welcome !
In the 1990s, Norihiko Yamanuki was contracted with a Singaporean record company FORM Record as chief engineer, producer, and composer.
He used a studio equipped with a British-made SSL console as
his workspace, and
He worked extensively with Asian artists and musicians from Europe and America.
His experience working in large studios remains valuable even in the digital age.
Beginning.
The recording studio is a fun, positive space filled with constant smiles.
There, musicians freely record the sounds that come to mind.
Most of the conversation consists of casual, lighthearted banter unrelated to the music.
What matters most is that everyone relaxes, lets go of inhibitions, and fully engages with the music.
Of course, people do exchange thoughts on the performance—comments like,
"Maybe we should try doing it this way there."
These suggestions tend to be expressed in terms of imagery or "feel" rather than as concrete, technical instructions.
While recording sessions generally proceed in a fun atmosphere,
this is all based on the premise that the musicians, the engineers, and everyone involved will
not make any mistakes.
Once a mistake occurs, the performance was gone and lost can never be recovered.
That is why the level of concentration and tension during a performance or recording session is incredibly intense.
New encounter.
My encounter with Synthsizer
I started as an apprentice at a music production studio owned by Shigenori Kamiya.
Studio owner Shigenori Kamiya introduced the ARP2500 synthesizer to Japan and served as a technical advisor for the instrument manufacturer Roland.
The studio was filled with almost every cutting-edge synthesizer model available at the time,
including:
ROLAND System700, JUPITER-8, JUPITER-6, Juno106
ARP Odyssey, Pro Soloist, String Ensemble, Quadra,
EMS SYNTHI AKS, Oberheim OB-8, Matrix-12
KORO MS20, YAMAHA Dx7...
This encounter with the synthesizer significantly influenced my path to becoming a composer.
Eliminate ethnic boundarie
In Singapore, I have created music with a wide variety of people from diverse ethnic backgrounds.
The photo shows the live performance setup of my close friend and fellow artist, Noor.
It features a combination of electronic percussion, the small tabla visible at the bottom of the photo is a pitched tabla.
and a snare drum.
I have truly created music with so many people from such diverse ethnic backgrounds.
I feel incredibly fortunate to have had these opportunities,
and I hope that not only I, but many others, can experience moving encounters that transcend ethnic boundaries.
I have learned that people can become close friends regardless of ethnicity,
And as long as the connections between people remain on an individual-to-individual basis, we can understand one another, and everyone is equal.
The difference between
analog tape and digital sampling
My career in the recording industry has spanned three generations:
starting with the analog tape recorders of the 1960s that used wide tape,
moving to digital multitrack recorders that used narrow magnetic tape,
and finally to the computer-based DAW systems used today.
While the specific methods for achieving "good sound"
differ across these formats,
the fundamental mindset at the starting point remains the same:
"Take the sound you hear—the sound you perceive as 'good'—
and consider how it changes when it passes through the equipment;
then, record with those characteristics in mind.
You want to leverage the equipment's unique traits to craft the sound you desire."
In the past, the standard for CDs was
"44.1kHz/16-bit."
This limited the high-end frequency responseto 22kHz.
Vinyl records, on the other hand,
contain high-frequency content reaching up to around 40kHz.
Meanwhile,
modern DAWs and audio interfaces
allow for recording at "96kHz/24-bit" or "48kHz/32-bit."
Theoretically, this enables a frequency response
that reaches 40kHz.
As for how to handle this—
please feel free to ask questions
via the "Contact Us" page.
My buddy
I'd like to introduce you to my true friends, with whom I am grateful for the many insights I have gained.
I will.
First call-Bassist in south Asia
Andy Peterson
With his honest character, he spanned Southeast Asia and China.
A top bassist who is constantly in demand for performances. A dear friend with whom I share a deep connection.
Composer, Recording Artist, Painter,
Mark Chan
A leading singer-songwriter from Singapore, and currently a talented artist busy preparing for a solo exhibition in the UK. (Album created together)
"Nature Boy" has become a masterpiece that will go down in history.
Composer, Grammy Artists, Spanish Guitarist
Ottmar Liebert
A German-born Spanish guitarist who has been nominated for a Grammy Award five times and has received 38 gold and platinum certifications in the United States. He is a close friend of a fellow musician whom he met in Singapore.
Jazz pianist, composer, producer,
Masahiro Sayama
One of the greatest contemporary jazz pianists.
We collaborated on a computer-based FusionUnit project and performed regularly at Roppongi PitInn.
Someone with whom I shared all my feelings during my early days. It was far too soon for him to pass away. He died in 2018 .
singer
Ryo Kagawa
A singer revered as a legend by many artists, including Miyuki Nakajima. His unique singing style, accompanied by his own guitar, and his respect for the Japanese language are unparalleled. I was fortunate to have a close relationship with him both professionally and personally, and he always requested my work for recordings . I am truly grateful.
Passed away in 2017
World-renowned acoustic designer
Sam Toyoshima
Abbey Road Studios, Townhouse Studio, etc.
An internationally recognized sound designer.
They designed the FORM studio that we contracted in Singapore. After returning to Japan, they also undertook the construction of the studio for the vocational school we contracted.
A warm-hearted and admirable international figure.
We are hiring!
My toy box: Plugin Synthsizers
#TB303クローン :
ABL3ｘ,
Phoscyon
#Drums & Percussion :
Addictive Drums2,
XO,
Triaz,
SSDSampler 5.
Splash Sound-Djembe
Kontakt7>Transient Percussion Pro, One Man Tribe Volume 2, Soundiron Tablas,
Rhapsody Orchestral Percussions,
BigBang Stereo2 x64
#Piano, Electric Piano
Ravel Grand Piano
Addictive Keys,
Capsule,
MiniGramd x64,
Velvet x64
Kontakt7>Alicia Keys, The Gentleman,
MNDALA 2>Klavir,
#Synthsizer
carbon electra 64bit
Massive,
Massive X
MOLOSS 1
Morphox 64
Odin2
Pigments
Serum x64
Sutge XT
Sylenth 1
Synth1 VST64
TAL-Elekt7ro-Ⅱ
tunefish4
Vital
Wavestable
UADx PolyMAX Synth
Syntronik 2
Reactor6
Kontakt7>Analog Dream, Ethreal Earth, Play Series Section,
Retro Machines Mk2
#Strings
Miroslav Philharmonik 2
Kontakt7>Session Strings, Spitfire solo Cello, Furia staccato Strings
#Brass
Kontakt7>Bravura Scoring Brass-chords and FX, Muted Trumpet Harmon,
Rhapsody Orchestral Colors,
#Vocal
Bloom Vocal Aether, Kontakt7>Rhapsody Vocalisa
#Sampler
Grace
SampleTank 4
#Mellotronクローン
M-Tron Pro
#Instrument Platform
Kontakt7>Straight Ahead Bass, Ballinese Gamelan2,
Play_VST_x64>Ew Ra, Silk,
#Loop wave
Loopcloud Drum
Loopcloud Play
Loopcloud Sounds
My toy box: Plugin Efector
#Analysis
VU Meter
Phase Meter
#Delay
Analog Delay
AIR Delay Pro_x64
Beat Delay
Groove Delay
ValhallaFreqEcho
#Distortion
Empire
AmpliTube 5
Bitcrusher
Reding Dist
TONEX
#Dynamics
CLA-2A-Mono
CLA-2A-Stereo
DC1A3
Invisible Limiter G3, G2
Limits-Z_v2
Multiband Dynamics
Nu Compressor
SSL Native Bus Compressor
UADx 1176 FET Compressor
Softube VCA Compressor
Grip x64
Material Comp
Model N Channel
Uni Channel
#EQ
F6-RTA Mono, Stereo
Pulser W495
TDR VOS Stick EQ
TranQuilizr G2
TDR Kotelnikov GE
UADx API Vision Channel Strip
#Modulation
DJM Filter
Filterjam
Retro Fi Mono/Stereo
Rotor
ValhallaSpaceModulator
Effectrix
elsya niveau Filter
Melodyne
NeonGlow
PanCake2-64bit
Pitchproof-x64
ValhallaSupermassive
#Reverbe
Valhalla Vintage Verb
Kujaku
Open Air
SparkVerb
UADx Sound City Studios
ValhallaSupermassive
