Tag Archives for " studio design "

What's the secret to mixing the Grammy-winning "Sound & Color" by Alabama Shakes? Shawn Everett talked about mixing in Pro Tools and breaking out stems through his API console for the Alabama Shakes & Kacey Musgraves, layering eq and much more!

My guest today is Shawn Èverett, a Juno and Grammy-winning Canadian producer, engineer, previously a guest on episode RSR137. In that interview, we talked with Shawn about his background schooling and his production and mixing philosophies. 

He has worked with many great artists including Grammy-winning Alabama Shakes, Weezer, Margaret Glaspy, Pete Yorn, Warpaint, John Legend, The Killers, Julian Casablancas, and The Voidz, Kesha, Har Mar Superstar, Local Natives, and many many others.

In 2019 he won his fifth Grammy for mixing Kacey Musgraves Golden Hour which included songwriting and production from Daniel Tashian and engineering from Craig Alvin both previous guests on the show as well. You can hear their episodes at RSR176 and RSR232. I’ll have these links in the show notes.

I have also become a huge fan of Sound & Color by the Alabama Shakes which Shawn engineered and mixed winning a Grammy in 2015. I feel like this record has set the bar pretty high for my own mixes.

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Bill showed off the new STX 600 Complimiter from Spectra1964, explained the importance of accurate phase in mic pre-design, why power efficiency is so important in 500 series modules, How to correctly set your input and output knobs and much more!

My guest today is Bill Cheney co-owner with Jim Romney of Spectra1964. Bill designs mic pre amps, eqs, and compressor limiters for studios following in the footsteps of William Dilley who founded the original Spectra Sonics company in 1964. 

Bill has been a guest on the podcast before to talk about the history of Spectra Sonics and Spectra 1964 on episode RSR227. So if you want to learn more about the background go back and check that episode out. Bill talked about the original Spectra 101 amplifier circuit, its original role in the military as part of the Minute Man missile defence system, and the history of the Spectra consoles at the Record Plant and Stax Studio.

Today Bill and Jim are taking the classic sound of the Spectra 101 amplifier and retrofitting it into 500 modules to allow us to get that same incredible sound in our pro and home studios. Bill has already brought us the STX100 mic pre, the STX 500 eq, and now has also taken the classic C610 complimiter design and found a way to add that as well bringing us the STX600 Complimiter Microphone Preamplifier.

So today we're going to catch up with Bill and Spectra1964 find out what's new and learn more about the new STX 600 module and how to properly record with them.

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Marc talked about engineering at Woodland Studios in East Nashville in the 90s, lessons learned from Peter Collins, Don Was, and David Leonard, and how to get an analog quality mix using templates and plugins in the box. Plus lots more!

My guest today is Marc Frigo a mix engineer, recording engineer, and producer based out of Nashville, TN with multi-platinum credits and over 29 years of experience. 

Marc started out in his hometown of Chicago in 1990 but relocated to Nashville, TN in early 1991 where he became a staff engineer at Woodland Studios. It was there that he was able to work with and learn from some of the best engineers and producers in the world, such as producers Peter Collins, Don Was, T-Bone Burnett, Tony Brown, Josh Leo, Jay Joyce and engineers David Leonard, Steve Marcantonio, Rick Will, Bob Bullock, Steve Tillisch, Bill Schnee, and so many others that were great mentors. 

During his days as an assistant engineer, he worked on projects with Bob Seger, Keith Urban, Restless Heart, Tammy Wynette, George Jones, The Divinyls, Nancy Griffith, Larry Carlton, Gillian Welch, and the list goes on. 

Eventually moving out of assisting and into engineering, Marc engineered and/or mixed projects for The Indigo Girls, K.T. Oslin, Nelson, Dez Dickerson (of Prince & The Revolution) Israel Houghton, Jewel, and Future Leaders of the World to name a few. Marc also recorded and mixed the "Larry Boy" theme song featuring Nicole C. Mullen for the popular Veggie Tales children's video series, which went on to sell 15 million copies.

Marc And I Met when I was interning at Woodland and I’m psyched to be reconnecting 25 years later!

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Dana talked about her father Tom Dowd and shared stories of growing with Eric Clapton and The Allman Brothers at Criteria Studios, recording Aretha Franklin and Charles Mingus, Tom's work on the Manhattan Project, and writing her fathers mémoires.

My guest today is Dana Dowd whose father was the legendary Tom Dowd an American recording engineer and producer for Atlantic Records with a credit list of top artists in jazz, blues, doo wop, soul, and rock records spanning 5 decades of recording from the 50s-90s.

Credited with innovating the multitrack recording method and linear console faders from their original round knobs Tom engineered through the various phases of recording technology starting with direct to disc all the way through analog tape 2 track, 4 track, eight-track, 16 24 and finally Pro Tools in the 90s.

His first hit in the 50s was Eileen Barton's "If I Knew You Were Comin' I'd've Baked a Cake". And he went on to record popular artists such as Ray Charles, the Drifters, the Coasters, the Spinners, Ruth Brown and Bobby Darin. 

He recorded iconic jazz records by John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, and Herbie Mann and continued through other genres of music recording Eric Clapton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Black Oak Arkansas, Derek and the Dominos, Rod Stewart, Wishbone Ash, New Model Army, Cream, Lulu, Chicago, the Allman Brothers Band, Joe Bonamassa, Robin Gibbs, Meat Loaf, Cher, the Rascals, the Spinners, Willie Nelson, Diana Ross, the Four Seasons, Kenny Loggins, James Gang, Dusty Springfield, Eddie Harris, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Joe Castro and Primal Scream.

I met Tom’s daughter Dana Dowd more recently when she wrote a glowing testimonial as part of our movement to help save home studios in music city. Dana is an outspoken supporter of the music industry, and expert on her father and his work, and a successful business person and entrepreneur in her own industry of brand marketing.

So It’s an honour to have Dana joining us on the podcast and today we are here to learn more about her dad Tom Dowd and what it was like to grow up around so much incredible music that influences us all.

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Buick & Jerry talked about writing and recording sludge stoner doom rock with Steve Albini, getting powerful drums and heavy guitar sounds, avoiding harsh cymbals, getting ideal feedback, the perfect vocal mic for rock vocals and much more!

My guests today are Buick Audra and Jerry Roe of Friendship Commanders, a heavy duo from Nashville TN. Their new EP - HOLD ON TO YOURSELF released in April of  2020  follows their second LP, BILL, which they made with Steve Albini Electrical Audio. HOLD ON TO YOURSELF was tracked between Fort Knockout and Sound Emporium studios in Nashville TN. It was mixed by Kurt Ballou at GodCity in Salem MA and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege in Portland OR.

In this body of songs, Friendship Commanders examines the world around them, their part in the problems and potential solutions, and even challenges the patriarchy. The release also gets personal and discusses what it looks like to be an adult who survived childhood trauma. 

The band’s primary songwriter, Buick Audra, is an abuse survivor and has chosen to dedicate this work to other survivors. Her outgoing message is summarized in the EP’s title. The phrase has been a personal mantra for Audra; she has a habit of writing it down every morning as a reminder.

Buick and Jerry record and self produce their music and have created an immediately classic heavy punk rock sound. I’ve known Buick for years playing in other band settings and when I heard this record I knew we would want to learn more from Buick and Jerry about the process of writing, capturing, mixing, and mastering such a powerful sound.

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My guest today is Marc Urseli a 6-time Grammy-nominated, 3-time Grammy Award-winning engineer, producer, mixer, sound designer and front of house engineer Marc Urselli works with many artists from around the world.

He has worked with U2, Foo Fighters, Nick Cave, Lou Reed, Sting, Keith Richards, Kesha, and Laurie Anderson and scores of other amazing artists performing rock, pop, metal, jazz, experimental/avantgarde/new music, urban and electronica and classical.

Marc also composes music for film and television, creates sound design for commercials and mixes audio for film and television as well as mixing more than half a dozen movie soundtracks.

Born in Switzerland he moved to Italy and opened his first commercial recording facility at 17 years old later moving to New York City, where he currently resides and works as Chief House Engineer for the historic & legendary recording studio EastSide Sound.

Marc works in the highest calibre studios worldwide, including Village Recorders (LA), Capitol Sound (LA), EastWest (LA), Sunset Sound (LA), Sear Sound (NY), Flux (NY), Grouse Lodge (Dublin) and many others.

Marc has learned a great deal about recording and mixing and teaches online and from the stage. I’ve included a great clip of him teaching for Sonic Scoop and am excited to learn more about mixing professionally for multiple genres.

Thanks to Rudy Roopchan for the intro!

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Dana shared stories of recording with Rick Rubin at Shangri La Studio, how to work with digital vs analog consoles, creating a great vibe in the studio, getting chewed out by Neil Young, and ejecting Christina Applegate from the control room, and more!

My guest today is Dana Nielsen a Grammy-nominated mixer, engineer, producer, and saxophonist known for his work with Damien Rice, The Smashing Pumpkins, Neil Young, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Weezer, Adele, The Avett Brothers, Bob Dylan, and Kanye West. 

Nielsen also frequently works with music for picture, producing, recording, and mixing a growing number of film scores and soundtracks, such as Will Ferrell’s Anchorman 2 (Paramount) and Casa De Mi Padre (NALA), as well as the Sam Rockwell/Olivia Wilde dark comedy Better Living Through Chemistry.

I am psyched to talk with Dana today about everything from recording to mixing both in the studio and remotely around the world.

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Eyal talked about how metal production is different from rock, metal instrumentation setup, how to get your bass and guitars in tune, the ultimate hi hat in snare removal trick, why community is so important for recording and much more!

My guest today is Eyal Levi the CEO of URM Academy, the world’s best school for rock and metal producers. Eyal is a critically acclaimed entrepreneur, musician, podcaster, educator and producer having cut his teeth as the guitarist and primary songwriter in Daath, a progressive death metal band that released albums on Roadrunner and Century Media.

In 2014 he founded URM Academy, an online education platform for producers with thousands of students from across the globe. URM is best known for its flagship program, Nail The Mix. The platform hosts some of the most prestigious rock and metal producers including Tom Lord Alge, Will Putney, Dan Lancaster, Daniel Bergstrand, Jens Bogren, Adam “Nolly” Getgood, Frederik Nordstrom and Kurt Ballou among dozens of others.

An accomplished speaker and educator, he has logged hundreds of hours teaching the next generation the craft and business of music production. His URM Podcast is now in its 5th year with over 250 episodes.

In the studio, he has worked with The Black Dahlia Murder, Monuments, The Contortionist, Chelsea Grin, Firewind and many others. And In 2017 Eyal co-founded Riff Hard with Monuments guitarist John Browne. Riff Hard is an online guitar school dedicated to the most important part of modern metal: rhythm guitar!

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