Tech and Media

I interviewed Eddie Kramer and recorded this video for Waves on the new Kramer Master Tape plug in from Waves. It is hot!
 

In this video, producer/engineer Eddie Kramer (Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones) provides an overview of the Kramer Master Tape and how it can help you warm up your mixes.

Developed in association with Eddie Kramer, the Kramer Master Tape plugin is modeled on a rare machine consisting of an Ampex 350 transport and 351 electronics. With adjustable tape speed, bias, flux, wow & flutter, and noise parameters, the Kramer Master Tape provides comprehensive control over the contours of your sound. And to top it off, we’ve added a flexible slap & feedback delay, ideal for rock, dance, dub, you name it. For recording, mixing, mastering, and more, bring the richness and warmth of real tape saturation to your DAW with the Kramer Master Tape plugin. It’s the reel deal.

The Kramer Master Tape Plugin Dream Team
Special thanks go out to Eric Schilling (Shakira, Gloria Estefan, Natalie Cole, Elton John) who provided us with the machine, Bob Olhsson (Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross) and especially John Haeny (Bonnie Raitt, Weather Report, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, Jim Morrison, Tom Jones), who provided invaluable assistance in the development of the Kramer Master Tape plugin.

SPEED selects the simulated tape speed.
MONITOR selects the monitoring mode.
BIAS controls the level of the ultrasonic bias signal.
VU METER displays input or output level.
VU CALIBRATION controls the VU meter headroom calibration.
DELAY TIME controls the time of the tape delay effect, with settings for 7.5 ips (266 milliseconds) and 15 ips (133 ms).
DELAY TYPE toggles between delay modes.
FEEDBACK controls the amount of the delayed output signal.
LOWPASS controls the LP cutoff frequency on the delay path.
RECORD LEVEL controls the input level.
LINK I/O links Record and Playback Levels controls.
PLAYBACK LEVEL controls the total signal output level.
FLUX controls the level of simulated magnetic radiation emitted from the record head.
WOW & FLUTTER controls the speed and gain modulations and fluctuations.
NOISE controls the level of added modeled noise but not noise modulations and signal additive noise.

Tupac Shakur’s “Changes.” “Survivor” by Destiny’s Child. Notorious B.I.G.’s “Mo Money Mo Problems.” “Where is the Love’” by Black Eyed Peas. These are just a few of the massive hits that have helped shape today’s R&B/Hip Hop sound. And all were mixed by Tony Maserati.

One of the most respected mixing engineers on today’s scene, Maserati has played a major role in defining current R&B and hip hop aesthetics, and has mixed over 250 releases for dozens of superstars ranging from Sting and David Bowie to Macy Gray and Alicia Keys. A two-time Grammy winner, Tony was recently nominated for his third, for his work on We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things by Jason Mraz.

After completing his studies at Berklee’s program for production and engineering, Maserati got his start the New York scene in the mid-’80s and before long Tony had hooked up with early rap legends like Heavy D and Brand Nubian. Perhaps best known for his work on such hits as Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs,” Mark Anthony’s “I Need To Know” and R. Kelly’s “I Wish,” most recently Maserati has been hard at work on new releases from John Legend as well as Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas.

Maserati says “I have been using Waves plugins from the beginning of my immersion in digital workstations. I’m looking at my computer screen and more than half of the tracks are Waves plugins. From dynamics and EQs to special effects, most of the tracks that recording engineers send me have Waves plugins on them, making it easy for me to save their work and edit or just start from one of my presets.”

Read more: http://www.waves.com/content.aspx?id=5451#ixzz1QmqjYFqN

Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Kiss, David Bowie
Any producer is only as good as the music he helps create. By this standard, Eddie Kramer must be regarded as a legend. In the course of a production and engineering career that has spanned 30 years, Kramer has been behind the boards for the biggest names in music – The Rolling Stones, Traffic, Peter Frampton, Carly Simon, Joe Cocker, Johnny Winter, David Bowie, The Beatles and Bad Company, just to name a few. But he is perhaps best known for three long-term associations in which he not only helped create some of the most important music of the rock era, but also set standards for rock production that set him aside as a true innovator. His work with Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and Kiss produced music which continues to influence rock musicians and producers today.

Born in South Africa, Eddie studied classical piano, cello and violin at the prestigious South African college of Music. At a young age, his interest switched from classical to jazz. He moved to England at 19, where he recorded local jazz groups in a home-based studio and installed hi-fi equipment as a hobby. In 1964, he joined Pye Studios, and recorded a variety of artists including Sammy Davis Jr., Petula Clark, and The Kinks, demonstrating a versatility, which Eddie possesses to this day.

In 1965, Kramer established the sophisticated KPS Studios, which, despite its rudimentary 2-track recording capability, gained such a reputation that in less than a year they were bought out by Regent Sound. They enlisted Kramer to oversee construction of their new four-track studio.

Getting “Experienced”

Kramer’s next stop was Olympic Sound studios where he developed a fantastic reputation among the bands of the time – Small Faces, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Jimi Hendrix, among others. His association with Hendrix was the most powerful one, and the one that lasted the longest. Kramer engineered every Hendrix album from “Are You Experienced” to “Cry of Love,” and after Hendrix’s death co-produced the posthumous releases “War Heroes,” “Rainbow Bridge” and “Hendrix in the West.”

In 1968, Kramer came to work at the Record Plant in NYC, engineering Hendrix’s “Electric Ladyland” LP, and also worked with Vanilla Fudge, Joe Cocker, and NRBQ. In 1969, Kramer went independent, producing Johnny Winter’s first LP and engineering Led Zeppelin II, acknowledged by fans and critics alike as perhaps that bands most influential work. This led to work on five albums with the band, half of their overall output. This pairing provided some historic moments. As Eddie tells of one particular session, “Zep II was mixed over a two day period in New York, and at one point there was bleed-through of a previously recorded vocal in the recording of “Whole Lotta Love.” It was the middle part where Robert (Plant) screams “Wo-man. You need it.” Since we couldn’t re-record at that point, I just threw some echo on it to see how it would sound and Jimmy (Page) said “Great! Just leave it.”

Woodstock

Soon afterwards, Kramer was recruited to record the Woodstock festival for both the album and the movie. “I arrived at dawn and was struck by the sight of the sun rising over what appeared to be the stage. The show was scheduled to start by lunchtime. That panic pretty much set the tone for the entire concert. All of us in the crew had Vitamin B shots, so that we would be able to stay up for three days. The whole thing was recorded under the most primitive of conditions, but we got it done,” says Kramer. “Woodstock was 3 days of hell and drugs”.

Woodstock established Kramer as one of the most important live music producers of the rock era, starting a series of artists recorded live which would ultimately include Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Kiss, John Mayall, The Rolling Stones, Peter Frampton, Joe Cocker, Curtis Mayfield, Santana, David Bowie, Derek and The Dominoes, and others.

Electric Lady Studios

Hendrix quickly hired Kramer to build a state of the art studio. After 13 months and a million dollars, Electric Lady Studios was complete, and Kramer served as its Director of Engineering from 1970 – 1974. During this time, in addition to producing the posthumous Hendrix records, Kramer produced records by Carly Simon, Sha Na Na and Peter Frampton, and engineered albums for artists as diverse as Dionne Warwick and Lena Horne, David Bowie’s “Live at the Spectrum” and “Young Americans,” featuring “Fame” with John Lennon, and Led Zeppelin’s “Houses of the Holy” and “Physical Graffiti,” among others.

In 1975, Kramer left Electric Lady Studios to work with the No. 1 band in America at the time and produced “Kiss Alive.” In addition to producing “Rock and Roll Over,” “Love Gun,” “Alive II” and “Double Platinum” for Kiss, Kramer worked on Ace Frehley’s first solo record, Led Zeppelin’s “The Song Remains the Same” (the album and the movie), Peter Frampton’s historic “Frampton Comes Alive” LP, and The Rolling Stones “Love Ya Live,” three of the most popular live albums of the rock era. In the last three decades, Kramer has produced countless bands from Anthrax, Motley Crue, and Twisted Sister to Buddy Guy, Sting and Carlos Santana. He produced the Hendrix tribute album, “Stone Free,” for Warner Bros., which features tracks from artists such as: The Cure, Eric Clapton, The Spin Doctors, Seal/Jeff Beck, Slash/Paul Rodgers, and others. The album has generated approximately $1,000,000 in charitable funds which have been donated to the United Negro College Fund as musical scholarships to The Berklee School of Music, Julliard School of Music, and The Dance Theatre of Harlem. Since 1997, he has remastered all of the Jimi Hendrix albums from the original master tapes for Experience Hendrix/MCA. Eddie won a Grammy in 2002 for his work with Carlos Santana and Michelle Branch on the single, “The Game of Love.” Eddie has also worked with Lauren Hill on her new album.

Eddie’s photographs may be viewed at www.kramerarchives.com.

Read more: http://www.waves.com/content.aspx?id=3385#ixzz1Qmoxf8yK

In this exclusive video, producer / engineer Val Garay explains how the Aphex Vintage Aural Exciter® helped shape the sound of hit records for artists like Linda Ronstadt, Neil Diamond, The Four Seasons, and James Taylor.

Shooting and interview by Brian Petersen for Waves at the Village Studios in Los Angeles. Assisted by the legendary Phil Towne.

Related plugin: Waves Aphex Vintage Aural Exciter®

Read more: http://www.waves.com/content.aspx?id=11701#ixzz1NXoWf5Xa
http://www.waves.com/content.aspx?id=11701

2011 Senior Recital of Trevor Gomes at Biola

Photography by Brian Petersen at www.brianapetersen.com
Email Brian Petersen.
© 2010 Brian Petersen

Andrew Scheps on the Waves Masters Tour at the Village Studios on March 13, 2011.

Visit Andrew’s site at http://www.scheps.com/

Photography by Brian Petersen at www.brianapetersen.com
Email Brian Petersen for licenses regarding this image.
© 2010 Brian Petersen

After graduating from the University of Miami’s music school, Andrew Scheps worked for Synclavier. Following that he toured with both Stevie Wonder as a keyboard tech and Michael Jackson as a mixing engineer. Eventually Andrew began concentrating on recording, and he found himself engineering for some of the most successful producers in rock: Don Was, Rob Cavallo, and Rick Rubin.

Andrew has recorded such diverse artists as Audioslave, Green Day, Johnny Cash, Jewel, Neil Diamond, Limp Bizkit, Alanis Morissette, The Rolling Stones, and Linkin Park. Artists such as U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, and Camp Freddy featuring Scott Weiland have taken advantage of Andrew’s talents as a mixing engineer.

Read more: http://www.waves.com/content.aspx?id=3545#ixzz1ItJYDgGL

Andrew Schep’s Discography
 

Trevor Gomes recording sessions. Engineered by Brian Petersen.

Photography by Brian Petersen at www.brianapetersen.com
Email Brian Petersen for licenses regarding this image.
© 2010 Brian Petersen

Waves Grammy Congratulations NAMM 2011 from Brian Petersen on Vimeo.

Video by Brian Petersen for Waves
http://brianapetersen.com/
http://www.waves.com/

Chris Lord-Alge
Jack Joseph Puig
Manny Marroquin
Ross Hograth
Andrew Scheps
Dave Aron
Val Garay
Stevie Black
Scott Martin Gershin
Rob Arbittier
John Mills
Nic tenBroek
Michael Pearson Adams
Jordan Rudess

Photography by Brian Petersen at www.brianapetersen.com
Email Brian Petersen for licenses regarding this image.
© 2010 Brian Petersen

Jack Joseph Puig is among the most sought-after producers and mixing engineers in the music industry.

Jack Joseph Puig is world-renowned as a producer, mixer, and engineer, blending the sounds of the past three decades to create a unique contemporary aural tapestry. As one of the industry’s most in-demand engineers, Puig has manned the controls for a veritable who’s who of major artists.

Recently, Jack Joseph Puig collaborated with Waves on The JJP Analog Legends, which features four precision-modeled plugins based on rare gear from his own studio. Here are some photos of a recent session with Jack as he explains the front and back end of the plugins.

Check out his plugins
http://www.waves.com/Content.aspx?id=7306
Read more: http://www.waves.com/content.aspx?id=2327#ixzz17TnrjKyH

About JJP Analog Legends

JJP Analog Legends is the result of an ongoing Waves research and development project that has lasted over 3 years.

Fairchild compressors are among the very rarest pieces of recording gear; it’s rumored that less than 50 were originally manufactured. One of the first things we discovered when testing Fairchilds is that each model sounds different. In fact, even within the same stereo module, each channel can sound and behave differently! Only a few fortunate studios in the world have multiple units, with the opportunity to compare the subtle differences between them. And so, our quest for the best sounding Fairchild led us to producer/mixing engineer Jack Joseph Puig, well-known in audio circles for his enviable collection of hard-to-find gear.

Jack loaned us his very best sounding unit, and we painstakingly analyzed and modeled its every attribute, replicating its sound and behavior to the point where the software was virtually indistinguishable from hardware. Jack was an indispensable part of the development process, greatly assisting the Waves team by testing and fine tuning the software models of his hardware, as well as contributing an extensive library of his personal presets.

So when you fire up the PuigChild, it’s almost as if you were working together with Jack Joseph Puig in Ocean Way studios. Better yet, it’s as if he loaned you a Fairchild. And not just any Fairchild; his BEST Fairchild.

Read more: http://www.waves.com/content.aspx?id=7665#ixzz17TpKxhKD

Among his clients:
The Rolling Stones, U2, Black Eyed Peas, Green Day, Fergie, John Mayer, Sheryl Crow, Klaxons, Panic At The Disco, Weezer, Counting Crows, Pussycat Dolls, Goo Goo Dolls, The Black Crowes, Switchfoot, No Doubt, Mary J. Blige, and more.

Puig has produced hits for the Verve Pipe (“Freshmen”) and The Black Crows (“Good Friday”), among others. Calling Ocean Way his home, Puig has spent time both as an engineer and as a producer and sees the duality as a plus when dealing with today’s Top 40 rock acts, many of whom ask him to mix their albums as well. He has also mixed albums for Hole, Collective Soul, Green Day, Mick Jagger, Lisa Loeb, and others.

Puig’s Picks

The vintage hardware modeled in the JJP Analog Legends are among the rarest, most coveted pieces in the audio world. The PuigChild 660, PuigChild 670, PuigTec EQP-1A, and PuigTec MEQ-5 are based on these acclaimed units.

About Fairchild: Among gear aficionados, the stereo Fairchild 670 is considered the most coveted of all compressors, not only because of its pristine sound, but also its rarity and price: 670s routinely go for tens of thousands of dollars on the vintage market. (They originally cost less than $1000.) With 20 vacuum tubes and 4 hand-wired transformers in a hefty 6 rack-space chassis, these hard-to-find units weigh in at a robust 65 lbs.

Designed by Estonian-born Rein Narma in the early 1950s, both the stereo 670 and its mono counterpart the Fairchild 660 use single push-pull amplification stages with extremely high control voltages. Both variable-mu limiters are unique in that they use tubes for gain reduction as well as amplification. Compression takes place directly in the audio path, rather than being routed to a separate circuit.

Prior to the 660 and 670, Narma’s Gotham Audio Developments had built consoles and components for such luminaries as Rudy Van Gelder and Les Paul. Shortly after Paul asked Narma to build a limiter, Sherman Fairchild caught wind of the project, licensed the design, and hired Narma to come onboard as the company’s chief engineer. After his stint at Fairchild, Narma relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area and became vice president of Ampex, pioneers of multitrack recording equipment.
About Pultec

Custom-engineered and built by hand, the original Pultecs have long been a top choice of leading recording and mastering engineers. Pultecs are renowned for their ability to accentuate individual frequency ranges without significantly altering other frequencies.
In 1951, Gene Shenk and Ollie Summerland of Pulse Techniques Inc. introduced the first passive program equalizer, the EQP-1. Using equalization circuit designs licensed from Western Electric, the initial Pultecs suffered the gain insertion losses typical of passive filters. So, they added a gain makeup stage, using a push-pull design with multiple vacuum tubes. The result is the classic we’ve come to know as the EQP-1A.

Conceived and created for broadband equalization, the EQP-1A features four low boost/cut frequencies, three high-cut frequencies and seven HF boost points, along with a bandwidth control for shaping the high boost curve. The EQP-1A and the MEQ-5 together comprise one of the best known equalization chains in audio history.

More about Jack Joseph Puig

Jack Joseph Puig is a Grammy Award-winning music engineer and producer with a long track record of successful productions, beginning with the mid 1990′s production of Tonic. Following this breakout success, Puig went on to work with Hole, Jellyfish, The Black Crowes,^[1] John Mayer, Weezer, Fiona Apple, Green Day, The Counting Crows, No Doubt, Klaxons, Panic at the Disco, Stone Temple Pilots, U2, and many others. Puig has shared Grammy Awards with The Goo Goo Dolls, Sheryl Crow, Vanessa Carlton, John Mayer, Fergie (Black Eyed Peas), U2, and No Doubt. In 2006 Jack Joseph Puig became a E.V.P. atInterscope-Geffen-A&M Records. He has signed Klaxons and Charlotte Sometimes. As a A&R man he works with Shirley Manson, Ashlee Simpson, Klaxons, Charlotte Sometimes, The Counting Crows, Puddle of Mudd, and The Like.

Prior to his mainstream music production successes Puig rose to prominence as an engineer in the Contemporary Christian music scene of the mid-eighties. He worked mainly on Myrrh Record releases. He engineered for Christian acts sych as Amy Grant and Russ Taff. Some of the records he engineered were Grammy-award winning works such as Grant’s landmark 1985 LP Unguarded.

Partial discography

• Semisonic – Feeling Strangely Fine (1998) m
• Robbie Williams – I’ve Been Expecting You (1998) p/m
• John Hiatt – Stolen Moments (2005) e/m
• Bette Midler – Some People’s Lives (1990) m
• Jellyfish – Bellybutton (1990) e/p
• Bette Midler – For the Boys (soundtrack) (1991) m
• Jellyfish – Spilt Milk (1993) e/p/m
• The Grays – Ro Sham Bo (1994) p
• The Black Crowes – Amorica (1994) e/p/m
• Tonic – Lemon Parade (1996) e/p/m
• Weezer – Pinkerton (1996) e/m
• The Black Crowes – Three Snakes & One Charm (1996) e/p/m
• Talk Show – Talk Show (1997) m
• Big Wreck – In Loving Memory Of… (1997) m
• Hole – Celebrity Skin (1998) m
• Goo Goo Dolls – Dizzy Up The Girl (1998) p/m
• Sparklehorse – Good Morning Spider (1999) p/m
• Stone Temple Pilots – Revolution (1999) m
• The Counting Crows – This Desert Life (1999) m
• Beck – Nicotine & Gravy (1999) m
• No Doubt – Return of Saturn (2000) m
• Green Day – Warning (2000) m
• Collective Soul – Blender (2000) m
• Five For Fighting – Easy Tonight (2000) p/m
• Shelby Lynne – Bridget Jones’ Diary, original soundtrack (2001) m
• Tricky – Blowback (2001) m
• Remy Zero – The Golden Hum (2001) e/p/m
• The Rolling Stones – 40 Licks (2002) m
• Phantom Planet – The Guest (2002) m
• Sheryl Crow – C’mon C’mon (2002) m
• Vanessa Carlton – Be Not Nobody (2002) m
• Vanessa Carlton – A Thousand Miles (2002) m
• The Counting Crows – Hard Candy (2002) m
• Switchfoot – The Beautiful Letdown (2003) m
• Stereomud – Every Given Moment (2003) m
• The Ataris – So Long, Astoria (2003) m
• Stereophonics – You Gotta Go There to Come Back (2003) m
• John Mayer – Heavier Things (2003) e/p/m
• No Doubt – The Singles: 1992-2003 (2003) m
• 311 – Greatest Hits ’93-’03 (2004) m
• Sum 41 – Killer Queen(2005) e/p/m
• Aqualung – Strange and Beautiful (2005) m
• Son Volt – Retrospective 1995-2000 (2005) m
• Black Eyed Peas – Monkey Business (2005) m
• The Rolling Stones – A Bigger Bang (2005) m
• The Rolling Stones – Biggest Mistake (2005) m
• The Pussycat Dolls – PCD (2005) m
• Mary J. Blige – The Breakthrough (2005) m
• John Hiatt – Chronicles (2005) e/m
• Goo Goo Dolls – Let Love In (2006) m
• Dashboard Confessional – Dusk and Summer (2006) m
• Fergie – The Dutchess (2006) m
• The Academy Is – Santi (2007) m
• Macy Gray – Big (2007) m
• U2 – Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur (2007) p/m
• Lifehouse – Who We Are (2007) m
• Queen Latifah – Trav’lin’ Light(2007) m
• Puddle of Mudd – Psycho (2007) p/m
• Klaxons – Golden Skans radio remix (2007) m
• Eric Clapton – Complete Clapton (2007) m
• Panic at the Disco – Nine in the Afternoon (2007) m
• Charlotte Sometimes– Waves and the Both of Us (2008) p/m
• Jack Savoretti - Harder Than Easy (2009) m
• Kylie Morgan (country artist) 2010

I had a joy editing this video for Grace EV Free in La Mirada for our 2010 Thanksgiving service. Enjoy.

From a harp recording session by Brian Petersen with a piece written by Trevor Gomes on November 20, 2010.

Miced with a Neumann TLM 49 cardioid directional large-diaphragm studio microphone running to a UA LA 610 into Pro Tools LE8 running Waves Mercury Bundle.

People may ask, “How do I record a harp?” A couple rules always apply for any recording. I use a nice large room with high ceilings, a good player, good charts, and a good producer and engineer. I used two mics in with one pointing at the soundboard and the Neumann is bit higher aimed at the strings. I loved the result and will use this in the future.

Photography by Brian Petersen at www.brianapetersen.com
Email Brian Petersen for licenses regarding this image.
© 2010 Brian Petersen

Photo taken during the 2010 Thriving Musicians Summit at Bayside Church.

Photography by Brian Petersen at www.brianapetersen.com
Email Brian Petersen for licenses regarding this image.
© 2010 Brian Petersen

From a photo session for Waves by Brian Petersen with Tony Maserati in Studio D at the Village Recorder in West L.A.

The man behind the sound of the Black Eyed Peas, Jay-Z, Mariah Carey, Puff Daddy, Beyoncé, Usher, John Legend, Alicia Keys, Jason Mraz, Macy Grey, Mary J, Blige, Rob Thomas, Sting, David Bowie, Tupac Shakur, Ricky Martin, Notorious B.I.G.

Read more: http://www.waves.com/Content.aspx?id=8873#ixzz13PWelf3l
Visit Tony’s site at http://tonymaserati.com/

Photography by Brian Petersen at www.brianapetersen.com
Email Brian Petersen for licenses regarding this image. © 2010 Brian Petersen

About Tony Maserati

Widely regarded as the principal architect of the legendary New York Sound, Tony Maserati is one of the world’s most respected mixing engineers. In a dazzling career with countless hit records for superstars ranging from Sting and David Bowie to Macy Gray and Alicia Keys, Tony has done more than simply make the songs sound great. He has played a major role in redefining the aesthetics of R&B, hip-hop, and pop.

After completing his studies at Berklee’s program for production and engineering, Maserati got his start at the legendary Sigma Sound Studios in New York during the mid-’80s, hooking up with early rap legends like Heavy D and Brand Nubian. Working closely with Bad Boy Entertainment’s roster of heavyweight talent—including Mary J Blige, Faith Evans, Notorius B.I.G. and Lil Kim—he helped create what became known as the sound of New York hip hop. It wasn’t long before he was leaving his mark on smash pop hits including Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs”, Marc Anthony’s “I Need to Know”, and R. Kelly’s “I Wish”.

Today, as an active producer / mixing engineer as well as instructor at Tisch School of the Arts / New York University, Tony mentors up-and-coming engineers and artists. He’s won two Grammy® awards, one for Beyonce’s “Crazy In Love” and one for Sergio Mendes’s Timeless, and is the recipient of a 2006 TEC Award. He is an active member of The Recording Academy, and this year received his seventh Grammy nomination, for Jason Mraz’s We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.

Maserati says “I’ve been using Waves from the beginning. From dynamics and EQs to special effects, most of the tracks I’ve mixed have Waves on them. Waves did an amazing job turning my personal processing chains into custom plug-ins.”

Selected Discography

• Marc Anthony: “I Need To Know”
• James Brown: JB (Best of the Best)
• Mariah Carey: “Honey,” “The Roof”
• Destiny’s Child: “Survivor,” “Bootylicious”
• R. Kelly: “Like a Real Freak,” “TP-2″
• Jennifer Lopez: “Play,” “Ain’t It Funny,” “I’m Real”
• Ricky Martin and Christina Aguilera: “Nobody Wants To Be Lonely”
• Maxwell: “Fortunate”
• Mýa: “Best of Me”
• Notorious B.I.G.: “Mo Money Mo Problems”
• Puff Daddy: “Been Around the World”
• The Simpsons: The Yellow Album
• Jessica Simpson: “Sweet Kisses”
• Tupac: “Changes”
• Vitamin C: “I Know What Boys Like”
• Anouk: “Hotel New York” Album
• Jason Mraz: “We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.”

I’m out here in Phoenix at the Christian Musician Summit training sound techs on Waves. Everyone is having a great time and I wanted to post a couple recap thoughts from our time with the guys. Here are some basics on MultiRack and using Waves live.

Here is a link to the Waves site for more info on MultiRack.

What is MultiRack?

MultiRack is a host platform for Waves audio processing plug-ins, designed especially for live sound applications. It provides a software equivalent to outboard hardware processing Racks, and signal flow to and from your console is similar to what you’re accustomed to with traditional hardware Racks. MultiRack allows you to program up to 1000 Snapshots per Session, so you can seamlessly change setups between or even within songs.

What do you need to get up and running?

It’s pretty simple to setup with any FOH rig and here are the basic things you need:
1. Connect your console to the sound card or external I/O
2. Create a new Session and set the preferences
3. Add new Racks and set their audio signal flow
4. Add plug-ins for sound processing
5. Create Snapshots for easy recall of Racks and processors
6. Organize Racks into groups for ease of operation and latency management
7. Set up your MIDI environment for remote control

Who is using it?

Daniel Green
FOH Engineer / Coldplay

[info][blockquote cite="Daniel Green / FOH Engineer / Coldplay"]
For vocals, I always use the C4. Chris’s voice has very wide range, so it’s great to have dynamic control across 4 frequency bands. I combine the C4 with a Renaissance EQ and Renaissance Compressor. For vocal effects, I think H-delay, is best sounding delay plugin

For the guitars, I use a PuigChild. followed by the Renaissance EQ.

I use two bass drum mics, each using the same chain: PuigChild, Renaissance EQ, MaxxBass. Both are routed to a single group for further processing using the API 2500 compressor and a little more EQ with the API 550B.

What about bass and master buss?
Nothing on the master buss. On the bass, I use a PuigChild 660 into a Renaissance EQ.
[/blockquote][/info]

Brett Dicus
FOH / Sound Designer (Norah Jones, Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Starr)

[success][blockquote cite="Brett Dicus FOH / Post Production Sound Designer (Norah Jones, Bruce Springsteen, Ringo Starr)"]
On Drums: MaxxBass, Kramer PIE Compressor, Renaissance Reverb – I like the sounds and response. I’ve been using the PIE Compressor for my compressed drum group.

On Guitars: Renaissance Compressor, PIE Compressor, PS22, Cranesong Phoenix. My current tour already has great guitar sounds, so not much processing is necessary. The plugins I’ve listed I use to help me find a place in the mix for everything. Turning mono sources into stereo, creating distinct tone signatures for similar sources, and getting mid-range sources to mix together is a big challenge in a live show.

On Vocals: C4, Renaissance Vox, Renaissance Reverb, H-Delay. The C4 has proven my favorite plugin of all time when contouring vocals. I use the solo feature of the band pass to help focus on issues just as I would in the studio. Now, if I need to work on the sibilance of the vocal or the low-mid I am a lot more efficient having band passes available with the push of one button.

I use Renaissance Reverb and H-Delay because they sound great. Their parameters are efficiently mapped to the control surface making operation just outright enjoyable.

On Bass: MaxxBass, C4 – Every venue is different. There is no perfect system tuning for a room that works for every show. You can’t fix problems in a mix with system tuning either. So having the ability with C4 to contour the threshold and release times makes system tuning easier, and allows us to use less EQ in the low and sub bands.

On Master Outs: Renaissance Compressor, Q10, Brainworx Control V2, V-EQ4. Nothing fancy.
[/blockquote][/success]

Paul David Hager
FOH / Studio Mix Engineer (Miley Cyrus, Goo Goo Dolls, Jonas Brothers)

[info][blockquote cite="Paul David Hager FOH / Studio Mix Engineer (Miley Cyrus, Goo Goo Dolls, Jonas Brothers)"]
For drums: SSL E-Channel, API 550B, L1 Ultramaximizer, IR-1 Convolution Reverb

For guitars: API 550A, Renaissance EQ, CLA-76

For vocals: SSL G-Equalizer, C4 Multiband, CLA-3A

For bass: L1 Ultramaximizer, PuigTec EQs, PuigChild

For keys: C4 Multiband, L1 Ultramaximizer, PuigChild

For live master outs: PuigTec EQs, L2 Ultramaximizer, API 2500

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I had the joy of engineering this record. Take a look at the video below and give the album a listen.

“Here Is Your God,” is the latest worship album from Grace Evangelical Free Church in La Mirada.

Watch
Watch as Walt Harrah and Erik Thoennes discuss the theology behind the songs from the new album.

Here Is Your God: Interview with Erik Thoennes and Walt Harrah from Grace EV Free on Vimeo.

Listen
Listen to samples and download the album now

Isaiah 40 opens up with a word we could all use in these hectic times – it’s the word comfort. It is said twice, even. Israel was probably in captivity at the time Isaiah was written, and these words must have been like a drink of cool water to God’s desperately thirsty people. If they had lost any hope of restoration, the words of chapters 40-66 of Isaiah were meant to flood the driest of hearts with the living water of God’s glorious plan and purpose.

What would it be like to sing some of these truths, so that our hope gets reawakened as well? The God who reveals himself in these chapters is still in charge, and while his ultimate plan is yet unfolding, we need all the help we can get to make it to the finish line. Surely these words were meant to give us endurance and encouragement as well.

God promised that his word would never return to him without having accomplished its purpose. May you experience revival and renewal as you listen, to the ultimate glory of God.

Songs

1. Here Is Your God : Song lyrics and description : Sheet Music
2. The Best Is Yet To Come : Song lyrics and description : Sheet Music
3. Life Everlasting : Song lyrics and description : Sheet Music
4. Prepare The Way : Song lyrics and description : Sheet Music
5. I Belong To The Lord : Song lyrics and description : Sheet Music
6. Despised, Rejected : Song lyrics and description : Sheet Music
7. Beauty From Ashes : Song lyrics and description : Sheet Music
8. Set Things Right : Song lyrics and description : Sheet Music
9. The Light Of The Lord : Song lyrics and description : Sheet Music
10. True Religion : Song lyrics and description : Sheet Music
11. Just Wait And See : Song lyrics and description : Sheet Music

All songs by Walt Harrah 2010 Seedsower Music ASCAP
The above links will give you more info about these songs and let you download the sheet music for free at www.waltharrah.com

Credits

Produced by Walt Harrah
Engineered by Brian Petersen
Mixed and mastered by Ted Blaisdell
Cover art and layout by Becky Griswold

Musicians

Drums: Nate Warne
Bass: Andrew Braine
Electric guitar: Dale Bryson
Acoustic guitar: Kenny Clark, Drew Brokke
Percussion: Will Gearhart, Nate Warne
Violins: Lindsay Orr, Laurel McMillen, Amanda Sansonetti
Viola: Megan Grafton-Cardwell
Cello: Meghan Zeikle
String bass: Andrew Braine
Piano, pads: Walt Harrah

Vocalists

Here Is Your God
Kenny Clark and Marla Bustad
The Best Is Yet To Come
Kenny Clark
Life Everlasting
Marla Bustad
Prepare The Way
Kenny Clark
Walt Harrah and Drew Brokke, bgvs
I Belong To The Lord
Marla Bustad
Anna & Elijah Price, Chayila & Ransom Kleist, Maryn & Anna Joseph, Caroline Thoennes, choir
Despised, Rejected
Kenny Clark
Beauty From Ashes
Mindy Price
orchestrated by and piano performed by Trevor Gomes
Set Things Right
Kenny Clark
The Light Of The Lord
Marla Bustad
True Religion
Kenny Clark and Marla Bustad
Just Wait And See
Kenny Clark and Mindy Price
Walt Harrah and Mindy Price, bgvs

Grace

© 2010 Grace Evangelical Free Church
12717 S. Santa Gertrudes Avenue
La Mirada, CA 90638
(562) 943-3791
www.waltharrah.com
www.songsofgrace.org
www.graceevfree.org

Songs of Grace is a worship ministry of Grace Evangelical Free Church in La Mirada, CA.

Grace Evangelical Free Church is a community that exists to glorify God as we follow Jesus Christ. By God’s grace we seek to glorify Him through reverent worship. In His Spirit we endeavor to reach the La Mirada area and the world with the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ. Through His Word we strive toward maturity in Christ, encouraging and equipping one another to be His ambassadors. As Christ’s body we build faithful relationships and families.

At Grace every member of the body is necessary and important for us to do the work that God has called us to do. Our members need to be active if we are going to be faithful to our mission. Our Elders equip the body, but the entire body is to be active in service.

Read more about our ministry values here

Soundcraft MH4 mixer at the front of house mix position at Hume Lake Ponderosa Chapel.

http://www.soundcraft.com/products/product.aspx?pid=123
http://www.humelake.org/

Photography by Brian Petersen at www.brianapetersen.com
Email Brian Petersen for licenses regarding this image.
© 2010 Brian Petersen