Mike Textbeak- DJ, musician

Every couple weeks, we are going to spotlight some of our favorite clients, engineers, and bands that have graced the A/D converters of Cauliflower Audio.

This week, we’re speaking with DJ and experimental musician Mike Textbeak. Mike’s been on the forefront of insanely esoteric and dark electronic music since the early 90′s. His discography of releases is, quite frankly, massive. Mike recently spent some time in Australia and was kind enough to answer some questions for us.

*****

• 1. Mike, I remember the first time I met you in the early 90′s. You were guest-hosting a college radio show, and you were kind enough to play one of my first band’s demos. You immediately recognized the drum machine and specific distortion pedal we were using, much to my chagrin. Later, you helped me decide on my first sampler. I’ve always known you to be well versed in all manners of crazy gear… what’s your current rig look like? Do you still wield the W-30?
  

Actually yes, I do still use the W-30. This is actually my second as my first totally died on me back in 1996 and when I was at Mars recording “N-Graver” with Bill Korecky. I got another Roland W-30 but it didn’t have the additional RAM that came with the SCSI upgrade and so it was having serious polyphony problems. I tried to take it to Beamish Audio to get the SCSI port and memory upgrade swapped out but he was swamped with work orders so Bill got the idea that we should just do it ourselves. Bill turned Mars into a keyboard surgery room with anti-static foam etc. and we went to work. I am totally not technically minded when it comes to the guts of machines so this was just an awesome learning experience. The operation was a success and “N-Graver” was recorded as planned. My current set up consists of the Roland W-30, Alesis D4 Drum Module, Korg Electribe EA-1, mixers, 2 computers with various programs including Logic, Sonicworx, Fruity Loops, Sound Forge, etc. I have been working mostly in software lately, but have been recording bits of patterns from the W-30 as I still can’t get over the glitchy jerkiness of the filters and how you can glitch it to misfire and randomly grab and hold on loops by playing legato over staccato notes while in loop play mode.

• 2. Not too long ago I listened to one of the early Bath albums, and I was impressed by how it pretty much predicted the framework for a lot of the modern “witch-house” stuff: the pitched down vocals, the hazy atmospheres, the hip-hop influence, the anti-production production. Do you own a time machine? Also, what do you think of this expanding scene of like-minded folks?

Hahahaha thanks Adam. I think the reason for the parallels in what I was doing back then which evolved into the connections with the current scene is obviously evolution based on influences. My biggest influences as a youngster were recordings like Coil’s “Horse Rotorvator,” Cocteau Twins’ “Garlands,” Tear Garden’s “Tired Eyes Slowly Burning,” Cabaret Voltaire’s “Mix Up,” Skinny Puppy, etc. which instilled a hardcore sense of sonic manipulation and the appreciation of heavy atmospherics. On top of that, I had a lot of friends listening to rap and obviously the techno influence from the Body Release days and the club scene. All of these influences would just bleed into everything I did with Bath. Bath was just meant to [be] alien, cerebral, and scary. It was basically music that made my guts churn and caused a visceral reaction (especially “Book I” and “Fools”). “N-Graver” went in many directions and was more exploratory. The Textbeak solo work obviously evolved from these pieces. I have always been drawn to slower music, but also really into filtering. The pitching is just from tooling and finding that things just sound obviously heavier, bassier, and darker at lower pitches. Plus, by my influences you can tell that I like my drums crunchy, deep, and verby so pitching down is just the way to go to bring out these qualities.

I think it was just a matter of time for a scene to develop of artists that have evolved from similar influences. You gotta think that if you’re doing something, there has to be other people out there doing similar things. It’s just [that] the Internet that has allowed for all these sonic explorers from all over to come in contact and become a scene. There’s people that have come from more of the dance electronic side, or more the rap side, or the gothic or industrial side, but the main thing is that most of the people I am in contact with have such varied and wide influences that they don’t feel connected to any of these pre-existing scenes because of the sterility, stagnation, and general ignorance against forward movement within many of these more established scenes. If the scene didn’t exist, I’d still be doing what I do and I’m sure most of these artists would too, but it is nice to have a community of artists to connect with.

• 3. You’ve been traveling a lot lately, including stints in Australia and a DJ set at the CVRRENTS party at SXSW (alongside a pretty impressive roster of folks). Any collaborations in the making? More touring plans?

CVRRENTS was a great time and it was awesome getting to see all the artists live. I was really impressed by seeing Men In Burka, Greenlander (from Youngstown, Ohio), and Strange Powers for the first times live. It was also great kickin’ it with SIGNS. We did some work on a track together which should be seeing the light of day soon. Just did a new track with Jin aka VIF aka sin(x)sin on vocals that is on a new comp for the GLITTERHELL t-shirt company with AAIMON, Skeletonkids, Ceremonial Dagger, Witchboy, SPF50, and tons of other artists. Also currently working on a new track with Nove Mura of Synth Scene magazine and a new Bath construction with Lucas aka Claus Muzak of The Strange Agency. Just did a drag edit of Os Ovni that is coming out on Robot Elephant Records with other remixes by VALIS, Ben Tundra, and UNISON. Have a release coming out in fall on Pale Noir called TEXTBEAK and TNDROND (stands for The New Deal Representatives Of Northern Disco) which is a collaborative compilation featuring a track I did with Jason Adams back at the 1954 studio, some Voctave (Rob Nagy), and some weird takes on the classic Bath track “The Folded Grin” by myself, Ceremonial Dagger, and Voctave. The name TNDROND comes from a concept that I have explored in my writing and on my radio show of cold bass, cold indie, and XLVRRED disco. There is also a single coming out on the UK label Post-Religion for my track Gatchaman (tribute to the classic Japanimation) which will feature remixes by RAUDIVE (Oliver Ho), MASCARA, Slow Head, High Park, and Strange Powers. Alex Wolf who owns the label is making a live action meets datamosh concept video for the track.

No actual tour plans, just a lot of scattered shows. Really excited about playing the Euphony Pale Noir showcase in Madison, Wisconsin on June 8th with AAIMON, eyedoublecross, Preteen Pornstar, and Channel 4Four. The cool thing about the Euphony show is that we are broadcasting whole the event live on Bummer Bliss Radio, so people can tune in from anywhere in the world.

• 4. I can usually recognize about 1/3 of the names in your DJ sets. You definitely like the spelunk in the depths. Give me a modern artist as well as a classic one that makes it into your current set 99% of the time.

When I DJ at an event, I regularly play a lot of Mascara, Strange Powers, and Bruxa. As for classics, I regularly play tracks by Skinny Puppy, He Said, and Coil. I tend to play all over the spectrum, but you already knew that ;>

• Check out some choice nuggets from Mike’s extensive body of work: new.official.fm/textbeak

Rae DiLeo (engineer)

Every couple weeks, we are going to spotlight some of our favorite clients, engineers, and bands that have graced the A/D converters of Cauliflower Audio.

This week, we’re talking with Rae DiLeo. Rae’s got a pretty incredible history– recording hardcore bands in Boston (FU’s, Christmas), proto hip-hop (Grandmaster Flash, Kurtis Blow) and speed metal (New Renaissance) in New Jersey, industrial rock in Chicago (Filter), and alternative & spoken word in California (Veruca Salt & Henry Rollins, respectively). His mixes pulse with life, and we’re pretty stoked to be talking with him.

*****

• 1. Rae, you studied audio engineering at Berklee in the 80′s and almost immediately after began making records in Boston’s burgeoning punk scene. Would you say it was school or your first engineering gig that made a bigger impact on you as an engineer? And is there a specific period in your career that you feel you grew the most?

I would have to say that school was really about giving me focus to what I would like to do. Once I got out of school, I was still living in Boston and happened to walk into a local studio with my resume. It was an older room with lots of great history (known for recording all of George Thorogood and the Destroyers’ big records). An engineer had just walked out that day, so I guess you can say I was in the right place at the right time. I spent the next three years living in a room above the studio and working on my recording chops by offering any local punk band to come in and record on the studio’s downtime. After 3 years I moved to NY; I think I grew the most in my days in New York, recording rap records for Profile Records and many others… these early days of working with beats and sound design kind of paved the way into programming which was so much a part of my later days working with Filter.

• 2. Your mixes are intricately layered, and the sense of depth is pretty incredible. There are always little things happening in the corners of the mix that aren’t evident upon first listen. Any pieces of sage advice you can give to budding engineers about mixing for depth and space?

Well, I think of mixing as an open canvas with layers behind the canvas. I like to mix with headphones a lot; I’m into panning and different subtle movement occurring with delays spread across the spectrum. For me headphones are a great way to achieve these subtleties that sometimes get lost in large monitors. It’s like going back to my days of youth, coming home from school and putting on my favorite piece of vinyl and getting lost in it, and each time I would always hear something different in the record.

• 3. I know you’re a big proponent of McDSP plugins and DSP processing in general. If you have the choice, will you use outboard gear anymore, or are you completely content to mix in the box? Why do you think plug-ins have gotten such a bad rap?

Well I do love a great tube compressor or analog delay unit. But nowadays for me the convenience of mixing in the box greatly out-weighs the sonic advantage of going to a console. First off, the budgets in record making aren’t there anymore to make it financially feasible to book a room with a console and do it the old way. As well, I love the convenience of instant recalls with ProTools, and when you have two or three mixes going at the same time that is the only way you can do it. I think that it isn’t so much as plugins getting a bad rap, because there are so many amazing effects and treatments that you can’t do with analog gear… and if you could it would take so much longer to create. I think the bad rap comes from the old-school world who are still trying to hold on to their consoles for as long as possible. And I do think it’s easy to overdo it, sometimes trying to treat a sound as you would with a real piece of hardware can get an engineer into trouble.

• 4. You used to master records for Rhino. What did that entail? Were you doing a lot of sonic sculpting, or was it more subtle? What do you think about the emphasis that audio mastering has in today’s industry?

With Rhino we were working with a lot of old masters that may only exist on vinyl and that required a lot of de-noising to remove artifacts, so everyday was always a challenge. Part of the fun at this time was trying to locate original masters, and if they weren’t available we had to use whatever we could find… which occurred on several occasions. I think that mastering in today’s market is just as important as ever if not even more so today. The reason I say that is because so many people are making their own records on shoe-string budgets, and the recording environment may not be what it was ten or twenty years ago. Let’s face it, todays recording hardware is in the hands of any individual, and anyone with a ProTools rig thinks they may be an engineer. So I think mixing and mastering done by qualified engineers is so important. A lot of the work of today’s mixing engineers is fixing poorly-recorded tracks; we sometimes have to get in there like surgeons before we get to the actual mixing part.

• 5. When you’re not tweaking faders and knobs, what can we find you doing? Any cool new projects on the horizon?

When I’m not sitting behind my computer, my passion is road cycling. I love to be on my bicycle in a long, quiet road. It’s my time to be with myself, almost like a meditation. Oh yeah and sitting in a cafe with a good coffee and a book is always cool too. As for new projects, I am trying to finish a record of my own music that I have been working on in my down time over the last year. I also have been mixing a couple very cool indie bands.

• Interested folk should peruse Rae’s website and drop him a line: raedileo.com

Mike McDonald (engineer)

Every couple weeks, we are going to spotlight some of our favorite clients, engineers, and bands that have graced the A/D converters of Cauliflower Audio.

This week, we have engineer Mike McDonald. Mike has recorded some of the best rock bands in Cleveland (and elsewhere) for 20 years now and always makes for a pleasant conversation. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Mike McDonald.

*****

• 1. Mike, we’ve been working together for pretty much as long as I’ve had the studio doors open. I know you’re from Oberlin, you wear your guitar slung REALLY low, and you shave your head regularly. I also know you have a connection with the legendary, now-defunct 609 Recording and you’ve basically engineered a record for almost everyone in Ohio that’s worth a damn at some point. Put it into perspective for us. What’s your story?

I got into recording the same way everyone in my demographic did – I started recording my stuff on a cassette four track in high school. I majored in radio production at KSU, did the Recording Workshop program, did some internships and classical jobs, read and recorded all I could, got my own 8 track set up.  I certainly haven’t recorded everyone in Ohio worth a damn by a long shot, but I continue to have opportunity to work with a lot of amazing bands and people, including Don Depew at 609.  He’s still one of my favorite engineers and, as anyone who knows him knows, one of the good guys.

• 2. There are a handful of records I bought as a teenager that pretty much inspired me to be an engineer. Do you mind sharing some of your favorite sounding “inspiration” records from your youth?

My dad used to bring home Abbey Road and Tommy from the college library when we were way young, so those two records really kicked me in this direction. Both my parents are musicians by trade, so music was always around.  I never really had that type of ‘aha’ moment, I just always did it.  My favorite sounding records run the gamut from really amazing sounding to completely obscene.  It takes all types. The only type of records I don’t like are one’s that sound contrived, lazy or incompetent…that goes for the engineering and the music.

• 3. What are your favorite records that you’ve engineered?

Honestly, when I listen to records I’ve worked on I cannot take off my critical ear so it’s really hard for me to enjoy them.  Once you develop an ear as a recording guy it’s kind of a curse, as you know.  Still, I’m proud of all my work big and small. Records by Up Ensemble, Viva Caramel, The Revelers, Coffinberry, Uva Ursi, Tinko, Electric Frankenstein, Quazimodo, 30 Lincoln, Gem and Doug Gillard, The Amprays, K-Ration, Prisoners…these all strike me as being memorable.  I could go on and on, really.  The people mean as much to me as the music and I’m truly grateful for all the opportunities.
  

• 4. Lately, you’ve been tracking in some of the newer rooms in town (Elevation, Bad Racket), as well as recording bands in their rehearsal spaces with a traveling rig. Tell us a little about your mobile arsenal. Also, what sort of things do you do to acclimate yourself to working in a new space?

95% of my work is mobile or on location. I have about 30 mics, 20 preamps and I plug em in to whatever I’m using to record. I rarely process anything on the way in. I can size up a room pretty quickly listening to the band in the room and listening to playback for a bit in different areas of the room.

I absolutely love working in studios when the budget allows.  Often, working in a studio can save you money in the long run. The newer rooms in town like Elevation and Bad Racket are awesome.  Great sounding rooms, both of them, with great owners.  Another favorite is Ampreon in Youngstown. Pete is the man.

• 5. Your recordings have a very honest quality to them, and I know you have a penchant for tape and analog gear. Is this a reflection of your “recording philosophy?” Or, if given the opportunity, will you make a record entirely “in-the-box,” slathering on digital plug-ins and editing to your heart’s content?

I have no recording philosophy that I wag around that I know of…certainly not as it pertains to gear.  If it sounds better on tape, I use tape. If it doesn’t. I don’t. I’ll record to an iPhone if it sounds good, and that time is coming if not here now.  I have a lot of analog gear as that was how it was done in the recording world when I came up. I do enjoy honesty in recording but keep in mind I cater to exceptionally small budgets. We don’t have a lot of time to lie, not that I want much. Still, that has very little to do with the gear used.

I’d love to have more opportunity to work in the box but my client base is definitely more geared to more traditional means of recording. I can get around in a computer easily and they can sound as kick ass as anything else.  I think many of the folks I record had a bad experience with going into a computer-based studio and got edited to death by someone who either didn’t know what they were doing or way overstepped their bounds as the know-it-all engineer. Both experiences are all too common today so I don’t blame them for being creeped out by a computer, but I’m not. 

• 6. What have you been working on lately that you’re stoked about?

My kitchen, my left hook and my capacity for compassion.

• Drop this man a line and he will record your band in a manner that is very pleasing: independentrec@gmail.com
]]> http://caulifloweraudio.com/client-focus-mike-mcdonald/feed/ 0 http://caulifloweraudio.com/client-focus-travelogue/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=client-focus-travelogue http://caulifloweraudio.com/client-focus-travelogue/#comments Sun, 11 Mar 2012 13:59:10 +0000 adamBoose http://caulifloweraudio.com/?p=557 First up, Travelogue: the (mostly) synth-based musical outlet of Jon Sonnenberg and Amanda Spayd...]]>

The Noise is Only Temporary, by Travelogue

Every couple weeks, we are going to spotlight some of our favorite clients, engineers, and bands that have graced A/D converters of Cauliflower Audio.

First up, Travelogue: the (mostly) synth-based musical outlet of Jon Sonnenberg and Amanda Spayd. Inventive and intensely tuneful, Travelogue have been hand crafting their unique brand of electronic pop for over 10 years. Fans will be enthralled to know Travelogue will be dropping no less than two albums this year; the first, “The Noise is Only Temporary,” was just released last month. Jon was kind enough to answer some questions about the new records, his gear collection, and being a fellow old-school industrial nerd.

*****

• Jon, your albums are really effective at straddling the line between total sonic experimentation and pop arrangements. Beneath all of the burbling and scraping, there are carefully crafted tunes. When you’re writing, what comes first, the song or the sounds?

Probably the song, but I think that they often sound like an experimentation because experimenting with sounds is what I love to do most. First, I usually plan chords or progressions around rhythms, then add enough changes and textures until I feel that a song is finished. Vocals and lyrics always come last for me.

• You have an immense collection of musical gadgetry. Nerds, we’re talking some real saliva-inducing analog pieces (Roland TR-808, EML Polybox, an Optigan for Pete’s sake!), multiple modular set-ups, and funky digital favorites like the Casio CZ-101 and the Korg Wavestation. Jon, everyone knows an 808 sounds amazing. Tell us about some of the more eccentric pieces. And, humor us, tell us WHY an 808 sounds amazing.

When I bought the 808, I really thought that I would use the internal sounds very little – I felt that the TR808 sound has been way overused, much like the TR909. I wanted to have more drum triggers to play different sounds and events in my modular synthesizers. I was pleasantly surprised how much you can change the 808 sound to where it does not sound like an 808 at all. Bit-crushing, compression, and filtering really do wonders to its sound. I think that there are practical reasons that the 808 is still sought after 1) it is completely analog and if you play a sound twice in a row, the sounds are not exactly alike. 2) individual outputs for every sound makes processing it extremely versatile and flexible 3) there is no other drum machine that has spanned so many different types of music, from 80′s to rap to hip-hop- to progrock – to techno – to triphop etc etc. the list can go on – even non-techno bands like Talking Heads or Phil Collins have used them extensively. Too much history to be ignored and forgotten.

As far as favorite pieces of gear, I really like the Korg Lambda. I tend to connect certain gear with certain processors and use them together as one unit for a while. Right now, the Lambda is married to my Strymon El Capistan tape echo simulation pedal. It is the perfect combination of lush analog strings/pads/ and old movie soundtrack. I also tend to like chaining phasor pedals together – 3 or 4 of them, all beating against each other and running simple Casios and things like that through them. Some of my favorite electronic instruments are 80′s Casios that I have modified so that I can sync their auto bass lines and such to my other drum machines and sync codes.

• We’re both fans of the Legendary Pink Dots and Skinny Puppy, and while I don’t think anyone would mistake Travelogue for either of those bands, I definitely hear echoes of both through-out your work. What other artists do you count as having a major sonic influence?

Yes, I love those bands – especially the albums that they did throughout the 80s and early 90′s. From that same era, I am also a fan of Clan of Xymox, Severed Heads, Fad Gadget, Cocteau Twins, the Chameleons, the Smiths, The Damned, The Cure, Einsturzende Neubauten, etc, etc. maybe there are just too many to list. Of modern music, I really like bands like White Lies and Phoenix. I also really love modern classical composers like Arvo Part and Gorecky.

• Not just a collector, you’ve built some pretty incredible pieces of gear too. I’m referring to the daxophone and the solenoid drum machine. Care to tell us about any of your other recent creations?

I always have too many unfinished projects lying around. I want to build a voltage controlled string instrument. I want to build instruments that have chimes and strings, and sympathetically vibrate to one another. I want to build a modular drum machine where each sound module can be replaced and reconfigured for endless possibilities. I have also had plans for bowed pianos, zither speakers, and various synthesizer concepts in my head for years – hopefully someday they will be realized.

• Lastly, tell us how the “Fireworks” album came about, and when can we expect it to drop?

Every 4th of July, I told myself “I have to record these things! – they are incredible sounding”.. you know, the way these loud crashes echo across the atmosphere and surround you with reverb and reflections and shadows of the sound. I love that. it is so powerful. When my wife and I moved to our current location, I was pleased to know that we are right next to a school where they have a huge fireworks display every year. 3 years ago, I set up some sound recording equipment to capture this. Then I separated the sounds and categorized the sounds and sequenced the sounds into rhythms. What started as a 3 song side project has turned into a 9 song album that I will be releasing this May.

• For further bleepings, bloopings, and music purchases, please check out www.artoftravelogue.com
]]> http://caulifloweraudio.com/client-focus-travelogue/feed/ 0 http://caulifloweraudio.com/lathe-y-sunday/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=lathe-y-sunday http://caulifloweraudio.com/lathe-y-sunday/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:17:50 +0000 adamBoose http://caulifloweraudio.com/?p=516 Got to hang out today at Well Made Music while the lacquers were cut for the Summer People's "Teamwork" vinyl...]]> Got to hang out today at Well Made Music while the lacquers were cut for the Summer People’s “Teamwork” vinyl release.


Neumann VMS 70, Summer People's "Teamwork" Side A Lacquer

]]> http://caulifloweraudio.com/lathe-y-sunday/feed/ 0 http://caulifloweraudio.com/512/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=512 http://caulifloweraudio.com/512/#comments Sat, 28 Jan 2012 21:21:18 +0000 adamBoose http://caulifloweraudio.com/?p=512 http://theproaudiofiles.com/mastering-roundup-mastering-in-a-changing-industry/]]> Here is part two of the ProAudioFiles interview, including some choice mastering folks (and, um, Adam from Cauliflower Audio):

http://theproaudiofiles.com/mastering-roundup-mastering-in-a-changing-industry/

]]> http://caulifloweraudio.com/512/feed/ 0 http://caulifloweraudio.com/david-ullman/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=david-ullman http://caulifloweraudio.com/david-ullman/#comments Sat, 28 Jan 2012 18:39:49 +0000 adamBoose http://caulifloweraudio.com/?p=487

]]> Check out this interview with Cauliflower Audio’s Adam Boose, conducted by singer-songwriter David Ullman as he documents the recording of his forthcoming “Light the Dark” album:
]]> http://caulifloweraudio.com/david-ullman/feed/ 0 http://caulifloweraudio.com/this-is-cool/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=this-is-cool http://caulifloweraudio.com/this-is-cool/#comments Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:50:55 +0000 adamBoose http://caulifloweraudio.com/?p=456 http://theproaudiofiles.com/getting-the-most-out-of-mastering/]]> Check out this interview with some pretty choice folks, including Adam from Cauliflower Audio:

http://theproaudiofiles.com/getting-the-most-out-of-mastering/

]]> http://caulifloweraudio.com/this-is-cool/feed/ 0 http://caulifloweraudio.com/12-14-11-december-to-remember/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=12-14-11-december-to-remember http://caulifloweraudio.com/12-14-11-december-to-remember/#comments Wed, 14 Dec 2011 22:45:10 +0000 adamBoose http://caulifloweraudio.com/?p=440 Read More...]]> Well folks, Cauliflower Audio has officially been in business for 4 years now. To think, I started out working at a small Ikea desk in my dining room with a Macbook, some KLH speakers, and meager handful of Waves plugins.

It’s been an enjoyably slow and steady rate of growth since, each year picking up more pieces for the arsenal. It started with a set of Dynaudio BM6A’s, a Benchmark DAC converter, and a move to a more symmetrical spot in the dining room. Wow, a stereo field! The next year, I began building my analog chain with a Cranesong HEDD and a Pendulum OCL-2 compressor. Wow, vibe and tubes! Then we bought a house and built the studio, throwing out a couple years of “knowing” my monitors and trading it for a happier spouse. The next year, a Manley Massive Passive EQ and an Avenson Mid-Side box. Holy smokes… just, wow.

A couple weekends ago, the wife and I drove to Chicago and picked up my newly eBay’d pair of B&W Nautilus 804 speakers. Two days later, my Bryston power amp arrived from a lovely fellow on Audiogon. I spent half a day reorganizing and reassessing the studio, and spent the better part of the evening enjoying some drinks and listening to my favorite records on the new set-up.

I am a firm believer that you can do good work on modest gear, it just might be a little harder and take a little longer. If I truly believed that the gear alone made the engineer, I never would have even attempted any of this. That said, I’m really enjoying the new speakers and am starting to feel pretty good about my set-up. At this point, with the tools I have at my fingertips, the only limitations I now have are my own skills and the quality of the source material. It’s both daunting and exciting.

In keeping with gear talk, I would like to call out Benchmark Media Systems for going above and beyond what I expect from a manufacturer. Over the past couple years, the volume pot on my converter has been getting a bit scratchy. I’ve known that I needed to have it taken care of… nothing screams half-assed to a client like that unnerving “sshhhhhh” sound when turning a knob. I just depend on the damn thing so much that I couldn’t imagine being without it for even a day while it was being repaired. I got in touch Benchmark and explained my predicament. They issued an RMA and told me it would be turned around the day it came to them, for FREE no less (keep in mind I bought it 4 years ago and the warrantee has long expired). I sent it on a Monday and wouldn’t you know it, I got it back on Friday! Totally incredible, such a great experience, works like a champ.

Contrast this with another hi-tag item I currently own. It’s been exhibiting a particular infrequent “issue” since about a year after I purchased it. I’ve researched the problem online and there have been numerous reports of this issue plaguing other users. It’s not a normal wear and tear problem, nor is it a problem from use or abuse. It’s clearly a manufacturing defect. I contacted the company and asked them what could be done, sending them links to several forums where the problem is discussed. The company told me to send the item back to them and there would be a $130 bench charge on top of materials (again, this is somewhat of a big ticket item and components aren’t cheap), not to mention who knows how long I’d be without it. In my opinion, a pretty crappy way to run your customer service department.

Deep breaths. Positive thoughts.

So… I couldn’t be happier with the quality of work I’ve been receiving lately. I am in the process of finishing not one but 2!!! TRAVELOGUE full-lengths, the first dropping in January, and the second in April. Incredible synth stuff… dude makes his own instruments is all I am saying. And the songs are super catchy too. I also mastered for vinyl the debut release for hometown heros FOUNDING FATHERS… crazy, dirty, and sweet, just like Cleveland. As I write this, the OCCUPY XMAS benefit compilation (featuring Os Ovni, Textbeak, Aaimon, and tons more) is about to drop today. Thankfully, I tag-teamed the mastering effort with Australia’s Toby Borrow, since the compilation is pretty immense. Also just finishing up a rippin’ EP of punk barn-burners from Cleveland’s THE ZAPGUNS (recorded by Restless Hab shredder Peter Woodward), and this weekend I’ve got the fourth album from instrumental juggernauts SPY-FI, and a new book-on-tape from dark storyteller LORIN MORGAN-RICHARDS.

And… I’m putting the finishing touches on mixing (yes, mixing) a new 3-song EP from ROBERT CHERRY, featuring the likes of Craig Ramsey (Bears) and John Curley (Afghan Whigs), and yes, it is as amazing as it sounds like it would be. Pure, excellent power pop. I’m really excited about this one.

I’ve got a some really cool stuff coming up before the holidays, and then I’ll be taking a break from studio work to make the outside of the studio look as nice as the inside. Plus, there’s still that DAMN floral wallpaper in the stairway that I vowed to remove 2 years ago. Oh, btw, did you see the interview by troubadour DAVID ULLMAN of yours truly in Chez Cauliflower? You didn’t? Well, click this LINK, fool! David has been documenting every step of the production of his forthcoming record, and he stopped by to talk to me about mastering for vinyl in addition to just taking a mini-tour around the studio. It was a lot of fun, and if you’ve got a few moments, check out some of his other videos (and tunes!); they are good stuff.

Finally, I got my hands on more product. Look.


Anyhow, thank you everyone for making this year an absolutely incredible one. I’m not going to lie, it looked a little bleak at the beginning of the year, but 2011 is officially going to go on the books as being one of the most enjoyable years I’ve spent in a studio, period.

]]> http://caulifloweraudio.com/12-14-11-december-to-remember/feed/ 0 http://caulifloweraudio.com/oh-whats-the-use-4/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=oh-whats-the-use-4 http://caulifloweraudio.com/oh-whats-the-use-4/#comments Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:09:32 +0000 adamBoose http://caulifloweraudio.com/?p=436 Read More...]]> So, I got the new Coldplay CD for my birthday last week. I know, I know… say what you will about them as a band. Personally, I really like a lot of their stuff, but I won’t fault anyone for thinking they are trite crap. Maybe they are, maybe they aren’t. Regardless, their records have always sounded really nice. I frequently use “A Rush of Blood to the Head” as a reference recording and to cleanse the aural palette, so to speak. Even their last record, while fairly loud, squashed, and produced, wasn’t too offensive to me.

Now then, the mastering of their newest record is beyond upsetting, even taking into account the current trends in loudness. Even on the lowest settings in my car, I can hear the kick drums and low end collapse into a wobbly, farty mess. The mids are grating and exhausting at any level, the sibilance of the voice is piercing and just sounds like bursts of white noise. Aside from that, there doesn’t even seem to be any sonic consistency from one song to the next. It’s as if the mastering engineers have finally been pushed as far as they can go, and they are just throwing up their hands in defeat. I don’t blame them per se; there’s probably a lot of pressure from all sides to deliver a loud product. It’s just a really disappointing sign of the times.

Look, I’m not championing the levels of CDs pressed in 1989. Frankly, it’s annoying when I can’t turn them up loud enough in my car. I appreciate a little bit of attitude from some of the music I listen to, and if that comes from a bit of aggressive compression or even clipping, so be it. If it sounds good, who cares how it was done. Not all music needs to be treated this way, but it suits some styles just fine.

That said, COME ON GUYS. At a certain point, it just stops doing anything other than just being loud. Any inkling of sonic integrity has been zapped out of it. And honestly, at this point, if this is what passes for mastering these days, then my job is obsolete. There’s no reason to hire me or anyone else calling themselves a “mastering engineer.” You can do this at home.

And I’m being 100% serious: if you’re a budding engineer (or even a musician with some plugins & a laptop) and the new Coldplay CD sounds good to you, don’t waste your money hiring me. Master your record yourself.

Unlike modern mastering, maybe I’m being a bit heavy handed to make a point. Good engineering does mean something. Yes, the song and performance is 80%, but the recording itself is a snapshot in time. Do we really want this era of our lives to be remembered for being ugly, grating, annoying and hateful? I don’t. Like I said before, that blown-out sound certainly has its place, but not applied to everything.

Thankfully there are ripples in the underground, and if that is any litmus test for the future, things might not be so dire. 50% of my work these days is spent mastering for vinyl, and it doesn’t seem like people give a crap about the competitive loudness of LPs… at least not to this extent. I’ve only had one client in the past 4 years ask me to revise their CD master to be louder, and I usually am fairly conservative from the get go. The people I work for seem to be a little more aware of the so-called loudness wars. Unfortunately (and I’m sometimes guilty of this sort of self-consciousness as well), until big dudes start backing off the limiters, selling good-sounding records is going to increasingly become a niche business.

Or maybe not. It seems like trends and progress in the music industry always flow from the bottom up, right? Maybe, just maybe, if us little people keep doing what we’re doing, keeping our heads down and making great-sounding, tasteful records… maybe the big guys will eventually take notice and follow suit. Because, dammit, I’d like to buy a new record by a band I like in the future without it causing me to have an existential crisis.

]]> http://caulifloweraudio.com/oh-whats-the-use-4/feed/ 0