Ghostnote Studio

Ghostnote Studio A Memphis recording studio that caters to the Artist and classic Memphis Sound.

More photos from the MSA 50th Anniversary Gala held at the STAX museum.
10/17/2023

More photos from the MSA 50th Anniversary Gala held at the STAX museum.

10/17/2023

Brother Bill Hall rolled in to Memphis this past weekend and invited me to the MSA 50th Anniversary Gala, held at the STAX museum.

Thirteen years ago today, this was the first studio layout that was drawn up. My design stayed pretty true, with the exc...
09/25/2023

Thirteen years ago today, this was the first studio layout that was drawn up. My design stayed pretty true, with the exception of moving a few doors a bit, and adding a load-in door to the alley.

It’s time again for…MORE BORING INFORMATION! I can remember when SONY introduced their new Trinitron TV sets. As a tee...
08/18/2023

It’s time again for…
MORE BORING INFORMATION!

I can remember when SONY introduced their new Trinitron TV sets. As a teen, watching the commercial, the picture on our Quasar seemed to “light up” and looked much better watching their new TV on our set. WHAT? How could their set “look” better on our TV? Couldn’t they make our TV look like that all the time?
Ahh, the tricks marketing teams employ to get your attention.
BOSE, (Buy Other Sound Equipment) used to have an in-store section, although small, that resembled a small room that you could sit in and “listen to the difference” their system made. Then you’d get it home and it fell flat. More marketing trickery. That small space was acoustically designed to make the sound pop, while making you think it was just for comfort! They would have you believe their speakers were magic! No magic here, they were just using decades old technology and a few grand in room treatment.
This brings us to speakers.
On many occasions I’ve discussed with clients the Studio Monitors that I use. This rabbit hole can be a deep one.
The problem with hi-fi systems is that they are not flat. In fact they are designed to be better sounding so often they are very non-linear. It has to do with the frequency range mix between the speakers that the manufacturer chooses to sweeten the sound. Studio monitors are designed to give you as flat a frequency response as possible so that what you hear is what is there. If you mix on a hi-fi or home system then you are not hearing what is there but rather what is there plus whatever the manufacturer did to make it sound better. It will sound good there but most likely terrible everywhere else. You do need to know your monitors. Only time helps there, and a good set of monitors should be revealing a whole lot of details that you just won't hear in a normal home system.
So, why not just buy studio monitors for your daily home use, you ask? The short answer is they are boring and utilitarian to listen to. They aren’t built for your enjoyment. They are a tool. My prized Yamaha NS10’s have to be the absolute worst speakers to get enjoyment from. But they don’t lie about the mid-range. Get it right on those puppies; it translates great to other systems.
"Utilitarian" is what we want in our WORK environment, but in our personal environment people often want "plush". One of the points of studio monitors is that they show up the flaws in the music so we can fix them. Once you are home listening for enjoyment instead of for "work" you may want something that is a bit more forgiving, comfortable, etc.
When friends ask me for advice on home speakers, I tell them, it's simple, go to the store and listen and buy the ones you LIKE.
Maybe you like bass. You could get some home speakers that exaggerate the bass as much as you like. Now if your monitors did that, your mixes would come out bass LIGHT. If I am shopping for home speakers, I go with my heart, if I am shopping for studio monitors, I go with my head.

Worked on vocal sessions last night. Randy Herrington cut tracks on Bill Hall's song "Tellin' Myself". KILLER tune!
08/16/2023

Worked on vocal sessions last night. Randy Herrington cut tracks on Bill Hall's song "Tellin' Myself". KILLER tune!

A compliation of songs from the 80's by Danny Jones (BIG STAR bass on three songs from the third album). He's got more i...
08/10/2023

A compliation of songs from the 80's by Danny Jones (BIG STAR bass on three songs from the third album). He's got more in the pipeline coming soon!

Awesome session today with Rick Ballenger doing vocals on the first single from "Smarty Jones". More to come.
08/10/2023

Awesome session today with Rick Ballenger doing vocals on the first single from "Smarty Jones". More to come.

Gunnar Sansom cutting tracks for an upcoming single. TBA
08/10/2023

Gunnar Sansom cutting tracks for an upcoming single. TBA

07/25/2023

The beauty of music is subjective. Kind of like the eye of the beholder type of thing. It is such a personal gift to us, that no two people like the same bands/artist in the same order. The old argument of “who is best” falls in an infinite category. Music isn’t (or it shouldn’t be) a competition. If it were, go home, the battle is over. Beethoven won that a long time ago.
I recently was able to listen to stems from the biggest selling album in history, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”. What a beautifully layered production it has. Well crafted songs and ex*****on by top notch musicians. It spent thirty-seven weeks in the #1 spot. Surely, that’s the best. It’s all subjective.
Just look at #2. AC/DC’s “Back In Black”. Never a #1 charting album, but like-wise, beautifully layered with well crafted songs. That is a set of musicians that know their limitations and thrive on it. It has a staying power, unlike any other album. I suspect it will eventually take the #1 spot. So, that will make them the best?
You have the popularity awards each year with all the “winners” giving each other a pat on the back, for making it in such a dog-eat-dog business. But like years past, they too will soon be forgotten.
So, what does this all mean? Just have fun with it. Every single musician that I have ever given a listen, worked with or known has brought something unique to the table. It can simply be a level of accomplishment from learning to tune an instrument, to the passion that a seasoned musician oozes from their aura.
My key to success, if you want to call it that, is attitude. A smile and a willing effort have done me well. There are tons of people that bury me in musicianship, talent and knowledge in the studio. I just smile and learn from them.
Back in the ‘90’s, I almost gave up. Almost. See, music was never a fair-weathered friend to me. When grunge came in and the tides turned, I just stayed my course, because it is who I am. I didn’t change a thing. Many musicians that did (and most were more accomplished that I), have fell by the way-side and moved on to the next “thing”. Or, maybe they just “grew up”.
So that old argument of “who’s the best” is who YOU feel to be the best. What pleases your musical senses is what is best at that moment. It is subjective and personal.
I can enjoy the Plasmatics “New Hope For The Wretched” and turn right around and enjoy Spock’s Beard “Beware of Darkness” the same. Many can’t, and I find that saddening. But, it’s not their thing.
Beatles fans can’t agree on which album is their best. I can tell you for a fact, ALL OF THEM. Ah, but what do I know? It’s not like I ever produced a freaking Beatles album. Guess I’ll just have to settle for one of the guys that influenced them.
Good morning, stay positive and enjoy the music. It’s who you are.

It's time once again for...MORE BORING INFORMATION. Ahh, that pesky 60hz hum. Those single coil pickup sometimes can be...
07/08/2023

It's time once again for...
MORE BORING INFORMATION.

Ahh, that pesky 60hz hum. Those single coil pickup sometimes can be a real pain. Every time the guitar player takes his hand off the strings, it breaks the ground loop. This is annoying for an engineer to have to go back through the "take" and edit out the hum. What do I do to avoid that?

Tools needed: 3 feet of speaker wire
Electric tape

You only need one wire. Strip both ends, tape one end to the bridge of the guitar, and the other to the arm of the guitar player. This keeps a constant circuit at all times and kills the hum. If the guitarist don't like it, you have plenty of extra wire and tape with which to bound and gag them.

Goodnight, or should I say, good morning?

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Memphis, TN
38104

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