Recording - August 2017 - 29

channels that convey either a lot of power
or a lot of low frequency, and even more
so for channels that convey both. Various
generations of Neve preamps were used
on this project, all the way from vintage
class A to class AB to new preamps recently released by Rupert Neve Designs.
I'm a big fan of tube preamps for the
character/clarity they impart to a signal; I
love my Summit TPA-200B for cymbals, as
well as my D.W. Fearn VT-2 for vocals. I
took advantage of numerous API preamps
as well as Vintech, Daking, and AEA.
I tend to think of compression very
differently in the digital era than I did
in the analog era. I use compression
very sparingly into Pro Tools, generally
preferring to capture sounds without dynamics processing so that I can level first
and apply compression later, post-fader.
I often think of and use compression as a
timbral processor than as an automatic
gain control device. Though some could
argue that this is a semantic difference, I
just don't see it that way. I think we can
all agree that compression can be a

powerful tool that affects how a track sits
in a mix. Especially considering the overall sound that we were going for on this
project, I chose to not compress any signals
into Pro Tools, other than the vocals.
For Willie's three vocal channels, my
signal paths were as follows:
1. Coles STC-4038 into AEA TRP preamp
into Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor.
2. Shure SM7 into D.W. Fearn VT-2
preamp into Shadow Hills Mastering
Compressor.
3. AKG C12 into D.W. Fearn VT-2
preamp into Pendulum OCL-2 opto
compressor (as I mentioned earlier, the
AKG C12 tracks never got used).
I've owned my Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor for about four years and
have to say that it's my most indispensable piece of equipment. Sadly, mine has
had to return to the factory for repairs a
few times, and I'm really crippled in its
absence... so much so that I'm saving up
for a spare for the next time it goes down!
Fortunately it didn't fail me on Willie's
vocals. Our available time to mix this

album is such that I can't spend as much
time as I'd like leveling the vocal. Thankfully, the Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor
did a beautiful job of musically manipulating
Willie's dynamic range. As a result, I'm
finding myself doing less vocal level
management than I often have to do. Oh
yeah, Willie deserves some credit here
too... he's one of the most masterful singers
I've ever worked with. His awareness and
control of his own dynamics are stunning.

THE REST

Since the focus of this issue of Recording
is live miking, our story must end here.
Before finishing up, I wanted to outline
the evolution of this album after our two
days at Fantasy Studios.
As I mentioned earlier, I recorded both
lead vocals and electric guitar in isolation.
We chose to record the vocal this way to
get a cleaner, essentially leakage-free
signal. I also thought that asking any
vocalist to sing at the top of their game
for 10 hours a day, two days in a row,
was cruel and unusual punishment. Since
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - August 2017
