Production and other stuff
Good evening. Yes, 1:54am still feels like evening. I'm in super focused mix mode (except for this ear break). I'm mixing this rock band from Switzerland called "My Play" right now. Total raw energy, loud guitars, washy cymbals, out of tune vocals, everything you'd ever want in an indie rock band. I worked all day on Dilated Peoples, thats coming along really well. Nearing completion i think.
Friday I'll be working again on Dilated Peoples, as well as cutting some bass tracks with bassist extrordinaire Rob Calber (who's main gig is playing bass in the Ari Hest Band, signed to Columbia Records). Every time i need a great bassline, I just call Rob, send him the song ahead of time, bring him in and just let him hit me with his ideas. They are always great. He's played on 3 E-dro songs so far, and tomorrow will be the 4th. I've also used him for a number of other projects ranging from heavy rock to hip hop.
I think part of being a good producer is surrounding yourself with talented people that you can call upon to do specific things very well. If i need a great live bass line, I call Rob Calder. If i need a string arrangement, I'll call Rob Mathes or Chris Demetriou, though quite often I'll put together my own string arrangements. I really love putting strings together, and I know the way i would put them together is completely different than the way an arranger would put them together. As a producer, I have to know when it should be me or someone else, and well, of course, the size of the project budget can often dictate who i use as well. If there's no budget and i need strings, its all me. Wait til you hear some of the strings on E-dro's album. Rob Mathes did arrangements on two songs and played piano on 4 songs (amazing stuff by the way, he's a musical genuis), I did some pretty darn cool strings on a few other songs. I'll post clips sometime soon.
I should be starting to mix E-dro's album maybe as soon as next week. I'm getting a Lexicon 960 reverb in next week, the Bentley of Reverbs for sure, as well as the SPL Mix Dream and an Apogee DA16X. I want E-dro's album to be some of the best work I've ever done, and I think it will be. Next big production project in the pipeline will most likely be Small Town Sleeper, as we're getting courted by a couple labels right now. You can hear one of their songs on my main page. I've got a few other production projects in the long term pipeline, if all goes well, next year is going to be a wonderful year to make music. I'm excited already. Of course I'll always have plenty of mixing work and sample recreation stuff rolling thru when i want it and/or need it.
I had such an amazing 2004 (Kanye West, Janet Jackson, Usher, Beastie Boys, Lenny Kravitz, etc.... geez!!!) that i didnt have any clue how i was going to do in 2005. I get the sense this year that though I havent done as many big name projects (certainly quite a few, but not like 2004), 2005 seems like a much more rewarding year musically. Its also been a restructuring year as I've been working toward top level pop mixing. I mixed most of Jeannie Ortega's album for Hollywood, did some mixing for Nick Lachey, JC Chasez, CeCe Winans, and a bunch of pop artists working on their debuit releases. I actually passed up an opportunity to work on the MTV Video Music Awards with Puffy so i could produce E-dro's album. That might tell you how much i believe in him and this project. 2005 also looks like a pretty good chance that i'll get Small Town Sleeper signed after many years of development. That band is so amazing, any label that passes on them I'm planning to make regret it dearly in the coming year or two.
Anyway, earbreak over. Back to mixing some loud raw rock n roll. 2:22am, practically dinner time. Oh, in my last post, I asked if anyone had any virtual synth recommendations. Kevin Slack came thru with a recommendation for the Imposcar, once i heard the demo's I bought it. should get it in next week. Thanks Kevin. Anyone else using virtual stuff they really love? gimme the scoop!
-Ken
Friday I'll be working again on Dilated Peoples, as well as cutting some bass tracks with bassist extrordinaire Rob Calber (who's main gig is playing bass in the Ari Hest Band, signed to Columbia Records). Every time i need a great bassline, I just call Rob, send him the song ahead of time, bring him in and just let him hit me with his ideas. They are always great. He's played on 3 E-dro songs so far, and tomorrow will be the 4th. I've also used him for a number of other projects ranging from heavy rock to hip hop.
I think part of being a good producer is surrounding yourself with talented people that you can call upon to do specific things very well. If i need a great live bass line, I call Rob Calder. If i need a string arrangement, I'll call Rob Mathes or Chris Demetriou, though quite often I'll put together my own string arrangements. I really love putting strings together, and I know the way i would put them together is completely different than the way an arranger would put them together. As a producer, I have to know when it should be me or someone else, and well, of course, the size of the project budget can often dictate who i use as well. If there's no budget and i need strings, its all me. Wait til you hear some of the strings on E-dro's album. Rob Mathes did arrangements on two songs and played piano on 4 songs (amazing stuff by the way, he's a musical genuis), I did some pretty darn cool strings on a few other songs. I'll post clips sometime soon.
I should be starting to mix E-dro's album maybe as soon as next week. I'm getting a Lexicon 960 reverb in next week, the Bentley of Reverbs for sure, as well as the SPL Mix Dream and an Apogee DA16X. I want E-dro's album to be some of the best work I've ever done, and I think it will be. Next big production project in the pipeline will most likely be Small Town Sleeper, as we're getting courted by a couple labels right now. You can hear one of their songs on my main page. I've got a few other production projects in the long term pipeline, if all goes well, next year is going to be a wonderful year to make music. I'm excited already. Of course I'll always have plenty of mixing work and sample recreation stuff rolling thru when i want it and/or need it.
I had such an amazing 2004 (Kanye West, Janet Jackson, Usher, Beastie Boys, Lenny Kravitz, etc.... geez!!!) that i didnt have any clue how i was going to do in 2005. I get the sense this year that though I havent done as many big name projects (certainly quite a few, but not like 2004), 2005 seems like a much more rewarding year musically. Its also been a restructuring year as I've been working toward top level pop mixing. I mixed most of Jeannie Ortega's album for Hollywood, did some mixing for Nick Lachey, JC Chasez, CeCe Winans, and a bunch of pop artists working on their debuit releases. I actually passed up an opportunity to work on the MTV Video Music Awards with Puffy so i could produce E-dro's album. That might tell you how much i believe in him and this project. 2005 also looks like a pretty good chance that i'll get Small Town Sleeper signed after many years of development. That band is so amazing, any label that passes on them I'm planning to make regret it dearly in the coming year or two.
Anyway, earbreak over. Back to mixing some loud raw rock n roll. 2:22am, practically dinner time. Oh, in my last post, I asked if anyone had any virtual synth recommendations. Kevin Slack came thru with a recommendation for the Imposcar, once i heard the demo's I bought it. should get it in next week. Thanks Kevin. Anyone else using virtual stuff they really love? gimme the scoop!
-Ken
posted by Protools Mixing at 1:23 AM
1 Comments:
Hey Ken,
That was quick on the Imposcar. I know you don't sleep much, but you probably won't sleep at all for a few dayz once you get the Imposcar. The arpeggiator should keep you busy for at least a few dayz.
Kevin
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