singing voice, and he’s got a lot of character in sing a song the same way and every time can two-thirds into the concert, but when I vocalize
his voice, and anyone in gospel music will tell be a little bit different. You have to take a risk, I can go an hour and a half or an hour and
you that he’s a one-of-a-kind. I don’t know how you have to risk falling flat on your face. You’re forty-five minutes just fine. Early on when I
far down the technical rabbit hole we want to thinking of a lick you want to do coming up, started with The Imperials, we were doing so
go, but we did set up a vocal chain that was and you go for it, and you fall flat on your face, many dates, and when I went solo, I had to do
as transparent as possible, at least on the front so they back it up and let me try again. They a whole lot of dates. Sometimes three weeks
end. So we weren’t coloring anything, or adding have made me feel so comfortable in that vocal at a time, always the first night it was good,
or taking away anything from who Russ is and booth, both Phil and Mark, they made me feel second night it was a little bit hoarse, and third
what he sounds like naturally and organically, so comfortable that I could risk. I didn’t have to night until the end of that tour it would be full
we wanted to preserve that. perform for them to reassure them that I’m a hoarse. You have to work a little bit harder to
good singer, I could actually branch out, go for really open it up and be able to jump around
For mics, we used Manley Gold Reference something, fall flat on my face, and if it didn’t the way you need to. Warm up is probably the
on Russ’s vocals going through a Hafler work out the way, I wanted go back and try most important thing I would tell people.
Series Rupert Neve preamp into two different again. They made me feel so comfortable that compressors, depending on the song. One I could risk, and there is not a lot of producers [WM] Mark, what are your thoughts about
was a Tube-Tech CL 1B, the other was a Retro who can do that, make you feel so comfortable getting a great mix for the vocalist to sing to?
176. So on the softer, prettier, more melodic that you can get outside of your comfort zone ballad stuff like “Isn’t the Name”, that was Tube- to try something different. But they did that [Mark] In the studio, one of my biggest
Tech because it’s so transparent. Then on the for me, they made a really safe environment pet peeves is there are a lot of studios, and
more rockin’ upbeat stuff like ”In the Name of that I could experiment in, and I will always be engineers, and studio environments where
Jesus” and “I Still Believe”, we used the Retro grateful for that. there is not enough love and attention given to
176. Russ has such a powerful voice, and such
the headphone mix that is going to the singer.
a wide dynamic range, that compressor is a [WM] Russ, you still have that voice. So for welding unit, it’ll take anything you throw at it. longevity and especially in the studio, what do We live in a world where we can fix everything
And we needed that otherwise we would have you do to preserve and warm up your voice? in the mix later. They’ll get a drum pass and the
been starting and stopping the whole way.
drums sound just okay, and they’ll get a couple
[Russ] Years and years ago, I remember Sandi guitar passes on there and comp that later. The
One of the ways Russ likes to work is he likes Patty had just started, and we were talking and philosophy that Phil and I use, and I think all
to sing the entire song, then maybe go back she told me that one of the greatest gifts you of our team here at Sweetwater, is you’ve got
and fix a spot here or there. If you’re doing it can give to your voice is eight hours of sleep to record the tracks the way you want them
that way and dealing with a singer like Russ before you sing. When you’re on the road a to sound. We record the drums the way we
that has a very wide dynamic range, you’ve lot it’s hard to do that, when you’re finishing want them to sound, we want them to sound
got to think ahead in terms of the equipment concerts, climbing on a bus, stopping at great when we listen to them in the control
that you’re using and what it will and will not Cracker Barrel or someplace like that, you’re room, we want them to sound great on the
do. So if you’ve got a really soft verse that then getting four or five hours of sleep. But I really headphones. We want the guitar parts to be
goes into this huge chorus at the end and has try to do that. Plus, a good workout in the hotel comped and sussed-out before we do vocals.
a dynamic range of 25 or 30 db, you’ve got to before I go to sing or do a concert really opens We want the keyboard tracks, the bass guitar,
be ready for that. Because the last thing you it up, so it’s relaxed when you start singing. the percussion, whatever you’re doing, record
want to do is not be ready for it and have him hit Another tip that I got from Amy Grant years it and record it great so that when you put up
that last chorus on a great take and it goes into ago, when you’re singing a lot and the high-end the faders you’ve got something that sounds
the red or distorts. The Manley Gold brought us kind of goes away… Lays potato chips. The oil good and is inspiring to sing to.
home on that one. in it really coats your voice and keeps it from
being so dry and crackled on the high notes.
[Russ] I just want to go back to relationships
Part two of that is, you’ve got to get a good mix
of that, throw in some effects where you need
real quick. Singing in a vocal booth with guys There are just a few tips like that that I’ve picked it. You want the artist, in this case Russ, to put
sitting behind the board working with you, up, but the main thing is to vocalize before you on the headphones and hear an album, not a
they have to make you feel real comfortable. start a concert, because from the get go you’ve bunch of rough tracks and an engineer saying,
It’s like you’re standing in front of them naked. got to be ready to kick into high-gear and go. “Oh don’t worry, we’re gonna fix that later”.
And you have to feel free to try things, I never If I don’t do that, my voice starts wearing out That’s not inspiring to sing to at all. Whether
24
January 2019
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