 |
When it comes to sorting out your priorities in life, producer Gareth
Johnson has a simple philosophy: “music all day, every day”. Little
wonder then that after years honing his studio skills he’s now
producing Natalie Imbruglia and Goldfrapp, recording the Royal
Philharmonic Orchestra and writing theme tunes for Norwich-based anti-
hero Alan Partridge.
Not many people rack up that kind of CV after reaching the tender age
of 27, but Gareth’s mastery of the recording studio comes from a
lifelong passion that’s built from myriad influences, be they Heavy
Rock, Hip Hop, Electronica or 80s Pop. Two years ago he launched his
own studio – Stand Alone Productions – and has since diversified,
writing music for TV and film, as well as producing 5.1 sound for DVD.
But no matter how proficient you are at getting a great sound, ask
anyone in the recording business and they’ll tell you that some
processes could easily be refined. And Gareth is no different,
although luckily for him sE Electronics are at hand with some unique
solutions – namely the GM10 [guitar condenser mic with boom], the Reflexion Filter and the Gemini II [dual-valve microphone].
“I’m often recording acoustic guitars, and let’s be totally honest
here – it’s a pain! Guitarists – myself included – move around a lot,
so getting a consistent level and tone can be tricky. But the GM10
boom clips onto the body of the guitar itself, so the guitarist could
be jumping around the room or even standing on their head and the mic
stays in place – positioned in the right place on the guitar body.
And it gives a full, rich tone. You know, I really wasn’t sure what
results I’d get with the GM10, but I was totally shocked by how good
it sounds. It’ll make a cheap guitar sound expensive and an expensive
one sound even better!”
“Because I work on such a diverse range of projects I travel around a
lot and record in different locations, so sE’s Reflexion Filter is an
essential for me. It makes doing vocals in the control room a
reality, and it also means that I’m guaranteed a useful recording
environment whenever I hit the road with my portable recording set-up.”
For Gareth such flexibility simplifies the recording process, as does
having the right tools for the most important aspect of the recording
chain – audio capture. “The Gemini became my favourite vocal mic from
the day I plugged it in,” Gareth explains.
“It’s simply hands-down the best mic in my collection for many jobs
around the studio, especially vocals. It’s warm, crisp and clear and
seems to add more detail than anything I’d used previously. It seems
to make vocals sound fatter! And the results need less processing
because Gemini captures all of the nuances from a performance. That
also makes it a great choice as a room mic in the drum room, or for
miking up guitar cabinets too. It used to be a secret weapon, but
these days the Gemini is sneaking its way into all sorts of places!”
“Ultimately sE gear is stress free. There’s enough to worry about
when you’re in session, but I know that sE gear will give me the
results I want without having to work really hard to get the best out
of it. And if I’m worrying less about results I can relax more in the
studio.”
|