Angel Mountain Productions and Sound

New world-class facility in Bethlehem, PA open to music and post community where legendary jazz trombonist Bill Watrous (described by jazz writers as “one of the finest bop-oriented trombonists of the past 30 years") recently recorded some new tracks.

Take an Express Tour with Mike Horvath and find out the latest here...

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The A&R Desk

studioexpresso caught up with Brian Malouf, VP of A&R at RCA who has impressive client list as A&R as well as a producer/mixer (The Verve Pipe, The Calling, Eve 6, Everclear, Lit, Big Country, Oingo Boingo, Celine Dion).
We asked Brian about his latest signings.

"I like many different genres of music, but feel a few things are important to all successful acts. Those are great songs, star quality, a vocalist who connects emotionally with his/her audience, "stick-to-itiveness", and a great work ethic. Establishing a following is also important these days."

Here's 3 acts who demonstrated these qualities:

New York City's 4-piece stellastarr* fresh off a breakout performance at South by Southwest 2003 conference in Austin, Texas was signed by Malouf. The new album, p,e, & m mixed by Tim O'Heir will be out this summer. Their EP is already out in the U.K. on 20/20 records, and they recently became one of the few unsigned bands to make their US television debut on the Carson Daly show. stellastarr* begins a series of dates with The Raveonettes in the UK in mid-May.

The members of Damone don't concern themselves with three-chord routines or childish lyrical rants; instead they kick it with huge arena rock-like riffs while 16-year-old frontwoman/guitarist Noelle LeBlanc's ironic sweetness swirls in spit and vinegar. Damone's new release, "From the Attic" is mixed by Tom Lord-Alge.

Hotwire got signed with RCA in December 2000. After working with a variety of big-name producers, the band issued a promotional four-song EP in late 2002. The set generated buzz for Hotwire's debut full length Routine, which dropped in June 2003, Its release was timed to coincide with the band's appearances on that summer's Ozzfest.
The Routine is mixed and produced by Matt Hyde. Hotwire tour dates at Artist Direct here.

The Cribb
Theo Wilson Square
Release date: June 10th

The Cribb's (named one of the top unsigned artists of 2002 by Music Connection) debut CD is produced and mixed by Rogers Masson . "The Cribb is a group that has already realized their considerable potential. It’s now up to labels to discover this polished jewel of a band."
-- Music Connection.

To celebrate the occasion the band will be playing at:
House of Blues on the Sunset Strip!
8430 Sunset Blvd. West Hollywood, CA 90069
323/848-5100

6/10 - Tuesday
The Cribb w. Fred Wilson opening

Doors: 8pm Show: 9pm
Tickets for $10 can be purchased online or via phone at 323/848-5100 or at the box office. For one night only the CD is offered to fans for $5. For more info visit The Cribb Web Site or call manager Shane Tobin at 323/806-9500

Ed Harcourt
From Every Sphere

Astralwerks will release the long-awaited new album from critically-acclaimed singer-songwriter Ed Harcourt. A richly-arranged masterpiece of technicolor texture and soaring songcraft, From Every Sphere was produced betted Blake (Tom Waits, Low, American Music Club). Look for Ed to tour the US in June, with a September tour with REM to follow.

Rurik with A New CD Release, To Play Vans Warped Tour 2003
Also catch Rurik at Key Club in W Hollywood May 27th

Electro-rock band RURIK has been chosen to play selected dates on the Vans Warped Tour 2003. or Warped2003

RURIK has just released their new full length album, "The Order of Chaos," engineered/mixed by Rudy Haeusermann of 126bpm Productions. Haeusermann's experience in several genres of music has found him working on projects as eclectic as Rob Zombie, Snoop Dogg and Tina Turner. Mastering done by Dave Collins of Marcussen Mastering.

The lead track "High" was mixed by three-time Grammy Award winner Warren Riker (Down, Korn - complete bio at: zigzagcommunications For more info contact: Jeff Olson of Athir Creative Productions (323) 856-9422

Doc Powell
97th & Columbus
Release Date: 3.25.03

New recording by famed guitarist Doc Powell is available as an SACD in 5.1 Surround Sound. Best known as a solo artist and the guitarist for so many years with Luther Vandross and Kirk Franklin, Powell captures the Manhattan vibe on 97th & Columbus. Joined by such great musicians as George Duke, Marcus Miller, Patrice Rushen, Harvey Mason and vocalist Luther Vandross. Powell pays tribute to Mikell's night club where many musicians learned their craft. To learn more about this wonderful recording click here

Yellowjackets
Time Squared
Release Date: May 27th 2003



Following on the heels of their Grammy-nominated Mint Jam, Yellowjackets' self-released 2001 live recording (subsequently released oversea on Heads Up International), Yellowjackets' first studio album in five years will be released on May 27th. Join the Jackets in New York City and stay in Times Square. See the Jackets at the Iridium Jazz Club and receive tickets for a Broadway Show. To learn more about this wonderful recording click here

ATC (Acoustic Transducer Company) SCM50 monitors used by ABKCO Records for
the Sam Cooke Re-mastered Series.

Recently in the news with their landmark reissue of 22 early Rolling Stones and five Sam Cooke albums on hybrid Super Audio Compact Disc, ABKCO Records has installed a stereo pair of ATC SCM50ASL Pro active three-way monitor speakers in the company's pre-production listening environment. They're very musical and have great mid-range, and they're so accurate," says chief audio engineer and tape archive researcher Teri Landi of the ATC
monitors.

Blink-182s latest release goes vintage API


Vintage API console (No.3) handles Blink 182's upcoming release. Seated at the console is recording engineer Ryan Hewitt, standing Mark Hobbus, Blink 182's bass player.

Platinum-selling punk/pop trio Blink-182 recently set about recording their highly anticipated follow-up to 2001's "Take Off Your Pants and Jacket," working once again with longtime producer Jerry Finn, plus recording engineer Ryan Hewitt and assistant Sam Boukas. The
engineering team collaborated with Luis Arteaga of Signature Sound Recording Studios and David Lyon, president, of pro audio dealer Sonic Circus to arrange for a temporary studio to be setup in a rented house in the San Diego area. The collection of high-end equipment, including a classic API analog mixing console, was assembled and installed by Tony Lopez of Studio Support Services, working seven days straight to finish in time for the first session.

"It's a 48-input, 24-monitor desk," says Hewitt of the API console. Hewitt recently completed engineering a solo record by John Fusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers), as well as projects by Tom Petty and Frankie Perez. "The console is serial number three, and came out of Soundtrack New York." Using Finn's Tannoys and his own Proac nearfield speakers, Hewitt observes, "Mainly we're monitoring through the desk, and doing rough mixes. Given the
fact that we're on two-inch tape and high-res Pro Tools HD, the headroom and the frequency response of the console is really important. We're counting on the fact that what goes into it comes out."

Lucid as master reference source to clock Digidesign ProTools HD

Paul Levy, Advanced Audio Rentals, North Hollywood, California

Hollywood's motion picture sound stages increasingly require recording and playback of very large numbers of high-resolution audio tracks during scoring and dubbing. To cope with the demand, Paul Levy at Advanced Audio Rentals in North Hollywood has assembled a series of high-resolution Digidesign ProTools HD systems, each combined with a Lucid SSG192 High Definition Studio Sync Generator acting as the master clock reference. Where
necessary, additional synchronized clock outputs are provided by Lucid's
GENx6-96 distribution system.

"We use the SSG192 as a master reference source to clock the Digidesign 192 boxes rather than use loop sync, because it's a much tighter lock," comments Levy.

Future Of Tape!

The 2003 line up of RADAR 24 hard disk recorders from iZ Technology features both third generation recording technology and a streamlined workflow, courtesy of the system's dedicated user interface. Each hand built system is manufactured to the highest standards and provides the operator with robust, "crash free" 24/7 performance. A perfect solution for any mission critical audio application that requires replacing aging tape machines or unreliable, mouse and display driven Mac and/or PC based systems.

L-R: Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam (Janet Jackson, Bryan Adams and Mariah Carey) picutred with Radar.

The sonic character of RADAR converters has earned them a stellar reputation among audio professionals around the world. They are relied upon daily for the warmth, dimensionality and detail that they provide. The RADAR brings you the best of analog fidelity without the noise, cost and other drawbacks associated with tape.

"We love RADAR® 24 because it sounds like analog tape. It's fast, reliable and easy to use. When you're recording Janet, Sting, or Mariah, you can't afford to miss a take. The iZ Technology RADAR® 24 is a hit with us and
...we love hits," say Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis.

Other Producer/Engineers who are using Radar are David Leonard, Daniel Lanois, Hugh Padgham and Mark Howard. David Leonard will be tracking KD Lang's upcoming CD on Radar 24 at Conway.

Artists using Radar include: Christina Aguilera; Barenaked Ladies; Beastie Boys; Beck; Bono; Boyz II Men; Brandy; Garth Brooks; Cher; Eric Clapton; Elvis Costello; The Cranberries; Ani DeFranco; Korn; Limp Bizkit; Madonna; Ricky Martin; Matchbox Twenty; Dave Matthews Band; 'N Sync; The Offspring; Luciano Pavarotti; Puff Daddy; Red Hot Chili Peppers; Carlos Santana; Smashing Pumpkins; Smashmouth; Snoop Dogg; Britney Spears; Sting; Verve Pipe; plus many more . . .

"RADAR is the most analogue sounding digital recorder. It is stable as a
rock and brilliantly designed by an expert team that know their audio," says John Oram "Father of British EQ"

Basic RADAR 24 configurations cover a broad range of price points; from the $4,995.00 RADAR 24: Project D, to the fully loaded 192 kHz S-Nyquist at $17,995.00 (nominated for a 2003 Mix Foundation TEC Award).

For more info call your friendly Radar 24 dealer and studioexpresso member Audy Kimura at (808) 396-6861 or e-mail Audy here . You may also visit Iz technology web site.

Hollywood insiders review high-precision DSD recordings made to Genex GX9048 Multiformat System

Photographer: Mel Lambert/Media&Marketing

Left-to-right: Simon Burges, Genex Audio Hardware Design Engineer, Mike Pappas, President of American Digital Recordings, Kevin Brown, President of Genex Audio, and Paul Stocker, Genex Audio Software Design engineer.

Last Monday night at Cello Studios, Genex Audio organized a showcase for a series of 5.1-channel Direct Stream Digital recordings of the legendary Count Basie Orchestra made by engineer Mike Pappas, president of American Digital Studios. The invite-only audience of some 100+ engineers and producers heard original unmixed recordings replayed direct from a Genex GX9048 Multi-Format Digital Multitrack system via a 5.1-channel Avalon Acoustic loudspeaker array. The results sounded impressive, according to many audience members.

Mike Pappas tracked the multichannel sessions held at the University of Michigan to a high-resolution Genex GX9048 system, using various surround-sound arrays of Neumann and Sennheiser microphones. The concert sessions will be used to prepare a Super Audio CD celebrating the 75th Anniversary of Neumann - and the 100th Anniversary of Count Basie's birth.

"I have been using Genex recorders for a number of years," reports Pappas, CEO and Master Recordist of American Digital Recording. "We secured GX9048 Serial #0001 - the first production model - and it performed flawlessly on the session. The system proved rock solid and totally reliable."

The Genex GX Series Digital Multitrack Recorders, which comprise the GX9000 8-Track and GX9048 48-Track, provide both Direct Stream Digital and 192/24 PCM performance. The GX Series are the first instant-access DSD recorders to provide seamless punch-in and -out, and the first recorder capable of processing up to 48 channels of DSD data.

More information from Mike Pappas, American Digital Recording: 303.988-0976
Genex Audio, Inc., 2116 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 210, Santa Monica, CA 90403, USA
Media contact: Mel Lambert Media&Marketing +1/818.558-3924

Demo Magic with GML

Songwriter Randy Goodrum¹s project studio is filled with GML pre-amps and compressors for the best sounding vocals.

Randy's success as a songwriter stretches back to the 70's, when England Dan and John Ford Coley recorded "It's Sad to Belong." Since then, Goodrum has written hits for Steve Perry ("Oh Sherrie" "Foolish Heart"), Michael Johnson ("Bluer Than Blue"), George Benson
("20-20"), Anne Murray ("You Needed Me"), and ­ well, the list goes on and on.

Originally introduced to the Nashville music scene as a session player, Randy Goodrum has also written for films ("Stir Crazy" and "Back to School") and TV (he co-wrote the theme to "One Life To Live" with Dave Grusin).

Goodrum has also had his own project studio since the early 1980's. "That's right, home studios were extremely rare back then. But I spent so much money one year paying studio bills that I decided to go ahead and build my own room. The learning curve was steep, but I had worked with some great engineers, including Elliot Scheiner, and they were always willing to give me advice. I have four GML transformerless mic pre-amps, the 8900 Dynamic Gain Control Series III compressor/limiter, and the 8200 stereo EQ module. I rely on this gear extensively, and couldn¹t see myself working without any of these three pieces," says Goodrum.

Geiger Lists with William Morris Agency

ArtistDirect Vice Chaiman Marc Geiger has taken a position at William Morris Agency while Nasdaq has notified ArtistDirect that its stock will be delisted.

Geiger recognizing the enormous potential of the Internet to provide a direct link between recording artists and music consumers, he purchased UBL.com in '94. His vision for the company was to create a combination of an artist channel and an electronic commerce showcase. The evolution of Mr. Geiger's career is a well-balanced education in all of the key components of the music industry. From 1984 to 1991, he was a talent agent for Triad Artists, which was later acquired by the William Morris Agency. Recognizing the growth of alternative music, Mr. Geiger developed and ran a division of the agency to serve this important sector. Alongside Don Muller and Perry Farrell, Mr. Geiger created the critically acclaimed Lollapalooza concert tour, which premiered in the summer of 1991. Subsequently, Mr. Geiger was appointed Executive Vice President of Marketing and New Media at American Recordings. A Connecticut native, Mr. Geiger found his calling in music working as a concert promoter while still a computer science student at the University of California, San Diego.

Elton and Bernie to score Lestat for Broadway

Elton John and lyricist Bernie Taupin are to bring author Anne Rice's character Lestat to the Broadway stage.

Speaking at a news conference in New York yesterday John said he hoped to finish work on the content by September, with the show hitting the stage in 2005.

It is understood the musical will be based on three Rice novels, 'Interview With the Vampire', 'The Vampire Lestat' and 'Queen of the Damned', with the emphasis on the first two.

Instant Live from Clear Channel

The service, Instant Live, offers fans the opportunity to purchase CDs of the concert they just attended before they leave the venue. It has been test-marketed at small venues in the Boston area. CCE has forged an exclusive deal with Best Buy to carry the live CDs in its Boston-area stores, or at BestBuy.com, beginning later this month. CDs from select Boston concerts will be available soon at CCE events nationwide. Additionally, fans can pre-order the CDs when they purchase their concert tickets.

To make the discs, a master recording is made that blends music from the band's mixing board with ambient sounds, including crowd noise, from other microphones. As soon as the show ends, the master copy is taken to a small tower of CD burners, each of which can duplicate up to eight discs at a time. Fans will be able to preorder the discs when they buy tickets for the concert or place orders at any time during or after the performance.The two disc set will sell for $15.

Irving Azoff, said he was enthusiastic about the Instant Live concept, especially at a time when concert concession sales are declining. "I, for one, would rather have a live CD of the show that I can take home than a T-shirt," he said. "So I think it's the future of the touring merchandising business." Mr. Azoff said he was talking to Clear Channel about offering Instant Live discs during a summer tour of the vintage rock bands Journey and REO Speedwagon, provided that the company can demonstrate its ability to churn out enough discs to satisfy an arena-size audience.

One million songs sold in less than a week - 99 cent downloads rock!

Apple has created the first complete solution for the digital music age—you can purchase your favorite music online at the iTunes Music Store, mix your favorite tracks into playlists with iTunes, and take your entire music collection with you everywhere with the super-slim new iPods. “In less than one week we’ve broken every record and become the largest online music company in the world,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “

“Hitting one million songs in less than a week was totally unexpected,” said Roger Ames, Warner Music Group’s chairman and CEO. “Apple has shown music fans, artists and the music industry as a whole that there really is a successful and easy way of legally distributing music over the Internet.”

“Our internal measure of success was having the iTunes Music Store sell one million songs in the first month. To do this in one week is an over-the-top success,” said Doug Morris, Universal Music Group’s CEO. “Apple definitely got it right with the iTunes Music Store.”

Apple also announced that beginning May 6, the iTunes Music Store will be adding over 3,200 new tracks, including major new album releases such as Jack Johnson’s “On and On,” Andrea Bocelli’s “Tosca” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Say You Will,” as well as pre-release tracks from upcoming albums by artists David Sanborn, The RH Factor, John Scofield, Jesse Harris and Lizz Wright. Also to be added tomorrow are additional albums from the Eagles, Michelle Branch’s album “The Spirit Room,” and new Featured Artist pages for Coldplay, including an exclusive track and music video, and Alanis Morissette, with her catalog of music.

The iTunes Music Store features over 200,000 songs from major music companies including BMG, EMI, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal, and Warner and lets customers quickly find, purchase and download the music they want for just 99 cents per song. The iTunes Music Store offers groundbreaking personal use rights that allow users to burn songs onto an unlimited number of CDs for personal use, listen to songs on an unlimited number of iPods, play songs on up to three Macintosh® computers, and use songs in other applications on the Mac®, including iPhoto™, iMovie™ and iDVD™.

Music lovers can easily find the hits they love and discover gems they’ve never heard before by listening to free 30-second high-quality previews of any song in the store, then purchase and download their favorite songs or complete albums in pristine digital quality with just one click. Users can explore music in an entirely new way by easily searching the entire music store to instantly locate any song by title, artist or album, or browse the entire collection of songs by genre, artist and album. The iTunes Music Store is fully integrated into iTunes 4, the fourth major release of Apple’s popular digital music jukebox software, allowing users to purchase, download, organize and listen to their music using just one application.

Moral of the story: Investing in innovation pays! With the Apple press release regarding the one million downloads, Apple stock went up $1.64, which is an 11.35% increase from the close on May 2nd.
Some say this is good news for the indie artists...once the iTunes Music Store gets up and running fully, it will stock all these indies, through direct deals, and if their songs sell, they'll get PAID and won't NEED the major label! The motto in Silicon Valley: Innovate or die.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings.
For more info conact Natalie Sequeira (408) 974-6877

Tony Maserati Strengthens Sessions with Studio Network Solutions® A/V SAN™

After spending too much time fighting with SCSI drives stricken with slow transfer rates and recurring meltdowns, mix engineer Tony Maserati decided it was time for a change. Looking for a drive that could handle 96k sample rates and intense file transfer demands, Maserati opted for the Fibre Channel-based A/V SAN™ drive system from Studio Network Solutions® (SNS). Maserati, who spends a good deal of time at The Hit Factory’s Studio 3, most recently utilized the A/V SAN for sessions with Beyonce Knowles, Christina Aguilera and Destiny’s Child. "It Works Flawlessly Every Single Day of the Week, " says the mix engineer Maserati.

"I transfer files either from CDs or SCSI hotswaps," states Maserati. " Whole projects fit on one A/V SAN drive, which allows me to manage everything completely and easily. On the recent Christina Aguilera sessions, I never once had to think about the drive, which is optimal for me. No matter what stress I put on the A/V SAN, it simply never stops working."
For more info contact Eric Newbauer, SNS Tel: (314) 733-0551

Major studios go XL!

Conway Studio B upgrades with a new Solid State Logic 80-channel XL 9000 K Series SuperAnalogue™ console.


Photo by Edward Colver

Studio owner Buddy Brundo (pictured) cited the XL's super-fast automation, integral surround capabilities, built-in interface for Pro Tools, and incredible sound as the reasons for the purchase.

The 80-channel XL will address mixing projects and handle everything from stereo to surround. "Engineers of today are so busy running around like maniacs from studio to studio, they really don't have the time to learn new automation systems, much less an entire control surface," claims Buddy. "They just want to come in, sit down at the console and work. Everyone is very comfortable with the SSL automation already, especially if they have worked on a J Series, so the transition to the XL is very smooth."

Studio B, part of Conway's 48,000-square-foot campus, features a 25-foot by 20-foot control room with a large window overlooking scenic outdoor gardens and a small isolation booth for over-dubs or voice overs. As the XL is surround ready, Conway is outfitting the room for 5.1 monitoring.

Contact: Alyssa Romano, Studio Manager 323-463-2175 or visit Conway Studios web site.

Sting has just completed the mix for his next album, scheduled for release in September, at Thierry Rogen’s Mega Studio in Surenes, Paris. Over a two-month period, twelve tracks were mixed by Grammy Award winning engineer Simon Osborne, using Studio A’s 96-channel XL K Series Super Analogue.™

Who would you like to see interviewed? Send us your feedback.
Past interviews include:Get your FREE Real One Player download

Ken Allardyce - Sarm West, UK
Chris Fogel - Fig, Glendale, CA
Greg Ladanyi - Tidal Wave Sound, Studio City, CA
Joseph Magee - O'Henry Studios, Burbank, CA
Michael C Ross - Royaltone Studios, North Hollywood, CA
Tolbert & Sutton - Studio Atlantis, Hollywood, CA
Rafa Sardina - Abbey Road, UK

studioexpresso in alliance with the following affiliates is pleased to bring you these interviews. Big thanks to: Record Production & Babblefish

Happy Birthday to Zildjian -- 380 Years Young!

Zildjian CEO, Craigie with founder, Avedis in the background.

As one of America's oldest and successful family businesses, Zildjian celebrates its 380th Anniversary and holds its second American Drummers Achievement Awards - a tribute to Steve Gadd in September of 2003. The show will be hosted by Bill Cosby and to feature artists such as Vinnie Colaiuta.

The percussion industry has changed a great deal since Avedis Zildjian began making cymbals in 1929. But his countless innovations and pioneering production techniques earned him an indisputable place as one of the most influential musical instrument manufacturers of the century. His unflagging passion for his craft helped forever alter modern music as we know it.

Like a lot of influential people in music, Avedis came from humble beginnings. "My father was born in 1889 in Samatya, not far from Constantinople," recalled Armand Zildjian (who succeeded his father as President of the Zildjian cymbal company). "As a boy, Dad spoke Greek, Armenian, Turkish, French, and later (after coming to the U.S.), English. He emigrated to America in 1909 and got a job working in a candy factory in Boston. read more...

Love is in the Air...

British singer-songwriter Elvis Costello and Canadian jazz chanteuse Diana Krall are engaged to be married. Costello met Krall, 38, at the 2002 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. In January the pair performed a duet at London's Old Vic Theatre, where Costello sang Elton John's Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word with Krall accompanying on piano.

Jazz pianist/vocalist Krall was discovered at 19 playing at a restaurant in her home town of Nanaimo. Her breakthrough 1999 album, When I Look in Your Eyes, was an international best-seller.

Costello (Declan McManus) emerged in 1977 with his punk/new wave album My Aim Is True. His most recent album, When I Was Cruel, was released in 2001, and recorded a duet with Burt Bacharach for the first Austin Powers film. He has just finished a new album recorded and mixed by friend and long-time collaborator Kevin Killen (Peter Gabriel, Jewel, U2).

Congrats to the Love Birds!