All Posts by Vladlens Vasilcenko

Colt talked about designing his new home studio, outsourcing drum tracks, taking an artist from work tape to master, tricks for tuning and doubling guitars, and the power of building your production career through social media.

My guest today is Colt Capperrune who for the past 18 years has been a FOH engineer, studio engineer, live guitarist, and songwriter. His focus these days is Producing, Mixing, Session guitarist, Artist Development, and Mastering. In the past several years you could add Social Media Influencer to that list too. 

He produced his first record when he was 19, and has now charted Top 40 on Billboard, had #1's on iTunes, Amazon, and other radio charts. He has spoken at Belmont University, and is super passionate about developing artists so they make a living from their music. His website even makes a point of showing before and after examples of starting with a worktape for an artists and developing a finished production.

I connected with Colt recently through another guest on the show Daniel Ford, and I’m psyched to talk about producing awesome guitar records and whatever else we can come up with.

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Andy talked about learning under Bob Ludwig, mix levels from CLA, monitors, mixing and mastering for the car stereo, the MFiT standard, and how you can deliver better mixes from your home studio.

My guest today is Andy VanDette a mastering engineer who started his career interning at the legendary Masterdisk under Bob Ludwig. After completing his degree in Tonmeister Studies, he was hired full time. During the CD’s explosion, he spent time with other mastering luminaries -Tony Dawsey, Howie Weinberg, Greg Fulginiti, Greg Calbi, and Vlado Meller. 

He learned more than just how to Master and cut vinyl. He observed their perspectives on processing and musicality. By the time the MFiT standard was introduced, Andy had been Chief Engineer for 14  years and had mastered classic albums from the Beastie Boys, Uncle Kracker, Whitney Houston, David Bowie, Rush, Deep Purple, Porcupine Tree, Dream Theater, and more.

Andy has spoken at audio schools, AES conventions. Interviewed for the New York times, Ars Technica, SonicScoop.com, MusicPlayers.com, and presented “Friends Don’t Let Friends Press Bad Vinyl” at SXSW 2015.

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Tim talked about studio design, the amazing sound of analog tape, and his complete mixing template breakdown for a hybrid analog meets digital setup at Eclectica Studio.

My guest today is Tim Dolbear who cut his musical teeth playing live with people such as Sammy Hagar, and in the studio with his mentor, producer Keith Olsen. Currently, he works with both labels and independent artists, and receives projects from all over the world. Since 1999, He has owned and operated Eclectica Studios, originally located in Los Angeles, operations were moved to Austin TX in 2006. In 2019 Eclectica Studios moved to its current location in Nashville.

Tim is a guest lecturer for audio production at many colleges throughout N America including Blackbird Academy, NYU and SAE. Tim is also a published writer who writes for MIX, Sound on Sound, and Professional Sound Magazine.  

I met Tim recently through Mark Rubel at Blackbird Academy. So thanks again Mark!

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Steve talked about how to mix a record from analog tape through a console with advice for how to mix in Pro Tools, techniques for mixing kick, snare, and toms, aligning bass, getting the low end right, mixing vocals, and lots more!

My guest today is Steve Albini musician engineer and owner of Electrical Audio in Chicago. Steve is known for his love of analog tape and extensive discography that includes artists like Nirvana, The Pixies, The Breeders, Robert Plant & Jimmy Page, The Stooges, Cheap Tick, and PJ Harvey to name only a few of more than a thousand records he has made spanning the past 40 years. 

Steve has also been a previous guest on the podcast when we talked about his start in recording and creating Electrical Audio. So please check out that episode RSR078. He also makes time to speak publicly about music and recording and teaches as well through Mix With The Masters.

So on today’s episode I thought I would focus more on mixing and see what we can learn about mixing records on analog tape through consoles and also how that might inform the decisions we make when mixing digitally in the computer as well (or not).

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James talked about creating videos for Production Expert, how to shoot great video for your music in the studio, Location Recording studio in the UK, how to record great sounding drums in a small studio, and how to create a network backup system.

My guest today is James Ivey, the Technical Editor of Pro Tools Expert and owner and facilitator at Location Recordings in London UK. 

James has been playing drums since the tender age of 7, performing his first paid gigs at the age of 8. From that moment on there was no stopping him. His parents brought him is first 4-track tape recorder (a Tascam Porta 01 costing well over £1000) at the age of 12 which gave him the bug for recording and ever since then he has been collecting and acquiring gear to make his studio and productions the best they can be.

James’ first job in the audio industry was with a pop video production company where he learned what the term deadline really means and other audio skills which have stuck with him, like the importance of clock and sync. Since then he has worked for studio equipment suppliers and installers as well as companies like Sibelius and later Avid and a production demonstrator.

James or Jivey is officially the Production Expert gear junkie. If it makes a noise and you can play it or record it, he’s interested.

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Sara talked about engineering at the BBC, acoustic treatment and monitoring for her home studio, the power of polarity, mixing on faders, building the perfect website, and even brewing beer!

My guest today is Sara Carter, a BBC trained, mixing and mastering engineer based in Basingstoke in the UK.

Sara started recording and mixing music in the mid-’90s from a small home studio as a hobby. In 2000, at the somewhat ripe age of 34, she decided to find out how to turn that hobby into a full-time career. 

She studied at the SAE Institute in London gaining an Audio Engineering Diploma, then went on to work for the BBC in London as a Studio Manager. There she engineered many of the UKs most popular radio shows and live music sessions. Working from the BBCs Maida Vale Studios, she developed her critical listening skills by working with a wide variety of artists on numerous sessions and has been credited on records by Corrine Bailey Rae and KT Tunstall amongst others. 

In 2009, Sara decided to take a break from broadcasting and left the BBC to explore a different career in brewing. However, in recent years, she has felt a strong calling back to music and returned with her online mixing and mastering business serving unsigned rock and indie bands from all over the world.

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Langston talked about creating the sound of analog tape with Zulu, the importance of bonding with bands before hitting record, how to politely be an asshole in the studio, and how to get amazing inspired drum sounds so you never use triggers.

My guest today is Langston Masingale who started working in recording studios 25 years ago at age 16 in his uncle’s studio in New Jersey. He went on to help start JJ Audio Mics in 2009. In 2014, he struck out on his own and invented what would become the core technology of his tape-emulation product, Zulu. He formed Handsome Audio in 2015 with his partner Tod Levine, and they released Zulu that same year. 

Langston also owns a recording studio, Narrative Audio, in Syracuse, New York, where he produces and records artists. 

He loves to create new and interesting tools for the modern recording engineers and producers. And his early exposure to analog tape has guided and shaped his sonic perspective in a world of digital audio.

A big thank you to Alan Evans for introducing us. And also make sure to check out Matt Boudreau’s new book from Working Class Audio Jornal Volume 1 where you can read his interview with Langston too.

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Bill talked about writing songs in Nashville, being huge in Japan with Swan Dive and Brad Jones, and interviewing legends David Bowie, Burt Bacharach, Neil Finn, and Ken Scott. Plus many other great lessons about writing!

My guest today is Bill Demain a Nashville songwriter, producer, author, and even self started walking tour guide of downtown Nashville. As one half of Swan Dive, Bill DeMain has released ten acclaimed albums over the past 15 years with his singing partner Molly Felder, and were huge in Japan, Thailand and Korea.  

He’s also written songs for and with many other artists, including Teddy Thompson & Kelly Jones, Marshall Crenshaw, David Mead, Bleu, Kim Richey, Jill Sobule and Boo Hewerdine. His songs have appeared on TV shows like Sons of Anarchy, Private Practice andThe L Word, and in commercials for Laniege Cosmetics, Unicef and Sky Mobile.

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