My guest today is Bill Cheney co-owner with Jim Romney of Spectra1964. Bill designs mic pre amps, eqs, and compressor limiters for studios following in the footsteps of William Dilley who founded the original Spectra Sonics company in 1964.
Bill has been a guest on the podcast before to talk about the history of Spectra Sonics and Spectra 1964 on episode RSR227. So if you want to learn more about the background go back and check that episode out. Bill talked about the original Spectra 101 amplifier circuit, its original role in the military as part of the Minute Man missile defence system, and the history of the Spectra consoles at the Record Plant and Stax Studio.
Today Bill and Jim are taking the classic sound of the Spectra 101 amplifier and retrofitting it into 500 modules to allow us to get that same incredible sound in our pro and home studios. Bill has already brought us the STX100 mic pre, the STX 500 eq, and now has also taken the classic C610 complimiter design and found a way to add that as well bringing us the STX600 Complimiter Microphone Preamplifier.
So today we're going to catch up with Bill and Spectra1964 find out what's new and learn more about the new STX 600 module and how to properly record with them.
Thanks to our sponsors!
JZ Microphones: Use coupon ROCKSTARS to get 50% off The BB29 mic at JZmic.com
PreSonus Studio One: https://www.presonus.com
Spectra1964: https://www.spectra1964.com
OWC: Other World Computing: https://www.OWC.com
iZotope: iZotope.com/Rockstars code ROCK10 10% off
API Audio: http://www.apiaudio.com
Soundporter Mastering: https://www.soundporter.com
RSR Academy: http://RSRockstars.com/Academy
Want to learn more about mixing? Get Free mix training with Lij at: http://MixMasterBundle.com
If you love the podcast, then please Leave a review on iTunes here
My guest today is Bill Schnee an internationally renowned producer, engineer and mix master. In a highly decorated career that spans five decades, Bill has engineered many gold and platinum albums with a wide variety of artists that include Three Dog Night, Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, Rod Stewart, Chicago, Steely Dan, Natalie Cole, The Jacksons, Marvin Gaye, Dire Straits, Ringo (with all the Beatles), Barry Manilow, Carly Simon, Michael Bolton, George Benson, The Pointer Sisters, Bette Midler, Amy Grant and Whitney Houston, including her mega-single "I Will Always Love You”.
Bill also produced multiple projects with Huey Lewis and the News, Boz Scaggs, Pablo Cruise, Joe Sample, as well as internationally renowned direct-to-disc recordings with Thelma Houston and James Newton Howard and Friends.
In addition to working on dozens of Grammy-nominated and Grammy-winning albums, Bill has been personally nominated 11 times for The Best Engineered Album category and has won twice for Aja and Gaucho, both from Steely Dan. Those two multi-platinum releases add to a harvest of hits that includes over 85 gold records, 50 platinum projects and 50 top twenty singles. Schnee also has won an Emmy Award for Best Sound Mixing for a Variety Special and a Dove Award.
In 1981, Bill opened his own recording facility in Los Angeles – Schnee Studio. It boasted a large live recording room with a very unique acoustical sound, a custom made recording console, custom tube mic pre-amps, and an extensive collection of vintage tube microphones. It was widely regarded as one of the finest recording rooms in Los Angeles.
Bill currently resides in Franklin, Tennessee with his wife Sallie. And we are lucky to have him here on the podcast with us today!
Thanks to our sponsors!
JZ Microphones: Use coupon ROCKSTARS to get 50% off The BB29 mic at JZmic.com
PreSonus Studio One: https://www.presonus.com
Spectra1964: https://www.spectra1964.com
OWC: Other World Computing: https://www.OWC.com
iZotope: iZotope.com/Rockstars code ROCK10 10% off
API Audio: http://www.apiaudio.com
Soundporter Mastering: https://www.soundporter.com
RSR Academy: http://RSRockstars.com/Academy
Want to learn more about mixing? Get Free mix training with Lij at: http://MixMasterBundle.com
If you love the podcast, then please Leave a review on iTunes here
My guest today is Marc Frigo a mix engineer, recording engineer, and producer based out of Nashville, TN with multi-platinum credits and over 29 years of experience.
Marc started out in his hometown of Chicago in 1990 but relocated to Nashville, TN in early 1991 where he became a staff engineer at Woodland Studios. It was there that he was able to work with and learn from some of the best engineers and producers in the world, such as producers Peter Collins, Don Was, T-Bone Burnett, Tony Brown, Josh Leo, Jay Joyce and engineers David Leonard, Steve Marcantonio, Rick Will, Bob Bullock, Steve Tillisch, Bill Schnee, and so many others that were great mentors.
During his days as an assistant engineer, he worked on projects with Bob Seger, Keith Urban, Restless Heart, Tammy Wynette, George Jones, The Divinyls, Nancy Griffith, Larry Carlton, Gillian Welch, and the list goes on.
Eventually moving out of assisting and into engineering, Marc engineered and/or mixed projects for The Indigo Girls, K.T. Oslin, Nelson, Dez Dickerson (of Prince & The Revolution) Israel Houghton, Jewel, and Future Leaders of the World to name a few. Marc also recorded and mixed the "Larry Boy" theme song featuring Nicole C. Mullen for the popular Veggie Tales children's video series, which went on to sell 15 million copies.
Marc And I Met when I was interning at Woodland and I’m psyched to be reconnecting 25 years later!
Thanks to our sponsors!
JZ Microphones: Use coupon ROCKSTARS to get 50% off The BB29 mic at JZmic.com
PreSonus Studio One: https://www.presonus.com
Spectra1964: https://www.spectra1964.com
OWC: Other World Computing: https://www.OWC.com
iZotope: iZotope.com/Rockstars code ROCK10 10% off
API Audio: http://www.apiaudio.com
Soundporter Mastering: https://www.soundporter.com
RSR Academy: http://RSRockstars.com/Academy
Want to learn more about mixing? Get Free mix training with Lij at: http://MixMasterBundle.com
If you love the podcast, then please Leave a review on iTunes here
My guest today is Dana Dowd whose father was the legendary Tom Dowd an American recording engineer and producer for Atlantic Records with a credit list of top artists in jazz, blues, doo wop, soul, and rock records spanning 5 decades of recording from the 50s-90s.
Credited with innovating the multitrack recording method and linear console faders from their original round knobs Tom engineered through the various phases of recording technology starting with direct to disc all the way through analog tape 2 track, 4 track, eight-track, 16 24 and finally Pro Tools in the 90s.
His first hit in the 50s was Eileen Barton's "If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked a Cake". And he went on to record popular artists such as Ray Charles, the Drifters, the Coasters, the Spinners, Ruth Brown and Bobby Darin.
He recorded iconic jazz records by John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, and Herbie Mann and continued through other genres of music recording Eric Clapton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Black Oak Arkansas, Derek and the Dominos, Rod Stewart, Wishbone Ash, New Model Army, Cream, Lulu, Chicago, the Allman Brothers Band, Joe Bonamassa, Robin Gibbs, Meat Loaf, Cher, the Rascals, the Spinners, Willie Nelson, Diana Ross, the Four Seasons, Kenny Loggins, James Gang, Dusty Springfield, Eddie Harris, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Joe Castro and Primal Scream.
I met Tom’s daughter Dana Dowd more recently when she wrote a glowing testimonial as part of our movement to help save home studios in music city. Dana is an outspoken supporter of the music industry, and expert on her father and his work, and a successful business person and entrepreneur in her own industry of brand marketing.
So It’s an honour to have Dana joining us on the podcast and today we are here to learn more about her dad Tom Dowd and what it was like to grow up around so much incredible music that influences us all.
Thanks to our sponsors!
JZ Microphones: Use coupon ROCKSTARS to get 50% off The BB29 mic at JZmic.com
PreSonus Studio One: https://www.presonus.com
Spectra1964: https://www.spectra1964.com
OWC: Other World Computing: https://www.OWC.com
iZotope: iZotope.com/Rockstars code ROCK10 10% off
API Audio: http://www.apiaudio.com
Soundporter Mastering: https://www.soundporter.com
RSR Academy: http://RSRockstars.com/Academy
Want to learn more about mixing? Get Free mix training with Lij at: http://MixMasterBundle.com
If you love the podcast, then please Leave a review on iTunes here
My guests today are Buick Audra and Jerry Roe of Friendship Commanders, a heavy duo from Nashville TN. Their new EP - HOLD ON TO YOURSELF released in April of 2020 follows their second LP, BILL, which they made with Steve Albini Electrical Audio. HOLD ON TO YOURSELF was tracked between Fort Knockout and Sound Emporium studios in Nashville TN. It was mixed by Kurt Ballou at GodCity in Salem MA and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege in Portland OR.
In this body of songs, Friendship Commanders examines the world around them, their part in the problems and potential solutions, and even challenges the patriarchy. The release also gets personal and discusses what it looks like to be an adult who survived childhood trauma.
The band’s primary songwriter, Buick Audra, is an abuse survivor and has chosen to dedicate this work to other survivors. Her outgoing message is summarized in the EP’s title. The phrase has been a personal mantra for Audra; she has a habit of writing it down every morning as a reminder.
Buick and Jerry record and self produce their music and have created an immediately classic heavy punk rock sound. I’ve known Buick for years playing in other band settings and when I heard this record I knew we would want to learn more from Buick and Jerry about the process of writing, capturing, mixing, and mastering such a powerful sound.
Thanks to our sponsors!
JZ Microphones: Use coupon ROCKSTARS to get 50% off The BB29 mic at JZmic.com
PreSonus Studio One: https://www.presonus.com
Spectra1964: https://www.spectra1964.com
OWC: Other World Computing: https://www.OWC.com
iZotope: iZotope.com/Rockstars code ROCK10 10% off
API Audio: http://www.apiaudio.com
Soundporter Mastering: https://www.soundporter.com
RSR Academy: http://RSRockstars.com/Academy
Want to learn more about mixing? Get Free mix training with Lij at: http://MixMasterBundle.com
If you love the podcast, then please Leave a review on iTunes here