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[adoucette]

Hey Bob, First thing, nice to have you here! Flood didn't get into any specifics about Alan or his techniques, just in a nutt shell had a lot of good things to say about him as a person and his craft. This was in 2008 and at the same time he was on the phone with Alan a lot going over specifics for their new studio in London, Assault and Battery 2. They teamed up with Miloco and purchased the Assault and Battery building and revamped it. Beautiful studio.

Flood as a person was awesome, and yes he is undeniably great at his work. I worked in the chair beside him for a couple of months and soaked as much as I could in.

The three of them working together sounds like something incredible to experience. The energy in the studio must have been great.

[bob ebeling]

My buddy and I had a wicked Flood imitation going at the time.  Nothing (only?) in jest, just how he will stop the music and perfectly state what is on his mind.  "Well, I think...." (heavy British accent, Harry Potter glasses)

and Thanks Andre~!  How nice of you to say.  I'm gearing up for a busy weekend in the studio.  I like to blast music in the morning.  Get tuned in.  Dust with some Pledge, get all lemony fresh.  Right now it's Gene Clark's 'No Other' reissue cd.  If you are searching for the missing link of the 70's this could be it.  1974.  Gorgeous.

[Todd Loomis]

Thanks Alan & Bob for doing this!   Here are a couple more:

bob ebeling wrote on Sat, 02 October 2010 06:18

I am.  Especially because of the flatness of digital, even with all of the great front end, I find that my API 5500 into either a pair of Tube Tech CL1b's or Neve 33609, then if it's really still begging for life, a pair of Pulse EQP-1A3. After this chain it's like night and day usually.  I don't do very much beyond running thru these boxes.  Maybe straighten out the top and bottom eq-wise (no more than a db, 2db in extreme cases) and just barely tap the needles on the comps (slow attacks, fastest releases).

1) (followup from just above) Do you use the limiter on the 33609 when you use it?  - or do you like it off?  Also...  you say you don't do much in the boxes - and just have them barely tickling the needle...  but that it's like night and day before/after?  Bob mentioned earlier that you like doing small tweaks to individual elements in a mix, but that all of the small tweaks add up to a more euphonic whole...  so it sounds like that goes for the buss as well...

2) What do you feel are the most important things to look for in putting together a great mix?  What is your thought process when you begin pulling the mix together?  Are you checking it at both low and high volumes?  Basically, if you were to give a starter class for aspiring engineers who love your work, how would you guide them in the right direction?

[bob ebeling]

Todd, I'm sorry if I misled you or the post was confusing, but I was answering about myself, not from Alan.

I haven't heard back from Alan since we developed the phone call idea, but this is getting screwy, me relaying his e-mails.  Oh well, some is better than none I suppose.

Let me first clarify 'Night and Day'.  I have mixed many a record and done 30 or 40 big deal kinda LPs and 100's of others.  Circumstances haven't led to me being a huge name, yet my skill is right there, you know?

So when I pop on that chain, I can hear the 12 or so transformers, and just all that analog juicyness and distortion plus phase shift cooked up just right.  The API 5500 alone does wonderful things without touching the eq, so does the Neve, and the Pulse EQ's.  They are three of the most no brainer, makes things better boxes out there, well two of them at least.

I do use the limiter on certain things.  Bright things.  Things that have already been over mixed or peak limited.  Somehow that limiter can add punch where it's been sucked out, just a little, but it does work.

I'll submit 2 to Alan since it seems you are solely adressing him there.

Also, are you using analog on your buss?  If so, don't you think analog just destroys digital when it comes to 3-dimentionality, euphoria and life-like dimension?  Digital, no matter how clean and perfect just never gets near the real experience of man-handling audio thru actual physical nature.  

[adoucette]

bob ebeling wrote on Sat, 02 October 2010 09:24

My buddy and I had a wicked Flood imitation going at the time.  Nothing (only?) in jest, just how he will stop the music and perfectly state what is on his mind.  "Well, I think...." (heavy British accent, Harry Potter glasses) and Thanks Andre~!  How nice of you to say.  I'm gearing up for a busy weekend in the studio.  I like to blast music in the morning.  Get tuned in.  Dust with some Pledge, get all lemony fresh.  Right now it's Gene Clark's 'No Other' reissue cd.  If you are searching for the missing link of the 70's this could be it.  1974.  Gorgeous.

LOL! You know, I never saw the humor in that until you mention it but that does sound familiar yes.. I find myself doing that lately as well.. maybe that's where I picked up the habit from haha.

He always wore funny band t-shirts too, like "the beatles were shite" Such a rad guy. I hope his studio is doing well

I can't say I've heard that album, I'll check it out! I was listening to the best of E.L.O this evening, brilliant band.

Speaking of lemon pledge.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td68Fwh_fIg

[bob ebeling]

Hey!  London, Ontario is about 60 miles or so from where I grew up in Romeo, Michigan.  Us former farmboys must be entranced by the pastoral sounds of ELO.  My Two 1/2 year old loves 'So Fine' and 'The Jungle'.  Those are daily dance and sing experiences in this house.  Love the lemon pledge video.  Yeah, Flood had about 400 killer words and names to call people.  Little British phrases.  We were testing him and Alan one day to keep throwing them out.  Hilarious times.  Rolling on the floor laughing moments-a-plenty.

A NOTE FROM ALAN THIS MORNING:

Hi Bob, Just wanted to let you know I will reply to these on Monday. I am still in xxxxxxx with no Internet and find replying via iPhone makes my answers less detailed than if I had my computer. Please apologise to people concerned.  Cheers.  Alan

[Todd Loomis]

bob ebeling wrote on Sat, 02 October 2010 20:03

Todd, I'm sorry if I misled you or the post was confusing, but I was answering about myself, not from Alan.

  hehe...  yeah, I got a bit confused.

bob ebeling wrote on Sat, 02 October 2010 20:03

Also, are you using analog on your buss?  If so, don't you think analog just destroys digital when it comes to 3-dimentionality, euphoria and life-like dimension?  Digital, no matter how clean and perfect just never gets near the real experience of man-handling audio thru actual physical nature.

  I do have some analog on the buss - right now an Xlogic buss compressor...  it definitely has a nice character...  I wonder sometimes if it's just the distortions going through all of the analog components that make the difference...  like a constant gradual smearing or lessening of the sharp transients, etc.  Digital might be more "sharp" on every peak, emphasizing the stuff in between less?  I don't know...  It may be that, and then it's combined with any distortion/harmonics being brought out gradually.  I think that's sort of the concept behind Cranesong's new "HEAT" product as I understand it.

[Extreme Mixing]

I think it's also the fact that electricity and electronic circuits have infinite resolution rather than being limited to finite digital steps.

Steve.

[bob ebeling]

Yes, great analog brings the indescribable to the party.  Depth, halos, hallucinatory goo goo.

It's like digital really is looking at a picture of a boob.  Then you bust out Pultecs and API's and your hand is on a real breast.  Well, your ears, and when you really press in you can hear her heart beating.    .     .     ..  ..  .. .. ... ......  

It's that strong for me.  Magic moments vs. boring reproductions.
Seeing the painting at the museum vs. seeing a picture of it in a book.  All that stuff.

It's tied to memory, sense of smell, perfect days and weather.  Digital is wonderful like our polar ice caps.  We need them but who wants to exist there?  

It's getting late...

Todd, try something with transformers next.  API 5500 would be a good match for your XLogic.  (or Chandler, Great River, Neve, etc, etc...)  I never thought of SSL buss comps as the most euphonic pieces.  Maybe I'm wrong on that Xlogic, but I sold my Alan Smart C1 from boredom.  For me it's all about the transformers.  Phase shift plus distortion, but it's fine dining, has to be a great chef who made those transformers and designed the circuit.      

[bob ebeling]

FROM ALAN MOULDER:
In my studio I have a Manley Massive Passive but if I am in other studios I will use a GML or sometimes an Avalon 2055. In the 90s I pretty much always used the Blue Focusrite. I boost the highest frequency available to add air. At the bottom I boost anywhere between around 30 Hz and 100Hz depending on which sounds best. Quite often I boost between 3 to 10 KHz too, again, whatever sounds best. These are all normally at fairly high bandwidths. I do this as a kind of pre mastering thing. Just to make it sound more finished.


Sometimes I also put my Vac Rac eqs across to and boost low and top. I do this if I want that more "vintage" desk sound. Probably doesn't do that at all but it's my attempt at it!


Bus compression: I go through a Manly Vari Mu first. This is on a slow attack and is hardly working at all. I just think it sounds good in the chain. Tubes and transformers I guess. Then I used to use the SSL quad compressor but have just swapped that for the Obsidian which is pretty much based on the SSL but has a high pass filter so all the compression isn't based around your kick level. I like the SSL on drums but find it always seemed to shut down the guitars a bit and the Obsidian seem better for that.
I have it normally on 4 or 8 or 10 to 1, again, depending on which sounds best. I know lower ratios are supposed to give less compression but I seem to find often 8 or 10 is more invisible and I don't like to hear bus compression really. I like to use it to control the level and give a bit of punch. I am hitting it harder these days for some reason sometimes up to about 4 dB. Not sure why! I try not to look at what it's doing and just listen to it. Another reason I like the Obsidian over the SSL, it is behind me rather than right in front!


Best.


Alan.

[bob ebeling]

FROM ALAN MOULDER:
Hi Pete,


Wow... that was a while ago! That was an unusual record to mix. David and Harriet were very involved all the way with every step both recording and mixing. David in particular was trying to learn the process of making records and working out what everything did. As it was their first record there was a lot to learn and they were very particular about everything. They wanted it to sound as natural as possible so hardly any effects went on anything apart from a bit if reverb and compression. Harriet's voice was recorded with a nice mic (a U67 I think) and I just did a bit of eq put an 1176 on it and added a bit of reverb. Delays weren't allowed!


All the mixes took a fairly long time, especially Here's Where The Story Ends. They were great to work with though.


Best.


Alan.

[bob ebeling]

Todd, Alan asked if he's missed any questions and I resubmitted #2 from your post the other day.

[Kassonica]

Question for Mr Moulder

Your work with Trent Reznor I admire greatly and I was wondering what oddball devices and outside the square equipment you use to create some of those sounds.

Also how do you get so much separation in such dense mixes with lots of digitally manipulated  sounds and FX.

Thank you for taking the time to answer questions this forum and thanks to Bob for being the middle man in this .

[bob ebeling]

Mark, submitted.  I called your's the 'beginning of round three'.  Todd's was, 'you missed this one'.

[bob ebeling]

FROM ALAN MOULDER:
Hi Todd,


That's a tricky one! I am not really one of those guys who know 100% what I am doing or why. I go on instinct a lot. At the end of the day the most important thing is the balance. I tend to put up the faders and get the balance going and take it from there. I start off getting the bottom end working so try and get the kick and bass working and getting basic rides between them that keep the bottom end consistent. Then I'll try and do the same with the snare. As I said in another question, I bring different sub compression in on the drums in different sections so I will get the map of that done. All of this is work in progress that keeps getting tweaked and re balanced slightly as the track evolves but then you tend to all of a sudden hit a point where it feels good. At that point trust yourself and put in a reference and keep checking back to it just to make sure you are not making it worse. It's surprising how easy that is to do.


I would try to avoid over compressing unless it is as an effect, especially on live drums. I know it is a quick and easy way to get them to gel together and be exciting but it's good not to have to rely on it. Obviously compression is great on drums but experiment with it. That goes for everything really, try a lot of things out. Don't be afraid to try things and then think that it doesn't work, sometimes you need to try a few different approaches to get the right one. My general approach is to aim to get the song to come across best. To make it exciting and also to try and realise what the production has been trying to achieve and add a few dynamics and things of my own as extra flavours. The first thing I do is listen to the rough mix and make notes on what I think can be improved and what I like and I keep referencing the rough to make sure my mix "feels" as good and is not just sonically better. Roughs are always a good indicator of how the band/artist/producer are hearing the track so that is my template.


I work at both high and low volumes and I swap between lots of different speakers and try and to get the mix to feel the same on all of them. Obviously there will be a tonal difference depending on the speaker but I want to make sure the song comes across the same on as many systems as possible. I would say the main thing is to keep at it and keep trying to raise your bar. My first mixes were pretty rubbish to be honest and it's surprising what dogged hard work can do!


Best.


Alan.