BeARcade Music Productions
BeARcade Music Productions provides live sound reinforcement and studio sound for recording, mixing and mastering. We specialize in sound reinforcement for acoustic instrumentation and provide recording capabilities for both live and studio applications. Our facilities are expanding to a permanent space in the next few months and we're really excited about the upcoming possibilities for all of your sound recording needs and we hope to add video services soon as well - STAY TUNED!!
Exciting News - New Studio Space Coming
We've had a building program on-going since SEP-2010 which will provide brand-new recording space. The building will include tracking room, control room, isolation booths and a lounge area. The recording area is on the second floor - a fully-functional woodshop space ideal for instrument making and repairs as well as fine furniture production is located on the first floor. The tracking room is 20' x 36' with vaulted ceilings, the control room is 12' x 17' (one of the 'ideal' audio listening ratios) and the iso booths will be about 5' x 5'. The building is post & beam construction with SIP insulated panels on the floor, walls and ceiling for superior energy conservation and extremely low background noise levels. See the proposed room layout below - final completion date is Fall 2011. Drawings of the exterior are included to give you a better idea of the space. See drawings of the studio at
Bearcade Music Studio drawings.
Equipment Info
See the list below of some of our equipment - if you don't see what you need let us know. We may have it and if not we can usually beg, borrow or steal what you need. Sound Clip samples are also included below. Mixers Mackie - mix and record with Onyx 1640 Firewire card up to 16 tracks. Used in conjuction with an ADK-1Q laptop for recording options at any location. Mackie 1604 - old-style Mackie board but still in great shape - does a great job providing stage monitor support when needed.
Portable Recorders Zoom H4 Handy Recorder - record 4 tracks anywhere with up to 24 bit, 96 kHz quality Sony Walkman MD Recorder Power Amps (2) QSC RMX 2450 - plenty of power for all but the largest venue (2) Crown XTI1000 and XTI2000 - lightweight and plenty of power Speakers I have continued to add to my collection of Wharfedale Pro speakers - I find their sound reproduction to be extremely accurate. This quality, along with the expansion into 3-way FOH speakers, strongly supports our focus on high-quality accoustic instrumental performance. I also get great support from my local music store in Harrisonburg, Hometown Music. FOH - Wharfedale Pro LX-153 - luscious sounding 3-way speakers capable of very high sound levels if necessary for outdoor venues. In combination with the sub-woofers listed below, any genre of music from classical to heavy metal can be very accurately reproduced at a wide range of sound levels. FOH - Wharfedale Pro EVP-S15s (older version - currently sold as EVP-X15P - these accurate 2-way FOH speakers can be used as a fill for the LX-153s or to easily handle smaller rooms where artist/sound system space may be limited.
Stage Monitors - Wharfedale Pro EVP-X12M: 12" full range stage monitors Sub-woofers - EVP-X18PB: 18" powered subwoofer - the addition of the subs to the system has enabled full control of the bottom end. These subs are powered by 600-watt amplifiers that allow use in any size venue short of a stadium - probably works there too but I've never tried it! When these are cranked up you can feel the sound pressure waves radiating from the box - cranked up with caution and at artist request. Equipment Vendors
My favorite on-line location to buy new equipment is Northern Sound and Light. They offer a good selection of top brands at very competitive prices. If you're into the microphones and electronics check them out. Northern Sound & Light Maximum Discount Prices on top name brands of pro audio gear, stage lighting & theatrical supplies. Microphones
Shure
Live - SM57, SM58
Vocals - KSM 9
Studio quality condenser mics - KSM 44, KSM32, KSM141SL, KSM137SL ST Pair, SM81
Studio quality ribbon mic - KSM313
AKG - Studio Quality
C414BXLII
C451B
Audio-Technica
Live - MB 4000C
CAD
Bass - KBM 412 Signal Processing Alesis QuadraVerb4 Behringer UltraCurve Pro DEQ2496 - combines quality graphic equalizer functionality with excellent feedback control. Rane C4 Quad Compressor / Limiter / Dynamic EQ - the C4 offers four channels of compression and limiting with internal and external side-chain options for a fully adjustable parametric EQ for frequency-dependent compression or de-essing. Presonus Bluetube Preamps - combination solid state and vacuum tube so you can dial in the level of tube warmth that you want in your sound.
Contact gene@bearcademusic.com for more details
Sound clips from the Blue Ridge Old-Time Week (BROTW) - Tommy Hunter tunes Sound Clips from "Old Virginia" by Phyllis Gaskins.
The CD is a collection of fiddle tunes played on the mountain dulcimer with a little help from her friends.
All sound clips are copyright 2005 Phyllis Gaskins and BeARcade Music ProductionsOld Virginia - The Highlander String Band
Flop Eared Mule - Phyllis Gaskins - Appalachian Dulcimer
Whiskey Before Breakfast - Phyllis with Jim on banjo
SouthWind - Phyllis with Jim on mandolin
Phyllis' Reel - written by Jim for Phyllis with The Highlander String Band Walkin' In the Parlor - Phyllis with Jim on banjo Kitchen Girl - The Highlander String Band
Live Sound Clips - The Highlander String Band
From the Dayton Contra Dance - recorded directly from the Mackie 1640 board and ONYX firewire card. The live recording set-up can be easily set up near the sound board with up to 16 simultaneous tracks for processing and mixing later in the studio. Over The WaterfallMississppi Sawyer
Tombigbee Waltz
Live Sound Clips - The Port Road String Band
Recorded to minidisk - Harrisonburg International Festival
Jim & Phyllis Gaskins, Rick Hensley & Gene Bowlen
Hangman's Reel
Whiskey Before Breakfast
Kitchen GirlRecorded to minidisk - Blue Ridge Folk Arts Festival
Jim & Phyllis Gaskins, Pat Wilkins, Michael Harrison & Gene Bowlen
Falls of Richmond
Forked Deer & Spotted Pony
Hard Times