Mobile Recording Rig

I know, I know… Another studio upgrade right? Well, it’s all part of the growing and expanding process. This new mobile recording setup will serve two very important purposes. The first of which is giving my studio a solid Pro Tools M-Powered 8 compatible interface. This enables me to work with clients that have already started recording in other studios using other platforms (such as Logic, Nuendo, and Pro Tools).

As an example, next week I will begin working on a full length solo album for Joel Green (former bassist for Emery) and he had previously started recording at The Gallows recording studio using Pro Tools. This new rig integrates to my existing studio setup and allows me to finish working on his project in the native environment that it was recorded in.

The second purpose of this mobile recording rig is to allow me to record at remote locations; whether it’s a live performance at a venue or recording an album in a house). I understand that there are situations where it’s cheaper to bring the recording studio to the band rather than the band to the studio. After all, if a band is traveling from out of town with 4 members they have to pay for four members to exist (eating, drinking, and sleeping) for the duration of the recording process. When I go to the band I am only paying for myself which is significantly cheaper. Also, this broadens my client base to anyone in the United States interested in my services.

Mixing Console

The new Argosy desk has been assembled and installed. It’s made working in the studio a much more enjoyable experience. However, the assembly was pretty intense. I doubt I’ll ever assemble another piece of furniture as elaborate as this console desk… but damn does it look awesome.

I spent the majority of today transporting and assembling my new Argosy 70-DM4800-R Console Desk which will be replacing the old wooden Ponderosa table that I’ve been using up until this point. The desk came in 13 separate boxes! Putting it all together was quite a task. To this day, this is the most elaborate piece of furniture that I’ve ever pieced together.

Although the old Ponderosa table has served me well over the years, I’m glad to see it go. Despite it’s sturdy and rugged nature, it just doesn’t look professional. That, and it was a tad on the small side. It’s going to be awesome to work on such a large console desk.

David Letterman Studios @ Ball State University

One of the advantages that comes with attending Ball State University is the fact that I get to take advantage of the studio facilities of the David Letterman Building’s studios. This last semester I worked with a team composed of five individuals (myself included) to record a 5-song demo for a band of our choosing. The band we chose was “Apsara” with whom I’ve had the pleasure of working with beforehand.

Each of the team members was responsible for one of the five tracks to be recorded. I was assigned a song titled “Boredom Breeds Chaos” which also happens to be the title of the Demo EP.  I spent my sweet-ass time crafting my assigned song to the liking of Apsara in addition to the standards set by professor Stan Sollars.

The file below is my final 44.1 – 24 bit Pro Tools bounce in WAV format.
http://www.mediafire.com/?nrnzdn0tgjq

As you may or may not have heard… Arrah and the Ferns are reuniting to play a few shows throughout the midwest. This news comes after the group disbanded over a year ago. I spoke to the head of this folk-pop trio and asked if they’d be interested in coming into the studio to record a few live takes of their songs while they were in town. Arrah was quick to reply and said that she was interested but would like to record her project “Woodlands” rather than “Arrah & the Ferns” due to legal issues involving their old deals with Standard Recording Company in Indianapolis. Either way, “Woodlands” is 2/3 of the original “Arrah & the Ferns” line-up.

We met up today at 10AM and started setting up microphones and setting levels. A few hours, and a bag of buffalo ranch doritos, later they were packing up their instruments and driving to South Bend, Indiana to begin their tour. Over the next couple of days I’ll be mixing down the songs that we recorded in the hopes of having them finished by Wednesday.

I’m hoping to post mp3s of the master versions by the end of the week.

I’ve already posted my first test video of Bryan playing the drums for Matt Ruddick’s upcoming EP. Check it out!

Hopefully this will be the first of many studio videos to come.

My first point of business was to put construct a temporary recording facility in Muncie, Indiana that would allow me to do top-shelf work until I graduate from Ball State University with my BA in Telecommunications with a focus on Production. After a whole lot of hard work the facility is now open for business. It is currently operating out of a converted basement that has been acoustically treated and optimized for all recording tasks. Now all I have to do is graduate! Once I am finished with school I am planning to relocate the studio to Bloomington, IN. If all goes well this will be happening in just over one year.

It feels good to see all of my plans coming to fruition. This website is just another piece of the puzzle… An extension of the recording studio’s physical self. I even created a twitter account so that everyone can keep up with who is being recorded! Everything is coming together nicely.

I’d like to thank everyone that has taken the time to help me with seemingly menial tasks. I’d like to thank Austin Case for helping me clean out a basement full of useless junk and transform it into something useful. I’d like to thank Alex Reid for helping me construct a wall that separates the dead room from the mixing console. I’d like to thank Adam Crampton for catering to all of my equipment needs and technical support issues related to equipment that he didn’t even sell me in the first place. I’d like to thank Lauren Bultman for being a patient and loving girlfriend that puts up with my long hours in the studio and who also takes amazing photos for me. I’d like to thank my dad for letting me use his basement as a recording studio and being so supportive of the entire operation. I’d like to thank Kevin Vance for donating miscellaneous drum parts to the studio drum kit so that we are able to record drums.

These are all of the people that I can remember at this late hour. If I left anyone out, I’m sorry. Thanks to everyone for helping me out. I couldn’t have done it without you.