Bloomsday Rising Testimonial

Testimonial by Chris Hansen, member of Bloomsday Rising

Take Your Recordings Out of the Box

Last October, Bloomsday Rising had the opportunity to mix our debut album, Rattle the Windows, at Prairie Sun under the auspices of legendary sound engineer, Oz Fritz. I can't speak highly enough about the sessions we had, and the whole experience has caused me to rethink my outlook on how a grassroots indie band can produce a professional product that competes with anything out there for a fraction of the cost.

We didn't set out to do it this way, but it is clear to me now that this information may be useful to other bands out there.

I am writing to propose a radical shift in the way that grassroots indie bands look at their "in the box" recordings of a song, demo or full-length album. By "in the box," I mean a recording that relies heavily on Pro Tools plug-ins for effects such as compression, reverb, spring delay, etc. (the list goes on and on). Typically, this is the only affordable way for a start-up band to get its first recordings, and it tends to be a big learning experience as well.

But don't stop there.

Here's my modest proposal: take all that work that you did in the digital studio--all those long hours spent mixing and remixing and agonizing over your sound--and call it "preproduction."

Then, take a break from your music for a while. Listen critically for the things you like and don't like about the mixes you came up with. Reconnect with all the friends and relatives that you've lost touch with. Basically, get your life back for a while. During our resting period, Bloomsday Rising traveled to Amsterdam to play a gig and distribute some rough mixes from the album. Then we cleared our heads and got back to work.

Oz Fritz likes to joke that the most accurate thing about most Pro Tools plug-ins is the graphic interface that replicates the knobs and buttons of analog boards and processors. That's because a computer algorithm for determining reverb and compression levels cannot simulate the real thing, no matter how pretty the buttons look.

So, using our "in the box" mixes as a roadmap, we traveled to the analog playground at Prairie Sun and let Oz work his magic. In the three spacious studios, you will find every bit of gear that you could ever conceivably use, and for those who are familiar with Pro Tools plug-ins, you will indeed recognize the real world knobs and buttons that you've been staring at on your computer screen.

If, for instance, you use medium room reverb for your vocals, try the Waits Room. If you use sub-octave plug-ins for a booming bass sound, see what Oz can do with a Quake pre-amp and a little distortion. And when all the mixing magic has taken place, you can even bounce your masters to tape to give every sound the warmth and fullness it deserves.

Another benefit of this strategy is that it takes the pressure off of the band when it matters most. Because you have already completed the performance and tracking of your songs by this stage, you are afforded the luxury of relaxing and enjoying your time at Prairie Sun. Bloomsday Rising used the weekends spent at Prairie Sun as a kind of band retreat. For most nights, we stayed at the simple but charming (and pet friendly!) guest house. In fact, we were so inspired by the surroundings that we changed all of the artwork on our debut album at the last minute to incorporate the beauty at Prairie Sun.

For many Bay Area bands, the idea of mixing an album at a place like Prairie Sun may still seem to be unrealistic. After all, you have a job that you've already neglected for your music project. You have a budget that you may have already exceeded. My suggestion is simple: just talk with Mooka. He will work something out with you that meets your needs and exceeds your expectations.

Obviously, I am a satisfied customer. For Bloomsday Rising, Prairie Sun made all the difference in the world in taking our recording from good to great. If you are considering working with Prairie Sun in the future, feel free to contact me if you have questions or would like to know about our experiences there.

Chris Hansen
Bloomsday Rising
www.bloomsdayrising.com
www.garageband.com/artist/bloomsdayrising
chris [at] bloomsdayrising.com