Album cover design courtesy of Michael Whalen, finalized by Bora Uslusoy
col·lab·o·ra·tion
/kəˌlabəˈrāSHən/
noun
1. the action of working with someone to produce or create something.
mid 19th century: from Latin collaboratio(n- ), from collaborare ‘work together’.
About The Music
For quite some time, I have been writing music and producing albums in my home studio, with guest artists contributing parts via the Internet. But the opportunity to record with live musicians in a great studio came up for me, thanks to my long-time friend and colleague Andy Edelstein, who proposed that I record an album with live musicians in his studio in early summer 2025. I quickly jumped into the project, asking musicians I really admire to join me in this collaboration, and we were fortunate to get to record this album in early July 2025!
I chose music that I already had composed, and these pieces all have special meaning to me – all written in 1978, a year of major importance in my life. In late 1977 I lost the use of my left hand, and had to give up playing guitar. I was playing and writing for my band Ictus, a Boston-based jazz fusion group that was building an audience and having some artistic (although not monetary) success. I was living in constant physical pain from nerve and tendon damage in my hand, and spent some months in depression, abusing pain medications, feeling sorry for myself, and had lost my sense of self identity – I was no longer a guitarist, so who was I?
In late spring of 1978, I was given a breakthrough technology for the time, a Transcutaneous Nerve Stimulator to help mute the pain from my hand. This allowed me to clear my head from the opiates, and with less pain, I was able to begin to think more clearly and return to my musical life. I came to the realization that I had never been a guitarist, but rather I had been a musician that played the guitar, and now I was still a musician, and began to search out an instrument I could play with one hand. Fortunately, I chose the Synthesizer, which was monophonic at the time, and I could play some keyboard, and with limited movement of my left hand I could move knobs and faders on the instrument. I sold all my guitars and bought an ARP 2600 and 1601 Sequencer, and began my new career as a synthesist, rejoining the band in late 1978 for an early 1979 debut.
All of this music was written to feature Ictus, and my new role as a budding synthesist. I selected these tunes for this album because they had real meaning to me from this life changing period, and also because I felt these particular musicians could bring this music to life in a fresh, new, and exciting way. So this music is both old, and remarkably new for me! I hope you will enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed making it!
Ictus Sanctus
Ictus, the name of my band from 1976-1983, is a musical term in conducting for a strongly accented rhythm, or downbeat. We chose the name for the band because all the music I was writing involved rhythmic complexity – changing time signatures, complex meters, and polyrhythms. Sanctus is the Latin word for Holy, so the title of this tune is literally “Holy Downbeat.” This tune was often played by Ictus as a set closer, because it had a lot of crowd appeal – lots of concerted playing, interesting melody and harmonies, and it featured drum and percussion solos! Ictus Sanctus was the opening track for Ictus’ first album “Future Winds,” but I always felt we played the tune too fast – it was great for the excitement – especially live, but I felt that at the faster tempo it didn’t groove as much. So for this recording we brought the tempo down to fit the latin groove I always heard in my head. The tune features solos by George, me, and Bruce, and Sean and Ricardo first trade 4’s then 2’s in an exciting drum/percussion solo.
Collaboration
I wrote this song with my good friend Dave Weigert, a true collaboration. We were classmates at Berklee College of Music, and Dave played drums in Ictus and was featured on this song on the Ictus recording. We wrote two songs together, this one and “Blüz for Rufe,” which is featured on my album “Back To My Roots.” The photo here shows me playing the opening melody for “Collaboration” with Dave Weigert behind, on drums, taken from a TV show called “All That’s Jazz” in 1979.
On this recording, Bruce plays the opening melody first on EWI, then on Flute, then I take the melody on guitar, and we finish the last melody with Alto, Guitar, and Synth on the lead. This song has a rather long AABA form so for this recording we chose to play the head, then have George solo on the two A sections of the second chorus, I soloed on the B section and we finished up with the melody on the final A section. Again, we took the song a bit slower than Ictus had played it, and added an afro-cuban feel with Ricardo’s percussion part.
TNS
This is a 22-minute long composition that I wrote in 1978, and in many ways I consider it my most ambitious fusion composition. I wrote this after losing the use of my left hand in 1977, and having to give up playing guitar. I had just been sent to a pain clinic at the New England Baptist hospital, and they had given me a Transcutaneous Nerve Stimulator to help me cope with the constant pain I was living with. This device gave the piece its name, because I could finally think straight without all the drugs and alcohol I’d been using to deal with the physical and emotional pain. The piece explores the depths of emotions I was having at the time – sorrow, depression, physical pain, joy, happiness, and hope! Maybe you’ll hear those feelings…
When I began writing this piece, in 1978, I had not yet begun playing synthesizer, and had the summer off from teaching at Berklee, and Ictus’ pianist Gordon Radford’s girlfriend Rachel Fagerburg had a family house on the cape and invited me to stay there with her and her three sisters that together were a string quartet! So I decided to write this piece with string orchestra, woodwinds, and brass, with Ictus at the core—Inspired by the collaborations between Miles Davis and Gil Evans, and Bill Evans and Claus Ogerman, the music is an interplay between the jazz soloists and orchestra.
Each day we would go to the beach, and I would compose, and every evening I got to have the Fagerburg sisters string quartet play the string parts for me. When I went back to Berklee in the fall, the piece was finished, and I made the decision to take up synthesizer and rejoin the band. My first gig as a synthesizer player was three weeks after I got my synth, and we were opening for Dave Brubeck. That night Dave told me he loved my music and offered that he and Darius would like to produce our first record, recording in Nashville at Direct-to-disk labs, a technology in which Dave and Darius had invested heavily, because Dave believed it was the future of jazz recording: you had to play an entire side at once without stopping because the recording was actually being cut into the disk in real-time, giving the highest sonic quality available with analog technology, and capturing the thrill of live performance with no overdubs or punch-ins.
Anyway, we decided we would record TNS as one side of the album. I had to shorten the piece to fit into the 18-minute maximum time limit per side. Dave contracted the Nashville symphony to play the orchestral portion. Long story short, in 1978 – Sony released the F-1 digital recorder allowing much higher fidelity than analog and without the need for recording a side at a time. In typical Ictus bad luck fashion, Direct-To-Disk Labs went out of business 2 weeks before our recording session. We had to punt and when we ended up recording Future Winds, Ictus’ first album, TNS was left out. We did perform it once at the Berklee Performance Center, but of course we were missing all the orchestral parts. I did try to realize the piece on my 2010 double album “Decades,” but I was never happy with my performance of all the rhythm section parts, and my orchestral libraries at the time were not as good as today’s software.
So this group of unbelievable musicians came into the studio, sight reading this music and we got almost all of it in single takes (although recording in sections). Amazing musicianship and a great performance by all! With everyone getting a chance to bring their own unique musicianship and flavor to the recording! A true collaboration!
Bionic Man
When I rejoined Ictus wearing my transcutaneous nerve stimulator, Pianist Gordon Radford said “Hey, you’re like the bionic man, all wired up to that little machine!” And bassist Bruce Gertz said, “Yeah, you’re like the ‘Mash-ine!” And so was born the name of this tune, and my future music publishing and performance brand “Mashine Music.”
I wanted to write un upbeat tune to reflect my new-found optimism in rejoining the band on synths, and I was listening to a lot of Yellow Jackets at the time and loved the fusion gospel stuff they were doing, but I of course had to have a few twists and turns, odd length phrases, and so forth. And of course George, Winston, and Sean just tore up the groove the first time we played through the song together in the studio.
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About The Musicians
David Mash
David Mash – Composer, Producer, Guitars, Synthesizers, and Virtual Orchestra
After 41 years as a teacher, founding department chair, dean, vice president and finally senior vice president at Berklee College of Music in Boston, I am now spending my retirement composing and producing my special kind of electronic jazz fusion music. A recognized expert in electronic synthesizers, I have been working to combine my guitar playing with my creative sound design to create new sounds and music. I met all the musicians on this album through our Berklee College of Music connections, as Berklee is a place where creativity, talent, and energy abound.
Bruce Nifong
Bruce Nifong – EWI, Flute, Soprano and Alto Saxophones
I have been making music with Bruce since the late 1970s! We have traveled together in Ictus, performed as Mashine Music, played together in many contexts, and he has been a regular active contributor to my music for over 50 years.
Bruce is a saxophone and multi-reed instrumentalist, now retired from Berklee College of Music, having served for 35 years as a faculty member and administrator. Bruce has freelanced extensively as a woodwind player throughout the New England area, performing and recording with artists such as David Mash and Greg Hopkins, as well as recording and touring internationally for Polydor and CBS Records. Bruce was a member of Ictus, Mashine Music, composed 4 songs for the “Back To My Roots” album, and has played on many of my albums as a long-time friend and collaborator.
George W. Russell, Jr.
George W. Russell, Jr. – Piano
I first met George when he was a faculty member at Berklee. I found him to be an outstanding teacher and musician, and when he became Chair of the Harmony Department, I searched him out to offer my assistance, since I had taught Harmony for 10 years and had a close direct connection to the originators of Berklee’s Harmony method and curriculum. We became friends, and when this project came up, I thought it would be so great to be able to make music with him. His contributions to this album are immeasurable!
A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, George is a performer, composer, and educator. George currently serves as Chair of the Harmony and Jazz Composition Department at the Berklee College of Music. Prior to that, he served as a professor of harmony and piano. He has been recognized with the highest award that Berklee gives to faculty, the Most Distinguished Faculty Award. George’s motto is, “I would rather inspire than require.”
George’s playing is filled with passion, fire, soul, and spirit. George has performed with Stanley Clarke, George Duke, Ernie Isley, Walter Beasley, Cecil McBee, Semenya McCord, Bob Moses, Tiger Okoshi, Billy Pierce, Richard Smallwood, and Lenny White
George W. Russell, Jr’s most recent recording “Reimagined” is a powerful collection that reinterprets timeless spirituals and hymns through Russell’s musical lens. Blending gospel, blues, and jazz in a way that will uplift your spirit and resonate deeply with your soul. The recording features Donna McElroy, Debo Ray, Lydia Harrell, Denise Carite, Emily Russell, Wes Wirth, Sean Skeete, Michael Russell, Ricardo Monzon, Greg Groover, George W. Russell Sr. and George W. Russell III
Sean Skeete
Sean Skeete – Drums
I first met Sean through our mutual connections to Berklee City Music. Sean got his start at Berklee through City Music, and during my Vice Presidency, City Music fell under my areas of leadership. When Sean became Assistant Department Chair of Ensembles, we got to know each other better, because he was interested in bring more and better technology to the department. A year before my retirement, we met up at NAMM and he asked me to begin a long series of discussions about leadership. I was honored to be asked, and that discussion built a friendship that brought us closer over the next few years. There was no doubt in my mind that I wanted Sean to play on this album, and his drumming and sound drove the entire feel of the production.
Originating from the vibrant musical landscape of Trinidad & Tobago, West Indies, Sean Skeete has etched his name as a distinguished drummer, educator, and administrative leader. With roots firmly embedded in his musical family, Sean’s lifelong journey with rhythm began at the tender age of 3, when his curiosity drove him to find his place behind the drum kit at his father’s church. This early encounter marked the genesis of his profound passion for music, a passion he tirelessly nurtured throughout his formative years in pursuit of his dream to become a professional musician.
Following his innate calling, Sean’s passion for learning about music led him to Berklee College of Music, where he earned a full scholarship, serving as a testament to his unparalleled dedication and skill. While immersed in Boston’s rich musical scene and Berklee, he honed his craft, refining his signature style that draws inspiration from the diverse genres of Caribbean music, jazz, gospel, and R&B.
Over two decades of professional experience have shaped Sean into a remarkably versatile performer, his profound musicality woven into each note he plays. His journey has graced him with remarkable opportunities, sharing stages and recording studios with a wide range of notable artists such as Take 6, En Vogue, LoCash, Cece Winans, Marvin Winans, John Patitucci, Raul Midón, Oleta Adams, Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, Walter Beasley, Blue Man Group, Will Downing and many more. His contribution has extended to world renown orchestras including the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops, illustrating the breadth of his musical prowess.
In addition to his dynamic performance career, Sean’s commitment to education has flourished throughout his journey. Currently, he is the Dean of the Performance Division at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. With over two decades of teaching under his belt at Berklee, over the years, Sean has imparted his wisdom through instructing ensembles, private drum lessons, and drum set technique labs.
Winston Maccow
Photo credit: Drake Curtis
Winston Maccow – Bass
I first met Winston through our mutual connections to Berklee City Music; he was City Music’s lead and master teacher, and his wife Lynette was the administrative assistant for City Music during the beginning of my leadership role. Then we had the opportunity to jam together at one of the many party sessions at Bruce Nifong’s home, where he had a loft performance space in the old barn building. We always had fun playing together, so I really wanted him on this album!
Winston Maccow is a bassist, arranger, composer, clinician, educator and producer with over 40 years of performance, recording and teaching experiences to his credit. He is a Professor in the Ensemble Department at Berklee College of Music. He has arranged music for all levels of musicians professional and amateur. He has prepared students to perform with industry greats such as: Harvey Mason, Willie Nelson, Greg Phillinganes, Patrice Rushen, Quincy Jones, Randy Brecker, Brenda Russell, Russell Ferrante, Phillip Bailey, Anita Baker, Frank McCombs, Gamble & Huff the masterminds behind the ‘Sound of Philadelphia” and many more.
His work includes writing arrangements from great song catalogs such as: STAX Music-Staple Singers, Issac Hayes, Stevie Wonder, George Duke, Motown, Pat Metheny, the Yellow Jackets and numerous Caribbean artists. His career spans across genres from Jazz to Calypso, and Rhythm and Blues to Gospel. He has performed with award winning Walter Beasley, The Whispers, Nancy Wilson, Randy Brecker and Yuval Cohen to name a few. He has represented Berklee College of Music as an adjudicator and guest clinician at numerous international sites and schools to include Argentina, Azores, Brazil, Denmark, Israel, Japan, Korea, Mozambique, India and the Caribbean. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cambridge College, Cambridge Massachusetts and a Master of Education degree in Interdisciplinary Studies also from Cambridge College.
Ricardo Monzon
Ricardo Monzon – Percussion
I met Ricardo at Berklee when he joined the percussion faculty. Throughout my career at Berklee we would run into each other and say hello, but never made music together before this project. I had seen him perform many times and always loved the colors and textures he brought to whatever context in which he was playing, so he was a perfect choice to include on this project!
Ricardo is a Professor at Berklee College of Music, An accomplished drummer, percussionist, and studio musician who has toured and performed with the Boston Pops Orchestra, recording two albums, the Latin Album and the “Chris Botti in Boston” concert/video/CD with Sting, John Mayer, Josh Groban, and Yo Yo Ma, 2010 GRAMMY nominated for Best Pop Instrumental album and Best Long Form Music Video. He has played for seven years with Stan Strickland’s Express Yourself “EXYO” program for inner city kids, presented at the Wang Center. He closed Boston’s Puerto Rican Festival for five consecutive years with artists like Luisito Rosario, Paquito Acosta and Frankie Ruiz Jr. He has performed with Al Jarreau, Harry Belafonte, Oscar Castro Neves, Matthew Nichols, Abe Laboriel, George Duke, Aretha Franklin, Greek tenor Mario Frangoulis, Tata Vega, Donna Summer, The New York Voices, Stanley Clark, Lenny White, Mary Wilson of the Supremes, Dan Moretti, the Epic Brass Quintet, Deborah Henson-Conant, Myanna, Bernard Purdie, Jethro Da Silva, the Greg Hopkins Big Band, and the Orquesta Sinfonica de Guatemala. He has shared the stage with Zoro, Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, Giovanni Hidalgo, Terri Lynne Carrington, Dave Samuels, and Lincoln Goines.
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In the Studio Control Room
Andy Edelstein – Recording and Mixing Engineer
I became fast friends with Andy when he was Assistant Chair of the Music Production and Engineering Department (MP&E) at Berklee, and I was Chair of the Music Synthesis Department and we both worked for Don Puluse, who was Dean of the Music Technology Division. Andy and I had many discussions about the division and our curriculum and equipment. It was Andy’s idea and suggestion to record this album in his studio with live musicians, and was the impetus to get it started! For that prodding and then all the work to make this happen I will be eternally grateful. Thanks, Andy!
Andy Edelstein has worn many hats during his long career, including educator, Berklee College of Music administrator, on-line course author, record producer, audio engineer, and interactive media developer. he has produced, recorded, and mixed an eclectic range of records from jazz and rock to bluegrass, Celtic, and blues, including the genre-bending Wayfaring Strangers’ critically acclaimed Rounder releases, the SpinART debut by independent rockers Apollo Sunshine, and the a Dry Branch Fire Squad live album. his design work is featured in a series of award-winning interactive exhibits at the American Jazz Museum in Kansas City, Missouri.
Bora Uslusoy – Assistant Recording Engineer, Mastering Engineer, Co-Producer
I first met Bora in Istanbul, through our Berklee connections, and we became fast friends. When he and his family moved to the Boston area, we were in touch more frequently, and when he joined Berklee we began an even closer relationship. We worked so well on my Back To My Roots album, that I knew I wanted his involvement in this project. Actually when we were working on Back To My Roots, he told me, “You should really record your music with a live rhythm section.” So when Andy called to suggest this project it all clicked! I now have a longer-term plan to work with Bora’s record label bUMA RecordZ and I hope to work together with Bora on many more projects!
Bora Uslusoy is a producer, engineer, songwriter, recording artist, and the founder of bUMA RecordZ. Originally from Istanbul, he is currently based in the greater Boston area, Massachusetts. He has produced recordings for Lawrence ‘Larry’ Watson, Lucas Bun, Kalelio, Tom Appleman, Pete Langman, Mick Morena, Phil Hilborne, Bryan McLellan, Mel Gabbitas, ARTIDOKSAN, and Aqua Talk, among others. Bora has also released two solo albums, Umutsuz Aşk and Muska (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), and two singles. He also mixed and mastered David Mash’s album “Back To My Roots.”
Bora Uslusoy studied guitar at the Musicians’ Institute London and completed Berklee Online’s “Studio Production Specialist” certificate program. He attended Avid’s “Train The Trainer” program, leading to his becoming certified as an Avid Pro Tools Instructor. He is also certified as a Steinberg Trainer for Cubase. Bora has published five instructional books on guitar and bass in Turkish, created online courses such as Writer, Engineer, Producer in the Home Studio for Berklee Online, and has written magazine articles, product reviews, and how-to guides.
He is currently an Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music in the Music Production and Engineering Department
Peter Bell – Co-Producer
Peter and I met in the faculty lounge at Berklee, and when I left Ictus, he and I decided to start a production company called Musitech Productions. As my work at Berklee intensified, I had to step back from Musitech, and Peter built it into a powerhouse commercial music production studio. We got back together when I had broken my back the first time, and he produced my first Mashine Music double album “Decades.” We had so much fun working together that we decided to form Bar of 2 Productions, and since then our friendship and partnership have led to many great music production projects and records!
Peter Bell, former Electronic Music and Production faculty at Berklee College of Music, is a producer, composer, and guitarist. His compositions and productions include the themes to This Old House, New Yankee Workshop, Victory Garden, the ABC After School Special, the award- winning film Radio Cape Cod, as well as countless jingles and production tracks. Peter has produced tracks featuring many world-class musicians, including Bonnie Raitt, Tracey Bonham, Livingston Taylor, Kate Taylor, Alex Taylor, Layla Hathaway, John Poussette-Dart, The New Kids On The Block, Rebecca Parris, Mick Goodrick, Mike Metheny, Mark Sandman of Morphine, Alan Estes, Patty Grifin, and others.
He has recorded with Bonnie Raitt on Warner Brothers and the James Montgomery Band on Capricorn and Island Records, among many others. His awards include two Emmys, seven NEBA awards, and six ASCAP awards. Peter holds a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Composition and Arranging from Berklee College of Music and a BA in Government from Harvard College.
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About the Technology
I use Logic for composing and producing my music. I record using hardware synthesizers (both as MIDI and as audio), software synthesizers, and for my guitar tracks. Since Andy uses Pro Tools in the studio, Andy, Bora and I worked together to design a workflow that would allow me to begin the projects with Logic files, then Bora would convert those to Pro Tools Sessions for Andy to use. Once tracks were recorded, Andy would share those tracks back with me as audio files, and I would bring them into my Logic project for editing and overdubbing and orchestrating. Then when the music was all entered, I then exported every MIDI and new audio track back as audio for Andy to import into his protools sessions. Then he produced the mixes, and Bora took those mix files into his Pro Tools rig for the final mastering process. This was the process we used for all the music on this album.
Ictus Sanctus
Because Ictus Sanctus has so many time signature changes, I first created a version of the song in Logic, with the full arrangement. We used that sequence in Pro Tools, with the scratch tracks muted, to generate the click track for the musicians to play to in the studio.
Once we had finished the basics sessions, Andy made me a scratch track rhythm section mix and Bruce’s parts to bring into my Logic project and I began the work of adding the horns and strings, and guitar overdubs.
For this song I had a six-horn arrangement using Soprano, Alto, and Tenor saxophones, two Trumpets and Trombone, all using Logic’s Studio Horns. I am very intentional in my performance of each line, playing each part into the sequence in real-time, phrasing as best I can like each horn player. Then I edit the parts adding articulations to every note played, and adjust timings (never quantizing) until all the horns speak together as a section.
Then I added 4 tracks of background pads to sweeten the piece using two tracks of Spectrasonic’s Omnisphere, and two tracks of Korg’s ARP2600 software synth. I also used the ARP2600 to recreate a special twinkling bubble sound that I used to use when Ictus performed live (rebuilding my original patch from the hardware synth in the new software).
The Guitar melody parts were played on my Godin Custom LGX-TP and processed with Line 6 Helix Native software, and the guitar solo was processed with Positive Grid’s BIAS X software.
Finally I added a 5-part string section of two violins, viola, cello, and double bass using the Logic Studio Strings. Again, I played the string parts in, one by one, all in real-time, then edited them with per-note articulation and adjusting timings to make all the instruments speak together as a section.
I then exported all these tracks as audio for Andy to import into his Pro Tools Session. Then he and I did final edits on the rhythm section and Bruces sax parts to make sure everything worked in time. Then Andy set out to do the mix…
Collaboration
For this song, since there are no time signature changes, we began recording directly into a blank Pro Tools Session. I created a blank Logic project with the same time signature (12/8) and tempo (105). We played the song live and recorded two takes. Following our work process, Andy sent me a reference rhythm section track and Bruce’s sax parts. Bruce also overdubbed the flute melody in the studio, so Andy sent me that as well.
Bruce recorded the first A section melody on EWI using a program from Patchman Music. He sent that to me to import into my Logic file, and I added some processing to that track.
I recorded the guitar melodies and solos using my Godin custom made Montreal Premier TriplePlay and processed the sound with Line 6 Helix Native software.
I sweetened the tracks with the Arturia CS-80 software synthesizer (because I used to play live with Ictus using the Yamaha CS-60) and Spectrasonic’s Omnisphere. I also doubled the melody at the end with U-He’s Diva software synthesizer.
TNS
Because this music has so many time signature changes and tempo changes, I created a Logic file and recorded all the parts myself. Then Bora created a Pro Tools Sessions with the orchestra and band parts as reference tracks that played with the click, and Andy used that to record us in the studio. Although we recorded the piece in sections, each section was recorded in either one or two takes!!!
After the sessions, Andy prepared a reference mix of the rhythm section, and gave me Bruce’s woodwind parts to import into my Logic project. Then I went to work assembling it all and adding the real orchestra and band tracks. For the orchestra, I used Logic’s Studio Strings for the 5 parts: Violins 1 and 2, Viola, Cello, and Double-Bass. I played every part in real-time with dynamics, and then added all the articulations one by note. Then I edited the timings so each section spoke as one, again – no quantization. I also used Fender’s Notion software, where I entered the string parts by notation, adding all the bowing, articulations, and dynamics, then rendered each part as an audio file, imported it into Logic, and then edited the tracks so they worked with the Logic Strings. Truly an act of love.
For the woodwinds I used SWAM software instruments for the flutes and clarinets sometimes doubling them with Spectrasonic’s Omnisphere. The Flugelhorn is from Native Instruments’ Kontakt. I used Logic’s Studio horns for the saxophones and brass instruments. Again, as with all the parts, I recorded them line by line in real time with dynamics and articulations, and then edited the articulation note by note and edited the timings to make the instruments speak as sections.
The classical guitar parts were recorded directusing a Godin Arena Flame Maple guitar. The electric guitars were played on my custom-made Godin Montreal Premier TriplePlay and processed with Positive Grid’s BIAS X software.
The Vibes and Glockenspiel were played using Logic’s internal Sampler with the tuned percussion sample sets.
For Synthesizers, I used Omnisphere and Arturia’s Augmented Strings pads to double acoustic sounds inn various places. The Minimoog melody sounds are created by Softube’s Model 72 software instrument.
Bionic Man
I began by making a Logic file with the full arrangement, then Bora took that and made a Pro Tools session for Andy to use as a click track to record us all live. We recorded the song in one take (after some section rehearsals) as this tune fell right into the players’ bag (which is why I chose to record this song)!
After the sessions, Andy made me a rhythm section reference track and gave me Bruce”s parts and I brought them into my Logic project to add the guitars and synth parts.
I recorded the guitar melodies and solos using my Godin custom made Montreal Premier TriplePlay and processed the sound with Positive Grid’s BIAS X software.
For the horn section I used Logic’s Studio Horns using Trumpet, Alto, Tenor, and Trombone. As usual I played each part in real time with dynamics, then did note by note articulation editing, and adjusted timing to make the instruments speak as a section.
I used Spectrasonic’s Trilian software to make the 2nd bass line (a 10th above Winston) during the melody A sections.
Finally I used Logic’s Vintage B3 instrument to play in the organ parts. Then I exported all my added tracks as audio files and Andy imported them for mixing. The final mixes were given to Bora for mastering, and releasing to the world!