Capturing the performances: “We banged out the bass, drums and guitar at BHA. They were mostly recorded live. We learned the structure and put down our parts. Then I took the basic live tracks home and did my thing. I put down guitar overdubs and did all the vocals in my basement. It’s a hybrid approach. I did as much as I could to keep the live base there so it’s as live as possible. It was a great project. I got to come home and turn it into the vision I had independently.”
Taking his time: “It was live with the band, but I also had the freedom to make the singing and guitars exactly what I wanted. I could get all the layers I hear. I used a variety of guitars, amps, gear and pedals on the overdubs. I enjoyed doing it myself. I got to take my time without having to rush like you do in the studio. You can get the vocals you want in a studio but you’re also paying x-amount of dollars a day. That pressure always impeded me. I felt the freedom to take my time.”
A new approach: “I went from trying to get a dirtier sound on other records to going for a cleaner sound this time. We used a good amount of preamps on everything. There’s no tape. We relied on the basics of the artform like EQ, compression, panning, volume and reverb. I was worried at some point it would become overproduced. It can be hard to know when to stop but I think we stopped when we should’ve.”
The final touch: “I had worked with Tim Pritchard in the past, so I had a decent baseline for recording. Being able to really focus on my microphone placement, how I like mixing and all of that was wonderful. I got to do my thing and learn as I went. That was cool. Once I had it where I liked it, I sent it off to Tim. That’s when the real magic started. He added his touch to the mix, applying various programs, filters, EQs and whatever. He’s really scientific about it so the results were amazing.”
More details
Who: Salvadore Ross with Heather Redman & the Reputation and Trauma Illinois
Online: Watch the official music video for “Greenhouse” from the new self-titled album from Salvadore Ross, out now on Magnaphone Records: youtube.com/watch?v=9KwXKr4-FqM
More info: 937-204-3941 or springfieldstatethater.com
Artist info: salvadoreross.org
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