Skid Row at WireWorld

[Andi Rauscher]

yeah, more pictures, Michael!!

[Nerdyrocker]

Michael, I bet your electric bill is HUGE with all of that gear. I think you should give some of it to me to lessen your load.

Everything looks great. I cannot wait to hear it.

[mwagener]

Originally Posted by doug_hti

Hi Michael,

I'm curious as to WHEN you personally put on your two-bus eq when mixing an(this) album and since most of it would be tracked (Fairly) similarly (in your situation), do you change it more than a db or two AFTER you have it set up from song to song, or just mix into it and adjust the other elements individually.....

thanks for your time on this!

I get to a point where I have a fairly good "rough" mix or call it "basic" mix of the song up, no automation yet. Then I switch on the STC-8, the Massive Passive and the HEDD tape process. On the first song/mix of the album I then compare to other CDs to get an overall impression where I stand with frequency range. After switching on the stereo bus chain, the relationship of the instruments in the mix will have to be changed to accomodate the new overall sound. In most cases I have to bring up the highend quite a bit because I tend to record with minimal EQ, so the HiHat will probably be too loud after that change etc. I then add the "experience sound", changes my mastering engineer made repeatedly over the years to my mixes and incorporate those into the overall sound as well. Those are mostly 1/2 or one dB changes in certain frequency ranges.

After the first song is done, I take it home, into the car and if time allows to Eric, my masrtering engineer and make final adjustments. From then on I will refer to the first song when mixing the rest of the album.

[not_so_new]

Hi Michael

Well... I tracked a song a few months back and in the back of my mind I was thinking about your minimalist EQ approach, I know it is nothing new but it is something different for me. I normally track with a little EQ on most everything but this time I resisted the urge to "do my normal thing" (it's always nice to break out of my own box from time to time).

Come mix time I notice that my whole track is really dark as you mentioned above. When you say….

Originally Posted by Michael W

In most cases I have to bring up the highend quite a bit because I tend to record with minimal EQ

… I am finding the same thing here. I need 4 or 5 db of shelf at 6 k to get a little crisp back into the mix and I was just assuming that this was just a problem with my room. Sounds like it might be a little more normal than I gave it credit for then? How much high end are you dialing back into your 2 buss EQ?

[mwagener]

Originally Posted by Rogervandeberg

bump


any updates yet?!?

Yes, big one:

Right before the mix of this album I fitteed the room with sound absorbing panels (pictures will follow) from Ready Acoustics (http://www.readyacoustics.com/). I put four in the front between wall and ceiling, four in the back between wall and ceiling and 3 each on the sides, high up on the wall. I used to mix with a subwoofer, because my room was a bit critical in the low end (it being 20X22X9.5 was not ideal for low end response). After I was done mixing this album, I took it to mastering and it seemed that Eric had to do more than usual to make it sound "right".

I then started another workshop with HYDROGYN and during the workshop two of the guest decided they both wanted to buy a pair of S3As. So, in order to show them how the S3As sounded by themselves, I switched off the subwoofer and crossover and we listened to just the bare S3As. I very much liked what I was hearing and we ended up mixing the workshop song without a subwoofer. It came out great. Then I went back to listen to the SkidRow mixes and I decided that they sounded a bit "light" on the bottom end, lacking just a bit of punch. So I decided to remix that album without the use of the sub. I'm right in the middle of that mixing session and it's turning out great.

Those panels kick ass, they work very well. The sound is now coming straight out of the speakers and I don't hear much of the room anymore. Anybody wanna buy a M&K 5410 sub? I have been thinking of changing to the ADAM subs, because I heard them in Germany at a friends studio with S3As and they sounded a lot "tighter" than the M&K, just didn't get around to do it yet. So now is the time. I'll need a sub or tow for surround mixing, but I think for stereo mixes I will just use the S3As alone.

[mwagener]

Originally Posted by Nerdyrocker

Michael, I bet your electric bill is HUGE with all of that gear. I think you should give some of it to me to lessen your load.

Everything looks great. I cannot wait to hear it.

Sorry, electric is included in the lease

[mwagener]

Originally Posted by not_so_new

Hi Michael

Well... I tracked a song a few months back and in the back of my mind I was thinking about your minimalist EQ approach, I know it is nothing new but it is something different for me. I normally track with a little EQ on most everything but this time I resisted the urge to "do my normal thing" (it's always nice to break out of my own box from time to time).

Come mix time I notice that my whole track is really dark as you mentioned above. When you say….



… I am finding the same thing here. I need 4 or 5 db of shelf at 6 k to get a little crisp back into the mix and I was just assuming that this was just a problem with my room. Sounds like it might be a little more normal than I gave it credit for then? How much high end are you dialing back into your 2 buss EQ?

Here is a picture of the MP on the mix bus:

[Crash]

I knew somebody somewhere out there had a Glory Comp....low and behold, there it is.

[Alexi]

hey michael,


A big THANK YOU from over here



I always really enjoy your threads....

[mwagener]

Originally Posted by Crash

I knew somebody somewhere out there had a Glory Comp....low and behold, there it is.

and here is the other one too...

[mwagener]

here are some (crappy) pictures of the new panels in the control room:








They work great as mini gobos around guitar cabs as well.

[Rogervandeberg]

Originally Posted by mwagener

Yes, big one:

cool! thumbsup

[blackcatdigi]

Originally Posted by mwagener

After I was done mixing this album, I took it to mastering and it seemed that Eric had to do more than usual to make it sound "right".

CLIP

So I decided to remix that album without the use of the sub. I'm right in the middle of that mixing session and it's turning out great.

Interesting stuff, Michael...

So you're remixing the SR record even though it has already been mastered?



P.S. What is that strange device above the TCs in your FX rack?

[mwagener]

Originally Posted by blackcatdigi

Interesting stuff, Michael...

So you're remixing the SR record even though it has already been mastered?

Yes Sir. Eric had to work harder than usual to make it work in mastering, so I decided that the problem was on my side and to remix it.

Originally Posted by blackcatdigi

P.S. What is that strange device above the TCs in your FX rack?

That's a Quantec QRS roomsimulator. The QRS was (to my knowlede) one of the very first digital reverbs. It came out in 1983 and cost around $20,000 then. This is what you hear on all the ACCEPT albums (besides a 224). It has 4 outputs for front L/R and rear L/R reverb, so it works great for surround. It also has a setting where it eliminates the reflections of your ear canal and when you listen to headphones the sound seems to be inside your head. Geat box.

[Killahurts]

Originally Posted by mwagener

Yes, they work very well. The sound is now coming straight out of the speakers and I don't hear much of the room anymore. Anybody wanna buy a M&K 5410 sub? I have been thinking of changing to the ADAM subs, because I heard them in Germany at a friends studio with S3As and they sounded a lot "tighter" than the M&K, just didn't get around to do it yet. So now is the time. I'll need a sub or tow for surround mixing, but I think for stereo mixes I will just use the S3As alone.

Man this is incredible. I had been doing that very thing for years, switching out the sub and using the S3's stand-alone for stereo work. In the past year or so, I finally talked myself into using the sub full-time, because I figure just about every listener has a sub nowadays, that they mostly abuse, and I need to hear what's going on down there...

But I'm starting to think that the sub may be distracting me from what is important in the mix. Maybe my mind tends to gravitate to that thunderous bottom, and is pleased before it has the right to be..

Michael, I've had the oppertunity to check out a few other subs in here (the M & K not one of them), and I can tell you they all sounded soggy to me, compared to the Sub1. Two Sub 10's might be even tighter!

Meanwhile, I'm going to remix a couple of recent things with straight S3's, and see which mixes are better/ translate better.

[mwagener]

DONE!!!

just got the new mastering and we really like it, sounds like a frickin rockband. Release date is Ocotber 24th. Thank you guys for hanging in there with me. As usual with Skid Row, we had a lot of fun doing this album, they are great guys and a true rockband and I feel they wrote some very cool stuff on this record. I really like the performances and the raw feel we got on the songs. Would love to post something, but...Oh well, guess we have to wait

This is my first day off since March and I am not even going to think about the studio...











Now about that Massenburg pre

[Rogervandeberg]

I can't wait!

october.that's 2 more months..............

[not_so_new]

Originally Posted by mwagener

DONE!!!

just got the new mastering and we really like it, sounds like a frickin rockband. Release date is Ocotber 24th. Thank you guys for hanging in there with me. As usual with Skid Row, we had a lot of fun doing this album, they are great guys and a true rockband and I feel they wrote some very cool stuff on this record. I really like the performances and the raw feel we got on the songs. Would love to post something, but...Oh well, guess we have to wait

This is my first day off since March and I am not even going to think about the studio...











Now about that Massenburg pre

Very cool Michael, as always thank you for sharing with us.

On a side note, I just picked up one of the 1086 Randal MTS modules that you talked about earlier on this thread...... I am freak'n blown away. The other Randal stuff is great, I have a Brown and a Top Boost that I am very happy with (and a clean that I am so so about) but the 1086 is just in a different league. Really great sounding, thanks for the tip.

You try out any of the other signature series? I have been thinking about picking up a Mr. Scary module because I like the 1086 so much.

[HudHudson]

Congrats on finishing the album, Michael. It was a real treat to hang with you on Saturday and thanks for letting us hear that last song you were mixing. I still think it needed more fiddle. The room sounds great, BTW.

Your intern Adam is a fine young man; you're lucky to have an apprentice like him, and he's lucky to learn from you!

May I post a couple pics I took while you were finishing up that last song?

Hud

[mwagener]

Originally Posted by HudHudson

Congrats on finishing the album, Michael. It was a real treat to hang with you on Saturday and thanks for letting us hear that last song you were mixing. I still think it needed more fiddle. The room sounds great, BTW.

Your intern Adam is a fine young man; you're lucky to have an apprentice like him, and he's lucky to learn from you!

May I post a couple pics I took while you were finishing up that last song?

Hud

Thanx Hud, sure go ahead with the pictures, just be careful not to post any of the ones when we were all naked...

[mwagener]

Originally Posted by not_so_new

...
You try out any of the other signature series? I have been thinking about picking up a Mr. Scary module because I like the 1086 so much.

I have the Mr. Scary and it's quite a different beast, very smooth, thick and "round" sounding, but I don't have enough time on it yet for a full evaluation. The ULTRA XL is on the way...

[HudHudson]

Here are some pics I took on Saturday at WireWorld as Michael finished up mixing the last tune on the Skid Row record. That's the amazing Jeanne Stokes with us in the studio (singer/songwriter of the 1970 hit, "My Baby Is A Dud").

[mwagener]

Originally Posted by HudHudson

Here are some pics I took on Saturday at WireWorld as Michael finished up mixing the last tune on the Skid Row record.

Thanx Hud. Guess I should have shaved that day

[Melodioso]

Originally Posted by mwagener

Thanx Hud, sure go ahead with the pictures, just be careful not to post any of the ones when we were all naked...

Originally Posted by mwagener

Thanx Hud. Guess I should have shaved that day

I'm not going to open those pictures now!!!

[Axiz7]

I vote Michael for the Nobel Peace Prize!

If in giving you receive...

Michael also...much thanks for the Hydrogyn CD.... Really enjoy it!

[Adam Mitchell]

Originally Posted by HudHudson

Congrats on finishing the album, Michael. It was a real treat to hang with you on Saturday and thanks for letting us hear that last song you were mixing. I still think it needed more fiddle. The room sounds great, BTW.

Your intern Adam is a fine young man; you're lucky to have an apprentice like him, and he's lucky to learn from you!

May I post a couple pics I took while you were finishing up that last song?

Hud

Kind words, thanks man.. Good to meet you, hope you had a safe trip home.

[eric conn]

[QUOTE=mwagener;824016]DONE!!!
QUOTE]

Done!
What a great record! So glad to be a part of it!

[Deege]

Man, I am really pumped about this record now.

[tubedude]

Michael... incredible thread, I love it. I intend to buy this album just to hear your work AGAIN if nothing else. If it rocks, all the better.

Question: How in the hell are you getting away with jamming those mics right smack in the middle of the speaker cones? All I ever get is a thin, grainy, scratchy hateful sound in that area. Is that where the Royers come into play, by cleaning up the mess? What about low end? Is it the "sounds like crap now, works in the mix" kind of thing? It seems there isnt any low end coming from that area at all. I'm craving a Royer now, just to see what they're about. I;ve heard a lot of people say they cant use them without another mic with them on guitar cabs. You seem to use mainly the royer alone though.

Thanks!

[not_so_new]

Originally Posted by tubedude

Michael... incredible thread, I love it. I intend to buy this album just to hear your work AGAIN if nothing else. If it rocks, all the better.

Question: How in the hell are you getting away with jamming those mics right smack in the middle of the speaker cones? All I ever get is a thin, grainy, scratchy hateful sound in that area. Is that where the Royers come into play, by cleaning up the mess? What about low end? Is it the "sounds like crap now, works in the mix" kind of thing? It seems there isnt any low end coming from that area at all. I'm craving a Royer now, just to see what they're about. I;ve heard a lot of people say they cant use them without another mic with them on guitar cabs. You seem to use mainly the royer alone though.

Thanks!

I am a Michael but I am not that Michael...



About the R121 deal. I have been tracking with my R121 for a bit now with guitar cabs and yes smack dab in the middle of the speaker cone is the best place I have found for the Royer.

The funny thing is that even there I am finding that I need a little more high end on the mic. I plan on experimenting with a 2nd mic and a few other little tricks coming up later this week in fact because I need just a touch more sparkle from the highs and when I crank the amp EQ it is getting a little glassy on me.

Anyway, yes the R121 does seem to work best in the center of the speaker and yes that does get me about 98% of the way there for most things.

One other thing to point out. I know that Michael is using a TG2 for guitar amps and I am as well. Chander has a imput impedance feature that is standard on the new TG2 and was an add on feature of the older units. Mine does not have this feature and I believe that Michael said his does, this might account for the difference in our expereince between his guitar high end and my own. *shrug*