This morning we swapped out our Analog Devices MAT02′s in the centre section for hand selected MAT12′s
We also finished and upgraded the Desk Doctor LED mods to the main VU’s we had put in a few years ago. Ready to start mixing now.

Here is a look at the board after the first day of buildout. Luckily we had all these components in stock.

I intend to use the highest quality materials that I can get my hands on, regardless of cost. For example, our transistors will be the amazing Analog Devices’ MAT12′s and I am going to use WIMA caps and matched high-tolerence resistors throughout to ensure a matched pair and repeatable settings. Everything will be fully tested through our Audio Precision and brought to theBank’s traditional standards (the best or nothing at all)

Help on the project and another one we are starting, is supplied from our friends at www.zazenaudio.com, a full service electronics design and prototyping company based here in Illinois. Check them out.

-Wes

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 4:

Part 5:

Part 3 was removed from Youtube; you can watch the movie in its entirety right here.

Besides being an entertaining documentary in its own right (purely from a fan’s standpoint), Funky Monks also offers some insight into a few key elements that lend themselves to crafting a quality record.  For the most part, these elements revolve around the personnel and demonstrate how a project can be a success if everyone is focused on their specific role during production.  Some casual observations:

Musicianship and Serving the Song:  Flea recalls wanting to be the best player he could possibly be- traveling the world and ripping the bass to the fullest possible extent.   At a certain point he realized that by doing so, he was putting himself into a box.  When it came time to track for BSM, he was interested solely in playing what was needed to serve the song.

The Producer’s Role:  Rick Rubin’s resume doesn’t need to be mentioned here, but in the movie, we see him very much on the job.  He provides collected detachment and logic that’s vital to bridging the gap between the emotion of the music and its technical execution.  He’s connected to the music, yet objective enough to properly direct the sessions and provoke effective performances from the group.   Going back to my first observation on musicianship, it’s Rubin who instructs Flea to drop several notes from a part which ultimately became the bassline to “Give It Away.” A good producer is like an additional member of the group- but one who is trusted by the other members to approve or scrap ideas and keep everything productive (no pun intended) and under control.

The Businessman:  Most independent artists today take the responsibilities of marketing and promo on themselves, which is fine, but it was interesting that this video included some input from the groups’ label rep/project manager.  By today’s standards, he’s the guy most people in the “new music business” would consider a greedy label “scumbag” or “a bloodsucking suit” or something similar.  In actuality, this guy had a hand in lining everything up for the project’s production and subsequent release, plus all of the other bits of cumbersome unpleasantries that a recording group shouldn’t have to worry about during production.  Thanks to that guy, the band could focus on being a band and getting the best performances captured with no intrusions or obstructions.

Analog vs. Digital:  It was surprisingly refreshing to hear the reels winding back and forth throughout the movie; we miss that sound.  If you’ve ever read our blog before or know us personally, I think by now you know what side of the debate we stand on, but for those who still have no preference or can’t tell the difference in quality between analog and digital, the comparison of the following videos demonstrates it pretty well.  To this day, the Chili Peppers are a great band, but listen to the sonic difference between a song recorded to tape versus one produced digitally and tell we which you prefer.  I personally hear the biggest difference in the drums; what do you hear?

“Suck My Kiss,” Blood Sugar Magik (1991):  Ah yes, dynamic range.

“Look Around,” I’m With You (2011):  Great song, but just doesn’t quite feel as “alive” as the other one.

Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer allows a glimpse into the conscious of creating a film score.  In this video, we see the thought process and experimentation involved in creating the theme for Heath Ledger as The Joker in The Dark Knight (“Why So Serious?”).  In order to create the ambience of a deranged sociopath, unconventional sound creation had to be a part of the design:  From dragging razorblades across piano wire, to tapping pencils on table tops, to anguished cello and guitar sounds- the idea of anarchy played a central role into crafting the tension and mayhem needed to match the character.

The Dark Knight, Original Soundtrack:  ”Why So Serious?”

Hans Zimmer is a film composer and music producer.  He has composed for over 100 films and has received four Grammies, two Golden Globes, a Classical BRIT Award, and an Academy Award.  Some of his brilliant film scores include The Lion King, Gladiator, The Dark Knight, and Inception.

Avid caught up with Drake’s longtime friend and producer Noah “40″ Shebib at this year’s NAMM show.
40 talks about his mobile production rig, the part it played in producing Drake’s Take Care, and his personal preferences regarding VSTs and plugins.

@VirusHipHop checks in to see what people are saying about his EP, The Epidemic, and informs viewers about his new project, currently works, called Sink Or Swim.  This video features performance clips of Virus’ recent show at Martini Club in Chicago, where he rocked the stage with Slaughterhouse rhymespitter, @JoellOrtiz.

MORE:
New Music:  Virus – ‘Epidemic’ Now Available at Bandcamp
Video:  Virus:  ”Coffee Shop”

A peek into the life of a sex offender, “comedeogenic” Chicagoan Paul Thomas presents the first episode of Ped Crossing, his new reality-comedy web series.  In the spirit of Thomas’ off-kilter brand of humor, Ped Crossing is sure to raise a few eyebrows and provoke some laughter.  Ped Crossing also features music from The Bank, but no children were harmed during the production process.

For more info, please visit bigheadpaul.com

MORE:
Video:  ”Smackin’ Your Gum,” Paul Thomas

In this video we get to sit down with Ken Paul (aka @Kengineering), a producer, mixing/mastering engineer, and studio designer with over 25 years under his belt in the audio field.

Ken talks about his setup and offers “sound” advice to new engineers/producers- emphasizing that regardless of the gear or studio environment, the best way to develop your chops behind the boards is by being present, interactive, and unafraid to experiment.

“Friend” Ken on Facebook (facebook.com/kengineering) to view photos of his design projects and learn more about what he does.

Thanks, Ken!