congaplace.com

Posted: **Mon Aug 23, 2004 10:01 pm**

After a few years of listening comments about the legendary Recording-Studios,(Sugar Hills),where a lot of Jazz and Rock,etc.,musicians trusted their recording,I was able to get in as session musician last Friday and Sunday(for some recording),and now I know why the recommendation keep coming,they even have the service of a 'Drum Sound Designer',it is a guy that if you go with a CD,(of how you want the drum-set to sound like),after listening,he would come with gears(including five differents snare-drums) to set the tuning as close as possible,then the rest is done by the producer and sound technicians.Also open minded(beside their experiences) to any subgestion which could be applied.The producer,Dan Workman.

Edited By zaragemca on 1093544003

Posted: **Tue Aug 24, 2004 12:57 am**

Congrats on the gig, man. Sugar Hill is pretty HIGH PROFILE isn't it? Good job!!

Posted: **Tue Aug 24, 2004 5:27 pm**

I think they have been around since the 50' or 60's,even the Rolling Stones did some recording in there a while ago.

Edited By zaragemca on 1093544068

Posted: **Sun Aug 29, 2004 1:40 am**

Hey Z,
nice to hear you got a gig @ a presitgeous studio.....
So spill the beans, what was the genre/tunes?
Did the"drum sound designer " know anything about congas, perc?
This is where "we" need to excel brother.
You have to 'push' the knowledge' etc about our instrument, though you talk of snare drums? I don;t get it/

I can understand about obsession, but does this have to do with latin stuff or in general?

inquisitory. PLease do tell more....

T

Posted: **Mon Aug 30, 2004 7:05 pm**

Saludos Tonio,the genre was Fusion-Reggae,yes the guy also works with Congas,but I was the one which incorporated a few tricks for recording,I was playing Congas and Timbales for the recording.

Posted: **Wed Sep 01, 2004 2:31 am**

Fusion-reggae, 'tis cool dependant on tune of course.
I believe you when you say you initiated the tricks for congas & timbs!! Most engineers kinda get stuck with trap drums..
I guess its "the " popular" thing to do. In a way I could understand due to there is alot more individual drums/cymbal's to capture. Its a very specialzed thing to deal with that many
"items" to make them an individual "instrument".
I frequent another board, and stumbled into an engineer that claims he recorded Irakere, back in the older members.

Can't wait to see the tricks he may divulge.

T

Posted: **Wed Sep 01, 2004 6:41 pm**

Saludos Tonio,that engineer did the recording of Irakere in Cuba or someplace else,I'm familiar with the recording sessions in Cuba( I was living for a few years in the same block of the Havana recording studios Egrem).

Edited By zaragemca on 1095796617

Posted: **Thu Sep 02, 2004 3:18 am**

Z,

sorry to get off topic.
well this engineer tells me he tracked Irakere "afrocubanisimo" under Bembe records.
It had Munequitos de la Mantanzas on it ? I am not familiar (don't have it)with the album other than the title.

It was all tracked with dynamic mics e.g. sm57, RE20-everything.

Does this sound right?

T

Edited By Tonio on 1094095258

Posted: **Thu Sep 02, 2004 2:15 pm**

Hola Tonio,

That album was recorded live at the Afrocubanismo 1994 Cuban music festival in Alberta, Canada. The album does feature Chucho Valdes and Irakere, as well as Changuito, Angá, Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, Richard Egues, Regino Jiménez and Ilú Añá.

Hope this helps!

Jorge Ginorio

Posted: **Thu Sep 02, 2004 5:18 pm**

Thanks Tamboricua,ok then it wasn't the recording which took place in Cuba(EGREM), the SM 57 are mics which are used sometime for recording, there are good for the high range,the RE20 is Electro Voice mic for Bass, but there are better mics out there,AKG,Sennheiser,Beyer,Neumann,etc., even Shure's have top of the line mics for recording.

Edited By zaragemca on 1095796679

Posted: **Fri Sep 03, 2004 2:03 am**

Thank you Jorge, you always come thru!! Ah it was a live gig.

Ok now that makes sense with the use of dynamic mics. Alot of live gigs are done with them. But I find it hard to see only dynamics for such a prestigeous band and guests etc, though alot of mobile companies do utlize the inexpensive stuff for budget/usability of equipment.

Its odd because they used SM57 even for the overhead on the traps kit. which is very unusual. I'm used to seeing Sm81(cardioid condensor) at least.

Guess I will have to get the album (CD). The engineer did record, and did not like the mixing which was done by another service. Politics I suppose.

T

Edited By Tonio on 1094177137

Posted: **Fri Sep 03, 2004 8:27 pm**

Saludos Tonio, it is absolutelly usual for the mixing been done by different person than the one recording it(specially if it was a live recording),there are special skills which are needed for mixing and even 'Mastering' could be done for a different person(company) than the one doing the mixing.One of the many reasons for that is in relation with the top equipments that each individual group would have for each of the stages in the recording process.Also there is the theory that somebody which get to work the product with a fresh look could be able to add something to the final project.(that's my experience).

Edited By zaragemca on 1094244077