Safehaven Recordings

Safehaven Recordings is a recording studio in Limburg run by Robin Carlo. Check out my website at www.safehavenrecordings.be

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In My Chest, by Blew. a.k.a. Bram Van Duffel

In between renovating my new house I sat down with this dude and recorded some tracks. Recorded, mixed and matered @ Safehaven. Check it out.

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Working @ Waveshape studios, tracking guitars for Lothorian. Will be mixing their new songs next month. In the meanwhile check out the 'Welldweller' record I did for them back in 2012:

<a href="http://lothorian.bandcamp.com/album/welldweller-2" data-mce-href="http://lothorian.bandcamp.com/album/welldweller-2">Welldweller by Lothorian</a>

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What's up?!?

Woooowww, it's been a long time since I posted anything here... So for the past year this had been what's happening: I moved out my rented place and stopped doing recordings on a regular. I still work for several artists on a regular basis as a mixing and/or mastering engineer. Lately bands have asked me to get in the studio with them as a recording engineer / producer for certain parts of the recording process, like guitars / bass because they want me to deliver them that certain 'Robin Carlo tone' to their record (the flattery... where does it end?) Any way I'm gladly to do so. So you can ask me to get into any other studio with you to record stuff there if you feel the need. I'm obviously not finding time to update my page on a frequent base but I'm working on different stuff. Maybe I'll try posting some of it here, 'maybe'... ;) Check out Ashes, hardcore from Leuven, I recorded their guitars, and mixed the record.

<a href="http://ashes1.bandcamp.com/album/no-compromise" data-mce-href="http://ashes1.bandcamp.com/album/no-compromise">No Compromise by Ashes</a>

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UPDATE

Its been a while since I posted here. Had a rough couple of months with lots of stuff changing in my life.

Anyway, for the moment I'm only offering my services as a mix and mastering engineer. No recordings.

So If you want a affordable quality mix and/or master, hit me up!

Take care.

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Wrapping up Vicious's debut... they're a bunch of... 'special' fellows...

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MAN DOWN!!!

urrrrhhh... an 'accident' happened to my left monitor.

Shit, will, happen.

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advise: VINYL

Quite a few records I've done have ended up on vinyl.

Its hard to explain but for me it always feels like more of an accomplishment when my stuff goes to vinyl. Cd's, I can burn right here at home, big deal. But vinyl, these days, has to come from some obscure place run by vintage audio nerds who were crazy enough to start a pressing plant this day and age. Then the big artwork, the color of the records, just the feel of it.  Put plain simple: vinyl is thé shit.

Sometimes however, vinyl can be a bitter sweet cookie... Between the vinyl records I've done there are some that sound great, some sound average and some just sound plain horrible.  

I don't know anything about the technics of printing records, or what makes one sound good, but comparing the original masters I did with the end result has led me to conclude there are a couple of guys in Prague who print affordable vinyls with great audio quality, the best I've heard up until now.

I definitly recommend them if you're looking to have your record pinted to vinyl.

Check them out at xVINYLx.com

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This makes my day: a young drummer who's got his act together and his dad supportive enough to drive him and the rest of the band halfway cross country.

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advise: where to buy guitar cabs

Some friends of mine just started a company that builds custom guitar and bass cabinets. When I saw their latest piece I was impressed by its finish and workmanship. It looks awesome and is build very firmly. When I heard it I was blown away. I only had the chance to check it out a few seconds with one amp, but man it sounded good. A full and defined, crystal clear tone.

I can't remember the last time a piece of gear instantly convinced me like this.

I'm definitely having one build by them in the future.

Check them out on facebook: J&C Custom Cabinets

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Had a fun day recording all sorts of stuff. Synths, kaossilator, tritar, throwing key rings through the room, using an electric heater to create some atmospheric sounds, ... you name it!

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Had a great day finishing up the vocals for the new Resurrection album. I am still stunned by the level these songs are at. They are no longer those young kids 'who play pretty ok' as I remembered them, whatsoever. 

Back to the new gear.

The Great River pre I talked about yesterday only fills half of a rack tray so I got this Golden Age pre 73 to accompany it. Its a very popular yet affordable preamp. 

Can't wait to use it!

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SAFE RIVER @ GREAT HAVEN!

Major addition to the rack: the GREAT RIVER me-1nv MICROPHONE PREAMP. This is about as good as it gets. Found in major studios around the world, this preamp 'greatly modernizes and improves classic British design. Transparency and vintage harmonic structure are both achieved with NV-Series preamps.'

But those are just words, you'll be hearing the sounds I'm pulling through it soon enough. More gear posting tomorrow!

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New toys!

New guitar pedal from Hughes & Kettner called 'the Tube Factor'. 

When I first started playing guitar I remember trying out a Hughes & Kettner amp and not liking it so I never looked back, but with this piece of engineering they got my attention.

I can't really explain how it sounds except say it's a gain-adding device. It's overdrive/distortion, but different. I got it on Wednesday and allready used it the day after on Mosquito's guitar tracks for their upcoming full lentgh. Sounded awesome!

Check back tomorrow, for some more gearlicious news.

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That happy moment when the black van stops at your house...

ahhhh, UPS, a grown man's Santa clause. 

I just got a major delivery from Thomann, just look at how big the box is! Too bad half of it is always filled with airpillows, but still, I got some sweet new gear! Tune in for the next days as I'll post some pics and info on that.

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Mosquito is back. This time for their upcoming full length. We're two days in recording the guitars, I gotta say, they really surprised me with some of their new songs, and I'm digging them.

Drums were recorded in Duisburg, I'm tracking guitars and some other sounds, next up is Pascal Deweze who will track the vocals, after that its all coming back and I'll mix and master it.

Frequent blog updates coming next week, lots to show & tell, tune in!

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nice recordings

thanks!

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Why doesn't this happen when I'm around?!

Here's an unedited video with the actual audio performance:

youtube