FEATURE RECORDING THE

AT 36 It’s Babydaddy’s 30th birthday. Normally Discoball Jazzfest, no less, hinting at the this is a time to relax with friends and family, band’s utterly promiscuous (ab)use of zillions and take stock of existential questions to do of different musical influences, ranging from with life, growing up, and everything, but all to soul to music hall to prog rock and this is far from the American’s mind. Instead, even, indeed, (, Meatloaf, he’s standing in a rehearsal room somewhere , , , Andrew in , speaking loudly into a mobile Lloyd Webber, and Abba, eat your hearts telephone, desperately trying to keep his head out). The band is utterly and wilfully blind to together while ignoring incessant interruptions notions of what’s musically cool, and delights from noisy trains and humans. The latter are in concocting musical collages verging on the mostly urging him to get off the phone and pastiche. join the rest of the Scissor Sisters, who are eager to begin their rehearsal. INSPIRED PASTICHE The Scissor Sisters waded into the ‘difficult For 26 heroic minutes Babydaddy manages second ’ with the help of some of their to ward off these powerful distractions, and heroes. “We did a session with in sticks to the job at hand, which is to talk Las Vegas,” recalls Babydaddy, “and out of to AT. Under normal circumstances this is that came the track Intermission. A month not too overwhelming a challenge, but these later he came to our studio, and with him on are not normal circumstances. Right at this piano and me on guitar we messed around and moment the Scissor Sisters are arguably one recorded the basis for I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’. of the hottest acts in the world, thanks to It was amazingly quick to work with him – a their new album, Ta-Dah, the follow-up to very immediate process. Music is their eponymous debut, one of the best-selling of him all the time. And he’s clearly very used The Scissor Sisters’ first of 2004. to performing and then having other people album was recorded and But Babydaddy is clearly in his element when put the production together afterwards. I Don’t talking about writing and recording the band’s Feel Like Dancin’ was very important to us, mixed in a home studio, and music. He’s quick off the mark, explaining his because we really wanted to have a breakdance sold three million copies. reasons for wanting to do the interview, despite song on the album, and once we had it, we felt the distractions. “I am interested in people like, ‘now the ballads and the straight up rock The second album Ta-Dah knowing that this is possible for anyone,” he tracks also have a reason to be there’.” combines that DIY ethic hollers down the telephone, trying to make As far as the rock tracks are concerned, while himself heard above the din. “You don’t need not quite the same as working with David with some no-holds-barred expensive tools to make this happen!” Bowie himself, The Scissor Sister’s core songwriting duo, Babydaddy and singer Jake vintage richness. AT talks to MESSING AROUND the Scissors’ technical geezer, Babydaddy, aka Scott Hoffman, is expressing Shears also enlisted the services of regular Bowie guitarist . Together Babydaddy, and engineer Dan his pride in the fact that Scissor Sisters, the band’s first album, was recorded and the trio wrote the songs Lights and Paul Grech-Marguerat to learn mixed almost entirely from his studio flat in McCartney. “We’d been friends with Carlos for a while,” remarks Babydaddy, “and we more. Manhattan, on a collection of Logic/G5-based gear that’s unlikely to particularly impress the like the idea of bringing people in to see what inspiration hits us.” Text: Paul Tingen average AT reader. Three and a half million album sales later, the band’s bassist, guitarist, “Generally how we write,” adds Babydaddy, main song writer and tech-head, gleefully “is Jake and I messing around with drum announces that he has done it again: Ta-Dah beats, maybe a bass line or piano line. Very is largely written, programmed, and recorded often we loop stuff to give us a template. by him, using almost the same collection of We don’t use other people’s loops, although budget kit. we do feel it’s okay to just use sounds, and However, this time ’round there are a few sometimes that can add a gritty vibe that will crucial differences. “Initially we continued inspire something. We usually build up a where we’d left off with the first album, and foundation, getting good grooves, or a good began working in my apartment,” explains chord progression that we may loop without Babydaddy. “We wrote a couple of songs there, any drums at all. But it will give us an idea one of which, Might Tell You Tonight, ended of where to go with the melodies and the up on the new album. But it was getting too structure of the song. much for me to wake up in the same place as Babydaddy constructs his drum loops in where we were working. I was like, ‘Okay, Native Instruments’ Battery, from within we’ve been on the road for a year and a half, Logic. Diving into a description of the tools and I deserve to have my life back’. So we of his trade he manages – while continuing found a rental space nearby that was already to raise his voice – to come up with a fairly sound-proofed and had two small live rooms, comprehensive list (see box item one). “I have which is more than we ever had or needed. We no interest in ProTools,” he bellowed. “I like moved everything from my apartment in there, gear that’s ready to go and accessible. Logic is so technically the setup wasn’t very different what I started on, and I’ve used it for a long at all, it was just set in a quieter and more time. When you use ProTools you’re kind comfortable space.” of stuck in that world, but with Logic you The Scissor Sisters christened their new studio have so many options. For instance, I can use the soundcard I want: we had the MOTU

AT 37 828MkII in our studio, and we also used the The Scissor Sister’s first album sounds good MOTU 24 I/O during the recordings. We set enough on CD, albeit a little flat, but on Logic to 24-bit/44.1k – I’m not sure whether the iTunes format the band appears to be 24-bit gives me a better sound, but I thought playing in a cardboard box. While Grech, that since we had the ability, we might as well understandably, won’t criticise the sound of do it.” the first album – three million plus sales are In addition to the presence of Logic, the most hard to argue with – he agrees that the aim of notable aspect of the Scissor Sisters’ setup is Ta-Dah was to expand the band’s sound. “The its plethora of plug-ins, including many soft first album is brilliant for what it is, with a synths, which they use for the most part in very stripped down feel of a bunch of people preference to real instruments. According to making an electronic record. With the new Babydaddy, this reflects the Scissor Sisters’ record the idea was to maintain the electronic ethos of juxtaposing opposing musical feel, but to take it a step further, and add depth styles and sounds, while the ‘plastic’ aspect and warmth by having more real instruments. “ I’m interested in the of some soft-synths perfectly embodies the That’s why I suggested that we record all the challenge of making band’s tendency towards pastiche and kitsch. live stuff at Sear Sound, a really good studio with good rooms, a lot of vintage , imperfect recreations sound “Pastiche can mean thievery,” reckons the , “but I love it when the word is great analogue gear, and a Neve desk.” amazing… I’m not convinced used to describe a particular combination of While the analogue aspect of the recording that spending more money instruments, sounds, and inspirations. For at Sear Sound was relatively straightforward, instance, the idea of putting an acoustic guitar a major problem resulted from the decision makes things sound better” next to a Minimoog emulator is fascinating to keep the entire project in Logic. “My to me. A real Moog would probably sound preferred way of working,” says Grech- amazing, but I’m not sure it would sound Marguerat, “would have been to record all audibly worse than what I’m using right now.” the programming in Logic as audio, and then “I’m interested in the challenge of making create a master document in ProTools to work imperfect recreations sound amazing,” with, because I find ’Tools easier to deal with Babydaddy elaborates. “I’m not convinced when it comes to mixing and audio editing. that spending more money makes things But they wanted to keep everything in Logic, sound better. There are times when we feel it’s because they were still writing and recording proper to spend money hiring string players and wanted to be able to continue adding and and things like that, but even then we try to changing things, even while I was still mixing. do it in a sensible way. We spent three months “So we had to create a mirror G5/Logic mixing our last album in Logic, but I do think machine for me to work with, which was we hit our technical limits with that album. a nightmare. The second machine needed So for the new album we really wanted some to have the same plug-ins and virtual new ears, to see if we’d overlooked options instruments, so everything had to be re- and to try new things. We did all our rough installed, and you have to have the correct mixes in Logic this time ’round, and then went licensing for each and every one of them. out and had someone mix it for us. We were When you collect that stuff over a long sort of driving from the passenger seat a little period of time, it can be really difficult to bit, giving our own feedback, but basically, suddenly have to re-create it all again. We for the most part, we wanted someone else to managed in the end, and then it was great, take care of the minutiae and all the details of because Scott could bring something over to setting up a mix, while we could continue with me to work with, and it would open up and production.” everything would run. Logic is a great tool for programming, and the more time I spent ELECTRONIC FEEL with it, the more I also enjoyed it as a mixing Enter the young British mixer/producer Dan tool, particularly some of the automation and Grech-Marguerat, who was trained at RAK the plug-ins. We weren’t using a TDM system studios in London, and spent the last two years in Logic, but were simply running core audio, working with the legendary producer Nigel in which the plug-ins take a lot less space, so Godrich on, among other things, building we managed to run a lot of them at the same a studio in Covent Garden in London. time.” Grech-Marguerat has, in his brief career, collected some impressive credits, among The engineer/producer conducted two them , , , Suede, recordings sessions at Sear Sounds Studio A, Paul McCartney, and the Hitchhiker’s Guide going into his Logic system via two MOTU 24 To The Galaxy . In the case of the I/O audio interfaces. “Having regularly worked Scissor Sisters, he’s credited with additional with ProTools, I was surprised by how good engineering, additional production, and the MOTU stuff sounded. Scott was using a mixing. “With the new record they wanted MOTU 828 in his studio, which only has eight more live instruments, and they needed inputs and outputs, and we also recorded some someone to record these,” explains Grech- horns there, for which it worked fine. When Marguerat. “I knew them socially, and came in I moved over to Sear Sound we needed more to lend them a hand, and my role just kind of inputs and they wanted to keep the MOTU grew from one thing into another, and I also software as well. Thinking forward to the mix ended up doing the mixing.” we bought two MOTU 24 I/O units, so we had

AT 38 D I S C O B A L L J A Z Z F E S T According to Babydaddy, monitors, StudioLogic which was the basis for the grit by putting a synth bass the equipment at Discoball SL880 master keyboard, song Jake and I wrote for on top of that. Some songs Jazzfest consists of Roland Juno 106, Novation , I Believe In don’t have any real bass on Mac G5 Logic Pro 7 with K-station. The band’s main You. We definitely use a lot them at all. It’s whatever assorted Logic plug-ins, is the Neumann of the Arturia and Gforce works. I used to love the Native Instruments M149, which went through plug-ins, and I absolutely Native Instruments B4, Komplete plug-ins, the studio’s HHB Radius 50, love the Arturia CS80 and but I got frustrated with NI particularly Battery, B4 Avalon VT737, or Universal Minimoog. because their registration & FM7, Korg Legacy Audio 6176, and then into “I love to use the Viruses keys were messing up my Collection, Access Virus the MOTU 828. for bass, and one of our laptop all the time. You can Indigo, Virus Polar, Roland “I mainly used the Virus favourite applications is to put in my public complaint XV5050, Arturia CS80V, Polar on the new album, mix it in with real bass. A here! So I’ve been switching GForce Minimonsta, MOTU it’s my favourite keyboard,” lot of our songs start with to the Logic B3 whenever 828MkII, MOTU Midi comments Babydaddy. “I real bass, and I like the idea I can, and it sounds pretty Express 128, Mackie HR824 also still use the Indigo, of giving them a bit more great.”

48 inputs and outputs, and I could, for instance, have 12 inputs for the drums alone.”

AMAZING ATMOSPHERE Dan Grech-Marguerat is only 25, and while entirely comfortable working with a variety of digital formats, as is customary for someone of his generation, he’s probably confounding a few expectations by being a big fan of analogue, and regularly proclaims its sonic superiority over digital. He’s obviously influenced in this by his background at RAK studios, which is filled to the brim with vintage analogue stuff, as well as his work with Nigel Godrich, an avid analogue convert. “I love electronic music and think computers are a great tool,” comments Grech-Marguerat, “but when recording live instruments the more analogue equipment you use, the better the sound.” Grech-Marguerat therefore used as much analogue and vintage equipment as he could at Sear Sound (see box). He adds that there was a continuous to-ing and fro-ing between sessions in Discoball Jazzfest and Sear Sound, as well as between the former and the mix room. “I also did a couple of weeks at the band’s studio, to help them with sounds and ideas and recording stuff. I actually started mixing before the project was finished, so they were still recording vocals and changing while I was working on songs that were ready to be mixed. We had two sets of studios to get things done more quickly.” Dan chose an unusual venue to mix the album, which was entirely in keeping with the Scissor Sisters’ penchant for camp and kitsch. “I like working on Neve VR desks, and there are only a few of these left in Manhattan. It’s much harder to get great depth and variation in your sound when you mix purely inside of the box,” he says. “You can create great sounds in Logic, but if you have the ability to mix it on a desk, you can’t beat that. Just running it through a Neve or SSL will already make a big difference.”

AT 39 “ I don’t mind spill – it’s good – it’s where you get air and depth from” MIX WITH THE BEST. ADAM A7

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With 48 I/O this meant that he had to do a analogue facilities, Sear Sound, using the studio’s classic lot of automation in Logic during recording, Neve 8038 desk with Flying Faders, which has 1081 mic significant amount of submixing within Logic, programming, and arranging, wherever pres as front end. and with that had to be very conscious of possible I would ride things with the Neve’s Strings for the track , were balancing outboard gear and plug-in effects. The ADAM A . R .T. Twee ter: Accelerated Ribbon Technology Flying Faders. It still is my preferred way of recorded with a Neumann U47 on the violin and another “Logic was brilliant, actually. It handled one on cello, plus two U47s as room microphones. “I think working. I can add various kinds of delays what we were doing really well, even with A DAM ’s un i q u e f o l d e d r i b b o n d i a p h r ag m I also used [Teletronix] LA-2A or LA-3A compressors, and distortions and reverbs and so on, and for and I may have had Pultecs on the room microphones,” all these tracks. For the mix I would group me it’s fun doing that on a desk. I have the moves air four times f as ter than any comments the Dan. things in Logic, and use Logic automation ability to split everything out over the desk, d r i ver i n a ny o t he r p r of e s s i o na l m o n i tor, “I recorded the drums with a Neumann U47-FET on the and plug-ins. Scott (Babydaddy) used plug-ins and can tweak each sound and each EQ, and kick, ElectroVoice ND257B on the snare, Neumann KM84 in very creative ways, and we wanted to keep providing incre dib le clarit y, breathtak ing on the hi-hat or Shure SM57 to get a crunchier sound, add effects, like my favourite AMS unit, these, of course. I also mixed with some of the det ail and imaging like you ’ve never heard Coles 4038 ribbon for overheads or sometimes valve which has great delays, and the RMX16 gives U47. Some of the songs had a lot of close mic sounds, plug-in synths running live, so we could at any great-sounding reverbs and sounds amazing b e f o r e . Yo u ’ll w o r k f as ter, b e t ter, a n d m o r e while for others I used more of the room sound. I can’t point go back and change stuff, right before I on vocals. remember what we had on the toms, but they were also actually put the mix down. When you have a con fi dently than ever. valve microphones. Basically this was our opportunity to lot of tracks going on and you need to group a “I actually mixed to ProTools at 96k, because *price available until 31 Januar y 2007, or until sold out. Soundcorp get as much valve as we could. Again, I used Pultecs on the reser ves the right remove special price at any time prior to end date. room microphones. few things, it’s great to do that in a computer.” it was the easiest thing to do, and I could do some edits in it. But adding live stuff “The brass played by the Uptown Horns, and we did “I think the plug-ins are a great and very one session at Sear Sound and the other at Discoball over programmed stuff works really well, creative tool, but some things sound better Jazzfest, where I used their signal chain: Avalon VT737 and mixing it on a Neve was a good way of than others. Delay units within ProTools and or 6176 mic pres going into MOTU 828. gelling everything together. We were never I used the same microphones in both places, probably Logic can sound brilliant, but digital guitar scared of Ta-Dah being a full-scale electronic Coles, because I love ribbon microphones on brass, and a processors and digital distortion don’t sound stereo pair of U47s as room microphones. I recorded the record with four-to-the-floor kick drums and very good to me. On the other hand, I love the trumpet, saxophone and trombone together. Isolating the programmed hi-hats. The Scissor Sisters are [Urei] 1176, and I will always add a little bit of three would be crazy, because the whole feel is of three a band with a big electronic element. In the guys playing together. And I don’t mind spill – it’s good analogue distortion, because it can help stir up mix I treated it all the same, whether it was – it’s where you get air and depth from.” the programmed stuff, which can sound very somebody playing a or a violin. clean. Distorting some of it can really help, For me, the bottom line was to retain the and I find that you cannot beat the sound and band’s electronic essence, and add warmth and distortion of a real . A cool thing to depth by recording live instruments and using do is use a as an : analogue equipment. I think we achieved that Find The Sweet Spot: Come in to our new Melbourne showroom and compare ADAM A7 with a wide range of monitors, side-by-side in The Sweet Spot – Soundcorp’s purpose-built studio monitor listening room send your signal to it and hang a microphone mixture.” over it. One important thing is that you can’t predict what an amplifier will do to the sound. By contrast, what you do with plug-ins is very controlled. Adding a bit of analogue signal to a chain adds life and depth to things, and that’s really important. 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