Recording - November 2011 - 64

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Martin or Gibson Dreadnought when it comes to low-end presence. However, with some careful mic placement and judicious eq, it is certainly possible to achieve a big bold tone using one of these beauties. Experimentation is the key here, and what you learn now will be invaluable in future endeavors. As for the log jam in the intro, remember that less can truly be more and leaving room for your track to expand can be a good thing.
Summary: The devil is in the details.
Contact: Matt Mercado, sonicpalace@comcast.net

Brian Bethke
Equipment: PC running Syntrillium Cool Edit 2.0; Behringer Eurorack UB1222FXPro mixer; MXL 990 condenser mic; Johnson electric guitar through a Digitech processor “I bought at a pawn shop 13 years ago”, Ovation Applause acoustic guitar, Yamaha PSR19 keyboard, and “one beerfilled drummer!”

Matt Mercado
Equipment: Pentium 4 PC with two MOTU 2408 Mk3 interfaces running Steinberg Cubase 4. Mics: RØDE NT1-A (vocals, drum overheads, acoustic guitars), AKG D112 (kick), Shure SM57 (snare top), Shure PL 10 (toms) and PL20 (floor tom). Taylor 710ce and Seagull S6 acoustic guitars; Modulus bass input direct.

Music: “Megan” is a male vocal rock song. Matt wrote, recorded and produced the track. The band was Matt on guitar, bass and vocals, Quinn Moor on guitar, and Ithan Novak on drums. Recording: Ah, a little classic folk rock. Matt’s Wallflowers-styled track is full of nifty little surprises and is a fine recording for the most part. The drum performance and tones are first-rate, as is the bass. Better still are the Hammond organ and Rhodes piano sections. Since no source of origin was given in the equipment list, we are unsure whether the guys actually recorded the real instruments or used virtual sound sources, but either way, they sound great. Our only concern with the track centers around the acoustic guitars. Both the six and twelve string guitars sound thin to our ears and the overuse of them in the intro adds some confusion to an otherwise tidy recording. Suggestions: As the proud owner of several Taylor guitars I can testify to their clean, articulate tone. That said, no one will ever confuse them with a
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RECORDING NOVEMBER 2011

Music: “Show Me The Numbers” is a male vocal rock song. Brian did it all with some help from Derrick Beiderman on the drums, in his country studio some miles away from Eau Claire, Wisconsin. By Brian’s own admission, “It was a very primitive recording. The acoustic guitar and lead vocal were recorded with one MXL 990 in the middle of the room while we played a live take. After that I spent two days layering different vocal, keys and electric guitar... I have recorded all my albums in this primitive studio and I am a full time professional musician using very unprofessional equipment.” Recording: Wait a minute here, a lo-fi recording done with minimal gear in a cabin outside of Eau Claire, Wisconsin? Funny, we were just reading an article in the weekend New York Times Magazine about a guy that had that same idea... a feller named Bon Iver, hangs with Kanye West these days, or so it claimed there in the news. Ah, whatever. Brian has submitted a damn fine tune here in a lo-fi sort of way. We love the vocal recording and the creative use of panning throughout. The synth pad drifts in and out sans distraction, and the drums come across pretty well considering they were tracked with only one mic. We also really dug the “tape slow down” trick at the intro. Smartly done. That then leaves us with our only complaint, which is the loose distortion on the electric guitar, a bit too “Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald” for our tastes. Suggestions: We have learned to tread very lightly when dealing with all issues lo-fi in our career. The mere suggestion of “Hey, what about adding a bass?” often sends them running straight for their Tom Waits/ White Stripes/ Black Keys recordings, never to be heard from again. That said, we’re a brave lot here at Recording, so here goes: Hey Brian, how ’bout adding a bass to your track? There, we said it. Also, tidying up that distortion would be great while you’re at it. Cool, peace, out.
Summary: When in Eau Claire, do as the Eau Claire-eans do.
Contact: Brian Bethke, brianbethkemusic@hotmail.com, www.myspace.com/brianbethkemusic

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Recording - November 2011

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