Founding member of new country influenced group Tenderfoot, Joel A Nielsen, has installed a Solid State Logic AWS 948 in his private home recording studio, Grendel’s Lair.
‘I had been working with Bill Denison on the Tenderfoot project and through Bill, I had my first experience with the AWS 948,’ Nielsen says. ‘Bill had just installed the AWS in his private studio in Massachusetts, so the group convened there to put down some tracks. We gathered around to listen to the playback and the sound quality was simply amazing. With the old system, we would typically hear noise of some kind before the music would start, but not with the AWS. This crystal clear, loud playback with punchy bass hit me like a wall dripping with sonic goodness and it sold us on upgrading our studio with the AWS 948.’
The concept behind Tenderfoot involves what the group calls ‘tenderising’ rock songs into country-ised productions along with recording new material written by its members. Sessions took place in Wisconsin at Nielsen’s studio and in Massachussetts at Denison’s studio. True to the modern methods of creating music, the band records tracks together as a group or in sections at either studio, while other times performances are recorded individually and shared via the internet. Having both studios similarly equipped with the AWS 948 driving a Logic DAW brings consistency to the project.
‘Tenderfoot is sort of a family affair with my wife Sarah on drums, Bill on guitar, mandolin and steel guitar, Bill’s wife Christine on keyboards and Mark Golden, hailing from Birmingham, Alabama, on guitar, while I provide most of the lead vocals and play guitar,’ Nielsen explains. ‘With the physical distance between us, having both studios with an AWS 948 really simplifies the engineering and mixing chores. We now know that all our tracks will have SSL quality as the benchmark sound, saving on engineering time and thereby streamlining our creative process by taking technology concerns out of the creative loop.’
In addition to Tenderfoot, Joel and Sarah Nielsen aim to produce other bands in and around the Wisconsin area. For this, the AWS 948 gives the necessary flexibility for mixing – and SSL name recognition.
‘We purchased the console through Sonic Circus, so we were not dealing directly with SSL on the purchase,’ Nielsen adds. ‘When the console arrived, we received a call from SSL and they have been extremely supportive and helpful ever since. We really appreciate that the company stands behind its products. As we move forward with our expanded studio plans, we are confident that we made the right choice with the AWS 948. The sound and service are wonderful.’
More: www.solidstatelogic.com
