Grammy Award–winning engineer Joe Chiccarelli and “iTunes Originals” producer Gordon Brislawn worked on the debut EP from San Francisco electronica trio Sutro, entitled How Things Transpire. The trio comprises remixer/producer Tyler Stone (vocals, programming), Keenan Wayne (bass) and Patrick Hinds (guitar).
Stone programmed drums and keyboard parts in her home studio using a MOTU 24I/O audio interface, MOTU Digital Performer 4.5, MOTU MachFive software sampler and outboard synths. Hinds and Wayne recorded their parts directly using Line 6 PODxt Live and Bass POD modeling processors, respectively.
The trio then moved to San Francisco’s Sy Klopps Studios. Stone’s vocals were captured with a Neumann M 149 tube microphone that was run through a Manley SLAM! stereo limiter and mic preamp. Special guest Jared Matt Greenberg of Charles Atlas played a Yamaha Grand piano, adding to the cinematic feel of the track “Temptress.” To record the subtle nuances of Greenberg’s playing, Brislawn used five microphones, placing a ribbon mic underneath, two small-diaphragm mics on the hammers and two large-diaphragm mics in the classical position.
Chiccarelli then took the helm of San Francisco’s only SSL 9072 console, mixing the final tracks in two marathon 10-hour sessions at SF Soundworks using a Pro Tools HD3 system. “I love the combination of live instruments and programmed material,” Chiccarelli says. “There’s a wonderful mood to Tyler’s vocals that brings a very haunting [quality] to all these songs.”
For mastering, Sutro went to frequent Chiccarelli collaborator Michael Romanowski at Paul Stubblebine Mastering.
For more information, visit www.wanderlustmusic.com, www.syklopps-studios.com, www.sfsoundworks.com and www.paulstubblebine.com.
