It's Doghouse Bass Time!

Mick Hargreaves' 1940's upright bass now lives at the Lanten Sound Recirding Rig.

Photo: Drum & Bass Overdub Tracking Sheet

Overdub session Tuesday May 5th 2020.

PHOTO: Mon May 4, 2020

Mark Pohl does a drum overdub, Monday afternoon May 4 2020.

Photo: The Grounds Outside The Studio, May 1, 2020

The State of The Recording Studio in the Age of The Virus

In the LSRR control room, late at night

By Mick Hargreaves

As soon as our area went into COVID-19 lockdown, I began contemplating our recording studio strategy for the near future.

I've spoken with the artists that we work with here, and I've spoken with my peers in the business. I'm sure that we can still do what we do here at the LSRR, and we'll accomplish that by doing things safely, and smartly.

This virus isn't going to stop the Lantern Sound Recording Rig from being an organic, friendly, and healthy home for the creation of recorded music, and more.

The one thing we're pushing the [PAUSE] button on, for the time being, is a group of musicians sweating out take after take together, in the same exact space, at the same time, as we record. We're planning out how we can get back to that modus operandi as soon as it's possible.

So let's get right to it by itemizing immediate priorities, and then I'll detail some strategies.

The LSRR control room got a major makeover April 23-26 when two big equipment racks were installed.

PRIORITIES.

At the LSRR, health safety guidance will be followed at all times.

Recordings-in-progress at the LSRR will be fully finished to artist's satisfaction.

LSRR will field new business smartly, in keeping with latest expert health guidance.

LSRR will embrace new workflows and tech solutions, and we will empower the artist.

The dedicated Artist's Salon at The Lantern Sound Recording Rig

Strategy 1: The Recording Studio Will Be Divided in Two.

In addition to everyone at this studio adhering to proper health safety policy, performers and I will never be in the same room together.

One side for the performer.

One side for engineering.

On the floor plan of the studio facility below, the red line drawn right through the center of the house divides the recording facility in two. This division keeps performers and I totally separated, each of us with our own dedicated entryways, bathrooms, and studio spaces. Artist-only areas, including the dedicated bathroom, and will be cleaned before and after every session.

Artist's Area (left), Engineer's Area (right) / drawing: Robert Hargreaves

Performer side:
Vocal microphones, guitar & bass amps, baby grand piano, instrument inputs, headphone monitoring gear, DI boxes, compression, tuners, anything else the performer may want.

Engineering side: 
That's where I'll be, in the control room, doing normal knob-twiddling, running the DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), and generating the headphone monitoring mix for the performer with my talkback communication.
The "Big Room" is also on this side of the demarcation line, and that's where drum tracking will be done when needed.

View into Big Room from Artist's Salon.

Artist's Salon amps, porch break area beyond.

Artist's Salon dead corner for vocals etc.

Vintage tube amps in the Artist's Salon.

Dedicated landline and telephone interfaces
for recording remote podcast interviews.

Side Note:
Podcasts!

We've been recording them here, and now that we need to be super health-conscious, remote phone interviews are more important than ever.

Hosts can be here at the studio, isolated in the Artist's Salon, and the interview subjects can call in from anywhere. Our dedicated land line and telephone interfaces ensure a clean recorded sound with zero dropped calls or cell phone interference.

Strategy 2: Remote Mixing / Overdubbing

We've been doing remote mixing for quite a while, and we'll proceed with doing that for every song.

LSRR  control room, Weds 22 Apr 2020

Before mixing starts, the artist and I will discuss overall desired sound, mood, where the vocal should sit in the mix, how drum heavy it should be, effects, panning, solos, etc. I always shoot to get a mix done in three hours or so, and it usually does wind up being that amount of time. When the mix is done I'll share the mix files for approval, comment, and revision.

When we're overdubbing, select types of tracks can be recorded at the artist's location.

The WeSendIt File Transfer Website

Then we "fly" those parts via file transfer into the master session here on the studio system. Keyboard parts are one easy example. I always contact the artist one-on-one to work out technical concerns involved with this method.

There are many ways to do online file transfers these days, whether cloud-based or direct-send. Here's a webpage with links to the file transfer tools we use.

Strategy 3: Studio Hygiene.

I'm treating the Artist's Salon as if it were our version a "NASA Clean Room".

Vacuuming, wiping microphones, windows, and surfaces down with antiseptic cleaners, regularly. Full cleanings before and after the day's work. We all know the deal here. Rinse and repeat! We'll be reviewing health safety guidelines with all artists that work here.

But here's an interesting microphone function that we'll be putting to work immediately:

Shure SM7B mic & windscreens

The Shure SM7B, one of our favorite microphones here for a lot of things, is an ideal piece of gear for the enabling of proper "microphone hygiene". The integrated foam microphone windscreen is super-easily interchangeable - off and on swap-out! We've purchased additional windscreens so there will always be a sterilized one on the microphone. Adding in an additional hoop-shaped pop filter adds another layer that we will also be changing out for every session.

Shure SM7B w/ windscreen & pop filter

Of course, artists can bring their own microphones.

Singers like Mick Jagger, Bono et al have often cut vocals with quite ordinary dynamic microphones; Bruno Mars did an "Uptown Funk" scratch lead vocal using an SM57 at five o'clock in the morning, then he got on a plane. It wound up on the record!

SOLUTION 4: Free Tech Assistance.

Oh NOOOOOOOOOooooo

Almost every musical artist with a DAW setup at home will eventually encounter some sort of technical "speed bump", or something that grinds things to a halt!

The horror... THE HORROR.

Often times, I'm familiar with these challenges.

I am here for you - Let's get you through that moment, and back to digging in on the creative process - you've got stuff to do!  If I don't have the answer or solution, we'll someone who does. We'll investigate, and solve your problem.

Empowering the recording artist to create at THEIR location means the artist becomes more enabled to participate in the recording process at ALL locations. Everyone wins.

Strategy 5: In-person conferences at the regulation horseshoe court.

Forty feet should be a safe distance for any conversation.

Message or call me directly to schedule an appointment, and we can chat while we play horseshoes right here outside the Lantern Sound Recording Rig studio, weather permitting.

Thanks for reading, everyone.

We'll be in touch!

m.h.

April 24, 2020

Martin, Fender & Vox: The Artists's Salon at LSRR

The last time I was on a stage. Bass with Pete Mancini & Hillside Airmen.

The control room at the LSRR, April 1, 2020