Brian Nelson from Elliot Bay Recording Company is with us today to talk about the importance of Sharpie markers in the recording process. EBRC Studio is located on Capitol Hill (932 12th Ave). They have an ample 2000 square feet of room to roam around in. The main playing room is 25’X45’X12’ with cement walls for a nice diffused reverb sound. Can you say huge drums? There are three isolation rooms, a big acoustically designed control room, and the Sony DMX R-100 digital console is the centerpiece of the studio. For mics, they have Neumanns, Sennheisers, Royer, and Beyer.

Brian is also a drummer, a very kick ass drummer. (Gorilla, Love Battery.) We spoke:

What is your key to recording and mixing? Where does the magic happen?
Brian: The key for me is having an array of fresh, quality Sharpie markers to color code the mixing board with. I don’t know what I’d do without them. No session can happen unless I’ve got the full spectrum of color available.

The magic doesn’t come from mic placement or a secret sweet spot in the live room?
No. The magic comes from the Sharpies. Bass is brown, guitars are green, cymbals are blue, female vocals are red, and male vocals are orange. I can look at the mixing board and instantly know where everything is. Even when I don’t look at the mixing board, I can kind of see it out of the corner of my eye. If I see something reddish, I know that’s a female vocal.

Do you ever use any other marker?
Nope. Only Shapries. Marks A Lot are too thick and they smell bad, and hi-lighters don’t cut it.

Where do you get your Sharpies?
Anywhere that Muzak is played.