ENGINEERING
My specialty as an engineer is recording live sessions to analog 4-track reel-to-reel using minimal mic'ing techniques.  I offer a vintage sound employing older analog gear, especially tube electronics because they have a personality that modern digital recording can’t compete with. I've been involved in recording since the 8th grade when I got my first 4-track.  I studied recording at Hampshire College where I recorded and mixed my first album, material from my jazz arranging and composition thesis.  In 2002 I set up my first home studio, a 16-track digital rig which I used to record and mix four commercial albums.  In 2005, after acquiring two nice old reel-to-reel machines I decided to go analog, and the rest is recorded history.

PRODUCTION
An example of my production approach is Peter Siegel’s 2004 release "The Show." Peter is a Vermont-based political singer-songwriter who was looking to record a follow-up to his first release, "Move the Mob." The first record largely appealed to an over-40 liberal folk audience in the Pete Seeger school. The production value was straight-forward contemporary folk. Peter wanted the second album to connect more with the 18-32 demographic within the acoustic music world and to move away from his 60s-era folk revival roots. He also wanted it to receive airplay and appeal to folk radio DJs across the country.

My methodology was: record the skeleton of each song (guitar, vocals, and basic percussion), next, create a production approach for each song that differentiated the songs one from another as well as from other material played on folk radio. At the same time it was critical to maintain a cohesive and eloquent flow for the album as a whole by adhering to the common basics among the tracks. I developed production touchstones for each song, for instance referencing the Beach Boys’ "Pet Sounds," or Beck’s "Mutations."

As the tracks began to come together I brought in other musicians as well as some non-traditional (for the folk world) instrumentation such as Moog synthesizer, clavinet, and heavy metal guitar. It was important to strike a balance between referencing my favorite rock n roll records and Peter’s needs not to alienate his core audience or stray too far from his own sensibilities.

When the album came out, Peter was happy with the finished product. He felt it helped him branch out in a new direction while retaining his basic character as an artist. He did get radio play, and the album helped lead to a spot on Mountain Stage, a nationally syndicated live music show on NPR.

Engineering rates: $45/hr for recording in my home studio, or on location including travel and setup.

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MICHAEL DAVES
PHONE 347-410-2310 * EMAIL michael@michaeldaves.com

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