The two companies created a ‘Pop Up Studio’ and the seminar was conducted by none other than veteran producer/engineer Dusty Wakeman, president of Mojave Audio. The seminar took place in a rectangular conference room, which served as a stand-in for a bedroom/living room/garage studio as is typical of today’s home studios. The featured artist for the seminar was guitarist / vocalist Anne McCue and her band, consisting of Jay Weaver on upright bass, Randy Leago on accordion, and John McTigue at the drums.
After a near unanimous show of hands from the standing room only crowd in response to the question, “How many of you are recording at home?”, Wakeman said “Our purpose here today is to share with you some basic recording tips and techniques you can use to help solve commonly encountered recording issues and improve the quality of your recordings.”
Using a variety of mic preamps provided by Vintage King Nashville, the session was recorded on an Avid Pro Tools system using a Universal Audio Apollo interface, with reference monitors provided by Focal Professional. Microphones from both Mojave Audio and Royer Labs were used to capture all performances. During the session, Wakeman discussed commonly encountered acoustical considerations that take place in the home studio environment and showed treatment options using products provided by Auralex Acoustics. As part of this, he discussed the importance of microphone placement, proximity effect on the sound, tips for minimizing plosives, and other important considerations. After each of the first two takes by the band, tracks were soloed and adjustments were made. The third take was agreed upon by all to be ‘the keeper’.
Reflecting on the event, Wakeman offered these thoughts, “This year’s Americana Music Association (AMA) conference was exceptional. There was lots of great music, the vibe was right on, and the atmosphere was really conducive to learning. We had some great people at the recording seminar and they were really appreciative of the efforts put forth by Anne McCue and her band. The pop up studio was a tremendous success and we fully expect to conduct more of these sessions. It was great fun and, most importantly, I believe everyone in attendance learned something that can help further their careers.”
To learn more about the Americana Music Festival & Conference, visit them online at http://americanamusic.org/.
About Mojave Audio
Located in Burbank, California, Mojave Audio is a manufacturer of quality microphones for the recording professional. Additional information on the MA-301fet and all Mojave Audio microphones can be found at www.mojaveaudio.com.
About Royer Labs
Located in Burbank, California, Royer Labs’ microphones are a staple of leading recording and broadcast facilities. For additional information about the SF-24V and all Royer microphones, please visit the company at www.royerlabs.com.
###
