To create the high-tech sounds heard on soundtracks and recordings, Douglas Spotted Eagle records at Native Restoration Studios. They feature digital audio tracking based around the popular DA-88 tape format developed by Tascam. Native Restoration also has a Tascam M-5000 automated mixing console, with 96 inputs to track, and over 140 inputs at mix. The TASCAM DA-88s are loaded with SY-88 SMPTE cards that output time code to the entire studio. SMPTE is used to synchronize Cakewalk, Sound Forge, and automation tasks in the recording room. Time code also allows Spot to send tapes to various musicians around the world, so that they may collaborate with him on his recordings, and he on theirs.

Native Restoration also features Cakewalk sequencing software, on a PC platform. This sequencing software controls all of Spot's samples, piano, extraneous effect settings, and much more. Nearly all of Douglas' composing is done on the Cakewalk 6.1 platform. Native Restoration is a test site for the Cakewalk product. Sonic Foundry's Forge program is also another important piece of software in the studio. Spot uses all of the Forge plug-ins for reverbs, compressors, maximizers, Q sound control, etc. Coupled with a Digital Audio Labs soundcard, and a Mark of the Unicorn Timepiece II (for SMPTE input) Forge makes for an unbeatable editor where speed and ease are a concern. Spot uses the Akai 3000 sampler, with all samples pre-edited in Forge, and digitally dumped to the Akai. Controlling the input for the sequencing system both on the road and in the studio, are Peavey keyboards. Several keyboards are used in the studio along with various sounds, but the controller is a Peavey DPM-4 controller, with a C88 backup.

Spot also uses the Sonic Foundry/Forge product in his studio as an editor for taped material. Triggering the Forge record program via SMPTE, he then transfers audio tracks from tape to hard disk, edits for noise, compression, EQ, reverb, etc, and then replaces the audio on tape. If the audio needs to be cut and pasted to various areas on the tape different than the original recorded sequence, then the audio is exported to Cakewalk, where various 'blocks' of sound can be copied, pasted, placed, and sent back to tape in perfect synchronization. Using an Adaptec 2940UW in each computer in the studio is a necessity. We have 3 PC's performing various tasks from video editing to sound editing, and these cards make for SPEED!!

Quick loops and audio information is also quickly built in the Sonic Foundry ACID program, which allows either the most amatuer musician or the most professional composer to quickly sketch audio tracks, and output to final product. ACID is a miraculous program that allows music from any tempo to be quickly matched with any other audio recorded at any other tempo. During the recording of "PRAY" there were several loops that had been recorded at a fast beat, that needed to be matched to drums of a much slower tempo. ACID allowed us to achieve this otherwise time consuming and nearly impossible task. Check out 'First Contact' and "Silent Trail' to hear these widely diverse loops. Spot has also recently added Pintech's electronic drums to the studio as well as using them on the "Voices of Native America" tour.

Qup Arts is a company that specializes in manufacturing sounds for musicians use, in devices known as samplers. Together with Doug Morton of Q-Up Arts, Spot has created a CD of samples entitled, Voices of Native America Volume 1. These sounds are heard on television shows such as the X-Files, Millenium, Johnny Quest, Star Wars Ewoks, and the TNT miniseries. The sounds are also heard on large screen films, such as The Scarlet Letter, Con Air, Broken Arrow, and Geronimo. The samples from Voices of Native America are used by industry pros, such as Mark Isham, Micheal Boddicker, David Arkenstone, Peter Buffett, and Michael Jackson. Keyboard Magazine named it 'the product to serve as an example to all who produce sampling products...."

Spot and Douglas Morton are currently hard at work on "Voices of Native America II, the Loops". This disk will be a follow up to the original disk, but instead of primarily being single hits or vocables of voices and various instruments, it will be primarily a series of loops at differing tempos, with lots of creative user-based choices in the creative process.

John Hardy preamps and Audio Technica 4033 mikes are the front end of the studio. While Spot uses an AudioTechnica 831 wireless on his flute while touring, he uses Audio Technica microphones in the Studio. Spot also uses Garwood in-ear monitoring while on the road.

Digitech and DBX products, made in Utah, are used for compression, digital effects, and control of sound. Douglas is a BETA site for DBX, and has had a great relationship with them since the purchase of Digitech by the Harmon Corporation.

Speaking of Utah, Spot does a lot of his purchasing through Progressive Music in Salt Lake City.

Native Restoration is an 1100 square foot set of 3 rooms, tracking room floated and isolated, control room with soffit mounted monitors, and Event stand based nearfields. Korg, Akai, Roland, Alesis, synthesizers, Lexicon, DBX, Alesis, Summit, and Digitech processing are all part of the studio's equipment list. Only ethnic music is recorded at Native Restoration, not only Native American recordings, but all minority based music. Rates are available upon request.

Lastly, while Spot has over 200 flutes in his collection, he has a large number of Scott Loomis' WindsSong flutes. Spot proudly endorses these flutes, he pays for them, and receives no 'freebies' from WindSong. He just really enjoys the quality of Scott's flutes. They cost a bit more overall, but for the real professional flute player, or even someone who is serious about improving their craft, this is the flute for you.

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