Royer Labs Ribbon Microphones

The Capitol Studio sessions were recorded on November 20 & 21, 2002, with Al Schmitt engineering. The photos shown below were taken from both days.

Arturo Sandoval Main Page
Session Photos Main Page

ENLARGE		1. Here's a look at Capitol's Studio A on day one, shortly before tracking began. From this vantage point you can see the brass section straight ahead, a bit of the sax section on the left, and the conductors stand to the right. The room mics Al Schmitt chose are placed in front of the conductor stand -- two Neumann M-50’s and a Royer SF-12 stereo ribbon mic in between the M-50's. The SF-12 was brought further into the room later.

ENLARGE	2. A closer look at the 8-piece brass section setup. Al used four R-121’s for the four trombones (front row), and two R-121’s and two SF-1’s for the four trumpets (back row).

ENLARGE	3. The brass section setup from another angle. Mics are placed to the left of each music stand.

ENLARGE	4. The saxophone section setup (to the right) miked with Neumann U-67’s.

ENLARGE	5. The drums were set up in an isolation booth for separation. Al used a variety of microphones on the kit, including a Royer SF-12 stereo ribbon microphone for overheads.

ENLARGE	6. Another shot of the drums.

ENLARGE	7. Arturo Sandoval and co-producer Gary Grant at the console in Capitol Records’ Studio A, where the big band tracks were recorded.

ENLARGE	8. Al Schmitt making some adjustments in the brass section.

ENLARGE	9. Arturo Sandoval looking over the music for the music for the Joseph "King" Oliver song Dipper Mouth Blues.

ENLARGE	10. Arturo tracking King Oliver's "Dipper Mouth Blues". The only microphone Arturo used to record his trumpet throughout Trumpet Evolution was a Royer R-122 phantom powered ribbon mic. Throughout the recordings Arturo played anywhere from 4 feet to 1 foot from the microphone.

ENLARGE	11. The brass section running down a chart between takes. Trumpets: Gary Grant, Charlie Davis, Wayne Bergeron, Larry Hall Trombones: Charlie Loper, Andy Martin, Steve Holtman, Bill Reichenbach, Dick Nash, Bruce Otto

. ENLARGE	12. Al Schmitt at the console. One observation we had was that Al is as cool and relaxed an engineer in the studio as we've ever seen. We love his EQing method -- go move a microphone a couple of inches, come back in and listen, maybe move it again, listen, throw up a fader, done

ENLARGE	13. Executive Producer Quincy Jones and renown engineer Geoff Emerick watching the big band record. Geoff was working down the hall in Capitol's Studio B and stopped by to check out the session.

ENLARGE	14. Quincy fingering the valves on the trumpet that Dizzy Gillespie gave Arturo years ago. Arturo used this trumpet on his recording of the Dizzy classic "Manteca." Quincy, Jerry Hey and Gary Grant all commented that this particular trumpet was very difficult to play, which makes Arturo's brilliant playing on Manteca even more admirable -- it is an absolutely stunning performance by a musical genius. We're not in the business of selling CD's, but Manteca alone is worth the price of Trumpet Evolution.

ENLARGE	15. Conductor & Arranger Jerry Hey making some last minute notes.

ENLARGE	16. Arturo, Gary Grant, Quincy Jones and Jerry look over a chart before starting the next track.

ENLARGE	17. Here's a drop-dead smoking big band saxophone section! Left to right - Bill Liston, Greg Huckins, Dan Higgins and Joel Peskin. Al Schmitt used Neumann U-67’s to record the saxes.

ENLARGE	18. Jerry Hey conducting the big band sessions. The Jerry Hey section has been LA’s busiest horn section for the past 25 years. (Jerry Hey and Gary Grant, partners in the Jerry Hey Section, have carried their R-121's and now R-122's with them to sessions ever since Royer opened. We're grateful to them for their continued friendship and enthusiasm for Royer mics.)

ENLARGE	19. More of the sax section. Greg Huckins is playing the bass sax & Dan Higgins is playing clarinet on the Bix Beiderbecke song "Jazz Band Ball."

ENLARGE	20. Ernesto Simpsons, Arturo's regular drummer, gets ready to track.

ENLARGE	21. Arturo's bass player Dennis Marks laying down the stand-up bass.

ENLARGE	22. Legendary session guitarist Dennis Budimier played guitar and banjo.

ENLARGE	23. Pro Tools operator Mick Stern ran the Pro Tools HD system during the LA recordings.

ENLARGE	24. Listening to a playback in Capitol Studio A control room. Left to right - Greg Huckins (saxophone & bass sax), Dennis Marks (stand-up bass), Gary Grant sitting (co-producer, trumpet), Ernesto Simpsons (drums), Bill Peterson (Former President Local 47 AF of M), a happy looking Arturo Sandoval, Robert Rodrigus (keyboards), Al Schmitt (engineer), Mick Stern (Pro Tools operator), and Charlie (Capitol - 2nd engineer)

ENLARGE	25. Left to right; Dennis Budimier, Dan Higgons, Arturo and Greg Huckins.

ENLARGE	26. Emilio Estefan and Quincy Jones chillin' in the control room.

ENLARGE	27. Capitol Studios Manager Paula Salvatore listening to the recordings.

ENLARGE	28. Enjoying a well deserved bottle of bubbly at the end of the Capitol recording sessions.

ENLARGE	29. Arturo, Jerry, Gary, Mike and Al talking over the recordings

ENLARGE	30. Five great trumpet players letting loose at the end of the day. Left to right: Gary Grant, Wayne Bergeron, Arturo, Charlie Davis & Larry Hall. Look at their faces, then imagine the SPL's at the camera!

ENLARGE	31. Capitol Records engineers Will Donavan (left) and Bruce Monical (right) wrapping the day up with Beatrice Chisholm of Capitol Mastering who stopped by to check the session out.