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IN THE STUDIO:
P.O.D.'s Traa Daniels Taking The Time To Do It Right |
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Although he identifies himself as an R&B player, Traa (pronounced “Tray”) and his group P.O.D. grabbed the public’s
attention with their blend of rock, hip-hop, reggae, and Latin music
influences on Satellite and Payable On Death [both on Atlantic].
What’s
different about your recent sessions?
This is the longest session we’ve ever done. Normally it takes two to three months
to complete an album, but this record has taken us seven months. It seems like
with the technology available today, people are quick to throw
something down and get it out there, but we spent two months writing together
in Palm Springs. Then we spent a month recording bass and drums at the Plant,
then guitars in San Diego, and finally vocals in Los Angeles at Aerowave studio
with Glen Ballard [producer, Alanis Morissette, No Doubt, Dave Matthews Band].
What kind of bass sound
are you trying to get?
I was trying to get the sound of a low-pitched piano string: resonant and defined,
with really long sustain. That’s hard to get with a detuned bass, but I think
I got it with this mixture of bass, pickups, and outboard gear. To me it’s not
what you do after you record, it’s the sound that hits the board that matters.
I used to record with six tracks of bass coming from different cabinets, but
this time I relied on preamps and used three tracks of bass. I ran a direct sound
from the Avalon and miked the Ampeg and Eden cabinets. There’s nothing like the
sound of speakers. I love how they start to break up at a certain volume; that
gives a warm, punchy sound with a touch of overdrive.
What was the challenge
of your studio experience this
time?
It wasn’t as much about me pushing myself as it was for me to push us as a group.
As a bass player, I never try to look at recording music as an individual; I
try to look at what is best for the band. I want to come up with music that continues
to be P.O.D., but that also explores different areas. It’s never been a problem
for us to write music, but because we all come from different musical
backgrounds, it’s always been a challenge for us to write music that sounds cohesive.
This sounds cliché, but I want us to do it better than we did it before. |
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