Microstudio

30/07/2024

Vinyl, 45 u/min. Gerade sind die Belegexemplare gekommen. Pressung sieht super aus, die Seitenangabe auf der Platte hat eine angemessene Größe, da brauche ich Mal keine Brille. Sound ist super. 🌞😄🥂
grosse.los

26/07/2024

What a heart-warming guitar recording with Pele Götzer and David Bartelt for the next Das Große Los record.

At the moment, my job makes me feel very privileged to be one of the first to hear such wonderful music. ❤️

For the nerds: A Samar Audio Design TF10 (I still don't know if it's the only one in germany) and a Myburgh M1 were used as microphones. Both have a very straight frequency response and are ideal for recording acoustic guitars. Other hardware in the recording chain included a Crescendo duo preamp, the PQ EQ and the Iron compressor (all SPL). The converter was the Merging Technologies Anubis. 🔥

To be heard from 2025 on vinyl, CD and all streaming services.

25/07/2024

A visit from the big sister. :)

15/07/2024

The most important thing when recording is to capture as much as possible of the artist's idea and the sound of the instrument.

Behind the Crescendo preamp, we have now firmly integrated our master channel into the recording path. Really funny, isn't it? 😊

You can take a look at our recording channel in the photos. The photos are all from today's recording session with Das Große Los 🔥

For vocal or mono recordings of instruments, we often start with the Myburgh M1 microphone. This is connected directly to the Crescendo, which passes the signal into the PQ. From here it goes into the IRON and from there via the Anubis converters into the DAW.

The Myburgh sounds a bit more modern than a U47 or a U67, as it has greater dynamics and is more open in both the bass range and the treble. If I want a vintage sound, I can achieve this very well with the IRON. I take one or two dB out of the signal with short attack times and activate the tape roll-off switch. That works really well.

If a customer wants a slightly darker and creamier sound, we add a few low mids via the PQ broadband beforehand and filter the highs appropriately. That's great for electric guitars.

In general, the PQ has changed the way I work. The device allows you to boost frequencies across the entire range without any negative effects. I used to work much more subtractively. But if the signal source sounds good, this is not really necessary here.

I hope you have a great week! Preferably with holidays, good weather and nice people! 🌞😊💛

08/07/2024

Der alte RY30 läuft als Beatbox, natürlich analog in die Sättigungsstufe der Channel One. Und wir schwelgen in nostalgischen Vibes. 🤘🔥
grosse.los

02/07/2024

Sound Performance Lab — Hardware tools for music and sound production.

20/06/2024

Arrived today after a long journey. The Wellspring from in Wales is certainly one of the most special devices we have in the microstudio. And it gives us the opportunity to offer completely analogue signal processing, as it has a great delay and a very deep and clear spring reverb.

This may be one of the first devices in a production studio in Germany. We are looking forward to extensive tests with the Wellspring. :)

Many thanks to Schneiders Laden in Berlin for the support! ❤️

17/06/2024

Die Band wartet auf den Drumtech. Soundcheck läuft.
grosse.los

15/06/2024

Tomorrow we will start a new recording session with this beautiful equipment. Many thanks to Philipp (Wüstefeld Medien) and Sascha (SPL) for their helping hands and support!

14/06/2024

Warming Up. 🌞❤️🤘

06/05/2024

This week we have four of the most wonderful recording amps ever produced in the Microstudio. From left to right:






I'm very happy and grateful that we got the opportunity to work with these amps. ❤️🔥

Used microphones and preamps:

26/04/2024

So many funny Sounds today... Creative people are priceless. ❤️

24/04/2024

Working on some drum tunings and modifications today.

08/02/2024

Our beautiful sounding amp room. Perfect for warm and transparent sounding guitar recordings.

With my favourite amps and guitars:

- Marble Amps Clubreverb - that almost every guitarist here has used for recordings.
- For bass recordings the AER Amp two.

- G&L semi-hollow Telecaster.
- The old Fender Stratocaster, which my wife bought second-hand from her first salary over 30 years ago. ❤️
- My classical Hanika guitar.
- A Marcus Miller 5-string bass.

And a few other stringed instruments.

06/02/2024

Ready for some surround masters.

19/01/2024

Minimalist recording setup for today.

13/01/2024

Neumann/Telefunken U47.

26/12/2023

Dieses Jahr durfte ich einige Aufnahmen mit unserem neuen SPL Crescendo duo machen. Retrospektiv sicherlich die beste Entscheidung. Heute wird ein Video aus dem Microstudio fertig, das sich genau mit diesem Preamp auseinandersetzt und u.a. beschreibt, was daran so besonders ist. Geht in den nächsten Tagen online. :)

Ab morgen geht es weiter mit dem Mix zum Debüt der Band "Das Grosse Los" von und mit und . Textlich und musikalisch hochintelligent gemachter Pop-Rock und auf jeden Fall etwas zum Vormerken und Drauffreuen. :)

13/12/2023

Drum cymbals are not as easy to tune as drums. As a rule, they retain their own sound. When we bought the cymbal set for our studio, we had a very precise idea of how we wanted them to sound. In the end, we tested over 1500 cymbals. Our set is rather jazzy and has little tone. They crash quite quickly. For the drums, we opted for a C&C kit. It has a vintage vibe, like old Ludwig drums. This is mainly due to the burr on the shells. Drummers often choose our C&C kit for recordings and leave their own drums in the van. We're very happy about that. :)

08/12/2023

2008. Samirah Al-Amrie und Christian Schatka spielen als 2 fishes in the big big sea ihr Album "music from the readio" ein. Hauptinstrumente sind die Bassklarinette von Christian und die Stimme von Samirah. Die beiden sind damals absolute Pioniere im Bereich des loop-basierten Arrangierens akustischer Instrumente und erobern damit die Jazzbühnen in ganz Deutschland (und vermutlich auch darüber hinaus, da habe ich jetzt nicht nachgefragt). Die Instrumente werden durch Loops ineinander verschachtelt und erzeugen eine eher elektronische Anmutung. Aber die Produktion ist tatsächlich komplett akustisch. Da bin ich mir ganz sicher, weil die Aufnahmen damals im Microstudio stattgefunden haben. 😉

Dieses Jahr durfte ich das Material aus den Originalspuren neu abmischen, was mir unglaublichen Spaß gemacht hat. Ich hoffe, das hört man.

Heute ist "music from the radio" in der "15th Anniversary Remaster Version" auf allen Streaming-Plattformen erschienen. Hört rein, es lohnt sich ganz bestimmt.

Und da ich hier einige Tonmenschen im Freundeskreis habe: Samirah wurde mit einem AKG C12 aufgenommen (herzlichen Dank für die Leihgabe an Andreas Hötter), alle akustischen Instrumente wurden mit einem Paar Sonodore RMC-402 Omnis stereo aufgezeichnet und für die Beatbox-Sounds kam ein Shure SM7B zum Einsatz. Das "15th Anniversary" Master wurde komplett analog über unsere 120 Volt Hardware von SPL erstellt.

Einen ganz besonderen Dank an Samirah Al-Amrie und Christian Schatka und an David Bartelt vom Label ATBHNGLD, auf dem "music from the radio - 15th Anniversary Remaster" erschienen ist.

Und falls jemand von euch ein Like bei den 2 fishes in the big big sea läßt, freut sich die Band sicherlich. Vielen Dank auch hierfür.

Viel Spaß euch allen mit dieser zeitlos schönen Musik. ❤

https://fanlink.to/2FITBBS?fbclid=IwAR0R9alPSflsBhNCinb6Ynb2Qs5bLvxb8qEJ7XCtqrxGvY7iG8aDHuJkIZY

by 2 Fishes In The Big Big Sea

02/12/2023

microstudio is a certified mastering studio for the Apple Digital Masters programme.

We are happy to create the best possible audio masters for your podcasts, videos and music productions in accordance with the high-resolution Apple standards.

28/11/2023

Jazz Mastering beim Check für das Apple Digital Masters Programm (früher iTunes). Optisch und akustisch alles perfekt! :)

15/11/2023

A few thoughts on audio mastering.

I'm currently working with some new artists. Partly as a mastering engineer, partly as an executive producer. The wishes and opinions of the artists are extremely important to me.

My first question when I'm working on audio material is: Why would I go into a shop and buy the LP or CD? What makes this production interesting? This usually has something to do with the strengths of the music. I try to emphasise these as much as possible.

I'm less interested in the volume. That's probably what sets me apart from many mastering studios. A production that I like is often very close to the specifications of a vinyl production. A vinyl production, on the other hand, can be very close to the levels specified by streaming services. And such a production can of course sound powerful and dense without having high average levels.

If I severely restrict the dynamics, I achieve exactly two things: Firstly, I deprive the artists of an opportunity to express themselves: The increase from soft to loud. And secondly, that the listener reduces the listening volume. I don't consider either to be particularly desirable.

So I take great pleasure in giving the production its independence and letting the musicians and their playing run free so that they can follow their inspiration and creativity as closely as possible.

Peace and out.

19/10/2023

Nachdem der Aufnahmebetrieb schon wieder angelaufen ist, haben wir heute noch das letzte Akustikelement in den Aufnahmeräumen aufgehangen. Es kam direkt aus der Fertigung. Jetzt ist alles komplett und wir sind rundum glücklich. :)

12/10/2023

Vocal Recordings mit David Bartelt im Microstudio.

01/10/2023

New recording rooms, first images.

Work has been going on again for a week. We have recorded drums and a bunch of guitars. And here are the first pictures from our new recording room. We are absolutely happy with the result. The room sounds very quiet and open at the same time, ideal for recording acoustic instruments, vocals and speech.