Guitar virtuoso Julian Lage depends on his touring and studio engineer Mark Goodell to deliver sound that captures his remarkable talents. The multiple Grammy-nominated Blue Note artist has worked on numerous tours and album projects with Brooklyn-based engineer/producer Mark Goodell, well known for his mastery of jazz, folk-Americana, and indie rock, currently using a variety of TELEFUNKEN dynamic and small-diaphragm condenser mics.
Goodell owns TELEFUNKEN's M81-SH, M81, M80, M82 dynamic mics and M60 condenser mics. He explains, "The M81 and M81-SH are staples in my mic locker. On tour and in studio with Julian, I use M81-SH mics on the front and back, with polarity reversed, on his Magic Amps Vibro Deluxe. While I add a few other mics for tonal options in the studio for his guitar amp, the M81-SH has been the mic of choice on his guitar amp for years now."
Goodell recounts his work with TELEFUNKEN mics over the years: "I first encountered Telefunken mics around 2008 while working with the Connecticut-based band Bronze Radio Return. I've been using them ever since. Telefunken was very supportive of bands and allowed us to try out mics on the road. I always liked how they sounded and was impressed by their build quality and ability to withstand the wear and tear of touring. They were reliable and dependable every night, and they simply sounded good."
Goodell adds, "Their durability continues to impress me. Even after years of being in flight cases, I still rarely have problems with them on tour. This translates to the studio as well - whether it's a dynamic M81 or a large diaphragm condenser ELA M251, they are consistently well-built and dependable, making them an easy choice for any project."
Maintaining consistent quality and flexibility from these mics has proven beneficial from venue to venue and studio to studio. "Onstage, the M60 condensers get a ton of use as my go to for drum overheads. They provide a natural sounding response that isn't overly hyped in the top end, which I love. I push up those faders and it sounds like a drum kit. If there aren't drums on a show, they immediately become my go to audience mics for my nightly archival recordings. I love them for audience mics, again because they sound like what the audience in the room sounds like and you don't have to EQ them a lot to sound realistic and musical."
Goodell remarks on TELEFUNKEN in the studio, "The same goes for the studio. I use them as room mics or on acoustic instruments because they have a natural and musical response to them that isn't overly hyped. All in all, they are consistently reliable both sonically and technically. I rarely have issues with them regarding noise, hums and buzzes. Even after getting knocked around in flight cases on tour, they are consistent and reliable on a daily basis."
TELEFUNKEN's dynamic mics are well known for their ample versatility. Goodell continues, "The M81-SH is a go to for me for electric guitars. One of the most important things while working with Julian is to make sure that the emotional aspect of his playing is being translated effectively. I've listened to a bunch of other microphones on his amps and found that they sound clinical or sterile in a literal sense, but do not push the energy and emotion that he has in his playing. I've used two M-81SH dynamics on Julian's guitar amp for years now while on tour. One on the front of the amp and one on the back (with polarity reversed). Adding the back of amp mic is an old studio technique used on smaller amps to get some extra low-end from a smaller speaker. I'll combine a little bit of that back mic with the front to get some additional low/low-mid that helps translate more of the emotional energy that Julian conveys through his playing. When we're in the studio, I still have the M81-SH, the same ones I tour with, on his amps as a solid and consistent foundation and then I'll add a few more mics as tonal options to combine depending on the song and what direction we are going."
The interplay between guitar and drums has a big role in the performance on records and on tour, "I also use the M81-SH on drums in combination with the M60's as overheads. Snare top, rack toms and floor toms all get an M81-SH clipped on to them. Again, you put them on the drums, and they sound like the drums in the room and the M80 can be found on the snare bottom to bring out a little more of the snares. The multiple clip options that are provided with the M81-SH's makes it super easy when touring and using different backline drum kits every night. Depending on the style of music, I'll use the M82 for kick drum or for other low end sources like a bass amp or bottom of a Leslie speaker. In the studio, the M82 gets a lot of work on bass amps. Regular M81's are also a great live vocal mic option that I carry with me when needed."
Goodell elaborates further on the specific miking differences between live and studio work. "I try to share similar mindsets on miking between the live and studio work that I do. A band on stage is similar to a band recording all in the same room without gobos/booths/isolation. I think about how each instrument and mic will interact with the others and I make decisions on mic choices, polar patterns and placements based on those interactions. I want the energy and emotion from an album to be conveyed with the same audio quality to an audience in a live setting. The fact that I work with a lot of artists both in the studio and in their live performances allows for this cross collaboration' to take place and share a similar intent with the music. Having equipment that sounds great and is well built allows me to carry a bunch of what I use in the studio with me into the live environment. I may have more flexibility to set up additional mics in the studio, but no matter what, the goal is always to make sure that the emotional aspect of the music is being translated whether it's on a record or in a concert hall."
ABOUT MARK GOODELL
Mark Goodell is a Brooklyn-based audio engineer, producer, and musician who works with artists across a broad range of genres including jazz, folk/americana, and indie rock. He is particularly known for bringing a deep understanding and craft to sound quality and creative production techniques. Mark is fortunate to have close partnerships with a number of artists who he collaborates with frequently, both in the studio and in live performances. Beyond technical clarity and fidelity, he's personally dedicated to using sound to craft the visceral experience of music, capturing an artist's intent of emotion and language. https://www.goodellmusic.com
ABOUT JULIAN LAGE
Julian Lage's vividly textured new album "Speak To Me" offers a series of explorations in his ongoing search for narrative beyond words. Intimate in tone and extensive in direction, the album represents some of the most ambitious music Lage has documented to date. Its originals travel through a wide range of American music and operate in the deliberate crossings among gospel hymn and rural blues, California singer-songwriter sunshine and inventive jazz. https://www.julianlage.com
ABOUT TELEFUNKEN
TELEFUNKEN Elektroakustik strives for absolute perfection. By offering historic recreations of classic microphones alongside their own proprietary designs based around the distinctive tube mic sound, TELEFUNKEN has established a product line that expertly combines vintage style and sound with the reliability of a modern-day microphone design. TELEFUNKEN's commitment to both the sonic excellence and quality of all of their products is rivaled only by their dedication to providing the best possible service to their customers. http://www.telefunken-elektroakustik.com
