Music and Recording Equipment Archives - Zone Recording Studio

10 Music & Audio New Year’s Resolutions

Blair Hardman — Thu, 18 Jan 2024 21:48:29 +0000

1. You wrote some good songs last year, get them down before you forget them. At least make a ruff demo.

2. Pick your songs that mean the most to you and do a legacy project. Make some really good recordings that will hold up for generations.

3. Transfer that reel to reel or audio cassette of Grandma, the kids, your senior recital, or other precious memories to digital. You’ve put it off for years, now is the time.

4. If you are a home recordist, send me your tracks and I will mix and master them. I can correct the pitch, and timing and make it radio ready.

5. Take a bass lesson. I can show you techniques like slapping, navigating the circle of fifths and syncing with the kick drum.

6. Start a podcast. Simple steps to record and edit yourself, and upload it to the internet.

7. Record your audio book. If you’re an author, why not do an audio book and get it on Audible.

8. How about an album of you singing Karaoke? Pick the songs, we’ll get the backing tracks, and you get a perfect gift for yourself or a loved one.

9. Learn the basics of voice overs. We’ll determine your core voice, record various examples and make a VO demo with music and sfx.

10. You tell me. Whatever would help you realize your audio/musical goals for 2024, Zone Recording can do it! Contact Blair Today.

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Guy Fieri: Zone Recording Studio Hall of Fame

Blair Hardman — Wed, 11 Mar 2015 03:55:59 +0000

Celebrity Chef Guy Fieri is one of our favorite members of the Zone Recording Studio Hall of Fame, here in Cotati CA. His gonzo attitude towards life and his passion for everything he does made all our recording sessions fun and exciting. Plus, the Food Network, not to mention NBC, has budgets that exceeds some our local establishments.

He first came to us nearly ten years ago in 2007, as his most popular Food Network show “Diners Drive-ins and Dives” was starting to air. Guy lives in nearby Santa Rosa, and when he needed to record some narration, he picked Zone Recording. In this show he travels the country with a production team, visiting famous and infamous eateries. Guy interacts with the locals, takes big bites of the food, and joins the cooks in the kitchen to discuss, or rather, rave about recipies, styles, attitudes, philosophies and ways to attack an entrée.

For most of the show Guy is on camera, and either eating or talking. But for the sections where the camera follows food prep, shows beauty shots of the results, and pans the crowds, Guy’s narration was needed.

We would set him up in our voiceover booth with a microphone, script, and earphones. Then, via our phone patch, the director in another part of the country could listen to Guy as he read the script and direct him through the earphones. (It’s a difficult task and led to many hilarious outtakes, which I am unfortunately not at liberty to release) I would record only Guy’s voice-over, and at the end of the session, FTP, or send, the audio files to the production studio, where they were waiting with the edited video, eager to drop his narration into the appropriate places in the show. And of course the show probably had to air the next day so there was no room for error.

Through it all, year after year, he kept up his good humor and supportive nature.

Things really got exciting when he landed the game show “Minute To Win It” on NBC. The first time my phone rang and the caller ID said “NBC” I thought they were calling to offer me a sitcom. Actually they were inquiring about rates and schedules to do the same kind of thing for them. The difference here was sometimes Guy had to dub in some lines that matched the video of him. This is called ADR, or addition dialog recording. We would set up a video monitor and he would watch himself and try to say the line exactly as he had said it on tape. When you are dealing with a national network, the timelines get shorter, the stakes get higher, and the money is better.

Guy would always park his canary yellow Corvette or his canary yellow Hummer, or his canary yellow Lamborghini around the back of our building to not draw a crowd. But when someone did recognize him, he took time to greet them and take pictures, sign autographs and everyone left feeling honored. One day my Engineer at Zone Recording, Mathew Trogner, mention that he had a friend with a young daughter, who happened to be quite ill, and that she was a big fan of Guy’s. He thought for a moment. “Get her on the phone” he said, and proceeded to have an inspiring conversation with her.

We will always be grateful to Guy for bringing his business to Zone Recording Studio, and for all the good times we had together.

“My parents were into macrobiotic cooking—vegetarian, nondairy, whole grains, no red meat. I started cooking when I was 10 because I just couldn’t eat that stuff.”

—Guy Fieri

Looking for more information about professional recording? Call Zone Recording Studio at (800) 372-3305 or email us at blair@zonerecording.com.

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Practical Tips for Working With EQ

Blair Hardman — Fri, 23 Jan 2015 00:54:04 +0000

When it comes to recording audio, perhaps one of the fundamental elements is properly mixing and setting EQ levels for vocal tracks. For mixing voices, it is important remember one key idea: every voice is different, and every song is different. For mixing audio with vocals, this is the most critical element to keep in mind. Remember, just because levels worked one way for one song, does not mean they should never change. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Making adjustments as needed are crucial to getting the perfect mix.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the 3 primary reason for filtering voices with EQ.

Help the voice sit better in the mix
Correct a specific problem
Create a deliberate effect

Most importantly, no matter what the reason for making a vocal track EQ’d, make sure the end result is to improve the quality of the mix.

Here are a few things to be looking for when you are putting an EQ to vocal tracks.

The Gentle Boost cut narrow and boost wide method can sometimes apply more to vocals than any other instrument. This is because our ears have evolved remarkable sensitivity to the sound of human speech. Therefore, we are in tune and even more aware when a voice has been processed unnaturally.

Using a high-pass filter can be incredibly beneficial many vocals. In fact, the average fundamental frequency in an adult male voice is 125Hz, and often you can move up to 180Hz without affecting the sound. As a hint, if your mic or preamp has a low-cut filter, consider engaging it when recording vocals. This is because much of subsonic audio in a vocal track consists of mic-stand noise, breath rumble, popping and other undesirable sounds. High-pass filters can also be used in conjunction with a low-pass filter to produce a bandpass filter.

When working with high-pass filters, it can become easy to remove too much body from a vocal, especially as the ears begin to adjust. Check and see if your EQ has a bypass option, and if so be sure to use it periodically to ensure you have not gone too far with an adjustment.

As a bonus, here are some quick fixes you can make to ensure the best sound while using EQ.

To reduce a nasal sound, try dipping a few dB around 1kHz, and moving the center frequency slightly up or down to find the most effective point.
To treat popping P’s and T’s, cut everything below 80 Hz.
For a little extra clarity and presence, try gently boosting the “vocal presence range” between 4kHz and 6kHz.

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Barefoot Wine Founders Employ Zone Recording Technology to Record Audio for Success Magazine Interview

Blair Hardman — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 19:55:12 +0000

Houlihan and Harvey co-authored the New York Times Bestselling Business Paperback, “The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand.” From what originated as a start-up in their laundry room in 1986, has since become a nationwide bestselling wine label. Although they possessed little money and minimal experience in the wine industry, Houlihan and Harvey relied on their innovative ideas and an unshakable belief in Barefoot’s potential to overcome adversity and turn their start-up into an iconic brand.

Their book, “The Barefoot Spirit,” chronicles the history and lessons learned in transforming an unknown novelty wine into an American icon. After selling the Barefoot Wine brand to E&J Gallo in 2005, Houlihan and Harvey turned their focus to education. They now share their unique experiences and entrepreneurial skills through workshops, interviews, lectures and consults. Their book is actually required reading at over a dozen universities teaching entrepreneurship.

In order to conduct their interview with Success Magazine, Houlihan and Harvey relied on the recording technology at Zone Recording Studio.

“I set Michael and Bonnie up in a room with two microphones and headphones. The interviewer was in a studio in Florida with the same setup. They could hear each other in their earphones via Zone Recording’s ‘phone patch’ technology,” explained Blair Hardman, owner of Zone Recording.

After the recording was completed, Hardman sent the voice recording to Florida where it will be edited by the Florida studio and combined with the interviewer’s voice.

“Ultimately the interview will sound as though both the interviewer and Houlihan and Harvey were together in the same room,” said Hardman.

You can purchase their book at: http://www.amazon.com/The-Barefoot-Spirit-Hardship-Americas/dp/0988224542

You can also read their weekly, informational business blogs at: www.barefootwinefounders.com and www.thebrandauthority.net.

If you’re looking to record audio for a CD, commercial, interview, audio book and much more, then call Zone Recording Studio at (800) 372-3305 or email blair@zonerecording.com. You can also visit us online at www.zonerecording.com!

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Steve Vai visits Sonoma County Recording Studio

Blair Hardman — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 18:22:20 +0000

Legendary guitarist Steve Vai visits well known Sonoma County Recording Studio.

Steve Vai, has sold over 15 million albums and started his career as a music transcriptionist for Frank Zappa. Vai then recorded and toured in Zappa’s band for two years, from 1980 to 1982. He began a solo career in 1983, has released eight solo albums and won three Grammy Awards. He has also recorded and toured with Joe Satriani, Alcatrazz, David Lee Roth and Whitesnake.

So what was he doing at our Sonoma County Recording Studio? He came to Zone Recording Studio to do a big promotional appearance for his signature guitar the “Jem”. Blair Hardman, owner of Zone Recording Studio, explains Vai’s visit and exactly what is happening in the picture you see here:

He is autographing my guitar, which is made by Ibanez, a company that endorses him.

Hardman also mentioned the following:

My favorite Steve Vai performance is in the movie “Crossroads” where he plays the devil in a guitar duel for the soul of a young Ralph Macchio. Even though Vai has a huge rock star image, in person he was very humble, kind and quite intellectual. In the background you can see a photo of me sitting in with The Persuasions, the “Kings of Acappella”. They were performing a song called “I’m So Glad That I’ve Got Skin, (Because That’s What Keeps My Insides In)”, that I co-wrote with Country Joe McDonald of Country Joe and the Fish.

[youtube_sc url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aw4dUbutja4″ title=”Steve%20Vai%20in%20%22Crossroads%22″ modestbranding=”1″ autohide=”1″ rel=”0″]

If you’re interested in seeing the Jem guitar that Vai signed, stop by the recording studio here in Sonoma County. It’s proudly on display in a very conspicuous location. Just send us an email or give us a call and we’ll make sure you get a full tour of the recording studio.

(800) 372-3305

Email us here.

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Time Traveling Turntable

Blair Hardman — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 14:07:32 +0000

It is almost unbelievable that a laser turntable exists, capable of playing the oldest recording of an American voice! Only a folded piece of tinfoil was used! Fox News shared the entire story, and I must say, I covet the rights to this amazing piece of equipment.

Though the recording is scratchy, and lasts only 78 seconds, it features the world’s first recorded blooper.

Experts say this is the oldest playable recording of an American voice. It is the first musical performance every captured, thanks to digital advances that allowed the sound to be transferred from flimsy tinfoil to computer.

The recording was originally made on a Thomas Edison-invented phonograph in St. Louis in 1878.

At a time when music lovers can carry thousands of digital songs on a player the size of a pack of gum, Edison’s tinfoil playback seems prehistoric. But that dinosaur opens a key window into the development of recorded sound.

The recording opens with a 23-second cornet solo of an unidentified song , followed by a man’s voice reciting “Mary Had a Little Lamb” and “Old Mother Hubbard.”

When the recording is played using modern technology during a presentation Thursday at a nearby theater, it likely will be the first time it has been played at a public event since it was created during an Edison phonograph demonstration held June 22, 1878, in St. Louis, museum officials said.

“The recording was made on a sheet of tinfoil, 5 inches wide by 15 inches long, placed on the cylinder of the phonograph Edison invented in 1877 and began selling the following year.

A hand crank turned the cylinder under a stylus that would move up and down over the foil, recording the sound waves created by the operator’s voice. The stylus would eventually tear the foil after just a few playbacks, and the person demonstrating the technology would typically tear up the tinfoil and hand the pieces out as souvenirs.”

It is hard to believe that a laser turntable of today can share with us the miracle of tinfoil music. This is certainly on my Christmas wish list!

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If you’re in the area, be sure to stop by our Sonoma County recording studio and have a look at our voiceover and audio recording rooms. We are located just north of San Francisco and Marin Counties in the small but lovely City of Cotati, CA. Our friendly staff is also available by phone or email. Call us today or click here to send us an email.

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A Recording Studio That Fits in a Pocket

Blair Hardman — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 00:35:29 +0000

The iPhone is capable of making remarkably good recordings, but its built-in microphone is not. One solution is the Mikey Digital , from Blue Microphones .

As the name implies, the Mikey is a digital microphone that attaches to an iPhone or iPad to add much higher recording quality. As some users have noted online, Mikey Digital will not work with an iPod Touch; that device requires Mikey for iPod, which is no longer made but can be found online.

The technical elements of the microphone are two pressure gradient condensers, a design that captures extra detail. A cardioid microphone, it captures sound in a vaguely heart-shaped pattern that picks up most of the sound from the front, and some from the sides.

The microphone has three gain settings — automatic, low and high. Automatic is for things like lectures, which have quiet passages for which the microphone can adjust; quiet is for distant sounds, like bird calls; and the loud setting will keep the sound from overloading at concerts. Three indicator lights flash red if the microphone is overloading.

The Mikey, which lists for $100, also has a 3.5-millimeter input so a midi instrument or guitar can be plugged in. This accommodates a higher quality recording, in stereo, but an instrument and voice cannot be recorded at the same time. A multitrack recording app, like Garage Band or the free app Jammit , is needed to mix instruments and vocals.

If there is one quibble from a test, it is that the microphone may be a little too sensitive. If I adjust my grip on the phone while recording, that comes through loud and clear. Also, recording outdoors, a breeze sounds like an explosion.

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Its a great way to start your musical career, but there’s simply no substitute for studio quality vocals. So when its time to make that first demo or your ready to have your audio mastered, give us a call here at Zone Recording Studio. You’ll be glad you did.

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American R&B singer Monica to perform in Hanoi

Blair Hardman — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 15:00:55 +0000

The singer began performing as a child. She signed with Arista Records at age thirteen and released her debut album Miss Thang in 1995. Her first two singles ‘Don’t Take It Personally’ and ‘Before You Walk out of My Life’ made her the youngest recording act to ever have two consecutive chart-topping hits on the US Billboard Top R&B Singles chart.

‘The Boy Is Mine’ is a song recorded by American R&B singers Brandy and Monica in 1998. It earned Monica three Grammy Award nominations for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group and Best R&B Song and Record of the Year. ‘The Boy Is Mine’ was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2000.

With a career lasting more than 15 years, she became the first artist to top the US Billboard Hot R&B and Hip-Hop Songs chart in the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. In 2010, Billboard listed Monica at number 24 on its list of Top 50 R&B and Hip Hop Artists in the past 25 years.

Japanese rock band Okamoto and Vietnam Idol 2007 Phuong Vy will join the event.

Started in 2008, the Hennessy Artistry Night aims to present international talent to Vietnamese music lovers. The musical event has attracted thousands of people over the years.

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Zone Recording Studio specializes in audio recording, voice overs, editing and custom music, mixing and mastering, and much more.

Click here to read the full article

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David Archuleta Makes His Last Studio Session in ‘Everybody Hurts’ Music Video

Blair Hardman — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 15:00:52 +0000

David Archuleta sings his heart out in his new music video for “Everybody Hurts”. Covering R.E.M.’s 1992 hit song, the “American Idol” alumni can be seen singing in a recording studio along with an orchestra, which includes producer Kurt Bestor. The studio scene was apparently taken the day before the crooner left for his LDS mission.

Also featured in the Jed Wells-directed clip is a touching scene of a father who looks miserable since his only daughter is about to get married and leave him. A female soldier who misses her young son at the battlefield and a young couple who must be separated since one of them has to move out of town are additionally seen in it.

Upon releasing his video on his official YouTube channel, Archuleta posted a note for his fans, making sure that he will make more music after he comes back from his two-year mission. “I hope you know that I never wanted to leave you guys without music, and will continue when I get back,” so he stated.

[youtube_sc url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UrNy_YtMUo” title=”David%20Archuleta,%20%22Everybody%20Hurts%22″ autohide=”1″]

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Zone Recording Studio specializes in audio recording, voice overs, editing and custom music, mixing and mastering, and much more.

click here to read the original article

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New Equipment at Zone Recording Studio

Blair Hardman — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 00:54:52 +0000

New and Improved FX Pedals for Guitarists:

Time Distortion: Makes guitar solos seem longer. (Can also be achieved by ineptitude.)

Blame shifter: Shifts the pitch of mistakes down one octave so that the audience thinks it was the bass player.

NEW! Bass Blame Shifter: Removes sustain from all your clams so that the audience thinks it was the drummer.

NEW! Wa-Wa: Signals the roadie to bring you another Crystal Geyser.

NEW! EgoPlex: Makes you sound louder in your monitor mix.

Depander: Filters out pop cover songs.

NEW! CryBaby: Makes rhythm guitarists happy they don’t get to solo.

OverJive: Makes Hootie songs sound like Parliament.

Active Pickup: Amplifies “signals” sent to attractive audience members.

Fluff box: Filters out excessive musical substance.

Rehash: Stores and plays back your favorite riffs continuously until you pull the plug.

Feedback Eliminator: Drowns out “constructive criticism.”

Band Pass Filter: Eliminates sexual advances between band members.

NEW! Low Pass Filter: Filters out “toilet jokes” from the P.A. system.

Depressor: Changes any chord to E-minor.

Paralytic Equalizer: Makes you as good as other guitarists by spraying them with nerve toxins.

TS-1 (talent stretcher): All the above effects in a convenient molded pedal-pack with non-slip rubber feet and four 1000-pound reinforced carry handles.

TS-1P Power Supply: Provides power for TS-1 assembly by harnessing the combined egos of Fry, Henley & Schmidt, and the full output of the Hoover Dam generating plant (1024-pair shielded cable and GM diesel cable reel truck optional extra. Please call for quotes on cables longer than 50 feet).

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