Glad it’s out, it sounds great.

What I did bring back was:

1. Tascam US-144 USB audio interface
I bought a netbook (Lenovo IdeaPad) to travel with, and decided that after returning home I would try to use it as the basis for a portable recording setup. The Tascam US-144 was pretty cheap at Guitar Center in San Francisco. I’ve been tweaking the setup, using Wavelab as recording software.

2. Heil PR40 microphone
In LA I went to West LA music on Santa Monica Boulevard with the hope of being able to buy some cheap ribbon mics. They didn’t have any in stock, but they did have some Heil microphones. I’d read good things about these, and the price was good.

3. Audix CabGrabber
I’ve wanted one of these for a while, but the local price is too high. Looked for it in SF and LA, and finally found one (the last one in the shop) at EasyMusic Center in Honolulu.

I’ll let you know how I go with each of these when I get some time to use them.

A bunch of our studio equipment has been sourced from overseas. It’s relatively uncomplicated to buy microphones from the US or Europe, so Cut Snake has microphones from Europe (tbone, Oktava) and the US (Karma, Kel) in the collection.

Case in point: the ART MPA Digital preamp is available from some Australian retailers for prices from AU$700 up to AU$1100. I’ve seen it on US eBay for US$279, or, at today’s exchange rate, about AU$310. A half or even third of the local price: a substantial saving.

But there’s some disadvantages to buying gear directly from the US: the voltage is different, and the warranty probably won’t apply. And, of course, you need to pay a shipping fee that can add substantially to the final cost of the item.

I just want to provide some information about the power supply voltage on some MPA units, since I couldn’t find any webpage that discussed this.

The ART MPA Digital preamp (and maybe some similar ART gear) can easily be switched from 110 to 220/240 volt input: the fuse holder underneath the power cord plug can be configured for either voltage. The photo here shows the preamp configured for 220/240 volts. By removing and flipping the fuse holder you can swap the preamp to 110/120 volts.

The Sydney launch is on Monday June 15. More details here.

Video work with John Bennett continues. In particular we’re working on a mini-documentary of Erik Satie to be completed before John goes o/s April 1.

The last OG CD has been getting some positive reactions. We hope to leverage that into a few festival gigs.

On Friday while recording some percussion with Chris I knocked over the mic stand holding my Karma K6 powered ribbon microphone.

It didn’t seem to hit the floor very hard, but the angle was such as to knock the head case off. A-ha! Now we see what’s inside!

The corrugated ribbon is about half a centimetre wide and 4 cms long. There’s a heap of mesh shielding, both on the headcase and covering the ribbon motor.

The two protective mesh panels over the ribbon are held in place by the long black clips you can see in the photo. When I took these off the mesh (presumably some sort of aluminium?) falls away.

Looking at the ribbon, I think it’s sagging. Common problem with generic Chinese-made ribbon mics. I corrected a slack ribbon on one of my t-bone RM700s. Guess I should have a go at this one too. But I’m a bit surprised that Karma’s quality control didn’t catch this. Then again, maybe it’s a result of the drop?

From 1966, The Prospects of Recording.

p. 144
July 1989
Alton Ngubane and his band are recording a cassette of Inkatha Freedom Party songs with instrumental backing. In the first session in a small studio in town, Tom, the engineer, sets up the mikes, prepares the console for the backing tracks and programs a drum track.
…
Next he picks a channel on the console for the bass guitar. Bongani [the bass player] lugs the amp into the little booth. He starts to plug in.
No, says Tom, holding down the talkback button.

…
Tom calls Bongani back into the control room. The bass must go directly into the console. Much cleaner sound, he explains. Sorry, no half-assed sound is going out of this studio.
The band want the bass amped and miked. Period.
We’re dedicated to sound quality in this studio, Tom insists.
…
Look, I’m always open to suggestions, but I know it’s not gonna work, Tom says.
He shrugs.
Ngubane lights up and takes a puff.
Tom bends over the console and sweeps his forearms over the faders, pulling them down to zero. He switches off the controls.
The band watches.
No one says anything.
They pick up their instruments.
That man doesn’t know our music, Bongani grumbles to me as we leave. He doesn’t even like it.