poundingmetal74
Demons Will Fly
I came across this the other day and had all but forgotten about it. An interview I did with Glenn Fricker (Spectre Sound - OzNimbus - the guy who did both of our CDs) about 5 years ago. Check out the great stuff he has to say:
This is a local Recording Engineer/Producer Glenn Fricker. He has produced many a band from Betrayer, Woods of Ypres, Bloodshoteye and many more [and Black Kreek, Final Stage, Mister Bones - as well as worked with Randy Blythe and Despised Icon]. He recently built a top of the line studio you'd only expect to find in big cities. The man is very intelligible about his trade and I think anyone interested in this field will be presently surprised at what he has to say.
B: What got you into metal and hard rock?
G: Judas Priest's "Screaming for Vengeance." I was 14 years old when I first heard it. I'd never heard anyone sing like that before. I originally thought it was 3 guys! Then I found out it was just Rob Halford, and that just blew my mind. That whole "The Hellion" intro made my hair stand on end. No other kind of music had ever done that before. From that point on, it just took hold of me.
B: Who are some of your favorite bands?
G: Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Megadeth, Kyuss, Corrosion of Conformity, and lately, Fireball Ministry. Hell, there's a million influences I could mention, but those are the main ones.
B: I know that most studios accentuate from one style of music to another, what made you choose to do solely metal and hard rock?
G: Actually, I record a lot of Celtic music as well. I enjoy those sessions as I get to work with a lot of instruments I normally wouldn't get to record on a metal session. That being said, I specialize in metal because it's incredibly difficult to record. I like the challenge. There aren't too many studios in Canada as a whole that can record metal and do it justice. I love the music, so it makes sense to work in a style that I really enjoy.
B: Who has been your favorite band to work with thus far?
G: Shit, if I answer that honestly, I'll really piss a few clients off (laughs). Suffice it to say, there's only been one project I've ever done that I didn't enjoy. That was four years ago, and it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Again, every band I work with brings new challenges, so it's always enjoyable. But, to name a few, I'd have to say Betrayer because of how much they've improved, and how great the new material is. Woods of Ypres, because David Gold is a fucking brilliant songwriter. Aven Aura, who have to be the most prepared and amazing musicians I've ever recorded, not to mention, they flew Janne Saarenpaa, THE CROWN's drummer, in from Sweden for some mind-blowing drum sessions. Wolfbait... They're a Detroit comedy/metal band, and I've never laughed so hard during a session before. One of the songs was titled, "Eat Pussy till we Puke." You get the idea. Lastly, I'll say Bloodshoteye. There's been massive improvement with that group, and they're always a blast to work with... that and they brought in Randy Blythe from Lamb of God to do backup vocals. Very cool.
B: The New Studio, How did it gradually form and come to be as great as it?
> A: I spent a good five years in a basement studio, and realized if I wanted to take things to the next level, I was going to have to build something new. That's when I started researching, and found an Acoustician from Australia named John Sayers. He runs a little web forum dedicated to studio design & construction. I learned a LOT from John & the regulars on that board. That, and I read everything I could get my hands on about the subject. I did around a year's worth of research, found a suitable location, and then spent the next six months designing and constructing the new place. My good friend Steve Chaisson, who is also the studio's guitar tech, did most of the back-breaking construction work, whereas I did the electrical & audio cabling. The whole idea of the new studio was to build something that could compete with a large commercial facility, with no compromises..... something that would let me mix with confidence, knowing that what I heard in the studio would translate into the real world. A year after the fact, I can honestly say we've pulled it off.
B: What type or equipment do you prefer analog or digital?
G: I was trained on analog, and I've still got my old edit-all sitting on my desk as a sort of totem. Let me tell you, I do NOT miss editing tape with a fucking razor blade! I really want to call up my old audio prof. and say, "Hey, thanks a bunch for making me spend all those countless hours editing tape! I've never used the skill once in my professional career..... fucker!" Analog is outdated & overrated. The people who hate digital are the ones who spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on antiquated gear, or just don't "get" what digital is all about. Digital is a harsh mistress. If you fuck up, it WILL sound bad. Analog is much more forgiving. The thing I can't stand is the "analog is automatically better than digital." method of thinking. That's just pure bullshit. There are a great deal of horrible sounding analog records out there. Go check out Savatage's "Hall of the Mountain King" or Testament's "Practice what you Preach." Those records are analog, and they sound like shit! To put it another way: If I were to buy a Fender Strat & a Marshall stack, there is no way in hell I'm gonna make that guitar sound like Jimi Hendrix. It's the same principle for recording: A 2 inch deck is not automatically going to give you a great sound. The sound all depends on the skill of the engineer.
B: Why don’t you find Pro-Tools to be as helpful as Saw Studio?
G: Because it's overpriced & underpowered. Pro Tools falls under the "new product every year" method of marketing, whereas they release a new, updated version of their system every year, enticing the user to shell out huge amounts of cash for crap they don't need. To run a full blown Pro Tools system, you have to not only buy the software, but their hardware as well. Not to mention effects plug-ins for the PT standards are significantly more expensive than any other API. SawStudio on the other hand, is written in machine language, so it's about ten thousand times faster than anything else on the market. It's written by one guy: Bob Lentini. A certifiable genius who also happens to be a recording engineer. I'd much rather have my software written by someone who records music than by a committee of lab techs. Bob also has the best tech support I've ever encountered, and he's accessible for development suggestions & bug reports. He actually gives a fuck about his customers, and I have nothing but the utmost respect for the man.
The program itself is brilliant. 72 tracks, 5.1 surround mixing, awesome channel EQ & compressors, and the cleanest digital mixing algorithm ever conceived. That's the kicker: EVERYONE bitches about Pro Tools' mixing buss. There's just something about it that isn't right. SawStudio, on the other hand, does it with a different kind of mathematics, with far better results. Go check out the new Woods disc to hear what I'm talking about!
B: What are your future plans as far as bands you’re recording and anything else?
G: Hopefully we'll get Betrayer back in next year to finally do a full length! I've also been working with Aven Aura from Toronto, and that should be finished early next year. There's also lots more to come from Bloodshoteye & Mister Bones. The next few months are going to be busy ones. Beyond that, I'd love to do some more national & international acts. Meanwhile, I'll keep refining my technique, and pushing my gear to it's limits. Eventually, I'd like to be able to quit my day job & do this full time. I can always dream.
For More Info on Spectre Sound visit them on the web @ www.spectresound.ca
This is a local Recording Engineer/Producer Glenn Fricker. He has produced many a band from Betrayer, Woods of Ypres, Bloodshoteye and many more [and Black Kreek, Final Stage, Mister Bones - as well as worked with Randy Blythe and Despised Icon]. He recently built a top of the line studio you'd only expect to find in big cities. The man is very intelligible about his trade and I think anyone interested in this field will be presently surprised at what he has to say.
B: What got you into metal and hard rock?
G: Judas Priest's "Screaming for Vengeance." I was 14 years old when I first heard it. I'd never heard anyone sing like that before. I originally thought it was 3 guys! Then I found out it was just Rob Halford, and that just blew my mind. That whole "The Hellion" intro made my hair stand on end. No other kind of music had ever done that before. From that point on, it just took hold of me.
B: Who are some of your favorite bands?
G: Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Megadeth, Kyuss, Corrosion of Conformity, and lately, Fireball Ministry. Hell, there's a million influences I could mention, but those are the main ones.
B: I know that most studios accentuate from one style of music to another, what made you choose to do solely metal and hard rock?
G: Actually, I record a lot of Celtic music as well. I enjoy those sessions as I get to work with a lot of instruments I normally wouldn't get to record on a metal session. That being said, I specialize in metal because it's incredibly difficult to record. I like the challenge. There aren't too many studios in Canada as a whole that can record metal and do it justice. I love the music, so it makes sense to work in a style that I really enjoy.
B: Who has been your favorite band to work with thus far?
G: Shit, if I answer that honestly, I'll really piss a few clients off (laughs). Suffice it to say, there's only been one project I've ever done that I didn't enjoy. That was four years ago, and it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Again, every band I work with brings new challenges, so it's always enjoyable. But, to name a few, I'd have to say Betrayer because of how much they've improved, and how great the new material is. Woods of Ypres, because David Gold is a fucking brilliant songwriter. Aven Aura, who have to be the most prepared and amazing musicians I've ever recorded, not to mention, they flew Janne Saarenpaa, THE CROWN's drummer, in from Sweden for some mind-blowing drum sessions. Wolfbait... They're a Detroit comedy/metal band, and I've never laughed so hard during a session before. One of the songs was titled, "Eat Pussy till we Puke." You get the idea. Lastly, I'll say Bloodshoteye. There's been massive improvement with that group, and they're always a blast to work with... that and they brought in Randy Blythe from Lamb of God to do backup vocals. Very cool.
B: The New Studio, How did it gradually form and come to be as great as it?
> A: I spent a good five years in a basement studio, and realized if I wanted to take things to the next level, I was going to have to build something new. That's when I started researching, and found an Acoustician from Australia named John Sayers. He runs a little web forum dedicated to studio design & construction. I learned a LOT from John & the regulars on that board. That, and I read everything I could get my hands on about the subject. I did around a year's worth of research, found a suitable location, and then spent the next six months designing and constructing the new place. My good friend Steve Chaisson, who is also the studio's guitar tech, did most of the back-breaking construction work, whereas I did the electrical & audio cabling. The whole idea of the new studio was to build something that could compete with a large commercial facility, with no compromises..... something that would let me mix with confidence, knowing that what I heard in the studio would translate into the real world. A year after the fact, I can honestly say we've pulled it off.
B: What type or equipment do you prefer analog or digital?
G: I was trained on analog, and I've still got my old edit-all sitting on my desk as a sort of totem. Let me tell you, I do NOT miss editing tape with a fucking razor blade! I really want to call up my old audio prof. and say, "Hey, thanks a bunch for making me spend all those countless hours editing tape! I've never used the skill once in my professional career..... fucker!" Analog is outdated & overrated. The people who hate digital are the ones who spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on antiquated gear, or just don't "get" what digital is all about. Digital is a harsh mistress. If you fuck up, it WILL sound bad. Analog is much more forgiving. The thing I can't stand is the "analog is automatically better than digital." method of thinking. That's just pure bullshit. There are a great deal of horrible sounding analog records out there. Go check out Savatage's "Hall of the Mountain King" or Testament's "Practice what you Preach." Those records are analog, and they sound like shit! To put it another way: If I were to buy a Fender Strat & a Marshall stack, there is no way in hell I'm gonna make that guitar sound like Jimi Hendrix. It's the same principle for recording: A 2 inch deck is not automatically going to give you a great sound. The sound all depends on the skill of the engineer.
B: Why don’t you find Pro-Tools to be as helpful as Saw Studio?
G: Because it's overpriced & underpowered. Pro Tools falls under the "new product every year" method of marketing, whereas they release a new, updated version of their system every year, enticing the user to shell out huge amounts of cash for crap they don't need. To run a full blown Pro Tools system, you have to not only buy the software, but their hardware as well. Not to mention effects plug-ins for the PT standards are significantly more expensive than any other API. SawStudio on the other hand, is written in machine language, so it's about ten thousand times faster than anything else on the market. It's written by one guy: Bob Lentini. A certifiable genius who also happens to be a recording engineer. I'd much rather have my software written by someone who records music than by a committee of lab techs. Bob also has the best tech support I've ever encountered, and he's accessible for development suggestions & bug reports. He actually gives a fuck about his customers, and I have nothing but the utmost respect for the man.
The program itself is brilliant. 72 tracks, 5.1 surround mixing, awesome channel EQ & compressors, and the cleanest digital mixing algorithm ever conceived. That's the kicker: EVERYONE bitches about Pro Tools' mixing buss. There's just something about it that isn't right. SawStudio, on the other hand, does it with a different kind of mathematics, with far better results. Go check out the new Woods disc to hear what I'm talking about!
B: What are your future plans as far as bands you’re recording and anything else?
G: Hopefully we'll get Betrayer back in next year to finally do a full length! I've also been working with Aven Aura from Toronto, and that should be finished early next year. There's also lots more to come from Bloodshoteye & Mister Bones. The next few months are going to be busy ones. Beyond that, I'd love to do some more national & international acts. Meanwhile, I'll keep refining my technique, and pushing my gear to it's limits. Eventually, I'd like to be able to quit my day job & do this full time. I can always dream.
For More Info on Spectre Sound visit them on the web @ www.spectresound.ca
