Speaking in Tongues (1983) and Remain in Light (1980), two of the classic LPs from the Talking Heads, have been remixed in 5.1 surround sound by original keyboardist Jerry Harrison and engineer/mixer Eric “E.T.” Thorngren. The albums will be released later this year, along with other titles from the Heads’ catalog.
During the re-mixing process, Harrison and Throngren worked with Waves’ Renaissance plug-ins as well as the company’s C1 Compressor, C4 Multiband Parametric Processor, L1 and L2 Ultramaximizers and X-Noise plug-in.“Every engineer I know loves them,” remarks Harrison, who adds that he has been familiar with the Waves heritage since several of the company’s founding engineers worked on the MUSE digital mastering console, a pioneering effort in digital audio technology. “These guys have been pushing the envelope for years, and the result is that we get to use some of the finest processing available for our projects.”Thorngren, who has recorded with the Eurhythmics, Robert Palmer, Grand Master Flash and the Von Bondies, is also a longtime Waves user. “I find that I increasingly reach for the Waves stuff first for compression and EQ,” Thorngren notes. “The Q10 is one of the best equalizers I’ve ever used.” Thorngren is also fond of the C1 Compressor and C4 Multiband Parametric Processor, which combine compression and equalization features. “They’re part of how I always mix vocals now,” he continues. “Compression on vocals has to have exactly the right touch. The secret to rock music mixes is the relationship between the vocal and the track: too loud and it’s not rock anymore, too soft and you can’t make out the words. The Waves compressors allow me to actually ride the vocals in a mix and find that happy medium that makes great rock mixes.”Harrison adds that having dedicated 5.1 processing on a plug-in basis made the remixes easier to handle, particularly with EQ and compression. “My studio has the ability to route to both outboard analog processing and to digital plug-ins,” he explains. “Because of the completeness of the Waves bundle, they are the first plug-ins we turn to. Waves plug-ins are musical, easy to use, and a great complement to our analog equipment.”Visit www.waves.com for more information.
