Around the campfire @ the Old School Music House #3

Zen-Vibe Session #3:


How do you know? You call Chips


As Paul’s note carries off into the orange, black starlit sky Donnie asked …Just how many things had to come together to bring us to this place at this time? Donnie continued, Richard loved and nurtured this place. If it wasn’t for either one of those things, we wouldn’t be here sharing this magic moment. I smiled and said yes, we are a dying breed. I said we have a brother in the Northwest named Bobby Lang. Bobby would say that tonight the music God is smiling down on us.  Donnie’s eyes lit up, he smiled, and he said, “Yes, we are lucky men”.

Eloquently Paul brought us back by saying; I use analog consoles every day in various venues serving small to extremely large audiences. He continued; just the other night I was contracted to mix a show where I had to use a digital console. Paul made a face resembling the front grill of an Edsel and worked hard to finger a discord on his acoustic guitar. I didn’t like it he said. It doesn’t sound real to me; it doesn’t work in harmony with music …as he continued trying to get the fingering for a discord. It must have been the positive energy surrounding Richards Ranch making it so hard for him to do so.

I replied that I couldn’t have a dog in that discussion because I’m just purely a studio rat. I don’t have a knowledge base for that side of our craft other than it sounds good or it does not. Paul said, basically …its simple, analog is warm and full where digital is hard and edgy. I replied that up until 4 years ago I’d be 100% agreed but …I was a spoiled little bitch and learned DAE on one of the biggest Pro-Tools systems on the planet. I said I found I could make hard and edgy warm and soft, but I have never been able to make warm and soft hard and edgy. I said one of the biggest tricks in doing so is in understanding basic level control. Be a good mechanic and know your tools …know them beyond their basic usage design ...a beautiful desert silence lingered for a while.

 ...Once you understand your tools to a level of operational creativity you have to ask yourself …How do I know. How do I know it’s a cool tool? By what acoustical standard are you making a judgment from? Are you listening to your tool or your acoustical space? I continued …as a kid and just when I thought I was a hot stuff recording engineer with major album releases under my belt I ran into Mr. Chips Davis. Chips is the one to ask me; how do you know Scotty.

Donnie smiled; picked up his cell phone and said …let's call him.

More vibe to come with Chips sitting in the middle of the table: People/Knowledge …a lost treasure?

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