[Dana Nielsen]

@Dave and @smoothygroove thank you guys so much!! You, and the crew at large here, are just the coolest n’ sweetest!

Thanks so much for the kind words, and for checkin out the Zoom (live or replay) – that was so fun!

PS – also, sorry for the 3min of me doing nothing at the beginning of the video hahahaha. Didn’t realize that was there when I posted it. In hindsight it makes sense as Zoom started recording the moment I initiated the Zoom meeting rather than when I admitted the first guest. Anywho — anyone else watching the replay, skip ahead 3 minutes to avoid watching me silently looking at a computer monitor 😂🤦🏻‍♂️

[Dana Nielsen]

Description

This engaging discussion delves into the intricacies of music production, focusing on hardware and plugins, particularly compressors and EQs. The participants highlight the benefits of using plugin versions of vintage gear and mastering EQ and compression techniques. They also discuss the challenges in the music industry, the role of music therapy in emotional expression, and the impact of AI in music production.

#MusicProduction #Plugins #Compressors #EQ #MusicTherapy

Q&A

What are some favorite plugins or gear that members have been using recently?

• Daniel mentioned that he has stopped searching for plugins and has found his favorites. He believes that the better you get at hearing compression and equalization, the better of a producer you become. He has been diving into different types of compression, such as upwards compression, downwards compression, and expansion. He also mentioned that saturation is a type of compression and tone that he appreciates.

What is the benefit of pushing every tool to its extremes?

• Pushing every tool to its extremes allows you to explore the full range of possibilities and discover unique sounds and effects. By pushing the limits of a plugin or piece of gear, you can uncover interesting textures, harmonics, and sonic characteristics that may not be immediately apparent at more conservative settings. It’s a great way to experiment and find your own signature sound.

What are the challenges and advantages of being a music freelancer in a competitive city like LA?

• Being a music freelancer in a competitive city like LA comes with both challenges and advantages. The competition can be intense, with many talented individuals vying for limited opportunities. It can be challenging to stand out and secure gigs or projects. However, being in a music hub like LA also provides access to a vibrant music scene, networking opportunities, and the chance to collaborate with top-notch professionals. It’s a city where creativity thrives, and if you can navigate the competition, it can offer exciting possibilities.

How does music therapy use music to address emotional and psychological issues?

• Charissa, a Board-certified Music Therapist, explains that Music therapy uses music as a therapeutic tool to address emotional, psychological, and physical issues. It can help individuals express and process their emotions, reduce stress and anxiety, improve mood and self-esteem, and enhance overall well-being. Music therapists use various techniques, such as playing instruments, singing, songwriting, and listening to music, to create a safe and supportive environment for healing and personal growth.

What are some recent projects Charissa has worked on as a session singer?

• Charissa has recently worked on projects such as the animated Disney movie ‘Wish’, where she provided vocals and collaborated with artists like Julia Michaels and Ariana Debose.

Chapters

00:26 Introductions

Participants introduce themselves and engage in casual conversation.

03:46 Hardware & Plugins

Discussion on hardware and plugins for recording and mixing, including compressors and EQs.

28:47 Exploring Plugins

Benefits of using plugin versions of vintage hardware gear and mastering EQ and compression techniques.

32:32 Understanding Compressors

Different types and modes of compressors, shaping dynamics, and the role of EQ.

37:00 Experimenting with Plugins

Pushing plugins to extremes, understanding sound characteristics, and comparing different compressors.

54:47 Music Industry Challenges

Competitive nature of the music industry, difficulty of breaking through, and impact of the pandemic.

58:57 Music Therapy

Using music therapy to express emotions, role of music in therapeutic settings, and connecting with clients.

64:30 Music Industry Work

Discussion about projects, vocalists, and union jobs in the music industry.

67:11 AI in Music

Concerns and experiences with AI in music production and session work.

71:27 Community Engagement

Encouragement to engage with the community, share music, and impressions of Sonarworks new AI voice plugin.

[Dana Nielsen]

David! I love this query so much! And yeah, Kevin Parker is a badass. Honestly, I didn’t even realize he was behind those new Dua Lipa songs – what a cool pairing of peeps!

I also really dig how you put together this playlist chronologically. So fun to hear his sound thru the years. Definitely a common style thread throughout (boom-bap hip hop inspired beats mixed with 70s ELO-style psych pop mixed with 80s synth pop and new wave … mixed with disco basslines and his signature ethereal vocal textures … at least, that’s my knee-jerk summary/description).

I feel like you can also hear the evolution of the sonics or presentation (aka mixing) of his sound throughout the years as well. More popularity, bigger budgets, fancier mixers? Or perhaps he mixes his own stuff .. I can’t recall but will dive into those details for sure (🤔 if only f#$*ing Spotify would share those album credits with us I wouldn’t have to leave their platform to find basic recording info)

My guess is, to get those sounds, he’s choosing instruments (and the treatment of those instruments – selection and tuning of drums for example) that are specific to the eras of recorded music that he most admires, and then continues to refine that era/mood-driven approach through the choice of microphones and recording techniques, including post-processing and mixing.

I love producing recordings that are an homage to a certain era. Here’s one that comes to mind from a hilarious soundtrack I produced/recorded/mixed for the zany Spanish language Will Ferrell film Casa de mi Padre. While recording and mixing the song ‘Luv Butts’ I was referencing my vinyl copy of the Grease soundtrack – specifically the Frankie Valli title track.

I’ve added that song and a few others to a quick “Sounds of an Era” playlist that features songs I mixed to sound like a certain era. Love My People is a track I treated to sound like 60s funk soul samples even tho it’s all live players together in a studio circa 2015. Yo No Se is an homage to vintage Cuban jazz records. For 123 I was referencing Phil Spector’s ‘wall of sound’. (FUN FACT: all but the Pom Poms and Grease songs also feature several of our fellow Protégés co-producing and/or performing! 🤯)

In each of those cases I studied the EQ, panning, and saturation profiles of their given inspired era – from the instruments, how they’re mic’ed, the room they’re in, how they’re “blown up” on their way into pro tools via overdriven preamp or compressor, and then lots of filtering, EQ’ing, and shredding to taste during the mix to get the record to sound like my favorite references.

I have a feeling that’s exactly what Mr. Parker does too … following that ‘favorite record’ sound in his heart, in his ear, and shaping it into existence by any means necessary, analog or digital.

Ok, I’ve blathered on long enough, and I realize I didn’t give any specific suggestions specific to the tracks in your awesome playlist. Perhaps more later! And I look fwd to hearing what others here think!! 🤓

[Dana Nielsen]

Ok just listened in the studio – it’s massive and amazing! Here are my slightly revised thoughts:

• Percussion: didn’t strike me as much “out of perspective” as they had during my previous headphone listen. That said, I might try rolling off a bit of the top end on the percussion to smooth it out. A lot of times I reach for Decapitator to do this cause I can quickly filter the top or bottom AND add a touch of saturation while I’m at it.
• Choir: same as before … love it, want more of it, but also dig it where it’s at if it’s supposed to be more “felt” than heard.

SO good man!!

[Dana Nielsen]

Oh MAN!! What a lush, gorgeous, emotive, electro-organic, ring-modulated, tribal-techno-orchestro TREAT! Massive and haunting and beautiful. 👏

I’m on my trusty headphones at the moment and can’t wait to crank this in the studio. Perhaps the studio listen will inspire additional thoughts or ideas, but for now here are the only things that caught my ear:

• When the percussion entered – good lordt I almost spit out my coffee! What a fun surprise that was to hear the perc and choir elements join the party toward the end. For the perc, I felt like it could benefit from some big ambience/verb to help the perspective. What I mean is… the rest of the ensemble is living in this enormous, vast, expansive mountain range of a sound stage; but then the percussion comes storming in and it feels right up close to my face, full of detail and presence and a “dryness” for lack of a better word, that makes it feel disconnected from the rest of the ensemble. Perhaps that was your intent – and if so, cool! But my natural instinct was “I want these drums to maintain all their power and low end while also being drenched in a bit of that “grand canyon verb” that the rest of the synth orchestra is living in!” I guess I kinda imagine it emanating (loudly, powerfully) from behind the orchestra, like in a traditional stage setting. But again, totally viable to break from that tradition too, so just my first impressions.
• The choir chant might be perfect where it is, level-wise, but it’s such an awesome emotional sound I’m so curious if it could be louder!!!!

FABULOUS work, homey! Wow. Can’t wait to see whatever film this is, hear the rest of the cues, and point at the TV while shouting excitedly at my family who are watching other things on their own separate devices, “THAT’S MY FRIEND @Nate WHO DID THE MUSIC! I KNOW HIM!”

[Dana Nielsen]

Love hearing this progress, Patrick! I really dig the round/deep warmth of the bass. And your vocal sounds great – nice work! I think the strummed acoustic in the chorus is nice. It could become a supplemental texture while a different instrument is featured for the choruses like a keyboard as u mentioned – that could be cool. If you kept the strumming in there, supporting the keyboard, it might a) keep from feeling like “what happened to the guitar?” and b) provide that nice ‘shaker’-sounding percussive energy a strummed acoustic can offer.

Such a sweet song and performance! Really gives me Pete Yorn / Chris Martin vibes 🙌

[Dana Nielsen]

Just listened on my studio speakers – “phat wobbles” for sure! Dude, it sounds killer! Fantastic work.

If it were for a record I’d prob say you could master it harder – hit it with the ol’ Pro-L2 more aggressively. But … being that this is for sync purposes, I think it’s perfect where it’s at. Any music editor is gonna turn the music way down anyway (even when featured) for broadcast spec. And if you master it loud like a record, it’ll prob be at the expense of that booty-ful low end you’ve got going on (sheesh!! super thick! 💜). So, all that to say, I think it sounds great and strikes a great balance between “album mastering” and “broadcast mastering” if that makes any sense.

Keep the hits comin!! ⚡️🤘

[Dana Nielsen]

Oh, and the track itself is awesome! Love it!!

[Dana Nielsen]

Royyyyyy! Love this! And love @shimmerisland‘s insights too. I’m listening in late-night laptop mode so I’ll save any technical thoughts till I’ve had a chance to crank this in the studio. But love it musically, and totally dug the half-time vibe switcharoo around 40 seconds. Head bobbin’! So many cool gear shifts and new bits of ear candy throughout the track, too, keeping me wowed and engaged as a listener! Which … of course, is no surprise coming from you, you sync GEM! 💎🤘

[Dana Nielsen]

Holy goose-bumps, Batman!!! 🦸 Wow, @Nate – absolutely amazing, man. As stunning sonically as it is musically ⚡️⚡️. I can’t get enough of that powerful upward horn/synth glissando motif and the cascading suspensions it creates against the changing chords as it’s lush reverb tail lingers. Super emotional. This beautiful score you’ve created makes me feel like I’m sprinting through the woods in Last of The Mohicans while boss battling the sand snake from Dune. BRAVO!!!!!

[Dana Nielsen]

My pleasure man! And thanks!

And, ooh, that would be a fun vid to make .. breaking down one of those 2 amazing tracks (was just re-listening to them both – so freaking good, head-bobbing, musically-and-production-ally refreshing!)

[Dana Nielsen]

What a great overview video, thanks for this, Paul! I own Ozone but haven’t used it in quite a while. This nice lil vid has me excited to give the imager a whirl again. Very cool tool.

[Dana Nielsen]

Mix Protagonist lolol

[Dana Nielsen]

Excellent definition and explanation of octaves and cycles, Paul. Couldn’t have done a better job myself.

But um, hang on a sec …. are you telling me that Mr. Frequency Hertz is the same guy as Mr. Car Rental Hertz???!?

[Dana Nielsen]

😂😂 descriptive, intuitive, technical, helpful and hilarious as always, @-PT ! 🏅 I’d love to hear what this mix sounds like with a couple two tree “deebs” more top end!

* deebs = dB, i.e. decibels
* couple two tree = Chicagoan for ‘two or three’, or ‘a few’