range from traditional nylon
to more ethnic variations of the instrument. Dean Parks played
most of the tracks that featured the more traditional style.
Recording Dean is always a pleasure since he is a definite master
of the instrument. The main tracks that he played on called
for a very open and melodic nylon guitar solos. I recorded Dean
at Cello Studio #1 (former Ocean Way Studio 1). This room in
particular, because of its large dimensions, has a very clear
and open sound with a very well defined ambience that highlights
the high-ends of the instrument," compliments Sardina,
who has earned two Grammy's for his work with Miguel.
Signal Path
"I recorded the guitars to analog, and simultaneously
to (Digidesign) Pro-Tools through Apogee AD-8000 Special Edition
converters," reveals Sardina. "I used this recording
strategy since we needed to do some edits on the fly in case
any last-minute ideas pop up. It is always nice to be able
to do edits without disturbing the flow of the session, and
Pro-Tools is an irreplaceable tool for that."
Rafa sardina adjusts the mics at Cello
studio #1 with the help of an assistant
Mic Position
"Dean performed close to the center of the studio, slightly
off to one side. For these tracks I tried a few different
mics since trial and error is still the most effective engineering
technique I have ever found," explains Sardina. "The
mics I selected were some of my favorites for nylon guitar,
a Neumann KM-54, an AKG C-12, and a Neumann U-47. My final
choice was a vintage Neumann KM-54 tube for most of the tracks,
an all-time favorite! This is a microphone that represents
the instrument very clearly with an amazing amount of definition,
very tight bottom-end, very crisp high-end and no harshness.
You have to be very careful though, because with most KM-54s,
being such an old tube mic, the sound variation between microphones
can be very dramatic. The condition of the nickel capsule
will fluctuate from mic to mic. So, it helps working at a
nice studio that takes care of their mics and has a good selection
of them.
I always experiment with the positioning of
the microphone until I find the right spot for the adequate
balance between fingering definition and low end. First I
usually listen to the player while he plays the instrument
and then I listen through a pair of headphones. That way I
can really fine-tune the positioning and very quickly find
that magic spot.
To capture the ambience of the room, I used a (Neumann) M149
at approximately 12 feet away from the source and about 10
feet high. Later on I used this particular track during mix-down
to add some extra ambience and dimension to the guitar. It
worked quite well!"
Processing
"As for mic preamps, I used a pair of Mastering Lab tube
preamps that I really cherish," proclaims Sardina. "These
are some of the most amazing preamps I have ever used, and
I only regret not having more for big tracking dates. It's
a shame they don't make them anymore. These preamps have a
great high end and an amazingly defined low end that is not
commonly found on most preamps - even high quality and expensive
ones. After the preamps the signal went to a stereo Avalon
AD-2055 equalizer where I fine tuned the signal a touch and
went straight into the Ampex ATR-124 analog machines. I don't
use any compression at all.
"With such a great player and a really
well balanced room, I didn't need any further processing.
To me, this has always been the best way to guarantee a great
recording. If you are not getting the right sound you have
to re-evaluate your approach and start with the source. Always
build your sound from the source up, and never the other way
around. If you are reaching for the EQ or compression right
away, there is no doubt you are doing something wrong.
"As I mentioned earlier, when we tracked
guitars with Dean, we recorded several styles. For one of
the songs, which was more of a rhythmic track, I ended up
changing the mics. We decided to record the bass parts (fifth
and sixth string parts) as a separate overdub to accomplish
some fingering positions that were not technically possible
in a single pass. I went for a tight sound and kept the KM-54
for the high parts. By tilting it and pointing it toward the
neck I lowered the amount of low end being picked up. For
the low part I ended up using an AKG C-12 that conveys a very
smooth lows and mids. When I was mixing this particular track
at the Record Plant, I used the automation to level every
note from the bass. Automation rides are still the best form
of compression available."
Track Notes
Sardina concludes, "One of the tracks on Mis Romances
was a very traditional style of Mexican music called mariachi,
a departure from the pop latin sound Luis' albums are known
for. This style of music calls for a very festive layered
guitar sound. There were three very distinct types of guitars
recorded for this song; nylon guitar, vihuela and requinto.
The foundation of the song was based on the two guitars and
the vihuela. The nylon guitar went down first and I used a
U-47 to record it. This style of playing can be quite busy
and I had to EQ slightly to shape the mid-lows so they wouldn't
take an excessive amount of room. The guitar was doubled to
get a nice stereo spread.
"Afterward I recorded the vihuela, which
is a small guitar equivalent in shape and size to a mandolin.
This instrument projects a considerable amount of high end
transient material with a moderate amount of low end on its
sonic content. In this case I opted again for a Neumann KM-54,
which captured the sound of the instrument without having
to use any EQ at all. The vihuela was also doubled.
"To finish off, we recorded the lead parts,
which are traditionally recorded with the requinto, a smaller-than-usual
nylon guitar that comes from Chihuahua, Mexico. This guitar
has a very distinct high end sounding character, which the
KM-54 captured phenomenally. I used some compression on the
requinto during mixing. Here is an exception where I tend
to compress the instrument for character. I used an (Teletronix)
LA-2A to shape the high end of the instrument. I place it
post EQ so I can boost the very high end of the requinto from
12KHz up for some nice definition and then compress it to
compensate for some of the harshness that might result. This
combination really makes the sound of the requinto sizzle."
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