Turn Your Radio On was recorded on Pro Tools LE, mostly at Uke Town Studios (aka Kent’s Basement). Equitek CAD E-100 microphones were used for vocals. For the instruments, the CADs, Oktava MK012, AKG C-1000, Audio Technica Pro37s, and Sterling Audio mics were used. Stuart recorded his basic mandola tracks at his house, on his own Pro Tools LE setup. Henry played bass on everything (except for one ‘mystery note’, which was played by Stuart…you get to guess which one!).Only one track used an electric bass (Every Night) and that was played on a junky Danelectro Longhorn (in the famous ugly blueburst finish) through a Countryman DI, direct into Pro Tools. The rest of the bass tracks were recorded using either Kent’s old Roth upright bass, or Henry’s slightly newer no-name upright. Also, Henry played his J.C.Schofield mandola on Walk Beside Me (live track). Stuart played his wonderful Beard (Mike Auldridge model) resonator guitar, his Collings mandolin and his Capek mandola. Kent played his Gibson K2 mandocello, his Collings mandolin his own Capek mandola. For guitars, Kent used his 70’s Martin D-18S and D-28S, a David LaPlante D-21S, a Huss and Dalton CM model, and a 60’s Gibson B-25. Preamps were Presonus BlueTube and Eureka. All the engineering was done by Kent, Henry, and Stuart. The live tracks were recorded directly from the Mackie Onyx board, using Mackie Tracktion, with Mr. John Sovitsky at the controls. All tracks were rough mixed at UkeTown by Kent, Henry, and Stuart, then (through some incomprehensible magic) EQ’d and polished to gleaming perfection by the incomparable Jeff Covert, Master of the Universe, at the similarly incomparable Wally Cleavers Studio. Then, through some more incomprehensible magic, he was able to have the (coincidentally) incomparable Mr. Wolf perform his final acts of mastering, rendering the final product which you may now hold in your actual hands. I may have forgotten some of the details in the making of this record, but can assure one and all that no ukes were harmed in the making of this recording.
Here’s a rare inside look at the Uke Town studio tracking room.
