Andy Waterman's Cloudbursts

Welcome to "Up Beat"

Working freelance, as most of us do, can be wonderful, wacky and fun. There's the excitement of the current project and the angst about getting the next job. The best part is the camaraderie we share hanging out at sessions and gigs - the worst is not knowing when our paths will cross again.

Part of my motivation for this newsletter and blog is to provide a way for us all to stay in touch. I want to let you know what's up with Andy Waterman Productions and what we're doing at Entourage Studios. Now, as "interesting" as that is, I want this to be a forum for my fellow freelancers. So, let me know what you're working on and feel free to share insights, info or tidbits about our industry.

My goal is to make this forum so "Up" Beat, interesting and informative that you will eagerly look forward to receiving new posts. Let me know how I'm doing. I welcome your feedback and suggestions.

Keys to Success

The piano is vital for a good recording session.

"This piano is now one of the best in the Los Angeles studio world," said Keith Albright recently. And he should know! Keith, with over 30 years experience, is one of the most respected and requested piano tuner technicians on the Hollywood music scene. He's tuned pianos into shape at all the top scoring stages and recording studios in town.
When asked what makes this 9' Yamaha Concert Grand such a good piano, Keith summed it up in one word, "commitment."

Here's what happened: Andy Waterman knew the piano wasn't good enough for the jazz and acoustic music that he specializes in. The sound was inconsistent. So in 2004, he and Guy Paonessa decided to make the piano as good as it could get.

That's Where Keith Came In

First he installed all new hammers and then he insisted that the Yamaha be restrung with brand new piano wire. For about a month the results were uneven. But now, the piano is recording better than ever. Keith says so. The session players agree.

Alan Steinberger, featured pianist on the recent smash hit, March of the Penguins, has recorded sessions on the best, the worst and all the in-between pianos in town. "I've worked on most of Andy's edutainment projects and they're challenging because they cross so many genres," Alan said recently. He added, "It's been exciting to see how the new strings and hammers transformed this piano. It now delivers a full range of tone and expression whether I'm playing an atmospheric film cue or hitting it hard on a rock and roll song."

A piano in an integral element in providing a good recording session. Every other instrument can be brought into the studio. But the piano is a permanent fixture. According to Andy, "Nothing sets the sonic template like a great piano. And now we have one at Entourage."

How many does it take?

And Then The Lights Went Out. So ...

Q: How many musicians does it take to change a light bulb?

A. 20! One to hold the bulb, two to turn the ladder, and 17 to be on the guest list.

Q: How many guitarists does it take to change a light bulb?

A: 20! One to change the bulb and 19 to say, "Not bad, but I could have done it better."

Q: How many bass players does it take to change a light bulb?

A: None! The piano player can do that with his left hand.

Q: How many bluegrass musicians does it take to screw in a light bulb?

A: Two! One to screw it in and one to complain that it's electrified.

Q: How many folk musicians does it take to change a light bulb?

A: Seven! One to change the bulb and the other six to sing about how good the old one was.

Noteworthy Happenings at AWP

Willy Wonka - Soundtrack for Music Theater International's production performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.

Producer's Guild of America - Film clip soundtrack for the PGA's 3rd Annual Celebration of Diversity featuring a tribute to Morgan Freeman.

Broadway legends Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters record CD accompaniment to Dewey Doo-it Helps Owlie Fly Again. Proceeds to go to the Christopher Reeve Foundation.

Soundtrack for No Vacancy - Documentary by ecologist, writer, filmmaker, Michael Tobias.

Les Hooper - Big band mix of hip straight ahead jazz and funky contemporary music. Guest artists include Warren Hill, Jeff Kashiwa and Allen Hinds.

Ray Anthony - Classic big band arrangements of danceable, romantic music paying homage to Harry James.

Frank Macchio - Jazzy, complex time signatures evoking sonic portraits of animals. Vinnie Calutta and Dave Carpenter were "safari" members.

Dan Higgins, favorite alto sax player of John Williams and other top Hollywood composers - CD of romantic Brazilian Bossa Nova's.

BJ Ward - Tribute to the life and songs of Marshall Barer. Recorded live at the Gardenia on Michael Feinstein's label and distributed by Concord Records.

Ask Andy

Dear Andy,
I'm thinking about upgrading my home studio. I've always heard that the classic German mics are the best but that they're expensive - anywhere between $4000 and $10,000. What's your opinion? Any other recommendations?

Dear Homey,

I've been doing professional studio work for over 30 years and it's only recently that great low priced microphones have come on the market. First on my list is the Rode NT 1000. Actually, their entire product line rocks! Rode mics are designed and manufactured in Australia and they are the most incredible sounding mics out right now at any price. The NT 1000 sells for under $600 They also make great tube condenser mics that sell at just under two grand.

Next on my budget friendly list is the Shure KSM 44. Recently I recorded animation voice tracks for a television show using that mic. The mixing engineer at the post house wanted to know what mic I'd used because he thought that the voice overs were, "awesome." The KSM 44 is under $1000 Check out it! Shure is making outstanding products these days.

Finally, nothing makes a good microphone great faster than a top quality mic-preamp. I have fallen in love again with my old mics after connecting to pre's such as API, Avalon, Martek and Focusrite.

Good luck. If you want more info about mic-pre's, let me know!

NoHo Studio Live

Performer + Song + Audience = Cabaret

Entourage Studios Hosts Cabaret Nites

What do Cabaret and three-legged stools have in common? Try sitting on that stool if one leg is missing ... you'll probably fall flat on your arse. Cabaret has three synergistic elements: the singer, the song and the audience. Try eliminating one of those "legs" and your act will also fall flat.

That's also why Cabaret artists' CDs are always "recorded live" ... somewhere. Andy knows all about that because he's recorded about 30-40 live albums over the years for artists such as Andrea Marcovicci, BJ Ward and MaryJo Mundy.

But it isn't easy ...

Each time he has to build a mobile recording studio from the "wheels up" and load it with a multi-channel recording system, mics, mixing consoles and monitoring systems. He has to mic the room (which usually means an argument with the club owner about placement) and keep straight all the inputs, outputs, snakes, wires and coils. Yeeesh! And hope nothing goes wrong.

But sometimes "Mr. Murphy" arrives uninvited.

Picture this! Five minutes before show time and the cart holding all the recording gear is bumped and knocks loose all the connections. Double yeeesh! A calamity was narrowly averted. Andy, being the pro that he is, got everything working - with only seconds to spare. The CD sounds great, by the way.

We want to make it easy.

That's why Andy Waterman Productions in conjunction with MaryJo Mundy (open mic host of Mundy on Tuesday at the Gardenia) will host monthly Cabaret Nites. This may seem like an unlikely venue but au contraire! By using Studio A and Studio B, we combine a 50 person audience with state-of-the-art recording equipment in an ideal setting to record the magic of singer, song and audience.

Here's the best part.

NoHo Studio Live is the most cost effective way for Cabaret artists' to get their act on CD. Not only are there no additional expenses for equipment and truck rentals,set-up, etc., but a menu of package deals are available to include over dubs, mixing and mastering. Additionally, we can help with CD pressing and distribution.