recording

Sep

2018

Recording Studio Tools! Charlie’s Favorite Gear.

Recording Studio Tools! Charlie’s Favorite Gear: Cloudlifter Zi

It’s been a while since I’ve had time to shoot some new video for the site. I’m excited to be back talking about some of my favorite recording studio tools. Over the past few months while I’ve been hiding in the studio a lot of cool gear has come through the doors but a few pieces have stood out. The Cloudlifter Zi is one of them.

As a studio owner it’s always beneficial to find gear that is versatile enough to be used in many applications. I need tools that help me get to the sounds I need as quick as I can and that I can use on every session. The Cloudlifter Zi is one of these pieces of gear.

Bass was the first instrument (obviously!) I used it on and man was I happy. Good player+good bass+Zi= great tone! Add in the variably impedance and I’m able to dial in the perfect tone.

Like I said before I like recording studio tools that are versatile. I have used the Zi on quite a few of my drum sessions as well. Quite often I like to put a dynamic mic right in front of the kit pointed at the ceiling and crush it with guitar pedals. The signal chain goes through the Zi and I use the variable impedance and high-pass filter to tweak the tone to taste.

I have done a similar setup with vocals too. Where I have a second mic setup running through a guitar pedal and the Zi.

The Zi has become one of my favorite recording studio tools and I use it on almost every session. Check out the Cloudlifter Zi from Cloudlifter microphones!

Watch Charlie’s new “Favorite Gear” video and be sure to like and subscribe to the Ultimate Studios, inc Youtube Channel!

About Ultimate Studios, Inc

Ultimate Studios, Inc is a full service recording studio, mixing studio and band development resource located in Los Angeles, Van Nuys, North Hollywood, Panorama City, CA 91402

Bring Your Music To Life

We believe EVERYONE deserves great sounding music!
Ultimate Studios, Inc is a boutique production facility for artists and bands to collaborate, create, and record.

Led by Producer/Engineer Charlie Waymire, our team assists artists through the entire creative process including recording, mixing, mastering, and video production.

At Ultimate Studios, Inc we understand that the recording process is just the beginning. That’s why we have a full team to help you create an online presence with full web development, SEO, advertising coaching and designing for Facebook, YouTube and Google.

Our ultimate goal is to help bands and artists build a strong brand for a lasting career!

Aug

2016

Recording Drums w/1 Microphone

I know what you’re thinking. Do we really need to talk about recording drums, or any instrument for that matter, with 1 microphone again?

Yes.

Capturing any source with one 1 mic allows you to really learn about what you’re recording. Especially on a drum set which has many different parts. By focusing on using 1 mic you’ll learn to get the most of each mic you put on a kit.

In short, you’re multiple mic setups will become more effective by understand how to use only 1 mic.

This video is an excerpt from one of my Live Broadcast Seminars. I’m going to use a single Audio-Technica AT4047 to capture our drum sound. The big focus will be on using mic placement, specifically the height, to act as a natural eq.

Find some time this week to pic a microphone out of your mic locker and try this out in your recording space. I promise you what you’ll learn will make your recordings better!

Happy recording!

Charlie

Aug

2015

Behind The Scenes – Drum Recording Ninja Workshop

Go behind the scenes of the Drum Recording Ninja Workshops. This video is from a live Periscope broadcast and was shot just prior to our latest Drum Recording Ninja Workshop. For this workshop Charlie was joined by his FullOnDrums.com cohort Scott Francisco and drummer extraordinaire Jeff Bowders.

The Drum Recording Ninja Workshops are for ANYONE that is interested in recording drums. Topics that are covered include tuning tips, mic types and choosing the right mics, overhead techniques, room micing techniques, minimal micing techniques, and much, much more. Our goal is to show you techniques that you can use on your very next session!

For those of you who haven’t attended a workshop yet we would like to give you a little behind the scenes look at the setup. We have fun at these workshops and so does everyone that attends. Below are a few photos plus the input list for the workshop.

Enjoy and we hope to see you at the next workshop!

May

2015

In Session w/Adam Moseley (w/video)

Producer Adam Moseley was in the studio working with the band Beck Black. Adam is an amazing producer with a long history of working with some of the biggest artists in the music business dating back to the hay day at Trident Studios in London.

During this session we chronicled Adam while he talks about his recording philosophies and why he likes the new Trident 88 console. He brought a fantastic band, Beck Black, and recorded them live.

The band consists of Beck Black (vocals/keys), Adam Alt (drums), and Mo (guitars).

There was a LOT of video recorded for this session that will be released in the near future by Trident Audio Developments that will feature reviews with Adam as well has recording techniques and a performance by the band. We’ll keep you posted about the release of the video.

In the meantime enjoy some photos and a quick behind the scenes video from Charlie.

www.AdamMoseley.net
www.BeckBlack.com
www.TridentAudioDevelopments.com

Oct

2014

Lots Of Great Music Happening @ Ultimate Studios, Inc!

The best way to make great music is to work with great musicians. And that’s exactly what’s been happening at the studio! In our ongoing quest to bring great music to music lovers all over the world we’ve been trying to capture as many performances on video as possible. This is just the beginning!

“We’ve been hard at work on some really exciting projects that we’ll be releasing very soon. Both audio and video. I’m extremely excited and can’t wait to get this stuff out to music lovers everywhere!”, says Producer/Engineer Charlie Waymire

We’ve put together a playlist of some recent live studio performances. We hope you enjoy them and feel free to share!!!

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Sep

2014

Charlie Talks Drum Miking & FREE eBook!

I absolutely love recording drums! There are so many possibilities to create interesting and unique sounding drums to fit a song’s personality. Finding that sound can take some experimenting but when you find it, it’s plain magical. Experimenting is a BIG part of learning how to find that sound. The more time you put into experimenting the better understanding you’ll have about how drums sound, about what your microphones hear, about mic placement. All of this will ultimately lead you to better sounding drums!

That’s one of the BIG goals of “4 Twists On Minimal Drum Miking“; to help you understand the drums better and get great sounds without needing lots of gear. By using less gear it really makes you think about what sounds you’re going after and where you’re placing your microphones. These are just a few techniques that I hope will help you not only get better drum sounds but spark your imagination to come up with sounds that are unique to you and your music.

Remember, it’s not just about recording a great drum sound. It’s about recording the “right” drum sounds for your songs, or for your client’s songs. As you experiment with these techniques give them some sort of context so you can learn how they really sound, how the drums fit into the music and how the music fits around the drums.

The recording process can, and should be, an amazing journey. Be creative and experiment as much as possible. Don’t be afraid to try something different and don’t get stuck just recording one way. Whether it’s drums, guitars, vocals, bass, banjo, or any combination of instruments, remember that it’s art. It’s YOUR art.

Have fun and enjoy “4 Twists On Minimal Drum Miking“!

– Charlie

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Sep

2014

Raz Azraai Releases New Single! (w/video)

Guitarist Raz Azraai has just released his new single “I Feel Alive”. The drums for “I Feel Alive” were recorded at Ultimate Studios, Inc by Stanley Love. Along with Raz Azraai on guitar and Stanley Love on drums the vocal duties were handled by Evan Rodaniche of Cage 9.

Fans of rock and real guitar playing are going to love this track. It’s energy will flat out floor you!

“We had a fantastic time recording drums on this track. Despite the song’s high intensity the vibe in the studio was super laid back and fun. Raz gave Stanley and I plenty of time to find the right drums for the track and ultimately the right tones. Stanley did a fantastic job on the track. I’m looking forward to working with them again!” says engineer Charlie Waymire

“Charlie is very enthusiastic about his work, he knows what to do right away, and make the drums sounds world class. Satisfying experience working with him and Ultimate Studios, the place to record in LA.” says guitarist Raz Azraai

Give yourself a treat and check out the video! For more information on Raz Azraii visit his website at www.razazraaimusic.com.

Here are a few photos from the session!

: The kick tunnel for Stanleys kit

: Brandon Cooke, Charlie Waymire, Raz Azraai, and Stanley Love

: Recording Engineer Charlie Waymire, Drummer Stanley Love, and Guitarist Raz Azraai

: Stanley Love tracking drums for Raz Azraai

: Stanley Love’s setup for the Raz Azraai session

: Stanley Love’s setup for the Raz Azraai session

Aug

2014

Potluck Audio Conference & FREE eBook!

The Potluck Audio Conference is an annual trade show for audio engineers; studio, live, and broadcast. It’s held at the luxurious Hilton El Conquistador Resort in Tucson, AZ. PotluckCon is small and, unlike NAMM, very laid back. But what it lacks in size it makes up for in quality. Among the attendees were Audio-Technica, PMI Audio, Universal Audio, Sweetwater, Neve, API, Royer, Mojave Audio, Empirical Labs, to name a few.

The weekend also featured many great seminars on recording, mixing, acoustics, broadcast audio, DIY room treatment, hybrid studio setups, and all kinds of other audio and studio related subjects. It was a fantastic weekend of learning from some of the best in the business in an environment that made it easy to learn. It was awesome!

Perhaps the best part of the weekend was the “Casita Gear Crawl”. There is a long row of outdoor suites that are turned into mini studios and feature hands on demonstrations, recording seminars, and more.

Charlie's Recording Setup for the Potluck Audio Conference 2014

I was privileged to be asked by Audio-Technica to put on a seminar about minimal drum miking. The setup in the suite reminded me of being a kid and recording on 4-track cassette recording in my parent’s basement and friend’s houses. It was a lot different (and more challenging!) than working at the studio but I had a blast. We were able to make the room sound pretty nice by using about 16 Cylinder Traps from Aural Endeavors. Everyone at the conference was an amazing help in getting all the gear together and having extra help on hand. Luckily I had my gorgeous girlfriend on hand to help me setup too. It’s a little unnerving to put on a seminar using a rig you’ve never used!

I did a lot of experimenting before the seminar to figure out what I would do. Minimal miking isn’t a new concept but Craig Schumacher, PotluckCon’s driving force, asked me to approach it from a modern recording perspective and not from a classic point of view. That proved quite challenging but I think I came up with a few twists on the classic minimal miking techniques and put my ideas down in a handout, “The Art of Recording Drums – 4 Twists On Minimal Drum Miking”, for all the attendees. Since I think there are some pretty good ideas I thought I would share them with anyone interested in recording drums. These techniques don’t require lots of microphones or lots of gear. They will provide some pretty amazing drum tones and are great for home recording enthusiasts as well as the seasoned pros.

I’ve recorded some amazing sounding drums with these techniques and I hope they can help you do the same!

Enjoy!
Charlie Waymire

Get Your Copy of “The Art of Recording Drums – 4 Techniques On Minimal Drum Miking” FREE eBook Here!

Photos from PotluckCon 2014

: Charlie’s Recording Setup for the Potluck Audio Conference 2014

: Charlie with Chris Nighman & Gary Boss of Audio-Technica

: Audio-Technica’s booth at PotluckCon 2014

: Charlie tuning drums for his drum miking seminar

: Charlie recording drums in the suite

: Cylinder Traps from Aural Endeavors

: Charlie’s gorgeous assistant Lizzy!

: Gear from PMI Audio at PotluckCon 2014

: Charlie’s recording setup for the Audio-Technica drum miking seminar

: Ronan Chris Murphy and Charlie at PotluckCon 2014

: The drum corner for the drum miking seminar

: The suite pre-drum miking seminar

: The drum miking seminar in action

: The final seminar at PotluckCon 2014

Feb

2014

Check Out The Studio Video Tour!

Here’s a quick video tour of Ultimate Rhythm Studios. When you’re ready to start your next recording contact us to schedule a visit and book some studio time!

Feb

2014

URS 2014 Post NAMM Jam!

After a fun 2014 winter NAMM and a week to recover it was time to do a little jammin’! With a studio full of some of the best musicians in LA there was good music all night and the hang was awesome! Thank you to everyone that attended! Here’s a little video and some photos from the night! Looking forward to the next one!

We literally threw some microphones up, did no soundcheck, and the jam was on. People were hangin’ out, talking, clapping, and interacting! It was fun!

Jam featuring: Paul Vallis – Harmonica, Jeff Marshall – Guitar, Ernesto Homeyer – Guitar, Kevin Chown – Bass, & Aubrey Richmond – Violin. (shot from the iPhone Cam)