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Recording/Mastering Studio 008
NYC

"Our studio consists of the control room you see here, an iso booth, and an large outer area, which we sometimes utilize for recording purposes. That area has a lot of windows, but it's a great sounding room, and for the right project we have large baffles which we will install in the windows to seal the room from outside sound."

"In the control room, we have Mackie D8B digital 8 bus board. We are very happy about it, because this console - in my opinion - is by far the most well thought out of all the digital boards in its range, and the functionality is truly amazing. I actually was almost totally decided on one of the other choices until I saw this thing. The board has total automation of all parameters. 96 fader paths total - all with moving faders -- plus EQ, compressor, and gate on 48 channels at once - all running on a dedicated 166 pentium II processor w/ a 1 gig hard drive. It's equipped with the new version 5 software."

"Our computer is a Macintosh MDD (mirror drive door) model - 867 megahertz dual processor G4, 1 gig of ram. We use a Mark of the Unicorn 2408 audio interface, which gives us 24 discreet channels of digital I/O between the D8B and the computer. We also have a DA 38, which is TASCAM's answer to the ADAT format. The DA 38 records on Hi 8 tapes, similar to the ones used in video cameras. We can use the MOTU 2408 to format convert between the DA 38, the ADAT that you bring in, and the computer. While more and more powerful computing has made it mostly unneccesary for tracking , the DA 38 can also be used to mix stems (groups of instruments or sounds kept separated to allow for last minute changes, say, in a film mix), or as a surround mixdown machine."

"These days you have to have a lot of hard drive space. We've got a lot -- 160 gigs. For music composition and production, we run Digital Performer (DP) 4. This software is quite powerful . We use it for just about everything, because of it's versatility. We use Bitheadz Unity Session software for sampling. Session runs along side of DP as an incredibly powerful software sampler and synth."

"For scoring to picture we digitize the picture and production audio, dumping it to the hard drive. We use the Canopus ADVC-100 to output to a full size video monitor via firewire. This enables us to scrub the audio to the picture, and line up hits in the music with events in the movie. We also have Pro Tools if needed. We use Pro Tools mostly when someone comes in with a pre-existing Pro Tools session. In DP we can manipulate audio tracks just like midi stuff - slide them backward or forward in time, truncate them, etc... "

"For example we often create a composite vocal performance by selecting different phrases from different takes, and assembling those takes into a single performance. It's easy to audition different options by simply highlighting your choices and playing them, then drag them on the same track and you're done!"

"For 2 track editing we use Bias Peak. With this software - in a voiceover situation for example - we can take a segment which a second too short or long, and in the computer - entirely in the digital domain - time expand or time compress the excerpt to fit a given time frame, without changing the pitch! Delete a line or replace a word...the possibilities are pretty awesome."

"We're also 'Multimedia ready' and can supply your files to you in a number of formats for the web, or for your CD rom titles."

"When it's time to 'burn' that CD master to take to the plant, we rely on Emagic Waveburner Pro. Wave Burner will allow us to accomplish any task needed for your redbook compatible CD, including gain adjustment, item spacing, crossfades, and PQ subcode, and even more esoteric attributes such as CD offsets, emphasis, copy prohibit, SCMS -- even IRSC codes. It also has great plug ins for optimizing levels, enhancing stereo spread, multiband compression, limiting and other tasks. "

"We also have a variety of samplers and modules, drum machines, outboard effects, and musical instruments, so we can excel in any number of production situations. Often our work involves music composition for film or theater, voiceover work, CD premastering, 2 track editing, sound design, format transfer, and small to medium runs of CDs."

Audio monitoring is done on an Event Tria system, a nice sounding setup which consists of 2 satellite speakers and a subwoofer. We also have a pair of Tannoy Nearfields, and Auratones for that boombox/small tv speaker perspective. We can also check things on the KLH speakers in the big room for still another perspective.

"Our tour would not be complete without a look at the vintage pieces which we have on hand. Our analog 8 track is a TASCAM ATR 60-8. This machine predates TASCAM's move to slower tape speeds and thinner tape width. It is a 1/2" machine which moves tape at a speed of 30 ips (inches per second), which is the standard speed of the 24 track machines used most often in professional production. We also have a DBX noise reduction module (switchable by track) to keep it clean. We sometimes use this deck as a kind of aural exciter, printing tracks that come from DAT or MDM simply to warm them up. On occasion we also use 15 ips for a certian sound on the bottom, or use the deck to capture a certian part which sounds harsh on digital, simultaneously choosing digital for a different part to preserve clarity. Frankly, these days we most often decide on the convenience of recording straight to hard disk, or MDM if we're using tape (as mentioned, we have a DA38), but vintage buffs will love this old 8 track."

"We also have an Oberheim matrix-12, which was picked up in 1985. Every time we can't find a sound on one of the newer Roland or Yamaha boards, we crank that dude up, and there it is! It has great string sounds (which sometimes work better than samples), nice bell sounds, and some very creative approaches to analog percussion, etc. Also in our "vintage love list cabinet" is a Marshall stack from 1976 (has only had one owner - guess who...) , a Fender Bandmaster head which we run through the marshall cabinets (inherited from high school bandmate), a Gibson SG deluxe from '71 with upgraded EMG pickups (again one owner)... even a 1917 Steinway grand (no, not one owner)."

"We also have many other nice guitars and basses, including a Sakurai nylon string classical, a Takamine steel string acoustic electric, a Fender Stratocaster, a Guild fretless bass once owned by the legendary Jaco Pastorius (seen in this picture from a 1996 issue of Guitar Player Magazine with the actual instrument), and others."

"These days we're most likely to run our guitars through the Line 6 Pod, which is a distinctive looking direct box amp "modeler" that models the sound of quite a few different vintage guitar amps with incredible realism. Speaking of modeling, we also use the UAD-1 card, by universal audio, in the G4 as a plug in for DP3, Peak, or Waveburner. The UAD-1 models the sound of vintage outboard boxes, such as the Pultec EQ, 1176 LN, and LA2A compressors with stunning accuracy. "

"Despite all the focus on gear above, our setup is, by definition, a 'project studio'. Basically, it is built around the talents and abilities of it's owner. I'm a composer and instrumentalist first, with a heavy level of technical experience. As such, I'm often sought after when a client is anxious to have a certian level of musicianship, as well as a high level of technical ability. "

"I don't ever rent the studio out by itself. Instead, I always work on every project. I encourage prospective clients to become acquainted with my work before choosing to work here. I want everyone who works with me to feel confident in my ability to guide the workflow positively. I'm a facilitator really, and in that role I'm very easy to work with. While I'm quite clear on my opinions, I don't respond to comments and corrections negatively and I always take the road the client perscribes. I've learned that many times the observations others make allow me to avoid pitfalls in my work. I think listening to others is one of the most important attributes in any collaborative situation. This is true even when I'm working on something of entirely my own design. After all, whether I'm just editing your master or composing your film score, it's your project -- I'm just here to help you work it all out."

"We work with people to help them iron out details on how to go about their specific project, before we start the first session. As technology progresses, and choices correspondingly increase, the dilemna becomes which technology (and/or approach) to use for a given task. The wealth of tools has made the process potentially far less costly if approached correctly, but also has increased the risk of 'taking the wrong fork in the road' tremendously. In the past, you went to the studio, put up a couple of mics, recorded a performance onto a tape of some sort, and then left with a tape which was the master for a vinyl record. Now, you can record midi, use your computer as a multitrack, use digital tape, or analog tape. You can record a performance simply with a pair of microphones, or you can use a multimic setup. You can perform together or you can overdub. Is your master a standard Midi file? Is it a portable workstation, or a Multitrack Minidisk, or an analog tape? What about timecode? It's all over the map!"

"That's why we're experts at planning the production path, as well...that's even if that path ends up being one that doesn't lead to us -- we're still happy to talk it out with you."

"One more thing before we conclude our tour...we have moved into the area of content, as well as providing service."

"In our business we probably will be seeing a lot more of this. As the price of the technology in use becomes more affordable, and the operation of it becomes more ergonomic, technology will increasingly be in the hands of the people who are the creators. We feel that's a good thing. For one, we fill the niche of helping those creators sort out some of the sticky details of thier production process. There's still a place for large full service studios, because the acts who could afford those will still be there. "

"At the same time we at MacIntyre are balancing our hourly work on smaller projects with the preparation of music that we have nutured. In the future we will be interested in finding composers and musicians with original content who need production. We will have a particular interest in jazz artists with small ensembles, or solo piano, who are unrecorded, especially elder, neglected artists and unestablished young newcomers."

"For more information on available titles, check out our growing catalog. To get more information about the studio, recording rates and services, or information, we can be reached by voice phone at (212) 691-8519"