Michael Ashby & Lauten Audio - Sonic Secrets Behind Hip-Hop Sensation Cardi B’s ‘Bodak Yellow’

Engineer Michael Ashby chooses Lauten Audio’s “Eden” LT-386 Multi-voicing™ vacuum tube microphone for the smash #1 Billboard Hot 100 ‘Bodak Yellow’ by Cardi B

Michael Ashby with his Eden LT-386 microphone

San Jose, CA — September 25, 2017 — Engineer Michael Ashby recorded vocals for Hip Hop sensation Cardi B’s hit single “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)” at Krematorium Studio in New York. The song, featuring beats by J-White DID IT (Anthony G. White), was released the summer of 2017 and is the highest charting single by a female rapper in nearly 20 years. Engineer Ashby chose his ‘go-to female vocal mic’ — the Lauten Audio Eden LT-386 — to record vocals for the song. Shortly after the release of ‘Bodak Yellow’ the song became a multi-week #1 R&B/Hip-Hop charting song and today hit #1 on the Hot 100 Billboard chart. The song is nominated for 3 BET Hip Hop Awards: Biggest Single of the Year, Best Impact Track, and Best Hip Hop Video — the Youtube video has over 170-Million views: https://youtu.be/PEGccV-NOm8

When it came to choosing a mic for the Cardi B session, Ashby recalls, “We wanted a microphone that would sit on top of the mix, not just the high-frequencies, but the low-end too. We found during the mixing process we wanted more dominance from her in the low-end. She doesn’t want to sound like Niki Minaj. So, when she came into the studio that day I asked if they wanted to switch to the 251 or just leave the Eden up. We decided to leave the Eden up, knowing I could just carve away what I didn’t want. That’s what I love about the Eden, everything’s there if you need it. In terms of comparing the best of the best, the Eden definitely takes it.”

Ashby first purchased his Eden in early 2016 and it has become a staple in the Krematorium Studio vocal booth. In an unsolicited review on Sweetwater’s website, Ashby wrote, “I call it my secret Sony C-800G killer because it delivers almost the same vibe as a C-800G recording, but so much smoother, from the mids all the way up!!! Paired with my Chandler Little Devil Pre with the ‘bright’ switch on, and you have a simply AMAZING MONSTER!!!” Having spent nearly 2 years with the mic, now Ashby says, “When tracking vocals all I have to do on the Neve 551 EQ is take 220hz and attenuate that down a bit, like 0.5 to 1dB, and the top-end and mid-range sits hella clean for my vocal applications. The Eden has this robust and crispy top-end, very modern, but still a smooth type of sound. It’s literally been the only mic that’s been up for months in a row.”

A post shared by ASHBY THE MIX ENGINEER (@ashbymix) on Dec 25, 2016 at 7:37am PST

Adding further details about Cardi’s “Money Moves” session, Ashby says, “It was about a 2-to-3 hour session and I could tell they were on a mission that day. Immediately, she started rehearsing the song, and then went into the vocal booth and said ‘I’m gonna work the Money Moves.’ According to Asbhy, the signal chain for Cardi B’s vocals were an Eden, using the ‘Forward’ Multi-voicing™ setting, Chandler Little Devil preamp, a touch of 80Hz roll-off on a Neve 551EQ, and an API 527 for compression. 

Michael Ashby is a drummer who fell in love with audio recording after graduating high school. He is the owner of Krematorium Studio in Elmont, NY. He’s a graduate of the SAE Institute in NYC, and today is a respected next generation audio engineer who's engineered for multiple Grammy® nominated artists and producers. In addition to Cardi B, his credits include Melissa B, B Howard, BK Brasco, Josh X, Latoya Jackson, Anthony Xi, Fetty Wap, Exit 21 and many other top artists. For more about Michael Ashby visit: https://www.ashbymix.com and https://www.thekrematorium.com 

About Lauten Audio 

Lauten Audio microphones continue to carve out a unique niche for recordists seeking microphones with an original sound. In addition to the Series Black, their product line includes their flagship “Eden” LT-386, the award-winning “Oceanus” LT-381 transformer-less tube condenser microphone, and the FC-387 “Atlantis” solid-state Multi-voicing™ large diaphragm condenser microphone. Lauten Audio microphones have received rave reviews from both experienced recording engineers and leading Pro Audio magazines around the world. Lauten Audio is located in San Jose California, for more information visit http://www.lautenaudio.com or call 1-877-721-7018.

Lauten Audio

www.lautenaudio.com

Lauten Audio Press contact:

Paul J. de Benedictis

pauljdb@gmail.com (650)-303-2565

All trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

Engineer Darrell Thorp Chooses Loads of Lauten for Foo Fighters Concrete & Gold Album

Darrell Thorp in his private studio with his Series Black Microphones. Photo Credit: Derek McCoy

Seven-time Grammy winning engineer and mixer, Darrell Thorp, used Lauten Audio mics, including its flagship tube mic, Eden, on new Foo Fighters album “Concrete and Gold”

San Jose, CA — Sept 19, 2017 — Engineer Darrell Thorp recently recorded the Foo Fighters new album at EastWest Studios in Los Angeles and chose to use loads of Lauten Audio microphones, including the Atlantis, Eden, Clarion, and the new Series Black LA-120, LA-220, and LA-320. The new Foo Fighters album “Concrete and Gold” (Roswell Records/RCA Records) was released on September 15, its first single, “Run,” hit the top 10 on the Rock Airplay Billboard charts in June. “We had a massive setup for recording the band,” says Thorp, “part of the challenge was we had 4 drum kits set up at once, a bass station, vocals, keys with 2 keyboards and pianos, and over 20 guitar amps, some in the live room and some in Iso-booths — I was using a lot of Lauten Audio mics.”

Discussing how and where some of the different mics were used, he explains, “For a sonic clarity difference I was having all the background vocals recorded on the Lauten Audio Eden mic, it’s a bit of a sweeter sounding mic, and I was using the ‘Forward’ switch so they would always sound breathy, and open and airy, around the lead vocal.” 

“On the song ‘Happy Ever After’ which is the quietest, most acoustic track on the record, Dave Grohl was playing this Harmony solid body acoustic guitar, which is super quiet, but it has a ‘sound’ — so I grabbed a Lauten Audio Atlantis mic and switched on the +10 dB gain switch — which is "expletive" genius!” exclaims Thorp. “I was barely rocking my mic pre, so I had plenty of level to Pro Tools and I was able to get a really good guitar sound. I was also using the Atlantis and LA-320 on guitar amps a lot, sometimes the LA-320 was on room guitar amps as well at about 15 to 20 feet from where the amps would sit in Studio One at EastWest — the room is huge and sounds amazing.”

The Series Black LA-220 mics were used for some of the main tom mics says Thorp, “They were amazing, they worked so well. I used the LA-220s on the Gretsch ‘George Lake’ kit with a 13-inch rack tom and a 16-inch floor tom.” 

  

Thorp concludes, “I really do stand behind the Lauten Audio mics, I use the products a lot! I’m not just a face on an ad and a face on the website. We just did a Foo Fighters BBC Live session and I took an Eden for a mono overhead on the drums, which sounded great. I use the mics all the time when recording!”

Darrell Thorp is a seven-time Grammy® Award winning producer, mixer, and engineer (Foo Fighters, Radiohead, Switchfoot, Molotov, Beck), with over 20 years experience and many multi-platinum records on his discography. Thorp moved to Los Angles in 1997 after a 4-year service in the U.S. Navy and started interning at smaller studios, and eventually worked his way up to an Assistant Engineer at some of L.A.’s prestigious studios such as Track Record, Conway, and finally Ocean Way Recording. He recently had the pleasure of recording and mixing the new Foo Fighters album "Concrete and Gold," and also engineering the new Beck record "Colors". 

About Lauten Audio 

Lauten Audio microphones continue to carve out a unique niche for recordists seeking microphones with an original sound. In addition to the Series Black, their product line includes their flagship “Eden” LT-386, the award-winning “Oceanus” LT-381 transformer-less tube condenser microphone, and the FC-387 “Atlantis” solid-state Multi-voicing™ large diaphragm condenser microphone. Lauten Audio microphones have received rave reviews from both experienced recording engineers and leading Pro Audio magazines around the world. Lauten Audio is located in San Jose California, for more information visit http://www.lautenaudio.com or call 1-877-721-7018.

Lauten Audio

www.lautenaudio.com

Lauten Audio Press contact:

Paul J. de Benedictis

pauljdb@gmail.com (650)-303-2565

All trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

Engineer Daniel Sanint chooses Lauten Audio ‘Eden’ LT-386 for Ingrid Michaelson & Sara Bareilles Vocals

Chief Engineer at Flux Studios, Daniel Sanint, chose the Lauten Audio Eden LT-386 as the vocal microphone for Ingrid Michaelson’s new single “Miss America”, featuring Sara Bareilles

Daniel Sanint at Flux Studios with the Eden LT-386

San Jose, CA — June 5, 2017 — Engineer Daniel Sanint, recently recorded vocals for Ingrid Michaelson’s new single entitled “Miss America” at Flux Studios in New York City. The song, featuring Sara Bareilles, is on Michaelson’s new EP Alter Egos, released May 12, 2017.  Sanint chose his ‘go-to female vocal mic’ — the Lauten Audio Eden — to record both Michaelson and Bareilles for the song.

"it works very, very well with female vocalists."

Sanint discovered Lauten Audio working with Fab Dupont, owner of Flux Studios. “I remember the first time that I tried the Eden,” says Sanint about the LT-386 tube condenser mic, “it was a vocal session that I did here at the studio with a female singer. My typical vocal chain is a Neve pre with some EQ, then I run through the LA-2A for a little bit of compression, that's how I print vocals. I try to not use too much EQ or compression while I'm recording. While recording her, I popped in the EQ, the singer is singing, I'm staring at the EQ and thinking 'I don't really have to do anything' — it sounded great, right off the bat without EQ, and without compression. Ever since then I've been using the Eden on a lot of sessions, mainly for female vocalists — it works very, very well with female vocalists."

"As soon as we popped the Eden on her next vocal it was such a huge difference! It just jumped out of the speakers right away. Kuffner was asking, 'What microphone is this?!'" "

The producer on the track "Miss America" was Chris Kuffner, Sanint says, "It was a pretty fast session, we got everything done in four or five hours." Sanint continues, “That was one of the reasons why, when Kuffner called, my first choice was to have just a couple microphones up including the Eden. The producer asked me to have a U47 for Ingrid. But knowing that the Eden has great top-end extension and great body, I chose it, as I typically don't even have to use EQ, the mic already has a great tone."


"For Ingrid, because the producer had asked me to use the U47, we started with the U47, we did 2 takes, and I had to stop and say, 'Hold on I need to try the Eden microphone’ — because the high-end wasn't there. As soon as we popped the Eden on her next vocal it was such a huge difference! It just jumped out of the speakers right away. Kuffner was asking, 'What microphone is this?!'" 

"I know it's going to sound good regardless of the type of voice. "

Sanint continues, "The other reason I often choose the Eden is because I know it's going to sound good regardless of the type of voice. Also, on a lot of these sessions, the artist comes in and you don't even have time to set your compressor or swap microphones. The singers are super busy, they come in, do three or four takes and then they are out. The immediacy of having a microphone like the Eden that is well balanced, that you know is going to work on any type of voice, is super important for us."


Revealing details about the Michaelson session, Sanint adds, "Sara recorded first, to rough vocals of Ingrid's. Sara's voice is just ridiculous, her voice is amazing, it's very rich. Sara did about 5 takes top to bottom, with a few things she wanted to fix on the second chorus, and that was it. Sara was there for about 1 hour, half of which was recording. And Ingrid was the same, we did full takes with the Eden for both of them."

The vocal chain on the session was the same for both Sara and Ingrid, Sanint explains, "The Eden mic into a Chandler Limited LTD-1 — that's a 'Neve-esque' mic pre — then a touch of compression on the LA-2A. This is a soft song, there's no belting, it was very intimate, nice and close."

Sanint, starting as an intern at Flux Studios in 2009 worked his way up and has been the Chief Engineer and studio manager for the past 4 years. His credits include David Crosby, Moby, James Bay, Andre 3000, Robert Glasper, Brasstracks, Rubén Blades, and more. Sanint has a Masters in Music Business from New York University and a B.S. in Audio Production from Universidad de Los Andes, Colombia. Flux Studios: http://www.fluxstudios.net




Lauten Audio Press contact:
Paul J. de Benedictis
pauljdb@gmail.com (650)-303-2565

Sanint Photo Credit: PrinceRumi

Lauten Audio Signature Series Eden, Oceanus & Atlantis Microphones – User Review By Kevin Porée

James Gadson Adds Lauten Audio 'Series Black' to his Studio after Lauten Founder Flubs Famous Introduction

Famed Drummer/Producer/Songwriter James Gadson & Lauten Audio’s Brian Loudenslager discuss discovery and acquisition of Lauten Audio’s ‘Series Black’ microphone line.

San Jose, CA — April 10, 2017 — Famed drummer — and producer and singer and songwriter — James Gadson, “one of the most recorded drummers in R&B history” per Modern Drummer magazine, and #32 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of “Greatest Drummers” of all-time, recently acquired the entire Lauten Audio ‘Series Black’ line of microphones including the LA-320 large diaphragm vacuum tube condenser, the LA-220 FET condenser, and a pair of LA-120 small diaphragm FET condensers. One could literally fill an entire page listing credits for Gadson, but to name a small fraction of his credits, he has recorded and/or performed with Bill Withers, Marvin Gaye, The Jackson Five, Diana Ross, Gloria Gaynor, James Brown, Ray Charles, George Duke, Aretha Franklin, Herbie Hancock, and more recently for pop superstar Justin Timberlake as well as Beck.

"I am very excited about the Series Black microphones,” says Gadson. “They are not that expensive, but they are so great. The tracks that I have recorded came out so beautiful that I was elated! They are great microphones."

“Gadson’s comments on the ‘Series Black’ microphone line are spot-on with what I’ve heard from countless owners,” says Brian Loudenslager, Founder of Lauten Audio. “I hope it’s reassuring to current and future owners of our Series Black mics that a legend in the business is highly satisfied regardless of their price-point.”

It was late Friday evening on December 30th and Loudenslager had just finished dinner, enjoying the holidays, having stepped away from the daily routine of running his company, Lauten Audio. “I have
a distinct memory of the conversation as I accidently answered my cell, which I rarely do if I don’t recognize the number. Upon answering I didn’t catch the person’s name, but the caller was asking about the Series Black microphones and that someone had recommended them to him. Not in the working frame of mind I informed him that we don’t do any direct sales and recommended a few dealers in the L.A. area he should go to. It wasn’t until January 3rd while catching up on email that I saw and was reminded of an email from engineer Darrell Thorp informing me he had spoken to the one and only James Gadson and was sending him my way. I texted Darrell and told him “Kinda flubbed it with your buddy James Gadson…” After realizing my mistake I contacted Gadson and he informed me that he had gone to a local dealer and ordered the mics. As a former drummer myself, and knowing the plethora of records Gadson recorded on, it was one of those moments of total honor,” concludes Loudenslager.

“You simply can’t get a greater validation of a product line than having someone like James Gadson not only wanting to try them, but taking it upon himself to go to a local dealer and order them,” quips Loudenslager. “Though the younger generation today may not know the name James Gadson, I can guarantee every single producer, engineer or musician has heard Gadson on drums. Many of the beats and rhythms we hear today in modern hip-hop, R&B, and pop are the result of his writing and his original beats, sampled for other modern music mixes. Just check out a few classic selections like “Dancing Machine” by The Jackson Five, “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor, “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye, and more recently Beck’s “Morning Phase,” Gadson has this magical and signature touch that comes through.”

James Gadson said,  "I called my friend and engineer Darryl Thorp, who's a seven-time Grammy winner that I've worked with on a lot of different projects, and asked him about what he said in a magazine interview I had read where he mentioned the Lauten Audio Series Black microphones, and Darryl said, 'These are the real deal.’”

Gadson continues, “So I bought the LA-120 pencil mics to use as overheads on my drums. The mics are so true! The playback sounded just like my cymbals, I had never heard of pencil mics that sounded this good. When I record cymbal crashes now they sound just like I want them to sound. They sound magnificent, they sound so natural. I use the mics flat, I didn't have to put any EQ on them. Wow, I'm happy! And the mics look great, like a model stepping out of a magazine! (laughs) and they come in a beautiful box, they are very stylish, classy looking mics."

“After that I got the LA-220 condenser mic and used it as a vocal mic, and the vocal came out just wonderful! It's so warm. The track sounded just like I was singing it. The 220s are also great on the Toms," added Gadson. "Then I got the LA-320 tube mic, and that sounded great as a room mic. I plan to try it on vocals too."

About Lauten Audio 

Lauten Audio microphones continue to carve out a unique niche for recordists seeking microphones with an original sound. In addition to the Series Black, their product line includes their flagship “Eden” LT-386, the award-winning “Oceanus” LT-381 transformer-less tube condenser microphone, and the FC-387 “Atlantis” solid-state Multi-voicing™ large diaphragm condenser microphone. Lauten Audio microphones have received rave reviews from both experienced recording engineers and leading Pro Audio magazines around the world. Lauten Audio is located in San Jose California, for more information visit http://www.lautenaudio.com or call 1-877-721-7018.

Lauten Audio
www.lautenaudio.com


Lauten Audio Press contact:
Paul J. de Benedictis
pauljdb@gmail.com (650)-303-2565

Lauten Audio Announces New Product Accessories

Lauten to offer a 10dB attenuator for the Series Black LA-120 microphones and premium quality suspension bands for their Signature Series microphone spider mounts

10dB Attenuators

Anaheim, CA – NAMM — January 17, 2017 – Today Lauten Audio has announced new accessories for their Series Black and Signature Series microphone products. First, a pair of 10dB attenuator Pad adapters for the Series Black LA-120 small diaphragm condenser microphones, and second, premium quality suspension mount bands for the Atlantis FC-387, Clarion FC-357 and Oceanus LT-381 Signature Series spider shock mounts.

LA-120 with pad installed

The Pads are sold as a pair and offer 10dB of attenuation. They install between the capsule and preamplifier of the microphone body. These offer the user additional versatility when using the LA-120’s on higher SPL sources like drums or guitar amplifiers. This brings the LA-120’s current max SPL handling from 130 to 140dB SPL, making them capable of handling just about any source a recordist can throw at them. The adapters are 2.7cm in length and when installed increase the length of the LA-120 to 18.4cm from its stock length of 15.9cm. Lauten expects the Pads to be available by the end of 1st quarter 2017 with an MSRP of $99, and street price of $59. 

Premium Made in USA suspension bands

The shock mount bands are a premium quality optional upgrade for the Lauten Audio Atlantis FC-387, Clarion FC-357 and Oceanus LT-381 spider shock mounts. These bands are constructed from U.S.A. made ultra-high quality elastic cord featuring a heavy-duty nylon jacket resulting in maximum elasticity longevity and excellent vibration and noise transfer reduction. The bands are 22cm in length for the Atlantis and Clarion spider mounts, 29cm for the Oceanus spider mount and packaged as a pair. These custom bands are hand made in the USA and come with a 90-day guarantee from manufactured defects. The shock mount bands are sold separately from the microphones, as an optional upgrade and are user installable. They should be available immediately after the Winter NAMM show with an MSRP of $29.99, and street price of $19.99.

About Lauten Audio
Lauten Audio microphones continue to carve out a unique niche for recordists seeking microphones with an original sound. Their product line includes their flagship “Eden” LT-386, the award-winning “Oceanus” LT-381 transformer-less tube condenser microphone, the FC-387 “Atlantis” solid-state Multi-voicing™ large diaphragm condenser microphone as well as their new award-winning Series Black line. Lauten Audio microphones have received rave reviews from both experienced recording engineers and leading Pro Audio magazines around the world. Lauten Audio is located in San Jose California, for more information visit http://www.lautenaudio.com or call 1-877-721-7018.