Ready Set Record!

We recently had the chance to visit Ready Set Record in Franklin, Tennessee (south of Nashville) to get a first hand look at what many fans don’t often see in the music business – a recording studio. With all of the modern technologies out there, we feel that the recording process gets lost to the everyday music fan. In reality, the recording process is the most important part of the music business because it is the time where you develop your product (albums/singles/EPs). We spoke to one of the co-founders, Zac Litwack, and asked him to answer a few questions for us.

Don’t forget to check out their website page here, as well as follow them on twitter @TheStuMusic. We want to thank Zac (and other co-founder Nick Curtis) for taking time out of his busy schedule for answering a few questions for us as well as showing us around the studio! And if you need any recording done, we feel that you should give Zac or Nick a call – we were highly impressed with what we saw and heard.

Midnight Comes Once:  Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background.

Zac Litwack: My name is Zac Litwack, and I was born and raised in Atlanta, GA. I picked up the bass guitar in my early teens and started playing in school Jazz combos and orchestras. I was an elite athlete, but as my passion for music grew stronger, my passion for sports grew weaker. I was blessed to have a mentor who owned a commercial recording studio in Atlanta called Nickel and Dime Studios (Thanks for everything Larry). During High School I was frustrated with my mediocre bedroom recordings and finally built up enough courage to enter Nickel and Dime’s internship program. This internship shed first hand insight on how to effectively run a commercial recording studio and in return gave me the confidence to tackle big sessions of my own; not to mention I got to work with artists such as Sister Hazel, Indigo Girls and Shawn Mullins. Towards High School graduation, I decided to take my knowledge and experience further by enrolling in Middle Tennessee State Universities’ Recording Arts program. This is where I met my business partner, Nicholas Curtis, and together we refined our performance and engineering chops by running recording studios in Murfreesboro, TN throughout our college tenure.

MCO: At what point did you sit back and decide to dive right into this business? Have to admit, it is a big process to start a studio.

ZL: It is a big process to jumpstart a recording studio, but just like any business, you have to invest a lot of time and money on the front end, so you can receive a return on the backside. Yes, recording studios are struggling, yes, the music industry as a whole is hard pressed to redefine itself, but, unlike most people, we find it interesting and intriguing that we are at a turning point within the music industry. We are looking at our situation as opportunity, not a misfortune. We get to reinvent the Industry standard, how cool is that!

MCO: How long have you guys been in business? How has the journey been?

ZL: Looking back at the past five years, we can honestly say that the journey has been nothing but thrilling. Yeah, there were a lot of tears, heartaches and frustrating moments that made us want to pull out our hair and scream, but in the end, we had absolute fun while creating first-class music. Ready Set Record, LLC was established in April 2010, which coincided with the purchase of our new recording complex in Franklin, TN. We have slowly climbed the studio ladder; we started in bedrooms and have finally worked our way up to a truly professional recording environment. Between the real estate hunt (thanks for all your help Stephen), gaining the necessary funds to purchase this new real estate, and the constant budgeting for gear (I was on Ebay about five hours a day), the short term process has been arduous to say the least; but what our studio gives back has made this process more than worthwhile.

MCO: Seems like you have a lot of gear. For all of the people out there who aren’t instrument and equipment savvy, can you give us a brief rundown?

ZL: Our gear collection has been a work in progress for some time. We took the advice of seasoned engineers and producers on how to properly buy gear, that is, instead of buying a lot of mediocre gear, we save enough money to buy one really nice piece of gear. It’s like buying furniture; you can go out and buy some dinning room chairs at Target, which might be just a minor scratch to your bank account, but you are stuck in a situation that is limited and without longevity. Staying with the furniture analogy, instead of purchasing four chairs from Target, we purchase one from Pottery Barn. That being said, you still have to abide by a strict budget, and at the end of the day, we might have to settle for something a little less than absolute craftsmanship. We do the best we can by purchasing less often, but higher end. The basics of sound recording consist of a source, (electric or acoustic instruments that move air molecules, a way to capture that source (a microphone), a pre amp to amplify the low level signal that the microphone captures, a recording interface to properly map the sound and convert the analog signal to a digital signal, and a power amplifier to power the studio monitors, which is how you listen to the sound you captured. Any loose link in the chain can cause the sound, to well, sound worse. That is why it is important to have that higher end gear I was just talking about. High End gear coupled with experience and hard work can make a studio run efficiently. At the “Stu,” we host a variety of sources: Guitars such as Gibson Les Paul Custom and Standard, Fender American and Mexican Stratocasters and Telecasters, even vintage ones such as a mid 1970s Electra and Washburn Hawk. Our bass guitar collection consists of custom Italian maker Manne, and vintage funk basses such as an early 1980s Ibanez Blazer and a Peavey TL-Five. Our house drum kit is a wonderful Ddrum pocket ash kit with an assortment of snare drums like the Dennis Chambers Signature and the Pork Pie Little Squalor. Moving to the next phase in the chain, the microphone. Our most prized piece is a Neumann U47. You don’t see many of these microphones around, and it is by far the most realistic capturing device I have ever worked with. That along with industry standard microphones such a Neumann TLM-103, Shure SM-57s, Beta 52As, AKG D112s, Sennheiser 421bs and AKG c451s to name a few. As far as pre amps go, we house industry standard brands like Neve, Universal Audio and Presonus. We run a Pro Tools interface with Benchmark conversion, our Power Amp is a Bryston 4b, and our monitors are Dyn Audio BM15s matched with a Dyn Audio 12s subwoofer, an incredible signal chain to say the least.

MCO: The nickname that keeps popping up is the “stu”. We assume that is short for studio. Is there something more to that? Why go with a nickname?

ZL: Although our company name is Ready Set Record, LLC, we wanted a nickname for the studio, something short and catchy, and something that we could be known as around town. A good friend, client and session guitarist, Jordan Bartlett, started to call it “the Stu,” and well, it sort of stuck. We call are crew of musicians, engineers, and players, the Stu Crew. Most of us met at Middle Tennessee State University, and we are all beginning to develop very strong networks within the industry.

MCO: We noticed there is a section on the site about a webcast, can you give us a sneak peak as to what you’re going to do with that?

ZL: The Webcast will be a live feed from the Stu that will allow fans to stay in tune with the artist’s recording process. It will also allow fellow engineers and music enthusiasts to stay in touch with the Stu and even provide comments on recording procedure, microphone placement etc… It will also be a way for the common music lover to gain insight on how a musical product develops. And to tell you the truth, we have some fun at the Stu too, because in the end, that is what it’s all about. We want to be completely interactive, which will help raise awareness outside of the Nashville greater area. We usually have a hand held camera running at all times, and we have a You Tube channel setup so that fans can view these videos (Thestuchannel), but fixed cameras and a live webcast would ensure that every amazing moment is captured in its intimacy. We plan on having the webcast up and running by the end of this year.

MCO: For all those who are leaning on the fence about using your studio, here is a moment to give them an “elevator pitch”. What would you say to them?

ZL: Our portfolio speaks for itself, especially when we link that with the low production cost. We are different in that we pride ourselves in not practicing an hourly or daily payment method because we understand that every artist is different, and that every project is different. Even more so, Nick and I are trained musicians who read music and perform on sessions daily, and because of this, we cover every phase of the music production process, from performance, to tracking, to mixing, and even to mastering. When you amalgamate all of these aspects into a full project bundle, the artist and or songwriter is going to save a lot of money. A professional product that meets and exceeds budget expectations, that’s what RSR is all about. We take care of the client by giving him, her, or them a professional recording that will in turn, give them a greater chance to succeed within the crowded music industry. I remind my clients that it starts with the music, which is captured and produced through our services, without a professional version of that, the artist, label, songwriter and publishing company stands very little chance at success.

Q8: If readers or artists want to find out more information about you, where can they go?

ZL: They can visit our website at www.readysetrecord.net, but I encourage everybody to come visit the studio first hand, because after all, seeing and hearing is truly believing.
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Sitting Down with Steve Moakler

Today we are excited bring you our second artist interview: Steve Moakler . We recently met up with the singer/songwriter and had the opportunity to ask him a few questions. A native to Pittsburgh, we couldn’t have picked a better person to showcase. We first heard of Steve back in the fall of 2009 when we were hanging around Nashville.

To visit find out more about Steve and his music, please visit Stevemoakler.com. We ask you to please support his music efforts and to attend one of his shows in a town near you. Currently, Steve has two albums and one EP for you to check out. All the Faint Lights (2009)  is his most recent release, while having The Weight of Words (2007) and Like I Mean It (2008) out there as well.

We want to thank Steve for taking time out of his busy schedule to answer questions for us.

Midnight Comes Once: Right out of the gate, I have to ask. What is the best part about being a musician? Besides “all of it is the best” answer, is there one thing that always gives you a positive vibe or makes you happy?

Steve Moakler: The best thing about being a musician is be able to have a passion for my work. My line of work is rewarding before the paycheck comes in the mail. The reward is having outlet of creativity and using it to make something tangible out of your life experiences that other people identify with.

MCO: With significant time spent in both Pittsburgh and Nashville, what are two things you enjoy about each city? Do you go back to hometown much?

SM: I appreciate Pittsburgh more and more with time. Pittsburgh is an incredibly hard working, largely blue-collar city. My family, much like the rest of the city is passionate about Steelers football and Penguins Hockey, and it was really fun to grow up in a culture like that because it embedded a strong sense of hometown pride. I miss that…

Nashville finds its sense of pride and community in music, which suits me quite well. I love being here because I am constantly humbled, inspired, and sharpened by the people around me. A lot of people perceive music to be a really competitive scene, but in Nashville I get the feeling that everybody is on the same team, and I love that.

MCO: When we saw you touring back in the winter of 2010, you had Ben Rector and Andrew Ripp with you. How was it touring with those two? How do you choose who you tour with?

SM: It was amazing touring with them. I am so thankful to have those guys in my life and honored to call them peers. My short journey in music has been a wild ride, and it is so cool how you get to share part of the journey with others who are going the same way.

I wouldn’t say that I “get to choose” who I tour with. So far, I feel like I have been the chosen one more often than the chooser.

MCO: While we realize the music part is the most important thing to deal with but on the business side of things, what is it like to deal with all management issues? Certainly there are a lot of things to deal with day-to-day as well as setting up touring.

SM: Yes, there is. I feel like and independent music career is like a garden. It’s small, it grows slowly, it involves a lot maintenance, and occasionally unpredictable weather and hungry rodents that’ll throw you for a loop. At this point I still handle a lot most of the day to day stuff myself. However, I do have a publisher, a college booking agent, and an attorney. A publisher’s job is to arrange writing sessions, and find placements for my songs in TV, film, commercials and on other artist’s records. My college agent exclusively books my college & university shows, and my attorney helps mentors me with the big picture stuff and obviously handles all of my legal work.

MCO: For someone that is trying to be a musician and understand the business side of things, what advice do you have for them?

SM: Surround yourself with smart people who care about you and your music, and be discerning about who those people are. Be patient, and know that the strength of your songs are what matters most. Write really good songs and the rest will happen will come with time.

MCO: I’m sure a lot of your fans head on over to your tumblr blog and enjoy reading what you’ve posted. But as a musician, do you like the side stuff like blogging? We’re always curious to see if musicians actually like social media such as blogging or twitter.

SM: I enjoy it when I get around to it. Honestly, I kinda beat myself up about how infrequent I participate in the digital world. It doesn’t come as naturally to me as it does to other people. I want to get better at it.

MCO: Any performance on stage is a thrill in itself but are there any rituals that you have before you go on?

SM: I try to pray and eat a banana before I perform. The banana is the perfect pre-show snack because it fills you up without bringing you down. It also feels like a bit of an ice-breaker, people are like “wow, that guys just eating a banana…I guess this isn’t gonna be too serious, I’m gonna relax.” Or maybe that’s just what I tell myself….Either way, it helps.

MCO: Amongst your many performances, what has been the best fan interaction moment for you? (ie. Did someone give you a great gift, an overly obsessed fan, people scream at you, etc.)

SM: Man….That is a really hard one. Sometimes people bring me bananas, sometimes people make homemade t-shirts with lyrics on them, there have been a couple people draw frighteningly accurate pictures, and that stuff is always really encouraging. The BEST interactions are the genuine conversations when someone says anything a long the lines of. “I needed to hear that. Your songs help me.” Those conversations affirm that God is using me.

MCO: In your merchandise shop, you’re selling a t-shirt with a graphic of a pair of shoes on it. How’d you come up with the idea? It was a big hit at the show we went to.

SM: Honestly, that was my friend Jamie Clayton’s idea. He is a super creative guy and a great photographer, you should check out his site jamieclayton.com. He had his older brother draw a sketch of my shoes, then he put the graphic together. It’s just allows fans to see what it’s like in my shoes….or something like that.

MCO: What can our readers and your fans expect from you in the back half of 2010 and possibly early 2011? Is something in the works?

SM: Well, I have been taking this summer of 2010 to write my pants off, getting in a little golf here and there when I can. I have written over 30 songs for a new record, and I am gonna keep writing until I have a full record of songs that I really believe in and want to grow up with. I have a few college tours booked in October and November this year, and I hope to make another record shortly after that. It’s likely that I won’t do another club tour until my new record hits, hopefully in the spring of 2011.

More Than Music.

There is a musician out there that is working hard to promote change. If you haven’t heard of Jimmy Wayne, well now is the best time to start listening. A country singer out of the Valory Music Company label, he has been making headlines since January for all the right reasons. Sure, he has released a few albums and has gone on tour but that isn’t the most impressive part. He recently just completed a 1700 mile walk to raise awareness on problems faced by homeless youth.

A snippet from the his website:

Jimmy Wayne survived a turbulent, abusive childhood. He was shuttled to a series of foster homes. He was a homeless teen, living by his wits on the street until a North Carolina couple named Russell and Beatrice Costner took him in and gave him a family. Before Russell and Bea, Jimmy was homeless and close to hopeless. He remembers the feeling of being without a family, without a home. He began Project Meet Me Halfway to raise awareness of the fact that too many youth – especially those that are aging out of the foster care system – are facing circumstances similar to those he faced.

We encourage you to visit the website for his cause (http://meetmehalfway.jimmywayne.com). Quite frankly, we’ve never seen a musician so devoted and determined to raise awareness. For all of us, we have to tip our hat to Mr. Wayne for his efforts. And though we’ve never met him, we’re proud of him. It takes a real man to take this journey head on. Although we haven’t been glued to his reporting, we did sit in a few times when he was live streaming and you can’t forget the notion that he is a very proactive twitter user. His twitter usage is pretty refreshing to us.

Here at Midnight Comes Once, we will always support Jimmy Wayne and his causes. Take note – this is what musicians should be like. Congratulations Jimmy on the completion on your walk. We can’t wait to see what is next. We ask you to please support his efforts.

Darius Rucker Slated As Mentor For NSAI Song Contest

Nashville, Tennessee (July 27, 2010) – The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) announces the dates for the NSAI Song Contest Presented by CMT. Kicking off August 1 and running through October 31, 2010, the contest boasts unparalleled career-building industry relationships designed to help unsigned songwriters navigate the road to becoming professional hitmakers. The Grand Prize Winner will receive an exclusive mentoring session with Capitol Records Nashville recording artist Darius Rucker.

“Through the years the NSAI Song Contest has been a vehicle to let our organization discover some amazing new talent. Many of the winners have gone on to sign professional songwriting or artist deals. While many of the new talents were not the winners, they were discovered throughout the judging process. We get excited every year when the NSAI Song Contest Presented by CMT comes around for this reason!” says NSAI Executive Director Bart Herbison.

Entering its 11^th year, NSAI has created – along with CMT for the past five years – a nationwide platform for aspiring songwriters to submit their best tunes with one Grand Prize Winner and one CMT Listeners’ Choice Winner. Past winners understand this is a powerful vehicle to get “discovered” and have found success from signing an artist development deal with DreamWorks Records to securing a music-publishing staff writer deal.

Nashville pro writers, publishers and industry professionals will narrow down the finalists over three rounds of judging and select the Grand Prize Winner, 10 Runners-Up and 10 Honorable Mentions before the Top 10 (excluding the Grand Prize Winner) are posted on nsai.cmt.com. Fans can vote online for their favorite song from January 15 through February 28, 2011. Last year there were more than 450,000 votes for the CMT Listeners’ Choice.
In addition to the mentoring session with Darius, prizes include a single-song professional demo, tickets to the 2011 CMT Music Awards, a private tour of CMT studios, a performance at The Bluebird Café, meetings with major music publishers and a one-year membership to NSAI, just to name a few. Take advantage of this opportunity to launch a songwriting career. For a full list of prizes and how to enter, visit nsai.cmt.com.

ABOUT THE GROUPS:

Darius Rucker: Darius Rucker signed with Capitol Records Nashville in 2007 and has since been embraced by the country music community with his chart-topping 2008 debut, Learn to Live – an album that has produced three consecutive No. 1 singles and Top 5 smash, “History In The Making.” Rucker’s transition has been highly praised, with The New York Times proclaiming he has “one of the year’s most vibrant country albums.” Rucker’s success in the country music format was recently recognized at the 43rd Annual CMA Awards when he received the Top New Artist title and again with an ACM Award nomination in the Top Male Vocalist of the Year category. Rucker is currently in the studio working on his follow-up to Live slated for release on October 12, 2010 titled Charleston, SC 1966–a title which pays tribute to one of Rucker’s biggest influences, Radney Foster. Rucker’s latest single, “Come Back Song,” from his forthcoming record is racing up the charts. Fans can currently see him on the Brad Paisley H2O World Tour presented by Chevy throughout 2010. For more information, please visit dariusrucker.com.

NSAI: The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) is the world’s largest not-for-profit songwriters’ trade organization. Established in 1967, the membership of more than 5,000 spans the United States and seven international countries. For more than 40 years, NSAI has been dedicated to serving and protecting the rights of aspiring and professional songwriters in all genres of music. For more information, visit nashvillesongwriters.com.

CMT: CMT, a unit of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B), is the leading television and digital authority on country music and entertainment, reaching more than 90 million homes in the U.S. CMT and its website, CMT.com, offer an unparalleled mix of music, news, live concerts and series and is the top resource for country music on demand. The network’s digital platforms include the 24-hour music channel, CMT Pure Country, CMT Mobile and CMT VOD.