Headliner MPG Awards Special 2019

MPG AWARDS 2019 SPECIAL ISSUE

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Contents MPG Awards Special 2019

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SONIC VISTA INSIGHTS

COBBIN & WHALLEY

PETER KATIS

Our friends in Ibiza have a chat with inspiring music maker, Andreas Mozart.

10 SPITFIRE AUDIO LABS

Adam Protz delves into Spitfire Audio’s free range of VIs and makes a music score in 20 minutes.

12 RHIANNON MAIR

This talented MPG Engineer of the Year nominee is all about helping new artists find their sound.

15 DAVE ERINGA

The Manics and Idlewild are just two of the bands that this MPG Producer of the Year nominee cites as family.

18 A DIP IN THE POOL

We descend on The Pool studio in Miloco’s South London complex to record a seven-piece band live.

This super successful production duo talk to us about their London studio, and recent movie projects.

22 BEST OF BRITISH COVER STORY: We descend on Alchemy Mastering with 2019 BRIT Award-winning artist, Tom Walker, and VC Pines, who’s causing a stir on Radio 1 and 6 Music, to find out how their respective recordings have been given the magic dust treatment by Chief Alchemist and Wizard, Barry Grint.

26 MARTA SALOGNI

The 2018 MPG Award-winning producer invites us for tea at her beautiful new recording studio.

30 HUGH PADGHAM

We grab coffee at Kettner’s in Soho to talk about the glistening career of this year’s MPG Outstanding Contribution to UK Music Award-winner.

H E A D L I N E R | M P G AWA R D S S P E C I A L 2 0 1 9

A conversation with a humble Grammy-winner, who’s currently in session with The National in NYC.

36 A SONG IN A DAY

We team up with Numen Studios in Shepperton and The Violet Collective to create a song in a day.

40 FLARE AUDIO PRO

We take a look at the PRO headphones from British manufacturer, Flare Audio.

42 PROJECT DECIBEL

We discuss the importance of artists looking after their hearing, and the advantages of using in-ear monitors at live shows with Jenna Paley, whose firm, Project Decibel, is leading the way in the field.

46 METROPOLIS STUDIOS

We take a look at the new and affordable creative spaces at Metropolis Studios in Chiswick.

“I explored every option, but time and again found myself pulled back towards the sound of the Horus�

Jack Ruston, MPG Breakthrough Engineer Nominee

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foreword by the MPG

Welcome to this special MPG Awards edition of Headliner.

F

irst, we’d like to thank you for attending the 11th MPG Awards!

And second, we’d like to thank our media partner, Headliner, for supporting the night once again, and printing this fantastic special edition.

So let’s remind ourselves of why we are all here tonight: to celebrate those people behind the artists, whose creative input and skills turn great songs into great records.

As the MPG, we work hard to make sure these awards are nothing to do with selection, favouritism, or commerce. Our nomination and double voting system aims to ensure a fair and

SOCIALISE WITH US: headlinermagazine.net @headlinerhub headlinerhub headlinerhub

transparent process at every stage, resulting in winners that are justified. There is never any intervention.

But we are in an era where the value of music has been reduced to virtually nothing. It’s exciting that technology now allows anyone to make a record on a laptop or even a phone at almost zero cost.

The software itself has become the instrument, the creator, the artist; so actually, things haven’t changed that much there. Just because the price of making a record is so much less now, does this make music worth less than it used to be?

Making a record is often analogised with food. Yes, we can

all cook, but how many of us can cook as well as a chef? Software now provides us with an endless selection of quality ingredients, but is the result as good as it could have been without an experienced producer or engineer involved? I think we all know the answer to that.

So lets cheer the winners, and celebrate the achievements of those people who are still making records great! Have a great night.

Andrew Hunt (on behalf of the MPG)

CONTACT Paul Watson paul@headlinerhub.com +44(0)7952-839296

Rian Zoll-Khan rian@rnrmanagement.co.uk +44(0)7963-212583

Art Director Rae Clara Gray

Contributors Adam Protz Andrew Hunt Floyd Mason Betty Oxlade Martin

Sonic Vista Insights

Andreas Mozart

A CHAT WITH ANDREAS MOZART Andreas Mozart is an electronic music artist from Ibiza. His first ever live show was at the famous Amnesia club for the closing party of ‘La Troya’, and he always incorporates live instruments in his music, be it a guitar or his own vocal, retaining an organic touch. His music has been played by famous DJs (whom he will not reveal) all around the world: Coachella, Ultra, and Tomorrowland, to name a few. He says dance music is pretty samey, but an electronic shake-up could change all that.

Hi Andreas. Could you give our readers a quick overview of your musical vision?

I love bringing acoustic and electronic instruments together to bring a futuristic and organic sound - the set is like an evolving story, with a lot of live vocals and guitars, along with visuals, to bring a real live experience.

What concepts inspire you to make your music?

First, the contrast this island brings; and also, a futuristic sound, but with elements from the past to make a sound for the present. I am also inspired by many people: Bruce Lee, Elvis, David Bowie, Nirvana, Depeche Mode, Daft punk, The Prodigy... Oh, and robots!

How are you involved in the local Ibiza scene?

I do quite a bit, actually. I play the local clubs and parties, co-produce and write lyrics for singers and DJs, teach electronic music, and I am also a production consultant.

What’s your favourite live kit?

Ableton is the backbone, but all the gear I use is important, from my

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synths to my vocal procesor - my three favourite synths are my Juno, my Indigo, and my SH01, but it’s not about the arrow, moreso the Indian! [smiles] Your live setup is pretty interesing - would it be fair to say it’s a little different to that of a traditional DJ? Yes, I am bringing all the newest techology possible to be able to play with as many elements as I can, and to open the door for improvisation. All actions can be seen, then heard, like real music always was, and it’s about making electronic as live as possible.

What’s your most memorable live performance, and why?

Amnesia, probably, because I was in the studio for a bit, and it was the first time in a while, but the live switch is always on. Also, Miami has always treated me amazingly, and the energy of the crowd is otherworldly from start to finish.

What’s your take on dance music?

It can feel very ‘copy and paste’. I think there is an issue with lack of identity - it feels more like cloning at times! But I do feel the game is about to step up, and the live electronic acts are going to take

over. Since we are humans, there needs to be that touch to engage with the crowd like real music. Also, why leave anything behind? Guitars, vocals, violins, and so on - we should just integrate the new stuff.

Does Ibiza inspire you to create?

Yes. I was born here, so it’s more a case of not being able to run from it. So it’s actually a constant inspiration. But inspiration can come from within, and I don’t wait for it. I’m more like a welder; I just weld!

And finally, what are your plans for 2019?

I’ll be looking to integrate visuals into my live show. I added two new guitarists last year, and I am in the process of integrating a MIDI system to control the lights so everything is all synced together with each specific track to create a different and controlled mood for each song. www.sonicvistastudios.com

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Sound On Sound

Spitfire Audio

LABS

SPITFIRE AUDIO LABS

If I had to sum up this review in one sentence, that would be: I cannot believe they’re giving this stuff away for free. That’s right, North London-based Spitfire Audio, who are used by, and collaborate with the likes of Hans Zimmer, Ólafur Arnalds, and Eric Whitacre, and whose sample libraries can be heard in major Hollywood movies, are giving a selection of high-quality virtual instruments away for free.

As a composer myself, I’ve always been set on using Spitfire, and LABS gave me the excuse I didn’t need to dive right in and try it out for myself.

This review is coming from the point of view of someone using Spitfire for the very first time. The LABS name stands for ‘Let’s All Become Something’, and I’m very, very impressed with what my empty Logic Pro X project became within a mere 20 minutes of giving this a go.

Firstly, there’s no sweat when it comes to installing the instruments. Download the [also free] Spitfire desktop app, and then your LABS downloads will automatically appear there, ready to install when you download each instrument. Once you’ve done that, the LABS website has a video for each eventuality, whether you’re on Logic, Cubase, Ableton, and so on, to get you set up in under 60 seconds.

I had a good browse through

the instruments on offer — there’s a generous selection. Choose from a vintage electric piano (Electric Piano), Choir (sampled from the Eric Whitacre singers), the Charango, and lots more.

What excited me, however, was the quick realisation that LABS offers enough sounds to quickly craft a neoclassical piano/strings piece in the Icelandic style of Ólafur Arnalds, so with that in mind, I opted for Frozen Strings (an apt name), Soft Piano, and Synth Pads.

Soft Piano blew me away the most, although admittedly I’m biased, being a pianist myself. But the warmth and character of the sound is just ludicrously realistic. Most composers agree that we must always record with real acoustic instruments when possible, but these days, it’s all too common that a project just won’t have the budget for a string quartet, space for a real piano, etc. So in that situation, Spitfire isn’t just adequate,

it’s outrageously close to the real thing.

Soft Piano is sampled from a piano’s strings being covered by a thin layer of felt, softening the fall of the hammers on the strings. Originally made popular

by Nils Frahm on his acclaimed album, Felt, the recording technique is now widely used by composers in film music, recordings, and even pop music.

Staying Versatile When I interviewed Ólafur Arnalds, he told me how much he appreciated Spitfire’s common sense, musician’s approach to sampling. For example, he had encountered a felt piano sample from a different company, which gave you the option of turning up the volume of the creaking sound of the piano stool, even being able to have that louder than the piano itself. He’s right in valuing Spitfire placing all the emphasis on the quality and warmth of the piano sound, rather than silly bells and whistles. It

“I realise Layla is allowing my mixes to take on a whole new personality...”

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Spitfire Audio

LABS

“LABS offers enough sounds to quickly craft a neo-classical piano/strings piece in the Icelandic style of Ólafur Arnalds...” sounds incredible right off the bat, but you can tweak the reverb if you like.

Once acclimatised to the Soft Piano (and slightly disturbed by the fact that it might sound nicer than the upright piano in my living room), I decided to use the Synth Pads to open the piece.

As you’d expect, the Pads are much more tweakable than the Piano, but once again, I was instantly content with the sound when I pressed my keys. An ethereal synth pad that I would use to lead into the entrance of the strings and piano. I held a sustained chord, just a few notes were all I needed for a wonderful backdrop throughout the piece.

That being said, the Pads are pretty versatile — you can create an arpeggiator, and more percussive synth sounds.

There’s more than enough to create an entirely electronic piece — it really is a mad amount of value for a free download. As with the piano, these were created using Spitfire-founder Christian Henson’s synthesiser collection: five vintage synths sent through reverb, guitar pedals, and a selection of outboard gear.

I overlayed the pad with some

improvised piano playing, and fell in love with the charming sounds left in the sample; the hammers delicately hitting the strings, and the piano pedal, add so much. The attention to detail and the painstaking process of recording and then sampling just oozes out when you play the Frozen Piano. I open the piece with a more rhythmic motif, and then end with chords, and plenty of breathing space in between — and the piano works perfectly for both.

That Frozen Effect It’s then time to add the Frozen Strings, which are just so icy and atmospheric.

With headphones in, it’s almost as if there’s a violin player directly next you, placing the fretboard right by your ear. To get that ‘frozen’ effect (and we’re not talking about the animated Disney musical here), the string players deliberately in a cold style — little romantic vibrato, more haunting swells.

If you’re after a big strings sound, there are other options in LABS. But just as I’d hoped, the Frozen Strings play so delicately. They couldn’t pair more perfectly with Soft Piano or Synth Pads.

Again, I’m pleased to say Spitfire keep it simple, but you can, of course, choose between violins, cellos, haunting harmonics, and then there’s the ‘super sul tasto’ playing style, where the bow barely touches the strings, for a wonderfully ethereal effect. With all this in mind, it’s maybe not that surprising that I had a full-sounding instrumental piece done and dusted in under 20 minutes.

I hate to toot my own horn, but I’d like to think that if a film director had asked for an urgent new musical cue within the hour, they might be pleased with the results. Certainly, no question of them asking whether I used real instrumentation or not.

I strongly urge you to head into the LABS yourself — there’s clearly nothing to lose. Hats off to Spitfire Audio for this generosity, but more so, the eagle-eyed attention to detail and evident love of the sampling process. www.spitfireaudio.com

11 HEADLINER

Rhiannon Mair

Well Engineered

RHIANNON MAIR Rhiannon Mair is on the way up. This hard working producer, engineer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and label owner has made quite a name for herself over the past few years working with an array of artists out of her nicely kitted out studio. The results she has been getting are seriously impressive, as is her attitude to the music business in general. Which might explain why she’s nominated for this year’s MPG Breakthrough Engineer of the Year Award. Kudos.

Being adept in any audio discipline is hard enough, but at the same time, to have a chance of making waves in the industry, you kind of need to be master of all. I ask Rhiannon if that’s a fair analysis.

“Yeah, that’s definitely how I’ve found it,” she says. “If you can do different things, sometimes you have to; and from a studio point of view, it’s quite handy being able to drum on a track, or help with some writing, play some guitar - things like that. It all ties together, really. There are so many aspects of making a record that goes beyond just being in a studio.”

Agreed. Many of the cool acts Rhiannon has and is continuing to work with are solo artists, and being the quality musician she is tends to be

12 HEADLINER

particularly beneficial in the studio.

“I think maybe that’s why I work with a lot of singer-songwriters, as they come to you with a song – unlike a band, where the song is complete, or at least fully arranged – and a lot of the time, a singer-songwriter can’t really hear how a drum part or bass part would go,” she explains. “So I guess as a multi-instrumentalist, that’s where my strengths kind of come in, because I can hear that and play it. It’s my USP. But there is no right or wrong way; it just depends on what the artist or band is looking for in a producer.”

Keeping It Real Conversation turns to the 2019 MPG Awards, and how being nominated by your peers is really a pretty epic thing.

“Just being nominated, I feel like I’ve won,” Rhiannon laughs. “It’s an amazing compliment, especially as engineering is something I have very much learned on jobs. I didn’t work in a studio, and shadow engineers. Everything I have learned about it I’ve learned from university, and work experience; and picking it up on jobs, and watching engineers.

“As a producer, I end up engineering on tracks, and that’s simply because of budgets. Where there are bigger budgets, I have been lucky enough to work with other engineers - and that’s just great, as you can focus more on the producing.”

Rhiannon just wrapped up a couple of tracks with Amy McGrath, an artist she’s worked with for a while, who is

Rhiannon Mair

Well Engineered

“We wanted to create a home for all of our music that we make, and that we write on; and to help young artists who perhaps haven’t found their sound yet, and put them out on the label...” going to be releasing some new music this year; and she’s also working with indie artist, Russell Swallow, as well as a new and exciting project with LANTA, who she feels is particularly cool.

So what about some advice for any upcoming creatives who want to make their way in the industry today?

“That’s a tricky one,” Rhiannon ponders. “If you want to be a producer, my advice would be to start calling yourself a producer – there is a lot of power there right away. And as soon as you start telling people that, and you believe that yourself, then people start thinking of you as one! [laughs] “So the second thing I would say, if you’re starting out, is go and find some musicians: ask if you can get involved in projects, ask if you can record a friend’s band. I didn’t go down the ‘getting a job in a studio’ route, I did work experience in studios, but that is another angle; there is no right or wrong way to get into it. If you know producing is what you want to do, call yourself one, and go and be one! You may not make any money to

begin with, but you’ve got to earn your stripes, I always say! [smiles]” And just keep going, presumably?

“Exactly that. You make mistakes along the way, and I am still learning with every artist or band I am working with. That’s the only way you grow as a producer.”

New Horizons I ask Rhiannon about her indie label and publishing company, Palm Bay, which she recently set up with her wife.

“Yes, this is a new and exciting thing; my wife is also a songwriter and artist, and we wanted to create a home for all of our music that we make, and that we write on, essentially,” she reveals. “But also with an aim to develop artists, and to work with up and coming artists, because we have our studio. We wanted to help young artists who maybe haven’t found their sound yet, and put them out on the label.”

In terms of kit, Rhiannon relies on a Universal Audio combo: “I have an Apollo 8 paired with a 4710D preamp, which runs as a slave

to the Apollo. When I was looking to upgrade my gear, I wanted to be able to have the option of recording eight channels at once, so I could do basic drums as subs.

“The Apollo pres are very clean, and the 4710D has a tone dial, so you can switch between tube or solid state, which gives you more options; you can really drive that if you want, if you have a crunchy guitar or a rocky vocal, for example.”

Before I leave her to get back to work, I ask if there have been any real lightbulb moments of late that have inspired Rhiannon to create, or think differently.

“There are definitely too many to mention,” she laughs. “And I’ve only been working for three or four years with other artists, so honestly, every moment is a lightbulb moment!”

Nicely said. We wish Rhiannon and all of the Engineer of the Year nominees the best of luck. www.rhiannonmair.com

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Dave Eringa: Production Values

Dave Eringa’s musical journey began as tea boy for The Manic Street Preachers, which, resulted in a 28-year working relationship with the loveable lads from the valleys, and opened plenty more doors as a result; he’s been Idlewild’s go-to studio guy for six albums, and has recently made epic records with Wilko Johnson and Roger Daltrey.

We chat about Eringa’s extraordinary musical path so far; the importance of gain structure, and a vibey space; and the recent MPG Award nomination he received for Producer of the Year.

“2018 was great,” opens Eringa. “But in this game, it can all come crashing round your ears, as you know! [laughs]” Eringa’s journey began at 21 when he met a young band called The Manic Street Preachers, who were recording their first indie single.

“It was a very old school way of hitting it off,” he laughs. “They needed someone who knew where a D chord was on a Hammond, and that was me! [laughs] So when I say I ‘played keyboards’ on it, that’s probably a slight extension to what actually happened. In retrospect, the Manics were enormous outsiders: make-up splattered punk from the valleys at a time of Manchester, really; and I was a sort of long-haired, clueless metal kid from Essex, working in a cool studio, and not realising it was probably inapprorpriate coming in with Kiss and Guns N’ Roses t-shirts. Maybe they liked the outsider element!”

Eringa recalls the time that The Manics wanted to record their second record; they wanted it to sound very polished.

“They were after a half Guns N’ Roses, half Public Enemy sound, but Nirvana’s Nevermind had kind of hit, and everything

in the rock aesthetic had changed,” he reflects. “That had been bad luck for them, and they were quite happy with how [the album] Generation Terrorists sounded. I think they wanted someone they felt was a peer, and could be a team member. I had continuously lied to them about how much engineering I was doing, so they asked me to do a track, which went well, and that led to demos. It seems weird in today’s environment, but Sony then asked me to produce the record!”

Eringa is a producer who sees himself as an extension to the band, rather than the ‘60s ‘elder statesman’ type.

“That’s very much my school of production: I am trying to realise the vision of the artist, and immersing myself in becoming the fifth or sixth member of the band,” he says. “The idea of an album being a snapshot of a band in a moment in time... It’s quite a romantic old notion, now, but if you can capture that moment of excitement, of recording, then you can really connect.”

I ask Eringa if there was a moment during that journey which particularly stands out to him.

“The watershed was when James [Dean Bradfield, Manics’ frontman] played me the monitor mix of A Design For Life, which I hadn’t produced, of course; I remember thinking, ‘holy shit, this is another level!’

“And then when we did If You Tolerate This, we all loved it, but none of us thought of it as a single; it’s about the Spanish Civil War, it’s jerky and weird, with no electric guitar until two-and-ahalf minutes in! We made it as a b-side, actually; and then Rob Stringer - their A&R guy at the time, and now President of Sony – came down to Rockfield [Studios]

in Wales, we played it to him, and he said ‘that’s the single!’ I remember thinking ‘you’re mad!’; I always loved it – but it’s still an odd single choice!”

A personal favourite of mine, I mention to Eringa - and quiz him on what was used for that amazing opening chord.

“A Wurlitzer, which we put through a Korg MS20, through a filter, and sweeping,” he says. “James said he wanted it to sound like a comet going through the sky, so that’s what [keys player] Nick Naysmith and I went with.”

Mixing it Up Most of the work Eringa has undertaken since 1993 has been done at Rockfield – he sees it as his home, and the people there are like family to him.

“I think it’s the best studio in the world; I love it,” he admits. “The Manics are family to me, too; I’ve been with them 28 years, which is crazy!”

Eringa’s phone rang quite a few times after the success of The Manics, and he enjoyed a couple of ‘lovely cul-de-sacs’, as he puts it: sessions with Tom Jones, and Kylie were enjoyable, but would never be long-term. Idlewild, on the other hand, was a different story: a band whose work ethic and has always inspired Eringa.

He’s just finished their sixth record, so the feeling must be mutual!

“It’s probably the bit I am most proud of, that people continue to come back,” he reflects. “I have done multiple records with a bunch of artists, which is really nice.”

I ask him if the recording process for their latest record was different to the first, or if this is something that has remained the same throughout their relationship?

“Yes, I suppose – you have to keep it fresh, as well, but it’ll always be song15 HEADLINER

dependent; I love it when we record all live, playing together in the room, but that’s not a rule, as it depends on the aesthetic that the song demands. Sometimes that’ll be a no click, live performance; other times, it’s gridded, and electronic, and mechanical.”

2018 started out with Eringa making Wilko Johnson’s acclaimed Blow Your Mind record, and Roger Daltrey’s As Long As I Have You. “No-one thought [Daltrey and Johnson’s 2014 record] Going Back Home would be a hit, but they made a very vital sounding, in your face, rock and roll record, and that led to me doing a solo record with Roger, which I absolutely adore; his vocals are off the hook, seriously,” Eringa reveals. “I assumed it would be as quick as the one with Wilko, but it actually took four years, on and off!

But it led to recording a single with The Who, and two records with The Proclaimers, who I adore, and had a brilliant time with.

“It also led to a weird situation when I was working on The Manics’ 13th record; I sat up, and realised, ‘oh god, these are my youngest band!’ [laughs] I had been working with these classic artists, which was a huge privilege, and a great experience, but I wanted to get back amongst it - into the fray, with freshly signed bands, too, you know?”

Eringa is currently in multiple meetings regarding new artists one he can talk about is singer-songwriter, Dan Alexander.

‘He’s an angry young man, which is refreshing! When we met up, rather than talk about music, we talked about politics for two hours, and I haven’t had that for some time,” Eringa recalls. “You

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would think everyone would be super pissed off with today’s climate, but it doesn’t seem to be the case. This guy has a bit of that about him; not in an ‘in your face’ way, but there is a melancholy and an anger to what he does that I connected with.

“We went to Rockfield, did one track, and it went great. It’s looking rosy, but when you’ve been doing it this long, it goes in waves, so I don’t want to curse it! [smiles]” Rockfield Sessions We start to chat about the kit that Eringa likes to use at Rockfield, and how he has adapted from working on two-inch tape to Pro Tools over the years. He offers a fascinating insight: “When we are recording, the Pro Tools functions as the tape machine, so there is no difference to the process, other than things are a little bit easier,” he says. “I use a bit of kit that Roger Meyer – who was Jimi Hendrix’s tech – created. He made this tape box that basically does what tape did to the signal before we hit Pro Tools.”

I ask Eringa to break it down for our Headliner readers, and he glady obliges.

“About five years ago, Roger Meyer was listening to modern records, and wondering, in his own words, ‘why do they all sound so shit?’ [laughs] And because he is a problem solver, he decided to look into digital recording, and find out what is ‘wrong’.

“After a couple of years of serious research, he came up with something on the anti-aliasing filters (the filters used in an analoge to digital converter), whether you have really expensive

converters or not; just the fact that we’re breaking things up into 48,000 or 96,000 chunks, that it can lead to a potential 70-degree phase smear in the top-end.”

Erm... “[laughs] I don’t know what 70-degree phase is either, so don’t worry! But he showed me on an oscilloscope, and that is why we have a certain perception of what digital sounds like.

“He found out that when we put something on tape, by complete fluke, it prepares the sound for the converters in a way that that is no longer a problem; for example, when they did the test on CDs on the very first load of converters in the early ‘80s, when they put Bob Marley’s 1/4-inch onto CD, it sounded brilliant; and it did so because it had been on tape first.

“So his theory is that when we went to DDD (digital recording, digital mixing, digital transfer), that was the problem.

So, instead of making a box that had noise and wow and flutter - all the things we didn’t want from tape - he just made a box that did a thing that tape did,

which was essentially limiting in the high end, and a bit of a bump in the bottom.”

This box of, well, one trick, I suppose, is called the 456 (Googling it as I type), and Eringa has been recording pretty much exclusively with it into Pro Tools, and it has completely solved the digital problem for him. Extraordinary. I ask him if he misses tape as a medium.

“The thing with tape is, it forces you to work a certain way, and that is often a good thing: limited tracks means you have to think about what you put down; you just have to get it right. Also, tape smells great! It feels like a vocation when you’re working with it, rather than being an IT expert. But sonically, the 456 reclaimed that territory for me.”

In terms of creators of audio products, Eringa has two ‘gear gurus’, one of which is Roger Meyer, who we’ve just spoken about; the other is Vic Keary at Thermionic Culture.

“I love all of Vic’s stuff,” Eringa enthuses. “I have the Culture Vulture, the Fat Bustard, and the Swift. When I am mixing, I use the Fat Bustard exclusively

for my drums. I sum all of my drums using that, and it’s just fantastic.

“And in terms of EQ, the Swift, for me, is the best stereo EQ out there. Nothing comes close, literally. When Vic gave me the Swift to try out, I played with it for about five minutes, and said, ‘I’m very sorry, but that unit can’t go back!’ So I got the prototype! [laughs]” Regarding his MPG Award nomination, Eringa is just happy to get the nod: “We all live in our little bubbles these days; when do you interact with other producers? Especially me, as I’m into Rockfield, then back here to at my place, mixing, and that is it,” he reflects, making a fair point. “I interact far less with the indusry than I used to, so it’s nice to know some people heard those records, and thought that they sounded alright!” www.thermionicculture.com

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A DIP IN THE POOL Words VC Pines | Photographs Betty Oxlade Martin

VC Pines and his talented Violet Collective descend on Miloco Studios in South London to record a live session in The Pool, making an exclusive video for his second single, Vixen, in the process.

I’d heard great things about Miloco, and a lot of my favourite artists have recorded there over the years, so even in this contemporary world, it seemed like a room with history - without the heritage, if that makes sense?

We set up mics around the room for the seven-piece band with the in-house tech to play in the round and get that live energy going, and set up a glass screen for the brass players to contain their wildness. I’d never recorded as a full live band including vocals before, so I was intrigued to see if our live energy could truly be replicated.

It might sound like an odd thing to add, but the huge China light balls in the room with adjustable colours really helped set the vibe in the room, especially when using colour is such a huge part of my process. We set them to a deep red, and they filled the room with a really nice contrast to the rich blue/ pool-like floor. We ran the song through once, and then decided to hit record. Each take was great, and so we settled on the sixth, I think. One for good luck, and inevitably agreed on the take before! Being able to play in the round due to the size of the room was a definite time saver, and also kept the energy up throughout the whole day.

The process was also being filmed by videographer, Benjamin Edward Simmons, who had the tough job of covering enough takes using the right angles to get footage of all seven of us.

We continued to play to our best take whilst he captured some great shots of each individual player, and some grouped shots too. The staff at Miloco were great, they really knew what they were doing! Jamie even popped his head in to have a listen, and I was lucky enough to get a tour of some other rooms. It was decided I’d definitely be coming back! I can visualise a VC Pines album launch party in the Red Room as clear as day in my mind, I can tell you..!

Keep Them Wanting More All in all, my experience at Miloco’s ‘The Pool’ was definitely moreish! I’d love to go back and record live there in the future.

As I’m writing this, I’m trying to think of anything that could have been better, and I simply can’t; it was the perfect live room, recorded in the perfect way. The vibe, the professionalism, the place itself - and most important of all, the incredible sound.

VC Pines’ bassist, Andrew, entirely concurs: “I rolled up with my ‘74 Precision, and a solid state amp, to find a beautiful old Ampeg B-15 ready and waiting. I felt like Bogey at the end of Casablanca! The sound was already there, so then it was just a case of remembering the song, as the guys at the studio made everything easy. I just wish I could live in that little bass booth...”

And for drummer, Trood, it was love at first flam: “As soon as I hit my snare in the live room, I knew we were going to make some magic. Within an hour of setting up, we had an amazing drum sound thanks to Jamie, the engineer.

“He was calm, collected, and the consummate professional - seven musicians playing over each other while he tries to tell us what to do, and he didn’t lose it once! The Pool is without a doubt my favourite studio in London!” www.milocostudios.com

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Pete Cobbin & Kirsty Whalley

THE DEFINITION OF TEAMWORK Pete Cobbin and Kirsty Whalley are a hell of a team. This dynamic musical duo have been working together for over 20 years, and have collaborated on a multitude of huge projects.

To give you some idea of the scale of their work, they’ve mixed the soundtrack for several Harry Potter movies, Shrek, and Ridley Scott’s Prometheus, and they’re in the process of finalising Disney’s amazing looking (and sounding, we’re sure) Dumbo movie. We chat to the affable pair from their London studio, which has recently received somewhat of an audio overhaul. But, as Cobbin says with a smile, no studio will ever really be finished.

Cobbin and Whalley first met at Abbey Road Studios. They got on very well, and knew they were in the same zone music-wise, production-wise, and, as Whalley describes it, ‘obsessive kind of detail-wise’.

“Over the years, it became that we were doing everything together, which led to us setting up our own company, and our own room,” Whalley explains.

And the nature of the projects – largely movies - lent itself to teamwork.

“It’s almost impossible to get through those projects on your own; it’s very collaborative,” says Cobbin. “Forming teams is something you’ll see in working relationships in this industry, and Kirsty and I have developed a sort of shorthand that gives our work a certain degree of efficiency.”

Their studio is located in Barnsbury – the Kings Cross side of Islington.

“Kings Cross is the new creative hub of London,” says Cobbin. Agreed. “It’s an exciting place to be today; and we’re in a lovely old Georgian townhouse,

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which was once owned by Dido and her brother, Rollo. Kirsty had a production room at Abbey Road, and I was senior engineer there at a time when we were thinking of going independent, and doing our own thing. We heard about the space, and we knew straight away that it would work. Then we gutted the whole thing. A project like that evolves, so it never really finshes!”

Production Values The pair recently deployed a Merging Technologies Horus system, which is set up to run Audio over IP. “Any serious mix room, production room, or recording studio that calls itself professional audio at some stage in the process will have to have a good converter, and depending on the need of that facility, will than depend on how many converters and how many channels are required,” Cobbin explains. “For Kirsty and I, our entire professional life has been in some of the best facilities in the world; and we have

always kept ourselves up to date with good equipment. For many years we’ve known that Merging has some fantastic products, some of which we’ve become familiar with on our travels, so in setting up our own room, we’re making a significant statement that we want the best. And in our opinion, that’s exactly what we’ve bought. At a very basic level, just from the conversion point of view, that was the starting point.”

“Yes, that was our entry into using these products, and obviously we interface it with Pro Tools, which is something we hadn’t seen anybody else do,” adds Whalley. “In these other facilities, they’d be running it with Pyramix, but being in the film and more popular music world, Pro Tools is most definitely where we need to be. With film, it’s a mainly digital workflow; you have to provide many, many tracks with lots of stems, but we’re really committed to providing the best of analogue with that setup, so we wanted something transparent that sounds really good, and

Peter Cobbin & Kirsty Whalley

“In setting up our own room, we’re making a significant statement that we want the best, and that’s exactly what we’ve bought...” that’s why we bought our first Horus.”

According to the pair, the Merging kit is rock solid, and from an audio perspective, the quality was clear.

“Some of the things it’s allowed us to do has opened our minds to more and more things,” Cobbin explains.

“For instance, we spread our stereo mix coming out of Horus into summing mixers, and it’s made such a difference to the way that sounds. Our eyes were opened quite a lot when we went to do a recording in Glasgow for a composer we work with a lot - Danny Elfman - a really famous film composer, but a lot of people don’t know that he’s been working on a lot of classical work.

“We were working on his violin concertos in a facility in Glasgow with a very classical set up using Pyramix. We knew we needed to work in a slightly different way, which would mean taking some of our own equipment, and running Pro Tools for Danny, which is what he’s used to. So we took our Horus and our Pro Tools rig, and couldn’t believe how easy it was to connect into the infrastructure, where they had stage boxes with [Merging Technologies] Hapi units, and a control room where monitoring was based on another

Horus. We literally just plugged in an Ethernet cable, and were able to access everything using our own computer.”

Digital has clearly revolutionised the way Cobbin and Whalley work. But analogue is still a big part of the process.

“Along the way, you also do think ‘we really should incorporate more of the ultra high end analogue equipment that we’ve got’. And one of the hurdles every time you go in and back out, is that you’re doing another conversion process. But since having the Horus units, that hurdle no longer exists; we feel a lot more liberated about saying ‘let’s put it through some of our wonderful analogue gear’, and we’re not worried about the conversion stage, as the conversion is just so stonkingly good!”

“The idea of having remote stations where we can pull all our gear into our sessions, and pull all these in over the network so easily is fantastic,” Whalley says. “We don’t need patch bays, we don’t need analogue cable, and it’s really such a treat. We might send the mix we’re working on downstairs into another room in our building, and listen on different monitors, knowing we’re listening to super high quality, so we can take advantage of sending stuff all over

the place! We were so exited when we took delivery of our Horus boxes.”

At the time of writing, Cobbin and Whalley are finalising the soundtrack for Tim Burton’s Dumbo movie, which was also scored by Danny Elfman.

“We started this project in October, did some in November, a little in December... Some more in January [laughs],” says Cobbin. “And last week was crunch period: Kirsty was mixing at our studio, Sweet Thunder, while I was up at Air Studios recording, and then we were dropping the final mixes into Los Angeles.”

Serious deadline pressure, right there!

But there must have also been some magic musical moments along the way?

“Honestly, the last few years I feel like I’ve been living the dream,” admits Cobbin. “This is probably the third phase of my career, and I’m just totally loving it.”

“I’m not sure I could point to a single one thing,” adds Whalley. “But when somebody sends us a beautiful soundtrack we’ve worked on, and I take my kids to the cinema and watch a film we’ve mixed, it’s really lovely.” www.suchsweetthunder.co.uk www.merging.com 21 HEADLINER

BEST OF BRITISH Words Paul Watson | Photographs Betty Oxlade Martin

We descend on Alchemy Mastering, one of London’s premiere mastering facilities, with two talented and soulful young artists: 2019 BRIT Award-winner, Tom Walker, whose debut album drops on March 1st; and VC Pines (aka Jack Mercer), whose first two singles have been playlisted on BBC 6 Music, the latter of which received its Radio 1 debut last week. What these two have in common – aside from great tone – is that both their most recent projects have been mastered by Chief Alchemist, Barry Grint. We sit the guys down to compare musical stories, production techniques, and touring tales, as we dig a little deeper into the dark art of mastering.

“It’s like photoshop for audio,” opens Grint, with a smile, as this musical trio huddle around his mastering work surface.

Grint’s work is revered globally, and he’s been fine tuning his craft for some 35 years with an eclectic array of artists: Madonna, Bowie, and Prince; Tom Odell and Thom Yorke; Gorillaz; and Rag N’ Bone Man, to name a few. “When we’re done, I’ll show you a thing called half-speed cutting, because your album was done half-speed, Tom.” “I thought it was just like putting a song through a lot of expensive analogue gear in order to make it sound good,” says Tom Walker, whose mega-single, Leave a Light On, was mastered at Alchemy, and has been streamed more than 200 million times on Spotify alone. He also picked up the BRIT for British Breakthrough last week.

“Sprinkling the magic dust on top,” smiles Jack Mercer, whose first two [VC Pines] singles, Garden of The Year and Vixen were mastered at Alchemy. Both received critical acclaim from both BBC 6 Music and Radio 1.

Grint has been working with Mercer on his VC Pines evolution for 18 months, and did the whole Tom Walker debut record, What a Time To Be Alive. He asks Mercer what kind of feeling he gets when he receives the mastered tracks back from Alchemy.

“Well, how we work is a rarity in that we have quite a close relationship; I feel like there are a lot of artists where the mix gets sent, and it’s kind of like this strange forbidden world, to the mastering engineer,” Mercer explains. “You spend however many months it takes to do a project, then you send it off to this person you have never met, and you know something’s going to happen to your songs. The only way I can describe your mastering is that it brings the songs to life; it makes them wider, it makes them bigger. Then being able to talk to you about it, and to try to understand why this happens, and how this happens, is really interesting.”

Grint turns to Walker and points out that his album has had four different mastering engineers work on it at various stages. “[laughs] I’m very picky,” smiles Walker.

But did Grint get it all to gel?

“Yeah, absolutely. It took us a few goes, didn’t it - over email.

At the time we started, I was in America, then I was in Australia, and then by the end of it I was in Mexico, so I was trying to do it on various pairs of headphones - some of them amazing, some of them terrible – and various different rental car stereos, and a few studios I was in at the time.

“For me, mastering is the last 10% that is impossible to get. I could sit there and try to make an audio file that’s already done, sound better, but I just wouldn’t get anywhere; it would just get steadily and steadily worse! But mastering really smooths it all out, especially for an album. For me, the gap between songs was super important; I didn’t want anything lingering around too long, I wanted it to be a comfortable journey where there’s room to breathe. I feel we got it really good in the end; I had a little tear in my eye when it was finished, actually. I was pretty emotional, because it had been a long journey getting the album done, but I’m super proud of it, and very happy.”

TURN AND FACE THE STRANGE To Grint, mastering is a different way of listening. He finds quite a lot of the work is actually creating that cinematic sound, and getting the music to spread across from the centre to the sides, so it sounds bigger.

“Which is very different to all the other listeners, who are 23 HEADLINER

Best of British: Tom Walker and VC Pines

“I don’t think people understand that squashing something as much as possible can actually make it sound quieter...” going to listen to their music, and they hear it their way; you’ve got to set the ears back to neutral for every project, regardless of the genre,” says Mercer.

“I think generally, because I only work in this room, I have an expectation of how things should sound here,” Grint reflects.

“I’ve always been impressed how engineers and producers can work in different studios, and have an understanding of what they’re doing, because that seems totally alien to me.”

“So the room itself is your formula then,” suggests Mercer.

“Yeah, I know how things should sound in here.”

“Do you find that a lot of people are trying to make stuff super loud for the sake of making it loud?” asks Walker. “When I’m on some streaming services, stuff just sounds like a war to see who can get the loudest, but then the whole song lacks a dynamic, and then it’s all just like one thing, which I find crazy.”

There has always been a loudness war, Grint reminds the room. Back in the day, when he was doing a lot of vinyl, it was also a case of who could cut the vinyl the loudest, he says: “Also, Radio 1 used to be on Medium Wave, and they had this really horrid limiter as a protection for the transmitter; and if that got triggered, it would close the volume down really quickly, but it would take 10 seconds to release it back up again!” [room erupts with laughter] “Back then, we used to cut records for radio that were more heavily compressed, just to make sure that these things didn’t get triggered, but I think now, with the streaming services, there’s a thing called LUFS, which is a measurement of volume over time and instantaneous volume. And I don’t think that people understand that squashing something as much as you can can actually make it sound quieter on a streaming service, and something with more dynamics will sound louder.”

Mercer points out that there is a similar situation bubbling with sub frequencies.

“People are now trying to get as much low end in their tracks as possible,” he says. “I think someone did something big in the States, and now it’s a case of Drake trying to put as much low end in every track as possible, and it just swamps it.”

“It’s crazy,” adds Walker. “When I listen to the new Eminem album in my car, the whole car is just shaking, man. I love the album, but I literally had to go in and equalise it, and turn the bass down!”

LEAVE A LIGHT ON Walker was originally a chef. He did a three-year degree in songwriting at the London Centre of Contemporary Music, then busked around London for 12 months while he was still chef-ing.

“It’s probably the most difficult thing ever, getting into the music industry; and it’s so funny, because when you’re in it, it seems like a really small crowd,” Walker says, with a smile. “But I managed to bash down some doors, and signed to Relentless [Records], where I’ve been for the last three years - and it’s been absolutely crazy. But a really good crazy. I had to hand in a ridiculous amount of songs at the end of every term - about 16 songs, three times a year. That seems like a lot, but it just paved the way into the music industry for me.”

Walker says those three years have absolutely flown by, but 24 HEADLINER

it’s also been the hardest graft he’s ever worked in his life.

“And considering I was a chef, that’s says quite a lot,” he laughs. “I was on 127 flights last year; that’s a lot of flying, and I can’t even remember how many gigs I did.”

Mercer started touring as frontman for indie-rock oufit, The Carnabys, around 2012. The band did a lot of work with Hard Rock Café, whose label, Hard Rock Records, put them on tour around the globe, where they shared stages with Bruce Springsteen, Kings of Leon, and Blondie, to name a few.

“We had some amazing opportunities, and it was a great experience, but the band disbanded in early 2017, which really gave me a chance to stop for a minute, and focus on the music that I really wanted to do, rather than focusing on what’s going to sell the most records,” Mercer explains. “Just focusing on my sound, what’s in there [thumps his chest].

“It’s really given me a chance to think, and then I started getting in the studio with my producer, Hound, who’s been amazing. We focus on the production, and the sounds we want to get, and put in, and stuff like that; and having a seven-piece band as well has really broadened my horizons as an artist.

We’ve really started to work on the live shows, and making things blend in that kind of way.

“There’s a big underground London jazz scene that’s bubbling up, and there are a few people that are kind of floating on the top like Oscar Jerome and Puma Blue - and we had a session with Lucy Lu, who plays bass in Puma Blue, and he’s his own artist as well - and it’s great to work with these people. I feel like the London community is really collaborative: everyone wants to work with each other, especially within that jazz soul scene. It’s the music I love, and it happens to be the music that everyone’s kind of into at the moment.”

Grint pulls up the Tom Walker album which he’s recently mastered. The mixes were really good, he says, so it’s not like he had to ‘throw a lot at it’. Before Grint plays Not Giving In, he explains that the track was turned down, so the loudest part was correct, but it was making the start of the track seem a bit too dull. He demonstrates to us how he was able to get ‘that big lift’ when the track kicked in.

“Wow! You can hear everything on these speakers,” says Walker, shuffling his chair closer to the centre of the stereo image. “That’s blown my mind, that has.”

Grint points out that there’s now a 4dB drop at the beginning of the song, so you get that punch when the track comes in.

“This one took us a while, I remember,” Walker recalls. “It was the harshness of that top end, which you can hear you’ve smoothed out now.”

“That’s what I mean about a more cinematic sound,” Grint explains, and brings the Waves L3 plugin into shot. “I’m adding a bit of width in certain areas. This is a Waves L3 multi-band limiter, which I use on every single master. It’s excellent. And it also allows me to shape how the limiter is working, so the harder it’s working - doing the limiting - the more emphasis you’ll get on certain areas.

“So for example, as it get’s louder, it’s not pushing that mid-range, and it’s not pushing the top, because it’s already as on the edge as you want it to be. But it just brings up the

Best of British: Tom Walker and VC Pines

lower end of your vocal down to just above the kick, and the kick’s just pulled back as well, so you don’t get the car rattling sub you were talking about.”

Walker admits he’s very surprised that Grint uses plugins: “For some reason, I thought you’d use all analogue gear in a room far, far away... I’m very impressed that you can do this on a computer now, because it sounds so warm and so lovely, and somehow more analogue to me! [laughs]” “Talking to other engineers, it seems a lot of us analogue guys have gravitated towards using digital, because we’ve done analogue, and with the changes you’re trying to make, you don’t really want to keep going into analogue, then back into digital, and then having other problems caused by the fact you’ve gone into analogue at all,” Grint explains.

WIDEN YOUR HORIZONS Walker says it’s great hearing something that’s been mastered on the speakers that were actually used to master it: “You’re not going to get much better than that, are you?”

“It should sound the best, but then equally, it’s got to sound good on everything,” explains Grint. “It’s one of the things people ask: do you master it for streaming, or do you master it for vinyl? And I think at this stage, you master it to sound the best it can possibly be; that’s the aim.”

“As soon as we get a master, I quite like checking it on your bang average headphones to see what the general public are going to hear,” says Mercer. “If it sounds good on them, you know it must sound good anywhere.”

Grint agrees, and pulls up Vixen, the second VC Pines single which came out in January on Fierce Panda. VC Pines’ Indigo EP comes out on March 22, and was also mastered by Grint.

“Tell us your secrets, Barry!” laughs Walker, as the track begins to play. “What, both of them?” Grint smiles.

Grint plays what was a first mix, later to be tweaked and resent. Then he plays the second mix he received, which he mastered.

“Wow, that’s nuts,” says Mercer.

“That’s a huge difference,” concurs Walker.

“And then we went to stems, so that’s predominantly instrumental bits and backing vocals, and then your lead vocal is here [points to screen] because I wanted to treat your vocal a little differently.”

“That is so wide,” Walker says.

“I’ve pushed the lower end of your range, so your vocal sounds a bit warmer; so on this track, most of the work is done on the vocal - there’s just a bit of EQ on the overall mix.”

“I love that harmony, it’s sick,” adds Walker.

“Cheers, man. I think it makes it feel raw and real, and that’s what music should be,” says Mercer.

“I must say, it did make me go ‘wooooo!’” [laughter fills room again] Grint pulls the master fader back down, and asks what the guys thought of the before and after treatment, so to speak.

“It has surprised me a lot,” Walker admits. “Mastering does a lot more than you’d think it does, but I think that is also because you can hear a lot more detail through these speakers. I don’t know how I’m ever going to listen to music again! This is like another level of detail; each EQ band is separated, but it all sounds like it’s one thing. As I say, it’s blown my mind. Now I know why you get your nickname, Barry!”

“He’s called The Wizard, as he sprinkles the magic dust,” Mercer announces, patting Grint on the back. “It’s been amazing to get deep into the process – and to understand a few more of the intricacies that goes into mastering a record. It’s incredible, isn’t it?”

“Yep. He’s Gandalf, himself!” concludes Walker.

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Marta Salogni

Audio Evolution

MARTA SALOGNI: AUDIO EVOLUTION Marta Salogni is an Italian producer, mixer, and engineer. She won the MPG Award for British Breakthrough Engineer last year, and has worked with a string of acclaimed artists including Bjork, Goldfrapp, Django Django, Alex Cameron, and Factory Floor. A couple of months ago, she moved into a new studio in the heart of London Fields. It’s airy, it’s spacious, there’s plenty of natural light (a prerequisite, she says), and some epic analogue kit. It’s also recently been calibrated, so it’s sounding better than ever.

“Before I moved in [during January], I was based in Hammersmith at a studio where [record label] Mute is; I took over their studio about two and a half years ago, when I was on a project for Goldfrapp,” Salogni explains. “My dream was always to have my own studio: my own place where I could put the desk that I wanted to mix on, and build my ideal setup.”

Which is exactly what she’s done.

Salogni’s studio centrepiece is a real one-off: a Studer console, which never officially saw the light of day. And it sounds beautiful.

“This Studer was built in 1976; I found it in Switzerland, and it’s a prototype of two desks together,” she explains. “So a meter bridge joins them, but the end of the console can be taken out, and used for mobile recordings, as it has an internal power supply. It’s in brilliant condition, probably as it was used to record mainly classical stuff, so it hasn’t

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been smashed by too much loud music!

So even cosmetically it’s in really good condition, especially as it’s quite an old desk now.”

Salogni says she wanted the ‘feel’ of pushing the faders up, and to not spend her time just looking at the screen, staring at the blank space between the speakers.

“We spent quite a lot of time integrating it with Pro Tools, because I use Pro Tools to mix, and I have to maintain that dichotomy; you know, the digital and the analogue, to line up all the outputs so that the faders are all the same,” she says. “I modified it so I could have direct outputs on all of my channels, and use it how I think a desk should work.”

Salogni’s first ever studio project took place at State of the Ark in Richmond, which is now in the process of closing its doors permanently.

“I remember seeing an ad for the

studio in Tape Op [magazine], and at the time, I was compiling a list of studios that I really wished I could work for, and this was at the top. So I asked if I could come and make teas, and tidy up after a session – and they agreed.

“Dan, the studio manager, showed me the studio, then a couple of days after, he called me up to do a session as a runner. That was my very first day in a studio, and it was so good, I just felt I needed to be there!”

Starting Out Salogni completed an engineering diploma, but knew that didn’t make her a studio engineer right away; but having that basic knowledge gave her the confidence to be in a studio environment. But there are no rules, she insists, when it comes to creativity: “I do get this feeling that people feel they are bullied out in this business; they don’t think they can make the best

Marta Salogni

Audio Evolution

“The Genelecs allow me to be confident in what I am hearing because I know they give me the flat response I can trust...” music because they don’t have the best gear, or even know what the best gear is. There are a lot of people who are insecure about their setup because they might not have a £3,000 microphone.

But you can record perfectly great vocals if the technique behind it is good. That’s way more important.”

We talk a little about Salogni’s monitoring setup.

“I first met Danton [Supple] at State of the Ark, and became his assistant engineer at Dean Street Studios [in Soho]. I would learn from him, and his way of working through Pro Tools; and once you are working with someone that busy, you need to learn pretty fast.

“So when he wanted a bigger room, we put his Calrec desk and all of his outboard into Studio 4 at Strongroom, with tie lines to the live room. I spent three years there, and we had Genelecs as the mains, with a sub; and NS10s as a secondary pair. So the hybrid system that I have is all because of Studio 4.

“My main monitors needed to be big, and I wanted something I was also going to be fascinated about, such as

these Genelecs, which benefit from some amazing technologies. You set up a microphone, and your listening position, and the frequency response of the room, and the software inside of the speakers compensates for any dips or spikes, and makes them as flat as possible, so you have a true listening experience no matter what the space. I thought that was amazing.

“So when I moved here, I had to get the same speakers to be able to feel at home, and the Genelecs allow me to be confident of what I am hearing coming out of the desk or Pro Tools because I know the sound of the Genelecs, and that they will give me the flat response that I can trust. There is no psychoacoustic confusion there.”

I ask Salogni how much of a difference it made when Source Distribution came in to calibrate her room.

“A huge difference! I would be sitting here listening to a mix that I know inside out, and I was switching between the Genelecs and my older Dynaudio speakers on the monitor controller; and I would say ‘can we add a little bit

of high end in the Genelecs, and bring them down a notch in volume until going between the two felt very balanced?’

“Eventually, my expression changed from ‘wow, this is hard work’ to ‘wow, this is amazing!’ It takes confidence to be able to work, and to know this is going to sound great, and the confidence for me to go, ‘this mix is finished’, and send it to the artist, because without that, you can mull over the tiniest details forever. I am now in a great place with my monitoring.”

Starting Out There is plenty more cool kit in this space; Salogni’s favourite piece is her Revox PR99 mkII, the first two-track tape recorder she ever laid her hands on.

“When I first started working with Danton, I was really fascinated by tape,” she says. “Obviously I come from a generation of engineers who didn’t really get a chance work on two-inch recordings, because the digital era was already here; and working on tape is not the only way right now.

“People just work with what you have; it’s a decision, not a circumstance. So 27 HEADLINER

Marta Salogni

Audio Evolution

“It’s always frustrated me that I couldn’t just sit down and play an instrument, so I decided to play tape machines instead...” learning on it was great; and ever since having it, I’ve used it a lot.”

Starting Out I spy a vibraphone, too, which Salogni loves for its natural, rich sound, and the fact it’s mechanical. She’s a producer in the purest sense, I’m realising, the more and more we chat; and she also loves to ‘create’ with her tape machines.

“I very often use tape to compose that’s why I’ve got so many! [laughs] I put them all through a small desk that I have, and make them feed back, and bring feedback in and out,” she reveals.

Interesting. “I’ve got two of the Akai machines, so I can make a big tape loop between them, and have one in record, and one in playback, so you get a really long delay between the two; and you’ve got sound, on sound, on sound on them, so it doesn’t really fade, it just keeps on going, which is amazing.

“But what I felt I was always missing in these sounds was a natural element, so I started using the vibraphone in those compositions, and realised it changed everything for me, because it’s a pure 28 HEADLINER

tone. You can use just one note, and it is so beautiful to my ears.

“Even if you have multiple feedbacks and tape loops, it can feel quite mechanical; the vibraphone counter balances it, and makes it all feel natural and real. And because the PR99 has got a varispeed, you can change the pitch and the speed, and if you can be careful enough, you can create harmonies of the vibraphone.”

Salogni plays an example of one of these loops with vibraphone incorporated, and I get exactly what she means. Stunning sonics right there.

“I work on multiple projects at the same time because they cross over, and I prefer it, as it helps me regain focus if I am getting a bit carried away, and spending too long on one little aspect; I find it also helps me clear my ears,” she explains. “Whenever I record on my own with tapes, it’s another way I give myself a break - a mental break, too. Everything comes out of the desk, left and right, so there is no way that I can change the levels afterwards, so I try to work in the opposite way as if I was working

normally, so I’m limiting myself to left and right; that’s why I record very long chunks, because instead of being able to change what’s in the recording, I’m just going to edit entire chunks in and out, so if something isn’t there, well, it simply isn’t there... such is life!”

Creating sounds in this manner is particularly fulfilling for Salogni.

“I went to music school as a kid to learn piano, but I can’t consider myself a traditional musician, so it’s always frustrated me that I couldn’t just sit down and play an instrument, because I didn’t know the instrument very well, so I decided to play tape machines instead,” she smiles. “Because I’d learned them, and I wanted them to be known and used as instruments, basically. And they can be instruments: they make noise, and they make sounds, and you can use them in very creative ways. Making your own sounds is a really brilliant feeling.” www.genelec.com

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Hugh Padgham

Good Timing

HUGH PADGHAM: GOOD TIMING Four Grammys and, according to Mix Magazine in 1992, one of the 10 most influential producers. It’s difficult to argue that, when you consider the records Hugh Padgham has had a hand in: he literally created the gated snare drum, famously brought to life on Phil Collins’ huge hit, In The Air Tonight; and his work with The Police and Peter Gabriel speaks for itself. Stunning records, sonically – something that Padgham feels is lacking in a lot of today’s music, for a number of reasons, particularly the digitisation of the industry. But Pro Tools has been a godsend from an editing perspective, he admits; and it beats dropping in onto tape, in the realisation that, eventually, you will inevitably delete that all important lead vocal take by mistake.

Today, Hugh Padgham is enjoying not spending time in the studio for the first time in many years. He sold his own studio three years ago, and aside from doing a bit of teaching with Berklee College of Music – oh, and remastering a Bowie album last year (as you do) – he’s not really producing music anymore. Saying that, he has his own label, is cutting masters to vinyl, and is as passionate about audio as ever. Tonight, he adds the MPG Award for Outstanding Contribution to UK Music accolade to his already long list of achievements. This one, he says, is rather special.

“To be given an award like this by my peers is such a massive honour, and to be recognised by them,” opens Padgham, with a smile. “Much better than getting a Grammy for selling 35 million Police albums, or something – it’s cooler to be recognised by the MPG, I would say.”

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Indeed. And to spend your whole life doing something that has been, as Hugh puts it, ‘so bloody enjoyable’ has been a real gift.

“I’ve just loved doing it so much,” he admits, adding that he is very lucky to have got into the business when he did. “I think the ‘80s was a golden era, and I must say I do have some funny perspectives about that: somebody recently asked me when I did Sting’s 10 Summoner’s Tales, and it honestly feels like yesterday to me. I can remember putting the studio up in his dining room, and recording it all in the same room together - that was nearly 30 years ago!

“I’ve got an old Toyota Hilux pickup truck, which I’ve had for all those years – and every time I go down the street people say ‘wow, look at that, you never see those anymore, it’s so old!’ And I’m like, hang on, if I relate that to making that record with Sting, which doesn’t seem that long ago... [laughs]”

Humble Beginnings Padgham’s first studio job, so to speak, happened when he left school, aged 19 – he had achieved grade five piano, and was a decent bassist, but somehow, at that young age, he was able to accept that perhaps he wouldn’t be the next Jack Bruce. This was in February 1974.

“I became a glorified tea boy, as everyone did in those days - nine quid a week! [smiles]” he says. “The reason I got into studios at all is that a friend of mine’s mother died at 17, and his dad got this lady in to come in as a kind of a housekeeper – and her son was a guy called John Kongos, who had two big hits in the early ‘70s.

“He had a studio in the basement of his house in Barnes, and was mates with all of Elton John’s backing band at the time. So we were invited to go to London to visit the place, and when we got there, I immediately fell in love with the studio: the lights, the faders,

Hugh Padgham

Good Timing

“I don’t think sound quality has improved since the 33 1/3 records came out in the ‘50s, whereas video has got better and better...” the knobs; I just thought, ‘that’s definitely me!’. There is no point trying to do something unless you’re going to be the best, and because I did science, maths, physics, and chemistry at school, the juxtaposition of loving music, and the technical recording side seemed to fit.”

When starting out, many engineers gravitate to other engineers’ work – Padgham was no different.

“I remember loving Elton John’s first albums produced by Gus Dudgeon, but it was the engineers’ names that I looked at,” he says. “I thought the production on those early Elton records was fantastic very uncluttered, with a less is more feel - and I was never such a huge fan of Phil Spector. You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling is one of the best records ever, but the whole kitchen sink, four drummers and 10 guitar players approach, well... Al Schmitt is also a hero on that side for me.

What a guy he is.”

We reflect a little about Padgham’s time at Sofa Sound Studio – his own facility in Stanley House, which he bought at a time when he was finally able to justify bringing his many boxes of tricks

under one roof. Before then, his studio work had involved so much travel – often international – and so many studios, so having his own studio had never made sense. He sold Stanley House a few years ago, but that hasn’t stopped him diving into other areas of the industry. His label, Gearbox Records, for example, is a very cool venture.

“Our ethos at Gearbox Records is all about high quality: we master all onto 180-gram vinyl, and we even make our own turntable now, which is very cool.

We do a lot of jazz, and it’s a lot of fun, I have to say.

Staying on quality sonics, Padgham has an interesting analogy, which does make you think: “I don’t think sound quality has improved since the 33 1/3 records came along in the late ‘50s; but if you look at video, it’s got better and better over the years. Now we are on 4k, even 8k, so the picture is unbelievably good, whereas audio has gone the other way.”

And why does he think this is, exactly?

“I think it’s kind of laziness,” Padgham admits, with a hint of disappointment.

“When iPods first came out, or when we started recording digitally full time around the early ‘90s – 1Gb would cost about £100, and when you think now, the average cost of 1Gb is almost pence, you would think you’d go back to having bigger files – as the bigger your file is, the better. But by the time it’s given to the consumer, it’s compressed heavily, and the more ubiquitous wi-fi becomes, the easier it is to download.

So we’re fighting a losing battle?

“I’m afraid so,” he says. “It’s now all about how quickly can you charge your phone up, or your electric car – and with the latter, until you can charge it as quickly as you can fill your tank with petrol, they’ll probably remain as unpopular!”

A Sign of the Times But Padgham has been a Spotify subscriber since the streaming service’s inception: “The fact I can dial up anything I want, and pay my £10 a month, and listen through these USB speakers designed to make those file sizes sound ok – that’s fine. But it’s not fine if you want to sit 31 HEADLINER

Hugh Padgham

Good Timing

“The pain I went through with vocal comping, bouncing, and dropping in on analogue was at times almost unbearable...” down and be an anoraky, nerdy type.

And let’s not forget cassettes! In the ‘80s, record companies were buying pukka cassettes which sounded like absolute shite - they really did. I remember when I was working with The Police, and A&M had a quality control department, and a lot of labels did at the time. Today, I’m not sure anyone every talks about quality, do they?”

It’s a very fair point, and I have to say, I’ve heard audible distortion on plenty of major label releases which would back up Padgham’s theory. So what about mastering, then? I ask Padgham about his memory of the loudness war, which started off roughly in the Oasis era, right?

“Yeah, and I am still very good friends with Bob Ludwig, who did most of my mastering – and we have had so many discussions over the years about this,” he smiles. “You can only argue against it so far, but it was a big problem for a long time. He also said that last year, his job has never been as important as it is now due to the quality of some of the files he is being sent.

“I find it all mad, because if I went to mastering with Bob, and he had to add anything more than 1dB at 50kHz, or apply a tiny bit of compression, I would 32 HEADLINER

think I’d done a shit job. So, you know, it’s just a sign of the times, isn’t it?

“And in other ways, you feel sorry for the kids who are plugging away at home, who maybe can’t hear the distortion, and they don’t have the time or the budget.”

On the Flip Side The positives about digital – and there are many, of course – lie in the flexibility and ease of use of DAWs, according to Padgham: “The utter brilliance of Pro Tools - or whatever DAW you’re using - is the editing capabilities within it,” Padgham enthuses. “I love the sound of analogue, but the ease of working with digital is amazing. The pain I went through with vocal comping, bouncing, and dropping in on analogue was at times unbearable – and now it’s so easy and quick to do.

Something that would take an hour can now be done in minutes, or even less.

“Also, the scariness of erasing something when you were a tape op, like a lead vocal - which every assistant did at some point! [laughs] That syndrome doesn’t exist now. When I was working as a tape op at the beginning of my career, it was downright scary, and some engineers went out of their way to make

life hell, as well – it was a bit like being bullied at school. I remember I was almost in tears at times... it was heavy!”

So if Padgham had to cut through the tricky years, and terrifying studio memories, what would he say was his most elating moment... Oh, go on then, let’s have a devasating one, too! “[laughs] Elation would be finishing Peter Gabriel’s third album, which I engineered. We spent a long time on that album, and it was so complex to engineer, as Peter was always changing his mind. But it was such a happy album to make.

“Devastation? Hmm... That would have to be doing Synchronicity with The Police.

Basically because they were fighting like cat and dog throughout; and in some ways, that anger and tenseness is reflected in some of the tracks that are so good - but it was so difficult to keep the peace, produce it, engineer it, and get it together to sound like a record through all that. I am very proud of that album, but I wouldn’t necessarily wish that experience on anyone else!”

A big congrats to Hugh from all of us at Headliner on his very well deserved MPG Award.

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Peter Katis

Beyond National

PETER KATIS: BEYOND NATIONAL Reading through the credits of Grammy Award-winning American record producer, audio engineer, mixer, and musician, Peter Katis virtually serves as a ‘who’s who’ of the contemporary indie-rock landscape. Whether it’s his friends and long-term colleagues The National (who, it transpires, are hidden in the next room throughout our conversation), Interpol, Kurt Vile, and Sigur Rós’ Jónsi — Katis arguably is the go-to guy for musicians of the alternative inclination. It’s little surprise then, that his Connecticut base, Tarquin Studios, is truly something to behold. And he’s still finding time for an up-and-coming band from the seaside town of Brighton.

While his own studio is one of the best in the game (complete with living space and retro arcade games), Katis is actually at the studio belonging to his friends, The National, in Upstate New York.

“I’ve been here up north for a few weeks with my old friends, working on some stuff,” Katis says. “They built their own studio, so I had to come here! We calculated that a couple of the guys have spent at least a year of their lives at my place in Bridgeport. I think they were tired of going there! It’s going well, and then I’m going home next week to do a few songs with Death Cab For Cutie.”

This last sentence alone gives you an idea of how in-demand Katis is, and the names who are doing the demanding.

We often hear about bands choosing a studio for recording that also serves as a hideout from all the distractions of city life, so they can get their heads down.

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While Bridgeport, Connecticut, is not small or rural, it’s a far cry from nearby New York City, so I ask Katis if he feels Tarquin Studios offers such an experience.

“I think so, sometimes to a fault,” he responds. “It’s also a three-minute drive to the train station, and you can be in New York in just over an hour. It’s not super remote, like some people’s studios. There are some that are way out that you really have to want to go to.”

Starting Out Katis’ career began with his own band, The Philistines Jr., in the late ‘80s, receiving support from one John Peel, who not only played them on his Radio 1 show, but felt compelled to call them, simply to say how much he liked the music. Recording the songs in a makeshift studio in his parents’ basement, Katis quickly discovered that producing was his favourite part of

being a musician. Going through the motions as an intern and assistant, this ultimately led to an eye-watering list of collaborators.

However, despite working with such names as The Twilight Sad and Sharon Van Etten, Katis is still keen to keep time in his schedule for up-and-comers, even if they’re from way across the Atlantic in Brighton.

Young three-piece, The Wild State, didn’t hesitate to work with Katis in Connecticut.

“My manager was really impressed with them, and signed them to this record,” he explains. “He asked if I’d make the record with them, and I said ‘sure!’ They were only over here for four or five weeks, which isn’t a long time to make a full-length record from scratch.

“Both studios (Tarquin Studios comprises two floors) were running the whole time, which is what made it possible. Also, the World Cup was on,

Peter Katis

Beyond National

“My analogue chain is based around the Thermionic Culture Fat Bustard; and The Phoenix is my main buss compressor...” and England were doing really well! The games were on in the middle of the day for us, so it was a bit distracting for them.

“I definitely make an effort to record a band’s first record about once a year; it’s a different experience that I still really like. It can be tough, because a young band will be so excited and determined, which can make them wound too tight in a way. But The Wild State were really open to stuff, not experiencing too much demo-itis!”

The Wild State’s debut single is called Air Runs Out, and is reminiscent of The War on Drugs, The National, and Bon Iver — no wonder Katis was such a good fit for the band, then. Annie Mac has featured the single on her much-coveted Radio 1 show, so things certainly look good.

Studio Vibes With two whole floors hosting his studio gear, I thought it would be rude to not ask about some of the absolute go-tos he works with. It quickly becomes obvious that Katis is a big fan of outboard kit specialists, Thermionic Culture.

“They still play a huge role for me,” he

says. “If you were to watch me mixing, it looks like I’m just doing it in the box. But I do have quite an elaborate analogue chain, based around the Thermionic Culture Fat Bustard.

“I’ve tried a lot of mixers and consoles, and my experience is, when you get into the really high-end stuff, they sound a lot more similar than you might think.

The Fat Bustard did sound different, and better than anything I’d ever heard. Their compressor, The Phoenix, is my main mix buss compressor, also. I am a fan of that great English company! [laughs]” Another name that crops up prominently in Katis’ gear list is Chandler Limited: “I’m such a big fan of their stuff,” Katis reveals. “They came out with the TG1 Compressor many years ago, and it’s difficult to beat. It definitely changed my life. Of course, this came out before plugins — now I have the Chandler plugin, which sounds very similar. You’d have to be a bit of a liar to say you don’t like plugins. But there’s still nothing like the TG1… except the plugin! [laughs]” So with that being said, I enquire

which plugins are a mainstay these days.

“I am a big fan of Waves, and use all their stuff a lot,” Katis says. “I’m moving towards using some newer EQs like the Fab Filter stuff, but the truth is, the Waves Rennaisance EQs are the quickest, simplest thing. I basically only ever use subtractive EQ. I almost never add high end with an EQ. I just take away bottom or low-mid. I find the Rennaisance EQ does a great job. I’m familiar with it, and it’s fast. The Fab Filter stuff is a little newer, and I am using that more now. But I still use Rennaisance everyday. Waves, in general, does the job very well.”

Despite such an impressive studio, and ludicrous list of clients, what’s perhaps most impressive of all is what a humble guy Katis is, evidenced by his great willingness to take on The Wild State, and be a big factor in their early success. Be sure to check out the young Brighton outfit, while we wait patiently on more details on this highly-secretive new work with The National. www.thermionicculture.com www.waves.com 35 HEADLINER

Challenge

A Song in a Day

A SONG IN A DAY The challenge: write, record, and mix a song from scratch in one day. The players: The Violet Collective. The venues: Numen Studios, Shepperton; and The HUB, St. Albans. The biggest obstacle: the bloody M25. Headliner dives in...

For most young creatives making music today, options are limitless: endless tracks available in your DAW, multiple plugins at the ready, and everlasting studio time. So often, projects can end up in 100-plus tracks because, well, why not?

I was talking to an old producer mate of mine just the other day who my band used to record with. He had, and still has, a great analogue studio up in Stoke; we laughed about how we bounced, chopped, and meticulously planned out those early sessions when we were working with 16-track - but in the coolest of ways. All of the band members knew we had to deliver a take, as dropping in was quite the chore (no mouse to click, for a start, and certainly no undo button); and we had to actually learn how to record. We’d rehearse intensely before we went into the studio, and it made us better musicians.

So with more than a touch of sentimentality, we thought why not get a group of young musicians who have never had to deal with those kind of

36 HEADLINER

restrictions and pressures, and throw them in at the deep end?

As accomplished as these chosen musicians are, they’re more used to recording their music safe in the knowledge that it’ll inevitably be syncopated, comped, edited, or chopped up to ‘make it right’. We don’t have that old 16-track to hand, but what we do have is a time limit, and engineers who can work smart.

In the time it would take vocalist, Jack, to get from his Richmond home to Numen Studios in Shepperton, he had the unenviable task of writing a main hook and, if possible, all the lyrics – he had some chords in mind, but that was about it. Drummer, Trood, and bassist, Andrew, would be going in cold, listening to something brand new for the very first time.

Two Hours at Numen Studios Numen Studios is a very cool, and very new place – it opened its doors in October 2018, and on arrival, it’s clear a lot of thought has gone into its design

and layout: a nice spacious control room, well treated, good monitoring, with a great sounding Yamaha upright, and two soundproofed instrument rooms – one for drums, one for guitars.

Jack doesn’t have his lyrics nailed just yet, but we have a structure, and a great vocal hook, with a rough drum loop to give Trood an idea what kind of groove it might need. A few listen throughs, and he’s in his booth raring to go. We allow just one practice run, then we’re in. As he’s laying down his track (he does it in three takes – impressive) – Andrew has plugged into his mini Vox amp and is playing along to the rough demo through headphones.

When Trood’s happy with what he’s got, he heads into the control room to take a listen – the guys have done a cracking job on the sound of the kit, using exclusively Shure mics, and in some interesting ways – but more on that shortly. First, bass.

There’s a Shure SM81 and DI on the bass amp, and Andrew has an instant groove going – it’s clear these guys play

Challenge

A Song in a Day

“For most young creatives making music today, options are limiteless: endless tracks, and everlasting studio time...” together regularly. There are moments though where I can see he wants to chuck his bass across the room when he’s making the same duff note (we’ve all been there, particularly me), but after a few run throughs, he’s got his take. The guys play with such feel, it’s frightening – and what’s great about this is, they clearly care about their performance – they’re constantly asking the engineers, and Jack, if everything is getting the thumbsup. They’re a touch stressed, sure, but totally dedicated.

As the engineers are tweaking their sounds, we see time is against us, and we really have to leave. We’re on deadline, remember! A slightly hysterical Trood barks: “you’re going to syncopate the shit out of this, yeah?” “No, mate,” we smile, and transfer the files onto our hard drive.

As we make a sharp exit, he looks like he’s seen a ghost – but he needn’t worry, he’s nailed it. It is interesting, and quite amusing, to see his distress at not being able to spend longer to tweak, comp, edit, you get the picture. It’s a different way of working – but that’s the idea.

Before we leave, we grab a quick word with the Numen guys to find out more about the mic setup.

“Using just Shure microphones was a

nice treat for us, as we normally rely on traditional techniques: a Beta 91 on the Kick, a ‘57 on the Snare, and our SM7b as a mono room mic. I found it inspired decisions I wouldn’t normally make, such as using the Beta 98 on the resonant head of the kick, the outcome of which was really punchy, tight, and controlled.

The clip on the bass drum was also great, as it saved space in our small drum room.

“And we were also blown away with the Beta 181s on toms; the detail of the transient, low end, and control of bleed is amazing. I’m always fighting harsh bleed from other microphones, especially the day to day standard tom microphones.

“The side address of the 181s also makes them easier to place. We also made use of the ability to switch the 181’s capsule to set up a mid/side array in the hallway to capture the ambience of the kit. Being able to change the capsules on the 181 means we have choice and flexibility when using stereo miking techniques. The different options they give you is amazing, and I can imagine they would be great on most instruments.”

The full mic breakdown was as follows: an SM7 and a Beta 91 on the kick in; a Beta 98 on the kick out; a Beta 57 on the

snare top, and SM81 on snare bottom; Beta 181s on the two toms; a pair of Beta 27s on the overheads; and SM7s for the two mono room mics – one in the drum room, one in the hallway.

Enter The HUB En route to The HUB, Headliner’s studio, Jack is tapping lyrics into his phone as we negotiate the bastard that is the M25 – the song will be written from the perspective of a vampire, apparently.

Of course it will. We finally roll into St. Albans around 4pm – we’re behind schedule, but just in time to take delivery of two power cables for our Chandler TG2. We’re going to cut vocals using our Vanguard Audio Labs V13 tube mic, into our Cadac console, inserting the Chandler pre on the way in, then into our RME Babyface Pro. We double track four vocals to create a haunting section of ‘ooohs’, which is our main hook for the track – I love the V13 mic, the air it has in addition to its warmth is something to behold – and the harder you drive the TG2, the better it gets. Once I get my head around the gain structure, what a sound we’re getting; a real variety of tones on offer, depending on how hard you push it.

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Challenge

A Song in a Day

“Jack is tapping lyrics into his phone. The song will be written from the perspective of a vampire, apparently. Of course it will.”

As Jack moves from head to chest voice, I find myself backing the TG2 off in real time, which is really cool – the knob equivalent of riding the fader, basically.

It really feels like we’re creating – that’s part of the beauty of using a bit of quality analogue hardware like this.

In terms of processing, in addition to my usual Waves go-tos - the SSL E Channel, CLA-76, R-Comp, and TrueVerb – I decide to experiment with the Sonnox VoxDoubler and Widener plugins on the lead vocal which, I have to say, are pretty mind blowing, not only due to their ease of use, but the way you can, as the names of the plugins would suggest, thicken a vocal very precisely and intricately, and really increase the stereo image at the turn of a virtual knob. Incredible. And the doubler is extraordinarily ‘real’ sounding.

Both very clever tools which can save a lot of time and energy – particularly handy for today’s session, too. I also dabble with the Widener on a couple of guitars – you can really shape tone with it.

The Babyface Pro is such a good bit of kit, too – super easy to use, ridiculously clean signal, and the preamp inside is that good, before I had the luxury of using this analogue kit, going direct into the interface with a vocal was still great. Same with guitar, bass, keyboard – anything, really. It constantly impresses 38 HEADLINER

me, this unit, and due to its portability, it tends to come everywhere with me when I know I need to mix, or tweak audio on the move. Or just listen loud to my playlists on the train..!

Within two hours, Jack has nailed the whole vocal, and it’s sounding sweet; his double tracking is sublime, as ever, and the tone is crazy good. I tweak further with the Sonnox plugins, but not too much more – there’s a deadline to meet!

Pressure Cooker It’s now 7pm, we have an hour to go, so let’s get mixing. The room, since being calibrated, is such a quality sounding space – Genelec 8341s with a sub, and GIK panels throughout has eliminated all reflections, and kept it nice and true, with that all important bit of musicality.

Shout-out to Andy Bensley at Source Distribution for tuning it – legend! It also helps that the building it’s situated in is so old: no wall, floor, or ceiling is remotely even! I always mix as I go, anyway, and I tend group my vocals, guitars, and drums, applying parallel compression to each group where necessary with the Waves H-Compressor.

For me, it sounds better, sits better, and makes mixing easier.

Before I allocate the last 30 minutes to tidying up the mix, I check over the

guitars, keys, and strings we’ve also added (which we did in between the vocal takes). Spitfire Audio’s LCO library works a treat for creating a very real and in your face string quartet; and nice Rhodes and Hammond sounds come courtesy of Native Instruments Kontakt Library – always a winner.

We render the file with six minutes to spare, and play it back... What’s the verdict, guys?

“Well, the first session at Numen was great – laying down drums and bass, and getting the sounds we did so quickly was impressive – and reassuring! When it comes to the rhythm section, I always try and achieve something that fills the space, but also has bite to it,” says Jack.

“Then taking the tracks back to The HUB was perfect. That Chandler TG2 preamp is sick; I actually don’t think the vocals have ever sounded better – and we know that mix room so well now, we were able to just hit the ground running soon as we landed back in St. Albams. It’s mad that we got all that done in a day! Kind of loving the track, too, I have to say!” www.shure.com www.sonnox.com www.chandlerlimited.com www.waves.com www.numenstudios.com

BEST BLUETOOTH IN-EAR HEADPHONES FLARES PRO

FLARE AUDIO PRO

M AK E SO M E NOIS E Flare Audio is a company that prides itself on extremely high-end sonics, with a product range that looks as cool as it sounds. We take a look at the manufacturer’s PRO earphones, which are certainly something to talk about.

Firstly, what’s particularly cool (and unique, come to think of it) about the Flare PRO is that users can switch between a 3.5mm wired jack cable to Bluetooth.

This is achievable thanks to three new technologies, which we’ll come to in a second – and no matter which mode you’re working in, the idea is that the PRO offers sound of such high quality, every recording should feel like you are listening to it for the first time.

The PRO has been designed so that every tiny driver movement is very precisely converted into particle vibrations that then hit the ear drums with precisely the same vibrations that the driver created – this, Flare says, is all without any interference from the body of the earphone onto the driver: a paired movement between the eardrum and driver, which results in an exact match without odd order harmonic interference from the structure.

Back to the technologies themselves, firstly the Anti-Resonance technology, which Flare claims can eliminate the sound energy away from being reflected at the driver. This, we are told, results in all music exhibiting increased levels of detail, and that music will sound more ‘live’ to the listener, with no sound device reverbs or audible distortion.

The second technology is Dual Jet sound balancing technology, which controls driver movement using pressure control jets; and the third is Acoustic Lens technology, which controls sound energy entering the jets, and then focuses the energy onto the eardrum.

According to company founder, Davies Roberts, sound devices like speakers, earphones, and headphones have been built using resonance techniques for the last 100 years – and that’s been compromising quality.

“Resonance in a musical instrument creates a certain timbre, unique to that instrument,” he says. “You would not find resonance in a microphone or an amplifier, and it is our belief that it should not be introduced into speaker products.

At Flare, we have global granted patents

that enable us to produce mirror image sound without resonance; and we are now commercialising our technology into various sectors with the sole aim to remove resonance from all types of sound devices.”

And it’s not just Roberts that believes in his product. Plenty of artists and creatives are suitably impressed.

“I didn’t think the sound could be improved from my first set of Flare R2 earphones, but with the Flares PRO, I have to assume there has been some deal with the devil, for they sound even better,” insists Travis frontman, Fran Healey.

“Cleaner, rounder, more transparent, and the low end is more defined than before.”

According to Julian Lennon, the PRO has the clearest, deepest, and most natural sound quality he’s heard in years: “These come highly recommended for not only listening to your favourite anthems, but for listening to your own musical projects as well - and they’re great for mixing, too!” www.flareaudio.com

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Jenna Paley

A Lifetime of Listening

A LIFETIME OF LISTENING Jenna Paley became an audiologist because she fell in love with the ear: the transduction of sound waves to become meaningful pieces of information, and the profound role hearing plays in our ability to connect with other people. She is a hearing doctor, who specialises in working with music biz professionals, and she runs Project Decibel. Headliner investigates...

“In graduate school, we learned mostly about hearing loss treatment – for example, what do we do when we lose our hearing?” opens Paley. “Having several friends in the music school, I took more of an interest in hearing loss prevention - specifically in the music industry. I was disappointed by the lack of education there was for music industry students and professionals around hearing, and without quite knowing exactly what it would be, I incorporated Project Decibel.”

Paley was fortunate enough to spend time studying with leading audiologists in the field who have paved the way and created space and inspiration for more audiologists to practice hearing loss prevention. I ask her, in a nutshell, what Project Decibel is all about.

“I specialise in working with music industry professionals to create individualised plans to make sure their ears are protected, both while they do their job, and are enjoying the thing they love most,” she says. “My goal is to

42 HEADLINER

prevent hearing disorders to ensure a lifetime of listening.”

Listen Up I put it to Paley that with major stars – Coldplay’s Chris Martin being one – now revealing that super-loud shows, and generally not taking care of their ears in the past, has led to hearing loss, and at times, tinnitus, we really should be talking about it more. How can the general public learn more, and what can we all do to help raise awareness? “[smiles] Ah, I love this! This is exactly my mission with Project Decibel, to create a community around hearing loss prevention,” Paley explains. “We are currently focused on forming partnerships with leading music industry organisations to make hearing wellness more accessible, and more affordable.

In addition to working with MusiCares, a Recording Academy organisation, we recently finalised a partnership with BMI, an extraordinary music rights organisation. It’s partnerships like these

that allow us to reach more people, and provide more on-site hearing tests, wax removal, and ear mold impressions for custom earplugs to those who otherwise would not be able to access it.”

And the best way to help raise awareness is to have Project Decibel at your next event, Paley says. Hear, hear! (sorry...)

“We are open to traveling all over the world to provide these services, and all we need from our partners is a place to set up! In addition to our partnerships, we also have a wealth of information on our website. Instead of scientific white papers, our website is filled with videos, sound files, and graphics explaining things like how our ears work, music induced hearing disorders, how loud is too loud, and what hearing loss sounds like. I wanted to create content that was focused on the facts, and simple to understand. We also have a goal to create more content in 2019, do interviews with leading audio engineers, 3D scanner companies, and other

Jenna Paley

A Lifetime of Listening

“I knew I had to be 100% mobile, so I packed up my clinic into a road case, and have been on the move ever since...” organisations getting involved in the Save The Ears mission.”

Project Decibel’s ‘we come to you’ model is really cool - allowing for a more affordable and accessible service. I ask Paley how it all came about.

“The concierge model has been awesome. When I first started working in the music industry, I found the biggest barrier to access to hearing wellness was the fact people need to schedule appointments during normal business hours, and then go to a doctor’s office, which was overly complicated and intimidating, especially for musicians that have irregular schedules,” Paley says, making a very good point. “I kept hearing, ‘I’ve been meaning to do this for 10 years, and just never wanted to, or had time to go into a doctor’s office’.

At that point, I knew that I needed to be 100% mobile, so I packed up my clinic into a road case, and have been on the move ever since.”

Inspiring stuff, and further proof of Paley’s dedication to her work. In addition to being a concierge for her clients, flying to see them during

rehearsals or at venues, or on the tour bus, she also sees plenty of creatives at music festivals.

“It allows more people to access our services, as well as be super convenient for the majority of industry members who are constantly on the move, and don’t have time to make an appointment with an audiologist,” she says. “Last season, we had an official presence at six music festivals - Lollapalooza, and Austin City Limits, for example - with a booth in their backstage artist area. In addition, we were at almost 10 other festivals on behalf of clients, to see them in their green rooms. It’s great to be able to connect with artist management, engineers, crew, staff, and security, and see how excited they are about us being there - another big thank you to our partners for making it happen!”

Conversation turns to IEMs, and how important now it is for artists to wear them from a protection perspective as well as an audio perspective.

“As a doctor, my main concern is hearing loss prevention. That being said, I also do a lot of IEM fittings. In-

ear monitors aren’t inherently hearing protection devices, because they too can get dangerously loud, and you have the ability to turn them up just as loud as you would a floor monitor,” she explains. “However, if worn properly, they definitely give you the best opportunity to protect your hearing by blocking out stage noise, allowing you to keep your monitor mix low. I highly recommend them for all performers, and anyone who is on stage.

“There are two things I require of my clients who are getting IEMs: a hearing test (also done onsite), and their commitment to turning them down as low as they can without compromising their ability to perform. From an audio perspective (I am no audio engineer), inears have several benefits: reduced risk of feedback and vocal fatigue; a cleaner stage; and the ability to move around freely, without losing your mix. Overall, I highly recommend new artists to get in-ears as early as possible, and make sure you have a hearing test during your fitting! If you don’t have an audiologist or feel you need some additional support, 43 HEADLINER

Jenna Paley

A Lifetime of Listening

“I’d like to thank Nina Carter for taking the first step in making sure BMI artists have a place to go for their hearing care...” don’t hesitate to reach out to me via our website - I am always available for phone and Skype appointments.”

One of Paley’s main partners is IEM specialist, JH Audio. Her relationship with the team is second to none, and they work closely together.

“Kevin [Glendinning, JH Audio artist relations] is a treasured colleague, and close friend of mine. We’re both based out of Chicago, and see a lot of clients together. I think we would both say we make a pretty great team,” Paley says.

“We have a mutual respect for the role we each play in the process, and have definitely gotten into a routine when we see clients together.

“We also have the same values: be professional, keep confidentiality, do a good job, and be kind. He has played a big role in Project Decibel; as an official advisor to the company, he has helped me figure out how to reach more people in a way that resonates with them. Kevin is the best, he goes above and beyond for all of his clients, whether you are a global superstar, or just a music lover looking for great headphones.”

Only a small percentage of Paley’s 44 HEADLINER

clients have had a hearing test within the last five years of seeing her, let alone in their adult life. Why is that, exactly?

“I think most of them are nervous during the test, as most would be during any test, because there’s the potential you’re going to get some bad news,” she admits. “There is new research to suggest that the ability to hear speech in noise is the first thing to be injured by excessive exposure to loud sound. However, most of my clients are surprised to see their results are generally positive with hearing within normal limits.

“It’s one of my favourite parts of the job. Most people feel empowered to protect their hearing, knowing they still got it! For those who have some injury, we talk about how to prevent it from getting any worse. It’s never too late to start protecting what you have!”

Her clientele is an even split between new artists and those with established musical careers, which sounds pretty healthy to me; and beyond that, Paley works with music students and faculty, management, crew, security, engineers, and plain old music lovers, as well. I ask Paley if she’s had a standout moment in

her career to date?

“The public announcement of our partnership with BMI was definitely a moment I will never forget. It was my dream that large music organisations would join our mission, and it was pretty crazy to see it happen so fast,” she reflects. “I’d definitely like to thank Nina Carter for taking the first step in making sure BMI artists have a place to go for their hearing care. There have been so many great memories along this journey, I’m so lucky to literally do what I love.

“It is my dream that more people start talking about hearing wellness this year, and to grow our community at Project Decibel. To me, the most important thing is the ongoing conversation that we have as a whole, with our partners, and my clients. My hope for 2019 is to create more partnerships, maybe even some internationally, and to give more people access to hearing wellness.” www.project-decibel.com www.jhaudio.com

The Clarett sound – now on USB Clarett USB lays down the challenge to interfaces twice the price. The ultra-low noise and distortion and wide dynamic range of Clarett can now be experienced with any Mac® or PC supporting USB 2.0 and above. The Clarett USB series features three interfaces: Clarett 2Pre USB (10-in, 4-out), Clarett 4Pre USB (18-in, 8-out) and Clarett 8Pre USB (18-in, 20-out). The included standard USB and USB Type-C™ cables connect to Mac® or PC, and you can record with super-low latency through amp simulators and effects plug-ins.

Includes:

focusrite.com/clarett-usb

Included standard USB and USB Type-C™ cables connect to Mac® or PC

Recording

Metropolis Studios

NEW ROOMS AT METROPOLIS Metropolis is pleased to announce the launch of brand new, fully equipped production and writing rooms. The rooms are essentially a scaled-down version of the usual Metropolis experience, but the studios took its years of experience in providing artists with a relaxed, non-sterile, creative environment, and adapted it to make it more affordable.

These new rooms now extend the Metropolis welcome to independent, unsigned, or developing acts; and these spaces have already been used by artists including Mahalia, Octavian, WSTRN, Rude Kid, and Sophie Rose, to name a few.

According to Metropolis, the attention to detail and expertise their team has brought to these rooms is unparalleled across Europe. Their engineers oversaw every detail and aspect of the setup, from high-end Roland synths to perfectly balanced Genelec monitors.

The studios are offering an Intro Package exclusively for the 2019 MPG Awards, which includes a full day session with their Junior Engineer for only £350, or senior engineer for £500.

This offer is valid until 31st March 2019.

Meet the Team Liam Nolan (pictured right) is one of the most in demand vocal engineers in the UK. He’s worked at Metropolis for 10 years, starting as a studio intern, and quickly moving up the ladder as a go-to

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for some of the biggest artists in the UK: Jess Glynne, and Clean Bandit, to name a few. Nolan was also awarded two Grammys in 2017, recording tracks for Adele’s epic 25 album.

Paul Norris has worked across many musical genres. He won a Grammy for his work with Rihanna, and for the last two years, his focus has been on mixing.

Audio highlights include 5.1 mixes on the Gorillaz album, Humanz, and mixing for Craig Ogden, and The Vaccines.

Nick Mills joined Metropolis in 2015, working his way up from an intern to assistant engineer, and quickly progressing to be another young and in-demand vocal engineer: he recently engineered vocals for Maribou State, recorded the majority of Loyle Carner’s forthcoming album - including engineering his latest single release, You Don’t Know - and engineered on the latest [as yet unreleased] Kendrick Lamar project.

For more information, check out this link: www.thisismetropolis.com/ writing-room

KEITH FLINT

1969-2019

SPITFIRE AUDIO