A TASCAM Model 24 multitrack live recording console is at the center of Third Eye Blind lead guitarist Kryz Reid’s approach to his work on numerous video and podcast projects for the rock band, with the company’s DR-40X digital recorders also playing a role in capturing live recordings of performances.
Reid is the producer of Third Eye Blind’s podcast Pod of Wine as well as director of the band’s video that includes Horror Show, Disorder, Tropic Scorpio, Song to the Siren, Joke, and the 5-part YouTube series 100 Blind Days in Lockdown. “Along with being the lead guitarist, I work with Stephan (Jenkins, lead vocalist) to create the band’s videos and social content,” he says. “A particular high for me was producing the So Alone, So Alive broadcast last year. That put us second on the Billboard Live in Quarantine chart.
“I edit videos on the computer, but the last thing I want to do is record music on a computer,” he continues. “The Model 24 reminds me on my old school TASCAM Porta One 4-track, only bigger. It’s essentially my daily driver when it comes to music. I turn it on and start working, with no ‘BS.’ Removing the computer from my recording process has been key. I want to listen to music, not look at it. The EQs are great, and the one knob compressor is a really fantastic feature. Equally important, the faders feel very professional, and the entire look of the Model 24 makes me smile every time it catches my eye.”
Meanwhile, TASCAM DR-40X / DR-40 digital 4-track recorders with USB interfaces have long been deployed at front of house to capture a blend of the console’s input and the DR-40’s built in microphones. “It’s a really immediate way for us to post show highlights on our social media pages,” Reid notes. “I also used my DR-40 to record Stephan’s live vocal for the So Alone, So Alive broadcast, feeding him a mix of the rest of us while allowing him to sing along using a Shure SM7 on the unit’s XLR input. Stephan’s a very physical performer, so I was able to put the DR-40 in his back pocket and let him do his thing.”
Further, the band’s five TASCAM DR-10L micro linear PCM recorder and a TASCAM DR-10SG camera-mountable audio recorder with shotgun microphone also see plenty of action. According to Reid, “The DR-10L recorders are being used to close capture all of us in studio as we’re working on our new record, with the first single being titled Box of Bones, which will release July 30. I’m also producing a documentary of the entire recording process. They’re fast and the dual record mode is a game-changer. These recorders last a good 10 hours on a single battery and sound awesome. The TASCAM DR-10SG has been another important piece of gear for us. We use it for basic pickup during everything we do mobile, including recording or rehearsing. It’s small and easy to place just about anywhere.”
