Make The Connection.
I know my fair share of musicians, and as diverse of a crowd as they are- they all seem to have one thing in common: The undying, unquenchable search for a better tone. Whether it’s a guitar player looking for just the right head/cabinet combination or a drummer searching for a better sounding snare drum, tone is important- so much so that I could take a little biblical detour (very uncommon for me) and say that a lot of musicians I know suffer from the seven deadly sins of tone:
Pride- damn, I got some good tone.
Envy- damn, I want his tone.
Gluttony- damn, I need a louder rig.
Lust- damn, I gotta get a better tone.
Anger- damn, my tone sucks!
Greed- damn, I gotta get more stuff.
Sloth- damn, my tone sucks- I’m going to bed.
Don’t worry, I’m not getting all Fire and Brimstone on your asses…I actually endorse all of these sins when it comes to the pursuit of good tone. (Well, maybe not sloth and anger, nobody likes a lazy crybaby.) I think a lot of musicians take so much pride in their tone that they even start to be defined by their rig. You know what I mean….you’ve got the Les Paul/Marshall half-stack guys and you’ve got the Telecaster/Fender Twin guys, just like you’ve got the DW drummers and you’ve got the vintage Ludwig drummers, etc, etc, etc. You know who you are, and you know what I’m talking about! I know what you’re thinking- am I going anywhere with this, or am I showing classic signs of the lesser known eighth deadly sin of Rambling?
Moving on….I’ll be the first to admit that I can be a pretty slow learner, but one thing I learned pretty quickly was if you ask a musician what their rig is- the answer will NOT be a short one. They usually start twitching like Rain Man and rattle off the entire lineage of all the gear they’ve ever owned- complete with dates, people, places and dollar amounts- yea-definitely dollar amounts, definitely. Ok, back to the part about me being a slow learner….right about the point in these conversations that I’m about ready to gag myself with a spoon, I attempt to segue into the topic of actually recording these fabulous tones I’ve been hearing so much about. I like to ask questions regarding their previous recording experiences, and what expectations they have for the next time they hit the studio. Suddenly-and this is the part I can’t figure out-all the pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed and sloth (you remember-the seven deadly sins of tone!) seem to disappear from the conversation faster than a drummers’ paycheck.
Why is that? How can the same people so obsessed with the perfect tone suddenly loose all interest in taking the necessary steps towards capturing these tones on their recording? I’ve heard stories of guitar players surrendering their carefully configured rigs for Pods or Amp Farm, and drummers’ settling for having their drums replaced by plug-ins due to sub-par drum sounds which inevitably strips the recording of cool overtones and dynamics that are the very essence of the performance. To me this is crazy talk! Why spend all the time and energy finding “your tone” just to leave it at home when it matters most?
The “connection” I’m trying to make in the article is two-fold: First, I feel the pride you have in your tone should carry over into the recording process- without a doubt. The person you hire to record your band should have a great deal of interest in what you sound like, and work towards better capturing that sound, instead of manufacturing his version of your bands’ sound by abusing technology. A good way to help decided what level of recording your band needs is to take a look around your bands’ practice space and do some rough math on the total dollar amount you have invested in gear that helps you get “your tone”. How much is it? Now, how much are you planning on spending on your next recording? Is there a gross mismatch? As a rule of thumb for the independent band- the two amounts should be in the same ballpark.
Secondly, how long have you been playing music? Talk with your band mates and get an average number of years you’ve been playing your instruments. Compare that to the recording engineers you’ve been talking to. Have they been doing it longer? Hopefully so. A lot of times musicians assume that walking into Guitar Center and buying some recording equipment instantly makes you a recording engineer. Let me flip the script on that one….If I told you that I just bought a Les Paul and a Marshall half-stack and wanted to be in your band; the FIRST question you’d ask me is how long I’ve been playing guitar. What would your reaction be if I said “I don’t. The guy at GC told me this is a ‘world-class rig’, so I’ve got the right tools, how hard can it be?” You (as a guitar player for several years) would be insulted, right? Getting good at anything takes time, just like getting good at playing guitar, bass, drums, singing, songwriting, gigging, etc- it takes years to get good at recording, mixing, mastering, etc. Many bands have one member who’s decided to learn how to record, and has talked the rest of the band into being his guinea pigs- but I can’t help but to feel that it’s a conflict of interest…just because one member wants to try something new- have you thought about the negative effects it might that have on the rest of the bands’ goals? How is someone’s first attempt at recording going to stand up in the industry next to bands that have hired a professional engineer? Is that going to help the rest of the band achieve their primary goal of becoming rock gods?
I know this may seem like a self-serving rant…but it’s not. I feel the connection between tone lust and recording that tone often isn’t made…and the band’s career can suffer as a result. So, please make the connection. If you care about your tone….then care about your tone all the time, and seek out people in the industry who suffer from the same seven sins as you do. Besides, sinners have more fun!
Chris Mara
Nashville, TN
www.chrismara.com
www.myspace.com/chrismara