Products :: Digital Portastudio :: DP-32

Yasushi Yamaguchi

Yasushi Yamaguchi profile

After studying audio engineering at San Francisco State University and Tokyo Denki University, Yasushi Yamaguchi worked at Victor Studio before becoming an independent recording engineer. Based in New York, he was involved in works by numerous major artists, including Chara, Crystal Kay, Britney Spears and NSYNC. He returned to Japan after 9/11. In addition to engineering, he has also produced for Jugoya-no-Utage and is the leader of the Monk Beat Studio. At the Monk Beat Studio he has helped outstanding musicians achieve the exact sounds that they want. His mantra is "A full sound that moves the spirit! "


Web Site : http://monkbeat.com/

Recording engineer Yasushi Yamaguchi uses a DP-32 in his recording work. He utilizes the DP-32 for full album creations. He agreed to do an interview about the DP-32 with a focus on stories from his production experiences. Yamaguchi's Monk Beat Studio is located in a temple in the mountains of Chiba Prefecture. On the day of the interview, we could hear the sound of heavy rain through the paper shoji doors while we listened to some of his DP-32 recordings.

Musicinans were asked to me, "Is this going to do the job?"
In fact, the DP-32 sounded better than the DAW.

TEAC : First of all, please tell us how you learned about the DP-32.

Yamaguchi : When I saw information about the new product release, I thought, "A new multitrack recorder now? This is a serious model!" I was surprised and became very interested. There have been many multitrack recorders before, but most were difficult to use in professional situations. The hierarchical structures were too deep, for example. In the end, the conclusion would often be that a DAW would be better. With the DP-32, however, I was able to use it right away. It really is easy to use.

TEAC : One of the concepts of this model was intuitive operation. I think that someone like you should be able to use it without reading the manual.

Yamaguchi : That is exactly right. I was able to use it right out of the box. I still have not explored the mastering mode thoroughly. I want to try it more in depth in the future.

TEAC : What is your favorite thing about the DP-32?

Yamaguchi : It really sounds good. I guess you could say it is musical. In the end, when you are using it for work, the sound is the most critical issue. No matter how well you can use it, which is just a problem for the engineer, if the sound does not satisfy the client, they are going to end up saying, "Do it in a DAW." The DP-32, though, sounds better than a DAW.

TEAC : Are you saying that the input section (the mic preamps and analog-digital conversion) and the recorded sound are good?

Yamaguchi : Yes, that's right, It's good. Everyone doubted me when I said how good it is.. They asked, "Is this really going to do the job?" (Laughs.) Once we finished recording and they listened to it they were saying, "That's good!" In the end, that is the feeling that we must not forgot. I did the first mix with a DAW, but eventually it become clear that doing it with the DP-32 was better. Most of the songs were mixed on the DP-32.

TEAC : You mixed with just this unit? Without automation and the like?

Yamaguchi : That's right. You only get one chance. (Laughs.) But, this kind of thing is fun. The musicians also thought so.
When using the DP-32, no one says, "Edit that later!" Rather, they say, "That would be hard to edit later, right? We should do a punch-in now." I really think that players also want to push their own abilities a bit. Recording can also be a place for this. When you are in an environment where there is nowhere to run, people think, "Here we go!" They put themselves into their performances. That energy gets into the music and is communicated in the form of emotion to the listeners.

TEAC : The sound of the last guitar part did have the feeling of a person being there. There was a sense of their presence.

Yamaguchi : Wasn't there? That's right. In many ways, it is a sound in which you can hear people. That is true with the recorded sound, but we can also feel the passion of the people who created this recorder. For example, during development they selected parts for the preamplifiers, and thought about how it would feel to use.

TEAC : So, not only does it sound good in a mechanical sense, but the workflow also contributes to the good sound?

Yamaguchi : I think that is probably it. You have been making multitrack recorders before now, right? When using it, we can feel the attention to detail that comes from that. First of all, it sounds good. When we record people playing with that focus they get from one-take recording, it sounds good as a result.

Having a lot of faders is important

TEAC : Are you using the effects or any other features?

Yamaguchi : The compressor is great! It is user-friendly and simple to apply. Messing with minor parameters does not necessarily make you a pro, and I felt that this is enough. The DP-32 is truly simple and good. You get sound quickly and that sound is good. (At this point, he played back a recording again and adjusted levels with the faders.)


TEAC : Do you connect the DP-32 directly to the power amp?

Yamaguchi : Yes, I do. There are differences with the DAW system that I usually use, but the sound compares favorably. The sound, including the sound that comes out, is really convincing. Oh, another thing that is really great is this. (as he moves the faders) There are a lot of faders, which is really important when mixing.

TEAC : What mic did you use for this vocal? I thought that the sound was something I had not heard before…

Yamaguchi : Right? It's this (he points to a mic). I like dynamic mics and use them a lot. The DP-32 also seems to work really well with dynamic mics. This studio absorbs sound in a good way with its shoji screens and tatami mats, so that might be part of it. That reminds me. Can the DP-32 be used overseas?

TEAC : The power adapter is designed for 100 to 240V, so as long as it is in that range, you can use it. You will need to get the right plug, though.

Yamaguchi : Great. I have been thinking that someday I want to take the DP-32 with me on a recording trip around the world. All I need is this. This is just right. Thank you for making it!

TEAC : I really appreciate your kind words. Please let us hear the recordings from that trip! Thank you very much for taking time with us today.