At home with his Audient iD22 audio interface and trusty ASP008 8-channel mic preamplifier, location recordist Matt Rogalsky makes the most of his relatively portable kit to record new, three-piece band, Deux Trois in what he called “challenging conditions.”
It was indeed at home – but not that straightforward. “They thought the vibe of a tiny unfinished room in the basement of my house was good, so we did drum and lead vocal tracking there – basically an unheated space – whilst the temperature outside plummeted to -20C,” he says, describing how vocalist, Nadia Pacey dealt with it.
“I ended up giving her an electric heating pad to stand on while singing in a big winter coat. The guitar and backing vocal tracking was done in a slightly warmer attic.”
Matt plays down the demands of the situation, happy to be able to rely on his gear to work wherever he is, and – so far at least – at any temperature. “Really, I just value my iD22 and ASP008 to be very transparent, reliable devices that are quick to set up anywhere,” he says. “My recording/production practice is built on being able to set up practically anywhere and get great results.”
Nadia and the band, Deux Trois vouch for the quality, with the release of the new album Health out in June. “We recorded in five rooms in Matt’s house,” Nadia tells us. “We used the gear in every room – it was portable enough that it allowed Matt to move freely throughout his space without much hassle.” It sounds like some of the instruments were as unorthodox as the recording space; the small percussion section included a balloon, a grass broom, and a pie lifter.
Matt prides himself in helping artists feel relaxed and creative, facilitated by his pared-down studio gear. “I have a good collection of mics and I mix ‘in the box’ with a workflow influenced by my background working in analog tape studios for electroacoustic music composition in the 1980s and 90s. I want to get good, clean sounds and do any ‘coloring’ after the fact. Sometimes I track through effects, but almost never print them on the fly, as I’d rather pay closer attention to that later and not have to commit while tracking.”
This is the first release for new Canadian label Princess Sammi Records.
