I mainly do two things; I write and sing songs, and record. I’ve been doing both for a loooonnnngggg time. So I figured it would be nice to have a place to hang out, and talk about recording and songwriting. I plan to post ideas and examples or links from artists of all stripes. Maybe it will be an example really great stuff, or maybe of suckdom….It will depend on the ideas being put forth.
j
Finally have the time and tools to fix up the ecoplate 11 that I got in trade for some mixing time for David Zee’s project. I’ll try to document the process w/ pics and descriptions. Also Feel free to ask questions or comment.
All of a sudden I’ve been doing a boatload of tape and disc transfers. One job is for “60’s” singing star Jane Morgan. She just got her “Star on the Hollywood Walk”. Her biggest hit wqs “Fascination”, and she appeared on every variety show. The shows recorded these performances to disc- some of them 78s and most 33 rpm. I’ve been transferring them, and cleaning the sound up. She is a remarkable singer; always in pitch…. really, I’ve listened to 20 hrs of her appearances so far, and she just never misses a note. I can think of more than few ” singers ” on the market right now, who seldom get close to the right pitch…..
Dan Moore brought in some tape masters from 30 years ago of the Provincetown Jug and Marching Band . I “baked ” the tapes, ( Some formulations of tape absorb moisture and when played will shed the oxide, which makes them impossible to play, and damages the tape deck, so I have to dehydrate (bake) the tapes to make them able to play) , and them transferred them to a computer. Once in the DAW, I was able to get rid of some noise, and we did just a db of mastering eq to make the lower end a tad more solid, and the upper mids a bit smoother. The unknown engineer at Perfect Crime studios had done a great job of the mix, so it was easy as pie…..
Then, songwriter/ producer Con Fullam brought in some very old tapes of his Dad singing folk songs. His Dad explained the origin of the songs and would then do a very excellent job of singing and playing. The apple didn’t fall far from that tree…
Real Plate reverb! I just got an ecoplate 2. Picked it up from my old friend Noel Stookey .www.noelpaulstookey.com of Peter, Paul and Mary fame ; www.peterpaulandmary.comc I actually had bought it for him when I was working as chief engineer at his place in the early 80’s Noel had it sitting in his house ever since he shut his studio many years ago, with the idea that he would wire it into his home studio. I traded a day’s worth of mixing on the David Zee project that Noel’s producing. Seems like fair deal. It’s too big for anywhere in my studio- it would also “hear” too much of the racket. So it’s going into the storage area in the basement. It will be a bit inconvenient for changing the rt ( reverb decay time), since I’ll have to walk down there to move the lever, but the sound is worth it. Plus, I can use the exercise….
Houndog Recording is the project studio owned by producer/artist John Stuart, one of New England’s most experienced Producer/Engineers.
John has more than 30 years of experience in the recording and music business. As a musician, composer, producer, and engineer, he can be found on both “sides of the glass”. His depth of experience, musicality, easy manner and enthusiasm are some of the reasons that clients return project after project. Personal service is a hallmark of Houndog. Our clients are our friends.
Our studio is oriented toward contemporary music production. Not a midi closet, and not a sound stage suitable for string dates, Houndog’s studio is a comfortable, intimate space that is oriented toward small group tracking, overdubbing, and mixing/mastering, with a large control room and two iso booths.
Houndog Recording offers professional recording and production services. Combining a wealth of experience, a comfortable environment and personal service.
Houndog is artist owned and operated. What we enjoy most is making music with other creative people. We believe that the most important factor in any recording project is human.
We are experienced performers, as well as producers. We make sure that the technical side is taken care of. But, most importantly, we understand non-technical terms, such as “feel” and “presence”, and further, why those things are more crucial than “quantization” or “bit depth” to an artist’s project.
From when you walk in with a handful of songs, to when you walk out with a finished master, Houndog puts every bit of skill and talent at your disposal, Our success depends on your success.
We will gladly send you a sampler CD of some of the artists that trust us with their music. Samples are available online for download as well. If you would like to talk further about your project call or email to make an appointment.
Contact:
John Stuart,
Houndog Recording
134 MosherRd.,
Gorham Maine 04038
v. (207) 892-0960
e. js@stuartaudio.com.