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| Rich Tozzoli in his home
studio. |
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Producer, engineer,
composer, gear guru, guitarist, author and expert on surround sound…
it’s enough to keep someone on the go 24/7, and it pretty much
describes the life of Rich Tozzoli.
We caught up with Rich at his personal mixing/production room located
in River Vale, New Jersey, across the Hudson River away from the bustle
of New York City. While much of his work draws him to New York, Rich
relishes the peace and quiet of a rural setting.
In this interview, Rich talks about composing for television, mixing
a Super Bowl spot in surround, working with former Kiss guitarist
Ace Frehley on his forthcoming album, his favorite mics to use on
acoustic guitar, and why he believes a patch bay is obsolete. He also
gazes into his crystal ball and shares a few tips on the trends he
sees emerging in audio.
It appears the push from labels to promote surround mixes
as a viable music format, evident 5-6 years ago, has all but disappeared.
What’s the update on surround music album production?
Back when high resolution and surround formats like multichannel SACD
started to appear, I was as excited as anyone else. However, it didn’t
take long to realize these formats were dying – partly because
competing formats created a conflicted consumer.
I shifted my interest to where I felt surround could really shine,
and that was in post-production and television. So my specialty became
concert DVDs and HD TV broadcasts. I’ve done 5.1 channel mixes
for the likes of David Bowie, Blue Oyster Cult, the Montreux Jazz
Festival, the Drummer’s Collective (featuring Steve Gadd, Steve
Smith, and Victor Wooten), Hall and Oates, and a bunch of others.
Although mixing concert DVDs is a niche market, it’s one that
I manage to work in pretty regularly.
It’s also important to realize that you can win a Grammy for
surround mixing. I was lucky enough to work on the NARAS Surround
Grammy committee with some talented folks several years ago, and am
glad that the work is being properly recognized – although I
think they need to have a category for live concerts!
Besides the concert DVDs, I mixed a surround sound Super Bowl spot
for Panasonic, an HBO comedy special, a PBS Cincinnati Pops broadcast,
and recently composed a surround movie trailer – using six-channel
samples from the East West symphonic orchestral library, so there’s
work out there in surround.
Do you envision a time when surround music will be a more
prominent format?
Well, satellite radio has 5.1 channels, cars are equipped with 5.1
playback systems, and video games are using surround sound, so there
are still things bubbling away. MP3 doesn’t rule the world,
although personally, I like MP3s and AAC’s. I use them all the
time to send work back and forth with clients.
Maybe people will yell at me for this, but MP3s aren’t that
bad – just use the highest resolution. Of course, I absolutely
prefer a pristine DSD mix, but if I have to work with an MP3 mix,
I will, because that’s what it takes to be in the game. You’ve
just got to learn how to make them jump out of the speakers, and that
comes from experience.
Would you compare getting a mix to sound good as an MP3 file
to twenty years ago, when many of us would check our mixes on Auratones
or the built-in console speaker?
Absolutely, I feel very strongly that if you can get your MP3s to
rock, you’re in a very good place. I make sure to check them
on my laptop speakers and iBuds, which have absolutely no bass at
all.
Take us around your home studio.
It’s centered on a Pro Tools HD rig, running on a Dual Core
G5 Mac. I’m getting the 8-Core MacPro this week. (Editor’s
Note: It runs two Intel Quad-Core Xeon processors at 3.0 GHz operating
speed.) I have to stay on top of the latest gear, and Digi just released
the new version of Pro Tools that will run on the 8-Core system. So
I’m going to switch to the PCI-e (PCI-Express) platform very
soon, which is going to be a big undertaking.
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| Rich’s “super-clean”
studio is set up in his corner condo unit.
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The primary reason I’m
doing it is because I run so many orchestral plug-ins and VIs (virtual
instruments). That’s where it will really help me, because it
will speed things up a lot for the composition work I do. (For more
on PCIe, check the linked article at the end of this story.)
Basically, I have a very
stripped down, clean room. I use NHT Pro M-00 speakers and a sub.
I feel they’re the perfect blend between professional and consumer
monitors. They also translate wonderfully to a home theater environment.
I was lucky to work with acoustician Russ Berger, design engineer
Vincent Miraglia, and Auralex Acoustics to treat my mix room sonically.
Let me remind you, this studio is just a typical condo room, it’s
not a custom-built studio built from the ground up.
So, it’s a personal production room.
Yeah. And I’m very lucky that I have a corner condo, and the
building is constructed out of concrete, so I can crank my mixes.
As I said, my basic rig is super clean. My Pro Tools runs directly
via Lightpipe into a Grace 906 surround controller which feeds the
speakers.
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| Rich uses a Grace 906
surround controller to feed to his monitors.
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I use internal clock because
the Grace has Phase Lock Loop and it’s so rock solid. The path
is brutally lean – the only thing I have inserted in the signal
path is the Manley Massive Passive Equalizer, which helps add some
tube character and high-end EQ to the mix bus. I’m a fan of
mixing in the box. I love great consoles for tracking, but find they
get in the way of my mixing since I’m constantly recalling and
refining mixes. If I need faders, which I often do, I have a Command
8, which is off to the side.
I also am a fan of all the great software reverbs available, such
as Altiverb, Waves IR-1, IR-360, TC Electronic, Sonnox Reverb, Eventide,
and TL Space. I use many different ones in each mix to create varied
space and depth. To me, there’s quite a difference between the
cheap plug-ins and the good stuff. It literally makes or breaks your
mixes. I also try to use the best mastering engineers whenever possible.
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| The vintage Gibson Falcon
amp resides in the walk-in guitar room.
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As far as outboard gear
goes, I simply use a small collection of nice preamps including the
four-channel Focusrite ISA 428 with digital outputs, Earthworks four-channel
1024, Demeter VTMP-2b, Presonus ADL 600, and Groove Tube Vipre –
which is also my DI box (and a mighty expensive one!). To keep the
signal path to a minimum, I go microphone, cable, preamp, Pro Tools.
I don’t have a patch bay and I don’t believe in them.
To me, you get a much better recording with the shortest possible
signal path.
I’ve also set up a guitar room in a large walk in closet with
a 1966 Gibson Falcon amp, Mesa Boogie MKIV head, Magnatone M10A with
tube reverb, and Marshall cabinets. So I just stick up a few microphones
and keep the signal path minimal. I just bought the Royer 122V tube,
which is an astonishing piece of gear. One of the nice things about
being a reviewer is that when I get gear to test out – I use
it on sessions with artists like Ace Frehley and Al DiMeola. I take
it right into the fire pits to see how it stands up.
We put the Royer tube
on Ace’s cabinet and he heard the difference immediately, which
was interesting because he had already been using Royers. This is
really a special microphone, it just sounds amazing. It cost me a
bunch but was worth every penny and hey, it’s a tax write off!
(Rich is quick to point out that even though he gets gear on loan
for reviews, if he decides to add a piece like the Royer tube to his
studio collection, he pays for it.)
On acoustic guitars, I use Earthworks QTC-1 mics, which you have to
know how to use, partly because they are omnis. They are phenomenal
mics. As a guitarist, I’m really into the sound of fine acoustic
guitars. I like to deliver the natural sound of the instrument, and
that’s what the Earthworks mics do. Many times when we track
with them, the artist will come back and say, “That’s
exactly what my guitar sounds like!”
What about the Royer tube for acoustic guitar?
It’s the complete opposite from the Earthworks. The Royer colors
the sound, which is also very useful. In fact, the new acoustic guitar
sound I like combines one of each, mixing the bottom and width captured
by the Royer, with the clarity and openness of the omni Earthworks.
It’s pretty impressive – no EQ, no nothing – just
blend and print it! I’m a big fan of the Royer on amps too –
its smooth and edgy at the same time.
Do you experiment with the best placement on each guitar set
up?
Absolutely. For instance, the flamenco guitarist I work with, Romero,
will be a different set up from DiMeola, and that will be different
from the 12-string acoustic overdubs I did with Ace. The general rule
is the Royer mics the body and the Earthworks mics the neck, which
is usually what sounds best, but once in a while I may flip-flop them
to see how that sounds. Sometimes I’ll throw in an AKG 414 or
even use the built in pickup of certain acoustics.
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| (Left) Rich’s Royer
122V is one of his new favorite guitar mics. (Right) The Audio
Technica AT4033 is suitable for mutiple purposes in any studio
environment.
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What if someone
doesn’t have mics in the price range of these for acoustic guitar,
would a less expensive tube mic and a decent omni work adequately?
I’m a very strong believer in saving up your money for one or
two excellent microphones. It will separate you from the pack of other
studios. And that good mic should be your universal microphone. For
instance, an Audio Technica 4033 is an excellent microphone that’s
a bit more than the average mic’s cost, but it’s very
flexible. It works on vocals, guitar, kick drums… Sometimes,
though, you still can’t beat the good old Shure SM-57 for a
hundred bucks.
Can you tell us about recent projects you’ve been working
on?
I’m always juggling a bunch of things. Currently I’m composing
music for a PBS documentary, writing more music for my television
catalog, and doing a few software reviews. Ace Frehley’s record
is underway with the great Jay Messina (Aerosmith/Kiss/Cheap Trick)
cutting the basics and mixing while I’m working with Ace at
his studio on the guitar tracks and overdubs. It’s a team effort.
At the same time, I’m just about to start a new record with
the Argentine flamenco guitarist, Romero.
When you’re working with a classical or flamenco guitarist,
do you have to adapt your techniques for the sessions?
Yes. Flamenco especially, is much more aggressive music, and you have
to really understand the transients of a flamenco guitar because of
the snap of the fingers. I’ll set one level and he’ll
“snap” my levels immediately so I have to adjust. I’ve
been working with Romero for many years now. We have a strong relationship,
so we know what works pretty quickly. He also owns a Pro Tools project
studio, so it makes it very comfortable to collaborate. We can just
swap drives and do most of the work at either of our studios.
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| Rich worked on Flamenco
guitarist Romero’s Un Segunda Una Vida.
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Romero is into surround,
too, he was nominated for the Best New Artist Surround Award a few
years ago at the SMA (Surround Music Awards) in Beverly Hills for
the SACD we did called Un Segunda Una Vida. I was lucky to
win that surround award with engineer Paul Antonell two years later
for our work with classical jazz artist, Larry Chernicoff.
It seems like this is a growing trend: an engineer with a
personal production studio works part of the time out of his home
base, but also works at the artist’s personal studios.
Right. For about $25K, an artist can get a good HD rig and plug ins.
They just have to understand their acoustics, their environment, and
what they can and can’t do at their personal studio.
Surround mixing, for instance, is not for everyone. I understand the
pros and cons of my room, so I can mix a finished product out of here.
I did Hall and Oates’ live DVD (Our Kind of Soul Live)
in 5.1 from my room, along with their long-time engineer Peter Moshay
who did the stereo mixes at his studio. We also worked here together
on a cool 5.1 High Def DVD from the Shin Band (out of Taiwan), which
was mastered up at Gateway by Bob Ludwig. That was great because it
truly confirmed the levels and frequencies were correct in my room.
So you can mix out of your own production room, as long as you really
know what’s going on acoustically.
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| Rich worked on Hall and
Oates’ Our Kind of Soul Live DVD. |
| |
You mixed a Super
Bowl spot in surround?
That was for Panasonic’s ToughBook line of laptops. We delivered
a 5.1 mix, a LCRS Pro Logic mix, and a traditional 2.0 mix for it.
Ad agencies are opening up their eyes (and ears) to surround, because
if another client has their spot airing with surround and your agency’s
spot plays after it without it, it’s a big let down. We’re
already seeing a growing trend in more TV programming and advertising
demanding audio and music in surround.
You seem like the ultimate multitasker. All the work in the
studio, writing product reviews and a well-received book on surround
sound… plus you’re teaching a class in surround.
Yeah, I do keep very busy doing a wide range of things and the truth
is I get bored super fast! It all ties together. My work as an author
and software reviewer is closely tied to my own work composing, mixing,
and engineering. You have to stay current, continually read and find
out who’s using what and discover what is coming out next. You
can never stop learning, and I myself am deeply studying orchestration,
which has helped my composing immensely.
Where do you think we’re heading in the studio, say
two to three years out?
It’s hard enough trying to figure out where we’re gonna
be two or three months down the road!
Surround-wise, I feel there may be some action with HD DVD and Blu-Ray
pretty soon, but for now, I’m concentrating on the 5.1 market
for music videos and HD television broadcasts. But the DVD work is
already migrating over to the high-res formats.
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| Rich’s book on surround
mixing. |
I would also recommend
an artist capture their material in surround and at the highest resolution
possible (24-bit minimum) because I’m hopeful for the future
of surround music.
The other big trend is
that more and more well-known artists are doing their own records,
bypassing labels, with many also doing their own distribution deals.
For instance, Apple iTunes offers an artist who has an established
fan base the opportunity to go direct and receive a bigger cut than
what they’d receive if they went through a label. These projects
are either self-funded, or paid for by a distribution deal that provides
a production budget.
The key to doing this successfully is keeping your production costs
down and being smart about how you produce the album. Just don’t
skimp on the mixing and mastering, and be careful about doing too
much of your own project, as it’s good to have outside ears.
Artists are grasping the reality that you can do a lot of great overdubbing
at home studios, but you still should go to a decent live room to
get the high end-sounding drums, grand pianos, etc. We’re now
seeing the deep integration of home and professional recording. Artists
are also finally waking up to owning their own songs and masters,
getting into licensing deals, which I’m a big fan of, and learning
how to maximize what you can earn from each record. |
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