Recording April 2022 - 4

publisher: Thomas Hawley
associate publisher: Brent Heintz
EDITORIAL
i
FadeIn
Lately, I have noticed the online phenomenon of people fervently posting their
opinions as facts. No, I'm not talking about politics, who has the best pizza in
town or whose cat is cuter, I'm talking about gear debates!
On one side, you hear the so-called fact that vintage gear can never be
equaled by modern, globally-sourced equivalents, and that professional recordings
will be nearly impossible to achieve with these imposters. The other side
then states its (equally so-called) fact that affordable alternatives can rival and
even surpass their historical inspirations, thus proving that the classic gear companies
are simply cashing in on their legacies.
The cynic in me distills each argument down into:
A. You need this big-buck gear, which I have access to and/or spent my
whole life saving up for, to make good records. It's pay-to-play, and I am
threatened that you might make good music with lesser specimens.
B. It's not fair that this gear is so expensive-I deserve and need it now. I
can't afford the real deal, ergo, this less-expensive knockoff is just as good
as the real thing.
I remember, when I purchased my first $200 microphone 25 years ago, I was
like, " Wow, this is expensive, and my recordings are destined to be so much better... "
Well, some were, others were not. However, I was never under the illusion
that my budget mic rivaled something ten times its price. I just needed to make
the best recordings I could with what I had. When I stepped up to a $700 mic,
the process began again, and so on-leveling up.
I remember the first time I got to use a pair of five-figure vintage classics, and I
marveled at a versatility and depth of field that I had never experienced before.
Essentially, they sounded good on any source at darn near any distance, with
little need to EQ the tracks to compensate for any shortcomings. The thing is, I
never walked away saying the clones of these mics are just as good, nor did it
keep me from continuing to use those less expensive offerings to make the best
recordings I could. But now, I had heard-and learned-the difference.
I often see, " It's the craftsman, not the tools, " used to justify inexpensive gear.
But wait-master craftsmen don't use cheap tools; they pay for the right tools to
help them accomplish the job at hand, and they know when a tool has reached
its limit but it hasn't reached quite far enough for the gig-time to upgrade.
Sometimes a tool is right for the job, sometimes it's good enough, sometimes it's
all you can afford, and other times you get the good stuff just because you want
it. It's wise to be humble enough to know the difference.
And now, welcome to our singer/songwriter-focused issue! We have reviews
of twelve tools at all ends of the recording spectrum. We have interviews with
Bobby Weir, who talks about getting to know the characters in his songs, along
with his producer/bassist Don Was, who focuses on supporting the artist and the
live recording experience. Then Andrew Bolooki gets into the details of modern
vocal production.
Finally, our regulars, Marc Urselli, Mark Hornsby, Joe Albano, Marty Peters
and Aaron J. Trumm, are here with their words of wisdom for the recording
singer/songwriter.
Enjoy the issue,
editor: Paul Vnuk Jr.
músico pro editor: Rodrigo O. Sánchez
CONTRIBUTORS
associate editor: Alex Hawley
copy editor: Mike Scheibinger
Joe Albano, David Blascoe,
John Czerwinski, Mark Hornsby, Marty Peters,
Bill Stunt, Aaron J. Trumm, Marc Urselli
SOCIAL MEDIA
Brent Heintz, Paul Vnuk Jr.
ART & PRODUCTION
production manager: Colin Courtney
art director: Colin Courtney
VIDEO PRODUCTION
Paul Vnuk Jr., Alex Hawley
Cameron Heintz, Lauren Hawley
CIRCULATION
circulation manager: Tiffany Sepe
ADVERTISING SALES AND MARKETING
director: Brent Heintz
classifieds manager: Colin Courtney
ADMINISTRATION
accounts receivable: Thomas Hawley
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
president: Thomas Hawley
vice president: Brent Heintz
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RECORDING MAGAZINE
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4 RECORDING April 2022
Recording April 2022

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