Clink Ink

AES 2009

2009-10-21T16:48:00.000-07:00

October 18, 2009

I love New York City and this years AES was the perfect opportunity to travel to the East Coast. Most everyone agreed that the show this year was scaled back compared to previous years due in part to the dismal economy. Manufacturers and vendors had less money to ship and support their exhibits and record producers and engineers complained that they could not afford the airfare and hotel accommodations. Those who made the trip were happy to attend and their attitude was upbeat but curious about how these factors would affect the show.

I arrived on Friday just in time to check into the hotel and walk over to a gathering at Avatar Studios. In The Mix was sponsored the Producers and Engineers Wing of the Recording Academy, SPARS and APRS. It took me a half an hour to get into the studio from the reception area as I struck up conversations with friends mostly from New York that I haven’t’ seen in a while. Food and drink were available and the only snag was the temperature in the studio. With two hundred or so in attendance, the back of the room was heating up and the air conditioner was working overtime. Maureen Droney from the Recording Academy said a few words and introduced outgoing SPARS President Leslie Ann Jones, a favorite of mine. Following them was Rupert Neve who was honored with the APRS Sound Fellowship Award. Rupert started his acceptance speech recapping his start in the business in the 1950’s. Laced with technical aspects of building recording consoles and after speaking for twenty minutes or so he was up to 1952 and you could feel the crowd thinking, he only has fifty-seven more years to go. Now don’t get me wrong, I respect Rupert’s contributions to recorded history but it was getting difficult to hang in there with the heat and the party atmosphere. But then… when you thought he was going to be another hour, he skipped forty years and wrapped it up!

Saturday I walked the floor of the show and took it all in. There were a few things that caught my eyes and ears. Plug-ins from Sound Toys, the incredible and expensive speakers from Alan Sides, and bookshelf speakers from Trident. Everyone it seems has developed a new ribbon microphone and is chasing Royer Labs. That evening API celebrated forty years in the business with a party at the Roseland Ballroom, one of the bigger events in the last few years.

On Sunday it was an honor to participate on the Platinum Producers Panel. Titled Career Making Recordings, I was in good company with Sylvia Massy (Tool, Johnny Cash), Dave Reitas (Madonna, Celine Dion), Bruce Swedien (Duke Ellington, Michael Jackson), Tony Visconti (David Bowie, T-Rex) and moderator Paul Verna ( Billboard Magazine, Editor of Mix Magazine). I was especially thrilled to meet Bruce, a legend full of great stories from the Sixties. He recounted his time in Chicago recording at Universal Studios with Duke Ellington and putting “his touch” on the record.

Monday was spent with some of the best producers and engineers I know, members of the Steering Committee with Producers and Engineers Wing of The Recording Academy. Together we do our best to chart the path for the future of our business. Hard work but well worth the time we spend together.

Interspersed throughout the week were meetings with artists I’m thinking about working with and others with projects I’ve completed. All in all, I was pretty happy with how much I accomplished and look forward to my next excursion to New York.

A "Fly On The Wall"

2009-09-08T14:02:00.000-07:00

When I started working in Los Angeles in the mid 70’s I was lucky enough to score a job at the Record Plant Studios on 3rd Street. I was blown away by the size of the complex. Not only did they have four rooms in LA, they owned several remote trucks and a three-room studio in Sausalito a few miles north of San Francisco. For a kid from the Midwest it didn’t get any better. I’ve had the pleasure of working at some of the great multi-room studios in California such as Conway and Rumbo Recorders, but the Record Plant holds a special place in my heart because it’s where I got my start.

What appealed to me about working in one of these large studio complexes were the increased opportunities to advance and learn due to the number of sessions that were taking place. In those days I was often working two sessions a day, and on occasion three. Though the workload was grueling, I met a great deal of individuals that would eventually end up as my friends and business associates.

When I was off the clock I would hang out in the lounge surrounded by pinball machines and the enormous fish tank. There, I would listen and gather information as everyone converged to decompress from the days work. As a second engineer the knowledge I gained as a “fly on the wall” would help to shape the way I would eventually make records. You could almost consider the lounge a satellite studio or classroom where musicians, producers and engineers would share ideas and talk about performances from each other’s tracks. I overheard a lot of great stories and gossip as well but was smart enough to use discretion before repeating anything.

Lockouts were rare in those days and infringement on someone’s privacy was a very serious matter that in a worst-case scenario could lead to possible dismissal. I must confess that on more than one occasion I sneaked a peak in the studios locked out by one of the “heavy hitters” that were recording at the Record Plant. There was something exciting about walking into the dark room before anyone arrived or after they exited from a long recording session. Turning up the lights careful not to get caught or disturb anything, I felt butterflies in my stomach as I looked around the room hoping to learn a secret or two from Bill Szymczyk, Geoff Emerick or Bill Halverson. I was usually more interested in microphone placement and instrument set up than eq’s that would have nothing to do with anything other than the audio that was passed through the board at that moment.

Today it’s become more difficult to enjoy these types of experiences. Unless you’ve been given a decent budget, chances are you’ve not had the luxury to settle into one of these unique establishments. It’s become necessary to reach beyond the recording studio to learn from our peers and networking has become a vital tool. Events put on by the Producers and Engineers Wing of The Recording Academy, ASCAP, BMI, Billboard Magazine and others educate and advise participants on a variety of subjects. They are a great way to stay in touch, meet new people and exchange ideas. You can take part in seminars on songwriting, music production, tour promotion and almost anything else related to music and digest it just I did sitting in the lounge of the Record Plant. So put yourself out there, have a great time and see what you can achieve.

Behind The Glass in Chicago

2009-07-18T13:10:00.000-07:00

June 25, 2009

Several times over the years I have been asked to speak to various groups and expound on my professional career. On behalf of the Producers and Engineers Wing at The Recording Academy and Shure electronics I found myself in Chicago the third week of June doing just that. The event was billed as Grammy Soundtables: Behind the Glass with Mike Clink, Ron Nevison, and Keith Olsen.

The previous day I visited music producer Johnny K at his new studio just outside of the Loop in Chicago. Johnny is known for his work with Disturbed, 3 Doors Down, Plain White T’s and numerous others. Airbourne had just flown in from Australia and was working on the material for their new album amidst the jet lag and construction. The new studio is an ambitious project but will be amazing when it’s completed.

The Soundtable took place at the new Shure Theater in Niles, a suburb of Chicago and was attended primarily by members of the Producers and Engineers Wing in the area. The theater was beautiful, luxurious and the audio and visual aspects were World Class as expected. Mark Brunner, Director of Brand Management at Shure, executed the task of moderator flawlessly. Ron, Keith and I played three songs from our discography and commented on a few interesting aspects of the production or recording. Two of my selections were picked to tie in my Chicago connection. "Eye Of The Tiger" by Survivor and secondly, "Out Of Reach" by Sarah Kelly from the album, Where The Past Meets Today. The final selection was "Sweet Child Of Mine" by Guns N’ Roses. Q&A followed the presentation where we made an effort to inform and entertain.

The event was recorded and filmed and I hear that it will be available on the web in the future, but I couldn’t tell you when.

If you have an opportunity to attend one of these events put on by The Recording Academy don’t hesitate, they are fun and informative. In addition, it’s a great way to network and exchange ideas with your peers.

AES 2008

2008-10-12T17:57:00.000-07:00

October 8, 2008

In my career I participated in AES infrequently but for the last three years now I've found myself at the shows. This year the show took place in San Francisco. I've seen the transformation from a big show with large format consoles and rack mounted devices to a smaller show with DAW's and plug in's. The price of everything is coming down and it seems to be less about the commercial studio and more about the project studio. Microphones, pre-amps, speakers, and other recording gear targets new and upcoming producers and engineers and those on a budget. (Isn't that everyone now a day's.) I didn't see anything that said, "You must buy me now", but I'll keep my eye on PT8.

Went to the TEC Awards which is sponsored by The Mix Foundation. The highlight this year was "T Bone" Burnett's Hall of Fame Award acceptance speech in which he expounded the need for quality archiving of our musical heritage.

This year I was the moderator for the Grammy Sound Table, You Inc.!, New Strategies For A New Economy. The panel included Phil Ramone, Carmen Rizzo, Keith Olsen, Sylvia Massy, James McKinney and John Vanderslice. It is interesting for me to listen to other music professionals on how they keep moving forward in these complicated times. If you were there I hope you learned something as well.

Seeing the gear at AES is fun and interesting but the benefit for me is the ability to see old friends, make new ones, and keep my eye on business opportunities I wouldn't have come in contact with if I wasn't there.

Reckless Road Book Signing

2008-10-10T22:14:00.000-07:00

September 3, 2008

I spent the day recording guitars on the Mitch Perry Project at a studio in North Hollywood. The day went well and we wrapped up around eight in the evening.

I had promised Mark Canter that if we knocked off early enough I would try and make it out to the Guitar Center in Northridge for his book signing. Mark wrote and put together Reckless Road, the story of Guns N' Roses, the early years. As Slash's best friend, Mark had access to the band and an opportunity to photograph them as only few have ever seen before now. The book is very well written and includes a comprehensive gallery of photos. I rarely contribute to interviews regarding the band but Mark's integrity speaks volumes about the content of the book and how he handled my contributions.

As I approached the Guitar Center I was startled by the size of the event. The parking lot was ablaze in lights and Slash had just finished his sessions conversation sponsored by GC. After some finagling I made it inside to find that the book signing had already begun. Tables were put together in a U shape with the characters from the bands past, sitting and signing autographs. I knew most of them but a few I have never met. Slash and Mark headed up the line joined by Tom Zutaut, Ronnie Schneider, Vicky Hamilton, Adriana Durgan, (she had the most interesting signature besides Slash), Jason Porath and others.

There was word that Steven would show and sure enough he did. He was allowed to leave rehab for a few hours and his handlers had him on a strict timeline. I haven't seen Steve in at least ten years and I didn't quite know what to expect. All of the guys have changed but Steven most of all. We exchanged hugs and a few words before he was escorted away. I know he's struggling with his demons, he always has, but I wish him the best and hope he comes through this a better person.

I've never been comfortable in the spotlight, which is why I decided to become a record producer instead of an artist. Signing books for almost two solid hours was my limit. After I stopped, Slash and Mark continued on for over an hour as I headed home.