Take Five with Tim: Scott Rottler
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When Scott Rottler is on-stage, he is usually thumping away on the bass guitar for Lafayette rock ba...When Scott Rottler is on-stage, he is usually thumping away on the bass guitar for Lafayette rock band Waltz for Venus. This summer he will fill in for Amanda Overmyer's band for a July and August Midwest and West Coast tour. But Rottler's main gig is recording local bands as chief engineer at Sound Logic Recording Studio. Two of his latest CDs come from local indie rockers Why I Like Robins and Kyle Petersen's acoustic singer-songwriter project Laugh at Linus. Both CDs will be released this weekend at the Why I Like Robins and Laugh at Linus show slated for 10 p.m. Saturday at The Black Sparrow Pub, 223 Main St.
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1 From an engineer and producer's perspective, what did you have to differently with these two recordings?
It's two different worlds. With a rock band you have four or five individual players with their own sounds. With Laugh at Linus, you had to explore all the sounds that one person has in his head and put on record. A rock band is easier for me but I have fun doing both.
2 The Robins CD was recorded at guitarist Rob Soden's house. What was that like?
With the economy as it is, less bands are using the studio but we do a lot of the mixing and mastering at Sound Logic. I've developed a mobile Pro Tools rig to help adapt. ... Rob really wanted to record at his place, which is an old Victorian house. I remember a recent live show of theirs sounding really solid and was wishing we can get that live sound on a recording. In the house, we had hardwood floors, 12-foot ceilings, a living room and dining room to work with. We put the bass in the bathroom and drums in the dining room ... .
3 What are your thoughts on the Laugh at Linus CD?
Kyle also wanted his CD to be like his live show. He didn't want it overproduced, which is easy to do with singer-songwriters. ... We cut his vocals and acoustic first. Then (Waltz for Venus drummer) Derek Maish did percussion and I laid bass to it. Then we re-cut the acoustic and vocals afterward. To me it was a backwards way to do it but it worked out well, I thought. ... It was a lengthy process and a lot of talking out of every part with lots of trial and error.
4 I've noticed many CDs, like the Robins' "Mark," that you produce are EPs. Why only a few tracks instead of a full-length record?
First, I honestly blame the economy. No one buys full-length CDs. They go to iTunes, listen to the 30-second clips, and pick their favorite three or four songs. Second, the attention span of listeners nowadays makes EPs preferred. Think of how many new artists fade in and fade out. I don't see the point in investing in a full-length record. Instead, just record your best four songs.
5 What projects are you working on now?
I'm working on Kyle Siegel's EP. He plays rhythm guitar with Waltz now. Then I'm doing Justin Paschal's. He's a Christian country artist.
Written by Tim Brouk
