Michael Romanowski

Club Cubase meets again at Michael Romanowski Mastering in San Francisco

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:00:50 +0000

www.steinberg.net/clubcubase
Club Cubase is a FREE interactive users group supporting all Steinberg software and hardware system solutions. Join Steinberg North America Product Specialists, seasoned professionals and new users to share tips, tricks and insights into the world’s most advanced audio production tools. Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to learn how to create, edit, mix and deliver your production entirely from your computer.
DATE: LOCATION: TIME:
February 16
Michael Romanowski Mastering
7 PM
RSVP to Studio@MichaelRomanowski.com

Mastering Laurel Zucker with Leslie Ann Jones

admin — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 16:24:03 +0000

Michael Romanowski Masters “Laurel Zucker” Project for Producer Leslie Ann Jones
Award-winning Artist’s New “Journeys” Album of Flute Concertos Mastered in San Francisco

San Francisco, CA – December 1, 2011 – Mastering Engineer Michael Romanowski recently completed the CD master for award-winning artist Laurel Zucker’s new “Journeys” release. The album of Zucker’s original flute concertos was produced by Laurel Zucker and long-time Bay Area recording engineer and producer Leslie Ann Jones and recorded at Skywalker Sound in Marin County, CA. Ms. Jones brought the project to Romanowski’s San Francisco mastering studio and listened back on the studio’s Focal Grand Utopia speakers making final adjustments for the master of Zucker’s flute performances. Ms. Jones is currently mastering several projects with Romanowski at his SF studio.

“Michael always manages to sprinkle just the right amount of fairy dust on my mixes,” says Ms. Jones. “His mastering suite is a great place to make critical decisions when necessary.”

Zucker’s new album “Journeys” is a collection of her own compositions including movements of flute concertos such as Sphinx, Alexandria and Cairo from the Cairo Flute Concerto, and the California Flute Concerto among many other selections. In 1978 Zucker won the Artists International Competition, which launched her Carnegie Recital Hall debut. At the age of 16 Zucker performed 1st flute in the Alexander Schneider Orchestra at in Carnegie Hall and Kennedy Center. Over the past decades she has released over 50 highly regarded albums of classical repertoire, as well as original compositions and toured the world.

Grammy-winning engineer and producer Leslie Ann Jones has worked in the San Francisco Bay Area for many years engineering a wide range of major projects including film scores such as Apocalypse Now, Good Night and Good Luck, jazz albums for Herbie Hancock and Marcus Miller, classical music including the Kronos Quartet and in pop, rock and blues for BB King, Carlos Santana, John Mayall, Michael Feinstein and Rosemary Clooney among many others. Today, as the head of the recording and scoring department at George Lucas’ Skywalker Sound, Ms. Jones has added major video game scores, to her credits including Pirates of the Caribbean, Uncharted, Knights of the Old Republic, and the just released Anniversary edition of Halo, to name only a select few. Ms. Jones received a Grammy(r) Award for Best Engineered Album, Classical for Eliesha Nelson’s Quincy Porter: The Complete Viola Works.

Visit the Skywalker Sound website for more information on Leslie Ann Jones: http://www.skysound.com/

Michael Romanowski has mastered music in the San Francisco Bay Area since his move from Nashville in 1994. He recently became President of the San Francisco chapter of the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) and he is currently serving as the Chairman of the SF NARAS chapter’s Producers & Engineers Wing. Romanowski traces his legacy through several generations of mastering engineers in the Bay Area from George Horn and Phil Brown to Paul Stubblebine. He has worked with seminal San Francisco artists including Norton Buffalo, Third Eye Blind, Big Brother and the Holding Company, George Winston, Pat Monahan, Jacqui Naylor, Spencer Day, Suzanne Ciani, Joe Craven and many other national and international artists and producers. Romanowski’s mastering room features: Pacific Microsonics Model 2 A/D/A converters, Focal Grand Utopia EM speakers, ATR 102 1-inch two-track tape deck, along with a host of other definitive analog and digital audio equipment.

Contact Michael Romanowski Mastering at (510)-882-8555 or visit: http://www.michaelromanowski.com

Mastering Engineer Michael Romanowski Adds “Requisite Audio” Limiter to his San Francisco Studio

admin — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 19:17:36 +0000

This got picked up by Mixonline. Thanks Mix!

Mastering Engineer Michael Romanowski Adds “Requisite Audio” Limiter to his San Francisco Studio

San Francisco, CA – October 19, 2011 – Mastering Engineer Michael Romanowski recently installed the Requisite Audio L2M Mk III M/S Version dual channel mastering limiter in his San Francisco mastering studio. The L2M Mk III is an optical limiter based on classic designs of the early 1960s featuring point-to-point hand-wiring, as they were, but includes many technical improvements aimed at offering the mastering engineer specialized capabilities such as make-up gain settings to +17dB in 1dB stepped increments, control of vacuum tube harmonics, frequency-based limiter response and more. Romanowski has a thriving audio mastering business in the heart of San Francisco, serving the diverse local music community as well as national and international clients.

“The Requisite Audio L2M Mk III is a great addition to my mastering equipment line-up,” states Romanowski. “It certainly offers me a totally new palette of sound control for making clients’ masters. Having a wider choice of outboard gear with impeccable specs and unique control like the L2M lets me get even deeper into the sound.”

Other unique L2M Mk III features include the ‘Limiter Feedback’ adjustment for controlling the amount of vacuum tube harmonic texture and amount, giving the engineer control of even more sonic shaping. The variable ‘Limiter Response’ control allows gain reduction to work less obtrusively at low frequencies, offering a significant smoothing of mid and high frequencies above 1-kHz and a tight and ‘punchy’ bass response in lower frequencies.

Besides its strong mastering feature set, the L2M Mk III limiter is also meant to support live tracking and mixing with capabilities such as ‘Mid /Side’ for stereo tracks recorded using stereo micing techniques, and a ‘Stereo Level Ride’ control allowing the engineer to make manual adjustments to level transitions within the analog domain.

Contact Michael Romanowski Mastering at (510)-882-8555 or visit: http://michaelromanowski.com

See more information on the Requisite Audio L2M Mk III M/S Version Limiter here: http://www.requisiteaudio.com

San Francisco NARAS Chapter

admin — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 22:48:02 +0000

We are proud to announce that Michael has just become the new President of the San Francisco NARAS Chapter. Michael was recently elected by the board of governors to the office of Vice President. The previous President, Michael Winger, has accepted the job of Executive Director of the chapter. Michael stepped up to the new role. In addition, Michael will remain chair of the Producers and engineers wing of the chapter. Engineer veteran Judy Kirschner will join the P&E wing as co-chair.

Club Cubase San Francisco September 22nd, 2011

admin — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 22:30:17 +0000

Gren Ondo will be coming back to the Bay Area to show some new Steinberg software and hardware. Please get in touch with me at studio@michaelromanowski.com to let me know if you are coming. The event will be held again at the studio at 1340 Mission Street, San Francisco CA 94104
These events are getting larger and larger. Space is somewhat limited, so a head count is much appreciated.
Last time we met, Greg was not able to come, so we had a 3 hour session talking about mastering. A full house full of great questions. We may touch on that a bit this time, but only as a follow up. We will do the mastering discussion again at a later date.

Universal Audio ATR-102 article

admin — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 22:19:36 +0000

Check out the great article by Michael Gallant for Universal Audio describing the Ampex ATR 102.
UA came to the studio and modeled our ATR 102 that had been modified for 1″ record and playback. I think they did an excellent job reproducing the character of this machine. Thanks to all UA for all of their hard work to capture a very important and seminal sound in the record making process.

Posted by Michael Gallant on September 19, 2011 10:39:31 AM PT

The Ampex ATR-102 Professional Tape Recorder.
For more than three decades, the Ampex® ATR-102 two-channel tape recorder has imparted the final cohesive sound to countless recordings with its distinctive low-end punch and ability to provide unique saturation and color. Even circa 2011, where a huge number of recordings are tracked and mixed completely within the digital realm with no analog processing whatsoever, many an audio engineer still want to pass an album’s final mixdown through the ATR-102 to give it that final mastering “glue.”

Read on for a look inside the legacy of the ATR-102 tape machine and more on the sound qualities that make it so desirable for producers and mastering engineers alike. You can also get more information on Universal Audio’s ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder Plug-In for UAD-2 here.

ABC used the Ampex Model 200 for the first ever
tape-delayed radio broadcast of the Bing Crosby Show.
Ampex and Innovation

Established in 1944 by Russian-American electrical engineer Alexander M. Poniatoff, the Ampex Electric and Manufacturing Company derived its iconic moniker from the initials of Poniatoff’s name, plus the “e” and “x” of “excellence.” Operating to this very day in Northern California, the unmissable AMPEX sign can still be seen while driving highway 101 on the San Francisco Bay Peninsula.

The company first gained widespread visibility in 1947 with the release of the Ampex Model 200 tape recorder, which Bing Crosby famously used to broadcast the United States’ first tape-delayed radio show the year after. In 1956, CBS aired the first videotape-delayed broadcast, using Ampex’s Mark IV. A year later, the company won an Emmy® for video recording innovations. Ampex’s technologies continued to play key roles in journaling a diverse array of major events, including Elvis Presley’s first single, the live assassination of Lee Harvey Oswald, and the first videotape images of the Earth from the Moon. These, among many other seminal moments, were all recorded on Ampex inventions.

Unlike many companies known for music technology, Ampex’s business covered a much larger range of markets, perhaps one of the most unusual being national defense. In 1950, the company produced a Model 500 instrumentation recorder for use by the United States Navy. Ampex tape recorders were also used to help monitor and analyze guided missile flights. As a rocket would launch and carry out its flight path, coded data would be broadcast via radio to ground stations positioned along its trajectory. Ampex tape recorders documented these signals which contained data relating to the missile’s speed, fuel consumption, skin temperature, and other factors. By splicing the tapes from different ground stations together, technicians were able to reconstruct and document details from the projectile’s journey.

With thousands of patents to its name, the company has also won numerous awards since that first Emmy in 1957. Ampex received its 12th Emmy nod in 2005 for innovations in slow-motion color recording and playback. In 2008, the company was given a Technical GRAMMY® award, recognizing its contributions to the world of recording technology.

Its ease of use, reliability, and cohesive sound made the
Ampex ATR-102 a staple in the modern recording studio.
Enter the ATR-102

In 1976, the ATR-102 Professional Tape Recorder was introduced at the Audio Engineering Society convention, and emerged as the most ubiquitous model in the ATR-100 line. Other models included the ATR-116 and ATR-124 tape recorders –16- and 24-track models that were more expensive and difficult to maintain. Today, these two multi-track ATRs are coveted collectors items.

The ATR-102 itself was discontinued in 1982, but it quickly became a widespread favorite amongst recording and broadcasting professionals. To date, it continues to be held in high esteem by many recording and mastering engineers as the top choice tape machine for final mixdown.

It’s All About the Sound

The secret behind the ATR-102’s original success was its transparent sound and rock-solid reliability. “The 102 has a very flat frequency response, tight tolerance, and sounds fantastic,” says mastering engineer Matthew Gray. “This makes it ideal for accurate transfers. It’s also a very robust, reliable machine with the fastest winding speed I’ve seen on any tape machine.”

The sonic accuracy that the ATR-102 provides as compared to other tape machines made it a staple in many 20th century recording studios. However, compared to the colorless sound of digital audio, the legendary Ampex machine is now used more for its unique analog tape warmth characteristics. Like many, Gray now uses the ATR-102 for “lay-back mastering, in order to smooth out some harsh digital recordings without losing too much detail.”

The characteristically unmistakable sound of the ATR-102 has a low noise floor, wide and deep soundstage, fat low end, and an excited high end that extends beautifully without getting shrill or harsh. Various genres can benefit from this tape “warmth,” including rock, blues, folk, indie, metal, and even hip hop recordings. Not all recordings benefit, however –– mixes that are already full in the low frequencies, or are heavily compressed, will have the low end exaggerated to the point of muddiness.

The variety of available tape speeds on the ATR-102 gives engineers the flexibility to experiment with varying ranges of fidelity, from near-pristine audio quality to a more classic, colored, analog-tape sound. At a tape speed of 30 IPS (inches per second), more tape is being used, thus more audio signal is being captured than at, for example, 15 IPS. The higher speed makes for a lower signal-to-noise ratio and a more transparent sound. At slower speeds, such as 15, 7.5, or 3.75 IPS, the warm analog character begins to emerge. The ability to switch easily between differing degrees of these characteristics is a large part of the ATR-102’s success.

The transport controls of the ATR-102.
The Stable Mechanics of the ATR-102

The ATR-102’s sound may have made it the king of the mixdown decks, but the stability of its design is what kept it there. Ampex’s designers went to great lengths to ensure that the transport of the ATR-102 was smooth at varying tape speeds to create a consistent sound and predictable response.

“Ampex did a very good job of keeping electronic noise out of it,” says mastering engineer and longtime ATR-102 user Michael Romanowski. “You don’t get motor noise seeping into the heads and added to playback or recording. Other machines sometimes suffer from that. Also, because of its overall clarity, you’re able to hear a real difference when you use different tape speeds.”

How did they do this? For starters, the designers of the ATR-102 did not use the standard pinch rollers to guide the tape. These often-rubberized wheels typically pressed the moving tape against the recorders magnetic erase, write, and read heads. Since the ATR-102 was specifically created to maintain constant tension on the tape, regardless of the size of the tape reel being used or the position of the tape in the reel, pinch rollers went out the window.

In addition, the ATR-102 was built with an unusually large capstan drive wheel, roughly 2 ⅜” in diameter, with one revolution being equal to 7 ½” of tape. Ampex designed the size of the capstan to specifically fit intervals of time, with a speed of 30″ of tape per second equaling four capstan revolutions per second.

In addition to its timing precision, another benefit of a larger capstan is the machine’s resistance to “run-out” — and the resulting tape flutter — which occurs when a rotating shaft gets bent and doesn’t revolve consistently. “The [capstan] shaft simply can’t be made or supported in its bearing perfectly,” said one Ampex engineer. “That run-out translates directly to flutter . . . The larger you make the capstan radius, maintaining the same number for the run-out, say one one-thousandth of an inch, the more you proportionately reduce your flutter.”

The bi-directional servo motors that power the ATR-102’s transport are rated at a beefy ¼ horsepower. This is significantly more juice than is needed just to move tape, but the added power aids the machine’s stability. Furthermore, given the servo motors’ ability to sense and react to changes in tension, the ATR-102 does an admirable job of keeping tape tension constant throughout a recording, mastering, or playback session.

With easily accessible components and
calibration settings, the ATR-102 is easy to customize.
Customizability is Key

The robust backbone and simplicity of design makes the ATR-102 open to easy customization by engineers. Adjusting the machine for different tape widths is relatively straightforward — just change the head stack and two guides, one on the left and one on the right. On other tape machines, adjusting for different tape widths can be a more arduous task, with more rollers, guides, and trickier head stacks to navigate.

Inside the ATR-102, the I/O module and alignment electronics are easily accessible, adding to ease of replacement and customization. Various updates and “hot rods” are common.

“Our machine was sourced from the University of Wisconsin, from where it was shipped directly to ATR Services for a complete internal rebuild with the highest grade components,” explains mastering engineer Matthew Gray. “This rebuild also included an exchange of the stock electronics for Aria Class A Reference Series electronics and flux magnetics mastering grade half-inch heads which gives it maximum transparency and detail.”

Regardless of whether you’re a reggae aficionado, classical buff, or hard rock devotee, chances are you’ve heard the unmistakeable analog richness of the ATR-102 on countless recordings over the last three decades. Thanks to its unique combination of sonic integrity, mechanical robustness, adjustability, and overall excellence in design and construction, the tape recorder has locked in a revered place in audio history – and helped define the identity of contemporary recorded sound in the process.

Special thanks to engineers Matthew Gray (www.matthewgraymastering.com) andMichael Romanowski (www.michaelromanowski.com), and UA Product Manager Will Shanks for their help with this article.

Club Cubase

admin — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 22:05:43 +0000

икониApril 25 2011

Club Cubase San Francisco is pleased to announce their next meeting to be held on Monday April 25th at Michael Romanowski Mastering. This month Greg Ondo from Steinberg North America will be showcasing the new features of Cubase 6 including new drum editing tools, VST Amp Rack, Comping, VST Note Expression, HALion Sonic SE and much more. Don’t miss this speciall opportunity to see this exciting new Cubase version in action. Please RSVP to Michael Romanowski at Studio@Michaelomanowski.com

NARAS Board Elections

admin — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 20:34:29 +0000

Michael has just been elected to serve as the Vice-President of the San Francisco chapter of NARAS. The National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences, probably best known for the Grammy awards, is a great organization that provides all kinds of services and information for professionals working in the music industry. More information about the organization can be found on the NARAS web site.

michael-romanowski

admin — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 22:22:26 +0000

почистване

Studio Gear

Michael — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 18:30:00 +0000

(Please click on any image to see a larger view.)

The Mastering Room

Tape Machines

Lathe 2

A partial list of hardware and software

Sonic Studio SoundBlade (2)
Manley Mastering Backbone Analog Insert Controller
Focal Grand Utopia EM Monitors
EAR 825 (pair)
EAR 660 (pair)
EAR 822 (pair)
Requisite Audio LM2 MK III
Scully Cutting Lathe with Neumann cutting head and custom electronics
Pacific Microsonics Model 2 A/D/A converters (2)
Weiss DS1 MK3
Weiss EQ1 Mk2 LP
VTL Siegfried Mono Block Amps
Dolby SR/A Stereo cards (6)
ATR 102 (4) – (1″ two track) – (1/2 ” two track) – (1/4″ two track) – (1/4″ four track)
Ampex MM1200 (1″ Eight track, 1″ two track)
Nuendo 5

Tom Littlefield Testimonial

admin — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 17:26:33 +0000

Jonathan Bright and I asked Michael Romanowski to master our “Treatment Bound-A Ukulele Tribute To The Replacements” project. Since this was an all ukulele record (with the exception of percussion and voices) we were in unfamiliar territory especially when it came to low end. After review of the initial reference, we weren”t completely satisfied. Mike gave us some great advice, sent us back to do a bit of remixing and then nailed it. Michael got the very best out of what we recorded. Thanks Romo!

- Tom Littlefield

NAMM 2011

Michael — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 21:37:24 +0000

I’m here at NAMM this year in LA. to speak on a panel about preparing for mastering. The panelists includes myself, mastering engineer Gavin Lurrsen an EQ Magazine editor Sarah Jones. it will be in the Hot Zone upstairs at 3:30 pm on Saturday. if you are at NAMM this year, come on in. it should be fun and informative. Gavin and Sarah are great to hang and talk shop with.

Studio History

admin — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 20:36:03 +0000

Back in 2001, Michael Romanowski, Paul Stubblebine and John Greenham went looking for a studio where they could have two dedicated mastering rooms. When they found the property at 1340 Mission Street, they leapt at the chance to work out of a building with great potential and a long audio history.

In the 1970s, 1340 Mission was the site of Coast Recorders. Bill Putnam, of Universal Audio fame, designed the recording studio. That studio is still in use today, and is the last recording studio of its size left in San Francisco.

Upon taking over the lease, Michael, Paul and former mastering engineer Phil Brown worked for six months to renovate the space and realize their vision of creating a facility for all aspects of music – from rec and mix to master.

They demolished the existing rooms, and took the entire studio down the bare walls. Then they rebuilt, designing the two mastering studios with acoustically correct room proportions, including bass traps and acoustic panels on the walls. At key points during the construction process, Michael and Paul consulted with Bob Hodas, an acoustician, to help with decisions around design, and ultimately to “tune” the room, and establish the correct speaker placement and listening position.

They also completely redesigned the lobby, and built the kitchen and bathroom areas to be more client friendly…

“We took a lot of pride in doing all the work ourselves,” says Romanowski. “It was really satisfying to craft everything by hand ~ from plastering the walls in the studios, to designing and building the kitchen. We actually steam bent the wood to create the counters, and hand built all the cupboards and cabinets. It was a lot of work, but was a labor of love.”

The vision has paid off, since all types of engineers are in place, and can address any client need related to making a record. Michael Romanowski Mastering is where he and Paul Stubblebine work, the second room houses John Greenham Mastering, and in the back, Matt Boudreau’s Broken Radio runs the tracking studio. Upstairs rooms are occupied by The Tape Project, and Michael Winger Productions.

Credits

admin — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 19:45:09 +0000

Kate Burkhart
Craig Abaya
Savid Serotkin
Cachagua Playboy’s
Kate Van Horn
Will Kimbrough
Killing Floor
Dime Store Prophets
Victor Krummeacher
Margie Adam
Joe Craven
Hoi Polloi
Stiff Richards
Chris Von Sneidern
Jim Howard
Pete Ham
Bad Finger
Swan Dive
Lee Press On and the Nails
Tha Mob
The Freeloaders
M:G
Sunkist
The Receivers
Big Brother and the Holding Company
Handieman Maurice
Kevin Kern
Suzanne Ciani
Douglas Spotted Eagle
Medicine Drum
C-Funk
Spice 1
Roger Smith
Norton Buffalo
Nicky DePaola
April Cope
Jeffrey Halford
Vernon Bush
Smokey Pete’s Cafe
Ray’s Vast Basement
Moco
Vivek Maddala
Tom Heinl
Lori Hawk
Mob Figaz
Go Go Galaxian
Seff Tha Gaffla
Pinay
Screwheads
Uzi
The Dynamites
Daddy
Tommy Wommack
Keith Greeninger
Aurical
Pyramind School
Absynth Quartet
Blame Sally
Aster Aweke
Victoria George
Joel Streeter
Megan Slankard
Side Hustle
Champagne Blvd
Audio Refuge
Adrian Bourgeous
Jacqui Naylor
Jinx Jones
Sugar Shack
Hetch Hetchy
Steven Emerson
Quinn Hedges
KFOG
Nylon Heart Attack
SIMPL3JACK
Secure Sounds
Mira Veda
Bengal and Beyond
Jane Woodman
Orange Morning
Revenant
C3 Fuzzion
Lite Brite
Adrian West
Bible Faith Remnant
George Winston
Your News Vehicle
Jesse Brewster
Con Brio
Kinsey Sicks
Forgotten Passage
Mooch Da Player
Bobby Walker
Sir Yuro
Pacific Boychoir
The Lalahs
One Cloud
Third Eye Blind
Megan Slankard
Aaron Novik
Brian Thoms
Kate Burkart
Diego’s Umbrella
Joel Streeter
TUT
Gerry Grosz
Alex Walsh
Kaura
The Greening
Kate Isenberg
Monica Pasqual
Mark Silverman
Will Kimbrough
Steven Emerson
Henrik Bridger and Barbara Jones
Fake Your Own Death
Faith In Phantoms
Biblical
David Serotkin
The Release
J.B. Blue
Joe Rut
Unequaled Clarity
Mark Kaye
Death VAlley High
Dana Lyons
Daddy
HYIM
Francesca Lee
Rick DiDia and Aireene Espiritu
Tyler Matthew Smith
Foxtail Brigade
The Blacks
Black Crown String Band
The Blank Slates
Anastacia Scott
Ras K’Dee
Carlos Jones and the Plus Band
Billy Schafer
Johnny Boyd
Beelzebubs
The Echo Falls
Felony Funk
Gypsy Dave and the Stumpjumpers
Kate Van Horn
Dredg
Rachel Efron
Scraping for Change
Steve MacFessel
Beata Pater
Kirk Hamilton
Dialectic
Distraction Fit
Transparent
Mood Swing
Alexis Harte
Learning Curve
American Radio
Liz Angelucci
Craig Abaya
Heidi Jane
Little Yellow Perfect
Gaucho
Amy Serrata
Kofy Brown
Marek Ztraceny
Love Infinity
Jack O The Clock
MMFM
Gayle Lynn and the Hired Hands
Fish For Spliffs
Casual Harmony
Nancy Cassidy
Drew Gasparini
Theodros Tadesse
ROHA Band
Mahmoud Ahmed
Grupo Falso Baiano
Andrew Thomas
Sean O’Brien
JL Stiles
Nate Bennett
The Simple Things
Dora Flood
Brian Kelly
nylonheartattack
S.F. Jazz
Parker Brothers
Kevin Cadogan
VidyA
Kyle Alden
Larry Vuckovich
Xkaliba
Breasts
Smoke Daddies
Steve Schoewben
Voices Lesbian Choral Emsemble
Maldroid
Pat Monahan
Keta Bill
Blues Country Band
Rupa and the April Fishes
Kabir Green
Ladder
Kevin Morgenstern
Broun Fellinis
Matadon
Stompy Jones
Dewayne Pate
The Grumpy
Kami Nixon
Catherine Delgadillo
Elena
JJ Schultz
Sara Furrer
Very Special Oranges
stevedood
Crackle
Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas
Dirty Penny
Outersect
Deborah Pardes
Bob Gibson
The Lovemakers
Amy Simmons
Sueco
Marsha Marquis
Jeff Jernigan
Damphibians
Back Room
Hot Farm
L’Aura
Da Hermit
Mercury Dimes
Sergio Lagos
Red Horizon
Joshua Armstrong
Elias Negash
Bayonics
Phil Hawkins
Trickle Down
Paul Jackson
Howard Wiley
Brent Malin
Casey Neil
Golden Gram
Dielectic
Beaufunk
Joan Bascom
Fred Randolph
Austin Willacy
Ervin Dinwiddie
The Morning Line
Laura Patterson
Able Abilities
The Joshi Marshall Project
Socket
Year Of The Wild Cat
Mike Beck
Hijack the Disco
Steve Daubenspeck
Seedeep
Crystal City
Even Elroy
Lipstick Conspiracy
Midnight In A Perfect World
Gary Gates
Zydeco Flames
Nubian Natty
JEDD
Anne O’Brien
Keith Greeninger
Habitforming
Back Row
Counter Productive
Epicure
Paula Fuga
Jonathan Portez
Blaak Lung
Jessica Stoner
Dirk Hamilton
Sutro
Bill Gross
Aaron Sala
John Mc Dermott
Fainting Goats
Spencer Day
Welcome Matt
Strip Club
Dolly Rocker
Everythingnothing
Young Ed
Greg Murai
Kiff
The Samples
Joan Bascom
Mimi Fox
Taught Me
Marcus Shelby
Paul Cox
Renata
Michelle Schmitt
Johnny Lima
Steve Fox
Fat Wreck Chords
Michael Barclay
Garrick Davis
Taylor Monroe
Mean Streak
Allan Shepard
Slippery People
Joshua Armstrong
Chinese Coke Whores
Vernon Bush
Sistas in the Pit
Dream Art Science
Medhanealem
The 500’s
Houston Jones
Melanie Keller
David Shakiban
Elias and Adugnaw
Palabra en Accion
Kindermusik
Wreckonize
Brian Cline Band
D-Boys
You Said Saturday
Four Minute Mile
Paul Baker
Laura Abela
Firecracker
Ashley Davis
Jim Saco
Young Ed
Heather Krochak
Scraping For Change
Rachel Garlin
Anton Schwartz
Jenna Mammina
Tony Rojas
Akasa Tseng
The Chemistry
Lily Cushman
Ghostride
Chris James Band
Organized Elements
The Expendables
Zack Ross
Carl Wheeler
Jack Killed Jill
The Famous
Michelle Latimer
Spindrift
Emanuel Vaughan-Lee
Julie Shearer
Substitues
DstrucShon
Dave Pelliccairo
Gavin Hardkiss
Caramelos De Cianuro
Dueces Wyl
Drew Fischer
Potential Threat
Moco
SOZ
Vivek Maddale
Josh Fix
Harold Karlsvik
The Junes
Elijah Lenhart
Mistonocivo
Free Peoples
Rolling Blackouts
Spoke
Blood Red Rose
Tim Janis
Mark Kafoury
Jana Herzen
Peter Kaukonen
JIm Campilongo
The HouseJacks
Erase Arata
Stacy Twigg
Joel Murach
Grand Faloon Bus
Dan Wills
Teshome Wolde
Profound
Kevin Welch
Roman Evening
Lori Hawk
Pocket Shelley
The Cutters
Stretch Nasty
Glasstown
Mood Food
Marjie Orton
Hannah Scriven
Tinfed
Mika Guillory
Hoodfellas
Lolo Swift
Soul Rebel
Trichromes
Chi Chi Palace
Sonny Smith
Leonard Lothlen Band
OZI
Kraz
Natasha Miller
Lil Keke
Squeek
Thump’r
DJ Drunk Monkey
Mr. Sandman
Moot Diity
Chris DiCroce
Potential Threat
R.J. Pinkerton
Dana Hubbard
Katrina Krimsky
Maxwell Horse
C-Note
Peter Kelso
Jimmy Dright
Unjust
Kevin Gilbert
Danny Wright
!!!
The Pinecones
Echobrain
Greg Blatman
Lo-Cal
Ovall
Norcal Mass Choir
Will Barnard
Baj’
Joe Deloro
Deflator Mouse
Alanna
Automator
Too Short
Totally Insane
Celly Cell
Ant Banks
T.W.D.Y.
Telto
BLACKMAIL
Booyaa Tribe
Dry Spell
Mark Bradlyn
Seventh Standard
Christine Gentile
Rudy Valintino
The Young Family
Sean-T
STU HAMM
Hatework
Roger Smith
Viva CuBop
Askari X
Mood
Ninefootnine
California Zephyr
Box Set
Dwell
P’taah
New Latinaires
Linda Arceo
The Rubinoos
Celly Cell
IUMA
Human Life Index
HOWLERS
Nodody
Red Di
Petrol
Gimbo
Deep Game
Robert Duncan
The Standford Mendicants
Dark Leaf
Nodody w/Medusa
Earline Thomas
Critical Mass
Dave Pike
Viper Squad
JENNINGS RADIO
Jamesa
Nate Bennett
KARMA
“Held Up” – Soundtrack
Dub Addxx
Tha Gamblaz
Aobie
Wrong
Seff Tha Gaffla
RUNAWAYS UK
Telling Downs
Yuval Admony
DuDs
Spice 1
Babatunde Lea
Thunderbugs
Snowboy
Chris Dicroce
Lynn Sugayan
Fam Cyrk
Justus
Mr. Kee
John Haley-Walker
Lil’ Brian and the Zydeco Travelers
Love Coma
Eddie Money
Rapid Fire
Brittany
Rappin 4-Tay
Robert Stewart
Down South Hustlers
Bent Sceptors
Uman
Margie Adam
Jim Copp
Redd Rascals
JT Tha Bigga Figga

Clients

admin — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 19:00:34 +0000

Jacqui Naylor
Megan Slankard
Joel Streeter
Will Kimbrough
The Dynamites
Pat Monahan
Norton Buffalo
Third Eye Blind
Kate Van Horn
Joe Craven
Chris Von Sneidern
Pete Ham
Badfinger
Keith Greeninger
Victoria George
KFOG
Bobby Walker
The Kinsey Sicks
Diego’s Umbrella
Aaron Novik
Gaucho
Monica Pasqual
Rick DiDia and Aireene Espiritu
Francesca Lee
Cannons and Clouds
Alexis Harte
Dredg
Stompy Jones
Rupa and the April Fishes
Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas
The Lovemakers
Paul Jackson
Casey Neill
The House Jacks
Blaak Lung
Spencer Day
Matt Langlois
Mimi Fox
Free Peoples
Houston Jones
The Samples
Runaways UK
Jim Campilongo

Glasses – Digital vs. Analog mindset

admin — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 21:34:46 +0000

A lot has been said about the comparisons between analog and digital recordings. There are a few common misconceptions about mixing in the digital domain versus the analog domain. Digital Audio Workstations (DAW) are very common these days. Much more so than analog consoles or tape machines. Something I would like to point out is the deference in approach to working with digital sound.

In an analog session, the information is stored on a tape machine and routed through an analog console. With, perhaps, outboard analog equipment such as EQs and Compressors in the signal path. This signal is the result of the flow of electrons through electrical components like resistors and capacitors, tubes and transformers, and amplifiers and VCAs. What happens to the electrons as they flow is that the nature of the resistance and capacitance create heat and distortion as the signal is affected by the physical components. The resultant signal is then combined with other similar signals to create the final mix signal.

In the digital domain, we are working only with binary digits. 1′s and 0′s. The signal in digital audio is described by its digital resolution. For instance, 44.1khz/16 bit. Or 96khz/24 bit. It is also described by its computational length. For example, a DAW calculates the change in signal as a function of word resolution; 32 bit floating point, 48 bit fixed point etc. The fixed or floating point arithmetic describes how the decimal point behaves. Regardless of the type, there is a fixed length of digital information that each DAW adheres to for is ability to represent digital audio. I like to look at this as a glass. Let’s consider a channel in a DAW that has a finite volume. In that glass is the amount of information that each channel holds. If the glass is completely empty (no signal) then the digital description is all zeros. If the glass is completely full ( 0 dbfs ) then it is comprised of all 1s. Everything in between is a combination of 1s and 0s. When you make a change to the audio, let’s say a .1db change in gain, you are adding two digital words together of equal length to create a word that is twice as long as the DAW can retain. The remainder is thrown away or truncated. In the analog domain, you would be adding more voltage to the channel which would create more lever, heat, resistance etc, ( it is not thrown away, it is like the glass does not overflow. )
Let’s look at the effects of digital summing. when each channel is like a glass that contains a limited amount of content and you combine it with another channel, you are adding those signals together and the resultant is a glass that is the same size as you started with. In the case of a drum mix, for example, that you would combing the signals of the kick, snare, hit, and two overhead mics. With these five channels, it would be like pouring the contents of each glass into one glass that is the same size as each channel. What you would end up with after you are done is a completely full glass with a lot of information “spilled.”

That information that is spilled is all of the low level, but very necessary, information that pertains to things like overtones, room reflections and detail in the instruments themselves. Now consider what happens when you do that for each of the busses in an entire mix, like guitars, keyboards, vocals etc. You are now taking all of the guitar channels and throwing away pertinent information, just like the drums. Now, what happens when you combing all of the sub mixes to the master out? The master is still like a glass that is the same size as the busses, and the channels. It hold only as much information as each of those channels.

A good question would be ” how much of the original snare drum sound is left in the final mix?” Not very much. What happens to these signals is that we will compress and change the level of the final signal, and the busses, to accommodate for the final level. We know that we don’t want any overs that can cause distortion on the master out. So it gets compressed and limited to keep it from being too loud. But that method does not retain any of the original sound that was thrown away. It only makes what’s left not digitally distort. The sonic damage has been done.
A better way to approach digital would be to not have any dynamic processing on the final out. To not have too much level, or overs, would mean that all of the information in the busses combined would not be too much together.

…and to not have each buss have too much information without dynamic processing, each channel that is combined would need to be able to be added together such that that the respective busses would not distort.

Digital recording and mixing can really sound exceptional, as long as it is approached with the mindset of how digital functions. Analog and Digital both are excellent ways of recording and mixing sounds, but they need to be understood in how they are similar and how they are different.

Michael Romanowski

admin — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 01:18:50 +0000

Michael Romanowski
(510) 882-8555 (cell)
(510) 761-5520 (studio)
Email Michael

Paul Stubblebine

admin — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 17:00:02 +0000

Paul Stubblebine
(415) 522-0108 (studio)
Email Paul

Misisipi Ryder

admin — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 07:20:53 +0000

Rupa and the April Fishes

admin — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 07:19:50 +0000

Rick DiDia and Aireene Espiritu

admin — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 07:19:18 +0000

Monica Pasqual

admin — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 07:18:45 +0000

Joel Streeter

admin — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 07:18:05 +0000

Kate Van Horn

admin — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 07:17:43 +0000

Francesca Lee

admin — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 07:17:19 +0000

Rob Martino

admin — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 07:16:09 +0000

Will Kimbrough

admin — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 07:15:34 +0000

Diego’s Umbrella

admin — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 06:56:40 +0000

Sonic Studio and SoundBlade at AES 2010

admin — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 01:04:46 +0000

I will be at the Sonic Studio Booth this year at AES 2010 SF on Sunday November 7th at 10am. I’ll be there to meet and greet as well as talk a little about why I trust SoundBlade for all of my Mastering work.

Come on by…

AES 2010 San Francisco

admin — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 00:59:40 +0000

It’s that time again. The annual US gathering of the Audio Engineering Society will be at the Moscone center in San Francisco From November 4th-7th 2010. I will be moderating a couple of panels this year. One on Friday the 5th, http://www.aes.org/events/129/workshops/?ID=2468, and the other on Saturday the 6th, http://www.aes.org/events/129/workshops/?ID=2481.

The panelists will include Gavin Lurssen, Andrew Mendelson, Joe Palmaccio, Mike Wells and Paul Stubblebine. We may even have a few surprise guests show up and add to the discussion.

Learn more about all of the events and panels at AES.org

See you there.

Michael