Moderator: Jay, welcome to PSW Church Talk!

Jay Riggs: Thank you, it's great to be here.

Moderator: Please give us some quick background on yourself.

Jay: Well, as a teenager, I got into music, it went from lessons to live gigs, then immediately after high school, I went on the road. After a few years of road life, I came back to Michigan and started my own studio, which has grown into a record label. I have also spent five years working with the Technical Ministries at Resurrection Life Church, Grand Haven, MI and also work with Integrated Media Group. So I spend most of my time with sound systems and producing.

Chris: Can you give us an overview of the capabilities of your studio?

Jay: We have built the studio around the Pro Tools platform. Our core system is a Mix Plus with extra Farm and Core cards, bringing us to a 64 -rack live 164-track at mix-down capability. We have isolated recording rooms, with high-end gear like Neumann and Avalon. Most of our Mastering is done out of house, even though we do a little.

Music Man: Are you still working at the church? How does recording fit into your role at the church?

Jay: I am no longer working at the church; my protégé of three years has succeeded me. My other endeavors have taken my time, but I do still serve the church with recording services. (One of the only commercial things we engage in.) Most of the work we do with the church consists of recording the praise groups, both youth and adult, and special projects like a recent youth alter CD, a combination of live dramatic skits, and pre-recorded music tracks by such Christian groups as “Third Day” and “Skillet”.

ed: What's a good, consistent vocal mic for the studio?

Jay: I think there are two mics every studio should have. The first is the Shure SM57. This mic is so versatile that it's difficult to name all the applications. But even with a large mic budget like ours, we still use it for mic’ing Guitar Cabinets, and some drum uses.

Jay (continued): The second recommendation is a Neumann. Take your pick; U-87 is my own personal favorite, but anything from the TLM103 to the M149, for voice and acoustic guitars. These mics are great for sweet, fat, warm tones.

Music Man: Has the praise team or church created a CD?