I'm all for getting ahead in this day and age, but I took my family plus two other girls to see the "Hannah Montana" movie this weekend. Well that's not true. I tried to get tickets, at face value to take them to the Nashville concert, but with Ticketmaster and their policies we couldn't go, affordably. So we go to see the concert on the big screen, not live concert, with all the lip-syncin' and dancin' an production, but a movie of the concert. I was perfectly willing to pay the movie prices, $6.50 for adults plus popcorn, but The Walt Disney Company seems to think that $18.00 a ticket is a fair price to see the "Movie" version of the live show. That's over $100.00 for five to go with snacks. Well no way..... Come Monday morning I'm gonna track down the Walt Disney Compnay by phone, seeing that a person cannot contact them via e-mail..... The concert ticket problems were bad enough, but how much money do then really need to take from their fans??? Even as big as U2 are they didn't pull this with the "Rattle & Hum" Movie.... So Hannah (Miley) and Billy Ray and the rest of the Disney folks, just keep it up. You can't fool all the people all the time.

Many of you may already know I've spent the last week in Memphis with my mother-in-law in the hospital, but here's a few things I've Noticed:

A Red Light is only a suggestion

You cannot turn left off of Union Street

There are three Walgreens in a five block radius

The is only one Starbucks close to the hospital

Ardent Studio Rocks

More Later........

The question asked was, did Bob Montgomery (Record Producer) ever make a bad album? My answer was "I don't think so", but why???? Please note that I've singled out Bob because I recently pulled out a copy of Vern Gosdin's "Chiesled In Stone" and it brought back thoughts of what a great record this is. Great Songs, Great Singing Great Production. Now don't get me wrong, there are dozens of great albums that fall in this catagory, but back to why.......

Growing up as a studio brat I got the chance to see how records were made from the 70's on up and here is my take. A record label signs a recording artist, based on talent, not just looks(hats / tats / rings), they in turn paired the artist up with a producer, a staff producer or an independent. The producer would the find the songs. Through publishers and independent and staff A & R People. Bear in mind that there were not even close to the numbers of so-called writers and publishers as of 15 years ago, before the "country boom". Anyway the producer would then book a band, engineer and studio for the album project. The band would be chosen based on the artists style of music not just the flavor of the month guys. They would choose a drummer and bass player that had the same feel or pocket, because lets face it, if the bottom end of a track isn't solid then how can anything that follows feel right. The producer would overdub vocals, backgroud vocals, strings and other misc instruments to complete the album, then get it mastered, turn it in to the label, pick the singles and tell the promotion department to get it played on the radio. Those that failed to do this might lose ther jobs. Cased closed... Look at all the "standards" we have to listen to because of this process. Now it seems like the producer hasn't any power. The promotion guys are picking the single and aproving the mixes. I have seen a record remixed because the song contained the word "hillbilly" as an ad lib, in the outro and the promotion department felt some stations wouldn't play it unless it was removed. Is that the real problem??

We've got 20 somethings, who don't know who Haggard, Cash & Nelson are, picking the material. They are picking the safest, least offensive, bland, copy of the the last big thing, that they think they can get played on the radio. These are also the same people the think Mutt Lange's career started with Shania Twain. Is this the problem??

We've record labels signing artists based on looks and the "Tuned Demo" that they heard. You can go see half the artists signed to the majors live that can't pull it off on stage. The labels are no longer interested in building careers, but only singles, one offs, copies..... Nothing original...... Is this the problem????

We've got ITUNES and digital downloading. Before we had this, you could take a Garth Brooks cut to the bank. A cut on a major equaled certain monies. Now the same cut on a major means nothing unless you have a single. With CD sales declining and downloading only the songs you want, only the "single" songwriters get paid. I this the problem??

More later

What do you think. Let's sue them for putting the studio business, well out of business.

It was one thing for singers, songwriters and musicians to have a "four track" at home to put down ideas, but thanks to Digidesign these same folks think they can get the same quality recording in their basement or bedroom. I can't count the times I've put up tracks to mix and right when the lead vocal comes on, there is a dog barking, a phone ringing, an airplane flying over and the dreaded, air conditioner kicking on, with no other choices it stays part of the Album.

Now a lot of the major studios, not just in Nashville are closing down.

I use Pro Tools every day in the studio and I understand what it does and why it is being used, but lets keep the Record Business at a business, not in a basement where business taxes are not being paid, incorrect working enviroments exist and of course no quality control, just less expensive (not better) albums are being made. If I were putting my heart and soul into a project, as an artist, I would want it to be done with the best of the best, not "hey so-in-so has a studio at his house that you can get for $25 bucks an hour" with a computer operator, not an engineer.

Now back to Digi. What's up with the constant upgrades, both software and hardware. Can they not get it right and leave it alone?

Most major studio owners, as of 10 to 15 years ago have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars, up to millions in their rooms, in consoles, tape machines, outboard gear and microphones. These "staple" items can carry the studios for 30+ years with great quallity sounds without needing major upgrades(we are still using gear today from the 40's and 50's), but Digi is never happy. They've got something newer and better and hey, lets add shiny-er every month or so. Newer downloads(usually at a fee) add just another cog in the wheel, new hardware (Mix to HD to what's next) and for what, to make the music sound better or to make studios more compatibly with each other. Give me a break. I have worked on dozens of Pro Tools systems in this town and no two of them are exactly the same. I remember once upon a time you could take your 2" masters to any studio in town and whether or the machines were alinged, 30 or 15 ips, with or without Dolby or DBX, you could put those tapes on the machine and record music. Now it's a matter of what version are you running, are you on Mac or PC, do you have all the same plug-ins(don't even get me started) that I have at home, not to mention you can have your work on any number of hard drives any number of studios at one time(talk about trusting who you work with. that has unauthorised pre-release not to mention the chance that some could release outakes, mistakes and bloopers). Everytime I have to reboot the computer I think, We never had this problem on analog. I challange anyone worth their salt as an engineer to cut tracks on an analog tape machine and their DAW(Pro Tools / Nuendo / etc) of choice then sit back and A/B the two. I'll let you draw your own conclusions.

Also, thanks to Digi and the other DAW makers, the recording schools are teaching that the recording business started with Computer based recorders. They're teaching that you give us $20,000 and we'll tell you that you can buy a Hard Disk system for another $5,000, throw in the Chris Lord-Alge plug-ins and you to can be a world class mixing engineer, without 20+ years of experience. I don't think so. I haven't worked with an assistant on intern in years that could even run an analog tape machine.....

Now a personal note. I grew up a studio brat, and there was always something really cool about "going to the studio". To me there still is. This is why I choose not to go the home studio route, but rather go to work everyday at the playground for engineers and producers, a commercial recording facility. I hate seeing the classic rooms with so much musical history going away. I read about the NY and LA scene, but I get to see things here in Nashville like Emerald and Masterfonics for sale. The Soundshop (one of my haunts) for sale. Omnisound which was recently sold at least will stay a studio for now. It seems that "Music Row" is turning into "Condo Row". Don't get me wrong, there are great rooms popping up every few months. Kudos to John McBride at Black Bird Studios who has built a great complex complete with all the Cool Analog stuff to match the modern DAWS systems. No stone left unturned over there...

Maybe it comes down to this, the talent level isn't what is was years ago. Artists need to be tuned, drummers need to be lined up to the click, Background singers don't want to perform the same part again to give it that human feel, they want an exact copy flown to the other chorus'. Artists used to have to PERFORM!!! No wonder music sales are down. You can't fool all the people all the time. The music listening audience knows if it's something they like, they know how a song makes them feel and/or takes them to a place in time. And they know this even if they're listening to an MP3 verson of the song on 1" Mac speakers or earphones. Music is about this (points to heart), not about what can we make or buy to fix it. Imperfect records have what is called "character"!!!!!!!!! (imagine if Willie Nelson had Pro Tools when he did "Stardust" one of my favorite albums).

Think about it........

In summery, Make music the the best it can be. Make music that someone will want to hear in the next decade. Just because you can dosen't mean you should!!!

Whew!!! Thanks for letting me vent. Please reply with all your HATE MAIL here!!!!!!!!!!!!

And PS: they shut 'em down in LA, it's just a matter of time.............

I did a tracking session the other day (actually filling in for David Buchanon, who had a family emergency) for Producer Trey Bruce and Artist Chris Janson for Chrysalis Music over at Omnisound Studios. Great Songs, Great Band, Greg Morrow, Glenn Worf, Michael Spriggs, Tony Harrell and JT Corneflos, and to make it even cooler, we cut 2" 24 Track Analogue. Wow!!! The way music used to sound before all the digital and Pro Tools crap came along. Getting a "FEEL" for the punch, not looking for it,, having a player commit to playing it better(because I was about to erase the previous take). I have to admit though, I was a little anxious about not being able to "Apple, S" to save the session. Oh well I guess I really am "Old School"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Gmex_4hreQ

Check this video out. It was sent to me by session guitarist Mark Casstevens. Pay attention up and coming engineers and producers!!! I really miss the "pre-Pro-Tools" '80s... Long live analog!!!

MC

I was working at VIbe 56 Studio in Nashville last Friday and CJ the manager commented about the front plate on my truck, a Sony '90 PCM-3348 Plate, and all I could think was Damn!!, I'm Old School!!! Baby!!! Just keepin' it real!!! ..

..

Wanna-Be interns / engineers that don't know who produced "Back In Black"

on a related note:

Wanna-Be interns / engineers that think Mutt Lange's production career started with Shania Twain

Why should the term "Low Latency Monitoring" even be in the studio vocabulary?

Witness Anyone???

Drummers that 99% of the time choose the wrong snare drums for the track!!!!!

Audio Recording schools that only teach, maybe a paragraph to any recording medium that existed before Pro Tools.........

This is my studio blog 001. Things I hear / say and somebody should say in the studio.

1. "If it sounds wrong, it is wrong". - mc

(use those things on the side of your head)

2. "How can you punch-in without looking at the screen"??? - Un-named Intern

3. "Get me a reel of 1/2".... (reply) "1/2" What???"

4. "You should be required to have a licenses to operate Pro Tools" - Bob Clearmountain

5. "We're gonna make a lot of bad records with Pro Tools before we learn to use it" - JJ Puig

6. "We never had this problem on analog" (tape) - mc

-----

For interns:

1. Neatness always counts. (check mic lines / patchbay patches / shirt tail / all piercings)

2. If you want to get paid, show up at least 5 minutes before the clients.

3. I like my coffee like I like my women, full of liqueur.

4. Nobody wants your opinion, YET!!!

5. Tell me if I'm screwing up, but don't wave a big flag while doing so.

6. If you're screwing up, don't wave the big flag till after the clients leave.

7. I don't care what your Music Industry teacher says (how many gold / platinum records and grammys to they have). Besides those who can't, Teach.

8. For goodness sakes, get a personality

9. Don't let the technology get away from what's important: The Music!!!

 

Signing Off

Mark Capps / www.mark-capps.com