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CTom Biller is an LA-based engineer, producer and musician, and spends insane amounts of time in the studio chasing musician and producer Jon Brion around with tube microphones. Together they have recorded and mixed various records and scores for films such as “I Heart Huckabees” and “Punch-Drunk Love.” Tom’s credits also include Brad Mehldau’s “Largo,” Rhett Miller’s “The Instigator” and Grant Lee Phillips’ “Ladies Love Oracle.”
Tom Biller: I think people are going right for the "special of the day"
and because everyone knows how to cook it and what the ingredients are, it becomes
a bit less special, you know? I worry that since everything is there in front
of us, we won't think as
Tom: We are unfortunately living in a time where the technology has caught
up with the music, and may have passed it. We have always tried to record music
as "perfect" as the techniques and equipment would allow. I'm all
for that, but the process has been
Tom: I've been blessed to work in environments that encourage this sort of behavior, so I get to start with the mindset that I am always experimenting…and then I don't have to think about it. There are times when I’ve asked myself, “Could this be better," but if it feels right and everyone’s up to it, then it’s on...
Tom: I've seen that in many cases it takes discipline to be creative, they
go together.
Tom: At the end of the day, I know that microphones can't write songs. So I'm never too precious about mic selection. I'll figure out what mics are available for the session, eliminate all "industry standard" mics, and start from there. If there's time, it's good to line up all of the chosen mics and give them a “check one, two, three...hello.” This is one of the many things I've picked up from working with Jon; it saves time later when choosing a mic for an instrument and also eliminates any mics that may be broken or just don't sound good, no matter how cool it looks or how many tubes are inside.
Tom: For most instruments, I'll choose large-diaphragm condensers over anything else unless I'm looking for an effect from the mic. I also look for mics that can handle high SPL's, so if you want you can get closer to the source.
Tom: As I said before, things never turn out exactly as planned. Sometimes you can get close, though, and if everyone is open the results are usually accepted. But using instruments for a different purpose than what they are built for, dobros for reverb, pianos for percussion, and so on, is an exciting way of getting unique results.
Tom: Honestly, this happens all the time. But ultimately, if you keep pushing, you'll get closer to the goal. Knowing what doesn't work is just as important as knowing what will. Blue: We'll finish by just asking you to talk about more studio experiences that really thrived on creativity. Tom: I recently got the chance to record a "Mighty Wurlitzer" pipe organ. During the “Huckabees” project, Jon wanted to overdub a real theatre organ throughout the score. So we found one built into a house in Agoura, CA, and these things are massive -- thousands of pipes, marimbas, drums, bells, whistles…all controlled by a massive keyboard console. Very hip. But how do you record this thing? I love these situations because, well, I've never recorded one before! And
I don't personally know anybody who has. So that made things super-fresh. The
owner had done some stereo DAT recordings before and had some tips, but when
I asked him if I could place mics inside the chamber of pipes he thought I was
nuts. Basically I used ten mics: six mics spread across the chamber, a pair
of tube condensers close to the front, and a stereo mic placed back in the room.
This instrument makes a giant sound and can go from very soft flute-like sounds
to an orchestral scream without warning. So I just made sure the signal chain
was clean and didn't distort too much. Then…Apple/spacebar!
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