Lo-Fi Network

Lokomotiv and Lo-Fi Studios first got together in the spring of 2004. The band is comprised of four members, Basti Artadi (vocals), David Aguirre (guitars), Danny Gonzalez (bass) and Wolf Gemora (drums). David and Wolf drove out from Laguna Niguel to Loma Linda to check out the studio and hear some music samples. Although it was not unusual for a band to come in a check out the studio, these guys had a good deal of recording experience and really knew what they wanted from a recording studio.

What made these sessions (from the first demos to the 2005 album sessions) worthwhile was the amount of time and detail put into the project. The most interesting aspect for me was that they were from the Philippines, and that they really knew rock music. They also were very familiar with the recording process, both analog and digital.

The initial sessions took a live approach with minimal overdubs on the instruments. Musically these guys were tight. Wolf’s drumming was powerful, but maintained an even attack on kick and snare, so compression was not used to "even" out the instrument, but to enhance the instrument instead. For guitars, David used PRS through a solid state amp. Bass was both mic’d and DI. Overdubs varied from complete retracking to punch-ins. Vocals were painstakingly recorded with the intent of getting a good performance and only pitching as necessary. In order to get good strong vocals, we did not record more than two songs per session.

The band tracked onto 2" analog, and then transferred to Pro Tools for editing. Like most mixes, a general mix was created, then we would move on to each instrument, addressing tones, levels of the instrument (often there were more than one track of guitars, bass and vocals) as well as the instrument's levels against the other instruments in the mix. We were intrigued by the outboard effects and processors versus the plug-ins available at that time. Each instrument received separate channel(s) for reverbs, delays and compression sent through the board. The final stereo mix was sent to CD via DAT tape.

The first group of songs completed were "Inert", "Ashes of Home", "Ride With Me", "House of Lies" and "Five Alive". I figured that the band got their best performance and a decent mix for the time spent. Recording and mix down sessions exceeded 25 hours. This was unusual for a demo, but I could see the direction that they were willing to take their sound.

Then I got a call in early January 2005 for a remix on a couple tracks that weren't quite right. We scheduled more mixing time. Another 5-10 hours were necessary to get the songs "just right." Even standout tracks like "Five Alive" were given another look. By the end of the final mix down session Wolf hinted that they would be back later in the year to record another 5 songs and combine them with the recent mixes and call it their first U.S. album.

Sure enough by May Wolf contacted me for session dates for July and August. There would be new overdubs on the old songs and 5 new songs to track. A few weeks before the next sessions I received a schedule from the band for the sessions. A lot of planning went into this schedule, besides considering what needed to be worked on, rerecorded and new tracking, the members had to work around their personal schedules. The band managed to keep on schedule and only a few extra days had to be added to finish the CD.

When Lokomotiv came in to record their next batch of songs we discussed what kind of sound we were going for the album. Instead of repeating the live sound of the first five songs, we took a different approach to recording all instruments, including vocals, in order to get an "album" sound. We still tracked the drums to tape, but then transferred the tracks to Pro Tools for the remainder of the recording sessions.

Prior to recording the new songs, bass and guitar tracks were rerecorded from the previous sessions. When we recorded the new songs we noticed a big difference in the sound we were getting. We knew that we had work cut out for us when it came to mixing! Recording sound can be very elusive. It is not always easy to replicate guitar sounds, match bass tones, vocals or recapture the sound of a room. There are ways to get a similar sound, but sometimes the best recording sound happens on the first go 'round.

For the new songs we used 13 mics to get the big drum sound! Remember this is a ROCK BAND! Micing included top/bottom snare and three room mics. We were immediately satisfied with the sound. We captured the sound of the drums in a big room. It did help that we had a big room to record in! The bass was both mic'd and DI'd using Danny’s Rickenbacker bass. The guitars were doubled tracked using amps ranging from Mesa Boogie, Fender and Marshall. David played his Gibson Flying V and PRS for most of the tracking. Often there were two amps recording at the same time. The tones from each amp were different enough to give a big guitar spread in the mix.

Once again the band was well rehearsed. Recording the drum tracks took two days for the five new songs. Next came rhythm guitars and bass tracks done over the course of July. Rough mixes were made for Basti so he could prepare for his grueling vocal days. Vocals were doubled tracked and a variety of effects were used to create a vocal sound that went beyond the natural voice sound. Finally the lead guitars were recorded. Most leads were live takes with some punch-ins. On the ballad “Maria Salvacion” an e-bow was used to get a string sound at the end of the song. The layering of guitars and vocals on “Maria” took advantage of all 32 tracks on Pro Tools!

When it came to mixing this time we stuck to Pro Tools format only. The studio has most major plug-ins for Pro Tools (Waves, Antares, Bomb Factory, etc.) for any compression and effects. We focused on one, maybe two songs a session, starting with the straightforward songs and moving on to more complicated ones. "Maria Salvacion" took two sessions to get the mix down. On mixing the earlier songs I was able to recreate the bigger drum sound by some old fashioned studio magic--and not the digital kind! All mixes were scrutinized, digested and given anywhere from 24 hours to two weeks consideration before calling a song "finished"!

Once we got a few songs mixed, Wolf contacted several Mastering Studios to find the best place for their style of music. This was an adventure unto it's self, full of promises over the phone, questionable credentials and phony Gold Records! Ultimately the best mastering place was found and DiscMakers took care of the duplication and packaging. For more information about Locomotiv's CD and gigs go to Locomotiv's website is http://www.lokomotivrocks.com/.

There are Rock 'n' Roll stories about bands taking months--and even years--to record, often the process might be focused on a single song taken to its fullest extent before moving on to the next song. Sometimes songs are written in the studio, especially when the band lacks enough songs for the booked sessions. Having the resources (financial and creative) as well as the ability to create on the spot becomes the order of the day. Personal and professional commitments can make scheduling studio time difficult. Watch the Metallica movie "Some Kind of Monster" to see how those two worlds collide. Locomotiv showed the professionalism and tenacity to make their debut American CD, “Rock n Roll Death Toll” a reality.

This is one of the best primers for the studio for musicians, producers and engineers alike! Enjoy!

By J.B. Moore - New York City

1. If It Sounds Good, It Is Good
Whether you record on your porta-studio at home or 48 track digital in a world class studio, Duke Ellington's immortal maxim applies. When you get sounds you like 1) be very reluctant to change things and 2) if you change things, remember what made it sound good in the first place. Audio is deceptively subtle: the smallest change in EQ, compression, effects, levels, etc. can make a huge difference. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

2. If It Sounds Bad, It is Bad
If it sounds lousy going to tape, you can't 'fix it in the mix.' If a track is not cutting it, change it or kill it. If you aren't EQing, EQ, if not compressing, compress, if miked try another microphone: and vice-versa. And 'fess up. Admit that 1) your favorite overdub doesn't work, 2) the musical idea doesn't work, 3) the singer or player is having a bad day, or 4) the singer or player just can't cut it. But one way or another, move on.

3. Diminishing Returns or When to go Home
When you and your ears get tired, even if more time is booked or your pet overdub has not been cut, go home. Slow time in the studio comes in the beginning getting sounds. Wasted time comes at the end. Remember what is important: 1) vocals 2) rhythm tracks 3) solos 4) sweetening tracks and 5) effects, in that order. Time spent cutting backwards guitar is normally best spent fixing a pitchy vocal or the bass.

4. Happy People Make Good Music
Great music is usually made when the engineer and assistant, the musicians, the singers and the producer are all wisecracking and having a good time. If something personal is bugging you, leave it at home. If something in the studio is bugs you, try not to ruin a good mood. It can stop a session dead.

5. Be Prepared
In the studio, things sound different and the whole experience can be intimidating. So rehearse and rehearse again. (But stop before things get stale.) Bring everything. Losing an hour of studio time because you don't have a $5 set of strings or a snare head or a 9-volt battery is infuriating, costly and stops a session dead. And be on time! Be early! The clock starts at the appointed hour, not when you get there, and you never have enough time.

6. Out of Time, Out of Tune, Out of Luck
If you have tempo troubles, rehearse at very slow tempos, preferably with a drum machine. Tune up early and tune up often, including drummers. If anything sounds like it might be out of tune, check it. The one exception: great performances with minor time or intonation problems, especially vocals. A singer may never get that feeling again so use an empty track or erase a less important one to try a fix.

7. Less Is More
Mixing is like cooking: one too many ingredients can ruin the dish. Mix sound like mush? Try mute buttons. The same for effects. Move faders sparingly, 1 dB at a time. Pushing up a fader is like turning everything else down. And do not be fooled by volume. Monitor low. The mix always sounds great at 10 on the big speakers (which fatigue your ears). The challenge is to make it sound great at 3 on the little speakers.

8. What To Record
The most important element in the studio is good singers and good songs. No amount of tech compensates for mediocrity. When you play out, the audience tells you what they like (and will buy!). And while it is true that some songs come alive in the studio and others die, nine times out of ten the ones that come alive are the ones the public (not necessarily your friends) like the best.

9. The Demo Before the Demo
If you demo at home before going into 'the real studio,' don't overdo it. If you put endless hours into a home demo and listen to it six hundred times, soon you will not be able to imagine another version. Then you will waste time and money in 'the real studio' trying to recreate the home demo, not taking it to the next level.

10. Engineering and Engineers
Try not to be the client the staff hates. (Happy people, good music) Still, if you pay, they work for you. If the engineer says something sounds great and it doesn't, don't let it slide, but pick your spots. If the vocal sounds awful, complain. If that cute little overdub stinks, mute it in the mix. If the engineer has some technique he loves but you hate, try less of it. If the drums sound too boomy or echoed or whatever, try less or none of it.

Lo-Fi 2005 Reflections

2005 has been an outstanding year for Lo-Fi Studios and the variety of musicians and bands that have recorded at the studio. I'd like to take the time to recognize the bands and their efforts throughout the year. In 2005 there were more than 12 album projects recorded at Lo-Fi. Bands such as Slang, Locomotiv, Tangled Minds, The Fadeaways, The Mill Creek Boys and artists Johnny Hickman, Matt Coleman, Chad Villareal, Raoul Renoa, Elevation and many others made that extra effort necessary for full length albums.

This year started and ended with Rullian (Raoul Renoa), an instrumental project of astronomical proportions. The working title for this project is "The Middle of Something." This is Raoul's second album, his first, "Is this my Guitar or an Albatross?" was recorded at the old Lo-Fi Studios and is available online at iTunes and CD Baby.


Johnny Hickman (Cracker) finished his first solo album early in January. "Palmhenge" was released in May 2005. Johnny has toured throughout the States and Europe promoting the CD as well as touring with Cracker. In September, the 1st Annual Cracker/Camper Campout in Pioneertown was a great success with promise of the 2nd Annual Concert in 2006. Johnny has already been back in at Lo-Fi working on new songs while keeping his recording/touring commitments with Cracker.

ZOD and International Skate Rock Band (ISRB) recorded in the early part of 2005. ZOD consists of Eddie, Jacob and Salazar; ISRB features Eddie Salazar and Wal--who are also part of It's Casual (they demo'd new material late 2005). Wal also recorded on the Deadwrong and Big West sessions.

Rockers Locomotiv took over the summer months, finishing their first American CD, "Rock n Roll Death Toll," which was just released in December.


Tangled Minds, a gathering of local artists, recorded in July/August. Iggy orchestrated the musicians, bringing together musicians such as Pat Breyar, Gabby, Phoenix Coleman and others. At least one of the songs made it to a compliation. Vocalist Gabby currently resides in England and is a myspace musician. Iggy has already put the word out for the next Tangled Minds recording . . .

The Punk Rock band The Fadeaways made two major appearances this year, one to record their own full length and the second to backup a 10 year old punker girl (and guitarist Abner's daughter) aptly named Temper Tantrum for her debut CD.



On the other end of the musical spectrum Tapioca Shuhorn Records (Chad Villareal) has been working with songwriter Matt Coleman (from local favs Hobo Jazz) on Matt's solo record. Chad and Matt have laid down the main tracks and will continue the project into 2006. Chad has also been working hard on another Mustard CD with 10 or so songs already recorded.

Jazz/Funk fans will be able to hear Slang in the coming new year. The band laid down over 10 tracks at Lo-Fi throughout last year. Their demo is available at their gigs and can be heard at their myspace site.

The Mill Creek Boys, a local Bluegrass band, is currently working on their first CD. Their music features both traditional and original songs. They are hoping for a March 2006 release.

On a sad note, Mike Wilkerson songwriter and guitarist for the band Death of Me died before he could hear the fruits of his efforts. Death of Me was a collection of friends and musicans, including Matt Kjorvestad (drums), Chris LeRoy (guitar/piano/bass/vocals), Gary Kjorvestad (lyricist), Criag Goldsberry (bass) and others. We are hoping that the CD will get released.

Local guitarist Donny recorded his first Christian themed solo CD, Halos. Donny played all instruments, wrote and sang all songs featured on the CD.

Lo-Fi even recorded a little rap in 2005! Elevation, featuring Mike from Fear: Solstace, recorded his solo CD which will be an internet only release.

Other bands that recorded at Lo-Fi Studios this year included Zenith Fuzzbomb, Bad News for the Toros, Pretty Scars, Sun, Big West, Deadwrong, The None Such, Burn on Dakota and Lanza. Whew!

Lo-Fi Studios also had the opportunity to work with Kim Fowley on several artist development projects as well as music for an upcoming film.

That summarizes 2005. A big thanks to all the musicians who came in and put it down! Lo-Fi Studios is looking forward to another great year with more great music!

Lo-Fi Network combines the latest information about Lo-Fi Studios, recording sessions, music news and releases.

LO-FI STUDIOS
Lo-Fi Studios has been an Inland Empire mainstay for the over 10 years. Starting in 1995, the studio was located in downtown Redlands, California. The original studio featured 8 track analog recording technology, moved up to 2" 24 track format by 2000, adding Pro Tools around the same time. Lo-Fi Studios also offers mobile recording and duplication services.


LO-FI RECORDINGS
From the early 8 track days to the current analog/digital formats, Lo-Fi has helped bands from Southern California get their music out of the garage and into the hands of plenty! From all over California more than 1000 bands and artists have recorded at Lo-Fi over the years! Included artists/bands are Cracker guitarist Johnny Hickman, Rullian, Locomotiv, Matt Coleman, Zod, Slang, Tangled Minds, The Mill Creek Boys, It's Casual, Lara Landon, The Fadeaways, ISRB, Mustard, Alien Ant Farm, Affix, Bad News for the Toros, Zenith Fuzzbomb, The Conditionz, Mr. Pivotfoot, Burn on Dakota, Noise Ratchet, Funkin' A, Coi Cio San, The Finders, Last Laugh, Demora Lies, Awkward, Dirty Dirt and the Dirts, Versitile Aggression, to name only a few.

Lo-Fi Music released "Watch Out Darth" a Star Wars influenced compilation and plans to release the soundtrack to independent film, Elvis is Alive. Lo-Fi Studios has provided post-production services for independent films, commercials and documentaries.