Sonic Circus provided historically accurate audio gear and musical instruments for the live settings at Monterey and the Newport Folk Festival, and assisted with the recreation of CBS/Columbia Records Studio A. Our team helped the production identify specific equipment from photographs. Most of the gear was sourced from our vintage collection. For the film’s overall feel, it was essential that every detail be period-accurate, including the studio “recording” lights. The instruments, amps, mics, and recorders had to be functional and not merely props. Chalamet recorded and performed all his vocal and instrumental parts in the film, and the audio from the recording studio scenes was used in the final cut. Equipment loaned from our collection included accurate versions of Bob Dylan and Michael Bloomfield’s studio and stage amps, our original Hammond B3 organ acquired from Bearsville Studio (founded by Dylan’s manager, Albert Grossman), and vintage microphones. Prior to production, the script and music sequence were rehearsed and approved by Bob Dylan.
One of our main challenges was providing the original CBS/Columbia Records Studio A recording console, which was originally located at 49 East 52nd St in Manhattan. The control room of Studio A housed a custom tube console, and very few photographs of it existed. Thanks to photos from former CBS recording engineer Jim Reeves’ archive, we were able to fabricate an accurate replica. The original console was custom-designed by Columbia’s in-house R&D department and was the heart of the sound quality for those records. In the film’s CBS control room scenes, you can also see two tall equipment racks loaded with Ampex tube electronics, which were early 8-track recorders. The Ampex 8-Track “Octopus,” named by comedian W.C. Fields, was first adopted by Les Paul. It allowed engineers to sync eight external inputs to an Ampex 1” machine, adapting quickly to the increasing demands of multitrack recording.
Columbia Records is the oldest existing record company in the world, founded in 1888. In the 1960s, custom tube consoles, Ampex 300 analog tube tape machines, and Pultec equalizers, along with beautiful acoustic environments, talented staff, and visionary artists and producers, came together to create a continuous string of influential hit records. At the forefront of Dylan’s career was producer John Hammond Jr., known for his keen ear for musical talent and his role in shaping the careers of many influential musicians in the 20th century. Today, in a digitally dominated DIY recording world, vintage recording equipment is increasingly sought after by musicians and collectors, who are captivated by its unique sound and historical significance. The restoration and preservation of these pieces fill an important niche.
Sonic Circus has been working with studios, musicians, and producers since 1996, supplying new, used, and vintage equipment. We are passionate about recording consoles and maintain a significant collection of historical vintage gear. Our commitment to helping clients supply, service, and support their recording studios drives our company. Sonic Circus is family-owned and operated, with a dedicated team of professionals ready to assist artists in achieving their music production goals. Our recording studio and tech/engineering department are nestled in the hills of Southern Vermont, and we operate by appointment only.
]]>Are you looking to step up your game a little and don’t know where to start? Maybe you’re thinking about graduating from that little USB interface to a Top end converter and some Boutique mic preamps? Do you need a console? What do you know about clean power? This is an exciting stage in your studio’s life, and your life too, if you’re a gear lover us! It’s an awesome feeling when you are expanding and are able to take on bigger audio projects and create better recordings. Are you asking yourself where the heck do I start? How do I know that what I buy will be compatible and future proof? Stuff ain’t cheap!
These are great questions that many engineers and artists get stuck on. So let’s dive in!
We all know that good music is just an emotion captured. Don’t overthink it. The best thing you can do is get the source sounding good. This means a good performance, good microphones and mic preamps. Choice of converter is really just personal taste. Most major brand converters sound really great out of the box. There are subtle differences in them but that only makes up a really small piece of the pie. Most people recording couldn’t care less about the converter. They care about the overall sound and experience. Your mixes need to translate well to other systems/speakers other than your own. Which means your speaker system and acoustics need to be set up properly from the get go.
The Mic preamps make a huge difference. There I said it. A great preamp really brings out everything in a mic. You can sometimes use a lower quality microphone but use a great mic preamp and the end result can be magic. Listeners will feel it when you plug in that sweet mic preamp over those boring, sterile, low gain preamps in your Prosumer USB interface!
Let’s face it, cabling is not sexy, but important. People will never ask what cabling you purchased when they come into your studio. Always make sure you are using quality cabling suitable for your use. If you move it around a lot, then a cabling that can take some abuse is needed. If its just going to be installed and never touched again, the cable doesn’t need to be as rugged. If you are “in the box” only, then your cabling setup will be much less than someone in both worlds. Power too cannot be overlooked. If your power going into your gear is not clean or your grounding system is flawed then your frequency response and noise floor will be affected. Power is crucial to get right before you start recording.
Patchbays are your friend. A console requires a lot of cabling and audio conversion to get in and out of the DAW. When you add outboard gear to your set up, the cabling will start to grow exponentially. At this point, you need a Patchbay, they will make you a recording ninja! You will have so many routing options at your finger tips. Patchbays are also great when you have an artist or engineer in your studio with their own gear, all you have to do is patch it in. No more climbing behind your rack trying to figure out how the hell to make it work.
Console or no console? Be honest, they look cool in any space! You just have to decide if your workflow requires one or not. Having a console with great mic preamps and EQs right in front of you will speed up workflow. They also handle your monitor management, talkback and auxiliary facilities to your musicians and of course audio mix down. You can just use a console as a front end, then mix in the box, this is actually more common than you would think.
In the end, the best advice that I can give is to be yourself! Find your sound and what feels good. Get the technical basics right and then you will have a strong foundation to build on. There are many ways to achieve great sound, find what works best for you, and have fun with it.
In 1964, Spectra began cranking out amazing mic preamps, EQs and the legendary 610 comp-limiter. A lot of the consoles in the mid to late 60’s were built with Spectra Sonics components in them. They were pioneers in creating preamps and compressors that were fast in terms of sonics and transients. The ingenuity of the design handles the transients in a very musical way. If you are wondering what they sound best on… Well we would just say everything! They carry their own tonality in the vast lineup of Mic Pres’s and EQs out now. A very balanced, clear, punchy and warm sound. In the early days they were very sought after because they were very quiet, i.e. extremely low noise floor. This was helpful because you could get more signal over the current tape noise levels at the time. The industry in the mid 60’s was starting to incorporate more solid state designs instead of tube. Spectra was a new more forward sound with low noise and sounded absolutely wonderful. ANY Spectra 1964 equipment definitely belongs next to anything that is considered legendary. They are proven workhorses and are built with musicality in mind.
Stax Recording Circa 1967 Spectra Sonics Recording Console
In the mid 60’s multitrack recording and console development was in its infancy. Consoles were not readily commercially available. Many recording studios and small engineering teams were responsible for designing their own custom consoles. Originally, Spectra Sonics would supply them with individual high quality built components for these builds. Amplifier modules, card frames, power supplies, and equalizers. Auditronics from Memphis built the Stax and Ardent consoles. TTG and A&M Records and others assembled custom consoles. The legendary Flickinger consoles were built utilizing Spectra line amplifiers. Cadco used the Spectra Sonics components to build famous consoles like what were found at Muscle Shoals as well as Tom Dowd’s influence with with Atlantic Records in NYC, Studio C. While the company continued to supported this elite sector of the American recording industry by 1968 Spectra Sonics decided to produce their own consoles and had about a 8 year run. Record Plant NY and LA,
as well as Michael Jackson and The Carpenters were recipients of Spectrasonics built desks. It can be safely stated that during this period, a majority of Gold and Platinum Recordings produced during this time were crafted on Spectra Sonics gear. Today there are a handful of original Spectra consoles in existence.
This top down approach is what makes the un-altered designs of the Spectra1964 outboard line bullet proof, historically significant, and sound amazing.
View products from Spectra 1964
Bill Hawks API 2448 Loaded with 24 STX 600
]]>Sonic Circus recently signed on as Magnatone dealers . We wanted to demo the reissues as we have an entire collection of vintage Magnatones that are a staple here in the studio so we got in this Varsity first to take it for a spin. First thing we noticed was the attention to the build quality. Its excellent. The amp comes with a beautiful handmade cover and the hang tag shows you the frequency response of the Eq’s. Nice touch. There is a speaker out and a 6db boost that can be operated with the 2 way foot switch (along with the reverb). All the detailing, tolex paint and screening is beautiful. There is a small ding in this B Stock on the top front (see photo) but it won’t be the last ding this amp will see LOL. Plugged it in and WOW. The amp is voiced beautifully! With a 59 Strat the amp is rounder sounding than my 65 Princeton. It doesn’t get piercing and seems to roll off the highs right where it should. Out of curiosity I put it on a 4 x 12 Marshall cab and used the extension speaker out for a rehearsal with a pretty loud drum/B3 organ trio rehearsal and the amp cut up an over the drums well. The +6dB boost was really helpful when things got rowdy. Still trying to figure out how a 15 Watt amp with EL84’s can cut like that. But because the way the amp is voicedI wasn’t fumbling around with tone settings. The low end never got flubby, It just sat nice in the natural mix in the room. Don’t be fooled this is not exclusively a Billy Gibbons style raucous guitar tone. (Although it does that too!) We will be reviewing the Twilighter 2 x 12″ next when that arrives. Looking forward to it. Keep up the great work Magnatone….
Our little 15 Watt Varsity
Here is a crazy color custom Super 59 MKII Head and Cab. Unleash the beast
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While Sonic Circus was putting together the equipment package and custom designs for Respect, we got a call regarding Genius: Aretha, the third season of a documentary drama series for National Geographic. This production was also being filmed in Atlanta. The Nat Geo crew also wanted Sonic Circus to supply period correct equipment and consult for their 8-part series. Starring Cynthia Erivo as Aretha Franklin, Genius: Aretha also had to include Fame Studios and Atlantic Studios NYC as well as live scenes from the Fillmore West 1971 and Rev James Cleveland’s church in Watts 1972 where “Amazing Grace” was recorded.
Both productions were being shot at the same time, so we had 6 weeks to recreate and deliver five studios worth of period-specific vintage recording gear and instruments. To start our process, we worked with both set design teams and explained what our supplied equipment was, based on photographs and video footage from Aretha’s recording sessions.
With our inventory of vintage amplifiers, tube mics, tape machines, and outboard gear, we had an excellent grasp on the period-specific pieces needed to make the productions historically accurate. One of the biggest challenges was coming up with five period correct consoles for the productions.
For Genius: Aretha, we acquired a late 60’s 1608 Electrodyne which originally came from American Recording in Memphis. We had a custom placard made that read, “Custom Built for Rick Hall and Fame” to emulate the original Fame Studios console.
Alongside this, we used 3M M79 tape machines that were dressed to look like the original Scully tape machines which were originally housed in the studio.
For Respect, we were also able to use the 1969 1608 Electrodyne for the Atlantic console (That was moved across town from Genius). We also fabricated a pair of 8 channel (Octopus) racks of Ampex 350’s. These were used originally by Atlantic for additional mic inputs.
For Respect’s take on the Fame Studios console, a vintage UA Putnam 610 Console was supplied courtesy of Universal Audio. The CBS/Columbia console was custom CAD designed in the shop at Sonic Circus and fabricated from scratch.
To compliment the custom fabricated console, we also brought in a 3 track Ampex 300 recorder on loan from Memphis Magnetic Recording (originally from RCA Nashville), as well as 2 mono Ampex recorders.
A cool bonus piece for those of you who will watch Respect when it is released: The George Starbird Boom Stands used in the CBS/Columbia scenes are the actual mic stands that were used at the original studio. A huge thanks to Ed Rak from Clinton Recording who acquired them from CBS/Columbia after The Church closed!
Along with our set consultation and custom console fabrication, we brought various Altec speaker systems, vintage drum kits, amps, reissue Telecasters, Fender P Basses, and a Gretsch guitar. The piece de resistance was supplying a Hammond C3 with Lesli as well as an old, green Wurlitzer just like the one Spooner Oldman originally played on those sessions. Everything was loaded onto a dedicated 53’ semi and trucked down to Atlanta where we met up with both set design teams and consulted on the set ups.
After 25 years, Sonic Circus continues to house one of the worlds most diverse collections of used and vintage recording gear, our shop stays constantly busy doing restorations as well as custom design work for the recording industry. The preservation of historical equipment is an important part of what we do as well as working with recording artists, producers and engineers who will continue to make great music with this gear for years to come, which is why we were trusted with these projects.
You can find the trailer for Respect here as well as the trailer for Genius: Aretha here.
]]>Why do you have a working studio at Sonic Circus and how did it all come about?
DL: Sonic Circus Studio is basically a non-profit. We don’t currently book commercial sessions for money. It is basically a laboratory for refining sounds, techniques, private studio projects, and learning. We like to practice what we preach here. We’ve amassed a cool collection of equipment and a lot of the pieces here have either personal significance or some historical relevance. We encourage musicians, producers and engineers to visit and exchange ideas and share knowledge.
What have you learned personally from the experience?
DL: If you are interested in running a facility like this surround yourself with talent. Put a team of people together that are both creative and technically versed. Don’t try to do it all yourself. The other thing that is absolutely apparent and may sound odd: I do think you can find inspiration in certain pieces of gear, and combinations thereof. There really is Mojo to this. It exists. The first time I heard music through the Mix Bus of a Neve 8068 in the early days it was like “This is what music is supposed to sound like!” I’ve also tried to put a collection together of instruments and equipment that have some meaning to me. This helps you dig a little harder when you are going for sounds or a particular musical part. You’d be surprised.
Please elaborate?
DL: OK. The business was started with the help of a few good friends back in 1996. We developed a reputation for being real with people. Some really amazing collections started presenting themselves when people decided they had to call it quits. It’s really bittersweet because, quite honestly, I would rather see these places still around. But every time I was able to hang on to a little piece of music history, I did. I have a few pieces from Bearsville Studio here. The EMT 140, Hammond B3, and the Wurlitzer. Knowing Muddy, Dylan, Todd Rundgren, The Band, and others did records on that equipment gives you a sense of responsibility.
Some of Kaplans (Indigo Ranch) gear was cool because it had double history. There is a Neumann KM53 back there he got from Abbey Road. The ECM Records Talent Studio Helios is hanging out in the shop. But some of the pieces remind me of friends that are no longer here. I have a Strat I play every day and a little Ampeg amp that lives in the studio. Those were both friends of mine that have passed. But the greatest joy is when the gear winds up going to great people. 10 years ago we set Derek Trucks up with a Neve that was owned by the Kinks and then David Cobb. That is one hard working Neve console.
You seem to have an infatuation with old equipment. I see lots of old amps, mics etc…
DL: Well true. We really try to combine the best of both worlds. New with old. Although, I’ve heard amazing records produced by people far more talented with far less than this. So there really are no rules. When John King from the Dust Brothers approached us about finally buying “real” gear like Pultecs and Neves, he had already produced seminal records like Paul’s Boutique by the Beastie boys and of course Beck’s Odelay. Incredible sounds you cant even fathom on some really cheap equipment they already owned. I was like, “What do you need Neves for?” It was pretty eye opening. (laughs). But really, to answer your question, we’ve acquired some really strange pieces and once it gets put through the tech shop we want to hear what it can do. If there is a use for it, then it can stay.
So restoring the gear first. Right?
DL: Correct. There is nothing more frustrating than something 1/2 working correctly, and honestly, it gets totally in the way of your creative process. Thats why many people are OK with a interface and a Laptop. (laughs) I get it. It’s just not for me.
Are you a musician?
DL: Yes. I consider myself a musician and person first, and guy who happened to start a gear business second. At times in my life where business preempted music, I was probably less pleasant to be around.
What are you going for musically?
DL: I compose electric guitar oriented instrumental music. Mainly musical forms that most people don’t care about. Harmonic, improvisational, often atonal. Put it this way: Its a good thing I have a day job at the moment.
Whats new at Sonic Circus Studio?
DL: Lots of changes this year. We recently updated the automation computer and software on the API Vision that is generously on loan to us. It’s really a phenomenal console. Really just learning what the console can do sonically. The resettable routing is intense and we are getting started mixing on the new automation. There are sweet spots on sweet spots with the gain staging. Very cool console. We are considering putting in a Helios next when this guy has to go next year.
So you change out consoles a lot?
DL: Well not as much as Dave Cobb (Laughs). But yes, since we are in the business of selling the things. It really is a tremendous amount of work. Rewiring, relearning etc… It’s disruptive to the studio and the downtime is never enjoyable
You like consoles?
DL: Yes.
But you don’t really need one anymore…
DL: This is a form of folklore created mostly by music merchandisers whom have never stepped foot in a proper recording studio. People thought that the advent of the transistor made tube equipment obsolete. You’ve heard the stories about Pultec’s and Fairchild’s being thrown into dumpsters haven’t you? “This is great, we don’t have to change these damn tubes anymore!” … “Hey wait, why does everything sound so small?”
Any other changes to the studio?
DL: Yes, my good friend Jef Brown, who is a highly skilled amp tech, guitarist, and sax player has been doing a residence every couple of months. We acquired a giant pawn shops worth of vintage amps from Rich Kaplan (Indigo Ranch) and Jef has been coming in and dialing in the most interesting ones. Last week we did the Metal Rickenbacker, a 1930’s Gibson, a weird painted brown Gretsch, an old italian Cry Baby Wah. I’ve got to tell you, Jimmy Page had it right. Those little amps in the studio can be the biggest sounding ones.
I talked to Jonathan Little this week and we are going to set up the entire Little Labs system next so we can have proper splits, dedicated buffered wet/dry effects sends and maybe razorblade some speakers and weird amps to reamp to. It’s cool when you can create space and tones that you like and not be dependent on plugins. Fix it in the mix. That trap.
Why do you have a piano, Hammond B3, and guitar amps in the control room?
DL: This is a giant old furniture factory here in Vermont. The ceiling is naturally pitched and it is inordinately large for a control room. We cut a lot of music without headphones. We can comfortably put a Jazz Quartet in here, and its really intimate to work with a keyboard man in the control room. Also I do a lot of composing/playing and engineering at the same time so its a matter of practicality.
When I went to Daniel Lanois’ house in LA, he was running sessions this way, so I was like if its good enough for Emmylou and Neil Young, there is probably something to it. His place was aesthetically beautiful. He had a podium with a Pultec sitting on a LA2A and he points to it and says “Thats the vocal chain”. So our place here, you can work that way or go in there. (Points to the tracking room)
Don’t you get tons of bleed?
DL: Yes. I’m getting accustomed to the sound of everything bleeding. I like it. Also the nature of the music we are going for is, you have to play it through, and if someone drops a part, you go back and play it again together. Or if it’s not terrible you just leave the mistakes in. Weird concept
How come you don’t run a commercial facility?
DL: I had plenty of opportunities to be involved in commercial studios in the past. Sonic Circus became a resource for a lot of the major studios and I took that responsibility really seriously. When I started Sonic Circus, my studio owner friends were knee deep in major big city leases. 3 Room facilities and huge investments in SSL and Neve consoles, staff etc… These guys were icons and the industry was changing fast. It started with the digital recording boom with Pro Tools and ADATS. A lot of big players we’re forced out of doing the one thing they loved the most: Facilitating making records.
This wasn’t a money making venture for these guys. They truly loved the industry. So without getting too philosophical, I had a job to do for them and we really took that to heart. We had to help people solve a tremendous problem. Out of pride a lot of these guys and gals hung in a lot longer than they should have. Mixing business with emotions can be a slippery slope. It was really about not letting these guys down. There is a lot to that. So to answer the question, it never appealed to me to try to sell studio time for my living. I’m really interested in making music though.
What do you see changing?
DL: Instead of being overly wistful about the way it used to be, roll your sleeves up and try to put some people to work. People should think about bridging the economic gap a bit more right now as opposed to being insular. There are incredible people who can play, mixers, mastering engineers, arrangers. People are now more open minded and approachable. They have to be to survive. In the past you would have to get permission from an artists label to have them play on your record. Basically they were property of their label. Now you can hire people directly.
It would be cool if people began to support an independent economy. Hell, if you called up mixers like Jason Corsaro or Mike Shipley when cats like that were around and said “can you check out some of my mixes and I’d even like to pay you for your time” you would be amazed at a) How much you don’t really know and b) How cool these guys really were. You would be helping create a support structure. The Zappa model is a good one. He fired Warner Brothers and became a true independent. The only difference now is that you don’t need a $500,000 Synclavier and an 80 piece orchestra to get your work heard. The tools have gotten really good.
What advice would you give to someone starting up a studio today?
DL: A few things. Beyond physics there are no rules. If you want to put a studio in your living room, go for it. If you have the budget for an uber-designer and thats your thing then do that. Remember, it’s a place to make music in ultimately, so try to make it match your own personality and aesthetic. Lots of great records have been made in modest places. If you want to talk about how to make a living with a recording studio thats a whole different conversation.
Can customers come to Sonic Circus
DL: We are by appointment. An excellent Claw Banjo player named Tom Collins met up with me last weekend and brought his instruments. He was having trouble making it sound full so we tried some ambient mic techniques I thought would work. We recorded some tracks in the studio and he really liked it. As a result, I learned about Claw Banjo. We are an unconventional music equipment store. It’s very mom and pop. If you get to the studio we may be smoking some barbecue, taking you out on a mountain bike ride, or throwing a difficult piece of music in front of you. Bring your axe and your ears. You never know what will happen.
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We wanted to show you a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into our Used/Vintage consoles when you purchase one from Sonic Circus.
When the console is ordered, we determine the level of service that is required to bring it up to spec. Pictured here is a little SSL 4024 we are working on. We did a frame reduction down to 24 channels (From 56). The console will now be able to operate off of one power supply. Because of the consoles age (1989) we will go through and replace all of the capacitors in the EQ and Dynamics cards before we do the preliminary sweep and fault list. This helps us determine the additional service that we will need to do.
Pictured here: The SSL Center Section. This week we are recapping the center section cards. This will clean up all of the obvious faults before getting further in depth with component level trouble shooting.
SSL 4000 center sections were intelligently engineered so the card cage could be lifted up and locked into place, so service technicians could gain easy access.
This week we installed the trim kit. The bolster (armrest) had to be cut down and also the meter bridge shelf.
The patch bay is reduced to a 24 input configuration so we will need to re-label the patchy ID strips. We got power to the frame this week and are now documenting some of the logic issues so we can start to troubleshoot those.
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According to Bill Laswell, “Jason Corsaro. He’s a beast of an engineer and really famous for mixing drums. He pretty much defined the 80’s with bands like the The Power Station and Robert Palmer. He created that sound. He came out of the Bob Clearmountain school. He was Bob’s assistant. But he was more of an animal and still is. His sound has more of an impact and I wanted Elvin (Jones) to have that. And they got along very well. Later on we did the same thing with Ginger Baker and Tony Williams.”1*
Joe Barresi adds “Jason Corsaro, who I think is one of the greatest engineers in the world. He’s done everything from Soundgarden’s Superunknown, which to me is sonically light years above all their other stuff, to the first Power Station record. Also Madonna’s “Like A Virgin”…” 2* ”He was one of the guys who gave me my start–and he also taught me that there were no boundaries or rules when making records. He always sought after the biggest, wildest, craziest sounds–yet he could fit it into something beautifully commercial as well. I learned a lot by watching him, and he never ceased to amaze me when he spoke about music and creating it with such passion. He was an innovator…till the very end.”
Oz Fritz on assisting with Jason. ”I was amazed at Jason’s use of effects. He would compress, eq, sometimes gate them, and run effects into other effects like chorusing a reverb, etc. I told him how nice the Studio East live room sounded as a reverb chamber. He wasted no time taking advantage of it, using it, in some instances, as the snare drum reverb, sometimes running the live room through a flanger, sometimes pitching it down, and timing the SSL gates just right for maximum effect.” 3*
In 2007, then VP of Sonic Circus, Producer Engineer Brian Charles interviewed Jason. We thought we would share it with you.
BC: How did you get your start in the recording industry?
Jason Corsaro: I had a friend in high school, and I went to see him and he said “Would you like to take a day off from school, cut class and go to the Village and check out this place called the Institute of Audio Research.” and I was like “cut class… Village… New York… sure.” So I went to see it and I watched and listened to what they had to say and it seemed to be exactly what I was interested in. If you take everyone else’s talent and ability, and join them, mix them all together, you can come out with a song in the end; a mix of music without actually having to play, write, create, or perform. I said, “This is what I like.” I’d had enough of the practice. Never been one into practicing. So after I saw it, and saw what was going on, I ended up going to the school and my friend didn’t.
When I went to school I didn’t have enough money to get through, so to supplement I worked at the school and got friendly with everyone and they placed me at a studio called Secret Sound, originally owned by Todd Rundgren and I started working my way up and I eventually got into Power Station. I got on every session I could and had all the best people. At that point of time Power Station had amazing people coming through. Tony Visconti, Roy Thomas Baker, Jimmy Iovine and Shelly Yackus and Chic. I worked with amazing people on amazing records, sometimes two a day. I did that for years. I took little bits of all of their best techniques and styles and melted them into my own and watched and listened to all these great records being done.
BC: So, were you assisting in those early years?
Jason Corsaro: Oh yes. I assisted for a very long time. It wasn’t like it is now; it was very hard to break in. Now everybody is attracted to youth. At that point experience was everything. It’s kind of flip-flopped, but it was really good, because I’ve stored away all those little things that I saw and I’ve pulled them out like a little bag of tricks and it really helps.
BC: I bet that learning from those guys was great, but also the technology that surrounded you at the time, made you have to learn things that people don’t necessarily need to know or they think they don’t need to know these-days.
Jason Corsaro: Well, it helps because instead of having to rely on quick fixes, you had to do things to make it work. You didn’t have options. Even a simple thing as just punching in on a tape machine, if you did something wrong it was gone. You made an edit, it was wrong, it was gone. You didn’t have another copy, you didn’t have backups or safeties. Now you can do anything and it’s pretty hard to screw up, but it’s even harder to actually do it right, keeping your focus on what’s important and not just on handling the technology. It was interesting to see. I’ll give you one quick example of one thing that sticks out as being as amazing. Tony Visconte was producing a John Hyatt record; the drummer couldn’t get the song the way he wanted. He wanted to drop the song and Tony experimented and got him to overdub the drums on top of each other ten times. First the whole drum kit, then just down to three or four tracks, then down to stereo, down to mono and kept doing it and doing it until the whole event worked and it became the drummer’s favorite song on the record. So he took what was a problem and found a solution and made it work musically, not based on technology. Now you can do that same thing so much easier in Pro Tools and you’ll get the same result.
BC: You know, what we’re talking about now reminds me of something I wanted to ask you that I thought of earlier. I’ve talked to a couple of other engineers that have done some work on stuff that you’ve tracked, maybe they’ve mixed or whatever, and every one of them that I’ve talked to said that there is something about the tracks that you record. They seem to mix very easily, and I just wondered what your aesthetic is when you’re tracking a band. How does that happen? How do you make that happen?
Jason Corsaro:: I think it’s because it’s easier for me to envision what it’s going to sound like at the end. I worked with people like Shelly Yakus who could get perfect, amazing sounds on things. I could never do that. I never really aspired to that. There’s already a Shelly Yakus. I didn’t want to try to do that. So, I tried to record into a mix situation and imagine what it was going to sound like, to draw out contrasts and effects and perspectives from the beginning, so that all you have to do is put the faders up and just make it more exciting. You didn’t have to make it into something, which makes it harder to record and also a little harder to deal with (for) people because they get scared. Sometimes you do things that they haven’t seen. Always try to see what doesn’t work to understand what does, and what comes out in the end it just seems like it’s easier. I did a track for Duran Duran, “View to a Kill”, the first thing that I ever produced, and someone got to do a dance mix of it. They said, ” All I had to do was push the faders up and it was mixed.” I’d say that was a little nice, but it wasn’t that far off because it was all figured out, arranged, and recorded the way I wanted it to be in the end. I actually know some people who just set it up so you put all the faders even and get a mix. It’s not quite like that, but I take the chances on the record(ing) side rather than on the mix side.
BC: Yeah it seems that people I talk to said that they could tell that you committed to sounds very early in the process. Do you find yourself printing effects often?
Jason Corsaro: Yes. Recording with effects- sometimes I don’t even actually give you the choice of not using them because I don’t have the original clear sound, it’s just the way that it’s supposed to be, the way the performance comes across. If it doesn’t have a DI or a flat one… I’ve just never done that. I put it up and it works and you don’t have to think about it.
BC: I know that you have been asked about this for years but there is a new crop of engineers that may not be as acclimated to this music as we are. So…how did you get the drum sound on “Addicted to Love”?
Jason Corsaro: Well a lot of that was Tony Thompson, he’s an amazing drummer, and then it was also Donny Wenn who played on some of it. We were down in a studio in the Bahamas and it didn’t have much of a sound. It was a dead room and I didn’t know how to record in a dead room after being in Power Station. So I recorded the drums in the dead room and created like a horn that blew the sound out into the hallway, which was very live, I think it was cement, and I put a series of room mics up in the hall and recorded that with these booming room mics. And then when I mixed it, I used to use this effect with a Publison where I’d pitch shift the room down and then I would feed it back to itself so that it would keep going lower and lower, sort of the way a drum rings out, the high end dissipates and the low energy lasts longer. I tried to do that with the room sound and just had it bigger and lower and longer. When it got to long I would just cut it on the SSL. I would write cuts in it. Actually I think on some of the songs I even used a Sony digital tape machine to print the cuts. I could make a digital safety and then write the cuts in for each beat exactly where I wanted. Because it wasn’t as much what was happening it was the space between what was happening that was important.
BC: Amazing.
Jason Corsaro: Actually it was a lot of silliness that a lot of people didn’t understand and thought was wrong, but it actually helped make it a little different and a little bit more exciting. Just always trying to find another perspective.
BC: Well you seem to be good at finding that perspective. When I look at your discography you’ve had quite a career and you’re still going…
Jason Corsaro: Yeah the new stuff actually is scaring me even more. The studio that I’m working at now, The Barber Shop has amazing gear, an amazingly designed room by Fran Manzella. Every aspect of it sounds good so I’m actually trying to make it sound bad- because it sounds so good it’s too easy to get you stopped. You put up a great mic and a great mic pre and say I don’t need to do anymore, but we’re doing other things that I used to do to try and save sounds and it’s coming out great. I should play you some of the new stuff it’s really over the top.
BC: Speaking of new stuff, when you came up it was all 2-inch tape. Right?
Jason Corsaro: Yes.
BC: Now it’s pretty much Pro Tools. Do you change your approach to the way you track sounds now that you’re using Pro Tools, or do you still use analog sometimes?
Jason Corsaro: I like to use analog. A lot of people don’t want to use it and it hasn’t been easy to get tape. It’s my preference, but there are things that you can do in Pro Tools which you can’t possibly do in analog. I would imagine the best would be a hybrid between the two, not dumping from tape to Pro Tools, but locking the two up. Tape still has a very big warm sound. Pro Tools has a very aggressive, sharp, powerful sound, and with some of the new plug-ins, by itself it’s one thing, but with the plug-ins you can use, you can do things that you could only imagine years ago and it’s easy to duplicate. I used to dream about having a situation where you could have all different EQs on different channels for whatever instrument you wanted to put them on, like a special snare drum EQ or compressor you liked, and then a separate for the bass, and a separate for a guitar track or a separate thing for the hi-hat or the tom. You can do that now very easily and still use all the mic pres and EQs for Pro Tools that you can dream of because we have so many here- Neves and Helios and Spectrosonics, all sorts of amazing things. So you have no end to the infinite amount of variables that you could use, which is a great thing.
BC: So, the format has changed and you’ve adapted…
Jason Corsaro: Yeah, everyone thought it would make it easier, but it actually makes it more difficult because there are so many things to try and so many things that sound good. I think the trick is just deciding on “this already sounds good, I don’t need to go any further.”
BC: Knowing when it sounds good enough, right?
Jason Corsaro: Yeah, yeah exactly.
BC: Speaking of sounding good, I remember being in my car a long time ago when Stevie Winwood’s “Higher Love “came on the radio, and it made even my crappy little car stereo sound great, sound huge.
Jason Corsaro: Yeah, there are amazing musicians on the record and again back in the time when tape was big it was one of the last scenes like that. It’s not like that any more. It was great, it was a great moment and a great record. Stevie (is an) amazing talent. I didn’t see too many people in my life before him, do a vocal take from beginning to end without stopping and it was amazing.
BC: That recording is sonically stellar, and the stereo spread on that stuff … it sound’s larger than life.
Jason Corsaro: Yeah it’s a great record. That whole time, there was a moment where everything was popping. That, and Robert Palmer and lots of things, the “PiL” record I did with Bill Lazwell. Just really interesting stuff. All different, all great musicians, all trying to do interesting and new things. There are changes a little bit now, the scope is a little narrower, but still a lot of interesting things happening.
BC: So, how do you feel about the industry these days… you’ve seen the record industry go from something that was very strong and healthy to something that pretty much on its knees right now?
Jason Corsaro: I think the reason for that, in my opinion, is just a bad choice of music to be able to listen to. It’s very narrow, the scope is very, very narrow. Where years ago there was many different styles, many different things, it was interesting, it was daring. There were a lot of records you would hate, but there were some people that would love absolutely them. Now everyone is very much the same. It if was me, I’m bored. I find it very hard to buy new records, but there’s a lot of great music. It’s just that people don’t give the great music a chance. They want the music that’s only going to sell and that only has a short shelf life for me.
BC: Yeah, I would agree with you there.
Jason Corsaro: But I think it’s all going to change because I think that people who are really interested in making a great expression and great music are going to find a different avenue to go. They’re not going to go to the same old place, especially if they are turned away, and people are going to go to a different place, they’re not going to go listen to the same cheese sandwich everyday.
BC: Speaking of the “same cheese sandwich”, do you find that you get into a routine when you’re recording?
Jason Corsaro: I can’t- I get bored really easily. The first record that got me attention was The Power Station and all these people came seeking that drum sound and I was like “Why do you want that, it was only good for that situation, it doesn’t fit in anything, we’ll get a different drum sound that will work.” They said “I want that one”. I said “I’m sorry that was a moment in time and its passed, we’ll come up with a new one.” And it’s happened many times in different ways. It’s just a drum sound, it’s just a beat, it’s just a rhythm. People put importance on the craziest things.
BC: So you still seem to keep your perspective regarding what other people want…
Jason Corsaro: I just search for what’s wrong, and I think in the end- you’re left with what’s right.
BC: That’s very good advice.
Jason Corsaro: Otherwise you just end up doing the same thing everyday. It’s got to be boring. Mixing the same song- to sound the same way everyday year after year- how could your heart be in that?
BC: Good point. I’m going to ask you one last question. It seems that you still have so much enthusiasm for what you do, even after the amount of time you’ve been doing it. Looking at your discography I can see all of the work that you’ve done and I’ve heard a lot of the work that you’ve done. How do you manage to retain that energy after all this time and still be at the top of your game like you are?
Jason: I think what happens is that every once in a while you get on a project and you get a magic moment. I can remember one vividly. I mixed a Ron Wood record and we cut a track called “Breath on Me” all live- all acoustic. And it was amazing. Moments like that come and they fill the tank for a long time. This record that I’m doing right now with Vaeda is the same way. There are so many situations I can think of that are just phenomenal that I’m just so lucky to be around and to experience that it just makes it great. If I was doing the same thing day in and day out by myself I don’t think I could take it. But being involved and interacting with great musicians and great writers and great performers is lucky. That’s the greatest thing about the music business.
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Resources
1* courtesy of SFSNIC https://sfsonic.com/interviews/interview-bassistproducer-bill-laswell/
2* courtesy of Tape Op https://tapeop.com/interviews/23/joe-baressi/
3* courtesy of Oz Fritz http://oz-mix.blogspot.com/2010/09/jason-corsaro.html