In a musical age of digital re-mastering and techno-beats or voice-altering programs, recording music has become an art of using technology to master a unique sound.
But for career musician Robert Seagrove, the new sounds in music have nothing on the tried and true pure sounds generated through the equipment of the past. From recording machines and mixers to microphones and amplifiers, even the relics have a treasured place in the past and the future of music production, he believes.
“The digital technology is industry standard and it’s good stuff, but it isn’t special,” Seagrove said.
And special is the sound for which he aims.
For Seagrove, as much a music collector as a musician, the only way to attain the sound he wanted for his own compositions was to build a recording studio and make his music his way.
Neptune Sound Studio is nestled in a secluded location on the outskirts of Rockwood. The professionally-designed recording studio is a dream turned reality for the classically-trained musician and singer/songwriter.
“The building is a Kwanzaa hut, basically a small airplane hanger,” said Seagrove. “The idea [in design] was it is not bad for acoustics.”
To add to the sound quality inside, he added an extra internal wall to create a mirroring effect, which the artist likens to a church sound.
The creative lair is also home to his impressive collection of rare music equipment and the workshop space he uses to design, build, modify and repair collected pieces of high-end music equipment – all with the intention to revive the quality of sound and function of the musical antiquities for a modern use.
It all begins at the helm of his recording console, a Neve 8014, a unit that comes with an impressive musical legacy of its own, which made the sought-after piece of equipment, purchased through a broker, worth the wait for the musician.
“I had to wait for the equalizer because it was being used on the Joshua Tree [by U2] recording,” explained Seagrove, adding the unit was in the hands of rock and roll royalty, with Canadian producer Daniel Lanois. That only added to the anticipation and ultimate gratification for the day the Neve 8014 arrived at Neptune Studios.
“There weren’t very many of these made,” Seagrove said, of the console originally built in 1971. “They’re all made by hand. They are built to last probably more than a lifetime. It has never let me down.”
While the massive console looks intimidating to the uneducated, Seagrove insists it is user-friendly.
“The layout is quite simple. Neves are the console of choice for producers, for the sound. They are handmade and hand-wired. Creator Rupert Neve was just such a detailed man,” said Seagrove.
One of his proudest collections are the 16-track Studer A80 master series, with an analogue master tape machine, with two Studer RC master recorders, stereo and mono.
“I bought this from CBC, through a broker. They weren’t using them anymore,” he said, noting the machines are models from 1982, used in the national broadcaster’s Studio 7. “The sound and the construction is very special in these machines. I was lucky to get them. Not all studios have them anymore.”
They are costly to run – tapes cost $300 – but for Seagrove, it’s worth the expense.
“Sixteen track machines sound better. I wanted a bigger sound,” he said. “It’s a warmer sound. They are just a beautiful, plush sounding quality. It has more colourful sound.”
Seagrove acknowledges the importance of digital recording, having an AKAI digital and Pro Tools TDM system in his studio too. As a producer, he appreciates the flexibility offered for music produced through these machines.
“You get more of a three-dimensional quality to the sound. It adds something to the sound that digital just can’t offer,” he said.
“They were George Martin’s favorite too,” Seagrove said, which he acknowledges making ownership of these devices satisfying as a collector.
“Studer and Neve – that combination is a classic sound,” he said, noting that the two devices were created at the same time, to work and compliment one another. “It’s a recognizable sound.”
His collection also includes Collins tube and Ampex tube microphone amplifiers dating back to the 1950s. He says those bring out the richness of sound from his Neumann U47 SVF14M original microphone, one of several he owns.
“They just sound fantastic,” Seagrove said, adding they were the microphone of choice for music legends such as The Beatles, Frank Sinatra and Elvis.
“These microphones are really hard to come by. Big studios that have them don’t part with them,” Seagrove said.
“They have a vacuum tube that produces a flat response. It’s a coloured sound,” described Seagrove. “It sounds big, warm, fat and friendly. It’s just a great mic. They’re the best to get in my books.”
This is where the musician’s passion for refurbishing equipment comes in.
“Like most of these particular microphones, the original obsolete vacuum tube had been replaced,” Seagrove explained.
“This meant taking some time out to rework the microphone back to the original voltage, current and ultimately the sound.”
Toying about with equipment inspired the musician, an electric-guitarist by heart, to configure the ultimate electronic amplifier for his instrument of choice.
The Electro Acoustic Sound Diffuser is Seagrove’s own invention and it is now gaining industry acceptance for other collectors with a limited distribution through music retailers.
The amplifier has a rotating baffle that Seagrove describes as having a “chorusing-type” sound.
“I built it from scratch, but it has been about 25 years in the making,” Seagrove said.
“I was trying to find a way to retain the sound without it being directional … trying to figure out a speaker that would interpret that and not be a killer loud sound.”
Seagrove figured: why not make it so they turn?
To accomplish this, he created the Seagrove Folded Horn, to project lower frequencies. He mounted a motor and designed a circuit to keep the motor quiet, using jet aircraft switches in a custom-framed cabinet.
“The amps are to spread the sound out and not have sound coming at you in a direct force. It should be at a decent volumebut not come straight at you.”
A self-described perfectionist to the core, Seagrove said, “I want this to be the best electric guitar speaker ever made.”
Guitar enthusiasts will find the amplifiers locally at Long and McQuade retailers.
Adding to his instrument collection, Seagrove has a 1941 Hammond C Organ, from the Fergus area.
“It’s a tone-wheel organ. They are really sought after,” he said.
Neptune Studios has become a secluded music sanctuary, and Seagrove makes no apologies for his obsession with music. He hopes other musicians will join in the process.
“I have specialized equipment that is really hard to find that is sought after by producers,” Seagrove said. “I’ve always wanted people to record here but I never advertise. I do welcome artists to come.”
Collaborating with other artists makes his dedication to the studio all the more exciting.
Accomplished artists like Peter Appleyard, Gregg Dechert (former member of Uriah Heep, the David Gilmour Band, Bad Company, Dream Academy, and Featherwheel with Seagrove), and Randall Coryell (of Tom Cochrane and Red Rider, Alannah Myles, the Marigolds), to name a few.
Seeking perfection in his studio equipment is as important to Seagrove as creating a product of sound and expression that is true to his musical roots. The release of his new album, Art of Diffusion, is the result of his achievement of both, he said.
“When you are your own producer … I get so picky. It is never good enough,” said Seagrove, who notes that at some point, creatively, he has to take a step back and let go. “I’m happy with where I am with the music, but I am always critical.”
The result is a 12-track album that includes original songs, written and produced by Seagrove, plus three cover songs that venture into the domain of Sinatra, Bobby Darin, April Stevens and Nino Tempo.
“When I got back into music, I drop everything, because you can only do one thing right. Especially if you are recording. You have to put everything into it,” Seagrove said.
Refurbishing equipment to get the right sound was essential for this record.
“I was finally able to record my speakers. I rebuilt the tube amplifiers and mastered through my Studer machines. The sound on them is just so good. I am thrilled with it.”
The overhaul of the Neumann U47 microphone was an important part of the finished product.
“I know now that the sound is right. The before and after is like night and day. I felt that getting the original sound of the microphone was important for the new record,” Seagrove said.
“Its the first record that I’ve recorded with my new speaker [the diffuser], so that’s how I came to the name.”
It was important to the sentiment of the music too, with tracks such as Sinatra’s The Best is Yet to Come.
“It’s one of the best recordings I’ve ever heard in my entire life,” said Seagrove of the original recording. “I had always marveled at the way Frank Sinatra and the Count Basie Orchestra, with Quincy Jones conducting, covered that song.”
To make it his own, Seagrove put his own sound to the song.
“I rearranged the guitar track so that I could play the guitar track, horn lines included, and not have to overdub.”
For his original songs, Seagrove has added several tracks such as Strange Loco Motive, which he considers a complex piece. She’s into the mind is a satirical, fun song while Please Don’t Look was inspired by a dream.
“Great songs come from dreams,” Seagrove said.
It was a dream come true to have the musical input of fellow musicians on the record, such as Al Hosack, of Fergus, who put in some of the bass lines, and Steve Zuccala on drums for one track, with Michael Sloski taking up the rest of percussion on the album (Sloski has played with Etta James and Bruce Cockburn).
“This record is a mix of jazz, swing, blues, pop, rock. There are no studio gimmicks here,” said Seagrove. “The tracks are all played by seasoned musicians live to record.
“Anybody who loves the blues will like this record. It is real people playing soulful music. The producing is very simple. It’s a classic sound.
“I don’t think the music is going to be dated. I’m happy with it.”
Art of Diffusion is available online at www.robertseagrove.com or on iTunes. For more information on Neptune Sound Studios visit www.robertseagrove.com.
