G'day folks. To any of you interested enough to drop in - welcome. Hope you find the following interesting. If you already know this, sorry for wasting your time.
We have a great industry magazine here called "Audio Technology". In issue 18, Rick O'Neil of Turtlerock Mastering in Sydney ran his usual column with the moniker "What would an Australian know about sound?". Apparently Rick was slightly miffed about the reception he got when in Ireland.
In fact the first part of his article is a sustained tirade against the Irish. (point taken Rick but it's gonna be a while before anybody shouts you a Guiness man!)
Anyway in a fit of patriotic pique Rick ran the following (which as you can see I've quoted at length!). Most people would be aware that companies like Rhode Microphones and Fairlight had/have their origins in Australia. But there were a couple of surprises for me in Rick's article. Maybe some of you would be surprised to find out where some of your of gear originated.
But then again. what would I know right?
"At the end of World War 11, with Europe flattened and the rest of the world's industry scattered to the wind, the world's leaders set up trade agreements which lasted well into the 60's./ Different countries worked in different areas of expertise. The Indians would make the rubber, the Americans made the tyres. Meanwhile, Australians produced whatever they could (usually wool and wheat). But in one very interesting electronic trade agreement between America and Australia, amalgamated wireless A.W.A. and R.C.A. America figured a good use of resources was that America would make one kind of vacuum tube and Australia would make another. Both countries would label the tubes as if RCA made them all. RCA made most of the world's vacuum tube amplifiers (ie the gain stage) and AWA made more complex power and radio types. Some bright spark in AWA Sydney Australia invented a radio tube whose output could be varied depending on a sidechain circuit within it and created the vari-mu tube. This is interesting because when applied to RCA gain circuits (and with a lot of trickery), hey presto you have the makings of the best compressors/limiters ever heard. If you've ever heard a Fairchild limiter or a RCA BA6 that's the sound of an Australian vari-mu tube pumping away, and that was the sound of recorded music - nearly every record ever made and broadcasted prior to end of 1970 was flowing with one of our tubes. Open up any sound magazine and look for the word vari-mu, its still as popular as ever.
In 1970 some clever Australian chaps, Thiele and Small, took on the task of creating formulas for making predictable speaker boxes. Their formulas when applied to vented bass boxes are the primary design rules for low frequency systems. Every time you hear a subwoofer, you are hearing the sound of some Australian shaking your insides out.
Lets not forget the clever Australian Bruce Jackson who figured out in 1985 the digital rules as applied by the Sony Corporation were not right. And when everybody else was marvelling at the wonders of digital recording, Bruce, an Australian, was fixing the sound, getting rid of the harshness. His digital filters were retro fitted into nearly every Sony and Mitsubishi digital recorder and lots and lots of 1630 mastering system. Bruce's gone on to do other things now, but at the time his work established a premier digital audio company. You may have heard of it. Apogee Electronics.
And what about Avalon stuff? Winton Morro figured out way before anybody I ever heard, that outboard preamps were better then running through the console. He came into Festival Studio's (hey I've recorded there!-Stedel) in the late '80's with his beautiful boxes that use class A discrete circuits running on 80 volt rails (that's about the theoretical maximum voltage). His first couple of prototypes used to blow about one day in 10. When I asked him why he used 80 volt rails when they fail one time in 10 he said "because high voltage gives you massive headroom and massive headroom sounds better. I use 80 volt systems which I can nearly get stable most of the time, because 81 volts blows up everytime". The Avalon stuff has been rock solid for over 10 years now and because no one in Australia would support his vision for superlative sound, Avalon moved to America. So now we're in a weird position of lusting after American gear that in fact's really Australian.
Oh yeah...what about Duntech's speakers? Duntech are internationally renowned as being the best hifi speakers on the planet. Guess what? They make 'em in Adelaide."
Course if he's wrong, remember, don't shoot me - Im only the messenger.
Kind regards on top down under
Stedel
Comments
Stedel’s Aussie Rave Part Three. Daniel Creighton is a you
Stedel’s Aussie Rave Part Three.
Daniel Creighton is a young NSW Aboriginal ("Koori") rap/hip hop artist.
I first met Daniel when he was 16 (five years ago). He was living in Tamworth then. We tracked a song of his in my office in Sydney where I was working at the time. Daniel set up a basic rhythm on a little Boss drum machine, and I played a Yamaha bass and Gibson Les Paul through Sans Amp GT2 into a digital delay unit (I think it was a Delta Labs – anyway it was one rack unit high and was blue!). We used an AKG vocal mike for Daniel’s main vocals and the backing vocals - which were provided by Kay Pratley. (Kay and I have a little performing/writing/recording unit ourselves – yes that’s right folks Stedel has a band!!!!!!!!! :) ) This was all done on a little 4-track porta-studio. Still, the quality was good enough for the track to be played on ABC National radio.
Anyway four years later and a project to produce a compilation CD of NSW Aboriginal artists is begun. Through chance I meet Sarah Longhurst (who used to manage Aussie bands Pollyanna and Custard). Apart from Sarah being one of the most enthusiastic and courageous people I’ve ever met – and a great manager to boot – when she told me about the project, I mentioned Daniel. I played her a copy of the recording we had done in my office and she arranged (told you she was good) to get Daniel involved on the project.
So we ring Daniel, who now lives in Newcastle, give him a deadline of four days to decide if he wants to be involved. (Well of course he does but his sampler’s in the pawn shop). So we discover the pawn shop thing. Sarah arranges for him to get it out. Daniel comes down to Sydney and stays at my place. He re-records the original track we did and a new track. But he’s not happy with the sound. The guys that recorded it did a good job – but maybe it’s a little bit too slick, and perhaps some of the atmospheric grunge and looseness has been lost.
(Chorus). (Hmm, now I think about it, I think they were using ProTools. - Stedel's edit, April 14.2.40am) Plus everyone was thrown together, and apart from Daniel being maybe a bit overawed by the studio (they have a pretty good set-up), he is also quite shy and (IMHO) gave too much control to the producers. It’s also very hard for people to understand the conditions that Daniel comes from, even people like these guys, who have the best of intentions. Daniel actually prefers our first crude attempt. Daniel is invited to the launch of the project and gives a bit of a controversial speech. It’s hard to distance yourself from your life and the things you know sometimes.
Anyway, later this year we’ll be re-recording the track with Daniel, and it’ll appear on mine and Kay’s stuff. (Shameless Plug!!!).
So. It’s not really a case of Aussie engineers not being up to the job, but a case of having to bring things together with minimal budgets, great distances (both geographical and cultural), and limited time. At least it was done.
OK maybe there’s a bit of an agenda here. Folks I’ve been here and the following lyrics are not fantasy. Sometimes, no matter how much you’d like to write "silly love songs" occasionally "My baby left me and I’m so blue" just doesn’t fit. As I said about Peter Garret of Midnight Oil, sometimes you have to take the shit when you stand by the things you believe in.
Remember, Daniel was 16 when he wrote this. (Lyrics by permission).
Ding dong go to church
The bells - ah Hell
Another brother down, strung up in a cell
Highly intoxicated, so their statement stated
And now the brother’s stuck in a trap that’s created
By the man widda badge and a gun
Got the black man on the run just for fun
It’s like this every single night
They’ve gotta be starting something
It’s like where to pray, and maybe they’re out there hunting
Like Elmer J. Fudd
But we ain’t Bugs Bunny
They’re doin’ it just for fun
But I don’t find it funny
How the hell a brother hangs by his shoelaces
He went barefoot
Just look at the faces of his children
When they know their Dad has died
Three years later, and the mother still cries
(Chorus)
Another life taken (Goddamn)
Another heart breakin’ (Why?)
Will you get my brothers
Out of this God forsaken place.
Clank Clank the cell door closes
He goes to sleep with six dozen roses
And a crucifix on his chest
He reads his prayers and now he’s laid to rest
Suicide was your only excuse
But it wasn’t your hands
That put your head in that noose
And that’s why my heart’s on fire
Where the hell did you find the barbed wire?
In a police cell, cos I couldn’t see none
But the man with the badge and a gun had some
(Chorus)
Now
Whatever happened to innocent till proven guilty?
You know I didn’t do it but yet you’re still blaming me
Harassing me in public making me look a fool
What did I do, damn, what did I do?
You said I did somethin’ but I know that you are bluffin’
Cos you know I did nothin’
But yet you’re still stuffin’ me around
In my head
Wishin’ I was dead
Hangin’ from a rafter by a piece of thread
Police harassment – public embarrassment
Police harassment – public embarrassment
Police harassment – public embarrassment
But y’all know how it goes
It gets this way every single time
The Donut King is closed
Love ya work Stedel! was that compoilationt he one that JJJ w
Love ya work Stedel!
was that compoilationt he one that JJJ was flogging last year?
My fave Aussie albums are?..
Paradise motel- flight paths
Snout- Circle high and wide
You am I- Hi-Fi Way
Sandpit- On second thought
Big Heavy Stuff- Size of the ocean
Avalanches- Since i left you
AC/DC- Dirty deeds
and heaps of others...
OZROCK ROCKS!!!!!
You guys in Sydney want to meet for a refreshing amber staminade
You guys in Sydney want to meet for a refreshing amber staminade....OK.........Tuesday afternoons are good for me in the city
For the record, I played in the Saints and with Ed Keupper as well as co-producing his first album. I also produced amongest other things "In the Pines" for the Triffids and Damien Lovelocks first album, with Richard Ploog, Peter Koppes (Church) and Rick Grossman (Divinyals, Hoodoo Gurus) so I think we have something in common in taste. I also produced and co-wrote the first New Christs single yadda yadda yadda.
Cheers
Bruce :cool:
Hey Bruce I was recording the New Christs last year. They h
Hey Bruce
I was recording the New Christs last year. They had some great tracks.. but then they broke up :(
Was a shame , they are all great guys. They had a deal with an american lable that went tits up and left them high and dry , unable to pay for any further sessions. I hate it when that happens.
D
¿HuH? posted March 14, 2002 06:58 AM Do any
¿HuH?
posted March 14, 2002 06:58 AM
Do any of you Aussie's know of an Artist named Armondo Hurley, and his email addy?
Yes i know Armondo. I've worked with him a few times over the last couple of years. He does session work and corporate shows all over the place so he keeps pretty busy I guess. I'll have to do a little bit of digging but I can find his email address somewhere I'm sure.
D
Hi Bruce. I oft catch the train with Rob who lives down my way.
Hi Bruce.
I oft catch the train with Rob who lives down my way. Very nice guy although he has a deep fear of C&W music. About the drinks lets do it folks and let's go for the Sydney push. Tuesdays are fine for me,,so long as it's after 6.30 pm. Maybe you could pick the day and place Bruce. We've got to do it - even if its one beer only...Julian wiould probably never let us live it down...what wiv being Aussie's an'all. :)
Hey Jules....... Being an Aussie myself.. i could just envisa
Hey Jules.......
Being an Aussie myself.. i could just envisage such encouraging terms of endearment for a vocal performance!!!.lol
Generally... we are a little more sympathetic to delivering great results to our 'Artists' (i hate that word)...
BTW what ever happened to the matrix complex? or more to the point 'Big Boys Audio Toys' or the big hire company they ran out of there? where did all that tasty hire gear go?
I used to buy heaps of gear from them when ever i was in town...
PEACE
wiggy
i'd love to look at you folks over the edge of a schooner, but
i'd love to look at you folks over the edge of a schooner, but being, currently, the sole carer of my 5 yr old, i''ll regretfully pass on the invitation
my oz rock top 10:
the jackson code
the triffids (good one, bruce)
the saints
the dirty three
the sunnyboys
cold chisel
nick cave + the bad seeds
kasey chambers
silverchair
the cruel sea
runners up:
powderfinger
ac/dc
the easybeats
louis tillett
clarion fracture zone
the necks
bernie hayes trio
midnight oil
the radiators
mental as anything
beasts of bourbon
and more...
Hmm. OK. Julian's got over 10,000 posts. I've just agreed to rac
Hmm. OK. Julian's got over 10,000 posts. I've just agreed to race him to 20,000.
Now this post, "What do Australian's Know About Sound?"..well it was a nice little "earner" as
Arfur Daley used to say.
What if I kept it going over on the Fairlight Forum, which I Moderate. Course mostly Australian's would come. I mean as Rick pointed out in his original article, and as I've found out up here on RO, people do have a problem with Australia and Australians.
Course we're totally outnumbered. But that's never stopped us.
Maybe even chealy would come. He posted recently on
the Virtual Bar and Grille. He's still asking about "great Australian bands" - I don't think he's read any of the posts up here telling him of a few personal selections by people here.
But then, what do we know?
All we have is some brilliant home grown gear that kicks **** anywhere, bands that ROCK the ****in' planet, and...we're cute, intelligent, witty, and throw great parties.
Better than Canadians.
The "pommies"up here can't get it together to meet for one drink (Aussi RO Members Drinks...first session, happened last month). Now the ProTools Forum on DAWworld are too miffed to talk to us and are sulking cos Aussies Can Do.
So, I reckon we've got a chance mates.
(Dead Link Removed)
Speak some English for a change!!!!!!!
Recent comments up here have confirmed to me that IMHO it may be a good idea for Australians to have a place where they can touch base with each other, and not in some Virtual Bar and Grille, which only perpetuates some cliched sterotypes of "Aussie's" in general. And certainly, I don't wish to "incovenience" non Australian's by having a continuous active profile for things Australian.
I mean how many posts do we see about Urei, Neuman. Fairchild, ProTools etc up here, compared to Fairlight. Peach Audio, JlMaudio, Maton Guitars,
ATC speakers, Rode Microphones (sometimes "I'm using the Rode NTK..yes I know..but now I'm after a serious microphone...").
And yes, there is no "race" for individual statistics, of course not. Although the more this site becomes a commercial business orientated site then forms of economic rationalisation may become critical - such as suitability and criteria for becoming a moderator, how many "hits" a particular Forum gets. Etc. Etc.
Kind regards
Folks, the reason why this post has been re-activated is because
Folks, the reason why this post has been re-activated is because it contains several topics which are on-going presently up here on The RO Forums.
I have just edited a post of mine on one of these. The edit is towards the end of page 2, and is in bold type. It concerns the use of ProTools.You should easily be able to spot it.
For those of you that are not interested in this topic, apart from asking myself why not?, I apologise for any inconvenience, dismay, bewilderment, anger (repressed or otherwise expressed up here), sadness, pissed off-ness,
interest, increase in your general knowledge about recording and the Australian Music Industry, pleasure at perhaps discovering quality music and equipment you may not have heard of before, and the opportunity to express your own views, interests, and experience.
Hmm. Do I sound peeved? No I'm cool here. Got U2 playing on the stereo, some sensory enhancement,
and will soon be listening to Bjork's "Post" CD whilst I do some costing on equipment I may be buying soon. It's a beautiful night here, calm, gentle.
Hi to everybody in Boggabilla, Toomelah, Tamworth, and Ipswich.
"Stedel is Deadley-True!!!" :w:
Maybe even chealy would come. He posted recently on the Virtu
Maybe even chealy would come. He posted recently on
the Virtual Bar and Grille. He's still asking about "great Australian bands" - I don't think he's read any of the posts up here telling him of a few personal selections by people here.
I just couldn't keep up mate! Actually Max pointed out a couple that I'd forgoten about with The Triffids (ah, those were the days) and The Dirty Three, who I saw with PJ Harvey (and I think the fiddle player was with Nick Cave one time too) a few years back - fantastic!
Pro Tools? I think I'll stay out of that one...
Hi everyone! :D I've just been reading this 3 page long discus
Hi everyone! :D
I've just been reading this 3 page long discussion and founded to be very interesting indeed! Lot's of great issue from Stedel, Dan and Bruce especially! :tu:
This is actually the first time I stumbled on this website. Very Cool! I was just doing' some searching through the web for some info for my research assignment. (I'm a music technology student at the conservatorium).
By the way, anyone know where I can find out topics or interesting articles about psychological aspect between recording engineers/producer and musicians/artist? Kinda like motivating musicians during tracking etc... and establishing good communication etc. I'm still searching around for more articles about relationship between established artists and producers.
Thought it was a nice of change of direction from my past technical papers. Better stop the blabbering... have a nice day!
Cheers!
Joy.
And then there’s Daniel Creighten. Daniel’s the third generation
And then there’s Daniel Creighten. Daniel’s the third generation from Toomelah Mission I talk about here. But before I launch phalanges to keyboard
understand, I don’t mean to be pushing any particular political agenda here.
It’s true there are many issues re the position of Aboriginal people in Australia - it just happens that many of my friends and family are Aboriginal
and the anecdotal meanderings I’ve used up here are more to point out that Australia is not a monolithic Anglo culture. Taking away the issue of race and colonization for instance you can extract common themes that effect many Australian Artists and music industry professionals, some of which have been talked about by others up here including:
1. The sheer scale of physical/geographical distances within Australia.
2. Which can lead to isolation and limited access.
3. The relatively small population gives a limited economic base to support the industry –including sales for Artists, studio fees etc.
4. Australia IS a long way from LA, New York, London etc.
5. Stuff that "wiggy", daniel, and Bruce says is TRUE!!! (BTW wiggy, I love Neve stuff myself!)
6. In addition you’d think a city like Sydney would be full of great live venues for bands…it’s not. The last few years has seen a serious decline, particularly for Rock musicians…in fact you could probably count the number of good venues on less than two hands.
Anyway, for chealy, here’s a limited list of some of my Aussie faves
"The Divinyl’s" – late 70’s –80’s band fronted by Chrissie Amphlett who wrote some great lyrics and toons.
"Regurgitator" very clever cynical band with great songs.
"Endorphin" – you can pick the influences but here’s an example of a positive slant to some of what’s been talked about up here – an ability to take an eclectic array of influences and fuse them into a synthesis that has a beauty and uniqueness of its own.
"Lash" new all girl band (Catholic schoolgirrrrls!!!)
Chris Bailey – used to front "legendary" Aussie band "The Saints".
Ed Kueper also ex "Saints".
Paul Kelly – has written some great songs.
Kasey Chambers (C&W singer).
:cool: