Just a quick aside:

By far, the best concert I’ve attended in the last several years by an independent band was played by Insuiciety, in that place on Kastanienallee- Morgenrot or Morgensonne or what ‘s it called? It was a couple of years ago and damn. The album that we subsequently made together, “The Cure For The Truth” happens also, in spite of its flaws, to be perhaps the one I’m most proud of having worked on, ever.

Amusing too, maybe, that the album that gave me my start in the studio biz was by Nikki Sudden, and was called “The Truth Doesn’t Matter.” What’s THAT about?

best,

-p.

I WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ARCHIVING YOUR FILES!

Look, I’m really sorry. In the old days, studios had a closet where old tapes were stored. Typically, You’d buy blank tape (expensive!), make a record on it, mix it, and go. The finished tapes would be stuck on a shelf until you either forgot about it or came back a few months later for a sans-voice mix or a percussion mix, whereupon you’d pay an engineer to go find the tape and spool it up again for a remix. After a few years, the tape would have glued itself together, rendering its salvageability questionable at best.

These days, it’s DIFFERENT! Most likely, you’ve recorded in Pro Tools, the data are stored on hard disk, and when you go, the studio will reuse that hard disk because a hard disk’s quality (arguably) isn’t diminished over multiple record passes. What this means, is that if a studio were charged with archiving your files, it would wind up transferring your files to its pile of quickly deteriorating backup disks full of audio data whose significance may be great or small, and whose safety is simply not guaranteed. You’ll probably be busy with a thousand other things, as will I, and when you return months or years later, your data may or may not still be intact and usable. THIS NIGHTMARE SCENARIO IS SOOOOO EASILY AVOIDED!!!!!

Your work is probably important to you. It’s important to me, too, but bear in mind that while you make perhaps one or two CDs this year, I will make literally hundreds. I’d be delighted to have the luxury of worrying about the safety of your material, but I don’t. Before you come to record, buy yourself a hard disk. It can be USB, FireWire, SATA, or ATA; the format doesn’t matter. But let it be the disk for THIS project. C’Mon! A roll of 2 inch tape costs a couple of hundred! A hard disk costs maybe 50! Just buy it! Buy two! Are you crazy? I didn’t think so.

DON’T store your ripped movies on it. DON’T take it with you to Tenerifa. This is your project. EVERY DAY, remind me, in case I forget, that we need to make a BACKUP. NOW! In fact, I won’t be annoyed if you tell me to make a backup when we take a lunch break. Not at all. And when we’re all done, take that disk with you, and store it safely. That way, you KNOW that your data are safe. In fact, I’d recommend making an additional copy (or two), just to be sure. Then, in the years to follow, CHECK THAT DISK at regular intervals, just to be sure that it’s still OK. Should you have concerns, just make another copy. It’s so easy.

That’s the world we live in.

Peace out.

Well. 2012.

So much to report, so long since my last confession, that I’ve forgotten the worst of my sins by now. Let’s attempt a quick rundown of 2011:

Katja Werker‘s album, “Neuland” is out and absolutely stunning, recorded last winter here at FSS. Sunshine‘s “Karmageddon” is also available through Universal (CZ). They’ve done vocals, guitar and bass here for their last couple of albums, and I couldn’t be more pleased. I first recorded an EP for them way back in 1994 or so, and they’re great old friends as well as deeply inspiring performers. (Shout out right here to Dušan!!!) Mary Ocher‘s “War Songs” is on Haute Areal, I’m also very proud to have recorded it. Mary plays around Berlin quite a lot. GO SEE HER! Modern Earl‘s “Inlaws and Outlaws” can be found at their shows as well as all the usual outlets. There’s a couple of great videos from the album on Yooootooob, including this one, which shows lots of shots made here in the studio during the album sessions. K.C. McKanzie‘s latest album is not yet out, but before going back to develop it some more, they recorded tons of material here; keep your eyes peeled for it. Andreas Marschall‘s feature film “Masks,” for which I did the sound design, has been winning prizes at festivals around the world; it will have a general release in the Fall but in the meantime check its Facebook page. Piarango‘s album is out, and available also on Ramen Music (what an idea!), and also do check this video by Sky Histoire- I think from recording to pressed vinyl, the project transpired in record time- just a couple of weeks, during which time I also served as camera dolly- driver  on the ALL BICYCLE video shoot which took place one freezing dawn on the Templehof Airfield here in Berlin. PLUS, Formalin, Tim McMillan and Erik & Me have done works here for release in the near future, as well as many, many, many others that came through in 2011. Ah, I almost forgot: occasionally, FSS is repurposed as a rehearsal room; in 2011 I’ve had the privilege to welcome Gentleman, Patrice, Cassandra Steen, and Jahkustix, among others for tour preparations, and am very pleased to call them all my friends. ‘Nuff Respekt!!!

AND: The newest member of our team, meet FSS’ new project coordinator, PAMINA:

Hey, do you happen to have seen Lu Edmonds lately? If you see him, would you tell him to get in touch? I don’t think I’ve got his number any more, and I was thinking about him today, ‘cuz I happened to look into a shop in Kreuzberg where they’ve got a Sasz for sale that’s, I think,  just like the one he had along on the Babar Luck tour a couple of years ago. Hey, anyone seen Babar lately?

This Sasz- if I were rich I’d buy it right now- a gorgeous instrument- and either keep it for myself or send it to Lu as a second axe; you never can have too many. If I remember correctly Lu got his for something ridiculous like 50 DM, and those days are gone. Still, this one seems like a decent deal, and there’s nothing in the world like a nice electric sasz. Back when I was recording Babar Luck, there were a couple of songs that just cried out for it; I think they didn’t make it onto the album for lack of a Lu at the time. 

Actually it’s a bit odd that this studio is in a Turkish neighborhood and I very much enjoy good relations with many of my Turkish neighbors, but although there are many excellent sasz players around, I STILL haven’t recorded any. What’s wrong with me? I’ll have to see about that.

Always a pleasure writing to you,

Phil

just a quick rant here before I go out to meet a friend. In spite of my previous post, where I explained (perhaps a bit too delicately) that there are no employment opportunities open for sound engineers at this studio, I continue to receive CVs, e-mail, phone calls, etc., almost on a daily basis, from hungry young men and women who have all graduated from some school of audio engineering (note that those words are not capitalized and so not specific to one school which might like to sue me for blowing their cover), university program, or other “educational” institution. 

I will now reveal the truth: those people who fell for the magazine ads: if I WERE to find myself in need of the help of an audio engineer on a steady basis, I would NOT choose from the insanely vast pool of hopefuls that is churned out year for year from these institutions, because a. I do not trust the abilities of those schooled at factories, b. I know plenty of qualified people already, and c. I would not be doing anyone a favor by contributing to their delusions that audio engineering, as a career, holds promise. 

billiously,

Phil

Just imagine! Two posts in two (count ‘em) days!

It seems I’ve got a few minutes in between computer operations, where I’d otherwise be twiddling my thumbs, and so I thought I’d jot a note or two on the subject of just who’s been hanging around here lately.

Since the beginning of 2011, it’s been one production after another. There have been rehearsals for concert tours by Gentleman, Patrice, and Cassandra Steen, and CD projects for Katja Werker, Sunshine, Peter Wiegand, Mary Ocher, Ersatzmusika, the ever titillating Gestammelorchester, Modern Earl, Lasse Matthiessen, Piarango, and K.C. McKanzie, as well as a series of radio spots for “The Beat Goes On, a Calendarium of Dead Musicians,” and mixing for the film “Masks,” which I mentioned yesterday. Let’s see… Who’ve I forgotten?

Some of those folks have sent me links to photos and/ or videos of their work at FSS; if I get a few minutes’ break tomorrow, I will post links, as well as linking to all those great people I’ve mentioned in this post.

Right! Time’s up! Gotta go!

Tschüüüsss,

Phil

I am currently doing post-production sound work for the upcoming feature film “Masks,” frantically trying to hammer it into shape for its screening at Cannes next week. It’s fantastic to have a change from recording bands, but I’d like to mention that film work is even more strenuous and time-consuming than babysitting rock stars, and that’s why I haven’t written to you lately. I hope this little missive will appease your hunger for the moment. 

Since beginning Freeborn Sound Studio some years ago, I have been recieving ever increasing amounts of unsolicited e-mail, asking me  ”what’s your name?” and “how do I get a job at FSS?” Here are my answers, so those folks can stop asking me now:

My name is Phil Freeborn. That may clear up the question of why the studio bears the moniker that it does.

How to get work as a sound technician at FSS:

Get involved with someone who needs to record something. Sell them on your skills. Book time at the studio (I offer excellent rates for projects that bring their own engineers). Get to work!

Respectfully yours,

Phil

There is much to say. For starters, I don’t have a beard (see attached photo, with thanks to Geli and Modern Earl, about whom I will speak later).

Yours affectionately,

Phil

Now then: a new friend have I made, in Andrea Galli from Firenze. His sessions a couple of weeks ago were a joy! We recorded and mixed his whole album in three days, and now he’s flown back to Italy (in spite of a certain Icelandic volcano) to shop it around to labels. Here’s a pic:

That happens to have been one of the nicest acoustic guitars I’ve had the pleasure to record, a Gibson from the custom shop in Kalamazoo, just like the one Lenin (oops! Lennon) played. The astute among you will notice that there’s a mess of mics on the setup. I allowed myself the indulgence of experimenting a bit. For starters there is a pair of 414s- not my fave mics but very useful, set on figure-of-8 with the blind side pointing a Andrea’s mouth, then the main vocal mic, a Lawson LM47, also figure-of-8, with its blind side pointing to the guitar. It’s a practical way to avoid phasing problems when recording live vocals. In addition, there is a Neumann CMV563 with an M55K capsule right up at the bridge of the guitar. This particular capsule is not good for much else, but it has SO much sparkle that it brings acoustic guitars right forward in a mix; I love it for that. And setting off the vintage 563 vibe is a Gefell MV692 in there somewhere, around the fingerboard. Plus, I’ve got Uncle Joe in there as an alternate vocal mic; he’s an RFT 7151, with a Neumann M7 capsule (and my famous thread adapter made out of an old piece of water pipe). Enough mics already!