Recording - May 2017 - 4

publisher:

FadeIn
"JUST THROW A MIC ON IT..."
As I was writing this editorial, I got these two unboxing photos from Paul Vnuk Jr.:

Thomas Hawley
Brent Heintz

associate publisher:

EDITORIAL
Mike Metlay
special projects editor: Lorenz Rychner
technical editor: Paul Vnuk Jr.
editor at large: Beto Hale
copy editor: Diana Smethurst
músico pro editor: Fernando Curiel
editor:

CONTRIBUTORS
Paul Vnuk Jr., Sven-Erik Seaholm,
Paul J. Stamler, Aaron J. Trumm,
Marty Peters, Scott Dorsey
SOCIAL MEDIA
Brent Heintz, Paul Vnuk Jr.
ART & PRODUCTION
Joseph Hawley
production manager: Colin Courtney
web goalie: Colin Courtney
creative director:

PLAYBACK PLATINUM SERIES
Lorenz Rychner

editor/producer:

Just a bit too late for this issue on miking
instruments, we've received Aston's new
Starlight small-diaphragm condenser mic, which features all kinds of new
innovations... including a built-in laser pointer for rapid and reproducible setup
and alignment, no less. Maybe we won't see lasers popping up on lots of other
microphones, but it's encouraging to note that there are still folks thinking hard
about how to facilitate the task of setting up mics to get the best sound.
If getting great sounds from miked instruments-often under less than perfect
conditions-was easy, everyone would be doing it. That's why I occasionally
find it puzzling, irritating, or just amusing, when I hear two statements from
recording musicians and engineers, usually one right after the other:
"Dude, just throw a mic on it-it's not rocket science!"
"I dunno, man, my tracks always sound lame-I wish I could afford better gear."
Seriously? Dear readers, the great-sounding dynamic mics of yesteryear are (nearly) all
still available for not much more than they cost when they were introduced. The cheapest of
the cheap condenser mics on the market today are as good or better than anything available to us 20 years ago (well, for less than $1000), and that goes double for ribbon mics.
If you have even a few hundred dollars invested in your mic closet, you can't blame your
mics for not doing their job when you "just throw them" on something you're recording.
Yes, price and quality go hand in hand (to an extent), but a careful engineer is far
more likely to get a usable sound from a cheap mic than a sloppy engineer is to get a
usable sound from a costly mic. Take time to learn to use the gear you have, and when
you can afford better gear, you'll be in a position to capitalize on the improvement.
In this issue, we focus on ways to get the most from the mics and gear you have, thanks
to knowledge and imagination. There's no-holds-barred zero-budget DIY drum recording,
the secret of recording an upright bass track when you don't actually have an upright
bass-or someone who could play it-and knowing what to do when your next roots rock
client pulls out a ukulele. (And what not to do; pointing and laughing is just plain rude.)
In our interview about the making of Aimee Mann's beautiful new album Mental
Illness, producer/engineer (and recording musician) Paul Bryan emphasizes how important
it is to always be learning how to do things better. If he gets better sounds in his house
than you get in yours, that starts with the knowledge he brings to the table.
The cheapest and most rewarding upgrade your studio will ever get is the one
you install between your ears. Enjoy the issue.

CIRCULATION
Tiffany Sepe

circulation manager:

ADVERTISING SALES AND MARKETING
director: Brent Heintz
classifieds manager: Colin Courtney
ADMINISTRATION
Thomas Hawley

accounts receivable:

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Thomas Hawley
vice president: Brent Heintz
president:

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RECORDING MAGAZINE
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RECORDING May 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - May 2017