EQ Magazine - November 2008 - (Page 23)

by David Royer Wilson (standing) plans some fader moves at United Western Recorders. for every one of Wilson’s recordings since 1998’s Imagination—including various Beach Boys reissues such as The Pet Sounds Sessions box set, which earned him a Grammy nomination in 1998. After working so closely with Brian Wilson on so many albums over the years, what would you say is his current perspective on the recording process? Brian stopped worrying about the technical process when serious multitrack recording came in. Like a lot of people from that era, when it went from three to four tracks cut live in the studio to bigger track counts and layering and overdubbing, Brian stayed with the arranging and producing mode, and he left the engineering side to other people. Brian always knows what he wants to hear, but he still talks about recording in terms of tracks. He has no need or interest in knowing the intricacies of Pro Tools, and why should he? He doesn’t like looking at a computer screen all day. So at this point, he leaves it up to you? Brian knows about flying vocals in, and how easy that is to do. That would never have been conceived of ten years ago, much less 40. He just approaches it from the artistic standpoint. It’s more about the convenience now. We don’t have to tell him we just ran out of tracks so we have to stop and make a slave or do a punch again. Did Brian discuss with you the overall sonic sense he wanted for That Lucky Old Sun? Not on this one. He did that pretty extensively when we recorded SMiLE. What exactly did Brian want to hear on SMiLE? We conceptualized doing it the way it was recorded in the ’60s. We did multitrack, but we put everybody in the same room [Studio One] at Sunset Sound, where Brian recorded some of the original SMiLE and Pet Sounds sessions. Brian felt like that room was an integral part of that piece, and that it would be better to cut it that way, rather than try to make it sound like that after the fact with extra reverb and the like. We even cut the strings and horns live, though they were in an isolation booth. What does Brian listen for while his band is tracking? A good take—and any obvious blunders. Some arrangement changes were made on the floor. This is something they had already played live as a 36-minute suite of songs at London’s Royal Festival Hall. Although this music had been performed, and we actually already recorded a live version at that point, once you get in the studio, things tend to change. SMiLE and That Lucky Old Sun were both put on their legs before we went in the studio. That is why we could cut this so quick. Everyone knew their parts. There are moments on That Lucky Old Sun that recall Pet Sounds and other classic Beach Boys’ records. Did Brian want a similar production sound? “The MA-201fet is big and fat, and packs an extra midrange punch that sounds great on vocals, drums and guitars.” - Engineer; Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica, Skid Row, Extreme, King’s X Visit mojaveaudio.com for studio photos and audio samples. MA-201 fet Michael Wagener Introducing AES Booth 1431 NOVEMBER 2008 EQ 818.847.0222 Burbank, CA www.eqmag.com 23 http://www.mojaveaudio.com http://www.mojaveaudio.com http://www.eqmag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of EQ Magazine - November 2008

EQ Magazine - November 2008 Contents Talk Box Sounding Board Punch In Brian Wilson Guitar Trax Bass Management Key Issues Drum Heads Vocal Cords Mix Bus Cheat Sheet Sony Acid 6 Abelton Live 7 Controller World New Controllers Analysis Room with a Vu

EQ Magazine - November 2008

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