My guest today is Shane D Wilson a Grammy-nominated, chart-rocking, multi-genre

music recording engineer. Starting out in the audio technology program at Indiana University, Shane later relocated to Nashville TN in 1991 (same year that I did) and was soon assisting some of the top engineers in town.

Not long after that Shane was able to establish himself as a principal engineer through his work with Charlie Peacock Productions. His career has led him to work with bands like Switchfoot, David Crowder, Derek Webb, Amy Lee, Owsley, Michael W Smith, Mercy Me and Wes Cunningham among many.

Shane often works from his cozy St Izzy’s Of The East Studio using a creative hybrid of analog and digital technologies to create beautiful sounds. And we will talk about how he likes to record and mix music on the show.

Jam Session:

Q - What was holding you back at the start?

A - The tendency to believe that you know it all... really feeling like you have it all together. You need to be open to new ideas, especially starting out. Go learn about new technology to make it the best it can be even with limitations.

Q- What was some of the best advice you got early on?

A - Do your best not to piss anyone off. If you’re really battling a kick drum sound, look around 500 hz. You might find you don’t want it in there so much.

Q- Share with us a recording tip, hack, or secret sauce.

A - The first thing that comes to mind is, I remember when I first got started with audio when I was 13 at a little church where a guy let me help with live sound stuff. Later on someone else took over and rewired everything. The new guy’s defense was, “we are gonna break the console, because we aren’t using stuff for what it’s labeled for.” Even at 13 I thought that was stupid. But later on, one of the most fun ways I work on a session is using pieces of gear for things other than what they have been made for. Just because something is labeled that it does X, doesn’t mean it can’t be used for Y. It can open up a whole new world for sound.

Q - Share a favorite hardware tool for the studio

A- Roland Space Echo RE-201. Love it for tracking, love it for mixing. It is old school, but you can find it on reverb.com, craigslist, or ebay. There are several models of it.

Q - Share a favorite software tool for the studio

A - The Soundtoys suite of plugins. Everything that company does makes me smile. I have multiples of their stuff on every mix. They release their free plugin at South by Southwest every year. They started with the Radiator, and Lexicon Prime Time Delay (Primaltap) and a couple others. Keep your eye out on social media around that time for free downloads. I am also in love with the Fabfilter Pro-Q 2 EQ it's a great surgical EQ. You can actually real-time visualize the problem areas while you’re EQ-ing.

Q - Share with us a tip for the business side of the recording studio

A - This is a bit of advice. One of the guys for whom I was an intern for gave me some business advice specifically about taxes. Every check he has a separate savings account that he diverts money to, so if you’re paying quarterly or annually, there’s always something there. I always take about 25% of every check and put it in a savings account and pay my taxes out of that. Don’t forget about self-employment tax! Plan ahead. If you’re worried about stuff, it affects your art. Gear buying is a deductible, same with medical expenses.

Q - If you had to start over what gear would you need? How would you find people to record? And how would you make ends meet while you got started?

A - It really is a great time to be making music, you can be creative almost anywhere now. So if i was starting over, I would get an affordable laptop, the Apollo UA series of interfaces are the most stupidly, ridiculous, cool things that have come along especially with their plugins that model preamps, a Shure SM7, and some good cans. If i had those tools, i think it would be possibly to realize their art in most situations. I would hope to meet them in local clubs and coffee shops. Price yourself accordingly. Don't be afraid to make money doing something that’s not related to your art to make ends meet, but at the same time, don’t put yourself in such a safe place that you lose track of the ability to keep creating.

Q - What is the single most important thing a listener can do to become a rockstar of the recording studio?

A - Listen. Listen to people for whom you have respect for what they do. Listen to music. It’s easy to stop listening after you’ve been doing this for awhile.

Facebook: Shane D Wilson Recording Engineer/Mixer

http://www.robotlemon.com/

If you have any or questions about recording you would like me to answer on the show or suggestions for the show please email me:

lij@recordingstudiorockstars.com

If you dig the show and find it helpful I would be honored if you would subscribe, and leave a rating, & review in iTunes.

And if you want to get on the email list for free content full of videos, tips, studio tricks, and special offers just text RSROCKSTARS to 33-444 from your phone (super easy and I promise you won’t get spammed!)

Cheers!

Lij

RSR017 - Mark Rubel - Blackbird Academy

My guest is Mark Rubel, the Co-Director of Education and Instructor at The Blackbird Academy, which is an intensive recording school at famed Blackbird Studios in Nashville, TN. Since 1980, Mark has made about a zillion recordings at his Pogo Studio in Champaign IL (currently reopening in Nashville), including such artists as Alison Krauss, Jay Bennett, Ludacris, Hum, Adrian Belew, Melanie, Fall Out Boy, Duke Special, and many others.

Mark has taught audio, music business and other subjects at the college level since 1985, and presents audio panels and workshops for various schools and professional organizations around North America. He writes occasionally for recording magazines, including his Tape Op interviews with Les Paul and Terry Manning. Mark also works as an audio consultant and legal expert witness. His band Captain Rat and the Blind Rivets has been rocking East Central Illinois and beyond for 35 years and counting. Mark continues to cultivate students, cats, songs and friendships in The New Center of the Universe (Nashville), along with his saintly wife Nancy and their intrepid guinea pig, Huckleberry.

We conducted the interview in the truly unique Blackbird Studio C designed by George Massenburg. With walls made of infinitely random lengths of wooden sticks it makes for an ideal space for an interview. All sound is perfectly diffuse.  

Mark also told us about some really cool recordings that were recorded or mixed in Blackbird Studio C:

A video of Dawn (daughter of Anne Murray) recording live in C, a great example of what it was made to do:

Mixed in C, a record that I use to check monitor systems and rooms, produced by Alison Krauss, recorded with an A-team and mixed by Gary Paczosa:

“I want to support musicians and what they do because I think it makes the world a better place…” - Mark Rubel @blackbirdpro

Click to Tweet

“Recording is as much of an art as poetry or painting and i think that great recordings will be something that will nourish people in the future” - Mark Rubel @blackbirdpro

Click to Tweet

Jim Dickinson -(quoted by Mark Rubel)

The unretainable nature of the present creates in Man a desire to capture the moment. Our fears of extinction compel us to record to recreate the ritual ceremony. From the first hand-print cave painting to the most modern computer art, it is the human condition to seek immortality. Life is fleeting. Art is long. A record is a totem, a document of an unique, unrepeatable event worthy of preservation and able to sustain historic life. The essence of the event is its soul. Record production is a subtle, covert activity. The producer is an invisible man. His role remains a mystery. During the recording process there is an energy field present in the studio to manipulate and to maximize that presence to focus on the peculiar "harmony of the moment" is the job of the producer. Music has a spirit beyond the notes and rhythm. To foster that spirit and to cause it to flourish to capture it at its peak is the producer's task.

“Let the musicians be in control of the music. Capture it well.” Mark Rubel @blackbirdpro

Click to Tweet

“Fix it before the mix!” Lij Shaw coining a new Rubel’s Law @blackbirdpro

Click to Tweet

The Jam Session:

Q: What was holding you back when you started recording?

A :Uncertainty and over thinking things. I tried to be too practical thinking, “Oh I love recording and being in a studio, but I could never do that.” I’m glad I’ve overcome it.

“If you have your eye on the star that you are following you can derive all those other decisions from that point” - Mark Rubel @blackbirdpro

Click to Tweet

Q: What was some of the best advice that you remember receiving?

A: The advice my father gave my sister. My sister is an artist and he was a theoretical mathematician. He said to her, "The important thing about painting, is painting." 

“The important thing about painting is painting…” Mark Rubel on recording music @blackbirdpro

Click to Tweet

Q: Share a recording tip, hack, or secret sauce.

A: I can’t believe I’m about to give you a ProTools tip, but this is a fun and hidden trick… When you’re working on a particular place in a song, you can create a moving marker for what you're working on and it is marker number 999. You’re at the place where you’re about to record and you hit period on the numeric keypad, zero, and enter twice. Marker 999 will appear on the marker strip from then on whenever you want to go to the place you’re working now, you hit period, zero, period and it will always take you there.

“Headphones I say are the enemy of music…” Mark Rubel on recording musicians without headphones @blackbirdpro

Click to Tweet

Q: Tell us about a favorite hardware tool for the studio.

A: There are so many, but let me mention a few affordable things, Akai made little microphones that go with reel to reel tape decks they start with ADM 9, 11, and 13. They average about $10, they make good drum mics. There's another one I recommend, a remarkable good mic Nady StarPower series, SP5 & SP9 cost me $9.95. They will outdo much more expensive microphones.

“There are some things you can’t do without. Good monitors and a good listening environment” - Mark Rubel @blackbirdpro

Click to Tweet

“If you don’t commit to a sound early on then you’re building the rest of the song on shifting quicksan!” Mark Rubel @blackbirdpro

Click to Tweet

Q: What is a favorite software tool?

A: I like the emulations of the transient designer, the SPL plug-ins. That’s a highly useful thing for getting drums to speak. A transient designer is an interesting device that has two knobs, attack and release and it actually changes the attack and release times of things.

“How do you make a great sounding recording? You make a great sound and you record it well!” Rubel’s Law @blackbirdpro

Click to Tweet

Q: What business advice do you have?

A: A guy named Joe Montarello, he has a company called Studio Insurance Program. Something we don’t think about but is a great resource for a studio of any size. His program is excellent and allows for things like new room treatments or backup hard drives if an unfortunate event would occur. He backs up Blackbird and my own personal studio.

“Invest in capability” Mark Rubel on what recording equipment to buy @blackbirdpro

Click to Tweet

Q: If you were dropped into a strange land and could only take a simple setup to record. What would you take? How would you find people to record? And how would you make ends meet to start out?

A: As far as equipment, whatever was at hand. I could be very happy with an Apollo and a laptop and a number of reasonably good mics. I would go to where the artists go to congregate, and making ends meet... That’s difficult to say maybe I would teach. If you can edit well, especially drums, and you know how to tune vocals, I think there’s work in that sort of thing.

“You can have all the best equipment in the world, but if you can’t hear what you’re doing then you’re just groping in the dark!” Mark Rubel @blackbirdpro

Click to Tweet

Q: What is the single more important thing to do to become a Rockstar of the recording studio?

A: I would say to be alert and alive, to be engaged and curious, and to always be listening and always paying attention to every kind of art: music, literature, poetry, film. To be completely engaged and passionately devoted to what you do. Always have a quest to learn more.

“Making music is one of the best things that a person can do” - Mark Rubel @blackbirdpro

Click to Tweet

Find out more about Mark Rubel and Blackbird below:

BlackbirdStudio.com

TheBlackbirdAcademy.com

mrubel@theblackbirdacademy.com

If you have any or questions about recording you would like me to answer on the show or suggestions for the show please email me:

lij@recordingstudiorockstars.com

If you dig the show and find it helpful I would be honored if you would subscribe, and leave a rating, & review in iTunes.

And if you want to get on the email list for free content full of videos, tips, studio tricks, and special offers just text RSROCKSTARS to 33-444 from your phone (super easy and I promise you won’t get spammed!)

Credits: Thanks so much to Merissa Marx and Hunter Hansen for assisting with editing audio and show notes. You guys totally rock!

Cheers!

Lij

My guest on the show today is Dave Hagen, Head Engineer at Dark Horse Recording in Franklin, TN. Dark Horse is one of the longest lived large studio complexes in the Nashville area featuring multiple studios, and complete artist accommodations amid a stunningly beautiful Tennessee countryside backdrop.

Dave works with an extremely diverse client base including OneRepublic, Relient K, Matthew West, For King and Country, Tenth Avenue North, Ashley Judd, Newsboys and many others.

And not only are his recording credits impressive but so is his beard which has been featured on CNN Money, and many band documentaries.

Dave also helped develop teaching curriculum for the Dark Horse Institute, build and design several new studios, and has taught many students the skills needed to get started in the music industry.

But most importantly, Dave is about to adopt his second child and has the enviable task of struggling to split his time between family and work that he loves.

The Jam Session:

Q: What was holding you back when you started recording?

A : I couldn’t get people in front of my microphones! And finding good instruments and good people to record is really key to getting a good sound. I did a lot of going to shows, talking to bands, offering them free recording time.

Often free means it’s worth nothing. And so there’s a good chance that if you’re offering to record for free that people will assume that you’re no good. And so they might want to go somewhere to spend money because their time is valuable. But by the same token you can’t charge what the real working professionals are charging if you’re just starting out. So there’s always this fine line I wanted to walk between not trying to undercut people who are actually doing all the work. So you have to be careful advertising for something like that, because that can really distance you from all the other professionals in your career.

Q: What was some of the best advice that you remember receiving?

A: Early on the best advice I got about mixing was just don’t do so much. If it’s a great instrument it will sound great with almost nothing done to it. A lot of times I can just turn up the pre amp on the snare drum and it sounds pretty dang good! When I find myself trying to crank an EQ on a snare drum to make it sound good it’s just never gonna sounds good…

When you start overdoing your EQ overdoing your compression, or reverb that stuff to me just never sounded very successful. And a few people helped me find the error of my ways when I was doing that.

Q: Share a recording tip, hack, or secret sauce.

A: I heard people talking about using all sorts of tricks to get that telephone sound. So I just went out and got an old telephone instead and wired it up. It’s very much like a copperphone. So Ill load it up underneath the drums and often it might get deleted, but every so often it gives me this perfect brightness on the snare that somehow doesn’t capture any cymbals. It sort of becomes my snare bottom mic and Ill blend it in with the others. It gives me that texture and grit of the snare but without the individual wires. It’s just a crunch that layers on top of the drum kit. Ill put it on the floor and wrap it in a hand towel. It gives it the “Dave Hagen flair”

Q: Tell us about a favorite hardware tool for the studio.

A: Geffell M71 is great for piano, acoustic, and often wins vocal shootouts. Gefel is the East German side of Neuman. They had all the same patents.

Q: What is a favorite software tool?

A: Klanghelm MJUC and VUMT . Cool Vari Mu compressor and VU meters

Q: What business advice do you have?

A: Dave’s advice for business is to talk to somebody that knows more than you do. He was not an expert so he talked to those who knew more about it

Q: If you were dropped into a strange land and could only take a simple setup to record. What would you take? How would you find people to record? And how would you make ends meet to start out?

A: “The key to being successful in the music industry is just outlasting a whole lot of other people. This is what you do instead of getting a real job. There’s a whole lot of people that want to get out here and do this. And so most of them will realize that this is also hard work and give up on it in a short amount of time. So if you are persistent about it you’ve got a really good shot at making that work.

In terms of a personal setup Lij you’ve got it! You’ve got it right here in a suitcase:

• M-Audio 2626

• Mic Stands

• Cables

• Miktek PM9 microphones

• MacBook Pro

• Pro Tools

• At Dark Horse Institute they are using the Apollo Twin

Get a job that allows you to be flexible enough to take any session whenever it comes along. And surround yourself with great music, people, and every recording session that you can get into.

Q: What is the single more important thing to do to become a Rockstar of the recording studio?

A: Just keep doing it. So many people quit after a couple of years and don’t stick it out. Even though I still feel regularly like I have failed I continue on and don’t quit. But I still strive to balance dedication to work in the studio, and family at home.

DarkHorseRecording.com

DarkHorseInstitute.com

If you have any or questions about recording you would like me to answer on the show or suggestions for the show please email me:

lij@recordingstudiorockstars.com

If you dig the show and find it helpful I would be honored if you would subscribe, and leave a rating, & review in iTunes.

And if you want to get on the email list for free content full of videos, tips, studio tricks, and special offers just text RSROCKSTARS to 33-444 from your phone (super easy and I promise you won’t get spammed!)

Credits: Thanks so much to Merissa Marx and Hunter Hansen for assisting with editing audio and show notes. You guys totally rock!

Cheers!

Lij

My guest today is Ronan Chris Murphy, a producer, mixer, and recording artist. Ronan has spent the past 25 years playing and recording music. He started out playing in punk bands in Washington DC touring and sharing stages with Dinosaur Jr, The Flaming Lips, the Henry Rollins Band, and Gwar (In fact he may still be covered in fake blood as we speak).

Ronan then moved into production and mixing in a multitude of music genres. Jazz, Rock, Progressive, folk, pop, classical, and world music are all part of Ronan’s discography. Recording has taken him to three continents with artists from Dozens of different countries where he has helped some of the greatest artists in the world push the envelope and take their music visions to the next level. His productions have received wide critical acclaim, been featured in films and television, won awards, and hit the top ten around the world.

As a producer, engineer and/or mixer, Ronan Chris Murphy has worked with the likes of King Crimson, Steve Morse, Terry Bozzio, Steve Stevens, Tony Levin, and Nels Cline to name a few, as well as various projects featuring members of Tool, Ministry, Weezer, Dishwalla, and Yes.

He continues to collaborate with artists as a songwriter and musician and perform his own music with Lives of the Saints and will soon release his first solo album featuring Tony Levin, Terry Bozzio, Pat Mastelotto and Mike Keneally.

Ronan is a member of the Music Producers Guild of the Americas, the Recording Academy, writes for multiple publications, and is a speaker and panelist at various recording and music events. Ronan also has a cool podcast called Ronan’s Recording Show.

And one of the coolest things Ronan has for you, Rockstars, is a series of international recording workshops called Home Recording Boot Camp. This is an opportunity for you to get inside the studio for a powerful face to face classroom session. Ronan takes you through an intense journey of the studio and all its components from the gear, to recording, to mixing. Class is in session a few times a year, and you can click through below to learn more.

Drum Recording Boot Camp

Ronan Chris Murphy shares everything he has learned recording and mixing some of the greatest drummers in the world.

RECORD DRUMS LIKE THE PROS

​

Take A Look Inside! lorem ipsum dolor

Cool stuff Lij & Ronan mentioned on the show:

• Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991

• Tape Op Larry Crane

• Eric Royer The Guitar Machine

• Bilsom 1010924 Leightning L3 Headband Earmuffs

• Vic Firth drummer headphones

• Tone Wizards: Interviews With Top Guitarists and Gear Gurus On the Quest For The Ultimate Sound

The “Jam Session” Q&A:

Q: What was holding you back at the beginning?

A: I think it was not going for stuff all the way. Why didn’t I just pick up the phone and call? Why wasn’t I proactive? I didn’t have the courage to get up and go for stuff that I wanted.

Q: Some of the best advice you received early on?

A: Tony Levin taught me to, “Show up on time.” One of the most professional musicians schooled me, saying I’ll be here and I’ll be ready to work. It humbled me. Ever since then, I try hard to never be late. You never want to be that person in a project that keeps it from moving forward.

Q: Recording tip, hack or secret sauce?

A: When you are recording to 24 bit or greater digital DO NOT RECORD WITH HOT LEVELS. There are so many downsides. Keep it at -10dBFS max for the loudest peaks.

Q: Favorite hardware tool?

A: I’m nuts about the A Designs Pacifica mic pre. Empirical Labs Distressors allow me to push things farther than a lot of other hardware will let me do.

Q: Favorite software tool?

A: Izotope RX (sound restorator) I got a free copy, but I went and bought it anyways. I love that it removes a lot of limitations and barriers of my creativity. 

Q: A good resource for the business?

A: Use social media smartly in terms of how you want to be presented and the people you want to attract. Be relatable and a good resource, people are looking for people they trust. I have a bookkeeper that does mine, but if you can, build a team of people to help you.

Q: Single most important thing a listener can do to become a rockstar of the recording studio?

A: Listen. One - developing craft. Really listen not only to the music but go in and study records you love academically. How bright or dark are the reverbs? Where is the kick drum sitting, how bright? Go component by component.

Two - At the end of the day this is a people business. Find ways to get out and really connect with people and make friends! Online communities are a start too. At the end of the day we work with people we like and trust being with.

Q: If you moved to a new place, what simple set up would you bring?

A: We take Macbook Pro, Apogee Duet 2, Shure SM7B, Shure KSM 32, Shure SM 57, Triton Audio Fethead, couple headphones and splitter. That covers almost all settings we run into.

How can listeners find you?

Recordingbootcamp.com

Ronan’s Recording Show

Studio - Venetowest.com

Twitter- @RonanCmurphy

Facebook - recording bootcamp

If you have any or questions about recording you would like me to answer on the show or suggestions for the show please email me:

lij@recordingstudiorockstars.com

If you dig the show and find it helpful I would be honored if you would subscribe, and leave a rating, & review in iTunes.

And if you want to get on the email list for free content full of videos, tips, studio tricks, and special offers just text RSROCKSTARS to 33-444 from your phone (super easy and I promise you won’t get spammed!)

Credits: Thanks so much to Merissa Marx and Hunter Hansen for assisting with editing audio and show notes. You guys totally rock!

Cheers!

Lij

My guest on the show today is Greg Norman. He is a freelance recording engineer, producer, and audio designer and technician from Chicago, IL. Greg records both from his home studio and at Electrical Audio, a multi-room studio belonging to Steve Albini that specializes in recording to analog tape.

His discography is  a “list of who’s who in cool bands” including: Andrew Bird, The Killers, Guided By Voices, The Autumn Defense, & Kim Deal (of The Pixies).

The search for new and better sounds pushed Greg to start creating his own audio gear. He created Normaphone which is his moniker for all audio electronic constructions that he does independent of Electrical Audio (where he has been steadily running the tech shop for many years). One of his notable products is the beautiful MXPre L1c mic preamp that he designed for use in the Sony MXP 3000 series console.

Norman equipment for sale at Electrical

Despite all these talents, as Larry Crane of Tape Op Magazine says, -- Greg is “a nice guy.”

Greg and his friends had always been big fans of Steve Albini. Albini played in and produced bands Greg loved listening to including the Pixies and Nirvana. Greg got Albini’s number through a friend and decided to call him and ask if he was offering an internship. After a resounding yes, the rest seems to be history! Today Greg and Steve work at Electrical Audio based out of Chicago, IL.

Check out Greg’s Tech Journal from Electrical Audio, which he has been faithfully documenting since the start of 2003.

Q: Can you share an important failure or setback in your career that turned out to be a great lesson?

A: When I first started I noticed I would record every band the same, using that “Steve” sound. I ended up getting into a rut, all my music starting sounding the same. I had to re-light the fire to try something new and creative. I opened myself up to new music and bands such as Locrian and Sonic Soundscapes to notice different sounds and production techniques.

Q : While making experimental records, how did you come up with some of your recording techniques?

A: Sometimes I feel trapped in front of a computer using plug-ins all day, so I like to improvise and look for real objects to use. Anything that produces sound can be used to record such as a handheld tape recorder, boom box, or speakers. They just have to be re-wired.

Q: Conceptually, when do you know it’s a good idea to get outside the box?

A: You can tell when a band has an urge to do something different. If a song reaches a dead zone, verify why and then see if something can make it better. I try to make the best out of every little bit.

The “Jam Session” Q&A:

Q : At the beginning, what was holding you back?

A: Nothing serious, once I realized I could just walk up and talk to anyone, my inhibitions disappeared. Everyone needs time and courage to realize they can talk to people.

Q: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

A: When I was working with a freelance engineer, our clients were getting upset. He told me to keep cool and keep things moving not focusing on the negative things. Keeping band insulated from studio related problems, keeps them happier clients.

Q: What’s a fun recording tip?

A: When trying to get that telephone sound on a vocal track. Transfer the signal to another channel and flip the phase. Then you can EQ the flipped signal to create the weird filter.

Q: What’s your favorite book or movie?

​

Q: What’s your favorite hardware tool?

Q: Favorite software tool?

Q: What’s the single most important thing person can do to become rockstar in recording?

A:

http://www.normaphone.com/normaphone-mxpre-lc1

http://www.electricalaudio.com/

http://www.normaphone.com/home

If you have any or questions about recording you would like me to answer on the show or suggestions for the show please email me:

lij@recordingstudiorockstars.com

If you dig the show and find it helpful I would be honored if you would subscribe, and leave a rating, & review in iTunes.

And if you want to get on the email list for free content full of videos, tips, studio tricks, and special offers just text RSROCKSTARS to 33-444 from your phone (super easy and I promise you won’t get spammed!)

Credits: Thanks so much to Merissa Marx and Hunter Hansen for assisting with editing audio and show notes. You guys totally rock!

Cheers!

Lij

My guest on the show today is a friend and studio team member, Joe Hutchinson. Joe is a professional mastering engineer right here in Nashville TN. But he masters records for artists from all over the world. Whether Canadian blues, Austrian folk music, or American Christian music Joe often helps indie artists finish their records with a major label sound.

Joe is also a part of my team at the Bonnaroo Hay Bale Studio and The Pilgrimage Sessions, where we record, mix, and master up to 40 bands and a hundred songs in a single weekend! Recording amazing artists like The Avett Brothers, Ben Folds, and Cage The Elephant Joe will deliver finished masters ready for upload and airplay on the radio as fast as an hour after the performance.

Jam Session

What was your biggest obstacle at first to getting started in mastering

• A general lack of knowledge

What was your first recording setup?

• M-box interface a sure sm57 and an apple macbook with pro tools.

What was the best advice you received when starting out?

• To listen. You can get caught up in new gear or watching the meters but listening will take you far.

Can You share a Pro Tools hack that Rockstars can use right now?

• Use parallel compression! It can bring out different dynamics. Just add a little bit of the “squashed” (heavily compressed) mix to the uncompressed or “raw” track to get more excitement from your mastering.

Favorite books or movie?

• Tom Dowd and The Language of Music. Watching and learning about his life was very inspiring.

• Bob Katz's book - Mastering Audio

Favorite piece of gear?

• SPL mastering comp SPL Iron - Mastering Compressor

• Stereo GML Compressor GML8900

• Pendulum Audio Vari Mu

• Focal Spirit Professional Headphones. The right headphones give a flat frequency response.

A good business resource?

• My accountant! He saved me a lot of time and trouble with my self employment venture.

• Gene Riley of Brentwood, TN. Zeal Financial Services gene@zealfinancial.com

If you were dropped in a strange town and could only take a simple setup to record, what would you take, how would you find people to record, and how would you make ends meet while you got started...

• Well I already have a simple rig with a laptop, monitors, headphones and a converter. I have a portable rig. Like what I took to the Pilgrimage Sessions.

• Universal Audio Apollo Interface connected to my Macbook Pro,

• Antelope Clock

• Presonus Studio One

• iZotope 6

Best way to find clients?

• Get a part-time job to meet new people and networking are the best ways to find clients.

• Remember It’s okay to do work for free starting out.

What’s the one thing someone can do right now to become a Recording Studio Rockstar?

• Just working, making mistakes, and doing things right. Definitely get an internship.

garagemasters.net

If you have any or questions about recording you would like me to answer on the show or suggestions for the show please email me:

lij@recordingstudiorockstars.com

If you dig the show and find it helpful I would be honored if you would subscribe, and leave a rating, & review in iTunes.

And if you want to get on the email list for free content full of videos, tips, studio tricks, and special offers just text RSROCKSTARS to 33-444 from your phone (super easy and I promise you won’t get spammed!)

Credits: Thanks so much to Merissa Marx and Hunter Hansen for assisting with editing audio and show notes. You guys totally rock!

Cheers!

Lij

My guest on the show today is Mark Haffner, an Emmy Award-winning TV/film composer, with many film studio & TV network credits. Some of Mark’s clients include Disney, NBC, CBS, ABC, Orion Pictures, Atlantic Records, P. Diddy, Usher, Busta Rhymes, Notorious B.I.G., and many major-market USA TV stations.

Mark Haffner is a creative media production professional with over 25 years experience in the television, film, music, and advertising industries. He is passionate about helping entrepreneurs and businesses shape their personal and business brand with well-crafted storytelling and focused messages.

He provides consulting and production services to clients combining his unique blend of experience in copywriting, voice coaching, music consulting and original production, video editing, show packaging, & promotional videos.

For you as a listener of Recording Studio Rockstars and for a limited time, Mark is offering a FREE 30 minute consultation on how you can better brand your business with video, music, & podcasting. 

Mark is also a business partner of mine and cohost of Podcast Professors were we teach you how to get started in podcasting. If you are interested in podcast yourself or even the audio side of podcasting you can check us out at;

Q: Can you share an inspirational quote for making music, recording, your business, or life in general?

A: Star Wars- “These are not the droids you’re looking for.” We in the music business have had to money move around a lot. It’s a very exciting time for musicians to branch out. You don’t wait for permission anymore. It’s a magnificently, democratically, freeing thing for the artistic spirit.

Q: What was an important failure or setback that became a learning lesson for you in the studio?

A: The excitement of composing in multiple genres, drove me into television and I got to work with a lot of big names doing a lot of different projects. After awhile I realized why I was getting paid so well, because I wasn’t putting out my own message, I was putting out the message of my client, the TV company that needed to raise ratings. I lost myself.

Q: Tell us about a moment of success for you in recording?

A: When I was 15, I wrote a song about my band called ‘A Dream in the Making.’ It got on our first record, and others heard it and related to the message. It became a generic “dream” not just for a rock band.

Q: What are you excited about right now with your recording?

A: With podcasting and social media. I’m coming out of the box starting Mark Haffner show (podcast). I want help people make money; I want people to enjoy themselves. My area of doing that is television and film. It’s still music, still your rock band, and still song licenses but instead of licensing to Atlantic Records, you license it to Paramount and then earn royalties that can be substantial over the years if you get in a good show!

The Jam Session

Q: What was holding you back at first from getting started in recording?

A: I had a fair amount of talent at a young age, and it was not hard for me to amaze people with music. But at the same time it made me very lazy. In high school I started to see people who practiced their asses off start smoking me, and I realized I needed to practice.

Q: What recording tip, hack, or secret sauce would you like to share from your experience?

A: Work backwards from the talent you have available. Record them first because then you’ll hear what they’re good at. Instead of structure and forcing everything,

Q: Can you recommend a favorite book or film about making records?

A: It’s a book about film. Rebel without a Crew by Robert Rodriguez. Book is basically a journal about how he made a movie with $7,000 while balancing a family. It sparked the revolution of people making their own movies.

Q: Can you share a favorite hardware tool for the studio?

A: Miktek ProCast SST. I have always used Neumann U-89. If you are a serious musician, save up your money to get an amazing mic!!

Q: Can you share a favorite software tool for recording?

A: CLA plugins. I think they are very quick and easy. They add all the elements you need, they tweak everything behind the scene. It gets everything in the zone quickly.

Q: If you were dropped in a strange city and could only take a simple setup for recording what would you choose? How would you find people to record, and how would you make ends meet right away to continue recording?

A: It’s all about the energy. Meet musicians wherever you can find them. I have a Zoom H6. I could walk in, meet a band, plug into their board and start recording a multitrack! I would also make videos because of social media to share a piece of the action. I’m old school and use Digital Performer to edit music. For videos I use Adobe Premiere, Photoshop, and After Effects those three programs are available through Adobe Creative Suite. You can also use Final Cut Pro, but I recommend the Adobe products!

Markhaffner.comE-mail- Mark@markhaffner.com

Twitter @mhprod

Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/MarkHaffnerProd

If you have any or questions about recording you would like me to answer on the show or suggestions for the show please email me:

lij@recordingstudiorockstars.com

If you dig the show and find it helpful I would be honored if you would subscribe, and leave a rating, & review in iTunes.

And if you want to get on the email list for free content full of videos, tips, studio tricks, and special offers just text RSROCKSTARS to 33-444 from your phone (super easy and I promise you won’t get spammed!)

Credits: Thanks so much to Merissa Marx and Hunter Hansen for assisting with editing audio and show notes. You guys totally rock!

Cheers!

Lij

My guest today is Kern Ramsdell a music lover and creator of the recording blog Home Recording Weekly. His goal is to share everything that he learns about writing, playing, recording, mixing, and mastering music in home recording studios.

“I simply must get the music that I hear in my head, out. I love it when a song begins to come to life.”

Kern publishes videos, product demos, and reviews to help you out as well as hosting the Home Recording Weekly Podcast.

Home Studio eBundle

​Kern also created the FREE Home Studio eBundle to help you get more realistic MIDI instruments in their productions, better sounding bass and guitars using Virtual Instruments, and better mixes as a whole. You can find out more at his site HomeRecordingWeekly.com

Get the Home Studio eBundle Now!

Q: What were some of the first failures you experienced that probably someone with a home studio is experiencing right now?

A: I knew I had to EQ my tracks, but I thought there was a right way and a wrong way. I was putting the same “happy face” EQ’s on all my tracks and they weren’t sounding right. I didn’t understand how to make each track have its own frequency space. It’s something you learn over time.

Q: What were some of the things you started to see that felt like you were succeeding?

A: When people started asking me questions and I was able to help. It made me feel like they trusted me because I’ve been in their shoes.

Q: How do you manage time with your studio and your family?

A: It’s tough, I wasn’t good at it. I was absent when I started my podcast. It takes great amounts of time to be an online presence. You have to wake up early and stay up late, do what you have to do to make the time you need. To balance time, you have to schedule and plan ahead. Realize what time you have available and how to use it the best you can.

The “Jam Session” Q&A:

Q: What was holding you back from getting started in recording music and running your home studio?

A: I didn’t think I had anything to offer. I didn’t believe in myself. Once I got over those hurdles, I put my head down and said I want to share what I’m learning. I got so frustrated and I know there are others out there going through the same things, I don’t want them to stop.

Q: What was some of the best advice you received when you were getting started?

A: Definitely “get it right at the source.” The song production pyramid is set up so you spend most of your time in the pre-production songwriting portion. The higher you climb the pyramid the less time you spend on the task, recording, mixing, and mastering at the top. Get that instrument sounding the way you want at the beginning, you don’t want to take away from the sound with the computer.

Song Production Pyramid Podcast

Q: What is a great recording tip, hack, or secret sauce that our listeners could use for their records?

A: Put your microphone up, record a piece, listen to it, then move it. Do it a few times until you find the best spot. You can even use the light on your phone to look in the speaker cabinet to get a better idea of what the speaker actually looks like to place your mic in a better place.

Q: What’s a favorite hardware tool you love having with you in the studio?

A: Due to my injury, I just got a standing work station. You push a button and my desk goes up or down. It’s amazing, I can work longer and feel better at the end of the day. Another one is my Heil PR-30. I didn’t get it due to G.A.S. but to fix a problem in my band, but man it’s a great mic.

Q: Can you explain G.A.S?

A: Product manufactures hype up their products to make it seem we can’t get good recordings unless we buy their equipment or plugins. G.A.S is that Gear Acquisition Syndrome we all fall into where we think we need more gear to sound better. We don’t, we just need to learn to use what we do have.

Q: What is a favorite software tool you use?

A: Definitely StudioOne. Their mastering part of it just sold me on it. Also the T-RackS collection. I think their stuff is great, I use it all the time. You can do mid-side processing with most of their stuff. In mid-side mode, you can treat the extreme left and right stereo field separate then the mono center channel.

Q: What’s a good resource for the business side of recording your music?

A: Any business person you know, if they’re successful, emulate what they do. That being said, I recently reviewed a product called The Voiceover Playbook written by voiceover expert, Bill Dewees. He talks about branding, how to get clients, how to conduct yourself. I learned a lot from that.

Q: Imagine you were dropped in a strange, new city and you could only take a simple set up to record AND you had to make ends meet somehow. What would you do?

A: It’s all about word of mouth. You have to be out there meeting people. Go where the musicians are, be a friend first and eventually your name will get passed around.

Q: Can you share with us the single most important thing a listener could do to become a rock star of the recording studio?

A: Slow down and get it right. Experience with your microphones and do the heavy lifting before you hit the record button. Also commit. Don’t save all of your options for later on in the mixing and mastering, make up your mind and commit! Don’t be scared there are no mistakes, it’s art.

Sites:

Website/ Blog - http://www.homerecordingweekly.com/

Youtube – https://www.youtube.com/user/kernman2

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/Home-Recording-Weekly-blog-240576362700652/?fref=nf

Twitter - @SKernR

Email – Kern@homerecordingweekly

Pat Flynn The Smart Passive Income Blog - http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smart-passive-income-podcast/id383084001?mt=2

All About Microphones

If you have any or questions about recording you would like me to answer on the show or suggestions for the show please email me:

lij@recordingstudiorockstars.com

If you dig the show and find it helpful I would be honored if you would subscribe, and leave a rating, & review in iTunes.

Credits: Thanks so much to Merissa Marx and Hunter Hansen for assisting with editing audio and show notes. You guys totally rock!

And if you want to get on the email list for free content full of videos, tips, studio tricks, and special offers just text RSROCKSTARS to 33-444 from your phone (super easy and I promise you won’t get spammed!)

Cheers!

Lij