Tchad blake studio pics...... info?

[audiothings]

hey tchad!

sorry to repeat the question, but could you please tell us something about your experiences with Fritz?

and if i may ask a personal question... when you're given something to mix do you see it as "great potential for a terrific mix job", or, "great music which i could help with"? I ask this because i see that you refer to a lot of young people's corporate produced music among your favourite mixes... though you don't come across as somebody who would listen to that sort of stuff, for pleasure...

Respect,

[tchadb]

Originally Posted by bcgood

One frequent Vanderslice/Solter recording strategy involves what they call the “wild card track.” “Say you're recording drums,” Vanderslice explains. “We usually try to limit ourselves to four or five mics on a drum kit, but we also use an aux send to bus the drums to a Spectrasonics 610 compressor or an Ampex MX10 mixer that we'll hit really hard. That gives us an explosive sound that we can blend in under the normal hi-fi drums. A UREI 1176 will work for this, too, but the 610, especially when the red lights are going off and the meter is buried, is the best. Blending in this wild track provides a lot of sonic tension or dissonance. It's great for texture. A little goes a long way.”

It's a very effective energizer. I often use a Sure Level Loc for that but have also used a 610, Distressor, Dyna-Comp, Omnipressor (great plug-in now, unfortunately only available in a bundle) API525, cassette deck mic/comp......find your own.

[tchadb]

Originally Posted by audiothings

hey tchad!

sorry to repeat the question, but could you please tell us something about your experiences with Fritz?

and if i may ask a personal question... when you're given something to mix do you see it as "great potential for a terrific mix job", or, "great music which i could help with"? I ask this because i see that you refer to a lot of young people's corporate produced music among your favourite mixes... though you don't come across as somebody who would listen to that sort of stuff, for pleasure...

Respect,

Fritz (NeumanKU100) is very dear to us Blakes. Between my wife (also an engineer and the PT's head in the fam.) and I we have three heads. I always use one as my drum OH and have for almost fifteen years. Very balanced sounding mic. Great on piano, strings-large and small, all kinds of room setups. Good on vocals with softer acoustic instrumentation. One of my favorite record's I did with just Fritz is 'Olugendo' by Bernard Kabanda on Womad Select. Recorded in one hour, edited, sequenced and delivered in the next two.
As far as the mix question- all of the above. Every job is different. I can like something just for the sound, but I also listen to and enjoy all kinds of music. Music as art, as entertainment and everything in between. If something moves me emotionally and I think I can improve it, and the artist is open to what I do, I don't care what style it is (well, let me think about this).

[tchadb]

Originally Posted by paterno

Maybe there is something to be learned from Mr 'Black's' response -- and his clarification...

JP

Hey JP, chime in if you remember something I don't. Mind like a sive me.
What year was Kiko?? Did I have a Level Loc for that?

[tchadb]

Originally Posted by Tubthumper

Thanks Tchad, what a thrill to have you here. Congrats on a stellar career.

If I can "push the envelope" just one more time: are you using the DynaComp for processing things other than guitar??

Everything but guitar.

[tchadb]

Originally Posted by PlugHead

Tchad

So nice to read it direct from the man - very nice of you to drop in. It always amazes me how small this world really is!!!

If you'd be as kind to answer some other album related Q's, with respect to the orig. poster, I'd start another thread...

In contrast to your "being amazed at the curiosity", you will find a helluvalot of folks here DYING to pick your brain over some of the seminal projects you've done. thumbsup thumbsup

I tip my hat to you sir - should you be willing to participate, prepare to be innundated with questions...

I'll answer as much as I can. Memory's an issue. Please bear with me.
What's a thread?

[PlugHead]

Originally Posted by tchad blake

I'll answer as much as I can. Memory's an issue. Please bear with me.
What's a thread?

A thread is what you're replying within right now (has the title "Tchad Blake studio pics....info?")

I'll post another thread topic directed to you, and then we don't clutter this one thread with too many questions... thumbsup

thx,

[Thermionic]

Originally Posted by tchad blake

...Omnipressor (great plug-in now, unfortunately only available in a bundle) ...

Have you tried a hardware Omnipressor? I have a 1971 white face unit. The reverse compression can be unsettling, i.e. cymbal decays are louder than the attack. I tend to think of it as a DBX 160 on acid (it uses the early 202 vca + 208 detector).

I haven't tried the plugs, but I know that the emulation preset on my DSP7000 gets nowhere near the hardware (could be due to the original having lovely little "ouncer"-type transformers - I sold the unit without the transformer option - they make a big difference).

Justin

[tchadb]

[quote=Thermionic;1153731]Have you tried a hardware Omnipressor? I have a 1971 white face unit. The reverse compression can be unsettling, i.e. cymbal decays are louder than the attack. I tend to think of it as a DBX 160 on acid (it uses the early 202 vca + 208 detector).

I haven't tried the plugs, but I know that the emulation preset on my DSP7000 gets nowhere near the hardware (could be due to the original having lovely little "ouncer"-type transformers - I sold the unit without the transformer option - they make a big difference).[quote]

I've got an old black face one. The plug doesn't sound like the hardware, just in the same family and very usable.
Never seen whiteface Eventide.

[paterno]

Originally Posted by tchad blake

Hey JP, chime in if you remember something I don't. Mind like a sive me.
What year was Kiko?? Did I have a Level Loc for that?

Hey Tchad --

I have pretty vivid memories of 'Kiko' since it was the first full project I ever did with you and Mitchell. It was September of '91. And a whilrwind -- once the guys showed up, that is! You did not have the Level Loc for that. I don't remember it before the Richard Thompson record -- 'Mirror Blue' was it? -- in '93. You didn't have the 'head' yet either; it showed up a year later on American Music Club's 'Mercury' [which seems like 20 years ago!!]. You had the Calrec Soundfield for 'Kiko'. You used it for drum overhead, I think. Or was is a pair of AKG 460's? I definitely remember tracking 'When the Circus Comes to Town' with the players in a wide semi-circle and the Calrec between it all. Then you doubled each instrument individually, except the Wurlitzer. I do seem to remember that this was the debut of the Sans Amp as well...

Hope you are having fun with all of this.

Cheers,
John

[delcosmos]

Hey Tchad, it's a great honor to have you here on GS, I am a big fan of all your work.
I have a friend who is one top latin artists named "Aleks Syntek" who is one of your greatest fans too, he started to show me all your work in 94' or 95', we always use you as a reference in our mixes, I have read every single article and interview about you and your work.

Best regards.

Armando Avila
www.cosmosproducciones.com

[The dman]

Chad

Another thanks for posting on GS. You've recorded many records that I have alway held in high regards.thumbsup

[burst]

Originally Posted by dsd

Chad

Another thanks for posting on GS. You've recorded many records that I have alway held in high regards.thumbsup

FYI, the "T" on the front of Tchad's name is not a typo. tutt

[alanhyatt]

Hey Tchad,

I am a bit late to this thread because I just saw it. If those pics of your studio caused you any trouble, let me apologize. Reid Mason told me he got confirmation from you it was ok to use them. If this was not the case, I will take them down and make sure a retraction is printed. I never want to impose on anyones privacy.

I am happy you are enjoying the console, and I have to say thank you for all the kind words and recommendations you have made on the ATB console. Hard Fi called us and is loving theirs, and of course Leed's consoles has already sold many more for us to other music schools, and you had a lot to do with that.

Its great you are being so public. So many people hear can benefit from your input and its fantastic of you taking the time to do it. I am off to the UK tomorrow for 10 days with Malcolm. We have some more work to do on the new A-Range module.

Once again, if the pics need to be taken down, e-mail me. I think you have my e-mail address, but you know how to get in touch with us in the UK and I will be there in the office on Monday.

Cheers...

[tchadb]

Originally Posted by alanhyatt

Hey Tchad,

I am a bit late to this thread because I just saw it. If those pics of your studio caused you any trouble, let me apologize. Reid Mason told me he got confirmation from you it was ok to use them. If this was not the case, I will take them down and make sure a retraction is printed. I never want to impose on anyones privacy.

I am happy you are enjoying the console, and I have to say thank you for all the kind words and recommendations you have made on the ATB console. Hard Fi called us and is loving theirs, and of course Leed's consoles has already sold many more for us to other music schools, and you had a lot to do with that.

Its great you are being so public. So many people hear can benefit from your input and its fantastic of you taking the time to do it. I am off to the UK tomorrow for 10 days with Malcolm. We have some more work to do on the new A-Range module.

Once again, if the pics need to be taken down, e-mail me. I think you have my e-mail address, but you know how to get in touch with us in the UK and I will be there in the office on Monday.

Cheers...

Hi Alan, in retrospect I should have mentioned I didn't mind about the photo's being used on the site. I was merely replying to a comment about me being private and why I would allow the photo's to be public. I didn't send them to Malcolm for that purpose, but I'm happy he could make use of them. No worries. Anything I can do...... I love that thing.

[PlugHead]

Originally Posted by tchad blake

I love that thing.

There's a quote to consider putting on Toft's site...

[Berolzheimer]

Originally Posted by Thermionic

Have you tried a hardware Omnipressor? I have a 1971 white face unit. The reverse compression can be unsettling, i.e. cymbal decays are louder than the attack. I tend to think of it as a DBX 160 on acid (it uses the early 202 vca + 208 detector).

A little secret recipe of mine- Waves (there I go endorsing them again, as much as I dislike the company..) C1 can do the "reverse compression" thing, if you take the ratio up to extreme settings, beyond infinity:1. It's an amazing sound on piano & other things.

[jchadstopherhuez]

hi tchad !!

always enjoyed the records you worked on...from los lobos and suzzane vega to pearl jam, brenden benson, and joseph arthur.

by all accounts of friends and associates of mine who have worked with you in some capacity....you are damn fine human being as well a great engineer...that is paramount to me in this business.

your work on suzzane vega's 99.9F and nine objects of desire along with the soul coughing stuff REALLY got me to start moving to the production side of the music biz...thanks for the inspiration. your records continually keep me smiling !!!

a friend of mine (brad b.) was the drummer for apartment 26....and i know he thoroughly enjoyed working with you on the record you produced for them...that record was quite a departure from the music you had worked on in the past...and thought the production was stellar. curious about your approach to recording and producing a band such as apt 26. you made a REALLY HEAVY band sound completely palatable to someone like me who is not generally a fan of that genre of music. i believe that record to be one of the most musical HEAVY records out there.

thanks for sharing some of your experiences and knowledge here with all of us.

cheers,

jchristopherhughes

[tchadb]

Originally Posted by Berolzheimer

A little secret recipe of mine- Waves (there I go endorsing them again, as much as I dislike the company..) C1 can do the "reverse compression" thing, if you take the ratio up to extreme settings, beyond infinity:1. It's an amazing sound on piano & other things.

Cool. Plug in compressors are incredibly fast and can give you some good effects but I think they have a lot of catching up to do. EQ's and many effects now have good character that I'm not quite getting from the comps. Plugs can do amazing things some analog comps can't, but you don't get tough distortion. I don't me buzzy or spitty, I mean tough, chunky distortion. The closest thing I find to that are some of the tape modelers. Massey, McDSP,????
What don't you like about the Waves Corp.?

[tchadb]

Originally Posted by mixman499

hi tchad !!

always enjoyed the records you worked on...from los lobos and suzzane vega to pearl jam, brenden benson, and joseph arthur.

by all accounts of friends and associates of mine who have worked with you in some capacity....you are damn fine human being as well a great engineer...that is paramount to me in this business.

your work on suzzane vega's 99.9F and nine objects of desire along with the soul coughing stuff REALLY got me to start moving to the production side of the music biz...thanks for the inspiration. your records continually keep me smiling !!!

a friend of mine (brad b.) was the drummer for apartment 26....and i know he thoroughly enjoyed working with you on the record you produced for them...that record was quite a departure from the music you had worked on in the past...and thought the production was stellar. curious about your approach to recording and producing a band such as apt 26. you made a REALLY HEAVY band sound completely palatable to someone like me who is not generally a fan of that genre of music. i believe that record to be one of the most musical HEAVY records out there.

thanks for sharing some of your experiences and knowledge here with all of us.

cheers,

jchristopherhughes

THX. Please say hi to Brad for me. Apt 26 was recorded live. Very few OD's, vocals and some KB's I think. Nothing speacial set up-wise. Just a good band.

[jchadstopherhuez]

Originally Posted by tchad blake

THX. Please say hi to Brad for me. Apt 26 was recorded live. Very few OD's, vocals and some KB's I think. Nothing speacial set up-wise. Just a good band.

thanks tchad...

right on...must be a joy to work such great bands !!!! that really is the secret, isn't it ?!!

i will pass on your greetings to brad !!!

cheers,

jchristopherhughes

[jchadstopherhuez]

Originally Posted by PlugHead

A thread is what you're replying within right now (has the title "Tchad Blake studio pics....info?")

I'll post another thread topic directed to you, and then we don't clutter this one thread with too many questions... thumbsup

thx,

sorry guys...i did not notice this post, or i would not have added to the clutter..and stayed on topic...apologies..

thanks tchad for your time and answers !!!

jch

[littledoodler]

Tchad Blake,
i love the work you did on Stina Nordenstams album This Is...
thanks

[tchadb]

Originally Posted by littledoodler

Tchad Blake,
i love the work you did on Stina Nordenstams album This Is...
thanks

THX.
One of my favs.

[Berolzheimer]

Originally Posted by tchad blake

Cool. Plug in compressors are incredibly fast and can give you some good effects but I think they have a lot of catching up to do. EQ's and many effects now have good character that I'm not quite getting from the comps. Plugs can do amazing things some analog comps can't, but you don't get tough distortion. I don't me buzzy or spitty, I mean tough, chunky distortion. The closest thing I find to that are some of the tape modelers. Massey, McDSP,????
What don't you like about the Waves Corp.?

Yeah, C1 is interesting. It was one of the first plug-in compressors, it was originally written for Sound Tools, so it's an old algo. I think they just went for a clean gain control kind of thing, not tryin to imitate any analog compressors, although it does sound a bit smeary to me these days. But as a digital compressor they put in parameter extremes beyond what analog compressors could usually do, like the beyond infinity thing, look ahead, and really fast attack & release settings. I've gotten some cool distortion effects by using A & R times that are so fast they track the waveforms of the lower frequency components of the signal, creating interesting intermodulation distortion. Sometimes I'll sidechain through an EQ to enhance specfic parts of the low end that I'm essentially using as a modulator, or even use a different signal altogether into the sidechain input.
As for the company their WUP thing is pretty extortionist, it's like a subscription you have to have to get any upgrades, even to just keep up with PT updates, and it's expensive, and you can't just upgrade the plugs you use, it has to be the whole package, etc. There's been a lot of ranting, er discussion about it here. They also don't allow transfers between iLoks, I'm having a problem with one of mine at the moment that has an intermittent USB connector; I was able to transfer all my plugs to a new one except for the Waves ones. So now my $3000 investment in the Waves bundle is sitting on an iLok that has to be wiggled at just the right time during boot up to work.
Brings a whole new meaning to "Wiggle Waggle".

[mattboomdrum]

Hello Tchad! Not sure if you remember a recording with a band called The Wild Colonials back in 1994--we tracked the whole record in a day and it was the the one moment in my drumming career that changed my life. At that point in my life I had only worked with a few engineers and it was the usual set my drums -play a bit---get sounds---record a little drums and go into the control room and check the sounds......my experience with you was all the above except that I had a binaural head staring at me -you also had an amazing Remo singleheaded 18" kick drum that I played and a beautiful 1920's Black Beauty------- when I went in to listen to my drums I felt like I had taken some kind of hallucinogenic---It was the drum sound I had always fantasized about but had no idea how to get...I asked how you got the sound and I remember you showing me the Sansamps on each side of the binaural head going into LA2a's--When I got home I immediately bought a Sansamp and started making 4 track recordings with one mic going through the Sansamp--I realized that when you have the sound of the sansamp in your headphones the drums become a totally different instrument and you play off the sound --alot like a guitarist plays off of distortion or any other effect--it is definitely an inspirational sound.....Thanks!!! Matt Chamberlain

[six_wax]

Tchad Blake for Guest Moderator! thumbsup

We've got a special section of the forum dedicated to Q&A with the greats. Kevin Killen is wrapping up a stint as we speak...

I well understand that your time is in great demand, but if you've got the time and the interest, I'm sure everyone here would love to have the benefit of your insight!

[alanhyatt]

Originally Posted by six_wax

Tchad Blake for Guest Moderator! thumbsup

We've got a special section of the forum dedicated to Q&A with the greats. Kevin Killen is wrapping up a stint as we speak...

I well understand that your time is in great demand, but if you've got the time and the interest, I'm sure everyone here would love to have the benefit of your insight!

You should do one on Malcolm Toft as well....

[Blast9]

Originally Posted by mattboomdrum

Hello Tchad! Not sure if you remember a recording with a band called The Wild Colonials back in 1994--we tracked the whole record in a day and it was the the one moment in my drumming career that changed my life. At that point in my life I had only worked with a few engineers and it was the usual set my drums -play a bit---get sounds---record a little drums and go into the control room and check the sounds......my experience with you was all the above except that I had a binaural head staring at me -you also had an amazing Remo singleheaded 18" kick drum that I played and a beautiful 1920's Black Beauty------- when I went in to listen to my drums I felt like I had taken some kind of hallucinogenic---It was the drum sound I had always fantasized about but had no idea how to get...I asked how you got the sound and I remember you showing me the Sansamps on each side of the binaural head going into LA2a's--When I got home I immediately bought a Sansamp and started making 4 track recordings with one mic going through the Sansamp--I realized that when you have the sound of the sansamp in your headphones the drums become a totally different instrument and you play off the sound --alot like a guitarist plays off of distortion or any other effect--it is definitely an inspirational sound.....Thanks!!! Matt Chamberlain

Hi matt Chamberlain! Awesome drummer!

Anyone feel gearslutz has reached critical mass recently?

[tchadb]

Originally Posted by six_wax

Tchad Blake for Guest Moderator! thumbsup

We've got a special section of the forum dedicated to Q&A with the greats. Kevin Killen is wrapping up a stint as we speak...

I well understand that your time is in great demand, but if you've got the time and the interest, I'm sure everyone here would love to have the benefit of your insight!

I've agreed to do it after mid April when I'll be mixing on my own again and have more time.