Christine's web site

[Gailh]

I've just checked her official web site for the first time in ages and I got Universal Music UK.

What is going on here?

Gail:confused:

[macfan 57]

I've just checked her official web site for the first time in ages and I got Universal Music UK.

What is going on here?

Gail:confused:

I looked up Universal Music & it looks like they own Sanctuary Records. I check it each day and this is the first day her web site didn't come up. I guess Martin Wyatt finally threw in the towel on her website. Something similar happened awhile back, then you contacted Mr. Wyatt & her website was back.

[Gailh]

I emailed Martin Wyatt and this is his reply

"Hi Gail, We are trying to re start Christine's site.
It's not that easy as we don't have much to put on it.

I'm also in talks with Universal about re working the last CD.

I'll keep you up dated with any info.

Regards.

Martin"

Reworking the last CD I wonder what that means?

Gail

[macfan 57]

I emailed Martin Wyatt and this is his reply

"Hi Gail, We are trying to re start Christine's site.
It's not that easy as we don't have much to put on it.

I'm also in talks with Universal about re working the last CD.

I'll keep you up dated with any info.

Regards.

Martin"

Reworking the last CD I wonder what that means?

Gail

What??:shocked:

Gail, are you serious? April Fools Day is coming up in about 10 days.:laugh:

[Gailh]

What??:shocked:

Gail, are you serious? April Fools Day is coming up in about 10 days.:laugh:

Well I am serious - I presume Mr Wyatt was. I wouln't hold your breath though.

Gail

[nicepace]

"Not much to put on it"???????

After a forty year career, a long series of top 10 hits, three solo albums, a pioneering role as a woman musician in a rock band ... he has not much to put on her website?

He needs to put us in charge of that website. We'd come up with content.

[emeraldeyes38]

Yeah really! I agree. We'll fix her site up with all sorts of stuff! :nod:

[Gailh]

Why don't we let Mr Wyatt know what we would like to see on an official site?

If anyone has any ideas send me a PM and I'll gather them all together and email Martin Wyatt and he can take it from there.

Gail

[macfan 57]

Why don't we let Mr Wyatt know what we would like to see on an official site?

If anyone has any ideas send me a PM and I'll gather them all together and email Martin Wyatt and he can take it from there.

Gail

Gail, I just sent you a private message.

[Villavic]

I've just checked her official web site for the first time in ages and I got Universal Music UK.

What is going on here?

Gail:confused:

I visited her website, in feb or january I guess and it was still there, as i remember. The "shutdown" is recent.

After a forty year career, a long series of top 10 hits, three solo albums, a pioneering role as a woman musician in a rock band ... he has not much to put on her website?

I think is Christine who is not interested. She is retired

[nicepace]

I think is Christine who is not interested. She is retired

Christine doesn't have to be interested for there to be a website with information about her career. Musicians who are no longer recording or even no longer alive have websites, and in some cases active ones (Warren Zevon, for example). Of course it would be great if Chris took an active role in her site (like Bob Welch does in his, for instance), but it is hardly necessary.

My point is that I was surprised Mr. Wyatt would be stuck for content. Reviews, pictures, MP3s, a fan page ... there is so much content that if it were up to me to build this website, I'd be overwhelmed and wouldn't know where to start.

[wetcamelfood]

I think the problem is that most "official" sites are just used as marketing tools for "the latest product" (in the case of the CM site it WAS "In The Menatime"). The management companies that set them up don't really care about the artist's history etc.

Again, JMHO, and I'm sure we could think of many exceptions to this but I bet that's the REAL reason why nothing's happening with this, even though they probably won't just come out and say it.

John

[Gailh]

I think the problem is that most "official" sites are just used as marketing tools for "the latest product" (in the case of the CM site it WAS "In The Menatime"). The management companies that set them up don't really care about the artist's history etc.

Again, JMHO, and I'm sure we could think of many exceptions to this but I bet that's the REAL reason why nothing's happening with this, even though they probably won't just come out and say it.

John

I would agree with that. If Mr Wyatt is serious about a new site then there would be plenty of things to include.

In my opinion what is required is something that is detailed and informative but low maintenance.

If anyone has any ideas send me a PM and I'll gather them up and send them to Martin Wyatt. If he doesn't want to do anything with them well that will be up to him but at least we can let him know what we think.

Gail

[Tango]

I would agree with that. If Mr Wyatt is serious about a new site then there would be plenty of things to include.

In my opinion what is required is something that is detailed and informative but low maintenance.

If anyone has any ideas send me a PM and I'll gather them up and send them to Martin Wyatt. If he doesn't want to do anything with them well that will be up to him but at least we can let him know what we think.

Gail

If there isn't enough interest in maintaining a Christine website, would there be any interest in some participation here on this website--maybe in the form of a Q&A like John did in the past? Maybe Mr Wyatt could find out?

[sywlindseyfan]

Hey Gail what is Martin Wyatt's e-mail adress, and I applaud everything you are doing for us Chris Lovers!

[David]

If there isn't enough interest in maintaining a Christine website, would there be any interest in some participation here on this website--maybe in the form of a Q&A like John did in the past? Maybe Mr Wyatt could find out?Yeah, but didn't they intend to do a Q&A with Christine on her site? she didn't do it. She dropped the ball. She doesn't seem to want to do this kind of thing. All of our submitted questions are hovering in the gaseous ether of Nevernever-Land.

I think if there's any official site in the future for her, she won't really be taking any part in it. So it would require the site admin to do it himself or herself, which would mean interacting with the fanbase more & not waiting for permission from management or Big Mama.

[nicepace]

Yeah, but didn't they intend to do a Q&A with Christine on her site? she didn't do it. She dropped the ball. She doesn't seem to want to do this kind of thing.


I'm not sure that's entirely true. Chris did do some interviews to promote 'In the Meantime' ... she did seem willing to do some modest promotion for the record, which could have included answering a manageable number of fan questions. We talked about this at the time over on the old Christine McVie website board, and the conclusion we came to was that Christine must have gotten slammed with way too many questions, and she was overwhelmed by it and just didn't do it.

The record company is to blame ... they thought they'd run some silly contest, and you can be sure that a lot of people jumped on board who are mainly FM or Stevie fans, and, in the absence of a moderator, it's just inevitable that they asked all kinds of tiresome and ridiculous questions ("when will you record with the Mac again ... when will you tour with the Mac again ... do you ever have lunch with Stevie ...").

The mistake made was that nobody filtered the questions. They needed to have a moderator look over the questions and select a small number ... maybe five questions. Good, interesting questions that pertained to 'In the Meantime' or to Christine's actual creative process as a songwriter and musician. It's really too bad it wasn't done this way, because Chris might have actually enjoyed answering a few good questions, and it might have led her to become more engaged in her website. But it's too late for that now. She's been out of the public eye (and undoubtedly thoroughly enjoying her quiet life as an English tea lady) for too long for her to have any interest in being a "celebrity" again.

[Gailh]

We talked about this at the time over on the old Christine McVie website board, and the conclusion we came to was that Christine must have gotten slammed with way too many questions, and she was overwhelmed by it and just didn't do it.


When I spoke to Martin Wyatt I asked him about the questions and he confirmed that they got many more than they were expecting. As you said nobody was vetting them so the same one probably got asked loads of times.

With a new site she may possibly agree to answer a few.

I'm going to email Mr Wyatt in the next couple of days with the suggestions for the site so I'll include doing a (brief) Q&A. I don't suppose it'll happen but we always ask.

Gail

[David]

I'm not sure that's entirely true. Chris did do some interviews to promote 'In the Meantime' ... she did seem willing to do some modest promotion for the record, which could have included answering a manageable number of fan questions. We talked about this at the time over on the old Christine McVie website board, and the conclusion we came to was that Christine must have gotten slammed with way too many questions, and she was overwhelmed by it and just didn't do it.I don't understand what you're saying. You'd be overwhelmed only if you had to answer every question. Christine could have answered any number of them: five, three, one. I say the ball was dropped when questions were solicited from fans & the promised feature was never delivered. Not good.

The record company is to blame ... they thought they'd run some silly contest, and you can be sure that a lot of people jumped on board who are mainly FM or Stevie fans, and, in the absence of a moderator, it's just inevitable that they asked all kinds of tiresome and ridiculous questions ("when will you record with the Mac again ... when will you tour with the Mac again ... do you ever have lunch with Stevie ...").Welcome to the world of Fleetwood Mac fans. Remember the AOL Q&A with Mick? How about all the Q&A's on the Ledge? The same question gets asked (with minor variation in wording) twelve times. I wince in embarrassment when I read the questions of some of those columns. And that was all with moderator. (I was reading one the other day. A chirpy & annoying girl asked Walter Egan one thing & one thing only: "When is Stevie's album coming out?" Walter just replied "I don't know," but you could feel the impatience & even disgust in his polite, brief response.)

The mistake made was that nobody filtered the questions. They needed to have a moderator look over the questions and select a small number ... maybe five questions. Good, interesting questions that pertained to 'In the Meantime' or to Christine's actual creative process as a songwriter and musician.That's the way to do it, no doubt. But it's never happened before -- unless you consider Lindsey's question-&-answer videos an exception (I don't).

[macfan 57]

I wonder if Chris did answer some questions. Pip(the moderator) talked to that guy from the record label & she said that he had e-mailed Dan Perfect about the Q & A. Dan said that she had recorded some answers on audio tape. Chris has said that she hates to type. If that's true, someone could have transferred those tapes to digital format & posted them on her site. I blame that guy from Sanctuary, although Chris has to share some blame simply for not delivering what was promised.

I also totally agree with Joanne about that dumb contest. They probably got too many inane questions from non-Christine McVie fans. I didn't care about that contest, although I certainly would have accepted the prize if I had won.:D I just wanted a chance to ask Christine a few questions about her life & career.

[nicepace]

Dan said that she had recorded some answers on audio tape.

Well ... good grief ... we fans would like to hear those audio recordings. Never mind transcribing them to text, actually listening to Chris' lovely voice would be far better.

Those recordings are another thing Mr. Wyatt could put on a remastered C. McVie website ... if the tapes haven't gotten lost. (Gail, you can add that to your list for Mr. Wyatt.)

[Gailh]

(Gail, you can add that to your list for Mr. Wyatt.)

Yes can do.

I was thinking of emailing him early next week so if anyone has any other suggestions please let me know.

Gail

[David]

Yes can do.

I was thinking of emailing him early next week so if anyone has any other suggestions please let me know.

GailHow about any little tidbits of things, or even outtakes, that Chris & Dan & the other musicians may have been working on in the ITM sessions that didn't make the final cut? With such a relaxed atmosphere as it must have been, there's bound to be a lot of music & music bits that were recorded. With that group (Christine, Hawkins), they probably even did some old blues songs, as musicians are apt to do when the atmosphere is relaxed & casual.

[macfan 57]

How about any little tidbits of things, or even outtakes, that Chris & Dan & the other musicians may have been working on in the ITM sessions that didn't make the final cut? With such a relaxed atmosphere as it must have been, there's bound to be a lot of music & music bits that were recorded. With that group (Christine, Hawkins), they probably even did some old blues songs, as musicians are apt to do when the atmosphere is relaxed & casual.

Gail mentioned that Mr. Wyatt was working with that Universal Music label to "re-work" her last album. I wonder if he was going to add any outtakes & additional songs to that release. Chris had said in one of those video clips on her site that Dan still had everything on his computer. Hope he didn't accidentally lose those tracks.

[michelej1]

I wonder how far they got with Keith and if there's any material from when he was still involved.

Michele

[nicepace]

Chris had said in one of those video clips on her site that Dan still had everything on his computer. Hope he didn't accidentally lose those tracks.

Dan Perfect, if you're listening .... back up your hard drive, and do it now, pleeeez. I want to hear those outtakes.

[macfan 57]

I wonder how far they got with Keith and if there's any material from when he was still involved.

Michele

Who's Keith?:confused: It was mostly just Chris & Dan Perfect, with George Hawkins & Steve Ferrone. According to Chris, Ken Caillat helped with the bass & drums.

[michelej1]

Who's Keith?:confused: It was mostly just Chris & Dan Perfect, with George Hawkins & Steve Ferrone. According to Chris, Ken Caillat helped with the bass & drums.


I thought Keith Olson was going to be involved in production originally but then they parted ways.


Michele

[macfan 57]

I thought Keith Olson was going to be involved in production originally but then they parted ways.


Michele

I never heard anything about Keith Olson, just Ken Caillat. I'd be surprised if Christine & Keith Olson have had any contact in many, many, many years.

[Gailh]

I emailed Martin Wyatt yesterday with our collected thoughts on a new official website.

Basically I think we had all come to the same conclusions and the main common items are as follows:

Biography
Discography
Photo Gallery
Downloads (inc outtakes from ITM)
Q&A
News

I mentioned that no one had asked for a discussion forum and that I realised that any participation from Christine herself may be difficult to achieve. I did say that perhaps a Q&A with a limited number of questions might be possible.

I haven't had an answer yet - he's probably seen the email and thought "oh God not her again".

I did say that I hoped it had given him some ideas and let him (and Christine)know that we would like to see a new official site.

I'll let you know when (or if) I get a response.

Gail

[Tango]

Thats great! Thank you for the update Gail. I hope your email will let Christine and others know there is a serious interest!

[macfan 57]

I emailed Martin Wyatt yesterday with our collected thoughts on a new official website.

Basically I think we had all come to the same conclusions and the main common items are as follows:

Biography
Discography
Photo Gallery
Downloads (inc outtakes from ITM)
Q&A
News

I mentioned that no one had asked for a discussion forum and that I realised that any participation from Christine herself may be difficult to achieve. I did say that perhaps a Q&A with a limited number of questions might be possible.

I haven't had an answer yet - he's probably seen the email and thought "oh God not her again".

I did say that I hoped it had given him some ideas and let him (and Christine)know that we would like to see a new official site.

I'll let you know when (or if) I get a response.

Gail

Thanks, Gail.:) It certainly can't hurt.

[jbrownsjr]

The legend lives....

[David]

The legend lives....She is so cool. :nod:

[jbrownsjr]

She is so cool. :nod:

Like a menthol ciggerette... :lol: KOOL

[GarboSpeaks!]

I'd be really happy as well to see a Chris site in full swing. As visited as an LB or SN site. If this comes along, I'd happily share some great pics I have of her.

Just as a dumb side note, I swear to you, whenever I get an FM song REALLY stuck in my head for a period of time, it's always a Chris song. I'd say I dunno why, but I figure she's the real witchy woman of FM! :lol:

[Gailh]

I'd be really happy as well to see a Chris site in full swing. As visited as an LB or SN site. If this comes along, I'd happily share some great pics I have of her.


I'd really like to hear some of the outtakes from ITM but I don't know if that will happen.

I think we might see a new site if Mr Wyatt can agree something with Universal for ITM. If that happens then I think a new site will.

I haven't had a response from him re our suggestions.

Gail

[macfan 57]

I think we might see a new site if Mr Wyatt can agree something with Universal for ITM. If that happens then I think a new site will.

Gail

That's what I think too. The old site's purpose was strictly to promote ITM. I doubt that Chris really cares about having a website unless there is a reason for it( an album).

[Gailh]

I doubt that Chris really cares about having a website unless there is a reason for it( an album).

Which is actually not very caring of her fans if we only get a website to make us part with our hard earned cash. If that is the case then she is beeing a bit naughty or Martin Wyatt is. He seemed to think there was nothing to put on it.

Gail

[macfan 57]

Which is actually not very caring of her fans if we only get a website to make us part with our hard earned cash. If that is the case then she is beeing a bit naughty or Martin Wyatt is. He seemed to think there was nothing to put on it.

Gail

I agree, but I just don't think the internet is a major thing with her. She admitted that she doesn't like to surf the internet. It's just a very new thing for her. I have a feeling that Mr. Wyatt has tried to push her a bit. He did buy her a new laptop a year or two ago.

[Gailh]

I agree, but I just don't think the internet is a major thing with her. She admitted that she doesn't like to surf the internet. It's just a very new thing for her. I have a feeling that Mr. Wyatt has tried to push her a bit. He did buy her a new laptop a year or two ago.

Yes that's true, I'm sure she doesn't spend her spare time surfing.

The last site was specifically for ITM but they seemed to lose interest in it very quickly.

I'm sure she'd be better off with a low maintenance, informative site which would please new comers and those of us who still keep the faith.

I'd like to know what "re-working" ITM means. Probably that we're going to have to shell out for the album again to get the outtakes and demos :rolleyes:

Gail

[michelej1]

Probably that we're going to have to shell out for the album again to get the outtakes and demos :rolleyes:

Gail

At remastered quality, perhaps.

Michele

[David]

How many authorized musician sites are more fun or more thorough than the best fan sites?

The Christine info on the Penguin is excellent. Unless Chris herself wants to coordinate something really nice (like Lindsey's videotaped responses to fan questions) for an authorized site (& that seems to me at best a pipe dream), how would its objectives or accomplishments make it any more worthwhile than this site?

I have no idea how much Internetting Christine does. For all I know, she scopes out her bookmarked sites every morning, afternoon & evening, seven days a week. (I thought my mom had no interest in the Internet -- except for e-mail -- until I saw her Favorites folder in the browser. Can you say chock-a-block?) But based on the fraction of interaction with the public she has shown interest in in the past (like the AOL questions taken live) -- & that seems a reasonable basis on which to ascertain her interest in us, her fans -- I would conclude (reasonably again, I think) that an authorized site probably won't get off the ground, & if it does, probably wouldn't have much worth writing home about.

I think what some fans want is simply e-mail access to Christine, in which case ask Wyatt to ask Chris whether she'd agree to his posting an e-mail addy for her. He could create a new address for her, specifically for the public. She could read or respond however & whenever she wanted to -- just like any personal e-mail.

[Gailh]

I think what some fans want is simply e-mail access to Christine, in which case ask Wyatt to ask Chris whether she'd agree to his posting an e-mail addy for her. He could create a new address for her, specifically for the public. She could read or respond however & whenever she wanted to -- just like any personal e-mail.

Much as I would like that I can't see her agreeing to it - it would be far too much of an open ended arrangement.

I did ask Mr Wyatt if perhaps she might agree to answering a limited number of questions.

I'd like to see an official site if only to see if we got anything new that we hadn't seen or heard before. I suspect that there will only be a new site if there is a re-working of ITM

Gail

[David]

I'd like to see an official site if only to see if we got anything new that we hadn't seen or heard before. I suspect that there will only be a new site if there is a re-working of ITMRemember how Chris filmed that "making of" for her 1984 album? Very laid back, very lowkey, very mature & solid & sensible -- it made for an enjoyable afternoon's viewing.

Christine, put something like that together again for your last album! (The only problem might be that the last album was less picturesque -- you didn't go to Switzerland to record.)

[michelej1]

How many authorized musician sites are more fun or more thorough than the best fan sites?


Well, Bob Welch's peeps really seem to feel connected to him through his site. Of course, Christine's wouldn't be like that.

Michele

[Gailh]

Remember how Chris filmed that "making of" for her 1984 album? Very laid back, very lowkey, very mature & solid & sensible -- it made for an enjoyable afternoon's viewing.

Christine, put something like that together again for your last album! (The only problem might be that the last album was less picturesque -- you didn't go to Switzerland to record.)

Where she lives in Kent is picturesque, maybe not quite so much as Switzerland but it would do.

Gail

[Gailh]

Well, Bob Welch's peeps really seem to feel connected to him through his site. Of course, Christine's wouldn't be like that.

Michele

No I can't see her answering questions every five minutes.

Perhaps we should have Dougal Cam and then we could see what the dogs were up to :lol:

Gail

[jbrownsjr]

Remember how Chris filmed that "making of" for her 1984 album? Very laid back, very lowkey, very mature & solid & sensible -- it made for an enjoyable afternoon's viewing.

Christine, put something like that together again for your last album! (The only problem might be that the last album was less picturesque -- you didn't go to Switzerland to record.)

I used to have that on VHS tape... I loved the footage in Switzerland... then London... Then Hollywood...

That was a great viewing for me as well... At that time Christine's personality was a real Mystery to Me... pun intended...

[Villavic]

I used to have that on VHS tape... I loved the footage in Switzerland... then London... Then Hollywood...

That was a great viewing for me as well... At that time Christine's personality was a real Mystery to Me... pun intended...

Lucky you. I couldn't find any "making of" in youtube. Hope somebody post it!! :wavey:

[macfan 57]

Lucky you. I couldn't find any "making of" in youtube. Hope somebody post it!! :wavey:

Here is a preview of the video on Veoh. I think you have to download some extra software to watch the whole thing on Veoh TV.

http://www.veoh.com/videos/v207147xdAeAprh

[Gailh]

Lucky you. I couldn't find any "making of" in youtube. Hope somebody post it!! :wavey:

A DVD is sometimes available on Ebay.

It's typical Christine - most of the time she's got a drink in her hand or a cigarette or sometimes both!

Gail

[aleuzzi]

It's hard loving the most reticent popstar in the universe...

[David]

It's hard loving the most reticent popstar in the universe...

I think Chris ought to start a Q&A Gearhead page on her new site. :thumbsup:

(even though neither she nor her fans are gearheads)

[petep9000]

A DVD is sometimes available on Ebay.

It's typical Christine - most of the time she's got a drink in her hand or a cigarette or sometimes both!

Gail

I love that! If I drank, or smoked, I would probably do the same. The fact that she does it so unabashedly is so...Christine. I love that in so many classic candid or backstage pictures of her there is always a wine bottle, wine glass or a smoke in hand. Remember the 'Tusk' video, in the stadium? Wine glass in hand, even on an open football field mid-day.

[jbrownsjr]

Lucky you. I couldn't find any "making of" in youtube. Hope somebody post it!! :wavey:

Did you find it?

[michelej1]

Well, it's probably not on "you tube" but don't look for "making of." Look for "video album."

Michele

[michelej1]

[So, based on what Ken has already done, if Meantime is being reworked, it can come out as a 5.1 DVD]

Mix Magazine, March 2003

SURROUND MIXING

HEADLINE: Signal Processing and Methods in SURROUND MIXING;


BYLINE: BY BARRY RUDOLPH

BODY:

It has been said that "there are no rules" when it comes to mixing music in surround. Opinions still vary as to how much [if at all] the sub and center channels are utilized. There are no standards on delivery formats [audio files on hard drives, CD-Rs or DVD-Rs; Genex MO; DA-88 or 98HR tapes; or 8-track 1- or 2-inch analog] or even how the monitor speakers should be set up in the control room [ITU standard or quad equidistant]. Surround signal processing and methods differ significantly from stereo with a general consensus emerging: For surround sound mixing, with higher resolution and six channels to play music over, there is less need to process individual tracks or the mix buses like stereo, so everything fits down a 2-channel pipe. As liberating as this might seem, this quantum leap in sonics and mixing options is not without caveats: Each individual track's sound quality; the cohesiveness and detail of the overall mix; reverb and delay setup and use, and the quality assurance of the final encoding process are critical for the best surround sound. Mix talked to eight professional surround engineer/producers about signal processing in surround. Here's what they had to say.

Michael Wagener, based at his own WireWorld Studios in Nashville, is well-known as a rock producer who has worked with Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica, Dokken, Skid Row, M tley Cr e and Alice Cooper. His latest surround project is with the band LeRoi.

Rogers Masson has worked with Reeves Gabrels, the upcoming Crickets album [with Eric Clapton and others] and on Ken Burns Jazz, and he recently finished mixing the documentary-style "The Death Parade" section of Marilyn Manson's self-produced Guns, God and Government DVD.

Rich Tozzoli has more than 20 home-theater DVD titles to his mixing/production credit, including David Bowie, Average White Band and Blue yster Cult. He is one of three partners at 333 Entertainment, a media creation and production company based in New York City.

Jimmy Douglass is a New York-based producer/engineer who has worked with Aaliyah, Ginuwine, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, N.E.R.D., Missy Elliott, Foreigner and Slave. Recent 5.1 mixing projects include Missy Elliott and Marvin Gaye's Sexual Healing.

With his Le Mobile remote recording truck, Guy Charbonneau has recorded Tom Petty, Aerosmith, Faith Hill and Herbie Hancock - and that's just in 2002!

Ken Caillat and partner Claus Trelby produced Christine McVie's new solo album in both stereo and 5.1 for Warner Records. Caillat produced Rumours and four other albums for McVie and Fleetwood Mac. In 1997, Caillat founded 5.1 Entertainment and has mixed more than 200 songs in surround for artists such as Billy Idol, Frank Sinatra, Pat Benatar, the Beach Boys and Fleetwood Mac. He and Trelby are now partners in a new company.

Mack has worked with Queen, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, the Rolling Stones and Black Sabbath. With his Nightjar LLC and from his unique private studio in California, he, along with his sons Julian and Felix, have completed 5.1 mixes for Billy Squier, Sparks, Freddie Mercury and for a whole series of animation features for Pioneer Entertainment.

Steve Parr and partner Sharon Rose specialize in music-to-picture from their Hear No Evil studio in London. Parr is vice-chairman of the Music Producers' Guild and has long been a pioneer of surround in the UK. Recent projects include the movie The Lost World and the popular TV drama CSI, as well as 6.1 club remixes for Studio Voodoo and LTJ Bukem. He recently completed recording and mixing The Lost Prince.

Which multitrack formats do you prefer, what do you mix on, and what is your delivery format?

Wagener: I use a Euphonix R-1 and two Sony DMX-R100 consoles. I mix to a Tascam DA-98HR at 24-bit/48 kHz. If we go SACD, then I'll use a Genex.

Masson: Pro Tools|HD 24-bit/48 kHz-96 kHz and mix using a Pro Control. I like to deliver PT stems via hard drive or DA-98HR.

Douglass: For tracking on Missy's album, I used 30 ips +9 dB, 24-track analog with 90 percent of the vocals on Pro Tools. I mixed on a Neve VR with Flying Faders and used a Tascam DA-88 for delivery. For Marvin Gaye's record, Sony also had me mix to a Genex, and, at the same time, I also mixed back into Pro Tools, DA-88 and a 1-inch analog 8-track.

Tozzoli: B C was a 32-channel 24-bit/48kHz digital DTRS mobile truck recording that we transferred to Pro Tools|HD and locked to a down-converted copy of the high-definition video. I mix using a Pro Control while watching picture, and we prefer to deliver encoded masters to authoring.

Charbonneau: Studer DASH 48-track for tracking, Pro Tools for the 6-channel mixes and editing, and a DA-98HR backup - all at 24-bit/48 kHz. Bob Ludwig ended up using the DA-98HR tape in mastering.

Caillat: I use Steinberg's Nuendo and mix on a Yamaha DM2000 console. We deliver our mixes as files on DVDs using Minnetonka's software. Warners does the MLP encoding and adds their watermark.

Mack: I'd prefer analog multitracks as source, but I get everything and move it all to my DAW. I use Logic as a front end to Pro Tools|HD hardware and mix using the Logic Control controller. I mix on Tannoy System 1000A speakers and like to deliver audio files to authoring on hard drives, but I have a DA-98HR if required.

Parr: On The Lost Prince, I used Pro Tools|HD at 24-bit/44.1 kHz using Digital Performer 3.1 as a front end for the recordings at The Forum in Rome, and Pro Tools MIXPlus at Radio Slovak in Bratislava. I mix here at home on an analog Euphonix CS2000 into another DP system with a MOTU 24/96 interface. This was so that there would be no sample rate conversion for DVD-A.

Were there any special technical problems that you had to overcome? What equipment or software did you use?

Wagener: I do hard rock and heavy metal, and this is my first production in surround from the ground up. In this music genre, frequency-wise, there is a lot of "bunching up" in the upper midrange from guitars, vocals, even the attack of the bass. With surround, there is much more room to spread everything out, and I'm very proud to say that I used no EQ in the recording.

Masson: For parts of the section I mixed for Marilyn's DVD, some of the audio came in from the mics of the five DV cameras he gave out. The sound quality from those mics was horrible, but sometimes Marilyn wanted to use it to disorient the listener. I used the Waves Renaissance parametrics and Restoration X bundle to filter and EQ when the noise and rumble were not acceptable. The other main task was to match the main concert footage that Jimbo Barton mixed - brilliantly, I might add.

Douglass: Since I recorded and mixed the original Missy album bottom to top, I didn't have to walk in the footsteps of somebody else - figure out what another mixer did. I recalled my original stereo mix and broke it out to surround and took it from there.

Caillat: Well, I've had every experience imaginable with regard to problematic source audio! With my surround mixes of the Fleetwood Mac album [the one before Rumours], there wasn't much to do except finding the right 24-track Dolby A masters. With surround reissues, I transfer the multitracks to digital and also lay down the original stereo mix in sync for comparison. My intention is to create a 5.1 mix that is faithful to the original feeling of the stereo mix by copying the reverbs and other effects.

Can you talk about your approach to signal processing of individual tracks or special tricks when mixing in surround?

Wagener: I started with the recording and used a binaural head for acoustic instruments and guitar recording along with my main mics. I plan to try putting these tracks in the rear channels or opposite the main mic's panned position. I also used the Soundfield MKV microphone for the drums.

Douglass: You don't have to squash everything into the same small area as in stereo. There is no fighting for space in surround, so I end up using less EQ and compression on individual tracks.

Tozzoli: I use a lot less compression and EQ, but reverb takes on a whole new life. We have found that for home-theater mixing, we print the surround channels 3 dB louder, as consumers seem to want to hear those surrounds. We also find that people tend to sit closer to the front speakers or that the surrounds are mounted far and out of the way.

Charbonneau: I mixed the entire Clint Holmes album in stereo first, by recording stereo stems - drums, guitars, vocals, keys, etc. - on my second 48-track Studer DASH machine. For Disturbed, I mixed the stereo stems to my Studer analog 15 ips Dolby SR instead. All of my mix moves and processing were done at that time and combined into a stereo mix. The surround mix was created from those stems, but the mixdown machine was locked to the multitrack master so I could use room tracks and spotlight instruments around the speakers for the surround version.

Caillat: I use less processing in surround. You don't have a choice in stereo: You force everything into that left/right soundfield by selectively boosting or attenuating certain frequencies to enhance those instruments. It is almost the opposite when working within the surround sound field. For example, acoustic guitars in stereo usually require rolling off bottom end, adding high end then compressing; in effect, making the guitar smaller. But in surround, I'll make it bigger to cover the huge space I have now.

Parr: The Lost Prince was all orchestral recording with no added electronics, and I didn't go overboard with outboard. I did place omnis in each corner of the room and made good use of them in the surround mix.

What type of 6-bus processing do you like to use?

Wagener: Since there is no EQ yet on this record, I'll be using the TC System 6000 for 6-channel EQ and also a little brick-wall limiting to avoid excessive peaks. Other than that, I'll try to keep it very open with very little processing.

Masson: Since I had to match already-mixed concert sound, source material from Marilyn's stereo album and live stage sound with Eminem, I used Waves Renaissance for EQ and compression and the TC 6000's Unwrap program to repurpose the album cuts. I know there is some controversy, but I am a big fan of Unwrap in certain situations. The 6000 is one of my "go-to" pieces for reverb, EQ and bus limiting.

Tozzoli: Most multichannel home-theater projects that we mix do not undergo the mastering step, so we get around this by using the TC 6000 or the Waves L360 bundle across the buses. That'll jump the level up and control peaks.

Caillat: The TC 6000 is a great box, but I'm not convinced; too easy: Push a button and it's louder. With Rumours, I didn't compress it at all. There were so many transients on the instruments, I didn't want to sit on them. At mastering, Bob Ludwig tried peak limiting, but I felt it messed with the arrangement, feeling and impact of some of the songs.

Mack: Here I am a purist person, I hardly ever use anything across the output buses. That is best left to a good mastering engineer who has the highest- quality tools. I keep it as clear and punchy as possible.

Parr: The Euphonix had the ability to gang dynamics and EQs together before anything else, and when I first started mixing in 5.1, I made good use of this capability. However, lately I find myself using less and less. I'm currently working on club tracks for DTS in 6.1, and I gang three Euphonix CS108 compressors across the front and three across the back.

Please talk about using reverb and delays when mixing surround.

Wagener: Reverb and artificial rooms are most important in surround, and I'll use the TC 6000 and the Kurzweil KSP8 - both have 5.1 reverbs - and I am going to try an Elliot Scheiner trick of using a mono plate in each speaker so each instrument in that channel has a reverb available right on top of it with the ability to send to other channel reverbs at the same time. [For more on the LeRoi project with Wagener, check out "Nashville Skyline" on page 159. - Eds.]

Masson: For most stuff, I use plates and short delays: Waves, Kind of Loud and Lexicon plug-ins. For live concert performances, I use the classic audience POV with ambiences in the rear, changing the size and front to back delays according to the specifics of the particular performance space.

Tozzoli: My main reverb is the Sony DRES777, the "Concertgebouw" preset that's a quad setup that sends your mix into a concert hall. I like plates from the TC 6000, Eventide Orville's "Church" settings and the rooms in the Lexicon 960L. Kind of Loud's RealVerb 5.1 and Waves 360 reverb are great. Good-sounding reverbs are such an important part of surround mixing because they shine through so well.

Charbonneau: I use mostly the four to six room tracks I always record for ambience. I put two AKG 460s pointed at the singer placed eight to 10 feet high behind the backline and pointed at the singer onstage. And then I put a pair of Sennheiser 416s out front, outside of the P.A. columns, and then another pair of AKG C 451 Es [CK-2 omni capsules] back at the FOH mixer position.

Caillat: I use two stereo chambers from the TC 3000: one for front L/R and one for rear L/R with sends for each. A center-panned vocal track would get some of both of these reverbs. As far as effects, it is whatever the music calls for: I'll pre-delay reverbs to impart motion to the reverb; an instrument could hit in front of you; and the delay/reverb could come from behind you.

Mack: My reverb and delay usage is very song-specific, but generally what seems to work well most of the time are very short delays in the 10 to 30ms range. You can crisscross them to pull something into a certain corner or make them appear to come from behind a speaker. I have a huge setup of outboard gear and effects all ready to use that is double the size I'll need. That way, I can try this or that quickly and avoid having to stop in the middle of mixing to have something patched in!

Parr: I actually like my old Lexicon 224X and PCM80. Certain algorithms have four outputs, with the extra pair having more of an early-reflection characteristic. I use these for the rear channels and bleed a little of the 224's A and C outputs to the center. This, then, becomes my basic soundfield into which I can feed individual sources. If I have something toward the rear, I'll probably have a short plate toward the front and vice versa - same with the sides. On Lost Prince, I really let the acoustics of the recording rooms do the work for me and used no delays at all.

Barry Rudolph is an L.A.-based recording engineer.

[macfan 57]

[So, based on what Ken has already done, if Meantime is being reworked, it can come out as a 5.1 DVD]



I think this is possible. A DVD-Audio release including bonus tracks would be great! I have a sound system to play it too. Unfortunately, the only DVD-Audios that I have now are Rumours & the Beatles Love Album. I wish I had more.

[jbrownsjr]

that would be awesome... plus interviews!!!