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.

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Paul J. de Benedictis

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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