Ace Baker

Chickenfoot hasn’t been together all that long, but they saw fit to re-issue their debut self-titled LP with a handful of live tracks.

If you’ve been to PreSonuSphere or checked out our blog, you may well know that these tracks would have been (and were) recorded by Ace Baker via a PreSonus StudioLive 24.4.2… and… let’s just say it sounds like a studio recording. It sounds like it was recorded in a studio, but it was recorded live.

Studio. Live. Get it? Oh, just listen:

Video via some magazine called Rolling Stone.

This just in from Bobby Duthu, PreSonus enthusiast, recordist, pro drummer, and all around great guy! He had posted some photos to our Facebook album of user studios of his home studio that piqued my interest… so I checked in with him and found him very open to sharing some of the methods to his madness.

Hey, Ryan!

Thanks for the kind words and also for the compliment of posting me on your site and blog. My rig is simple really. My interface consists of two FireStudio Projects daisy-chained together, resulting in 16 available mic inputs for ease of drum set miking. For software, I use Studio One Artist on a MacBook Pro. 

My drum set recording techniques are also fairly simple, actually. My studio room is 30×20, very live-sounding, and features a 6-piece Sonor Designer Series drum set and Paiste 2002 cymbals.

I start by making a determination of how the drums should sound based on the particular song being tracked. I like to begin this process by attempting to achieve the desired sound acoustically, and slowly add effects if necessary. If effects are needed, I take full advantage of any number of plug-ins and/or sends included in Studio One Artist, like reverb and compression for example, but the emphasis remains on the acoustic sound of the drums.

Ultimately, in my experience, most producers and engineers prefer as raw of a drum track as possible, with minimal effects and EQ. This allows more flexibility for the engineer to the overall track, which in the end should collectively be our most important consideration.

Imogen Heap is staggeringly talented. Her new HeapSong is check-out-able over YouTube. HeapSongs are created by Imogen in an impromptu manner by compiling fan-submitted “sound seeds,” AKA audio samples. Beautiful!

Oh, and notice the PreSonus StudioLive 16.0.2 front and center!

Don’t tell him about the stolen drum stool or he’ll fall!

Members of White Zombie, HEAD, and Cirque du Soliel to release Black Sunshine cover on Halloween—Mastered in Studio One Professional 2!

Los Angeles, CA, 9-14-12— In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the release of White Zombie’s ground breaking album La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Volume I, original White Zombie drummer Ivan de Prume along with Scott “SVH” Von Heldt (former guitarist/vocalist for Brian “Head” Welch ex-Korn, Love and Death), and Cirque du Soliel violinist Martin St. Pierre are slated to release a cover of the White Zombie classic Black Sunshine under the moniker of HEALER.

The song was recorded during sessions for an intended EP that was to be the groups followup to their highly acclaimed debut album Awakening, which showcased a unique blend of Metal and World music. “We started covering Thunderkiss ‘65 and Black Sunshine in our live set and the vibe was very fresh and original because of the violin and world elements we had as a band” stated Von Heldt. “When it came time to work on new material we recorded Black Sunshine just to get a feel for blending that raw Zombie element with our own original twist and in the end I think we ended up with a pretty kick ass version of an already classic metal track!”

Healer was formed in 2005 and toured briefly from 2005-2007 which included a stint on the Van’s Warped tour. They disbanded in 2008 with St.Pierre returning to Cirque du Soliel full-time and Von Heldt soon after joining Head (the solo band of the nicknamed former Korn Guitarist). In 2011 de Prume and Von Heldt reunited and have been working on material for a new Healer release which they hope will see the light of day by early 2013!

Black Sunshine will be available October 31st via iTunes, Spotify, and other online retailers! For now, you can stream it here:

The delightfully goofball StudioLive and Studio One enthusiasts over at Frog Leap Studios have released another of their trademark acoustic-rock version of a familiar classic. Last time they checked in with us, we got the Frog Leap treatment of the Jackson 5ive hit, “Blame it on the Boogie.” and “Hey Ya,” before that.

Given this rich history, I was expecting a folky rendition of “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” or “All The Single Ladies,” but instead we get the following. Thanks guys!

This just in from Andew Oye, who just got done kickin’ butt by using Studio One to score elements of a little programme called Monday Night Football. No big thang.

Hey guys!  I recently  scored a new reality travel series called Sky’s The Limit!’ 

Once again all the music is  done in PreSonus Studio One. Early on in pre-production before I switched to Studio One, I did one episode using the industry standard DAW… it was wayyyy to slow for me, especially when it came to rendering.

Since switching, my director is just thrilled with how everything sounds, and how quickly I can get the stuff done.

Thanks again, guys!”

This just in from Josh Gilligan, who claims “95% of my album was tracked through XMAX preamplifiers,” among other things. The proof, as they say, is in the custard, so be sure to scroll down to hear his recordings for yourself.

“Hey, guys! I just wanted to let you all know that PreSonus is a central part of my home studio and production process. I’ve been a PreSonus user for years with the TubePre and Eureka, and now the Studiolive 16.0.2 and HP4. 95% of my album was tracked through XMAX preamplifiers and I would put their sonic integrity up against just about anything. Looking to go to an interface with an ADAT option soon, and I’ve got my eye on more PreSonus gear. Thank you guys so much. You really make it possible for independent musicians to make great sounding records on a budget and in tight spaces. I’ve shared with my friends and they love your gear as well. Listen to my record over on SoundCloud, I couldn’t have done it without PreSonus.”

-Josh Gilligan

Follow Josh on Facebook.

Check it out! PreSonus Artist Ray Johnston Band has a show that’s coming up in Austin on Sept. 25, and it’s kinda special. The band is recording to a StudioLive 16.4.2, as well as producing a video of the show. To top it all off, it’s for Ray’s CD Release!

I met Ray and company (including Bobby Sparks) at SXSW this year, and you can’t imagine a kinder, more hard-workin’ six-string slinger. We’re lucky to have Ray and Co. on board.

If you’re in the area, we strongly recommend that you check this show out. And if you’re not in the area, we strongly recommend you take a train.

Here’s an interview I did w/ Ray at SXSW:

L’dia on Bass, the First Lady of Four Strings, brought the house down with her brand of hip-shaking, string-breaking thunder at our booth at MusikMesse. She recently launched a new website, and wanted to make sure that all the PreSonus fans out there knew about it!

L’dia on Bass is an enthusiastic Eureka and Studio One user, and we’re lucky to have her representing us. Check out her new site… she gives lessons, and you could learn a lot!

Diggs Duke

This just in from Diggs! He’s got a new EP out recorded entirely in Studio One. He says: