EQ Magazine - December 2008 - (Page 30)

GUITAR TRAX CALEXICO: TUCSON TONE KINGS TURN TO DUST AUBREY EDWARDS by Ke n M i c a l l e f For years, Tucson tone kings Calexico have explored a dark, noir-inflected style that encompasses ’50s jazz, Mexican mariachi, and David Lynchian textures—with a serious nod to spaghetti western composer Ennio Morricone. Calexico’s 10th release, Carried to Dust, finds principal members Joey Burns (guitars) and John Convertino (drums) pursuing their southwestern sonic sorcery via producer/engineer Craig Schumacher’s heavily tricked-out Wavelab Recording Studio. Playing a 1962 Airline electric, 1950s Harmony Archtop electric, 1999 Manuel Rodriguez nylon cutaway and a 1960 FT-79 Epiphone Texan acoustic, Burns was joined by additional musicians who further broadened Calexico’s smoky melodic palette. Volker Zander’s 1961 Hofner Club bass and Jairo Zavala’s 1960s Gibson LGO acoustic typically overdubbed Burns and Convertino’s basic tracks with final arrangements created during mixdown. Coupling Digidesign’s Pro Tools and iZ Technology’s RADAR (via a Soundcraft Ghost board) with his own gear and effects, Schumacher maintained Calexico’s naturalist approach on Carried to Dust. “Calexico’s music resonates with people because it has dynamics,” Schumacher explains. “A lot of modern music is totally losing dynamics through that whole concept of louder, louder, louder. I’m fascinated by how they do that, but [the resulting music] doesn’t resonate with me.” Beyond the band’s atmosphereladen approach, Burns’ guitar layering (often through Gretsch Safari and Fender Blues Deville amps) is another Calexico trademark. “I think of Frank John Convertino (left) Sinatra’s guitarist Al and Joey Burns. Caiola, or R.E.M.’s Peter Buck; he knows when to drone,” Burns says. “I like a wide palette— allusions to an orchestra at times, and at other times, more of a solo or duet dynamic. I’m not about plugging in and playing on ten. I want the sound to pulse and breathe.” Located deep within the former dry battery storage room of Western States Telephone and Telegraph in downtown Tucson, Schumacher’s 1,500 square foot facility is flush with vintage guitars, lots of delay pedals (he loves delays), keyboards, amps, and effects (including original EMT 140 and 240 plate reverbs). In addition to his work with Calexico, Schumacher has produced/engineered Nico Case, Steve Wynn, Richard more midrange. I particularly like ribbon mics Buckner, Giant Sand, and the Sadies, among others. because the way you angle the ribHow do you typically mic Calexbon is almost the way you hear the ico’s guitar amps? speaker: If you line the ribbon up in a vertical position, then you catch the I generally place a Royer 121 or 122 edge of the speaker as you would ribbon mic six to eight inches away with a dynamic mic. But if you turn and off to the right side of the the ribbon horizontally, it’s like you’re speaker cone’s center, then go picking up the whole speaker. The through DW Fearn VT2, Daking ribbon gives a lot of flexibility, and Micpre/EQ, Grace Design Model also knocks off some of the brighter, 201, Groove Tubes SuPre, or UA edgier content that can create distor610 mic pres. I don’t like getting tions in the mix. right in the center of the speaker While ribbons are well-suited where the sound is really bright; for electric guitars because they’re when the mic is offset, you get 30 EQ DECEMBER 2008 www.eqmag.com http://www.eqmag.com

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

EQ Magazine - December 2008 Contents Talk Box Sounding Board Punch In My Morning Jacket Guitar Trax Bass Management Key Issues Drum Heads Vocal Cords Mix Bus Cheat Sheet Cakewalk Sonar 8 Propellerhead Reason 4 Indie 500: Lunchbox Pres and Compressors 500 Series Preamps 500 Series Compressors Gadgets and Goodies Sounds Room with a Vu

EQ Magazine - December 2008

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