Demo Doctor

	'Track 01' (4.3Mb)		MP3
	'Track 02' (2.8Mb)		MP3
	'Track 03' (4.4Mb)		MP3

Ariel Lerner
Recording Venue: Home
Recording Equipment: Apple G4 Power Mac, TC Powercore DSP card, MOTU 2408 MkII audio interface, Steinberg Nuendo audio workstation, TL Audio mic preamp, Neumann TLM103 and AKG C3000 mics, Genelec 1030 and Yamaha NS10 monitors

The arrangements are very good, constantly changing to reflect the mood of the vocal line, and almost always in perfect sympathy with them. This reflects great attention to detail in the production and the ability to draw inspiration from the artist. Track one builds from a curiously dry piano to a soundscape widened by the use of percussion, such as congas, talking drum and cabasa, as the vocal takes on a more Middle Eastern influence. I particularly liked the use of arpeggiated synthesizer lines and the full string sound, and the filtered synth loops keep the sound contemporary.

I'd take issue with the timing of the congas when they first appear, and also their mix level, which, like the rest of the percussion, was too high compared to the vocals. Listening again, I believe it's the wood-block loop that's slightly out of time with the conga loop, although this is a minor criticism on what's otherwise a very well-produced track. However, a more serious criticism would be of the decision to start all three tracks with the piano. As the songs are obviously written on the piano, it might have seemed a good idea at the time, but I'd have rearranged some of them, or layered the piano with something else.

The second and third tracks take advantage of Ariel's musical contacts to bring in guitar and sitar players, with a Fripp-like weaving guitar line on the second, and a solid sitar performance anchoring the arrangement on the third track. Both are well recorded, but the sitar in particular sits very well against the dance-styled drum and bass lines, occupying the upper-mid space of the mix.

I was also impressed by the vocal production, ranging from a fairly cold sound on the second track to a warmer tone in sections of the third. There are also some double-tracking and harmony sections, and these are executed without losing the general tone of the voice, where several characteristics have been coaxed and emphasised in the performance. This would have been achieved with production psychology, along with effective mic placement and the use of effects. Bearing all this in mind, it's a shame that the vocal level sometimes has to fight against the backing when this becomes fuller and occasionally frantic. Compared to the Dido album, for example, I think the voice is a bit low in the mix.

In conclusion, with just a few technical quibbles, I found this a well-produced piece of work. Hopefully Ariel will be able to use it boost his career.

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