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Prairie Sun News
- Summer Sessions at the Sun -
September 2007 - Vol 2, Issue 3
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So far we've experienced a very busy and productive summer here at Prairie Sun, and we've been proud to work on some very exciting sessions. The 2007 Summer Special has been a resounding success, and has allowed us the chance to work with a bunch of new artists, producers, and engineers who we hope to have back in the near future. Read on for the news.

Last month we were happy to welcome back to Prairie Sun drummer extraordinaire Brain, who came in to shoot video and record audio for his new DW Drums promotional/instructional video. Brain, who had previously recorded at Prairie Sun with both Primus and Tom Waits, brought along his friend, and Praxis and Guns N' Roses bandmate, Buckethead to jam on guitar and some impromptu piano. The shoot took place in the Prairie Room, with audio recorded by engineer Sean Beresford via Studio C's vintage Neve board and Pro Tools HD system. Brain played a one-of-a-kind kit graciously provided by the good folks at DW that featured an astonishing Old Timber veneer, made from well-aged driftwood timber, and gorgeous satin chrome hardware.

Visiting Studio B in recent weeks was the Dresden Dolls' Amanda Palmer, tracking basics for her new project, produced by Tim Smolens of Estradasphere and engineered by Bay Area fixture Justin Phelps. The session featured Amanda on piano and vocals and Tim's Estradasphere bandmate Lee Smith on drums, and made use of Studio B's 9ft Baldwin concert grand, our extensive drum selection, some of our favorite vintage microphones, and the tie lines to the Prairie Room for a live echo chamber.
Artists working in Studio A this summer have included Martha Davis, who spent a week in A with producer/ engineer Matt Morgan and producer/band member Nick Johns mixing her new Motels album "Beautiful Life". Martha had last visited Prairie Sun in June `05 to do some basic tracking in Studio B. For the mix, engineer Morgan integrated the multitude of tracks, plug-ins, and submixing done within his Sonar DAW with the SSL in A, breaking out channels via the D/A on our newly-upgraded RADAR 24 to take advantage of our vintage analog outboard and both of our live echo chambers.

One of Studio A's more recent occupants was rapper Myka Nyne, working on a project produced by the Organized Elements production team and and engineered by Matt Kelley. Based out of Los Angeles, Myka Nyne is best known as the founding member of the respected Freestyle Fellowship. Organized Elements is a team of up-and-coming Bay Area producers Micah-Luc Almeida, Cameron Hunt, and Nate Cuellar. Kelley has already had an impressive career spanning 20 years of producing, engineering, and mixing in the Bay Area, primarily as a hip-hop specialist at San Francisco's Hyde Street Studios. We're quite glad Matt has finally had the chance to work in Studio A, and we hope to have him back soon.

Making way for these projects in Studio A was the completion mid-May of artist Linda Ferro's mix sessions, produced and engineered by Prairie Sun co-owner/founder Mark "Mooka" Rennick. With mastering completed by Tim Gennert for Eugene Productions, Linda's new album "Remember This" was released August 19th with a concert at the Last Day Saloon featuring a number of the top-flight players from her record.
In the last few weeks we have been happy to welcome back to Prairie Sun blues guitar-slinger Michael Lee Firkins, who has spent some time with staff engineer Jason D'Ottavio tracking and mixing material for a new instrumental release on label Magna Carta titled "Blacklight Sonata". Collecting tracks recorded at various times and places over the years, the record features an incredible array of musicians, including, among others, drummer Matt Abts and bassist Andy Hess of Gov't Mule, keyboardist Chuck Leavell (The Rolling Stones). In addition to these tracks Michael recorded new tracks here at Prairie Sun for the album, with drummer "Little Thomas" Pridgen (Mars Volta) and alternating bassists Kai Eckhardt (Garaj Mahal) and Steve Evans (Coco Montoya).

Also returning to Prairie Sun this summer was blues-rocker Stoney Curtis, overdubbing and mixing tracks for his new Shrapnel Records release, also with Jason engineering. Other sessions this season have included Mike Onesko and the Blindside Blues Band tracking and mixing with Jason D'Ottavio, Heather Combs mixing with visiting engineer Drew Fischer, Jim Boucher mixing with visiting engineer Jeffrey Norman, and the Boxcar Saints mixing with staff engineer Matt Wright.

Mooka's notes:

Though I managed to steer clear of it for the first half of the year, the gear bug bit me bad this summer, and so we once again have a whole bunch of new toys here at the studio. First and foremost are the Wunder Audio CM7 microphones, which I mentioned in the Summer Special mailing last month and of which we now own a stereo pair. So far they've been stellar, and I haven't even had the chance to try them on everything I'd like to! Wunder also sent us a couple of their PEQ-1 mic pre/EQ modules to try out, which can drop into our Neve in C or into a rack for A or B. I already know I'm at least keeping this pair, based on a wonderfully revealing recording of the Baldwin in B via our Neumann SM-69 and these incredibly open mic pres.

I auditioned this recording on the Barefoot Sound MicroMain 27's, which most certainly warrant all the hype that's surrounded them. I'm sure these relentlessly accurate speakers will become an engineer's favorite amongst the nearfield monitors in our collection. And as was mentioned in a story above, we recently upgraded our iZ RADAR 24 to the Adrenaline Plus recording engine. More than just a cool name, this upgrade allows our RADAR system to work with 24 tracks at sample rates up to 192kHz, and has vastly improved the sound of the A/D and D/A conversion beyond even the RADAR's already superior sound. Please read on for this month's staff profile.

Prairie Sun Staff Profile: Jason D'Ottavio, Senior Staff Engineer

Born and raised in Sonoma County, our senior staff engineer, Jason D'Ottavio, graduated from the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences in 2000 and began his internship here in early 2001. Jason then served as Studio Manager at Prairie Sun for two years, during which time he was a key participant in the construction of the new Studio A. All the while learning the craft as an assistant engineer, Jason applied that knowledge to become an invaluable member of our engineering corps.

Since that time Jason has amassed an impressive credit list as an engineer/mixer, working with such artists as Michael Schenker, Steel Train, Watch Them Die, Eric Gales, George Lynch, Luvplanet, Near Life, Pat Travers, Marc Ford, Brides of Destruction, Joe Louis Walker, and Ramblin' Jack Elliot. Besides working as my right-hand man on a host of projects I've produced, he has also worked with such well-respected producers as Stephen Barncard, Jack Blades, Michael Lardie, Roy Rogers, and Mike Varney. All of this work has allowed Jason to develop a diverse skill set that leaves him especially suited to take on projects in any variety of genres.

Sincerely,


Mark "Mooka" Rennick
Prairie Sun Recording

phone: (707) 795-7011

  

P.O. Box 7084 
Cotati, CA  94931
tel: 707-795-7011
fax: 707-795-1259
email: info@prairiesun.com