012 - Mic Choice

In this episode we discuss training your ears! How do you do it? How long does it take? We talk about listening to organic live music and how live music relates to working in the studio with sound. Ear Training is an ongoing process as with learning any skill. Even the most experienced engineers and producers are always learning. Mark and Tom both share their experiences with growing and becoming better at working with audio.

In this episode Mark continues to discuss with Fernando Reyes about his career path leading up to assisting Michael Brauer at Electric Lady Studios. Mark asks about how Fernando's perspective has changed up to now, from when he was in school.  Fernando mentions that it's easy to take what you are shown and think that is the "only way" but it isn't. He also mentions that being able to make "tasteful" decisions in audio is a trait that many great mix engineers share. Fernando shares what his dream mixing setup would look like for his personal projects, considering he is assisting in an ALL ANALOG studio on a daily basis.

Tom and Mark talk about mixing and working in the digital realm. It all comes with it's challenges. One of those challenges is the overwhelming amount of technical tasks we need to accomplish in order to do a single thing. Setting up the mix and your project template is imperative when streamlining your workflow. Communication with the client is #1. Communication with other people in the team (recording engineers, producers) is also a necessity. Organization within your DAW is important, meaning labeling your tracks and order correct track order. Asking for references and rough mixes from your client may help to understand their vision.

In this episode I interview professional drum tech and studio owner, isra Batista. In this Part 3 of 3, we talk about adding materials on the drum heads and is it good or bad. Putting materials on the drum heads and inside the drums not only changes the sound but the performers experience as well. What material are you are hitting the drums with? It all makes a difference. Microphones are normally subjective but I asked Isra what his favorite choices were for micing and recording drums.

In this episode we continue our interview with professional drum tech, Isra Batista. Listen to his perspectives on drum heads and how they affect the sound of the drum. Drum tuning is so important and to many, an unknown territory. Listen to how Isra breaks down his process and how he tunes drums. He also talks about the different materials and tricks that he uses to treat the surface of the drum.

In this episode Mark interview Isra Batista, studio owner, engineer, producer, drummer and drum tech.  Isra talks about how he grew into being a drum tech and shares his opinions on what makes great drum sounds starting at the source.

Mark and Tom continue the conversation about microphone choice and types.  They discuss specific scenarios where you may choose a certain type of microphone or position.

Tom and Mark talk about the process of choosing microphones for recording.  Do you choose a condenser or a dynamic microphone?  What's the difference? Will the wrong mic affect the project negatively or does it even matter?  What other factors in the room and with the instrument do we take into consideration when recording?

Mark interviews Fernando Reyes, assistant to mix engineer Michael Brauer (Coldplay, etc.).  Fernando's road to success started in Peru and brought him to Florida where he went to school for Audio.  It was through school that he discovered his passion for mixing.  After school Fernando moved to New York to pursue his dream to work in a studio. Listen as Mark and Fernando talk about his journey and find out what it took for him to go from no audio experience, to working along side one of the world's most sought out mixing engineers.

Mark and Tom discuss surround sound, virtual reality, and the different emerging ways of experiencing audio. VR games and other types of environments allow us create music and even learn how operate gear in a virtual environment! The digital domain makes most of this possible, but do we miss or want anything from the analog world? Analog gave us the kinesthetic experience with faders, knobs, and a lack of visuals to guide us.Do the technical aspects of digital embrace or hinder our creativity?