The Making of Amateurism: Mastering a retrospective CD from a variety of old source tapes
by David Nichols and Greg Wadley
{copyright 2000 David Nichols and Greg Wadley} There's a new record out on Chapter Music of Melbourne, Australia, which collects the entire recorded output of Andrew Wilson onto one CD. Wilson's bands, the Four Gods, Frontier Scouts and Andrew Wilson and associates, were never huge sellers in their own country, let alone around the world. However the material bears reissue, for a number of reasons. One, is the interest that is sure to be generated by the special guests involved The Four Gods single, for instance, was not recorded by the original band, but by Wilson backed by two of the GoBetweens, Lindy Morrison and Grant McLennan. One of the Frontier Scouts tracks features feedback generated by the late David McComb, once of The Triffids. Additionally, few people who hear these songs fail to find the sound and the scope of the tracks outstanding. The Four Gods were part of the milieu that produced the early '80s Brisbane sound - the most famous exponents of which were the Go-Betweens. It's music that deserves to be heard. The Project Luckily, when it came to compiling the tracks for the release of what was to be known as Amateurism, we had the full co-operation (and trust, which was useful) of Andrew Wilson himself, and access to the original tapes for all, bar one of the releases. The master tape for the Frontier Scouts single "When Daddy Blows His Top" b/w "Out of Your Shell" had gone AWOL sometime in the 16 years since it was released. Probably even before it was released, when the tapes were used for the soundtrack to a video, which was made for the single at the time. However, we were lucky enough to have access to a near-mint vinyl copy of the single. In addition to the 13 tracks that had been previously released: two singles, two 12" EPs. We also decided to include five unreleased tracks. Three of these were rehearsal recordings by the original Four Gods, from cassette - probably 2-track recording mixdowns, but no one's sure. We also had access to an entire live show from 1984, which had been recorded in stereo to reel-to-reel one night when the Frontier Scouts played at the South Brisbane Rugby League Club. Our friend Mark Louttit, a former Brisbane-ite, (who used to do live sound for bands in the late '70s and early '80s, and who made the original recording) says he recorded the set directly out of the mixing desk onto a TEAC A-3440 4-track recorder. The 4-track was equipped with four custom built companders (noise reduction units) which were designed and built by my brother, John. The 4-track tape was later mixed in stereo onto a TEAC A2300SX, which was also equipped with companders. The same TEAC A-2300SX machine was used in the transfer to computer. We selected two songs from this set, one of which, was a song ("Belmondo") that was also done by the Four Gods. Both bands versions appear on the finished product, for contrast. Annoyingly, (though this is surely the outcome of almost every trawl for a long gone band's back catalogue) a lost tape kept hovering into view every so often, in this case a recording session the Frontier Scouts had done with Victor Van Vugt. These days, he's a producer noted for his work with Nick Cave, Luna, etc. Andrew got in touch with Victor, who recalled the session but didn't have a tape. He then set out looking for the other members of the band and to this date, he hasn't managed to find it. The lost tape has stayed lost. We're hoping that the release of Amateurism will jog someone's memory and disgorge it in which case we'll stick a found lost song on the next Chapter archive release, a compilation of late '70s/early '80s Australian underground music. The Process From a mastering viewpoint, the project presented challenges. The first of these was that the source

material was on a variety of formats (often older formats like 1/4 " tape), with different songs made at different times in different studios. Often, data like tape speed, use of noise reduction, and method of recording, were unavailable. Most of the tapes were of unknown or dimly-remembered quality and had probably not been played since they were recorded in the '80s. The second problem was that the age of the source tapes made them fragile. We generally had the only existing masters of the songs, and any songs that we damaged would probably be lost forever. So, every time we put a tape on to play, we had to make sure that whatever sound came off it was captured the first time, in case the tape immediately broke or disintegrated. I (Greg) have played ten year old tapes on my reel-to-reel, where the emulsion fell off the tape so quickly that I had to clean the heads after each play - and there were only a few plays available. To collate the songs, we recorded each of them from source to computer hard disk. The computer was an average Pentium running Windows 98, with a CD burner and a Creative Labs "Live" sound card. The sound editing software was Sound Forge - other software came free with the hardware. This is all standard consumer gear now, and does a fine job for the price. We played the 1/4" tape masters on a multitrack reel-to-reel tape deck, selecting playback tracks so as to get the stereo right. We were lucky with tape speeds and noise redux, and everything, basically, sounded okay. Despite our trepidation, none of the tapes broke during mastering. There was, however, a glitch in one live song that sounded like stretched tape. It seemed to be permanent. We tried to fix it using the variable pitch-shift feature in Sound Forge. You set an envelope, which controls a variable amount of shift during a selected piece of sound. It wasn't overly successful - you have to fiddle for hours to mimic (in reverse) the stretching on the tape. The decision was finally made, as so often seems to happen, to retain the quivering few seconds as, let's say, a reminder of the pre-digital (and pre-recording Walkman?) days. We played the vinyl on a good turntable. We reduced clicks and pops in Sound Forge, and boosted bass, which seemed to be too quiet. The cassette was played on an old Akai cassette deck with glass ferrite heads, which gives very high quality playback. Most songs were improved by removing tape hiss, using the noise reduction plug-in in Sound Forge. This is a handy tool when dealing with old tapes, which can sometimes be unbearably hissy. The plug-in can remove hiss without noticeably affecting the original material, as would happen with EQ. (CoolEdit has a similar feature which seems to be just as good). Andrew decided he'd prefer to order the songs chronologically from the rehearsal tapes, on which was his prerogative, though some might suggest that the 1980 Four Gods tracks weren't the most inviting thing on the CD. The songs were not all from different dates, of course, but in clusters from different eras, so a bit of imagination went into the way they are actually sequenced. To check song order and relative loudness, we played the tracks in order from the hard disk, using wav. player software that comes with the Creative Labs card. Where necessary, tracks were compressed or volume-adjusted in Sound Forge. Finally, the tracks were burned in order onto the master CD. CD-R is generally more useful than DAT at this stage, if you want to pass copies around to all the people who need to check it (almost everyone has a CD player; almost no one has a DAT player). When the right CD-R was approved, it was sent to the pressing plant as the duplication master for the album. Cover art was compiled from old pictures of the Four Gods early '80s colour shots, once again from Mark Louttit's collection and designed by Andrew Wilson and Mia Schoen. The finished product, a valuable piece of Australian music history and a very listenable album is available from Corduroy Records. And there's even more information on the album at the Dave Graney Show website.

METALWORKS RECORDING, MASTERING & DVD Mavis Rd. Mississauga, ON L5C 1T7 ph: 905-279-4000 / fax: 905-279-4008 www.metalworksstudios.com
We are a six-room facility located in Toronto, Ontario featuring a NEVE tracking room, three SSL mix rooms (9080 J Series, 4080 G+ Series, 4040 G/E Series), DVD authoring and video edit suite, and a world class 2.0 and 5.1 Mastering room. Protools HD 3 rigs are available in each of our rooms Studios 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 have 24 I/O HD3 systems (expandable to 96 I/O). On site maintenance and technical support is also available.
Metalworks Recording, Mastering and DVD Studios has maintained an unsurpassed level of excellence spanning three decades. Metalworks is regarded as one of North America's premiere recording studios and has been named Studio of the Year for an unprecedented 6 straight years (1998 2005) by Canadian Music Week, which is voted on by the music industry. Metalworks has played host to a veritable who's who of international recording artists, as well
as helping many new-comers get started. Some of our artist and producer clients have included: Susan Aglukark, Christina Aguilera, Big Sugar, Big Wreck, Nick Blagona, David Bowie, Graham Brewer, Busta Rhymes, Troy Bynoe, Chicago-The Movie (Catherine Zeta Jones, Richard Gere, Rene Zellweger, Queen Latifah, Mya), Joe Chicarelli, Richard Chycki, Tom Cochrane, The Cranberries, Delerium, Celine Dion, DMX, Ron Fair, Nelly Furtado, Ian Gillan, Irv Gotti, Justin Gray, Al Green, Guns N Roses, JaRule, Rodney Jerkins, Sugar Jones, Eddie Kramer, Ed Krautner, David Leonard, Tony Levin, George Massenburg, The Matthew Good Band, Loreena McKennitt, Brian McKnight, Ben Mink, Moist, Alannah Myles, Anne Murray, Greig Nori, Paul Northfield, *NSYNC, Our Lady Peace, Tim Palmer, Mark Plati, PurPeLoid, Vernon Reid, Robbie Robertson, Bob Rock, Rush, Dave Schiffman, Sisqo, Snow, Sum 41, Swizz Beatz, The Tea Party, David Thoener, Treble Charger, Triumph, Tina Turner, Michael Tucker, Ric Wake, Tommy West and Roch Voisine.

CONTACT INFO:

For Studio, Mastering, and DVD bookings and rates, contact: Paul Gross: Managing Director - Studio Services
STUDIO OF THE YEAR 1998 - 2005

STUDIO 1 - Record

Studio 1 is an ideal tracking room with a large 55' X 25' studio floor featuring stone and pine walls, a maple floor and high ceilings. Our room is large enough to accommodate Orchestral sessions of up to 50 people. Two iso booths are available, one of which is a large booth specifically designed for drums and/or vocals. Also available is a C7 Yamaha Grand Piano and a Hammond A100 Organ/Leslie. At the heart of Control Room 1 is our one-of-a-kind vintage Neve 8036 console. Our console has been re-engineered by a team of experts headed by renowned Neve refurbisher Stuart Taylor. This 32x8x32 console features twenty-four 1081 and eight 1064 pre-amp/eq modules. An entirely new 32 input active monitor section was designed, allowing full, easy and accurate monitoring during recording as well as giving the engineer a total of 64 inputs. Protools HD 3 along with a full compliment of plug-ins provide the best sound and recording flexability available. Studio 1 is perfect for the indie artist right up to the highest profile recording project. A large private lounge is available for client use.

STUDIO 2 - Mix/Record

Control Room 2 features an 80 input SSL 4080 G+ console with Ultimation and Total Recall. This studio can handle all mixing situations up to the most elaborate and complicated with ProTools HD 3, a platinum waves bundle and 80 SSL G Plus inputs. Adjacent to the control room is a 14' X 20' studio with an oak floor and high ceiling ideal for any musical overdub and vocals. This large, fully appointed mix room is equipped for all music formats as well as lock to picture, and includes a private lounge and billiard area.

STUDIO 3 - Mix/Record

Control Room 3 houses our SSL 4040 G/E console. The adjoining iso-booth is ideal for vocals, overdubs and voice over work. This studio is the ideal recording environment for the indie artist combing state of the art equipment at budget pricing. Opposite the control room is a large lounge area with skylight.
STUDIO 5 2.0 and 5.1 Mastering
Our world class Mastering Room is loaded with the ultimate sound sculpting tools including: Wavelab, SADiE, Avalon, Apogee, Studer track, Weiss, Waves, Mark Levinson, Dun-Tech, and more. Our three Mastering engineers, Nick Blagona, Scott Lake and Graham Brewer have carved a name for themselves as the best in the country, and continue their role in making Metalworks one of the best-equipped Mastering facilities in North America, either for regular stereo or 5.1 mastering.Gear includes:
STUDIO 6 - Mix/Record/Mix 5.1 Surround
Studio 6, our most recent addition, is the ultimate in large scale mix rooms with a spacious lounge area behind the console. The centrepiece of Control Room 6 is an 80 input SSL 9080 J console with Ultimation, Total Recall and SL959 5.1 Surround Matrix. A 9' film screen and Sony video monitors are available for DVD and Film/TV applications and the room is Dolby authorized. George Augspurger Custom 2-Way Main Speakers (LCR) have recently been installed in the room.

An opulent 25' X 22' studio floor is adjacent to the control room and features a stone fireplace and high ceiling and is complimented by an oak paneled private lounge and billiard area.

ENGINEERS / ASSISTANTS:

Metalworks' engineering staff is comprised of a group of uniquely talented individuals. While their styles vary widely, their commitment to make it work does not. This "can do" attitude is the hallmark of all Metalworks' engineers and
assistants, and prevails on all projects, large or small. Their singular purpose of sonic excellence derives from this attitude, and every Metalworks client is a direct beneficiary. The gold and platinum records and CDs that line the walls of our studio attest to the skills of our staff.

STUDIO ONE

CONTROL ROOM: 24 x 20 ft STUDIO: 55 x 25 ft The studio floor is solid maple with pine and stone walls ISO BOOTH ONE: 8 x 9 ft ISO BOOTH TWO: 6 x 4 x 4 ft triangle

CONSOLE

64 input NEVE 8036 (Custom) - 32 input (24 x 1081 EQ's and 8 x 1064 EQ's) with 32 input monitor panel

RECORDERS

PRO TOOLS HD 3 - 24 In 32 Out expandable STUDER A800 MKIII 24 track analog STUDER A820 CTC 1/4" or 1/2" 2 track HHB CDR-850 CD-R Recorder

GATES & EXPANDERS

APHEX 612 DRAWMER DS-201 (x2)

INSTRUMENTS

HAMMOND A100 with Leslie YAMAHA C7 Grand Piano

EQUALIZERS

ORBAN 622B PULTEC EQP-1 PULTEC EQP-1A SUMMIT Dual Program Equalizer

EFFECTS & REVERBS

AKG ADR-64K AUDIO DESIGN RECORDING Vocal Stressor F769X-R EVENTIDE H3000 Ultra-harmonizer EVENTIDE H910 harmonizer LEXICON PCM70 digital delay YAMAHA REV-7 digital reverb YAMAHA SPX90 II multi-effects processor
COMPRESSORS & LIMITERS
DBX 160 limiter (x2) DBX 160X limiter (x2) DBX 165A limiter NEVE 2254 limiter/compressor (x2) SUMMIT Tube Levelling Amp (x2) TELETRONIX LA2 UREI 1176LN (black) limiter (x2) UREI 1178 limiter UREI LA-4 limiter (x2)

MONITORS

Control Room George Augspurger Custom 2-Way Main Speakers KRK V8 YAMAHA NS10M Tracking Room ACCUSOUND AS-460

SYNCHRONIZATION

ADAMS-SMITH 2600
Mavis Rd. Mississauga, ON L5C 1T7 ph: 905-279-4000 / fax: 905-279-4006 www.metalworksstudios.com / mail@metalworksstudios.com

STUDIO TWO

CONTROL ROOM: 25 x 24 ft STUDIO: 15 x 20 ft
80 input SSL 4080 G+ Series with Total Recall and Ultimation - 48 G EQ's and 32 E EQ's
PRO TOOLS HDI/O (expandable to 96) PLATINUM BUNDLE STUDER A800 MKIII 24 track analog (x2) STUDER A820 CTC 1/4" or 1/2" 2 track HHB CDR-850 CD-R Recorder

EFFECTS

AMS DMX15-805 delay/harmonizer AMS DM220 phaser APHEX Type C aural exciter AUDIO DESIGNS Panscan auto-panner EVENTIDE H3000 SE Ultra-harmonizer EVENTIDE H-910 harmonizer LEXICON PCM41 delay LEXICON PCM70 multi-effects processor LEXICON 93 Prime Time II delay ROLAND SDE3000 delay TC ELECTRONICS 2290 digital delay YAMAHA SPX1000 multi-effects processor YAMAHA SPX90 multi-effects processor

REVERBS

AMS RMX-16 digital reverb EMT 140 tube plate reverb EMT 240 Goldfoil solid-state plate reverb KLARK DN780 digital reverb LEXICON 480L digital reverb ROLAND SRV2000 digital reverb YAMAHA REV1 digital reverb YAMAHA REV7 digital reverb
KRK V8 YAMAHA NS10M WESTLAKE TM-3 (Custom) main monitors AURATONE (available upon request)
BROOKE-SIREN DPR-402 de-esser DBX 160X limiter (x2) DRAWMER DS201 dual gate (x2) UREI 1176LN (silver/blue) limiter (x2) UREI LA-3 limiter (x2) UREI LA-4 limiter (x2)
API ch. equalizer (x2) PULTEC EQH-2 tube eq (x2)

STUDIO THREE

CONTROL ROOM: 14 x 20 ft ISO BOOTH: 5 x 10 ft
40 input SSL 4040 G Series / E with Computer Total Recall (26 E Eqs / 14 G Eqs)
PRO TOOLS HD I/O (expandable to 96) STUDER Atrack analog HHB CDR-850 CD-R Recorder
AURATONE (available upon request) KRK V8 YAMAHA NS10M YAMAHA YST-SW150 subwoofer

REVERBS EFFECTS

EMT 140 solid state plate reverb EMT 240 Goldfoil solid state plate reverb/delay LEXICON PCM60 digital reverb YAMAHA REV7 digital reverb ART DR-X multi-effects processor ENSONIQ DP/2 multi-effects processor EVENTIDE H3000 Ultra-harmonizer LEXICON LXP-15 LEXICON PCM70 multi-effects processor ROLAND DEP5 multi-effects processor (x2) ROLAND SDE1000 digital delay ROLAND SDE3000 digital delay TC ELECTRONICS 2290 digital delay URSA MAJOR Space Station YAMAHA SPX90 multi-effects processor
APHEX 612 expander/gate BROOKE-SIREN DPR-402 de-esser DBX 165 compressor/limiter DBX 160X compressor/limiter (x2) DRAWMER DS-201 Gates UREI 1176LN (silver) limiter UREI LA-4 compressor/limiter

STUDIO FIVE

Wavelab Audio Editing and Mastering Suite SADiE Artemis Mastering Digital Audio Workstation PRO TOOLS HD 3 WAVES Platiunm Bundle WAVES L2 Ultramaximizer T.C. Electronics System 6000 Multichannel Processing Platform WEISS DS1-MK2 Digital De-esser/Compressor/Limiter AVALON AD2077 Class A Mastering Equalizer MANLEY Stereo "Variable-MU" Limiter/Compressor FOCUSRITE Blue 315 MKII Isomorphic Equalizer DECADE FM-850 Stereo FM Transmitter

CONVERTERS

APOGEE PSX-100 24bit A/D-D/A FOCUSRITE Blue 260 D/A STUDER D19 MicVALVE A/D (tube front end)

SPEAKERS

DUN-TECH Sovereign 2001 MISSION 701
STUDER A800 2-trk (1) STUDER A820 2-trk analog tape recorders (1/2" & 1/4") TASCAM DA30 DAT Recorder TASCAM DA45 24-bit DAT Recorder DOLBY 361 (A or SR) x2 HHB CDR-850 CD Recorder HHB CDR-850 + CD Recorder

STUDIO SIX

CONTROL ROOM: 26 x 30 ft STUDIO: 24 x 26 ft
80 input SSL 9080 J Series with Total Recall and Ultimation SSL 959 Surround Matrix 9' film screen and Sony video monitors
PRO TOOLS HDI/O (expandable to 96) WAVES Diamond Bundle SONY DVP-5570D CD/DVD Player STUDER A800 MKIII 24 track analog (x2) STUDER A820 CTC 1/4" or 1/2" 2 track TASCAM DA-30 DAT HHB CDR-850 CD-R Recorde
DRAWMER 1961 stereo vacuum tube EQ GML 8200 stereo parametric equalizer PULTEC EQP-1A program equalizer (x2)

EFFECTS REVERBS

AMS RMX-16 digital reverb EMT 140 stereo tube plate reverb EMT 140 stereo solid-state plate reverb LEXICON 960L digital effects system QUANTEC QRS digital room simulator ROLAND SRV2000 digital reverb (x2) YAMAHA REV5 digital reverb APHEX Type B aural exciter AMS DMX15-80S stereo digital delay AMS DM2-20 phaser EVENTIDE H3500 DFX-sampling Ultra-harmonizer LEXICON PCM42 digital delay LEXICON PCM70 multi-effects processor (x2) LEXICON Prime Time 95-II digital delay ROLAND SDE3000 digital delay (x2) ROLAND Dimension D chorus TC ELECTRONICS 2290 digital delay YAMAHA SPX1000 multi-effects processor (x2) YAMAHA SPX90 multi-effects processor (x2)
AVALON 2044 compressor/limiter DBX 160 XT compressor/limiter (x2) DBX 165 overeasy compressor/limiter DRAWMER DS201 dual gate (x2) FOCUSRITE Series Red 3 limiter GML Stereo compressor/limiter NEVE 2254A limiter/compressor (2 stereo linked) UREI LA-4 compressor/limiter (x2) UREI 1176LN (Blackface) (x2)
George Augspurger Custom 2-Way Main Speakers (LCR) AURATONE (available upon request) JBL Rear Cinema 8340A Speakers KRK V8 M&K MPS-2510 Stereo/5.1 surround monitors M&K MPS-5310 subwoofer YAMAHA NS10M

MICROPHONE LIST

AKG (1) C-24 Stereo Tube ** (3) C-414 (Black) (5) C-414 (Silver) (1) C-422 (2) The Tube (6) C-451 (3) C-452 (2) C-460 (3) C-535 (2) C-567 (2) D-112 (2) D-12 (6) D-190 (1) D-20 (4) D-224E AUDIO TECHNICA (2) AT-4060 (2) AT-4050/CM5 BEYER DYNAMICS (1) M-500 CROWN (2) PZM ELECTRO-VOICE (1) RE-10 (1) RE-15 (2) RE-16 (4) RE-20 NEUMANN (5) KM-84 (3) U-47 FET (3) U-67 Tube ** (4) U-87 (2) U-89 (1) U-89 (Black)
PEARL (1) PML FP-92K (1) PML SP-84 (2) PML VM-41 (1) PML VM-41/12 SENNHEISER (7) MD-421 (3) MD-441 SHURE (1) SM-Beta 57 (9) SM-57 (1) DY-30 TELEFUNKEN (2) U-47 Tube **
** denotes an additional rental

RENTAL EQUIPMENT

EQUALIZERS:
FOCUSRITE ISA ch. 4 Band Eq/Mic Preamp Pair (stereo) NEVE 1064 Eq's/Mic Preamp 1 ch. 4 Band Eq/Mic Preamp

MICROPHONES:

AKG C-24 NEUMANN U-67 TELEFUNKEN U-47

COMPRESSORS / LIMITERS:

AVALON 2044 Opto-Compressor (stereo) DBX 160 VU (stereo) DBX 902 De-essers EL8 Distressor FOCUSRITE Series Red Compressor / Limiter Pair (stereo) GML 8900 Limiter (stereo) NEVE 2254 Compressor / Limiter Pair (stereo) TELETRONIX LA2A (mono) UREI 1176LN (silver)

MISCELLANEOUS:

APOGEE AD16 Converter APOGEE DA16 Converter APOGEE PS 1000 AD/DA Converter LUCID SSG 192 Sync Generator MACKIE 16 Channel Console ROLAND RE201 Space Echo SONY BVU950 Video Cassette Recorder TC6000 Digital Effects System

MIDI / KEYBOARD / MISC:

ALESIS D4 Drum Module HAMMOND A100 LESLIE with or w/o Preamp MOOG Taurus Pedals MOTU MIDI Timepiece ROLAND D-50 Keyboard ROLAND Vocoder

NOISE REDUCTION:

DOLBY SR 24 XP DOLBY SR or A Single Frame w/SR or A Cards

TAPE MACHINES:

Track Headstack STUDER Aor 8 Track 1 TASCAM DA-Bit DAT Machine TASCAM DA-Track Multitrack Machine TASCAM DA-Track Multitrack Machine TEAC A-2300SX Track