The Mark Linett Thread

[SurferGirl7]

Well I am glad. Any good news in BB/BW land IS good news 

[SMiLEY]

Great news!!! 

[Mark A. Moore]

I am more than pleased to report that Western Studios (Cello) has been saved. It was bought for a considerable sum and will hopefully be back in operation within 6 months.

Mark

Incredible . . . I knew someone would eventually step up and make this happen. The place is too important to the history of the industry. A "working museum" would be ideal.

M.

[yrplace]

I am more than pleased to report that Western Studios (Cello) has been saved. It was bought for a considerable sum and will hopefully be back in operation within 6 months.

Mark

Incredible . . . I knew someone would eventually step up and make this happen. The place is too important to the history of the industry. A "working museum" would be ideal.

M

Here's how the great ST 3 looked back in November........ Mark



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[yrplace]

And here I am in the doorway to the control room.....

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[Mark A. Moore]

Hallowed Ground . . .

M.

[andy]

Thanks for posting those pictures.

[Susan]

And the intent is to get the place back to being a working studio?  Excellent.

Who bought it, Mark, can you say?  Do you know? 

[yrplace]

You now know as much as I do.........

[guitarfool2002]

Someone fitting this description was seen in the vicinity not long before the sale was announced...

[trumpet sounds]

 EASTWEST SOUNDS purchases CELLO STUDIOS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

EASTWEST purchased the famous studios, formally known as United Western Recorders on Thursday at auction.

"Part of me just wanted to save it from the wrecking ball, as we were bidding against a real estate investment trust who would have torn it down; however EASTWEST (www.soundsonline.com) and it's premier brand QUANTUM LEAP are virtual instrument developers who have a real need for great sounding recording rooms to make even better sound and software products." said Doug Rogers, EASTWEST president and producer. Studios 1, 2, 3 and the mix room will be immediately restored to their original condition and made available to outside clients. Other studios will be retained for EASTWEST use.

The studio has been known as Cello Studios since 1999 when it was last purchased from Ocean Way. It was built over 40 years ago by the legendary Bill Putnam (UREI) and Frank Sinatra who started Reprise records there and recorded many hits in Studio 1, which is large enough to hold a 70 piece orchestra.

In addition, the studio has a mic and equipment collection that is the envy of the industry.

The studios are one of only 15 US studios featured in the book "Temples of Sound".

This will be a total 'sounds' facility, with studios, soundware and software development all under one roof.

More information about the renamed EASTWEST studios history can be found here -

http://www.studioexpresso.com/Spotl...ght%20Cello.htm

More information about EASTWEST SOUNDS can be found here -

http://www.soundsonline.com/aboutus.shtml

[Mitchell]

Cool, thanks for the information!

[Stephen W. Desper]

Comment to Mark --

Wow, seeing what studio 3 looks like now brought lots of mixed feelings.  It was hard to look at it.  Such memories.  Know you felt all kinds of vibs as you stood in the room.  Last time I was there it was an active place with sessions going on in every studio.  Seeing you standing in the sound lock brought the situation right into the present.  It's like the sound lock is more of a time lock, where the clock stopped and change was everywhere else but there. Over the years that portal has seen oh so many greats pass through it to hear "the take" in the control room playback. In my mind's eye, I can see a younger Brian standing almost the same way you are, talking to the players.  Great photo!  Thanks, ~swd 

[dennyfan]

Mark, I have a non-technical question for you.  How is Brian?   Everyone says that getting SMiLE out has helped him a lot, but how was he when recording the christmas album and since?  Has his confidence grown?  Does he take more of a lead in the studio.  Most of all, does the big guy seem happy these days?  I hope so.

Many Thanks

[yrplace]

Brian is as they say in great shape . You're right that finishing Smile had a tremendous positive affect on him and shows just how important the project was to him.
Mark

[Day Tripper]

 Hello Mark. Did you record the tracks for Smile without any limiting or compression and then add it at mix down? Did you use any compression on the 2 track mixdown? When you had the whole record Mastered where you there to make sure that the Mastering process didn't change your and Brians idea of what it should sound like? If a song is mixed properly is  the Mastering process almost imperceivable? I know Mastering is an art unto itself. I'm trying to Master my own songs using just a little amount of compression to take out some of the peaks without losing the dynamics.  What I wouldn't give to be employed at your studio. It looks great!

[yrplace]

If I recall correctly we used a Fairman TMC compressor on the stereo mix but set very very lightly. The only compression I recall using on the basic tracks was a little on the bass guitar and of course the vocals were compressed slightly. As for the mastering we sent four songs to several difft engineers for trial and what we got back from Bob Ludwig sounded the best to everyone.
Mark

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Mark, since the subject of compression came up, it reminds me another question I wanted to ask you about "The studio in the 60s".  Would it be correct to say that Brian and/or Chuck or Larry or whoever it might be would really not be working with much compression at all?  I see pictures from the sixties that clearly show some kind of UREI compressor in a rack or sometimes just sitting up on the desk, to your understanding would they only have one compressor in each studio?  I imagine it wasn't used on individual channels while tracking the instrumental backing, but I suppose it would be possible to patch it in line with a certain channel if need be, but did need ever be?

I hear compression on a lot of Beach Boy vocals, but often times it's on the new a capella remixes you've done, so I'm not sure what was added vintage and what you added...  But I'd love to hear anything you know about how Brian went about compressing the vocals, if you know anything.

Long Live EastWest(ern) studios!

[c-man]

Mark -

Curious if you could tell us, on the "Gettin' In Over My Head" album, which tracks:

Probyn played keyboards on
Scott played bass on
Scott played guitar on

Thanks

[yrplace]

Mark -

Curious if you could tell us, on the "Gettin' In Over My Head" album, which tracks:

Probyn played keyboards on
Scott played bass on
Scott played guitar on

Thanks

Sorry but I don't remember.......

[c-man]

OK.  Thanks anyway Mark.

[Mark Kidd]

I have read a number of reviewers commenting on the use of fades in Brian's 2004 release (specifically crossfading in Workshop/Vega-Tables and at the end of Good Vibrations), usually in a negative way. Some members of the fan community seem to feel strongly that the fades are inconsistent with the way Brian was laying the album out in 66/67 -- the 'modular' approach. Does this seem valid? I'm interested in how his ideas on transitions may have changed in the intervening years.

[yrplace]

I have read a number of reviewers commenting on the use of fades in Brian's 2004 release (specifically crossfading in Workshop/Vega-Tables and at the end of Good Vibrations), usually in a negative way. Some members of the fan community seem to feel strongly that the fades are inconsistent with the way Brian was laying the album out in 66/67 -- the 'modular' approach. Does this seem valid? I'm interested in how his ideas on transitions may have changed in the intervening years.

I didn't see any critic reviews of the album that complained about the transistions, so I assume you are referring to "fan" reviews. Crossfades as opposed to hard edits in some spots seemed much better and more musical to everyone when we were mixing the record. There was much less of a choice available in 1966 but you should remember that while for example the final backing track for say Good Vibrations contained "hard" edits, the vocals were recorded  on top of that edited tape and so were in effect crossfaded over the difft.sections. Had crossfades been readily available to Brian in 66 (and we are talking for the most part about very very short ones used on BWPS), I'm sure he would have employed them.

[SMiLEY]

I remember saying, at the time, that I was glad that BWPS didn't limit itself to only butt-end edits. Some sections, like the ones mentioned, simply would not sound that great with the the hard cut.

And yes, I'm sure Brian would have employed cross-fades if he had a chance to, as he did on the very SMiLE-like Diamond Head from Friends.

[king of anglia]

Surely crossfading is very easy to with tape?