Artist Spotlight: Slash
"It's been an interesting road from the mid 90s up until now,” says Slash. "I never stopped to think, ‘What am I gonna to do in the long term?' Or ruminated on my solo career, where it was heading. I've just been jamming around, going wherever the muse has taken me. And this is the first time where I feel like I'm in the saddle and riding my own destiny with some genuine focus.”
For fans who've tracked the broken glass and ruby slipper journey of Guns N' Roses lead guitarist since the release of Appetite for Destruction two days before his 22nd birthday 25 years ago this July, one can't help but be radioactive with enthusiasm. Apocalyptic Love is not just a new record by the storied musician with the black top hat and magical gift for riff, for Slash and his three co-conspirators; it is, indeed, destiny. And everyone involved is poised for the ride.
"The entire album was recorded like a live performance record where the band was all set up together in the big room,” observes producer Eric Valentine, whose Barefoot Recording Studios in Hollywood provided the fertile sonic soil for Love to blossom. "Slash played his solos live as the drums were going down. The vocals were overdubbed because Myles Kennedy was playing rhythm guitar live. The whole thing is Todd Kerns' bass, Brent Fitz' drums, and two main guitars. Slash played the solos while the band was jamming so we didn't have to go back and overdub solos either, which he really dug.”
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Warren Huart is a British Producer based in Los Angeles, he is known for his hard work ethic, positive attitude and respect for the artist's vision. With over 20 years of experience in the music industry he is a songwriting multi instrumentalist who produces, engineers and mixes. His studios are equipped with an array of both vintage and modern tube and solid state gear. He records on both Studer tape machines and Pro Tools. His resume includes some of the biggest artists in the world such as The Fray, Aerosmith, James Blunt and Kris Allen to name just a few.
BAE Gear: Warren Huart uses the BAE 1073, 10DC, 312A and 1073DMP.
Rammstein is a Neue Deutsche Härte/industrial metal band formed in Germany in 1993. Initiated by former 'Orgasm Death Gimmick' guitarist Richard Kruspe along with guitarist Paul Landers, keyboardist Christian Flake Lorenz (the two both ex-Feeling B), drummer Christoph Schneider, bassist Oliver Riedel and ex-champion swimmer Till Lindemann at vocals.
The majority of their songs are in German, but they have also performed songs entirely or partially in other languages including English, Spanish, French and Russian. As of 2014, they have sold over 10 million records worldwide.[4] Rammstein's award-winning live shows are renowned for their pyrotechnic elements and both on- and off-stage theatrics. Rammstein's entire catalogue is published by Universal Music Group.
Their first song, "Rammstein", was about a crash incident during a airshow. They keep the name and were signed by label Motor in Germany. After a couple of hit singles in their home country, they released a first album, "Herzeleid", in 1995. The next year, David Lynch licensed two "Rammstein" songs for the soundtrack of his movie Lost Highway (1997). Before that, the band never released a track in America. In 1997, the second album "Sehnsucht" went on to surprisingly sell over half a million copies in the United States. The hit "Du Hast" played in German on the radio even if "Rammstein" recorded an English version of the song. They released live video and album "Live Aus Berlin" in 1999 and hit back in 2001 with the long-awaited album "Mutter".
-Richard Kruspe
BAE Gear: Rammstein use the BAE 1032.
Plug and Play: BAE Audio 1073 Preamplifier and 10DC Compressor Take Superstar Guitarist Billy Morrison’s Studio Sound to the Next Level
BAE Audio Combo Delivers World Class Performance in the Project Studio for Billy Idol's Guitarist
Superstar guitarist Billy Morrison has a busy schedule. Whether he’s gearing up for a Las Vegas residency with Billy Idol, recording and releasing solo albums with collaborators like Ozzy Osbourne, or playing top LA venues with Dave Navarro in their band Royal Machines, Morrison is perpetually evolving as a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Since time is always of the essence for Morrison, having the capability to lay down 'no-compromise quality' guitar, bass, and vocal tracks at his home project studio is a must. His go-to signal chain is a 'modern vintage' combination of the BAE Audio 1073 preamplifier and 10DC compressor, both of which stand at the ready to capture his sounds with the renowned analog warmth of old-world vintage consoles.
Becoming Re-acquainted with an Old Friend
Morrison knew about BAE Audio gear well before it became a key component of his home studio setup. “Having a recording career for quite a long time, I knew exactly who BAE Audio was,” Morrison says. “I’ve worked with a lot of different producers and writers, many of whom had BAE gear in their rack,” including frequent collaborator Steve Stevens, he notes. Before long, Morrison acquired a pair each of BAE Audio 1073 rack units and 10DC compressors for himself. “I try to invest in the best compressors and preamps I can get on the premise that if I don’t like the music that comes out I know it’s not the gear’s fault, I just don’t like my songwriting,” he jokes. “BAE gear is as high in quality as you can get in audio engineering, so I know that sound-wise, everything I record will be top notch.”
Vintage Sounds You Can Count On
Morrison takes a somewhat unusual approach to setting up the signal paths in his studio. “There’s no patch bay — it’s all about having quality, dedicated signal paths for specific inputs,” he explains. “I’ve got dedicated chains for guitar, bass, and vocals, which are always set up and ready to go.” Morrison’s bass guitar and vocal chain both sport the BAE 1073 and 10DC combination. The 1073’s Carnhill St. Ives transformers bring an authentic dimension of warmth and clarity to his bass guitar tracks, helping them sit easily in a mix. Also, Morrison says the 1073 is especially versatile on vocal applications: “Once you start to understand the sweepable EQ on the 1073 and what different amounts of gain do to a signal, there’s almost an infinite amount of tweakability when you’re setting up a vocal sound," he says.
The sweet analog compression of the 10DC has been a standout for Morrison. Though his two 10DCs are racked to be ready for bass and vocals, he is not afraid to send other sources through their transformer-coupled, all-discrete circuitry. “The 10DC is my secret weapon for every instrument and on vocals, it’s my absolute favorite thing,” he reveals. Morrison is particularly effusive about the improvements his BAE Audio gear has brought to light in his vocal chain. “Before I had BAE in my rack, I went through all kinds of different preamps and compressors. But I always felt like they colored the sound when I didn’t want color, and when I wanted color I couldn’t get the right color. It’s easy to get a great sound with the BAE Audio gear," he says. “It’s crystal clear when that’s the sound you want, and beautifully colored when you need it to be.”
Mix-Ready Tracking at Home
Now, after having integrated BAE Audio in his set-up, Morrison is able to track the bulk of his records at home. “Two thirds of my most recent solo album that came out last month, God Shaped Hole, was tracked at home — pretty much everything except drums,” he says. “Now, there’s no need to make demos. I’m already recording things at the highest level of quality from the get-go.” Morrison knows that his BAE 1073 and 10DC rack units will remain part of his signal chain for a long time to come. “Whenever I record I use the BAE Audio gear," he says. “It’s in the rack for a reason — I love it and everything gets plugged into it.”
White Lung Looks to BAE Audio’s Vintage Preamp Designs to Achieve a Modern Sound on Paradise
BAE Audio’s 1073MP and 1073DMP is used on Everything from Vocals to Bass on Hotly Anticipated Record by the Indie-Punk Darlings, Helping Achieve an 'Urgent' and 'Balanced' Sound
When high-energy indie-punk rockers White Lung got together with producer Lars Stalfors to begin work on their new record ‘Paradise,’ they made it clear that they were after a sound that was more than a mere simulacrum of the punk rock of yesteryear. “They were very clear that they wanted something new and modern,” Stalfors says. “They didn’t want something consciously vintage sounding, they wanted a big sound that took advantage of all the technical resources they had available.” To achieve the sound of the today, Stalfors turned to a modern take on a classic, the BAE Audio 1073MP and 1073DMP preamplifiers.
Foundational Sound
Most of the tracking for Paradise was done at Studio B of Palmquist Studios in Los Angeles, which Stalfors rents as his home base. There, his 1073MP found its way onto every bass, guitar, and vocal track White Lung laid down. The 1073DMP was an all-star on bass, allowing Stalfors to capture a musical direct signal courtesy of its Jensen DI transformer, while using a thru output to send signal to an amp, which he in turn miced through his 1073MP. “Everything except multitracked drums went through the 1073, and that’s only because I didn’t have enough channels.” Stalfors was clear about how a vintage design fits into a modern studio signal path. “This is a design that simply hasn’t been improved upon. It always sounds good, especially when you start layering tracks.”
Sonic Glue
One of the trademark sounds of Paradise is the urgent, yet tight and balanced, overdriven guitars of Kenneth Williams. “That’s the guitar going into the DI of the 1073DMP thru to an amp. Then I’ve got a dynamic mic and a ribbon mic on the amp going through the 1073MP,” Stalfors says. The 1073MP also shone on singer Mish Way’s in-your-face vocals, which sit comfortably atop White Lung’s wall of drums and guitars. The classic tonal characteristics of the BAE1073’s Carnhill-St. Ives transformers helped Stalfors maintain balance in the hotly contest midrange frequencies. “The BAE 1073 really pulls together the midrange on things like guitars and vocals, which just makes my life easier in mixing, especially on a record like this that can get pretty aggressive in the upper mids.”
Forward Motion
Stalfors prioritizes keeping the flow of his sessions going and tries to spend minimal time on gear decisions: that’s why the BAE Audio 1073 fits perfectly into his workflow. “There’s nothing more than a time kill or a vibe kill than doing a mic pre shootout,” Stalfors says. “That’s why I use the BAE 1073 on everything, I know it sounds great and it’s going to work in the mix.” Stalfors also appreciates the reliability and predictability of BAE Audio gear, which is handwired in California. “I don’t particularly care for vintage gear because of the temperamental aspect of it. My worst nightmare is when I’m at a studio and they’re like ‘you should try all the mic pres, they all sound a little different’. I just want the best sounding one, and the BAE Audio preamps are exactly that,” he says.
Classic Sound To Go
While the 1073MP is Stalfors’ studio workhorse, the 1073DMP has become his first choice no matter where he is recording, finding its way onto each recording he touches. “What I love about the 1073DMP is that it’s so versatile and I can bring it with me anywhere.” In addition to its great sound, Stalfors cites useful features such as its included ‘Bootsy Collins mod’, which adds a Jensen DI transformer, two thru outputs, and a built-in power supply. “I can throw it in my backpack, fly to New York, and know I’ll have that great result with me. Whatever system I put it in front of, I know that I’m going to get what I’m looking for.” Recently, it has been a key part of signal chains for the next record by The Cold War Kids, as well as a handful of hip-hop projects. “Anything that’s coming out with me will have the 1073DMP on it. It is my mic pre for everything.”
BAE 1073s Serve as the Primary Stereo Inputs at Derek Sherinian's Beachwood Manor Studios
For a premier keyboardist such as Derek Sherinian, whose accomplishments are truly diverse and far reaching, it is hard to highlight any single moment in his past success. There is the five years where he served as a member of Dream Theater, and the countless touring and recording work he has done with the likes of Kiss, Alice Cooper, Billy Idol, Al DiMeola, and many others. Perhaps most exciting for Sherinian, is his work with Black Country Communion — a 'supergroup' comprised of Glen Hughes on bass, Joe Bonamassa on guitar, Jason Bonham on drums and himself on keyboards. Between 2009 and 2013, Black Country Communion recorded three albums and toured internationally to enthusiastic audiences around the world. Recently, as Black Country Communion announced its reunion, Sherinian has been gearing up his Burbank, Calif.—based Beachwood Manor Studios with the inimitable BAE Audio 1073 preamplifier/EQ.
BAE 1073 Delivers Sonic Sauce for Derek Sherinian's 'Wall of Keyboards' as Black Country Communion Reunion is Announced
Perhaps the most distinctive feature in Beachwood Manor Studios is 'The Wall' — Sherinian's massive collection of vintage keyboards and synthesizers. His collection features models including Hammond B3, Hohner Clavinet, SCI Prophet V, Fender Rhodes, Minimoog and many others. "My keyboard set up is pretty elaborate and it has been a dream of mine for a long time to have all these keyboards under one roof at my disposal," he says. "Everything I have here runs through either my BAE 1073 or my BAE 1073 MP. I recently picked up two of the BAE 1073s at the recommendation of my friend Simon Philips — now I run my B3 through the 1073 MP and all my other keyboards through the BAE 1073."
His decision to fortify his keyboard arsenal with two BAE 1073s couldn't have come at a better time. Sherinian's band Black Country Communion announced last April that they will be reuniting following a break-up in 2013. Sherinian is looking forward to going 'all-in' as the band looks to start recording a new album in January at East West Studios in Hollywood: "Time heals all wounds, and I think everyone in the band realized that there was something really special that happened when the four of us got together," he observes. "I think in the end, the music supersedes anything else that goes on. We are all in it to make a killer record and maybe play some shows next year, so I am excited about that."
Sherinian plans on bringing his entire keyboard arsenal to the recording sessions, including his BAE 1073 mic pre. "In my studio, the BAE 1073 is now my main mic pre," he says. "I use it if I have a guitar player coming through, or on any one of my 25 keyboards. It adds a warmth and fatness that was not there before. And if you drive it, it responds — you just get a nice, killer sound." For now, Sherinian is using the BAE 1073 in preproduction, working on various riffs and content that he is planning on presenting to the band this winter, prior to the recording session. "I am collecting ideas; then I will go back, evaluate everything and weed out the nuggets," he says.
After getting the BAE recommendation, Sherinian did several A/B tests against competitors to properly evaluate the BAE 1073 and ensure it passed muster. "The BAE units sounded warmer and tighter. The other units sounded thin by comparison and just didn't work out. I think if you are a studio owner, it is very important to have some quality mic pres," he concludes. "For now, I couldn't be happier with my BAE 1073s. They are of the highest quality and are super-versatile."
BAE Gear: 1073, 1073MP
Greg Fidelman and Metallica Ready to Track Any Instrument, Any Time with BAE 1073 and 1028 Preamps
Metallica Expands Its Vintage Channel Count with BAE Preamps to Facilitate Great Sound That Is Ready-to-Go 24/7
When Metallica and producer Greg Fidelman hunkered down to begin work on the legendary band’s latest record, he knew he needed the flexibility to hop in and out of the band’s studio and from instrument to instrument with ease. “They’re really busy guys, so we wanted to have all of our sounds for drums, bass, and guitar set up all at once and leave them that way,” Fidelman says. “That way they can get in there and cut a few takes without having to spend time dialing in sounds or breaking down mics each time.”
He knew that the (30) channels of vintage preamps the band had already in the studio would not be enough to simultaneously facilitate the multi-mic drum sound and detailed guitar micing setups he was envisioning for the sessions. He turned to BAE Audio preamplifiers to nearly double his available inputs, matching the classic sound of Metallica’s existing vintage gear with the added reliability of BAE’s modern construction and components.
A New Classic
Fidelman had first worked with BAE Audio preamplifiers on a recent Slipknot record he was producing. “On that record we were working on a full vintage console but had to change studios halfway through recording to one with a more modern console,” Fidelman recalls. “The band was concerned about retaining a consistent guitar sound so we took extensive notes of our mic placements and EQ settings and took snapshots of direct and reamped guitar to test in the new space. The new studio had a rack full of BAE 1073s and other BAE preamplifiers so we ran everything through those with our notated settings and A/B'd it with what we had done in the previous studio.” Fidelman said the results were indistinguishable. “I think if anything our sounds were 5-10% better because of the new components in the BAE gear,” he adds.
Fitting Right In with the Original
Fidelman’s experience with BAE Audio gear on the Slipknot record gave him the confidence to recommend it for the Metallica sessions to expand their vintage input count. He procured (11) channels of the BAE Audio 1073 and (8) channels of the 1028 in a mix of module and standalone rack format. Fidelman opted for the mix of vintage and new vintage inputs over the studio’s built-in modern console because of the unique qualities of the vintage circuit design.
“With the 1073, the way you can manipulate the bottom end is pretty unique, with the low-end boost and the filter working together,” Fidelman says. “There’s also a quality to the top end that’s always musical. If you need a little extra you can really dig into it without it becoming harsh. And not just the high frequency boost/cut, but also the higher frequencies in the midrange band.”
Fidelman notes that the midrange band is particularly key for articulating the top end of kick and snare drums. “It’s pleasing with drums, you can boost what you want without the other garbage,” he says. “To get the core guitar sounds for Metallica I’m sometimes routing a mic into the 1073 and then out into the direct input of another 1073 or 1028 to get access to another midrange or low end band for extra control.” Fidelman appreciates the additional frequency selections provided by the 1028 on things like overheads. “You can dig in deeply with some of those additional frequencies to define the sound you’re looking for,” he says. “It provides the versatility I need.”
Great Sound, Worry-Free
Though Fidelman says he “grew up” on vintage consoles and loves their sound, he acknowledges that working with older gear has its perils. “I was working at a studio in Hollywood recently with a (great) vintage desk, but even with the techs working through one or two modules every day, the reality was that stuff was failing faster than they could keep up with,” Fidelman says. “BAE has nailed the sound and since you’re not dealing with 30-year old contacts, dusty pots, and worn connectors it’s way more reliable.” Both preamps sport the same Carnhill/St Ives transformers specified in the original vintage circuit design and feature BAE’s renowned hand-wired construction, conducted at their facility in California, enabling them to capture the vintage sound that has been the signature of many beloved recordings.
Ready to Rock, 24/7
Fidelman and the band’s approach have proven fruitful over the course of the tracking sessions. “We began these sessions back in June and have been tracking bits and pieces as recently as two weeks ago,” Fidelman says. “We never had to stop and reset things to switch instruments, and we’ve got consistent sound on every single channel, whether it’s with our vintage channels or the BAE channels. We can hop from laying down Kirk’s guitars to Lars’s drums seamlessly and know we have sounds worthy of a Metallica record ready to go at all times.”
Working in tandem with vintage and “new vintage” gear by BAE Audio, Fidelman has also kept a coherent and consistent sound on a record that’s been in process for several months. “There are always interruptions when you’re working on a high-profile record, but we were able to eliminate technical interruptions from the project with the consistency and reliability of BAE hardware, all without sacrificing that vintage sound that I love.” BAE preamps are the new first choice for Fidelman. “I can’t really tell the difference between BAE and the original.”