News, Updates and Press Releases

Recently we purchased the Dangerous 2-bus LT analog summing amplifier.

Perhaps you have wondered why so many hit records that were created or finished using Pro Tools were mixed through high end analog boards instead of the internal digital mixer. The reason is that the mathematics of combining many tracks (and their various plug-ins and volume variations) in the digital domain results in subtle degradation of the audio signal. This might be characterized as loss of depth, width and detail, or perhaps as a "choked" sound.

In other words, although Pro Tools and other work stations are kings when it comes to processing and automation, the summing algorithms are still the weakest part of the software.

The best way to avoid this problem is to sum, or combine all your channels in the analog domain. At Silverbirch, all the processing work is done in the digital domain but the combining of the tracks into stereo is done in the Dangerous unit.

Using the Dangerous unit with Pro Tools really does combine the best of analog and digital. We can still use all our great plug-ins within Pro Tools and then run the mix out of the workstation into the Dangerous unit. This allows the digital channels to maintain their proper resolution on output. After that, the mix is usually sweetened with a pass through some of our great tube gear before returning to the Pro Tools stereo bus. The sound quality of the Dangerous unit is at least as good as any great analog board but is a reasonably priced acquisition because it has absolutely no features (i.e., no eq, individual volume controls or compression) other than world-class components and a non-coloured sound. In other words, we don't have to own an SSL consol to get great sounding mixes!

We first used The Dangerous 2-bus LT when mixing Matt Dusk's new Christmas EP, "Peace On Earth", which was released by Decca/Universal in December, 2004.

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At Silverbirch, we don't often blow our own horn about all the good music that passes through our studio. Of course we have our "most prominent" list of artists on the personnel page of our website but our extensive client list is not tiered according to accomplishment. After all, talent and status re charts and record sales are two different things. We work with some really great indie artists who haven't as of yet gotten the recognition they deserve.

But we've also worked with some very talented artist who have worked their butts off and also seem to have the heavens aligned just right for them. So here's a few recent success stories.

Matt Dusk:

Our mastering engineer, Andy Krehm, met Matt when he brought his first independent recording in for mastering back in 1999. Matt took note that we also had a vocal booth with a great mic and preamp and so he returned a year later with some music tracks and asked us to record the vocals for an upcoming E.P. Andy recorded them, mixed them to the tracks and mastered the project.

The next time we saw Matt, it was to discuss a full length album, to be done entirely at Silverbirch. As some of you know, we don't have a big enough room for drums so we farm out full rhythm section tracks to various other studios and do the overdubbing, mixing and mastering here. One of our long-term strategies has always been to keep our rates low by not paying for a large recording room that only gets used for a very small percentage of most album (see Recording Overview for more info).

Matt's new project was a swing jazz album with a four piece rhythm section so the all the beds were done elsewhere. As before, we recorded his vocals, mixed the tracks and mastered it at Silverbirch.

By this time, because Andy had stopped doing recording work completely and was concentrating strictly on mastering, So, Matt was introduced to Terry Sawchuk, Silverbirch's main recording/mixing engineer. As you will soon see, the rapport and friendship that they established during this time period was to become very important to both of them.

Matt's third album, The Way It Is, was for an idie release, very successful. It charted high and was a top seller on mp3.com and set up the events that led to Matt's current album.

Also, just to give our CD manufacturing department a plug, we replicated all three of these projects.

Matt's latest album, entitled Two Shots, was released by Decca/Universal in 2004 as part of a multi-album world-wide deal. Matt was signed over a year ago and has been working on the album almost as long. His recording travels led him to some the most prestigious studios in the world, such as Phase One in Toronto and Abbey Road in England. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra and The London Philharmonic also appear on the album. If you look at the album credits you will see that several of the songs were mixed right here at Silverbirch Productions by Terry Sawchuk. Terry also has some co-writes and production credits.

Matt Dusk is getting a big promotional push from Universal in Canada and his appearance on the TV show, The Casino, is enhancing his profile even further. He is the first new Universal artist to be added to muchMoremusic's "Choice Cut" and charted in the top 5 on MuchMoremusic's countdown.

As of November/04, Two Shots has gone gold in Canada.

Recently, Universal decided to release a Christmas EP to help keep the momentum going for Matt's album.

For the production, they turned once again to Terry Sawchuk. Armed with a major label budget, Terry could have mixed the album at any studio in Toronto but once again, chose Silverbirch. He also had Andy Krehm master the album.

Entitled Peace On Earth, the album was released at the end the end of November.

In early 2005, Silverbirch was presented with a gold record for its part in Matt's success!

Stay tuned for stories about Simon Wilcox, Out Of Your Mouth, Morgan Davis, Jimmy Bowskill, Jeff Healey, Electro-Fi Records, Jake Langely and more.

Please e-mail Andy Krehm or call him at 416-260-6688 for a tour or bookings.

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2003 was a really good year for our studio. Besides keeping busy serving our indie clientele, we worked on more major label projects than in past years.

The majors are beginning to discover that if they select the right studio, world class mixing and mastering can be done at a far better price point than they had been previously accustomed to paying. And, due to the loss of revenue because of downloading and the changing music industry, the labels are actually starting to examine the bottom line to see where they can cut costs. We believe that smaller more efficient studios like Silverbirch, equipped with first rate engineers and gear, are going to attract much more work from these sources.

Over the last few years, we have fine tuned our equipment and setup to the point where our work compares sonically to many fine facilities, regardless of the price. The main problem with the old studio was that outside of the very small "sweet spot", the rest of the room did not offer any other place to really accurately evaluate the sound as it was being shaped. We had moved walls as necessary but only in reaction to the need of the moment. The room ended up in a very asymmetrical shape, it wasn't really big enough and even more acoustic treatment couldn't really make it as good as we needed.

We had outgrown this space and there was no way to significantly improve it without starting over!

So we enlisted Terry Medwedyk, of Group One Acoustics, one of Canada's premiere studio designers, to make a new floor plan for our commercial space and to design our new studio.

The goal was to make a better sounding, more professional looking studio that would at least be equal to excellent sound that was already being created at Silverbirch. In the process, the office got bigger and is more comfortable for our CD manufacturing staff and clients.

The other part of the mandate was to add surround mixing and mastering capabilities. And while we are not completely set up for it yet, we will be soon so let us know if you are planning any 5.1 projects

We intend to continue to deliver world class sound to our indie clients at a reasonable price point, but to also to attract more major label work to our studio.

As of June 1, 2004, the work was completely finished . Please e-mail Andy Krehm or call him at 416-260-6688 for a tour or bookings. Click here for studio pictures.

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Having spent a bundle on great sounding analog tube gear, Andy Krehm, our chief mastering engineer, is moving on his desire to acquire more class A outboard digital gear. Our first unit was the Waves L2 Outboard Ultramaximizer, Peak Limiter / Volume Maximizer followed by the K-Stereo Processor (see Jan. 2002 Press Release).

Tube gear is used not only for its functionality, but for the sound, i.e., it adds or emphasizes musical harmonics. Whether its a pre-amp, compressor or equalizer, class A tube gear, properly used, usually adds "warmth" and "musicality". In other words, it colours the sound in a way that most people find pleasing.

So why digital? Because digital gear can be very precise in how it functions. As well, certain processes, such as the stereoization techniques available in the K-Stereo Processor, cannot be achieved in the analog domain. Although world class digital gear has its own unique sound, it doesn't colour the sound in an unpleasing manner and one might describe the sound as being "neutral". In fact, the best units sound precise, clean and transparent as they go about working their magic. Great digital gear is the perfect partner for great analog tube gear.

Why outboard digital instead of plug-ins? For recording engineers, plug-ins are the only way to avoid the purchasing of many, many outboard units. In fact, one of the reasons your local world class studio is so expensive is because they offer a good variety of class A outboard units.

The reason we try to avoid plug-ins in mastering is that the vast majority of them colour the sound adversely. There are various reasons for this, ranging from the plug-ins themselves, to how the computer or the program's internal bussing works but the result is the same. While this isn't as noticeable when using plug-ins on separate tracks, it can become a problem when running a full bandwidth mix through them. Try this experiment. Route a dense mix through your favourite plug-in, making sure that you do not select any of the functions in that plug-in (i.e., if its an eq, do not select any bands). If you have a good monitoring system (and good ears!), you will most likely notice a change in sound. Click the bypass in and out and observe the difference. With expensive outboard digital gear, you won't hear any difference until you engage one of the parameters. What do we mean by expensive? World class outboard digital gears starts at about $6,000. Cnd. per unit and the Weiss DS-MK2 retails for $10,000.

The Weiss DS1-MK2 is a most welcome addition to our studio. It works as a full bandwidth stereo compressor and can also be used in frequency specific mode, i.e., just to compress one area of the mix. It is also the world's most effective and transparent de-esser. Parallel compressing is a technique where the uncompressed signal is mixed with the compressed signal. For music mixed a certain way, parallel compressing allows retention of a more dynamics and a cleaner, more clear master. The Weiss makes using this technique effortless and matches the two signals sample accurate. When mastering albums of musical styles where the "industry standard" is "loud as possible", using the Weiss DS-MK2 as a full bandwidth compressor before the outboard L2 Peak Limiter/Volume Maximizer allows us to use less of the L2 when boosting the final output. The result is the retention of more of the original mix dynamics which translates to a "punchier" master.

In order to have the maximum flexibility in mastering, it is helpful to have both analog and digital outboard gear and as usual, Silverbirch continues to offer the most unique and effective combination of mastering gear in Canada.

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We recently acquired the Waves Restoration Noise Reduction Toolkit. This is a quality set of TDM plug-ins that competes well with the high-end system that has been considered "industry standard" for years. Four modules, "Click", "Crackle", "Hum" and "Noise" work individually or in any combination. Since they are TDM plug-ins, they run in real time, thus giving the engineer the opportunity to evaluate the results quickly and efficiently. The "Noise" module takes care of most broadband problems and is particularly effective reducing common types of digital and analog hiss.

The other modules are more pertinent to vinyl restoration but the "Hum" module fixes recordings with various types of hum problems and the "Click" module will sometime remove digital clicks in one pass, thus saving redrawing waveforms by hand. By the way, if you are bringing audio tracks in that need noise reduction, please try and include a "sample" of the noise. In other words, a 3 or 4 second recording of the "noise floor" or background noise of the track without any of the musical content. Please do not cut the file tight to the music at the beginning of each track unless you are providing the noise sample as a separate track.

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Well, we really weren't going to say anything about this, but given that the cables cost over $600. each, we decided we had better mention it!

Andy, our mastering engineer, was chatting to Danny McKinney, builder of our most wonderful Requisite L2M Tube Mastering Limiter/Expander compressor and Danny mentioned Requisite had designed some special AC cables. He said they would noticeably improve the sound of our gear and suggested that we try them.

Normally, one would scoff at such an idea but if Danny said they were good, we were determined to test them.

So one day, during an accappella mastering session, the cables arrived. Given that this well recorded album (a fine group called "Wibbi'jazz'n'") would be an ideal session to test the cables, both Andy and the recording engineer, Dylan Bell, were curious to see if they could hear the difference. They closed the session and, as instructed by Danny, replaced the AC cables of three key pieces of gear with the new ones.

After restarting and booting up the session, neither of them could quite believe what they were hearing! The difference was subtly dramatic, almost like the difference between 16 bit and 24 bit audio.

Needless to say, we bought the cables!

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Digidesign has recently released the HD (high definition) series for Pro Tools. This is the most radical upgrade Digi has ever done. In fact, it's more like a "redesign".

The primary reason for this new series is to enable Pro Tools studios to record audio at higher sample rates other than the current common formats of 44.1 and 48 kHz. We are now be able to record and master 24 bit audio at either 96 or 192 kHz resolution. Other workstations have been able to record at 96 kHz for some time but Digidesign has decided to up the ante to 192 kHz!

Currently CDs can only carry 16 bit, 44.1 kHz audio but the audio world is preparing for the advent of DVD Audio. DVD Audio discs have the memory capacity to hold high resolution mixes and therefore will be able to deliver much better sounding audio.

There is the argument that until a DVD-A standard is agreed upon within the audio community, high resolution recording is not necessary. However, while waiting to see if DVD-A becomes a common platform, we at Silverbirch have been experimenting to see if high resolution recording that is kept at the highest rate all the way until the final 16 bit, 44.1 kHz conversion sounds better than the current 16/24 bit, 44.1 kHz practice.

After some experimentation, the verdict is in! We have proven to ourselves and our clients that higher resolution recording and mastering with "end-of-line" conversion to 16 bit sounds better than 16 bit, 44.1 kHz from start to finish.

Even when playing back files recorded at 16 bit, 44.1 kHz, the HD system sounds noticeably better than our old MIXplus system. The reason is that this series uses new technology and better internal resolution (48 bit internal mixer). There is also a higher track count available and the ability to use more DSP (plug-ins) in each session. All processing is faster and more efficient.

Because of the ability to use more DSP than previously, we were able to retire our Yamaha 03-D mixing board and replace it with the E-Magic Controller. The controller mimics most functions of the Pro Tools mixer so that you can use your hands instead of a mouse. This is strictly a midi device and has no audio going to or from it.

The most important result of replacing the old board was that our self-powered Genelec monitors are now connected directly to the main output of the HD module and are only interrupted by a very expensive volume control. The result is greatly improved monitoring. In other words, the sound is about 5 to 10 % better than before!

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Recently, we purchased the Tube-Tech SMC-2B Vacuum Tube Multiband compressor. While there are many software versions of multiband compressors, this unit is the world's first tube outboard unit and it sounds noticeably better than any software versions that we have tried. At over $6,000., its not cheap but in our opinion, it is well worth the price. The Tube-Tech was purchased primarily for our mastering work, but the recording engineers are quickly learning how to use it in the multitrack set-up. For instance, when mixing a vocal that has some frequencies that unfavourably pop of the mix, and you don't want to compress the entire vocal, we can compress just specific areas of the vocal. The multiband compressor is also great for taming already mixed stereo loops that have to be combined with other elements of a mix. With the multiband compressor, you can squash the bottom, expand the mids and leave the top end (or any combination of ideas that work for the track).

The Digital Domain K-Stereo Processor was purchased for expanding the stereo mixes during mastering. This is often necessary in order to add depth and polish to indie mixes. While in the past we were able to do a reasonable job with our plug-ins, this processor treats the stereo field with a lot more respect! No more sacrificing vocal definition and bottom end clarity and punch in order to achieve a wider, deeper sounding master. This box is the ultimate sound polisher!

This unit also has some applications for the recording/mixing process. For instance, take a stereo piano or keyboard that sound "flat" and has little definition. Running it through the K unit can add a lot of depth and presence. This also works on any stereo submix as well.

Our new Requisite L2M Tube Mastering Limiter/Expander compressor is simply the best unit that we have ever tried for compressing stereo mixes. There's no pumping, little loss of top end and the compression can be rolled off the bottom end, allowing a more dynamic kick and bass, if appropriate.

By the way, as of Jan./02, we were the only studio in Canada to own all three of the above units!

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In addition to our factory pressed, major label quality CDs, we now offer affordable in-house duplication services for quantities under 300 (300 and over are more economical to manufacture at our plant).

Our state-of the-art CD ink jet printer offers the highest resolution on the market and can reproduce anything from full colour photographs to simple black & white text directly onto your CD face.

We can also provide you with high quality inserts, tray cards, jewel boxes and shrink wrap services for a complete, professional package. If you need design and layout work we offer affordable, professional services.

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Sept, 2001 Press Release:

Our manufacturing numbers have grown beyond expectations so in September 2001, we hired Ron Arnold to assist Bruce and service our CD-ROM clients. Following in the Silverbirch tradition, Ron is an accomplished musician and brings us a different set of skills, having worked in sports and entertainment management and administration.

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In December, we closed down for a week in order to make the office bigger and finish some critical work in the studio.

All the wiring in the studio was redone with Mogami cable (analog cabling) and Apogee (digital cabling). Two new patch bays were added for a total of three (large bantam type) totaling 160 patch points. We've made sure that we have enough extra patch points to be able to interface with any outboard gear our clients want to bring in or rent for their mix. The new bays ensure solid connections every time and the new wiring guarantees that no quality will be lost as the audio passes through the signal chain. The work was contracted to Steve Dobson of Fibre Logic. Steve's credits include work for Sounds Interchange and many other high-end recording studios.

We upgraded our Pro Tools D24 card to a Mix Core so that we now have a MIXplus system (including a Mix Farm & DSP Farm) with up to 64 tracks available. Our previous clients will now notice the increased speed of the system plus the ability to load up many more plug-ins simultaneously than before.

Those that have worked here before will notice how much bigger the room looks with the left-hand gear corner cleaned up and organized with a new rack. All the noisy gear, such as computers and hard drives, have been placed in a sound proofed "machine room" thus reducing the noise floor in the studio.

Lastly, Bruce can now work with his graphic arts clients in our expanded office without having to ask the rest of us to leave!

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We have always been well-known for major-label quality sound at indie rates but wait until you hear what we've done for the Millennium! Silverbirch Productions' new sound is even better -- crisp, clear, rich 24 bit recording and mastering, adding levels of intensity and detail to your recordings like you've never heard before!

We've recently added more than $20,000 in new equipment that gives our studio more depth and flexibility than ever before. While many studios have various versions of Pro Tools, our new analog chain of the Manley Tube Stereo Pre-Amp, Massive Passive Tube EQ and Variable MU Tube Comp/Limiter is simply not found in any other mid-priced facilities in Toronto. In fact, only a handful of the more expensive recording and mastering facilities have any Manley gear at all and their rates are three to four times ours! Folks, this is world-class gear that sounds really amazing!

However, without the best analog to digital converters, you wouldn't get to hear the great sound of the Manleys. So, we purchased the famous Apogee 24 bit analog to digital/digital to analog convertors (PSX-100) to make sure that we capture all the intricacies of your sound as it moves through our Neumann mics and Manley gear to 24 bit Pro Tools.

Additionally, we are now offering alternate choices for recording bed tracks. How would you like to try 24 track 2" tape for your beds and then transfer to 24 bit digital for the rest of the album? In fact, that is the way many major label albums are recorded. Silverbirch has made a strategic alliance with an excellent 24 track studio in order to offer you this option. Even better, the tracking price is only slightly higher than our regular rates and as usual, our own engineer will be supervising the recordings so that you can be confident of the same quality and consistency throughout the entire process. Please call for more info. ADAT or Tascam bed track recording is still available at the same rate.

As you know, we've always kept up with the latest in Pro Tools technology and plug-ins but we have purchased an Ultra-Wide card and hard drive. This mean more tracks and faster, more efficient operation. New equipment and upgraded technology is only part of the story.

Silverbirch is pleased to announce the appointment of Terry Sawchuk to the position of Head Recording/Mixing Engineer. Terry, as former Head Engineer at Arnold Lanni's Arnyard Studios, worked with acts such as Frozen Ghost (WEA), Our Lady Peace ("Naveed" and "Clumsy" - Sony/Columbia), and Wild T & The Spirit (WEA). He has co-written with Alanis Morissette and Sara Craig and recently produced, co-wrote and engineered/mixed The Miller Stain Limit's debut CD for Universal Music. Terry is also an excellent keyboardist which will be of great assistance when sequencing.

In addition, free-lance engineer/producer Mark Peters will also be available for selected dates. Mark started his career at Metalworks and over a 5 year period, worked with acts such as Bass Is Base, Big Sugar, Ashley MacIsaac and The Pursuit Of Happiness. He has been freelancing since 1996, recording and producing acts such as Adam P, Sonic and Red Autumn Fall.

Our engineers bring their outstanding skills to our studio giving clients of Silverbirch Production ready access to a pool of skilled talent seldom found in smaller facilities. Not only are Terry and Mark excellent producers in their own right, but as engineers, have worked in many world-class studios using a wide variety of gear. They have also worked on gold and platinum albums while rubbing shoulders with some of the world's greatest producers, such as Stephen W. Taylor (Peter Gabriel), Tom Lord-Alge (Live), GGGGarth (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Terry Brown (Rush), etc.

As always, our engineers will be pleased to assist you with production-oriented problems, if desired, but will also be available, on a free-lance basis if you would like to hire a producer for your project.

In January 1999, Bruce Longman joined our staff to enable us to offer in-house graphic design to our clients. Bruce is also in charge of our CD Manufacturing services. Bruce has worked for several prominent Indie record labels and CD brokers. He has designed 100's of CD graphics including some for Universal Records. He has been a much needed and welcome member to our staff, and as some of you have already experienced, brings the same level of Silverbirch quality and care to our manufacturing clients.

Over the last 5 years, I have engineered over 95% of our mastering jobs and now will do all the work. For those of you who haven't worked with me, I have mastered over 1,000 albums. A few of my credits are Anvil (Hypnotic), Blackie And The Rodeo Kings (True North), Colin Linden (Sony), Fathead (Electro-Fi, 1999 R&B Juno Award Winner), Grimskunk (Hypnotic), Roger O'Donnell (keyboardist with The Cure), The Drifters, featuring Rick Sheppard (EMI), The Lincolns (Attic), The Nylons (Attic), Vivienne Williams (Isba/Sony), etc., and scores of commercials edited for BMG and Virgin Records.

Historically, we were one of the first studios in North America to start the "Recording, Mastering & CD's In One Location" trend (and it did start a trend!). However, we know that it's not always appropriate or affordable for everyone do their entire project at a professional facility, so we are ready to serve you in any way that works best for you. If you track in your own studio, we can mix, if you record and mix, we can master, if you just need us to record your vocals through our $30,000. analog chain (perhaps with a dash of Antares Auto-Tune!) and fly them back to your recorder, that's OK too. If you are able to complete the whole project yourself, we are happy to be your CD manufacturer (however, if you have recorded and mixed at home and have limited mastering experience and gear, we would advise you to seek outside help as professional mastering can move most recordings close to, or to, the major label standard).

As always, our recording/mastering prices remain an exceptional value and our CD prices are the best. We invite you to drop by our studio, meet our staff and experience for yourself a new level of recording quality that sets the standard for the new Millennium!

Please contact Andy Krehm, Owner, Mastering Engineer at andy@silverbirchprod.com

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Silverbirch Productions now accepts payment by VISA, Mastercard, American Express and Interac.