Neve on Neve: Voracious and ParSonics
October, 2019
Santa Barbara, CA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Voracious Visits Alan Parsons’ ParSonics Studio
The 805 Room and Alan Parsons share a love of the Neve 5088 console, so The 805 Room went up the road to take a look and compare setups. We had the privilege of visiting with producing legend Alan Parsons during his Master Class Training with Glen Phillips and Doug Dinning of Toad the Wet Sprocket, along with producer/ songwriter / multi-instrumentalist Greg Leisz. The master class is a live session event at Alan’s Parsons’ ParSonics Studio, where attendees get interactive instruction from Alan on the 'art and science' of sound recording.
The 805 Room’s Neve 5088 Console
Greg Leisz
The central theme of the recording master classes is to show the value and mechanics of a group of musicians playing together live. Alan walked everyone through his mic choice and placement of the drum mics. Engineer Noah Bruskin had brought along an interesting kit from Sugar Percussion of Santa Cruz, CA - a gorgeous Alaskan yellow cedar kit made from a single tree. The kick is extremely shallow, and Noah uses it without a front head.
Session setup with Glenn, Alan
For the tracking session, Toad bassist Dean Dinning recorded direct. Glen Phillips wanted to record using an acoustic, so was consigned to an iso booth. Pedal steel is recorded through an amp and so Greg Leisz could remain in the live room while his amp was placed in a secondary iso booth / storage room. Everyone else had good sight lines, both with fellow players and Alan in the control room. Alan is a stickler for making sure the producer or engineer stays in touch with the musicians at all times. Monitor mixes are self-administered level-wise, but musicians still need the occasional affirmation of what is coming in from where.
Greg Leisz, Glen Phillips
With the initial track in the bag in fairly short order the second song got underway. Phillips felt a rolling brush pattern was the way to go for drums. Initially the pattern was too snare-heavy but attendees were asked for input and with Josh Daubin behind the kit, the groove was established. By this time Glen Phillips' needed a break from the continuous finger-picking style, so twenty-two year old Keith Lewis stepped up to the plate.
For overdubs Greg Leisz laid down some Strat parts and a tasty track on Hawaiian lap steel.
A string section later, and it was time to do a quick mix.
By day's end, the wind came up, and since we were mid-fire season, the traditional after-session glass of wine was kindly relocated to Tres Vientos Ranch, the home of Alan and Lisa Parsons, where friendships were cemented.
— Courtesy Julian Colbeck, Perry Norton
