Follow on Google News News By Tag Industry News News By Location Country(s) Industry News
Follow on Google News | Antelope Audio Zen Studio Interface Inspires 'Next Generation' Recording EngineerRecent Sound Arts Graduate Travels Europe with a Zen Studio, Tracking 13 Bands
in a Two-Month Recording Tour
By: Antelope Audio Smaal began planning and researching local bands in several of the cities on his intended route, simply listening to material and reaching out to artists that were of interest. “I already had an idea of some of the cities that I wanted to stop in, so I just looked up local venues in each location and who played there and contacted a lot of bands.” Those who agreed to record with him were asked to provide room and board, along with a space in which to conduct the sessions: a rehearsal studio, house, or other makeshift venue. His itinerary includes 13 bands in cities ranging from Strasbourg and Lyon in France, Basel in Switzerland to Leuven, Belgium and Milan in Italy. Smaal spends one to five days with each band laying down tracks — while leaving aside time for sightseeing wherever possible — before collecting his backpack and making his way to the next stop. Zen and the Art of Backpacking Setting up and 'changing scenes' is fast and efficient: “Setting up the Zen Studio is the easiest part," he says. In addition to the Zen Studio, other components of his mobile rig consist of a pair of Neumann KH 120 monitors and several microphones — including some high-end tube microphones he was able to borrow from a friend in Holland. The Zen Studio represents the core of Smaal's mobile rig, handling all aspects of input and output, including monitor outs, and also serving as the master clock. During complex tracking sessions, he often expands the Zen Studio’s 20 channels of input via its two built in ADAT in/out ports for up to 36 channels of input, synching outboard preamplifiers with the Zen Studio’s built in clock. The connection back to his MacBook Pro couldn't be easier, running through Zen Studio's onboard USB interface which delivers high quality and reliable data transfer. Despite the relatively short time he's been on his 'recording tour', Smaal has encountered a diverse range of musical material. The Zen Studio has helped him adjust and be nimble to whatever each session may call for: “The first band was stoner metal (Wheel of Smoke), then I did a brass band (Kabochar), then another band with more of a hipster vibe (Delorian Cloud Fire), so they were all pretty different,” he recalls. Each space is also different, requiring Smaal to vary his micing approach to suit the nuances of each recording space. Nonetheless, Smaal has a singular goal with each artist: to capture the artists' unique sound and energy, playing in a familiar environment. Zen Studio's input flexibility has allowed Smaal to set up microphones to record an entire band at once, including vocals. “The recordings are very free and I don’t try to polish too much,” he says. “It is very exciting to have bands in their own habitat playing at once, all together.” After initial tracking sessions, Smaal will then supplement the core tracks with overdubs. Working with Enlightened Audio Quality and Conversion Smaal says that the Zen Studio has a noticeable effect on the audio quality of his recordings. “Whenever I hook it up I find myself using those nerdy audio terms like ‘air’ and ‘openness’ For Smaal, it is a bonus not having to worry about sonic transparency or audio integrity while he is recording. “I feel so confident knowing that this stuff is taken care of and that I’m getting really clean, quality audio,” he says. “Your starting point is higher.” “So far I’m really proud of what I’ve done.” But Smaal is quick to point out that the recording tour is about a lot more than just creating quality recordings. “It’s also about having the will to do something really cool, meet new people, and be adventurous,” Jochem’s Recording Tour continues through April 30th. To learn more visit his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ About Antelope Audio Antelope Audio is a leading manufacturer of high-end professional audio equipment and the pioneer in the adoption of Atomic clock generators. The company utilizes Igor Levin's more than 20 years’ experience in digital audio to develop professional and consumer high-end products with the signature Antelope Audio sound. The company employs proprietary clocking and jitter management technologies as well as custom-designed digital and analog circuits to provide both professional audio engineers and music aficionados with unprecedented musicality, sound stage and clarity. Antelope is the first to design a 1U 32-channel audio interface and a multi-channel portable interface with 12 mic pres. Antelope's breakthrough technologies are offering both studio and live audio engineers great productivity and flexibility. The company's customers include many Grammy award-winning sound engineers and some of the most renowned recording, mastering and post-production facilities around the globe. End
Account Email Address Account Phone Number Disclaimer Report Abuse
|
|