Ms M. brought this to my attention, saying, “Some cool samplage possibilities here, I bet.”
Books and other writings now in the public domain read by all sorts of folks—surely not those seeking profit—resulting in a growing catalog of free audiobooks, available in various levels of fidelity.
LibriVox: Acoustical liberation of books in the public domain
I started with Thomas Chapais’s Chronicles of Canada Volume 6 – The Great Intendant : A Chronicle of Jean Talon in Canada 1665-1672.
I moved on rather willy-nilly to Chapter 6, Book 1 of Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, by Lew Wallace (1827 – 1905). Chapter 1’s male reader has a sort of Appalachian accent. Chapter 6 features a young female reader with a semi-thick French accent:
In Solomon’s day there was great traffic at the locality, shared in by traders from Egypt and the rich dealers from Tyre and Sidon. Nearly three thousand years have passed, and yet a kind of commerce clings to the spot. A pilgrim wanting a pin or a pistol, a cucumber or a camel, a house or a horse, a loan or a lentil, a date or a dragoman, a melon or a man, a dove or a donkey, has only to inquire for the article at the Joppa Gate.
Many years since childhood, i still get giddy at the notion of story time. LibriVox promises to provide endless journeys of shared voices and shared imagination.
Enjoy! I intend to!
4. Furry Friends
Any good recording environment needs pets.
In 1993 we had Barley.
I was working at White Crow Audio in Burlington, Vermont under the tutelage of my buddy Tom Walters. Barley was his dog, dear friend, and—in the studio—colleague.
Barley
Barley put everyone at ease, even musicians with allergies. Even a certain producer/engineer going through serious drug and alcohol addiction withdrawal. Of course i won’t name names, but said producer could terrify the drummer into into an involuntary bowel movement before a take. Mr Producer would throw very expensive, vintage equipment across a room in a tantrum. (”No, no….not the Pultec!!!!” and then duck.)
Barley liked to lie under the Neve 8068 console in the control room. Mr Producer never threw anything—or even raised his voice—when Barley was under the console. Why? Barley was a natural calming agent for everyone trying to focus on the creative moment, trying to deliver recorded sound that would hopefully one day mean something special to many, many people. He would loosen up even those just trying to create a hit based on demographic research. Barley didn’t discriminate.
Our feline guys at Red Sun are Tee Tee and Béla. They each have remarkably distinct and discriminating tastes and are not at all shy about showing their opinion during playback just by walking right out of the room. If you’ve got something, you’ll know it, ears will be peeled. If you don’t, there won’t be anyone nearby warming your feet.
Béla
Béla holds expertise in the avant-garde, anything resembling children’s music, and monophonic translation. Loves Björk, Steve Reich, Eric Dolphy. He’s also very fond of Thai-Lao classical music, although that particular enthusiasm hasn’t had occasion to prove directly useful in our shop just yet.
Tee Tee’s expertise lies in High-Life, African Funk, the Nina mystique, serious bottom end, European lounge, Piaf integrity, and optimum stereo imaging. Often he’ll hog the sweet spot between the monitors. You can tell when he’s working because he has such observable focus.
Tee Tee
Both guys produce subsonic frequencies with immense healing and spirit-lifting power.
Play time reminds us to take the ears breaks that are so necessary when doing extended audio work. Tossing a ball or running around with a piece of ribbon momentarily takes your mind off the contour of the bass, or the vocal take, or whatever we convince ourselves is putting everything on the line in a given studio moment.
On top of all that, these members of the crew get paid in treats!—and while that’s more than most interns earn in this business, pets will never be mistaken by a client as being legally capable of going out for a beer run. Not most clients, anyway.
It can be great to have friends with you in the studio. Nonhuman friends often provide a unique tone of relaxation, a reminder that while our work is serious we humans don’t need to take ourselves too seriously.
I think the listener hears that in the final result.
On behalf of the whole Red Sun Soundroom crew i want to extend a hearty welcome to newcomers and old friends alike. This is the new weblook for Red Sun, and since we’re all so busy trying to make things sound great, it was no small diversion for us to focus our attention on making our web presence look great too.
We had a pretty simple 1-page weblog look in the past. At the time we felt posting what we’re playing on our hi-fi now and again and a few links to downloadable music would be enough.
You asked for something better, something more worthy of Red Sun. We took a crack at it, and we hope you like it. It remains a work in progress, but with the new format, it will be easier to continuously improve, refine, update with pertinent information, as well as provide the occasional appropriate ornamentation.
Please note that the entire archive of posts has been preserved, and all new posts will appear in the same place, On The Notepad. There is now an added benefit of posts being organized by category. You can, for example, with a click of the mouse see all the playlists from past Listening Salons. (Or, rather, all the playlists i got around to posting in the first place! The debaucherous nature of said events can sometimes lead to a day or two of laziness and thus playlists at times get pushed further and further down the task list until they just never get published. I aim to make this is a phenomenon of the past. Not the debauchery, of course.)
We hope you enjoy the In The Stream page, which will lead you to free downloads of some albums and singles birthed within these walls. Also on this page are many excerpts from pieces of original music as well as sample beats and atmospheres ready to appear in our clients’ original productions or sent out into the marketplace for others to use. Please note: we have intentionally designed this page so that you can play more than one selection at a time. Try putting a beat and an atmosphere together. Play a song excerpt and add another one to it but at lower volume. For those of you who have spent any time in our shop, you know we often experiment by blending prepared ingredients. Join in the fun!
Many thanks to Sayontan Sinha for providing the scaffolding during our renovation.
No small thanks to you all for stopping in for something warm, and for making the Red Sun Soundroom the special place it has become. Cheers!
Don’t forget to subscribe to our updates!
Me pudgy little fingers have been spending long hours lately maneuvering faders and knobs, compressors and EQs, delay lines and patch cables, microphones and instruments of all kinds—not to mention ledgers, tax forms, and business correspondence.
They haven’t, therefore and rather obviously, been visiting this space to tap out the activities and ponderings of the Red Sun Soundroom crew in many a month.
(I always feel a little bit better beginning long-overdue posts with apologies and excuses. Just a smidge. Thanks for obliging.)
September gave us a spectacular Listening Salon, and the transcribed playlist—here come the promises!—will be posted here in the very near future.
There are several records that have been passing through the corridors of Red Sun that are in various stages of writing, production, or completion, including works by DeesKnees, Cavanaugh & Kavanaugh, Kelly Ballard, as well as the Red Sun Sample Series, and personal contributions by that Koniuto guy both to Negative Sound Institute and Intelligent Machinery.
I also travelled to Boston recently to discuss some possible film work.
In the meantime, i’ve been meaning to start this list since about 1993, back when i was working at White Crow Audio in Vermont and was introduced to two extraordinary individuals who would become mentors: Tom Walters (White Crow’s head engineer), and David Torn (who was at White Crow composing/recording/mixing the record, Polytown with Mick Karn, Terry Bozzio, and Bruce Calder).
It may have even been TomWa’s idea: compile a list of non-audio-related items that every good recording studio needs. Things that have no bearing whatsoever in the nuts-and-bolts of audio production (so, not good monitors, not microphone wind screens, not acoustic treatment materials—these items go without saying) that, through experience, we have found to be vital to doing good work in the recording environment.
So here’s the first installment, because the list may go on and on, and i’m quite likely to keep forgetting that thing.
1. Paper tape
Every studio has their favorite brand and particular uses. I would be completely lost in my shop without 3M’s Scotch brand 256 paper tape, 1-inch thickness.
3M Scotch paper tape – a Red Sun Soundroom favorite
Uses include, but not limited to: labeling console channels and mic inputs, securing mics in mic clips, labeling outboard gear assignments, attaching lyric sheets to music stands and/or musical instruments, crafting instant play toys for pets or lead singers.
2. Dishwasher
I can’t think of a tool so critical to the well-being of all those involved in record-making. After a long day of takes, editing, punch-ins, signature DSP architecture, singing/playing/performing your heart out, deep listening, conflict resolution, and damn fine eating, who is ready at 2:00a to begin handwashing all those dishes? The coffee mugs alone have become a mountain.
In my experience, give yourself the requisite 45 minutes to find all the dishes. (Hint: if the client has recently signed a record deal with a label of any size whatsoever and, hence, “made it”, look in the trash. What is disposable to a new rising star does not equal what is disposable to a bona fide business who happens to work with such clientele.) You will need that 45 minutes more often than you know. Use the next five minutes to load the machine and then get some sleep.
3. Dry Erase Technology
You need white boards and markers and if you don’t have them now you have no idea how badly you need them.
This keeps everyone on the same page. What is needed next on such-and-such song? How do you envision the flow of your album? If you want to lay down lead [whatever] next, in response to the lead vocal, we need first to comp the 6 fragmented takes into a strong lead vocal so the soloing instrument can respond to it.
The recording studio is not a democracy. Some will argue that point with me, and that’s fine. But it isn’t. Most creative environments are not. Freedom of speech and opinion, however, must exist in this environment. Scribbling out your hopes and dreams and fears in an eraseable but visible format is key to this process: this is note-taking for the village. And it takes a village to birth and raise whatever happens in a recording studio. Talk about it, and document it. You have no idea when that bad idea, scratched down in purple, will turn into the solution everyone is looking for three weeks from now.
Pop back in soon for the next installment. In the meantime, keep the groove, and…
…let us know you’re listening.
I’ll admit it, i’m not much of a secretary. We at the Red Sun Soundroom host what have turned out to be very engaging social events called Listening Salons—gatherings of people ready to share recordings of music and other sounds with their fellow Salon-ers for a true deep listening experience, followed by lively conversation and an overall celebration of the joy of listening.
It’s my job and privilege to post what has been shared at these events right here on this website, both for the Listening Salon attendees and the curious general public. I’m just not very good at getting it all down in writing, checking my spelling and the correct names for things, and offering it up to all you readers in a timely fashion. Better tardy than never, so this post includes not only the recent Listening Salon 007 which took place a few weeks ago, but also Listening Salon 006—from last November!
Listening Salon 006
New attendees included multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and power-house drummer Derek Dobson, whose band Cooper Union is about to release their debut record in the coming months. Also new to the mix was the ever-charming Allissa B., who is not only a budding actress and voice-over talent, but a walking encyclopedia of the entertainment industry. Both made such wonderful contributions to their first Listening Salon, we hope they keep coming.
The feast included gourmet pizzas, mostly topped with black olive pesto, several made by Ms M., and several made by Chef Dave Collins. Astonishingly, there were no leftovers. M.B. made a lovely salad and pleased all with her exquisite taste in wines. Allissa B., much to everyone’s delight, served up homemade cupcakes leaving our taste buds all contented with such delectable sweetness.
M.B. started us off with some of her favorite high-spirited rock’n'roll, mostly from the 1980s.
The Clash — “Pressure Drop”
Ted Hawkins — “Bad Dog”
Nick Lowe — “So It Goes”
The Pogues — “Bottle Of Smoke”
The Pogues — “Fairytale Of New York”
The lights were dimmed for Derek’s set, the three selections of which were offered, respectively, as premiere examples of musical dissonance, harmony, and the co-existence of the two.
King Crimson — “Talking Drum”
Brian Wilson — “Surf’s Up”
The Flaming Lips — “The Gash”
I then played a few pieces of music that featured drums and other percussion in what i feel are ground-breaking ways.
Bill Bruford — “The Drum Also Waltzes” (M. Roach)
Doudou N’Diaye Rose — “Cheikh Anta Diop”
Peter Gabriel — “Come Talk To Me” (feat. Doudou N’Diaye Rose)
Ms M., as always, wowed the room with her selections—this time, an entire set of performances by Ramblin’ Jack Elliott from throughout his long career.
Ramblin’ Jack Elliott — “Cuckoo”
Johnny Cash — “Introduction” (spoken)
Ramblin’ Jack Elliott — “Muleskinner Blues”
Ramblin’ Jack Elliott — “Buskin’” (spoken)
Ramblin’ Jack Elliott — “Pastures Of Plenty”
Ramblin’ Jack Elliott — “Old Blue”
Ramblin’ Jack Elliott — “Call Me A Dog”
Ramblin’ Jack Elliott — “Woody’s Last Ride” (spoken)
Ramblin’ Jack Elliott — “Don’t Think Twice” (B. Dylan)
Allissa B. followed that up with a set of old gems that had fellow Salon-ers literally asking for more.
Talking Heads — “Psycho Killer”
Sugar Cubes — “Birthday”
Simon & Garfunkel — “A Most Peculiar Man”
Simon & Garfunkel — “April Come She Will”
We were in the wee hours of the morning before Dave Collins introduced us to four cuts, all from one record called, All For The Peace Bullet by, as Dave put it, “a local band”, Kotik Trance. He later admitted that Kotik Trance is Dave’s own studio project wherein he plays all the instruments and does all the singing, leaving us still with the mystery of how he got that banjo sound. “Local band” notwithstanding, some of these songs were recorded in Boston, others in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Kotik Trance — “Sint Simple Delight”
Kotik Trance — “No B Until Diminished”
Kotik Trance — “Switchblade”
Kotik Trance — “Squid”
Listening Salon 007
‘Twas the ides of March when we gathered for Listening Salon again, this time with two new Salon-ers. Joining in the fun was novelist and Red Sun Soundroom client Tom Schreck, whose second book in the Duffy Dumbrowski mystery series entitled TKO: Round Two was just released.
Also making an appearance with the wind ever at her back was the enigmatic Gail West—mathmetician, socialite, educator, stunt aviation enthusiast, long-distance runner, audiobook executive producer, philanthropist, fashion trend-setter, animal rights theoretician, literary promoter, avant-garde pet trainer, and procurer of the world’s greatest collection of antique thimbles (rumor has it the British Royal Family have her on speed dial). Humility always her first trait, in response to observations she may have over the years shared personal relationships with various veterans of the rock’n'roll pantheon she merely stated, “I’ve been to a few shows.”
We dined on a choice of pasta dishes—pesto, or a primavera with asparagus tips—Mexican lasagna, cayenne roasted almonds, salads, a variety of olives, and homemade chocolate brownies.
Overall this Listening Salon took an interesting turn with attention generally paid more to content than to aesthetics. Dave Collins began with a full and well researched set of controversial tracks surrounding the themes of political satire and abrasive lyrics. Much interesting conversation followed, as i believe the other Salon-ers present were not aware this material existed. Awareness of what others in the world are hearing is not at all inconsistent with what Listening Salons are all about, and for this education i am always thankful. The names of the artists and some of the song titles will be offensive to many readers, as they were to some Salon-ers in the room, as well as to Dave himself, who brought them in the first place. Those with asterisks next to them are graphic enough in nature to warrant abbreviation on this website, but i invite you to research the full names on your own.
A.C.* — “Hitler Was A Sensitive Man”
A.C.* — “I Snuck [...] Into A Sperm Bank” *
A.C.* — “You Play On A Softball Team”
The Call — “The Walls Came Down”
King Diamond — “Detachable Penis”
Anti-Flag — “Gonna Die For Your Government”
Lazyboy — “Underwear Goes Inside The Pants”
Tom Schreck took on a professorial role in his Listening Salon debut appearance, playing three separate interpretations of what are essentially the same two songs. Building on the research of Ugandan scholar Dr Peter Nazareth, professor of literature at the University of Iowa, Tom laid out the theory of “Elvis as trickster”: the icon-to-be taking songs from the American musical mainstream down the dangerous path back to their original and perhaps more risqué roots in the African-American tradition, both lyrically and in feel.
Big Joe Turner — “Shake, Rattle And Roll”
Bill Haley And His Comets — “Shake, Rattle And Roll”
Elvis Presley — “Shake, Rattle And Roll”
Big Joe & The Dynaflows — “One Night Of Sin”
Elvis Presley — “One Night Of Sin” (released posthumously)
Elvis Presley — “One Night”
Ms M. played for us a trademark nonstop set of pieces she feels exemplify the blending of cultural traditions to make new musical styles or forms of musical expression.
Zap Mama — “Brrrlak!”
Paul Simon & Ladysmith Black Mambazo — “Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes”
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Michael Brook — “Crest”
Kishore Kumar & Manna Dey — “Yeh Dosti Hum Nahin”
Nouvelle Vague — “Heart Of Glass” (orig. Blondie)
Hoby Ebert went with a birthday theme, 15 March being the birthday of both Sly Stone and The Grateful Dead’s Phil Lesh.
Sly & The Family Stone — “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”
The Grateful Dead — “Box Of Rain”
The Grateful Dead — “Unbroken Chain”
The Grateful Dead — “King Solomon’s Marbles (Stronger Than Dirt / Milkin’ The Turkey)”
Derek Dobson played one track on behalf of Allissa B., who last minute could not attend.
Jack Drag — “Sinner’s Delight”
Derek went on to share a handful of personal favorites, at least a couple of which he noted come from nearly perfect albums—that is, albums where every song is great and, in Dee’s words, there is “absolutely no filler”.
Chuck Prophet — “You Did (Bomp Shooby Dooby Bomp)”
Cake — “Long Line Of Cars”
Dire Straits — “Iron Hand”
Aimee Mann — “Deathly”
I closed out Listening Salon 007 with three recordings in which i felt the composers used very simple colors on the pallet to create exquisite and rather sophisticated listening experiences.
Daniel Lanois — “Luna Samba”
Katie Down — “Stations” (from the dance work, Innocents)
Tom Waits — “What’s He Building In There”
I think 30 selections is probably a record for Listening Salons we’ve hosted so far, and every moment was worth it. Thanks to all who participated, shared their ideas and their laughter and their fine cuisine, and helped to make these the very special evenings they’ve become. Cheers to the ears.