Emerald
Isle Technologies is a 21st Century,
all-digital company.
Our current endeavors include:
- Digital Audio
Capture and Recording, for Audio CD or Soundtracks, in our
own Recording Studio.
- Traditional
Musical Composition, on Guitar, Piano, and Vocal, by
professional musicians.
- Digital
Musical Composition, with high-quality Virtual Instruments
using SoundFont Technology.
- Digital FX
Engineering, professional capture and mix for Sound Effects
and Narratives.
- Audio
Engineering, using "state of the art" technology and software
for the "final mix".
- Output
Engineering to CD or DVD, using high-quality
industry-standards.
- Creative CD
and DVD Cover Art, by a professional artist with more than
20 years of experience.
- Digital
Photography and Enhancement, using "state of the art"
software and methods.
- CD and DVD
Production, small-run capability including cover prints and
assembly, output to CDR/DVDR .
Emerald Isle Technologies is a small, up-coming company,
currently devoted to audio and CD production. We make the most of the
equipment we have by using all digital processing and engineering. We
use only what is needed for original audio capture, resulting in a
clean, unfettered capture process. Using laptops and
state-of-the-art software, we can compose and master audio tracks in an
all-digital
fashion with amazing results. We have several musicians, audio
engineers and artists available to help give any project a unique,
creative outcome.
Our main audio-capture technician, Mike
Hurmans
has been a DJ and Karaoke Jockey (KJ) for more than 5 years. Mike is
not only the sole-proprietor of Emerald Isle Technologies, but also
applies his years of experience with audio equipment and management to
enhance our capture process. Mike is a wizard of "sculpting
the
sound" of a live performance. And, he's a pretty good
vocalist as
well!
Our main music composer and post-audio engineer (and our
Premier
Artist) is Ted Nicholas. Ted has many years of experience with digital
audio capture and composition of "virtual instruments."
Focusing
more on the "computer technology" side, Ted brings many
additional capabilities to the process. Visit his "Bio" page for more
of Ted's background. (Just click the Artists button, then on Ted's
link.)
Our "main bass" vocalist, Larry Hall is also a great musician and
lends his talents in the composition phase of every project. He has
been a musician for many years and is involved in most of the island
events, blending his bass vocals with many of our island
musicians. Always quick with a joke, Larry also provides us humor
and inspiration, a much needed part of our efforts in the studio.
Some of the
equipment we use....
Photo
by Mike Hurkmans
|
13-Channel Studio Mixer
for Mic and
Instrument
audio through-put.
6
Dynamic channels Input.
3 Stereo Line-In channels.
4
Stereo EQ Master Output Channels. |
8
Channel HD
Digital Recorder.
For recording "On the Go" and
in the Studio.
4
Track Dynamic
Line-In.
4 Channel Stereo mix-down tracks.
2
Master Line-Level Output tracks.
USB2 Connection for
direct-digital dump to computer. | Photo
by Mike Hurkmans |
Photo
by Ted Nicholas | LapTop
Recording/Audio Engineering Station
Mac Laptop
computer with
digital audio composition/mixing software.
Firewire Audio
breakout box w/4-channel In.
Dynamic Stereo Mics and single
Mono Mics.
Studio Monitor "Flat-Response" Headphones for
Mastering.
Alvarez - Yairi, 12 string guitar for
instrumentation and fill. |
 Click
here to see the "Building of the Studio."
Emerald
Isle Technologies is located on beautiful
Beaver
Island.
"If you lived
here, you'd be home by now!"
-Firesign Theater
 |
The most remote inhabited
island in the continental U.S.A. The island is located 30 miles from
the mainland, in the middle of Lake Michigan. You can only get to the
island by ferry-boat or airplane. Travel services start off from
Charlevoix, Michigan.
Most of the roads are gravel or dirt. But, we don't mind. In fact, we
kind of like it that way. Things are on "Island Time" here, and move a
little slower than they do
on the mainland. We have no fast-food, pizza delivery, traffic lights,
shopping malls
or business centers. |  |
St. James is the only
small town on the island, it's about 5 or 6 blocks long. There are
about 600 to 800 year-round locals, nobody knows the exact amount. We
have about 1500 to 2000 seasonal property owners and many summertime
visitors.
  |
The island has 2
lighthouses, Whiskey Point Lighthouse and Beaver Head South Point
Lighthouse. Whiskey Point Lighthouse is on the northern end of the
island and signals the way into the harbor, Paradise Bay. BeaverHead
Lighthouse is on the southern tip of the island and has been converted
into an alternative seasonal high school for troubled teens. |
 | Beaver
Island has many maintained nature and hiking trails through public and
State
Forest lands. Hiking through the fall
colors on a remote island is incredible!
Being an island, naturally, Beaver Island is surrounded by
stunning shoreline. It has rugged and wild rocky shores, as well as
sandy
comfortable beaches perfect for sunbathing and shell
hunting. |  |
  |
Summertime is beautiful, with pine covered sand dunes and warm summer
days,
exploring the island's outer shorelines.
Brilliant sunsets on Donegal Bay overlooking Lake Michigan
make for fantastic photos. |
 |
In the Winter, pristine snow covered landscapes lead to snowmobiling
and cross-country
skiing as the snowdrifts pile up on the beaches.
In the springtime, the Coastguard Cutter breaks through the
ice sheets, creating the first open waterway of the year, leading out
to the island. |  |
 |
Flocks of wild Turkey wander the island, often down the
middle of
the road. White-tailed Deer are everywhere, haunted by the Coyote packs
that follow their movements with hungry eyes. Loons nest in the inland
lakes, their long calls reverberating through the trees. Swans and
Geese dot the harbor along side the many fishing vessels and sailboats.
At night, Owls can be heard in the dark of the forest trees.
And if you're really interested in the wild life, you can
always
visit the Shamrock Bar, or Donegal Danny's Pub for some local whitefish
and dark beer. Enjoy some home-town music provided by the
many
island musicians.
Why do we choose to
live and work
on the most remote inhabited island in the continental U.S.A.? If you
ever visit Beaver Island, you won't have to ask. |
Beaver
Island photos by Ted Nicholas.
Photo enhancement and web
adaptations by Ted Nicholas.
"I
used to work in a fire hydrant factory. You couldn't park anywhere near
the place."
- Steven Wright
|
