Slide guitar master acquires former Kinks console from Sonic Circus
Harmonyville, VT. - November 15, 2007
Guitarist Derek Truck's performance schedule is so jam-packed, you wonder when the artist finds time to sleep. Between gigs with the Derek Trucks Band, the Allman Brothers Band, Eric Clapton's touring band, as well as a healthy performance calendar with his wife, blues singer Susan Tedeschi, it's no wonder Trucks needs a home-sweet-home studio to retreat to.
Hailed as a guitar prodigy as a child, Trucks has been playing shows since age 11. Deemed one of the top all-time Guitar-Gods by Rolling Stone Magazine, Trucks plays slide with a mojo not experienced since the days of Duane Allman. Trucks joined the Allman Brothers full-time in 1999 at age 20, sharing the stage with his uncle, drummer and founding member, Butch Trucks.
As hard as Trucks and Tedeschi work on the road, they are equally devoted to having a good home and family life with their two kids. By building a world-class studio at their Jacksonville, FL base, they're looking forward to a future of making great records without having to leave home.
They turned to Sonic Circus of Harmonyville, VT to find them a great sounding vintage Neve desk. The console chosen by Trucks actually has a unique pedigree; the 32-channel Neve 8048 discrete desk was originally owned by the Kinks at their Konk Studios in London. The Sonic Circus Tech Shop has fully serviced and re-capped the Neve, and will be hands-on in Florida, performing installation and integration of a complete system centered around the historic console.
"We're thrilled to be working with Derek", said Sonic Circus' founder, David Lyons, "It's great to see this vintage desk going to a guy who's taking the torch and running with it. We love it when we can pass on gear that made classic records back in the day to a whole new generation of artists."
Since 1996, Sonic Circus has worked with recording studios, broadcast studios, live sound companies, and independent engineer/producers, providing equipment, technical design, and support for all aspects of audio production. Sonic Circus carries over 250 lines of audio hardware and software, as well as an exclusive private stock of vintage consoles, outboard signal processing gear, and microphones. ]]>
Harmonyville, VT - July 16, 2007 - Producer/Engineer Joel Hamilton, and partner Tony Maimone, were on the lookout for a classic Neve console for their Brooklyn, NY studio. They found it at Sonic Circus. After thoroughly refurbishing the desk, the Sonic Circus Tech crew recently installed this vintage Neve 5316 in the Studio G control room. It is equipped with 32 Neve 31114 mic/line inputs, two 33314 compressors, and 24 channels of Uptown 990 moving fader automation. Joel, who is known for his work with Sparklehorse, Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, and Rahzel, (among many others), is currently recording with the 5316, and is looking forward to many great mixes from his very own classic Neve console.
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Harmonyville, VT - May 8, 2007 - Sonic Circus Inc. has acquired a remarkable cache of vintage audio equipment from the highly regarded Indigo Ranch recording studio in CA. The studio was born through a partnership of the Moody Blues with engineer Richard Kaplan. Throughout Indigo’s 30+ years of operation, owner/engineer/producer Kaplan built a first-class collection of classic microphones, preamps, outboard gear, and consoles, which he used to record artists as diverse as Neil Young, Neil Diamond, Lenny Kravitz, Level 42, Korn, Sepultura, and Limp Bizkit.
The Indigo collection holds more than 500 vintage mics, including multiple Telefunkens, Neumanns, and AKGs. Dynamic and ribbon mics from RCA, Electro-Voice, Altec, and Shure are also well represented in this astonishing gathering of gear, along with some exceptional pieces that Kaplan purchased at the 1980, Abbey Road “Sale of the Century”.
Beyond microphones, the collection also features a historic selection of original Universal Audio gear, including the vintage UA sidecar that appeared on Van Halen’s early recordings. There are also more than 400 guitar amplifiers, 800 guitar pedals, and a choice selection of classic recording studio outboard gear, much of which was in service until Indigo’s doors closed in 2006. ]]>
In early March, a wandering tribe of Berklee staffers appeared at Sonic Circus’ doorstep. Led by MP&E Chairman, Rob Jazko, Dan Thompson, Mark Wessel, and Leanne Ungar, ventured far north of Berklee’s Boston home, in search of gear. They made it to Harmonyville, and found themselves in a forest of vintage microphones.
In the photo, Mark and Leanne contemplate a Neumann SM-23 stereo tube mic, in the company of a U67, two U47s, a Telefunken|USA ELA M 251E, and an AKG C12.]]>
The Sonic Circus Tech crew, along with visiting Neve Guru Fred Hill, has been hard at work putting the final touches on the Vintage Neve 8048, which leaves for it’s new home in early 2007.
Ray Martin and the Sonic Circus Live crew, installed a Meyer PA in Knitting Factory, NYC’s cutting-edge, new music venue. An onstage Midas Siena monitor mixing system is scheduled for delivery in early 2007.
A 48 channel API Legacy Plus, went out to Johnny Rzeznik’s recording studio in Buffalo, NY.
Sonic Circus delivered and installed an SSL 9080J in the number 1 SSL room at Record Plant LA. This highly regarded mix room is being remodeled by Vincent van Haaf, and will feature additional Chandler, Crane Song, SPL, and Neve outboard gear, also supplied by Sonic Circus.
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In November 2006, Sonic Circus acquired the equipment inventory of the legendary Bearsville Studio. The studio, a mainstay of the Woodstock, NY music scene, recently ended a remarkable run of over 35 years, serving artists as diverse as The Rolling Stones, Cassandra Wilson, Foreigner, and The Dave Matthews Band.Along with a deep inventory of classic microphones, the Bearsville collection included outboard gear, monitors, tape machines, and a historic collection of keyboards and instrument amplifiers. Also included were the studio furniture, microphone stands and gobos.
“It’s an honor to be able to offer this gear to our customers”, said Sonic Circus’ founder, David Lyons, “ It gives us a chance to spread some of the magic of Bearsville to recording studios around the world.” ]]>
Sonic Circus Inc. has acquired another historic Neve console. This vintage Neve 8048, which was originally installed in EMI London, to the exacting specifications of Sir George Martin, is being fully restored at the Sonic Circus Tech Shop. The console has been completely recapped, (electrolytics and tantalums), all new custom patch bays are being wired, and Sonic Circus has enlisted Neve Guru, Fred Hill, to fabricate a new center section. New Acopian power supplies were installed to improve the noise floor of the console. The restoration will be completed with 48 new Neve 1081 Classic modules. Once restored, the 8048 is headed for the Saddle Creek Records multi-room facility in Omaha, Nebraska.]]>
If you want to talk to a guy who’s recorded and produced artists in all of the major pop styles from the ‘80’s to the ‘00’s, head straight for Joe Nicolo. On his own, and along with his brother Phil, Joe has made great rock, rap, pop, and metal records with the likes Kris Kross, Urban Dance Squad, Anthrax, Dishwalla, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Billy Joel, and Taj Mahal. Joe has also won Grammys for his work with James Taylor, Jazzy Jeff, and Lauren Hill. The artists on Joe’s RuffHouse label, Kris Kross, Cypress Hill, and The Fugees, wrote the book on HipHop and Rap in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s, and sold over 100 million worldwide. Clearly, this is a guy who knows what he wants to hear from a piece of audio gear. Whether he’s working in analog or digital, API EQ’s are certain to make an appearance. Joe says the classic 560’s have “saved many a record.” He’s also a big fan of the SSL buss compressor, which Joe, and other audio pros agree, “makes it sound like a record”.
Beyond his obvious tech savvy, it’s Joe’s love of music that has brought him to the peak of the industry. Whether he’s working with Billy Joel or Cypress Hill, Joe still admits to getting goose bumps when he’s in the full swing of a creative recording session.
Most recently, Joe has branched out into film production. His new venture, RKO/Judgement Entertainment, has released “Shade”, featuring Sylvester Stallone, Melanie Griffith, and Jamie Foxx, and has three other films currently in production, with Joe serving as music supervisor and co-executive producer.
Not even 115º temperatures could keep us and hundreds of other recording industry folk from attending this year’s 5th annual Tape Op Conference held in Tucson, AZ. The conference consists of workshops and panel discussions that are filled with invaluable knowledge for those in our industry. I personally get the feeling that Tape Op Con (as it’s often referred to) is much like I would imagine the very first AES conventions were like. There is a real sense of community surrounding the event- stories and recording techniques are openly shared amongst colleagues, and I always seem to leave the conference with something technical to think about…something that changes the way I operate in my recording environment- for the better. This year a “studio potluck” was running constantly during the event weekend.Manufacturers donated gear, and WAM (Women’s Audio Mission) painstakingly set up, wired, and integrated a fully functioning recording studio in a banquet room in the hotel. One highlight was Andy Hong’s (producer/ engineer and about a dozen other entrepreneurial things) demonstration of his “virtual drum booth” technique. He demonstrated a way to get minimal “bleed” into drum room mics, with the entire band all playing in one room. It was “mind – blowing” to almost everyone that witnessed it. The gist of the technique goes like this:
1. Record the band while taking a direct signal from the guitar players, and loop that signal through your recorder and into the respective guitar amps.
2. After the “take” is down, re-amp and re-record the drum room and amp mics onto new tracks.
3. Subtract the new room tracks from the old room tracks, by mixing each original room track with its corresponding new room tracks with the polarity reversed. The result is useable drum room tracks! I’ve attached a diagram penned by Andy himself if you’re interested in finding out more details.
Well it’s no surprise to me that this journalistic story ended up being technical. If you would like more info on the conference, please feel free to visit www.tapeop.com. Also, I feel the need to thank Craig Schumacher, Larry Crane, John Baccigaluppi (at least) for the incredible job they did this year and years past planning this event.
-Brian Charles
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 Steve Albini dealing the cards at his annual TapeOp poker game. (I'm not sure that these guys slept.) |  Gill Griffith - working hard. |
 Fletcher and Eve Anna - windswept from the Harleys |  A surprised Larry Crane (Tape Op Editor) and Jeff Lipton (Peerless Mastering). |  Rupert Neve's doctor's note confirming that his cold is contagious |
Les Paul at the Iridium. Victim of ailing audio
(at his house gig at the Iridium Jazz Club), Les
Paul called upon Sonic Circus to quickly supply a new Midas Venice 320
mixing console to remedy the situation. Les Paul, the father of innovation to
the post modern music/recording
world, can be seen live every Monday at the Iridium wowing the adoring
crowd with his ever-encompassing, crystalline guitar work, showmanship and sincere
passion for life. DonÌt
miss it. For reservations call 212-582-2121.]]>