Category Archives: Al Schmitt

Ray Charles and Norah Jones with Billy Preston

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B-3 – R-122
Piano – SF-12
Electric Guitar – R-121

Engineers: Terry Howard, Al Schmitt (mix)

This extraordinary session was held in Ray Charles’ Los Angeles studio in November 2003. I was privileged to attend and was given permission to take photographs with a small pocket camera. The musicianship was incredible, with most parts of the song being done in one or two takes.
-John Jennings, Royer Labs

B-3: Billy Preston’s Leslie cabinet was miked with two R-122’s, one positioned on the top horn and one on the bottom.

Piano: An SF-12 was positioned inside Ray’s piano alongside a couple of condenser mics. The SF-12 was the main mic used in the final mix.

Electric Guitar: The electric guitar amp was miked with an SM-57 up close and an R-122 further back, blended in the mix.

ray-norah

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Diana Krall

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Electric Guitar, Jazz – R-121

Recorded and mixed by Al Schmitt. Producer, Tommy LiPuma.
Recorded at Avatar Studios, New York, NY.
From the GRP Records Inc. “Verve” release “Diana Krall – When I Look In Your Eyes”.

Note: Al Schmitt won a Best Engineered Album Grammy for this record.

R-121 on jazz electric guitar.

a) “Popsicle Toes” (Michael Franks)

 
 

b) “Let’s Fall In Love” (Ted Koehler)

Arturo Sandoval’s “Trumpet Evolution”

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Brass – R-121, R-122, SF-12
Trumpet – R-121, R-122
Trombone – R-121
Drum Overhead – SF-12
Room Mic – SF-12

Engineer: Al Schmitt, Producer: Gary Grant
Recorded at Capitol Studios (Studio A), Hollywood, CA.

Recording chain: All mics routed through an assortment of Mastering Lab, Neve and Studer tube mic preamps. Recorded to Pro Tools

One R-122 on Arturo Sandoval’s solo trumpet
Four R-121’s on the trumpets
Four R-121’s on the trombones
SF-12 overall big band room mic
SF-12 drum overhead

1) “Manteca” (Dizzy Gillespie, Fuller, O’Farrill, Pozo)

 

2) “Concerto for Cootie” (Duke Ellington)

 

3) “My Funny Valentine” (Hart, Rodgers)

 

Paul Galbraith

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Classical Guitar – R-122V

Recorded and mixed by Al Schmitt
Recorded at Capitol Studios (Studio A), Hollywood, CA.

Recording chain: All mics into Upstate Audio preamps and direct to Pro Tools HD at 24/192.

Classical Guitar: Two R-122V’s as main mics on solo classical guitar, approximately 3 ft high, 30 inches apart and 3 ft back from the guitarist. AKG C-12’s as room mics and Sennheiser MKH-800’s as ambient mics.

a) “Presto from Piano Sonata #2 in F major” (Mozart)

 

b) “Bajo La Palmera” (Isaac Albeniz)