Recording/producing question

[keny46]

Janek,

Hey I was wondering how you approach recording the music you do with your groups (ways of micing, preferred equipment, etc)? I think all your solo endeavors have been live cuts (correct me if I'm wrong) so I was just curious as to what your setup is. I'm going to record a few tunes with a quartet (bass, drums, piano, sax, piano) and wanted to get your opinion.

Thanks,
Kenny

[janekbass]

my first album as a leader - mystery to me - was cut in a studio with a live audience. The whole band was heavily miced, and we spent a few hours setting up and sound checking before the audience arrived in the control room. Then we did the whole album live in one take, and got to mix it a day later before it went to mastering.

My last album, Live at the 55bar, was recorded live to two track so there was no mixing and a very basic mastering. It was all recorded with two mics that went straight into an alesis Masterlink hard disk recorder.

I'm planning a new album to be recorded in Norway in November that will be done with lots of vintage gear and nice warm mics out on a farm outside of oslo in a great room.

It really depends on the musicians, the music, and the sound I'm going for when I'm producing an album to decide upon which techniques to employ. when I go to norway in November I'm going to be experimenting with lots of different micing ideas and techniques to work on some new sounds for the album.

Easy,

Janek