Remote Recording

[Remoteworld]

Hi, everyone,

After some great conversation with Steve Remote yesterday, he encouraged me to "get with it" and join your forum... long overdue!!

Just as a matter of introduction, would you all humor me in presenting a quick little encapsulated history of what we've done, what we're doing and how we're doing it... (much gratitude to Ian Dailey, PER"s newest member of our team who has taken the initiative to spearhead this post.)

We are Phil Edwards Recording, located in Hayward, California. We generally work around the Bay Area, but find opportunities to serve clients up and down California and the Pacific Northwest.

We are always looking for opportunities to broaden our client base (isn't everyone?!!), especially in the area of broadcast and video. For years, PER has found a niche speciallizing in the area of Jazz and Gospel records, but we are finding broadcast and video work more and more of a mainstay (Phil's note: "boy do I PINE for days of the old analog 24 track record dates!!)

Operating out of a 36 foot box and Hino 238 chassis, one finds a machine room and separate production room. The main recording system consists of 4 MX 2424's that record down onto SCSI drives, which are frequently rendered over firewire drives and protools sessions for ease of post production. We have a backup system using DA 78HR's. These systems have proven themselves reliable time and again, as they have seen hundreds of projects for bands including (most recently): Beck, Ozomotli, and McCoy Tyner (and band: Jeff Watts, Joe Lovano, and Christian McBride). Tracks are captured through API pre's and 550a EQ's. Lots of the standard outboard fare.

(Phil's note: Thanks, Ian!! & I promise to add my own two cents in here, somewhere down the line.... thanks to all - especially Steve, for prodding me into the forum...)

You can contact us at:
(510)881-5111
perphil@aol.com

[Remoteness]

Phil,

Thank you for taking me up on visiting / posting on my Remote Possibilities forum at Gearslutz.com.

It's truly awesome to have you on board. I look forward to reading more posts from you when its applicable.

For those of you that are not familiar with this great remote recording engineer please check out his allmusic.com credit list. You better be sitting down folks -- It's going to blow your mind!

I cannot wait to get the McCoy Tyner with Jeff Watts, Joe Lavano, and Christian McBride masters you recorded on NYE2006. I'll be mixing that stuff for a new Half Note record real soon.

Any way, all the best and enjoy the forum!.

[bishopthomas]

Welcome to the group, Phil. That sounds like a great setup. I'd love to see pictures of it. Do you have a web site? I owned an MX2424 at one time and am thinking about getting an HD24. The thing I really like about the 2424 is the dettachable faceplate/remote, but I don't want the SCSI interface.

[Remoteworld]

Originally Posted by bishopthomas

Welcome to the group, Phil. That sounds like a great setup. I'd love to see pictures of it. Do you have a web site? I owned an MX2424 at one time and am thinking about getting an HD24. The thing I really like about the 2424 is the dettachable faceplate/remote, but I don't want the SCSI interface.

Thanks, Bishopthomas.... SOME pictures are available at our website www.philedwardsrecording.com ... the site MIGHT be down, right now, as it's being re-worked a little, but I promise it'll be running real soon, & promise to include interior pictures (not on the site, at the moment -- the truck had a recent makeover.)

The MX 2424's have proven to be reliable (once you know several of the "issues". The MXview software makes it particularly valuable. The SCSI platform makes it difficult for some (and expensive!!) but VERY robust and very fast. I little experience with the HD 24.

[Remoteworld]

Originally Posted by Remoteness

Phil,

Thank you for taking me up on visiting / posting on my Remote Possibilities forum at Gearslutz.com

Thanks, Steve,

I'm looking forward to being an active participant.... can't always "be there", but I'll try!! Have a great evening...

Phil

[Steve Smith]

Someone should sticky this as an example of HOW TO introduce yourself on this forum.....


Great to have you hear guys, can't wait to see the new site!

[Jim vanBergen]

WELCOME PHIL!

Good to have you (and Ian) here. Please, chime in!
Jim

[Axiomhead]

Welcome!

[Remoteworld]

Thanks to Steve Smith, Jim VanBergen and Axiomhead... I think!!

OK, so here's the deal: I hate to admit it, but I am SO not on top of "threads", "sticky's", etc. I am totally clueless and defenseless in this maze of posted whatzits... I've got a pretty crazy long list of projects completed over the last 35+ years, or so, but never made the jump to "online lingo." I'm gonna leave most of the navigating in this regard to that "Ian guy." He's promised to hold my hand in that regard.

I do hope to entertain you all with some stuff on and off, though, and hopefully I'll learn something as well.

Take care, all, & thanks for the incredible welcome.

P. S.... exterior photos (only three, at this point) of the "new" truck are on the website ( www.philedwardsrecording.com ), but precious little else. If you DO go there, you'll see ONE interior shot that was taken in or around (no kidding) 1978. The two 16 track 3M 79 recorders (!!) are long gone, along with the chair, carpet and monitors... but the console still lives on! :^) More stuff to follow... thanks for being patient - "old" website was outmoded by about 5 years.

P. S. S.... do you think that little "penguin thingy" makes any sense? I'm not sure what that has to do with remote recording, but Ian thought it was cute... I'll ask the rest of the crew what they think...

[lampmeister]

Welcome. Penguins are cool with us!

Dave.

[bishopthomas]

Is the penguin your power animal? "Slide!"

[Jim Easton]

Hey Phil welcome, great front page on your site-!!

Look forward to picking your brain. You have recorded all my favorites including RIP Michael Brecker.

[Remoteworld]

thanks for your warm welcomes...

Dave, I'm glad penguins work for you! Also, I noticed you've been a participant on the forum since September 11... interesting not only for the infamous "911" tragedy, but it happens to be my birthday*, as well. Hmmm.... and just between you and me, what do you make of Norm Geisler's well-expressed apologetic? ;^)

bishopthomas, I don't have a "power animal", although my son has two pit bulls (nice animals, actually), so maybe they could be my power animals in absentia. The penguin thing is actually Ian's idea (he found this somewhere... I don't know.) I would have opted for a rocket ship, or maybe a truck or something, but he though the penguin seemed appropriate (??)

Jim, anyone who knows Michael Brecker was greatly saddened by his departure. I only had a couple of opportunities to support him on record. Truly a great jazz musician, Michael. If you know your jazz artists, we are also saddened to see the passing of Jimmy Cheatham just a couple of days ago, as well.

Well, this is turning into more of a "blog" than a remote recording site... please excuse me. In any regard, I do love to share stories & such (Jim), so don't put off giving me a "poke" on stuff. Would love to meet you all.

* my wife might say my birthday was a tragedy all of it's own (just kidding, sweetie.)

[gatekeeper]

The penguin is actually the linux operating system logo named tux, or Tux The Penguin.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_penguin

WELCOME ABOARD!

[Junkie]

Love the 'PER Mobile III' I wish the UK would get some glam vans. The best we have are ford transits! Well at least we gave birth to AMS Neve


Welcome!

[Remoteworld]

Originally Posted by gatekeeper

The penguin is actually the linux operating system logo named tux, or Tux The Penguin.

Thanks, gatekeeper... Yeah, I discovered this soon after using it.... am I going to jail for making use of this??

Thanks for the encouragement....

Phil Edwards

[Remoteworld]

Originally Posted by Junkie

Love the 'PER Mobile III' I wish the UK would get some glam vans. The best we have are ford transits! Well at least we gave birth to AMS Neve


Welcome!

junkie,

Well, I don't think we ever conceived of this remote package as being a "glam van", but that certainly sounds flattering!! Actually, having participated for literally decades in remote recording (my first "real" remote was with the "Ike and Tina Turner Review" in 1968), I've been absorbed in making the "remote experience" as much of a positive one as possible. Along the way, there have been successes - and near failures.

Aside from the seemingly glam side of remote recording, I assure you that we all breathe a sigh of relief when we can come away from a production with no serious problems (there are almost always problems.) Each purchase or retrofit or modification we make is made mainly to promote (if not "guarantee") the integrity of the equipment and meet the expectations of the client. The "new" truck gives us more "insurance" that we'll meet those expectations, and meet deadlines. The older truck cab & chassis was / is still functional, but parts are getting harder to find, & gas (petrol) is CRAZY expensive now, so we opted for a diesel version (a 100% increase in fuel economy) which should pay for itself over the period of five or six years.

For the moment, we are still steering away from a completely digital audio chain over the reliability concerns (although digital desks are quickly gaining on the integrity issues.) Plus, there seems to be a continuing and much greater interest in analog equipment (in our case, the API componentry.) It is incredibly rugged, and has that somewhat intangible but readily identifiable "sound."

By the way, I did a really quick "google" search on United Kingdom remote vehicles, & landed at least on large truck with pretty slick-looking specs. It's at http://www.floatingearth.demon.co.uk/truck.htm I know there are others, as well.

Thanks for the post, & continue to demonstrate zeal in the things you tackle in audio.

Phil Edwards

[Junkie]

Floating Earth's Mobile Recording Truck looks well cosy but it has the aesthetics of british convict transport vehicle!! I love the chrome grill on on your motor (hate to change direction of this thread).

Cheers

[Remoteworld]

Originally Posted by Junkie

...I love the chrome grill on on your motor...

Thanks, Junkie,

Yeah, we figured when we had the truck built that if we had a chrome grill installed, it would give us a little more "air" on the cymbal tracks... likewise with the chrome bumper - we could expect more definition from the "E" string on a Fender Jazz Bass... and, although you didn't mention it, the air ride suspension really helps smooth out everything in between.

Phil (:^)

[Remoteness]

Phil,

How's the left coast doin' my man? All is well on the right coast.

Hey, thanks for turning Paul Tillotson and his Love Trio on to us...

We recorded the trio last week and Paul and his associates were very happy with the results.

We felt the love.

I owe you one my fellow Remotester!

All the best to you and yours.