Men ' s a cappella group to release first studio CD

In your average student ' s room, you ' d expect to find computers, video games, posters, cooking utensils, ramen noodles and in some cases a significant other.

For Jason Ardell, a fourth-year Computer Science major and the business manager of Sympathetic Vibrations, Tech ' s all-male a cappella group, you ' d find a full recording studio in his room for the group ' s first studio CD, Techtonic.

The transformation was accomplished with the help of the group ' s founder, alumnus James Clawson, who loaned the group an expensive microphone and recording software. Mattresses and a box spring were used to prevent the computer noise from interfering with the recording.

According to Ardell, the group has had weekly practice sessions since November. Each member averaged close to 20 hours a week in the studio, and Ardell and fifth-year Aerospace Engineering major Roger Lee spent close to 300 hours recording and editing the tracks. They also had the CD professionally mixed and mastered.

The Technique sat down with Sympathetic Vibrations group members Ardell, Lee, third-year Mechanical Engineering major Brad Range, alumnus Russell Hallman, and third-year Industrial Engineering major Dan Richard to talk about the upcoming CD.

How did you guys come up with this name?

Range: [Techtonic] has Tech in the title, and tonic, the root of a chord in music, and implies vibrations like those caused by earthquakes-and we rock just about that much.

Ardell: Our [proposed] album titles ran the full gamut from self-titled to inside jokes. During one particularly long weekend of editing/recording I was having breakfast at Waffle House...[and] I just randomly came up with the title Techtonic.

[Other names considered: Six Mile Boyz, Speed Scrabble, and Goblet of Fun.]

How was the recording experience in a studio?

Range: We did not have any experience with [studio recording] before this CD. It is completely different from performing live, because instead of singing with the rest of the group and relying on the other members for timing and intonation, we listen to a MIDI recording and record one person on one part at a time.

Ardell: From a producer ' s perspective, you get to be as nitpicky as you want, and you ' re not worried about time and budget constraints. It has really helped us be able to get a great sound without having to pay a lot for studio time. The difference in quality between a live CD and this studio CD is unimaginable.

What are other differences between recording in a studio and performing live?

Hallman: When [recording] live there is an issue of stage presence as well as sound quality. In the studio, you are the audience, and being pleased with your own sound is much harder to achieve than pleasing someone else.

Richard: Studio recording feels more serious because in a live venue, if you screw up a note or two, you can at least refocus your audience ' s attention on other aspects of your performance, like your energy and stage presence. In recording, the only thing that matters is the music. No one wants pay for a CD with a bunch of mistakes in the recordings...Recording in a studio can make anyone into a self-conscious perfectionist.

Ardell: It ' s vastly different than performing live, simply because you have to put all the visual performance energy into your voice. Also, in the studio, you don ' t have 350 fans feeding you adrenaline, so you have to come up with it all yourself.

How did you obtain funding for this CD?

Range: The mixing and mastering process is expensive, because it requires a trained ear and involves putting all the different voice parts together and adding effects.

Ardell: A number of SympVibes members have made donations to pay for the up-front costs of mixing, mastering, licensing, duplication and marketing, and we ' ve used some group funds that we ' ve saved over the past few years - we are hoping to sell lots of CDs to pay them back.

How satisfied is the group with the CD? What does it mean to you all?

Ardell: Dave Sperandio, one of the best a cappella sound engineers in the business, mixed and mastered our edited tracks, and they have turned out better than any of us dreamed.

Lee: It ' s about the payoff of seeing your hard work come to fruition. You start with these raw materials, and you labor over them and in the end, you can hear the result of your efforts. Plus, it ' s nice to have something tangible to take away from something so important to my college experience. How many people can say, " Yeah, that ' s me on a CD " ?

Ardell: I ' m very pleased we were able to release this CD prior to my graduation because it gives me a sense that I ' ve left somewhat of a legacy at Tech...having done so much of the recording and editing myself, I feel like I ' ve accomplished something that has huge impact for the a cappella club...The first studio CD is a major step for any collegiate a cappella group, and hopefully it will be a stepping stone for our sister group Nothin ' but Treble to release their studio album.

Richard: Recording a CD makes me feel like less of an average singer and more of a professional musician. The first time I listened to " Paperback Writer " and " Reptilia " [songs I sing the solo on], I felt like I had made Paul McCartney and Julian Casablancas proud.

The CD will be released and available for purchase at the group ' s Spring Concert on April 22 and 23, 8 p.m. in the Old Architecture Building.

Until then, though, the group is working hard to publicize their CD. They ' re sending letters to friends and family. Hallman is burning a few tracks to CD to share with friends, as a preview of the CD.

Besides the usual publicity, getting the word out " ultimately comes down to the same thing as our concert fan base...it ' s all word of mouth, " said Range. " So this is me, telling you that you should buy one. "

For more about the CD, visit www.SympVibes.com.