Friday, July 29, 2005

Digital Upgrades.... 8.1.05

DSD one bit recording… the closest thing to analog


Our recent upgrades include an 8 channel Sonoma digital system of DSD recording. One bit recording, 2.8 million parts per second... Direct Stream Digital. We are long time fans of analog recording and while we still prefer the sound of analog with SR, DSD is the closest thing to analog we've heard yet. The dynamic range is incredible.

We used this system for the surround mixdown of the Blue Coast Collection recordings. The quality is stunning. We also used it for a solo piano project with Art Lande and a location project in Utah with Garett Brennan. Many thanks to Gus Skinnas who provides us endless support.

You can check some recordings out at:

http://bluecoastrecords.com/music.html


New Services for Home Recordists 8.1.05

Home Audio Technical Services (HATS).

For many years, OTR has interfaced our studio with recordings many of you are doing at home. We have been able to provide a Steinway piano, B-3 organ, room for recording and isolating drums, incredible mics, preamps, and a great room for mixing.

No one likes to setup new gear. New equipment installation takes your valuable time when you'd rather be recording. As well, a new piece of gear might disrupt an already intricate system of cabling... that now need a serious look. Computer issues start to arise with every new plugin or added program. General maintenance (like dusting, labeling, cleaning up the chaos) fall by the wayside as time ticks by.

Suddenly, it's a painful experience to look at your gear and think about how long it's going to take to work out the problems. Let us assist you.Or, maybe you just need to have someone engineer a session while you play.


Which ever the case, we are offering an introductory technical assessment program to look at your recording enviroment and figure out ways to optimise it in your home. Call for details.

Who's Making Noise in the Studio 8.1.05

Michael Tolcher and band was in the studio at OTR recording a live session for downloads with Cookie Marenco. Michael and crew has been on tour in support of his new record on Octone/Sony and stopped in between a show in LA and radio interview at KFOG to record 5 songs for Liquid.com, a division of Walmart. Twenty people were in the audience while we recorded the short concert. The downloads should go 'live' on walmart.com June 19 and helps promote the new album. We think this is a great promotional tool for many artists... recording live in the studio for a small audience... and use the concert for downloads. Call us if you'd like more information.

Art Lande stopped in to play a few hours of solo piano last month for Blue Coast Records. Marenco and Jean Claude Reynaud, in from France, were producing / engineering the project with Nick Razlukin assisting. The project was recorded live to the Sonoma DSD digital system (more on that under New Gear) and edited in wavelab.

Cookie and Jean Claude were in mixing a project for Garett Brennan, Threepin Productions. The project was recorded live in a mountain chalet in Utah to the Sonoma digital system. Nick (OTR's resident DSD specialist) accompanied Cookie and Jean to Utah for the recordings that were live acoustic tracks of voice, guitar and the river.

Jean and Cookie were also finishing up more Blue Coast projects with Jane Selkye, Chris Kee, Keith Greeninger and Dayan Kai after travels to Utah and Colorado for the Bluegrass Festival. Check back to the website for broadcasts on OTR radio of live, on the couch sessions of new, talented singersongwriters from the Festival.

Local producer/ engineer, Jerry Becker, has two albums to his credit that were recorded at OTR and available. Dave Greenbaum has just released "Reflections". Joel Streeter is having his CD release party on July 26th at the Make Out Room. Robert Schitzius, Timo Hart and Jeff Michaels have ongoing projects working with Jerry and protools and the Steinway piano.