Gino Vannelli - Just Can't Stop - MIX Magazine - Mark Frink, May 1998
A few years back, Gino Vannelli-best known for the singles "I Just Wanna Stop" (1979) and "Living Inside Myself" (1981)-left Los Angeles for Portland, Oregon, to be closer to his wife's family. He opened a project studio, Inka Productions, in downtown's Northwest section, and when MIX visited, he was finishing the final mix of his second release on Verve/PolyGram, tentatively titled SLOW LOVE and due to be released next month.
Although the studio is in a converted office space, attention to detail is obvious: A sub-floor was installed, wall and ceiling treatments abound, and ASC Tube Traps are carefully arranged. "It's an imperfect room, but when you know it, it fits comfortably, and that's the whole idea behind a project studio," Vannelli says.
After listening to a couple of mixes (engineered by Doug Durbrow, who did Vannelli's most recent album, YONDER TREE, as well) I was surprised to learn that bass, drums and percussion were all done on a computer. "We use an architectural process," says Vannelli. "Before we even came into the studio, we knew how long each song would be and what all the changes were. Building a song like this is how a contractor plans a house-the tempos, rhythms and samples all needed to come from the blueprint, which is the chart itself. It's not just the walls and trim, it's the foundation and framing. The worst thing is programming and realizing that you don't have all the materials." (He recommends over-sampling, so that you have a long enough menu to choose from.)
"I make most of my own samples, building a library and picking the best of what's available," adds Vannelli, a drummer by trade. "I'll start by making a list of every possible drum and percussion sample I might use, so that when I finally start programming, everything is ready. We start with the grooves, building on a beat, writing each section and then adding fills and embellishments. It's difficult to be precisely human, but the ability to get a clarity, presence and perfection can make up for that." Graham Lear, who played drums on YONDER TREE, came in to help find the groove for one of the new cuts, "Cry Baby," picking a slow 12/8. From there, it was built on the computer.
Vannelli works with both Logic and Vision, but the house sequencer if Performer. All mixes are virtual, within Pro Tools, and monitored on a 36-channel Amek Angela. The stereo mix runs through an Apogee AD-1000, into a TC Electronic Finalizer then into the Rane Paqrat. "We're mixing down to the Paqrat for 24-bit digital recording onto ADAT, which keeps the music more true to what you're putting into it," Vannelli says. Hafler-powered KRK 7000 monitors are supplemented by a Tannoy subwoofer, and a pair of Tannoy System 12 monitors sit mutely behind them.
"My preferred preamps and equalizers for voice are Summit," he continues, "but I still like my old dbx 160 limiter because it has a time release that's good for my voice." He also uses an LA-22 on his vocals to compress certain frequencies. "On piano, we really enjoy our old Neve V72 preamps-they're clear, yet they're warm-and the ART MPA mic pre's are good for backing vocals." Effects are all Lexicon, with a PMC 80 and 90 plus a pair each of PCM 42 delays and LXP-15s.
Vannelli is divided on a favorite vocal mic. "On some songs I use the Manley Gold and on others the AKG C-12," he explains. "The Manley is more clinical-you almost have to watch how your lips smack-and it took me a while to get used to it. The C-12 has a hump around 90 Hz, which is nice for my voice. The Manley is brighter and quieter, but the C-12 is warmer and friendlier.
"I like to take my time, " Vannelli sums it up. "This album is six months in the writing and a year recording. Instead of having a chart and running it a few takes, you build the chart to put in the exact expression you originally envisioned. It's tedious building a song this way, but once you get it, it's right there."