Part 2 of my mixing techniques discussion with Mike Levine on EM Cast is now posted.

Mike + I had a great talk. We played before + after mix versions of another song from John Ralston's "Sorry Vampire" called "Second Hand Lovers". We listened to both an unmixed version + the final mix, and then discussed the techniques used to make the changes heard in the final.

Here's a direct link to the show.

To hear the entire song + mix you can check it out on my Project Playlist music player (down + to the left on my myspace page).

Electronic Musician's podcast, EM Cast, is hosted by EM Senior Editor Mike Levine. Past shows have featured Phil Ramone, Bob Katz, Jimmy Douglass, Dave Pensado, Thomas Dolby, Bob Power, Ted Perlman, + many more. Check it out.




Also, if you like EM Cast you'll love the Project Studio Network, the best podcast on recording.

All their shows are great + if you'd like to hear the shows where I was a guest, check out shows: 18 - 21, and 49 - 56.

Electronic Musician has a great podcast called EM Cast with EM Senior Editor Mike Levine as the host.

Past shows have featured Phil Ramone, Bob Katz, Jimmy Douglass, Dave Pensado, Thomas Dolby, Bob Power, Ted Perlman, + many more.

This week I was Mike's guest for part 1 of a 2 part interview + we had a great discussion.

We talked about Turn Me Up! + also played a before + after version of a song by John Ralston: an unmixed version + the final mix of "No One Loves You Like I Do". Then we discussed techniques that were used in the mix to make the changes heard in the final.

Here's a direct link to the show.



Also, if you like EM Cast you'll love the Project Studio Network, the best podcast on recording.

All their shows are great + if you'd like to hear the shows where I was a guest, check out shows: 18 - 21, and 49 - 56.

Listen to "Sorry Vampire" on John's myspace page.

Pop Matters

John Ralston "Sorry Vampire"

by Aarik Danielsen

John Ralston's Vagrant Records bio stresses the intentionality and effort the Florida singer/songwriter put into his sophomore solo project, Sorry Vampire . According to the website, the album "began as just a few basic elements and eventually snowballed into over 50 songs with almost twice as many individual tracks on each song." Sorry Vampire was "built to give the listener the experience of hearing something new with each repeated listen."

After working with co-producers Michael Seaman, Jon Wilkins and a solid group of guest musicians (including former Wilco member Jay Bennett) to shape the album into the 12 cuts that remain, Ralston can be sure his work and sense of purpose paid off. Sorry Vampire is a beautiful album full of color that allows for fresh interpretation and the discovery of detail with each successive spin. On some projects, such deliberation leads to an overwhelming number of sounds and/or an overly slick product, but no such errors befall this album. While Sorry Vampire is not quite to the level of being a masterpiece, the album proves that Ralston may just be the type of artist who has a masterpiece in him.

The project is a mix of modern and retro rock influences, incorporating elements of very current electronic music and subdued folk into the record's textured pop sound. Ralston and company do a fine job of paying attention to the little things with each seemingly minor element or detail contributing a sense of fullness to the whole. The most striking feature of the record is the production of the layered vocals, producing a Beach Boys-esque vibe to the lush and, at times, moving vocal tracking employed on songs such as "When I Was a Bandage," "A Small Clearing" and "Where You Used to Sleep." These songs possess a beauty that references those great Brian Wilson-crafted harmonies, but is fresh enough to be a unique part of Ralston's vision.

Another of Ralston's influences is evidenced when he sings alone or with less vocal decoration. Often, Ralston's expressive yet relatively hushed voice brings to mind the memory of the great Elliott Smith, especially on "Lessons I & II," "Ghetto Tested," "Beautiful Disarmed" and "Second Hand Lovers". And while there is nothing here musically or lyrically to suggest that Ralston could somehow fill the tremendous void felt in the center of the chests of those who loved Smith, his music is of the quality and maturity to garner respect and appreciation from those same people. Yet one never gets the sense that Sorry Vampire is imitative. It comes across more as the evoking of great acts within the distinctive framework Ralston has crafted. Album highlights include several of the aforementioned tracks as well as the more straightforward rock track "No One Loves You Like I Do" (a tune that sounds perfectly crafted for success on modern rock radio) and album opener "Fragile."

Occasionally, a song or two veers a bit close toward the boundary lines of "emo" territory (after all this is a Vagrant Records release and Ralston has toured with the current crown prince of the genre, Dashboard Confessional's Chris Carrabba). However, Ralston and company always rescue the song from the genre's clutches with great production and tracking, keeping any of the songs from being clichéd. For example, the beginning of "The Only Evidence" makes it sound as if the tune could descend into relying on overused or formulaic emo/rock notions, but Ralston quickly heads in a different direction. The song becomes a mid-tempo folk/pop number with impact and is another of the album's great moments.

Sorry Vampire is an album for those who can appreciate the beauty that is found both in simplicity and in ornate design. Ralston is indeed a good songwriter but he is also one of those performers who really give meaning to the term recording artist. The skill and invention employed in the making of this record do not go unnoticed and place the music world on notice for what is to come from Ralston.

- January 28, 2008

We are having a blast with our 2nd MiX iT! Global Mixing Event @ the MiLaR Forum (www.milarforum.com).

Nearly 100 mixers from around the world are all mixing the SAME song. The mixes are being posted right now, ALONG WITH their complete project/session files. Not only can you hear their mixes; read how + why each of them mixed the song the way they did; and watch them debate their technics with each other; but you can also download the project files + see EXACTLY what each of the mixers did.

And there are mixes done on EVERY platform: Acid, Cubes/Nuendo, Digital Performer, Logic, Pro Tools, Reaper, Samplitude and Sonar, as well as analog console mixes with mix notes.

MiX iT! is an amazing study of mixing styles to hear so many interpretations, approaches, and technologies, all being applied to the same song. With some very surprising results. There's no better way to hone your mixing chops than hearing how 100 other people all mixed the same song you did + then comparing notes.

But not only can you read + learn about mixing. You are also ENCOURAGED to participate in the discussions, share your opinion of the mixes, ask the mixers how + why they did what they did, and participate in the vote for to pick the three mixes we'll be discussing more in depth. We'll totally dissect each of the three mixes, so we can better understand the techniques used by each mixer to get their sounds.

And the best part is one mixer in each event will receive both "Mix It Like A Record" and "Hustle Harder" DVDs compliments of the cool guys @ Kagi Media

MiX iT! is a bimonthly educational event @ the MiLaR Forum (www.milarforum.com). If you missed signing up this round + this sounds like something you'd like to be a part of, come by the forum + sign up for the next one. Sign ups will be in just a few weeks.

In the year end review issue of Rolling Stone the lead feature is titled The Death of High Fidelity

It's an in depth article discussing the sonic downturn music has taken over the last 15 years, focusing in large part on the industry's trend of making records less + less dynamic every year... aka the Loudness War.

Robert Levine has written a really great article. I don't agree with all the points, especially those discussing vinyl vs. CD or digital files (which lean pro vinyl... puhleaze), but in general I like how he puts a real spotlight on the loudness war. Pulling zero punches indicting the practice.

Robert interviewed me twice for this article. He mentions Turn Me Up! (TurnMeUp.org), an organization I started together with John Ralston that's working hard to give artists back the choice to release more dynamic records, both in the closing, as well as giving us top billing in his Loudness Resources on the Web page.

Quite honestly, I'm thrilled to see this kind of coverage, for both the loudness war + Turn Me Up! This ain't no pro audio rag, it's mainstream media. The year end issue of RS is probably one of their biggest sellers, and the article is prominently placed as the lead feature.

Exposure like this will really help raise awareness among consumers of the loudness war + it's impact on music. And hopefully help Turn Me Up! in our efforts to bring dynamics back to music.

Please visit our website TurnMeUp.org for more info on the loudness war + our campaign to create an option for artists who would like to release more dynamic records.


(btw... check out Peter Gabriel's "So" below, a beautifully dynamic album.)

Sign up now to mixer in the MiX iT! Global Mixing Event, MiLaR Forum's (www.milarforum.com) bimonthly FREE online mixing workshops. There are eight songs for you to check out + vote for the one you'd like to mix. Sign ups close midnite Sat, Dec 15.

Kagi Media and Auraleo Advanced Learning are proud to sponsor the MiX iT! Global Mixing Events with scores of mixers from around the world all mixing a single song at the same time. And YOU can be one of them.

There's no better way to hone your mixing chops than hearing how 50 other people all mixed the same song you did + then comparing notes. There are mixes done on EVERY platform: Cubes/Nuendo, Digital Performer, Logic, Pro Tools, and Sonar, as well as analog console mixes with mix notes.

And the best part is one mixer in each event will receive both "Mix It Like A Record" and "Hustle Harder" DVDs compliments of the cool guys @ Kagi Media.

Plus, all the mixes + discussion from previous MiX iT! Events are available right now for you to learn from. To check it out + for more info please visit the MiX iT! sub-forum.

We've just started the song submission phase for our 2nd MiX iT! Global Mixing Event @ the MiLaR Forum (www.milarforum.com). If you've got a great song you'd like to hear mixed 50 different ways, submit it now in the song submission thread (submissions close Dec 10).

MiX iT! is an amazing study of mixing styles to hear so many interpretations, approaches, and technologies, all being applied to the same song. With some very surprising results.

Every two months scores of mixers from around the world all mix a single song at the same time in this educational event. They post their mixes along with their projects or session files and complete mix notes. Then the real fun begins as we take 3 mixes + totally dissect them, discussing in detail the techniques used by each mixer to get their sounds.

Not only can you hear their mixes, reading how + why each of them mixed the song the way they did, and watch them debate their technics with each other, but you can also download the project files + see EXACTLY what each of the mixers did. There are mixes done on EVERY platform: Cubes/Nuendo, Digital Performer, Logic, Pro Tools, and Sonar, as well as analog console mixes with mix notes.

But you're also encouraged to participate in the discussions, share your opinion of the mixes, ask the mixers how + why they did what they did, and @ the end you can vote for your favorite mixer.

There's no better way to hone your mixing chops than hearing how 50 other people all mixed the same song you did + then comparing notes. And the best part is one mixer in each event will receive both "Mix It Like A Record" and "Hustle Harder" DVDs compliments of the cool guys @ Kagi Media.

All the mixes + discussion from previous MiX iT! Events are available right now for you to learn from. To check it out + for more info please visit the dedicated MiX iT! sub-forum.

Amplifier Magazine

John Ralston "Sorry Vampire"

by Adam P. Newton


Studio geeks are truly a breed apart. These are the folks who find joy in toiling away in the control booth after the tape has rolled and the musicians have put away their instruments. Taking a near-perverse pleasure in agonizing over the minutiae behind the music, no album would be the same without these talented individuals culling away all of the dross that threatens to drown a song. And more than any other aspect of John Ralston's new album Sorry Vampire, it's the production work that takes center stage. Entering the studio with a wide array of sound-making devices and a slew of catchy folk-pop songs, Ralston and co-producers Michael Seamen and Jon Wilkins carved out a rich, deep album that manages to avoid sounding overly ambitious or over-produced. Admittedly, with the album being released on Vagrant Records, it's full of songs about girls, but Ralston's musicianship shines throughout, specifically on tracks like "The Only Evidence," "Lessons I & II," and "Second Hand Lovers." Inevitably, the beauty of Sorry Vampire is that while but it is truly a dense and sonically thick album, it still rings light on a listener's ears.


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Driven Far Off

John Ralston "Sorry Vampire"

by Adam Weidman


Overall: 8.0
Music: 8.0
Lyrics: 9.0
Production: 8.0

Upon first hearing Ralston's debut entitled, Needle Bed, I found the record to be impactuful yet rather sparse and almost hollow at times. His follow up, Sorry Vampire sits on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. This intensely layered and meticulously crafted record is truly something to behold. The somber, swaying, gloomy melodies lend the perfect audio-backdrop for the commonly gray fall weather. Each track is its own intricate and developed work of art. I find it hard to imagine how Ralston will follow this up or how these songs will be preformed live. I look forward to finding out those answers in the not too distant future. This is truly a record that requires a good pair of headphones and an open mind.

Recommend if you like: Wilco, Dashboard Confessional, Kevin Devine, The New Amsterdams

"Second Hand Lovers", a lush ballad from John Ralston's "Sorry Vampire" album, was featured this week on the CW's new hit series Gossip Girl (by the creators of The O.C.).

"Second Hand Lovers" was selected for the show by influential music supervisor Alex Patsavas, who also supervises the music for Grey's Anatomy, Chuck, Shark, Without A Trace, The O.C., and many others.

John was featured in the episode "Victor/Victrola" along with Elliot Smith + Sum 41.

You can check out the song "Second Hand Lovers" here.

You can now stream John Ralston's "Sorry Vampire", in it's entirety on this page.

Click the "Listen..." link on the right.