For You E-Session Players, A Question

Ken Morgan · Post by **Ken Morgan** » 13 Feb 2012 7:01 am

(Related to the charge for recording thread)

What recording hardware gear do you use for e-sessions? Coming from one who hires these services, a gear list is often as important as the notes played...

All thoughts welcome

Bill Terry · Post by **Bill Terry** » 13 Feb 2012 8:03 am

Logic 9 on a Mac Pro, w/ Echo Audiofire 12 I/F (Firewire). The Audiofire 12 is a line level converter (no-mic pres) so steel guitar is recorded direct through some sort of preamp. Lately I've been using an ART Pro MPA II with a DI function that I sorta like, very affordable and versatile. I do wet up the signal a good bit while I'm tracking, but I print dry and with minimal EQ. I have used amp modeling a few times (the ones in Logic 9), but not that often.

I don't think I've ever had a client ask much about my hardware, just what format the deliverable is in.

Ken Morgan · Post by **Ken Morgan** » 13 Feb 2012 8:05 am

Thanks - decent rig!

Not so much the client, but the studio that would hire you for the client...I always ask. Maybe as an engineer, I think about this too much??

Bill Terry · Post by **Bill Terry** » 13 Feb 2012 8:07 am

Ah... the "Do you have Pro Tools?" sorts of questions???

Ken Morgan · Post by **Ken Morgan** » 13 Feb 2012 8:35 am

Sort of..more the mic(s)-pre-ADDA kind of question. DAW is irrelevant anymore if the tracks are being sent here for production.

This stuff makes a world of difference to studio nerds (like me) - given a choice btwn player A and player B of equal talent, I'll choose the one with a better signal chain 100% of the time, even if he costs more. As we all know, quality sound has a price tag.

kevin ryan · Post by **kevin ryan** » 13 Feb 2012 10:23 am

I have been using the GT50... groove tube50 microphone and an sm57 also the convertor I use is the new mbox pro.. I usually export finished tracks to aiff... A couple of different DAW's that I like...PT and DP... I send out a couple of passes.. If you would like to hear some examples email me...

Tim Walker · Post by **Tim Walker** » 13 Feb 2012 11:02 am

Royer 121 Ribon mic - Universal Audio LA-610 - Apogee Duet 2 - Logic 9

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 13 Feb 2012 11:17 am

Ken Morgan wrote: This stuff makes a world of difference to studio nerds (like me) - given a choice btwn player A and player B of equal talent, I'll choose the one with a better signal chain 100% of the time, even if he costs more. As we all know, quality sound has a price tag.

There's a big difference between mics.
But can you hear the difference between converters? I can't (but I've never done a real side by side listening test). To my ears my old Emu 0404 PCI, which cost $100, sounded as good as the expensive stuff.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 13 Feb 2012 11:34 am

PRIMARY: Art Mp Tube preamp > Maudio Delta 24/96 card > Pro-Tools...various assortment of outboard gear. I also use a lower end outboard compressor , if anything I will upgrade to an outboard tube compressor this year to be placed in line after the ART Preamp.

I generally record direct but do have a few low end condensers as well as the usual array of EV and Shure mics.

My E-Sessions have been for Independents and artist produced tracks.

I feel the recordings are clean/clear and basically noise free . Nobody has commented that the recording quality is not up to par. I have 4 repeat clients that send tracks every couple of months. That's about all I can actually handle.

I send a dry track ( wav file) to the client via an FTP account which I setup specifically for the client.

My website does list all of my gear and a complete Instrument list as well.

t

PS, I also have 3 TUNERS !

Johnny Cox · Post by **Johnny Cox** » 13 Feb 2012 11:43 am

Well Ken, I can just come over there and use your stuff that you like. I am here most every week now.

Ken Morgan · Post by **Ken Morgan** » 13 Feb 2012 12:59 pm

That you can, my friend - still waiting for that coffee!

Johan Jansen · Post by **Johan Jansen** » 13 Feb 2012 3:15 pm

Daw is Cubase 6 64bit, RME converters, Tascam M-5000 console, Pre-amps and mics depending what needed.....

chas smith R.I.P. · Post by **chas smith R.I.P.** » 13 Feb 2012 9:34 pm

I just did one where they sent over an MP3, for the timing, that I uploaded into my older version of ProTools. This was one song, for steel guitar (and bass steel guitar) in an un-traditional setting. Each pass (chords, bass and lead and background) was 4 tracks. Emmons guitar, Hilton pedal into 2 setups. The rack with the Eventide H8000 into a Macintosh 275 into 2 JBL speaker cabs mic'ed with Shoeps mics, for the "wet sound". And into the VHT, with a little reverb, into a Standel cab mic'ed with Audio Technica large diaphragm mics for the "dry sound". The 4 mics go into John Hardy preamps into ProTools.

By having both clean and wet on separate tracks, I can add or lose the definition where it's needed.

Ryan Barwin · Post by **Ryan Barwin** » 13 Feb 2012 9:57 pm

My recording setup:

Steel guitar > Hilton > effects > amp > SM57 > Apogee One > MacBook Pro > Logic Pro 9
or
Steel guitar > Hilton > Apogee One > MacBook Pro > AmpliTube 3 > Logic Pro 9
or
Steel guitar > Hilton > Line 6 POD > Apogee One > MacBook Pro > Logic Pro 9

Jim Hollingsworth · Post by **Jim Hollingsworth** » 14 Feb 2012 10:26 am

I use three different approaches:
Steel to amp -SM57 - Tampa mic pre - Pro Tools

Steel to Stereo Steel amp - use xlr outs to Pro Tools

With my Rittenberry D-10 I have lately been going direct into Pro Tools - add a touch of reverb and away I go. The guitar has a perfect natural sound that requires little or no modification.

Jim

Chris LeDrew · Post by **Chris LeDrew** » 14 Feb 2012 7:04 pm

I use a very simple setup and it works great for me. I use a Line 6 UX2 Toneport into Garageband on my Macbook Pro, and either mic my Twin or go direct using Pod Farm presets - depending on the session. There are some very workable clean sounds in Pod Farm for steel. I charge $100 for the first two songs and $75 a song thereafter. Most of the artists I work with only want one or two songs with steel, so that's why I charge full price for those. If they want me for an album, I may even go lower than $75 a track. Not having to load gear around is a blessing. For sessions outside the house I need to get $200 no matter what I do, to take the edge off the gear slog. In fact, I have largely stopped doing studio sessions outside the house unless it is a major project. However, I have flown out of the province to do sessions that I felt were really worth it musically.

Scott Henderson · Post by **Scott Henderson** » 22 Feb 2012 7:23 pm

I use PT on a mac book pro for two reasons....1. It's Pro Tools and that is where most studio and home recording studios are at....It makes it easier to commuicate.
Depending on the tone I am looking for I have different rigs. Mainly a mic on my Evans RE 200 but I also use a behringer V amp in stereo....It sounds good and it's clean....to me input is everything....
2. IT'S PRO TOOLS........

Scott Henderson · Post by **Scott Henderson** » 22 Feb 2012 7:24 pm

I use PT on a mac book pro for two reasons....1. It's Pro Tools and that is where most studio and home recording studios are at....It makes it easier to commuicate.
Depending on the tone I am looking for I have different rigs. Mainly a mic on my Evans RE 200 but I also use a behringer V amp in stereo....It sounds good and it's clean....to me input is everything....
2. IT'S PRO TOOLS........

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 22 Feb 2012 8:22 pm

My clients can have any of this they want in the chain: http://www.musicfarmstudio.com/Gear
90% of the time I track Steel-Telonics V.P.-Peavey TransTubeFex- ProTools interface, or through a Stereo Steel into PT. I like the end result as much as micing speaker cabs.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 23 Feb 2012 3:51 am

Although I also use Pro Tools, I think it would be proper to state that every track that I send back to a client is in WAV 16 bit format. PT converts to wav very easily and so does Sonar, I suspect each DAW probably does as well. So in fairness, as much as I like PT, the DAW is not as important as the track being returned, I have not had anyone ask for the PT session ,just the wav file which they can import into whatever DAW session they happen to be using. As it is the single track wav file is around 50 meg for an average song.

For sending large files back to a client, I set up an FTP page within my website.. So far so good . No 3rd party server client required for large files.

That being said, I suppose if someone requested I send them back a session file from Sonar or PT, it could be accomplished.

t

Ken Morgan · Post by **Ken Morgan** » 23 Feb 2012 5:19 am

Some tips, from a guy who has fought the e-session battles for a long time:

- While PT is the choice of most, its not everyone's choice. You may wish to export your files as Broadcast Waves Files (BWF) instead. All this does is insert a time marker to drop new parts into the host project without any hassle. A wave does not care if it was recorded in PT, Logic, Reaper, Mac, PC, or what anymore.

- 24 bit is really the industry standard. Sample rate (44.1K, 48K, whatever) should be in whatever you got the project in.

- Please label your tracks as "Shady Steel 1" "Ken Gtr 2," or whatever...sometimes there are literally hundreds of tracks to a project. You can do this when you set up to record your part.

- If a project is for commercial release (most should be) artist or producer should include a standard release form saying you will not be claiming any future royalties from your contribution. This is normal, and should be signed/returned with your tracks.

- ftp is great, so are just plain ol thumbdrives in the mail. A followup call or email is a great idea as well.

MAKE SURE YOU GET PAID!!!

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 23 Feb 2012 9:22 am

Good tips Ken !

thanks

t

Chris LeDrew · Post by **Chris LeDrew** » 23 Feb 2012 10:09 am

Ken Morgan wrote: A wave does not care if it was recorded in PT, Logic, Reaper, Mac, PC, or what anymore.

Thank you. The Pro Tools or whatever platform being used on the other side doesn't care if the wav. file was recorded in Pro Tools or on a Fostex 4-track cassette player. It doesn't make the track any more compatible with Pro Tools.

And yes, I also send in 24-bit.

The part about pay cannot be overstated. I first send a dummy track mixed into the song for approval before I send the real track. Unless, of course, I'm working with trusted friends.