When I first started getting obsessed with recorded music as a teenager, I saw the recorded music I enjoyed in a magical light. A tune on the radio was a beacon from beyond, like some special jewel...
A songwriter recently asked me to advise him on what type of recording equipment he should buy. He was looking for "a decent interface and a program… that won't make my demos sound like shit,...
"Organising is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up." - A. A. Milne Very organized writing utensil space at Power Station. See interview...
Sometimes I feel like maybe I've faked my way into the world of audio recording. I'll be talking to a group of engineers, usually peers around my age or younger, and they'll be rattling off classic,...
Many years ago, I was the one onstage, performing songs I'd written with my friends in our band, and hoping that audiences would care about what we were doing. We traveled around the country, and...
Years ago I was in a session when I suddenly turned around to my clients and asked, “What is it that you think you are paying me for right now?” They came up with a few answers relating to...
“Despite recording studios being the place designed to capture musical ideas, in many of them it takes far too much effort to get those ideas down as they’re happening.”From...
A lot of times during recording sessions people ask me if I'm able to listen to music outside the studio without being super critical of what I'm hearing. Usually this follows 30 minutes of using...
Here’s one constant scenario I run into: A client comes to me with tracks to mix. They’ve recorded in a home studio, or some such modest setting. Their gear list is fairly limited, maybe...
A few months ago I saw an opening in my calendar. A colleague, Brent Rogers, who works across town at REX Production & Post, had offered to take me out to lunch and give me a tour of the place. It...
Looking back over the history of recorded music, one thing is for sure: the technology used is always in flux. When I’ve interviewed engineers from the ‘60s or ‘70s, there will...
I’ve always understood music to be a very pure thing. In my mind, the only reason one would play music and create albums was to make art. It wasn’t until I’d been immersed in the...
Many times the only obstacle to getting great recordings is simply us. We think before we listen. We convince ourselves that the right mic has been chosen, that the room doesn't sound that bad, and...
