Bandleader/Arranger/Trumpeter/Vocalist Brian Newman is one busy musician. For over twenty years, he and his band have been performing to audiences all over the world and, this same core group of musicians serves as the Lady Gaga Jazz Quintet and Orchestra. They have a residency in Las Vegas at the Nomad Library of the Park MGM hotel in addition to weekly residencies in New York City. As part of his responsibilities, his band arranged, recorded, and toured with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga for the Cheek-to-Cheek record and also arranged, recorded, and performed the album Love For Sale. And central to much of his work—both live and in the studio—is his TASCAM Model 12 Integrated Production Suite.
According to Newman, “The type of projects I enjoy most are arranging, producing, and performing all kinds of music. My heart is in the American Songbook, but these days that term is pretty broad. We play everything from Cole Porter to Nirvana to Willie Nelson and beyond in our own voice and style. Cultivating the unique sound of my quintet is always at the forefront of my mind. We have a new record out now called Electric Lounge. We’ve been using the TASCAM Model 12 for over four years now. We use it on our live performances, and I also use it in my home studio.”
“Because of its compact form factor, a lot of musicians don’t realize the many capabilities the Model 12 offers,” Newman explained. “The unit incorporates a multitrack recorder, a USB audio/MIDI interface, and DAW control functions—making it a powerful tool for a wide range of applications. When we’re performing, the Model 12 enables me to record our live performances with a clear and solid sound. As a live mixer, it’s an amazing workhorse. And when I’m working in my studio, I have it interfaced with ProTools, where it serves equally well as the tactile interface to my DAW. It’s a great piece of equipment.”
Newman also appreciates the Model 12’s MIDI interface, which enables him to integrate numerous types of equipment into the studio as needed. “With the MIDI In/Out capabilities, I can easily connect various keyboards, controllers, and other sources into my setup,” he reports. “This interface also enables the Model 12 to have synchronized operation with external multitrack recorders or drum machines. As a result, this small, self-contained console is a lot more powerful than it may initially appear.”
In addition to his fondness for the TASCAM Model 12, Newman is also an avid enthusiast of his TASCAM TX-06 headphones and TM-80 large diaphragm condenser microphone. “My TASCAM headphones help deliver the right sound for all my recording projects in a clear and concise manner,” he said. “Equally important, they are comfortable—and this is important so as not to be distracting when you need to focus. I also use a TASCAM TM-80 microphone. It works great for both my vocals and trumpet. I’d also like to add that Nolan Byrd, our drummer, uses the TASCAM TM-Drums microphone kit. The mic kit includes a TM-50DB dynamic kick drum mic, a TM-50DS dynamic snare drum mic, and two TM-50C overhead mics. Like all the other TASCAM gear we work with, the drum mics are excellent.”
Newman also reports he has a long history with TASCAM dating back to his use of a Portastudio, “I first used a Portastudio when I started playing live gigs. I remember I was 13 years old at the time. We used that Portastudio to make a demo so that we could shop our sound to other clubs and private event organizers. It was a quintessential piece of my equipment for years!”
As with many types of musical electronics, questions inevitably arise from time to time. Here too, Newman offered a positive assessment of his experience with TASCAM customer and technical support services, “Working with TASCAM has always been a real pleasure. They are always so helpful in everything they do for us. The caliber of the people behind a company is a direct reflection of the company itself. With TASCAM, this is a key element of what I am always drawn to.”
Before shifting his focus to the business before him, Newman offered these parting thoughts regarding his overall experience with TASCAM, “I have loved using TASCAM products over the years. They are always tough, durable, and consistently deliver sound great. The accuracy of the products is always above and beyond. TASCAM is a great company with an equally great history!”
To learn more about Brian Newman, visit him online at www.briannewman.com.
