIMMIE button next to the CraneSong STC-8 on the Mercenary website soon.

More on this after the September workshop.

Dave Martin · 26th August 2003, 05:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mwagener

JOE MEEK – SC2 V1.07:
Too colored for the task at hand, odd controls, we were not sure if this one was working to specs.

MANLEY – VARI-MU
Created great harmonics, we didn’t really hear the compression (which is good) but it had somewhat of a loose bottom end around 100 – 200 Hz. I am not sure exactly which model Vari-Mu this was (T-Bar mod or not), maybe Dave Martin could shed some light on this, as it was one of his compressors (thanx for dropping them off Dave). My mastering engineer uses the Vari-Mu with great results, but I would not pick this one for the permanent WireWorld equipment list, because it does not make much sense to go through the same compression circuit twice.

I dunno if the Meek is still to spec- I tend to use it on synth stuff, and simply crank one knob or another until I like what it sounds like...

And the Vari-Mu has the T Bar mod.

I guess that one of these days, I'll see those compressors again...

**mwagener** · 26th August 2003, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dave Martin
...I guess that one of these days, I'll see those compressors again...

No, you can't have them back

Dave Martin · 26th August 2003, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mwagener
No, you can't have them back

OK...

Steve Smith · 26th August 2003, 11:50 PM

In a related story, Dave Martin, of nashville , TN was seen walking east carring a very large stick today... onlookers mentioned him muttering something along the lines of "... compressors.. must get compressors.. don't worry children, daddy is gonna bring you home..."

Film at 11.

**mwagener** · 27th August 2003, 05:42 AM

They're safe back with daddy now...

Dave Martin · 27th August 2003, 06:39 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mwagener
They're safe back with daddy now...

And they're all back fastened into their places. Tomorrow, I'll plug them back in...

ron florentine · 29th August 2003, 08:24 AM

would you consider making a set of audio cd's of all the different mix buss compressor combination? I am sure there are many gearsluts who would love to hear the results and be glad to pay you what you thought was fair for the mix buss collection cd's. Just a thought!!!

**mwagener** · 29th August 2003, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ron florentine
would you consider making a set of audio cd's of all the different mix buss compressor combination? I am sure there are many gearsluts who would love to hear the results and be glad to pay you what you thought was fair for the mix buss collection cd's. Just a thought!!!

The files are AES-31 24bit - 48kHz. and won't fit on a CD but I could have some DVDs made. I'd have to have at least 20 orders and they would be about $ 15.00 each plus shipping.

Let me know if that would work for everybody and I get on it.

Ckevperry · 29th August 2003, 04:27 PM

Here's interested party number one.

DirkB · 29th August 2003, 05:06 PM

Yep, count me in.

I would prefer them on cd-rom though. If DVD is the only option, I would like to get me one anyway...

I guess that makes 3?

**mwagener** · 29th August 2003, 05:29 PM

only DVD, sorry.

Please, everybody interested email me at mwagener@comcast.net and include your shipping address.

Thank you.

ron florentine · 29th August 2003, 07:05 PM

OOOOOOOO Yea!!!! count me in!!!!I guess that makes 4

**mwagener** · 30th August 2003, 02:15 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ron florentine
OOOOOOOO Yea!!!! count me in!!!!I guess that makes 4

actually, that makes 3, DirkB counted you in already

HEDDcase · 30th August 2003, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mwagener
only DVD, sorry.

Please, everybody interested email me at mwagener@comcast.net and include your shipping address.

Thank you.

Not be fussy, but what is the music in this comparison ?

**mwagener** · 30th August 2003, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by HEDDcase
Not be fussy, but what is the music in this comparison ?

High density melodic Hard Rock

Randall · 30th August 2003, 04:01 PM

with a fiddle? interesting!!

**mwagener** · 30th August 2003, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Randall
with a fiddle? interesting!!

That is the 'melodic' part

blackcatdigi · 31st August 2003, 07:03 PM

The music is IMHO extremely good (Thank God! cuz we listened to that song at least a million times!)...

The band, the song, the vox, lyrics, etc. all are great. Great production, great sounds. Michael considers the mix a "quick ruff." I aspire to having 'finished' mixes that sound as good!

I would classify the song as being of the Pop/Rock genre. Very catchy, 100% radio-ready. I give it

And FYI, probably not as 'Heavy' as you might normally associate with Michael, given his discography...

**mwagener** · 3rd September 2003, 03:51 AM

I'm trying to schedule the dates for the 3rd workshop. How does September 27th through October 5th, or October 18th through October 26th sound? If that doesn't work, let me know what's good for you guys.

Thanx
mwagener@comcast.net

MMazurek · 3rd September 2003, 05:54 PM

I'd be good for the 'starting Sept. 27th' option.

My day gig would prevent me from missing out on the 'middle of the month' thing.

Count me in if it's the former!

**mwagener** · 7th September 2003, 04:15 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by blackcatdigi
The music is IMHO extremely good (Thank God! cuz we listened to that song at least a million times!)...

The band, the song, the vox, lyrics, etc. all are great. Great production, great sounds. Michael considers the mix a "quick ruff." I aspire to having 'finished' mixes that sound as good!

I would classify the song as being of the Pop/Rock genre. Very catchy, 100% radio-ready. I give it

And FYI, probably not as 'Heavy' as you might normally associate with Michael, given his discography...

Thanx for the nice words Casey. We'll have the same band for the second and third workshop. Looks like they are going to become the WireWorld 'house band'

Rev Archer · 19th September 2003, 09:50 PM

Hi, this is Danny the singer in the "Wireworld House Band" Love Over Gravity. First, let me try to convey what a true joy it is to be working with someone like Michael. We've worked with different people in the past, and to have someone who makes you feel totally confortable and at home while you're trying to "perfect" your creative works makes all the difference in the world. It's so much easier to take direction and try new things in that kind of environment. Not to mention the eons of talent and experience he brings to the table. We're thinking of calling our first major release "Album Quality" because that is exactly how it's sounding.
Second, it's been very cool to meet all of you guys that have made the workshops thus far. We're not an ego driven band and we love to hear and try different ideas that you guys have suggested during these first 2 workshops. You guys are destined for some great things because of your attitudes toward recording. I guess Michael just has a knack for surrounding himself with great people (I wasn't meaning the band Michael,

e

e).
So anyway, we're looking forward to the next workshop. It's been a great experience on the artist's side as well.

K.C. · 20th September 2003, 07:26 AM

Tracking Danny and the band has been a lot of fun this week. The workshop is simply awesome, Michael couldn't be a cooler guy to work with and damn does he know how to get great sounds.

I've learned so much, invaluable knowledge that you can only learn from someone who has years of experience and is willing to share it! The workshop is a rare opportunity to work with a real Pro in a great studio.

Danny helped us 'shoot out' a few mics so we could choose what we should use to put down his vocal for the song. It was very cool to compare a couple of Groove Tubes mics, the Soundelux E47 and 251, an original U87, an SMB-7, an M-149 and the Lawson MP-47.

Of course it just ain't Rock & Roll without that special something that backup singers can add to the mix.

Even Fritz is smilin' in this one.

DirkB · 20th September 2003, 08:16 AM

Ok, I want to vocal coach at the next workshop.

Greetings,
Dirk

**mwagener** · 20th September 2003, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DirkB
Ok, I want to vocal coach at the next workshop.

Greetings,
Dirk

Everybody gets to be the vocal coach for 15 minutes

Randall · 20th September 2003, 05:10 PM

my, my, isn't that dummy head with microphones for ears a lucky guy?!?!?

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25th August 2003, 10:27 PM	#61
mwagener High End Moderator Join Date: May 2002 Location: Music City USA Posts: 2,885	long post coming up... Well, the first workshop is over, way too soon, in my opinion. I have to say it was a lot of fun and very educational for me as well. A big THANK YOU to Casey and Mark for being such cool guys. We did all the stuff that you always wanted to do, but don't really have time for in a ‘real’ production. I’m sure the musicians where quite bored at times (as evident by the empty bottle of Jack Daniels), doing the same part over and over until WE where happy with the microphone or the preamp, and during the workshop we probably didn’t have the ideal creative environment for getting the best performances out of them. But that was not our objective, this was OUR project, this time WE got to say: “I can do this better”. I was reminded, that sometimes it is not easy to explain in words what you have been practicing for so long that it became second nature, but it sure refreshes the memory. Following are very personal opinions on the stereo bus compressor shoot-out (is it bus or buss?). Please keep in mind that the main objective was to find a stereo bus compressor with the least amount of color (for lack of another word) and the least amount of 'visible' compression artifacts. I just want the compressor to raise the dynamically low parts of the song a little without changing the mix. Casey and Mark, please chime in whenever your opinion differs from mine or if you have any additional comments. First off, let me say that it was mindboggeling to have a chance to compare all those great machines and an extra special thanks to Fletcher, Dave Martin and everybody else who contributed gear to the shootout. It also was a pretty full plate, to learn 14 compressors within a few hours and very difficult to quickly find the optimum settings for the task at hand. We recorded our (somewhat) final mix back to two tracks of the R-1 and fed that back to the compressors via separate busses of the R-1, so in essence we simulated a mastering session, where the mix could not be changed while compressing. Then we made our adjustments and recorded the results back to the R-1 in sync with the original mix, adjusted for level. There was no compression on the stereo bus on the original mix. We used the Massive Passive (boost at 2 ‘o clock, shelf up from 4.6 K) via the insert of the HEDD. The HEDD had the tape knob on 6 and the Pentode at 4, Triode was set at 0. The mix itself was very dense in the chorus but lighter in the verses, based on the arrangement and the recorded instruments. Compression was only used on the vocal track while tracking (17 – 20 dB on the Distressor) and on the drum submix (via the Spider, squeezed with the Chandler EMI TG-1 on limit) Participants in the September workshop, you might want to stop reading here (yeah right), in order not get biased. I will have most of those compressors around for the September workshop for you to come to your own conclusions. All the compressors where great in different ways for different applications and as a real Gearslut I would kick neither one of those out of my studio. Here we go, in no particular order: JOE MEEK – SC2 V1.07: Too colored for the task at hand, odd controls, we were not sure if this one was working to specs. MANLEY – VARI-MU Created great harmonics, we didn’t really hear the compression (which is good) but it had somewhat of a loose bottom end around 100 – 200 Hz. I am not sure exactly which model Vari-Mu this was (T-Bar mod or not), maybe Dave Martin could shed some light on this, as it was one of his compressors (thanx for dropping them off Dave). My mastering engineer uses the Vari-Mu with great results, but I would not pick this one for the permanent WireWorld equipment list, because it does not make much sense to go through the same compression circuit twice. MANLEY - ELOP Absolutely great to squeeze drum submixes, similar sound to the Chandler TG-1. For the stereo bus it was a little too colored. This makes a great tracking comp. MILLENIA – TCL2 This one has a very thick color and is a little too slow for the stereo bus, for my taste. CRANE SONG – STC-8 This is my personal favorite and it WILL make the permanent WireWorld equipment list, just have to decide on which version. The STC-8 did exactly what we were looking for; it made the mix sound bigger without changing the relationship of the instruments to each other. It brought up the dynamically lower parts of the song without squeezing the louder parts audibly. It also had the added bonus of a built in peak limiter, which allowed us to raise the overall level of the mix some more, even though we didn’t use that function on the comparison track. The presets allowed for settings from (slightly) colored to absolutely transparent and I can’t wait to dive deeper into the different settings. The STC-8 glues the mix together in a very positive way. Thank you Mr. Hill. INNER TUBE – STEREO SQUEEZE BOX This is a very ‘warm’ and round sounding compressor. It is very involved in terms of interaction of the different controls, but allows for a big variety in settings. It was THE hardest one to figure out. DRAWMER – ME 1969 Very colorful and very fat sounding box. AL SMART – C2 This is the compressor to get (out of the bunch tested) if you are looking for the ‘modern squeezed’ sound. Very HiFi sounding, but not subtle by any means. It’s also very easy to set up and we liked that it had one knob controlling both of the outputs when switched to stereo link. The crush button creates a very interesting sound. Gotta dive into that some more as well. This one is moving straight to the top of my equipment wish list. PENDULUM – ES-8 The pendulum was a very pleasant surprise, both in the drum submix test and the stereo bus compressor shoot-out. It has a big bottom and an unexpectedly clear top end for a tube compressor, very easy, detailed controls with a wide range for input and output. CRANE SONG – TRAKKER (stereo linked pair) The two linked Trakkers had a very open sound with a nice top end. They had a little more color and were not quite as big as the STC-8 on the stereo bus. If somebody already has the STC-8 this would make a great addition for tracking (hence the name, I guess), but I wouldn’t hesitate at all to use them on the stereo bus either. MANLEY – SLAM Great box. The SLAM is another unit that requires a lot of time and experimentation to get familiar with all the possible combinations of settings and I’m not sure that we exhausted all of them for this test. It was definitely the cleanest tube of the bunch. During the recording part the A/D kicked major butt. API – 2500 Nice color on all settings, it definitely adds its own character to the mix. Given the somewhat hot level of the original mix, we had a hard time to get it NOT to compress. I guess a variable input control would be an improvement to the 2500; it seemed to be very sensitive. DAKIN – 91579 (stereo linked pair) Very colorful, NEVEish sound. I would definitely consider those for tracking. They worked fine on the stereo bus but were not what we were looking for in terms of transparency. CHANDLER TG-1 This is the most colorful beast of the bunch. It is the absolute monster on drum submixes and makes a great tracking compressor for a lot of instruments and voices. Needless to say it was not what we were looking for on the stereo bus. This one should be on everybody’s wish list. EMPIRICAL LABS – EL8 DISTRESSOR (with stereo link option) I have been able to make the Distressors work on almost anything when tracking, but I was not sure about using it on the stereo bus. Well, now I am, big surprise. It sounds bright and open and is very versatile due to the extensive, easy to handle controls. If I had to start a studio from scratch this would be my first set of compressors. ...and last but definitely not least: FMR – RNC This little box had surprised us in a very positive way during the drum submix test, by squeezing the heck out of the drums and adding a lot of midrange color to the pie. On the stereo bus the added midrange wasn’t really what we were looking for, but if set to a lower compression ratio it was not bad at all and faired very well with the ‘BIG DOODS’. Considering the price it should be in every studio’s rack. There you have it. As mentioned above, our tests were not very scientific and had a very special goal in mind. It helped me making a decision for the WireWorld stereo bus compressor. I guess I’ll have to click the GIMMIE button next to the CraneSong STC-8 on the Mercenary website soon. More on this after the September workshop. __________________ Michael Wagener http://www.michaelwagener.com Production workshops at WireWorld Studio

26th August 2003, 11:50 PM	#65
Steve Smith Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 1,394	In a related story, Dave Martin, of nashville , TN was seen walking east carring a very large stick today... onlookers mentioned him muttering something along the lines of "... compressors.. must get compressors.. don't worry children, daddy is gonna bring you home..." Film at 11. __________________ Steve Smith - Unorignal, yet commonplace.

27th August 2003, 05:42 AM	#66
mwagener High End Moderator Join Date: May 2002 Location: Music City USA Posts: 2,885	They're safe back with daddy now... __________________ Michael Wagener http://www.michaelwagener.com Production workshops at WireWorld Studio

29th August 2003, 08:24 AM	#68
ron florentine Lives for gear Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: San Diego,Ca Posts: 674	mix buss workshop would you consider making a set of audio cd's of all the different mix buss compressor combination? I am sure there are many gearsluts who would love to hear the results and be glad to pay you what you thought was fair for the mix buss collection cd's. Just a thought!!!

29th August 2003, 04:27 PM	#70
Ckevperry Gear addict Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Nashville Posts: 402	Here's interested party number one. __________________ Kevin Perry Nashville, TN

29th August 2003, 05:06 PM	#71
DirkB Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Netherlands Posts: 1,467	Yep, count me in. I would prefer them on cd-rom though. If DVD is the only option, I would like to get me one anyway... I guess that makes 3? __________________ -progress takes away what forever took to find- Dave Matthews

29th August 2003, 05:29 PM	#72
mwagener High End Moderator Join Date: May 2002 Location: Music City USA Posts: 2,885	only DVD, sorry. Please, everybody interested email me at mwagener@comcast.net and include your shipping address. Thank you. __________________ Michael Wagener http://www.michaelwagener.com Production workshops at WireWorld Studio

29th August 2003, 07:05 PM	#73
ron florentine Lives for gear Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: San Diego,Ca Posts: 674	Mix Buss CD OOOOOOOO Yea!!!! count me in!!!!I guess that makes 4

30th August 2003, 04:01 PM	#77
Randall Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Muscle Shoals Posts: 3,957	with a fiddle? interesting!!

31st August 2003, 07:03 PM	#79
blackcatdigi Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: upstate, sc Posts: 1,465	The music is IMHO extremely good (Thank God! cuz we listened to that song at least a million times!)... The band, the song, the vox, lyrics, etc. all are great. Great production, great sounds. Michael considers the mix a "quick ruff." I aspire to having 'finished' mixes that sound as good! I would classify the song as being of the Pop/Rock genre. Very catchy, 100% radio-ready. I give it And FYI, probably not as 'Heavy' as you might normally associate with Michael, given his discography... __________________ Sincerely, Casey SC Digital Services Bob Olhsson wrote on 17th September 2002, 12:56 PM: "Music is being used to sort consumers rather than to entertain people."

3rd September 2003, 03:51 AM	#80
mwagener High End Moderator Join Date: May 2002 Location: Music City USA Posts: 2,885	workshop #3 I'm trying to schedule the dates for the 3rd workshop. How does September 27th through October 5th, or October 18th through October 26th sound? If that doesn't work, let me know what's good for you guys. Thanx mwagener@comcast.net __________________ Michael Wagener http://www.michaelwagener.com Production workshops at WireWorld Studio

3rd September 2003, 05:54 PM	#81
MMazurek Gear nut Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Naperville, Illinois USA Posts: 146	I'd be good for the 'starting Sept. 27th' option. My day gig would prevent me from missing out on the 'middle of the month' thing. Count me in if it's the former!

19th September 2003, 09:50 PM	#83
Rev Archer Gear interested Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 1	Hi, this is Danny the singer in the "Wireworld House Band" Love Over Gravity. First, let me try to convey what a true joy it is to be working with someone like Michael. We've worked with different people in the past, and to have someone who makes you feel totally confortable and at home while you're trying to "perfect" your creative works makes all the difference in the world. It's so much easier to take direction and try new things in that kind of environment. Not to mention the eons of talent and experience he brings to the table. We're thinking of calling our first major release "Album Quality" because that is exactly how it's sounding. Second, it's been very cool to meet all of you guys that have made the workshops thus far. We're not an ego driven band and we love to hear and try different ideas that you guys have suggested during these first 2 workshops. You guys are destined for some great things because of your attitudes toward recording. I guess Michael just has a knack for surrounding himself with great people (I wasn't meaning the band Michael, ee). So anyway, we're looking forward to the next workshop. It's been a great experience on the artist's side as well. __________________ "The secret to immortality is to first live a life worth remembering."

20th September 2003, 07:26 AM	#84
K.C. Gear maniac Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 162	Tracking Danny and the band has been a lot of fun this week. The workshop is simply awesome, Michael couldn't be a cooler guy to work with and damn does he know how to get great sounds. I've learned so much, invaluable knowledge that you can only learn from someone who has years of experience and is willing to share it! The workshop is a rare opportunity to work with a real Pro in a great studio. Danny helped us 'shoot out' a few mics so we could choose what we should use to put down his vocal for the song. It was very cool to compare a couple of Groove Tubes mics, the Soundelux E47 and 251, an original U87, an SMB-7, an M-149 and the Lawson MP-47. Of course it just ain't Rock & Roll without that special something that backup singers can add to the mix. Even Fritz is smilin' in this one.

20th September 2003, 08:16 AM	#85
DirkB Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Netherlands Posts: 1,467	Ok, I want to vocal coach at the next workshop. Greetings, Dirk __________________ -progress takes away what forever took to find- Dave Matthews

20th September 2003, 05:10 PM	#87
Randall Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Muscle Shoals Posts: 3,957	my, my, isn't that dummy head with microphones for ears a lucky guy?!?!?