Recording - July 2016 - 14

SM57. He does so to allow himself the
creativity to create a blend of sounds from
the different microphones, as opposed to
using equalization on just a single microphone. The Royers are used since they are
able to handle the massive volume of a
cranked tube head into a 4x12 cabinet,
while still retaining its detail. On combo
and open-back amplifiers, a Royer could
be paired with a Neumann U 67 for more
colors in the sonic palette.

While Ross almost always sums the microphones via bus to create one sound, he kept
them separate while tracking Eddie Van
Halen on Van Halen's A Different Kind of
Truth. There, he and Eddie would tweak the
tones, since EVH records one performance,
not doubles and quads of individual parts.
In general, the idea with busing and creating one sound while tracking is the idea of
building a sonic house and committing to a
sound. With that spirit in mind, besides
blending microphones, Ross loves blending
amp heads, cabinets, guitars, tunings, and
more to create a whole palette of sounds. Painting with these different colors keep the tones unique and original.
For Ross, the keys to recording are the source-the microphones and their placement. While he enjoys mic preamps
such as the Chandler Limited TG2 or Avedis Audio's MD7, an
API-style preamp with Avedis op amps, he relies much more
on big tonal objects than subtle mic-pre variances. In terms of
using equalization while tracking, he does sometimes filter out
some lows with a highpass filter, but the big moves are made
via the microphone blends and placement, as well as the
source decisions.
Depending on the session, Ross will use a room microphone
for guitars if it fits the information in the track. As Ross said, context creates content, and for certain alternative music with the
right depth and space, a room microphone sound can be just
the answer. The reason for such is because the room sound is
the reverb, and in a great-sounding room there is a personality
and character worth exploring if applicable. On the other hand,
in aggressive and heavy rock, room microphones aren't used.
14

RECORDING JULY 2016

This is for two reasons: they lessen the impact of the immediate
in-your-face sound, and can also create comb filtering.
During tracking Ross sometimes takes a DI because he feels it
is good housekeeping. Due to the natural compression when
tracking guitars it's difficult, at best, to see the transients, so editing can be made easier if there is a DI track there to see the
actual peaks. Also, if the tones aren't great that day, reamping
can be done later on, using alternate amps or via a modeling
amp like a Kemper or Fractal for the right tones.
Lastly, depending on the style of music and band, Ross will
use tape if he is working with a band that can really play
together and nail the performances succinctly. While many people idealize and
glamorize tape and its acoustic qualities,
it isn't always a reality in making records
in 2016. The reality is that you need to
know how to operate, clean, and align a
tape machine properly, or have a skilled
tech to do so.
Ross had a great analogy concerning
how he likes to work with tape. After tracking, the reels go into a tape vault, where
they could sit for up to several days.
During this period they begin to marinate

together, which is akin to the same idea
while cooking and how a good marinade
can sweeten and flavor the meal. That is
one of the great benefits of tape, besides
its inherent sound.
At the end of the day, the quote that
stuck with me the most was: "Make
music, it's not a science project. It's not
the gear, it's the ears."
Thank you to Ross Hogarth (hoax
productions.com), NRG Recording Studios
(nrgrecording.com), and Future Villains
(futurevillains.com) for sharing their time.

Jay Ruston

PHOTO BY MIRANDA JOHNSON

http://www.hoaxproductions.com http://www.hoaxproductions.com http://www.nrgrecording.com http://www.futurevillains.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - July 2016