Vance Powell w/ Marty O'Reilly

Title

“Come and Go Heartbeat”

Writer

Marty O’Reilly

Mixer

Vance Powell

Recorded by

Vance Powell

Talent

Marty O’Reilly & the Old Soul Orchestra
Marty O’Reilly - guitar/vocals
Ben Berry - bass
Matt Goff - drums/percussion
Chris Lynch - violin

Mastered by

Michael Romanowski

Full version

Listen on SoundCloud

Session Notes

In this Apollo Artist Session, watch Grammy-winning engineer/producer Vance Powell (Jack White, The Dead Weather) track and mix Marty O’Reilly & the Old Soul Orchestra exclusively through Apollo 8 High-Resolution Interfaces using Unison™-enabled mic preamps at Music Expo SF.

Live Tracking

A case study in getting a live session up, running, and rocking very quickly (an hour-and-a-half!), Powell used Mojave and Royer microphones exclusively for this Apollo Artist Session. The drums featured Mojave MA-100 tube condenser (toms, snare top), MA-101 FET (snare bottom, hi-hat,) and MA-301 FET (outer kick) mics, with MA-300s as the stereo overheads. O’Reilly’s guitar amp — a Fender Hot Rod Deville — was miked with a MA-100 and a Royer R-121 ribbon mic, while the bass was miked with a MA-300 as well as DI’d. The violin was captured with a Royer R-122, while room mics consisted of Royer SF-24 (a stereo pair) and a R-122 (mono). O’Reilly’s vocal mic was a M-1000 tube condenser.

For the bulk of this live session, Powell relied on the Unison™-enabled Neve 1073 from the Neve 1073 Preamp & EQ Collection across Apollo’s Console channel strips, along with the 1176LN plug-in from the 1176 Classic Limiter Collection.

The Mix

Powell harnessed several UAD plug-ins across the mix. The Neve^® 33609^TMCompressor was strapped across the drum bus, as well as a “full band” bus and the drum overheads, while the 1176 Classic Limiter Collection was used extensively on the lead vocal, as was the Studer A800 Tape Recorder.

To shape the all-important transients of the kick and snare, Powell used the SPL Transient Designer, while on the electric guitar, he called on the Helios Type 69 and Neve 1073^® EQs as well as the 1176 plug-ins for extra flavor.

But it’s the bass and violin DIs where Powell’s subtle use of UAD plug-ins is especially crafty. For the bass, he artfully blends a signal chain that includes the Little Labs IBP (for phase coherency), Fairchild 660 compressor, Neve 1073, Thermionic Culture Vulture, and Ocean Way Studios plug-ins, giving the DI tons of vibe and character.

On the violin DI, he uses a signal chain of the Eventide H910 Harmonizer, Galaxy Tape Echo, 55 Fender Tweed Deluxe, 1176 compressor, and the Neve 1073 EQ plug-ins.

Reverb was provided by the EMT Plate and AKG BX 20 Spring Reverb plug-ins.

Finally, the API 2500 Stereo Bus Compressor resides on his on his 2- bus for the last bit of polish.