Audio Track

NEW YORK

In all major recording markets and across musical genres, surround-sound mixing is on the rise. At Manhattan Center Studios, producer/engineer Jimmy Douglass created a 5.1 mix of Missy Elliott's Miss E . . . So Addictive on the Neve VR console in Studio 7 (the 2-channel CD's release date is Tuesday [15]). "I'm going to do as much surround as I can," says Douglass, who has recorded such artists as Ginuwine, Jay-Z, Bette Midler, and Aretha Franklin. Also, I think that as people hear more of it, they're going to want to do more of it, especially current artists."

Producer/engineer Eddie Kramer remixed a 1-inch, 8-track recording of a Jimi Hendrix concert in Studio A at Clinton Recording. The mixdown went to a Studer A80 one-half-inch analog deck loaded with BASF 900 tape. The project is for an upcoming installment in the ongoing MCA/ Experience Hendrix series.

John Siket, with assistant Raeann Zschokke, mixed live material from Phish with producer/Phish keyboardist Page McConnell at Theater 99 Recording on the Lower East Side.

Recent sessions at Sound on Sound Recording include Olivia with producer Rufus Black and engineer Charles Alexander; Destiny's Child with engineers Rob Fusari and Matt Hathaway; and Funkmaster Flex with mix engineer Steven George, all in Studio B on the Solid State Logic 9072 J Series console. In Studio A, Nate Dogg worked with producer Allstar and engineer Andy Blakelock; David Clayton-Thomas with producer Steve Gutman and engineer Mark Partis; and Dark Blue with Fusari producing.

Luna's latest album was recorded at Jolly Roger Recording in Hoboken, N.J., by Gene Holder, who co-produced with the band.

On April 20, E-MU/ENSONIQ demonstrated its PARIS Pro Digital Audio Workstation with Version 3.0 software at the School of Audio Engineering Institute. Version 3.0 offers such features as 24-bit OMF File import/export, integrated MIDI support, a dedicated waveform editor, and a more intuitive user interface.

LOS ANGELES

Advanced Audio Rentals (AAR) helped producer Brendan O'Brien transform a Mediterranean-style villa overlooking the Pacific Ocean into a world-class studio, the better to record Stone Temple Pilots' latest project.

Using the library as a control room, O'Brien had AAR's Paul Levy set up an Otari Concept One console, Studer A827 24-track recorder, and Pro Tools system. A Sony 3348 digital multitrack recorder ran as an "archival" machine. Additional gear supplied by AAR included a Tascam DA-45 DAT machine, a Panasonic 3700 DAT machine, an 8-channel rack of Neve 1073 microphone preamplifier/EQ modules, and microphones that included a Telefunken 251, Neumann U 47s, MK 84s, KM 86s, and AKG 451s.

Studio Atlantis has purchased a Solid State Logic 9080 J console with 959 Surround Sound Monitor Panel for Studio A, a 5.1 mix suite designed by Los Angeles-based design firm studio bau:ton. Already equipped with a Neve VR, that console will be housed in the new 60-foot-by-60-foot tracking room, which is expected to open in mid-2002.

Elton John tracked at Sony Music Studios with producer Pat Leonard and engineers Joe Chiccarelli and Jon Merritt. In recent months, Chiccarelli has also recorded Rufus Wainwright, with Leonard producing, at Capitol Studios. And Kronos Quartet has recorded with producer Gus Santaolla at O'Henry Studios.

In order to accommodate increased demand for surround mixing, Cherokee Studios has redesigned Studio 2, a mix/overdub room. It will feature a 96-channel SSL 4000 G+ console. Recent sessions include Maverick artist Showoff with producer Mark Trombino in Studio 1 and Anthrax with John Carpenter in Studio 3, the latter tracking for the upcoming The Ghosts of Mars soundtrack.

At Track Record, drummer Matt Sorum collaborated with engineer Kevin Smith, guitarist Lanny Cordola, and bassist Chuck Wright on songs for Sorum's upcoming release. Eric Williams assisted. Also, producer Rick Nowels and engineer Randy Wine overdubbed songs for Geri Halliwell with assistant engineer Ai Fujisaki in the Neve-equipped North Room.

Cypress Hill tracked their latest release in Studios A and B at Ameraycan Studios with engineers Troy Staton and Brandon Abeln. Also tracking in Studio A was gospel artist Aledriane Elmore of Madison Records, with producer Paul Jackson Jr. Kent Hitchcock assisted.

Busta Rhymes tracked in Studio B at Paramount Recording Studios with producer DJ Battlecat and engineer John Myers. Also at Paramount, Zakk Wylde and Ozzy Osbourne both tracked new songs on Studio C's Focusrite console and mixed on Studio A's SSL 6056 with engineers Barry Conley and Scott Gutierrez.

Precision Mastering has been busy. Engineer Tom Baker, who mastered Crazy Town's "Butterfly," Fuel's "Innocent" and "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)," and Buckcherry's "Ridin'," has recently finished projects for Cyclefly, Puya, and Fenix TX, all for MCA; Geffen's Big Dumb Face; and DreamWorks act Papa Roach.

Alanis Morissette was at Scream Studios working on her forthcoming Maverick album with mix engineer Rob Jacobs. Lior Goldenberg assisted. Also at Scream, Live was mixing with engineer Tim Palmer, assisted by Alex Uychocde; and Matt Wallace was producing and mixing H2O.

Slipknot was in Studio A at Sound Image Studios with producer Ross Robinson. Mike Frazer engineered, assisted by Matt Lavella. Rick Springfield was also in Studio A working on an A&E program with producer/engineer Bill Drescher.

NASHVILLE

Alison Krauss & Union Station have been tracking in the Neve room at Seventeen Grand Recording with engineer Gary Paczosa and assistant Chris Scherbak. Krauss also lent vocals to a Willie Nelson project. In the Euphonix room, producer Brown Bannister worked on CeCe Winans' upcoming release. Steve Bishir engineered with assistant Hank Bishir.

Recent mix sessions at East Iris Recording include Chely Wright with co-producer Brad Paisley and engineers Justin Niebank and Kevin Szymanski; Kansas with producer/engineer Jeff Glixman and Szymanski; and Rustic Overtones with engineers David Leonard and Szymanski.

At Ocean Way Recording, recent sessions include Holly Lamar with producer Byron Gallimore and engineer Julian King; Toby Keith with producer James Stroud and King engineering; Lennon Murphy with producer Jeff Pringle and engineer Warren Riker; Trisha Yearwood, producer Mark Wright, and engineer Greg Droman recording strings for her forthcoming release; and Collin Raye with Stroud producing.

ON THE ROAD

Uncle Kracker's platinum album Double Wide was entirely recorded and mixed in Pro Tools by Mike Bradford, who co-wrote four songs and shared production duties with producer Kid Rock. While this alone is not especially newsworthy, nearly all recording and mixing took place in the back of a bus and in hotels across the U.S.—an indication of the profound impact technology is having on professional recording.

Bradford set up in the rear lounge of the tour bus, where most of the recording took place, with a Pro Tools system, MIDI rack, Mackie HUI interface, and a pair of Mackie HR824 powered monitors.

"We did a couple of things in Detroit—in a garage or my basement," Bradford adds, "but almost the whole album was recorded on the bus, even though space was tight."