July 2014
WELCOME
July 2014 Editor’s Note: Living Among Legends
Jul 1, 2014 9:00 AM, Mix, By Tom Kenny
I have a thing for heroes, and I love a good story. I can read for months and talk for days on the likes of Ernest Shackleton, John Wesley Powell, or Lewis and Clark. I recognize the genius in Michelangelo, Gauguin and Banksy, or Billie Holiday, Bob Dylan and Michael Jackson. Don’t get me started on Martin Luther King, Muhammad Ali or Michael Jordan. …
FEATURES
On the Cover: The Cowboy Rides Away
Jul 1, 2014 9:00 AM, Mix, By Tom Kenny
This month’s cover is a tribute to a man who has lived a most wonderful life in music: George Strait. The Troubador. The King of Country. Last of the Real Cowboys. He has the most Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum albums in the history of country music. …
Deconstructed: Bob Clearmountain and Chris Lord-Alge
Jul 1, 2014 9:00 AM, Mix, By Tom Kenny
Though they both live in L.A., both at the peak of their craft in the rather small world of professional hitmaking mixers, Bob Clearmountain and Chris Lord-Alge don’t run into each other all that often. They’re busy! Four decades in! They’ve each, in their own way, defined a sound, their own sound, at times the sound of a generation. …
Jersey Boys: Stage Hit Makes Realistic Transition to Screen
Jul 1, 2014 9:00 AM, Mix, By Blair Jackson
Has the live singing in the hit film adaptation of Les Miserables changed the game for everyone else making an on-screen musical? Is the era of lip-synching to pre-recorded tracks over forever? Probably not. But for the greatly anticipated film of the Broadway (and touring) smash Jersey Boys, director Clint Eastwood and his sound and music teams have upped the ante even more: In addition to having mainly live vocals throughout, most of the music we hear was also performed live at the same time….
Superhero Science and Technology: Marvel’s Avengers Come Alive in New Interactive Exhibit
Jul 1, 2014 9:00 AM, Mix, By Blair Jackson
There seems to be no limit to the number of spinoffs that can be generated from the world of Marvel Comics superheroes. The flood of successful movies, TV shows, videogames and toys derived from the venerable Spider-Man and X-Men franchises shows no signs of subsiding any time soon. But that doesn’t even factor in what’s known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which includes three smash Iron Man films, two Thors, two Captain Americas, The Incredible Hulk and, the Big Kahuna of them all, 2012’s Marvel’s The Avengers—featuring all four of those titans—which has racked up worldwide sales of more than $1.5 billion alone. These are heady days indeed for Marvel Entertainment and its corporate parent since 2009, The Walt Disney Company. …
Line Arrays for Tour Sound
Jul 1, 2014 9:00 AM, By the Mix Editors
A whole lot of line arrays have appeared over the past decade, to the point that nearly all sound reinforcement manufacturers have a version, with the latest trend being compact boxes to either fill a club or augment larger systems in arenas. Mix surveyed the field of recent introductions to help break down the choices, and, because it is touring season, we’ve steered clear of columnar systems in favor of larger touring packages. Please visit the company Websites for more detailed descriptions….
Click here for Mix presents ACOUSTIC MATERIALS AND STUDIO FURNITURE, SUMMER 2014
LIVE
Bonnaroo 2014 Photo Gallery
Jul 1, 2014 9:00 AM
The 13th annual Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival took place in mid-June, with nearly 90,000 people descending on Great Stage Park in Manchester, Tenn. Main stage headliners included Lionel Richie, Elton John and Jack White. Skrillex, Kaskade and Wiz Khalifa, and Ice Cube captivated the EDM/hip-hop crowd. Jam fans had SuperJam, featuring Derek Trucks with Chaka Khan, Taj Mahal, Susan Tedeschi, Eric Krasno, James Gadson, David Hidalgo, Willie Weeks, Nigel Hall, Ryan Zoidis, Eric Bloom and Adam Deitch and other special guests sitting in throughout the night. There was Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, Robby Krieger, Matt Shultz, Zedd, Mickey Hart, Janelle Monáe, Joel Cummins and Lauryn Hill, among so many others. Music for everyone. Enjoy Mix magazine’s exclusive online photo gallery from photographer Dave Vann!…
Tour Profile: Ledisi
Jul 1, 2014 9:00 AM, By Matt Gallagher
Singer/songwriter Ledisi launched The Truth tour in April with a seven-piece band. Over two months, the group visited 28 cities across the U.S. and Toronto, appearing before enthusiastic fans in theaters, halls and auditoriums. In late May, the tour touched down in San Francisco’s The Warfield Theatre, where she reconnected with her hometown fans, and Mix caught the high-energy performance. …
The Cure at BottleRock Napa Valley 2014
Jul 1, 2014 9:00 AM, Text By Tom Kenny; Photos By Steve Jennings
Despite what we read in the American media, The Cure actually do tour pretty regularly, with 31 festival headlining dates, a stadium tour of South America and a number of one-offs over the past 18 months. But it was still a big deal when the band stopped in at BottleRock, the late-May Napa Valley music festival, and played to their fans in Northern California….
Ledisi 2014 Tour Gallery
Jul 1, 2014 9:00 AM
Ledisi ‘The Truth’ 2014 Tour Gallery from Mix magazine…
All Access: Christina Perri
Jul 1, 2014 9:00 AM, Photos and Text By Steve Jennings
Christina Perri, on the road in support of her second studio album, Head or Heart, stopped by the famed Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco in early June. The big show is carrying relatively light production, with FOH and monitor consoles, along with snake and mics. …
Christina Perri 2014 Tour Gallery
Jul 1, 2014 9:00 AM
Mix magazine presents an exclusive photo gallery of Christina Perri’s concert at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco in early June 2014….
MUSIC
OK Go’s Electronic Art: EP Previews the Elegant Pop Noise of ‘Hungry Ghosts’
Jul 1, 2014 9:00 AM, Mix, By Barbara Schultz
Out this month is Upside Out, a four-song OK Go EP that coincides with the use of one song, “The Writing’s on the Wall,” in the soundtrack for The Amazing Spiderman 2. This selection of bright, distorted synths and beat-heavy, yet diverse, electronic tracks comprises only a few of the songs upcoming on the band’s next full-length. Hungry Ghosts will drop this fall, along with, presumably, more of the group’s trademark destined-to-be viral videos….
Classic Tracks: ‘So Into You,’ Atlanta Rhythm Section
Jul 1, 2014 9:00 AM, Mix, By Barbara Schultz
Success is measured in all kinds of ways, but it’s probably fair to say that when “sidemen” take the spotlight, the results are mixed; not every great musician has that intangible quality that draws crowds. But the Atlanta Rhythm Section came out of the shadows to score huge hits in the mid-’70s, and gave hope to session guys everywhere. …
Railroad Earth Hits Its Stride with ‘Outlaws’
Jul 1, 2014 9:00 AM, Mix, By Blair Jackson
Those who describe the music of Railroad Earth as “jamgrass” are to be forgiven. After all, the band’s sound is often dominated by a front line of mandolin, fiddle and acoustic guitar, and their improvisational savvy definitely puts them in jam-band territory. …
The Muffs: ‘Whoop Dee Doo’
Jul 1, 2014 9:00 AM, Mix, By Barbara Schultz
L.A. punk outfit The Muffs haven’t released a full-length in a decade, but Whoop Dee Doo is worth the wait. …
Rebirth Brass Band, ‘Move Your Body’
Jul 1, 2014 9:00 AM, Mix, By Barbara Schultz
“The process was basically, ‘Just play,’” says Tracey Freeman, who produced and mixed the Rebirth Brass Band’s latest release, Move Your Body. Freeman and veteran engineer David Farrell brought this rocking traditional NOLA band into Esplanade Studios, a one-year-old facility built into a mid-1800s church in the heart of New Orleans’ Treme district….
Cool Spin: Hiromi, ‘Alive’ (Telarc)
Jul 1, 2014 9:00 AM, Mix, By Blair Jackson
This is third release in pianist Hiromi’s Trio Project series with versatile electric six-string contrabass guitarist Anthony Jackson and drummer Simon Phillips (The Who, Toto, et al), and it’s the closest of the three to a traditional jazz trio recording—on both 2011’s Voice and 2012’s Move, Hiromi played some electric keyboards, as well as the acoustic grand that appears here exclusively….
COLUMNS
TechTalk: Do Nothing
Jul 1, 2014 9:00 AM, By Kevin Becka
I’m always looking for something to do. Call it OCD, OMG, WTF or whatever you’d like—one of my dearest friends calls me her “favorite overachiever.” But over time, I’ve learned that sometimes the best move to make is no move: do nothing….
Robair Report: Give the People What They Want
Jul 1, 2014 9:00 AM, By Gino Robair
There’s a certain level of artist who doesn’t have to think about flogging their own merch at shows. Then, there’s the rest of us. For some, these are confusing times because of the many formats available for artists to present their work—streaming, download, USB stick, compact disc, vinyl and, yes, analog cassette. They must consider not only the sound quality, but also the demographics and expectations of their audience and numerous other intangibles. …
REGIONAL: ATLANTA
Atlanta News & Notes 2014
Jul 1, 2014 9:00 AM, Mix, By The Mix Editors
Owner Nick Chahwala recently moved Bravo Ocean Studios into a new 2,200 square-foot industrial loft in downtown Atlanta….
Atlanta Session News 2014
Jul 1, 2014 9:00 AM, Mix, By The Mix Editors
R&B singer/songwriter/producer Ne-Yo has been in Tree Sound for past few months working on new material with engineer Moses Gallart…
Atlanta Mixer/Engineer Miles Walker
Jul 1, 2014 9:00 AM, Mix, By Blair Jackson
When you look at all that Atlanta-based mixer/engineer Miles Walker has accomplished in the decade-plus since he graduated with honors from Berklee College of Music’s prestigious Music Production and Engineering program, it’s no surprise that he is viewed as one of their school’s more prestigious recent alumni, asked to come back to speak to students, and continuing to deal with the school on various levels….
TECH REVIEWS
Pro Headphone Faceoff: Four Takes on Excellent Mobile Listening
Jul 1, 2014 9:00 AM, Mix, By Kevin Becka
or me, headphone evaluation boils down to five components: sound (of course), fit, comfort, portability and convenience….
Softube Console 1: Hybrid DAW Mixing System
Jul 1, 2014 9:00 AM, Mix, By Barry Rudolph
Softube Console 1 is a hardware/software system that runs alongside any DAW to provide direct tactile access to Softube’s plug-in model of the Solid State Logic SL 4000E channel strip. Having a plug-in inserted on every channel of your DAW’s mixer, the Console 1 system mimics a large analog console—every track plays through identical channel electronics….
Great River 32EQ and PWM-501: 500 Series Processors With a Learning Curve
Jul 1, 2014 9:00 AM, Mix, By Tim Dolbear
Great River is known for its high quality, solidly built products, the flagship being the MP-2NV 2-channel microphone preamp. It offers the personality of classic British preamps without the issues that come with 40-year-old electronics. …
