Using equipment from Krannert Center for the Performing Arts and Pogo Studios, I used several different mics and inputs in a wide variety of placements to record punk-noise band Chain's Gang for their self-titled album.

I took the tracks home, pieced together the best takes, EQ'd to my liking, and did a bunch of panning. Of course, I gave the instruments certain places to sit in the stereo field, but I also moved them around a lot, as I felt the music would often call for some dynamic action. I then listened to the tracks over speakers and headphones of varying degrees of quality so that I could master them in a way that would sound as intended over most systems. If you clicked on the link above, you'll notice that the band decided to re-record the album, but nevertheless, I'm still very pleased with my work. 

I chose the mics, set them up, and mixed this jazz quartet live from front of house. Note that this is just a straight recording of my sound reinforcement. You can hear in the beginning how I bring the levels up, because more people had entered the venue and so the instruments needed more reinforcement. However since the saxaphone is pretty loud on it's own, I kept it rather quiet in the mix, and brought the piano and percussion up more to be heard clearly over all the other instruments. 

(Performance by The John Griffith Quartet at Stage 5 in Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.) 

I got to study in the amazing Experimental Music Studios at the University of Illinois for a year. There I learned a lot of the recording and processing techniques that I now have in my repertoire. I worked with Pro Tools, digital and analog synthesizers and effect units, even reels of tape! I had recorded some video of me working in the studios, which I thought would be perfect for this site, but the hard drive it was on died. I'm pretty bummed out about it. 

Anyway, here's a little exercise I recorded there. The speakers in the studio were excellent, and had a veeerrry wide frequency response. I held a note that was so low that you didn't hear it so much as felt it (I think it was 10 or 15hz). On most other systems, that note created some clicking. Unfortunately, that note turned into clicking for this digital copy I have. 

This was my first time DJing at a club. It was a lot of fun! 

This was me guest DJing on DJ Redbeard's Walk The Plank podcast. I'm very grateful for him allowing me to ruin his show.