Music Tech August 2015

Issue 149 August 2015w

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.musictech.net

The magazine for producers, engineers and recording musicians

Issue 149August 2015

Vocals in LiveLogic compression

Recording in Cubase

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1.7GB OF ROYALTY-FREE SAMPLES 2 HOURS OF TUITION VIDEO

Issue 149 August 2015

5.99

Best DAW workshops

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Top music production advice

20 Tips for mobile musicCreative sound design

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The Best Reviews

Pushing the production boundaries

Reason 8.3, FLStudio 12Era II library, Korg iM1

Give your music a professional edge. Read our in-depth guide, hear the results online

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Welcome MT

MAGAZINE August 2015 | 3

Mastering is still the big daddy when it comes to music production. What I mean is the word still strikes fear into many, when really it shouldnt. (The 1970s wrestler Big Daddy, for example, was a mighty chap who was

actually a rather nice fellow called Shirley). Rubbish 70s references aside, the aim of our major feature this month is to de-mystify mastering. So Mike Hilliers article on p12 looks at the nitty gritty in exhaustive detail with reference to the audio he mixed in last months main feature. The results will be online by the time you read this so you can hear the process in action, in all its glory. Maybe we should just give mastering a friendlier name to make it less scary. Pampering? Smoothing? Cuddling even?

But thats not the most exciting thing in this issue by any means. On a personal level, after what can only be described as a lot of fannying about, Ive fi nally settled on a mobile music-making set-up that includes both Korgs Gadget and iM1, the latter of which I take a rather self-indulgent look at on p98. On a connected mobile note, though, its Music IO on p87 that will be the app well all probably end up using software that will revolutionise the connectivity between my mobile set-up and my (still) slowly emerging home studio. Then, at the other end of the scale, we have the much-hyped Studio One v3 see p7, where we answer the question What is all the fuss about?.

Finally, a quick plug for our next issue. Its number 150, so itll be big. Id best get on and do something for it Until then!Andy Jones Senior Editor Email [email protected] @AndyJonesMT

DONT MISS OUR GREAT SUBS OFFER!Subscribe and save 35% and get the digital edition free see p60 for full details.

Expert Panel

Mixing/Mastering/Logic Mark Cousins Mark specialises in sound design and cinematic productions. He has recorded with orchestras across Europe and is heavily involved in soundtrack composition.

Recording & Guitar Tech Huw Price A recording engineer since 1987, Huw has worked with David Bowie, My Bloody Valentine, Primal Scream, Depeche Mode, Nick Cave, Heidi Berry, Fad Gadget and countless others.

Scoring/Orchestral Keith Gemmell Keith specialises in areas where traditional music-making meets music technology, including orchestral and jazz sample libraries, acoustic virtual instruments and notation software.

Ableton Live Martin DelaneyMartin was one of the first UK Ableton Certified Trainers. He has taught everyone from musicians to psychiatric patients and has written three books about Live. Martin also designed the Kenton Killamix Mini USB MIDI controller and is now the editor of www.ableton-live-expert.com.

Reason, DJ & Mobile Hollin Jones As well as teaching music technology, producing and writing soundtracks, Hollin is an expert on everything Apple, mobile or computer-related, as well as being an accomplished keyboard player.

Electronic Music Alex Holmes Alex has been a computer musician for 15 years, having a keen passion for beats, bass and all forms of electronic music. Hes currently involved in three different dance music projects.

Studio Hardware John Pickford John is a studio engineer with over 25 years of experience. He is a keen sound recording historian and has a passion for valve-driven analogue equipment and classic recording techniques.

Pro Tools Mike Hillier Mike spent five years at Metropolis Studios, working alongside some of the best-known mix and mastering engineers in the world. He is now building his own studio in south London.

Pro Tools Mike HillierMike spent five years at Metropolis Studios, working alongside some of the best-known mix and mastering engineers in the world. He is now building his own studio in south London.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE!Head to our constantly updated website for the latest news, reviews and 10 years worth of quality content musictech.net

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Careers Editor Rob Boffard Rob Boffard is a sound designer with a background in TV and radio work. He is a Reason evangelist, and when not writing for MusicTech he releases hip-hop music under the name Rob One.

Digital/Composition Andy Price With a Masters in songwriting and a vast interest in music history and recording techniques, Andy works daily on MusicTech.net as well as regularly contributing to the magazine. He is currently heading up our Landmark Album features and songwriting/Cubase series.

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20 TIPS FOR MOBILE MUSIC MAKING P48

MT ContentsIssue 149 August 2015

12 MASTERING: THE GUIDETHE GUIDELearn how to master a track and hear the results on the DVD

MT Cover feature

MT Buyers Guide

That most important of items in your signal chain under the spotlight

103 Six of the best preamps

FREE SAMPLES GO HERE P114

MASTERING: THE GUIDE P12

28 Squarepusher28 SquarepusherAt the cutting edge of music production. Or is he?

MT Contents

4 | August 2015 MAGAZINE

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p73 p78

p83

p78

p83

DAW workshops

New series! This month: the compressor

Everything Ableton, right here

A new series on getting the perfect DAW take

New series! This month: the compressorNew series! This month: the compressor40 Logic Pro In Depth 44 Ultimate Guide to Live

A new series on getting the perfect DAW take52 DAW Recording

MT Issue 149 Full listingsADVANCE

007 | Industry news and opinion

MASTERING: THE GUIDE 012 | Hear how we master a track A full, in-depth guide! Read how its done, hear it on the DVD

INTERVIEWS 022 | Industry Guru: Insiders guide to fi lm and TV music production

028 | Squarepusher An incredible chat with the man on his methods

TECHNIQUE 034 | How to record bass!

040 | Logic In Depth Part 2 The compressor

044 | The Ultimate Guide to Live 6 The only Ableton guide you need

048 | 20 Tips on mobile music

052 | New Series: Recording into your DAW Setting up with Cubase

056 | Beat programming & sound design Big sound with Combinator

SUBSCRIBE 060 | and get a huge discount!

REVIEWS 062 | Reason 8.3 DAW update

064 | Heavyocity Gravity library

068 | Novation MoroderNova synth

070 | JamHub MT16 recorder

073 | FL Studio 12 DAW update

077 | Audio-Technica 5045 mic

078 | Best Service ERA II library

080 | Telefunken THP-29 phones

083 | Pearl Concert Grand piano

085 | Tracktion Master Mix plugin

087 | Music I/O Connect DAW to iOS

088 | Rupert Neve DI box

090 | Zero-G Haunted Ground s/w

092 | AIAIAI TMA-2 headphones

095 | Siren Audio software bundle

096 | Digitech Polara reverb

098 | Korg iM1 iPad M1

100 | Mini Reviews

REGULAR FEATURES 103 | 6 of the best preamps

106 | A bluffers guide: Mics

110 | Show off your studio now!

112 | Next month in MusicTech

114 | On your MT DVD

Bluffers guide

106 A BLUFFERS GUIDE TO MICS

MORE REVIEWSthan ever before. What you need for your studio and mobile music making

The latest reviews

p92

Contents MT


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MT AdvanceRound-ups Analysis Industry insight

It happens every so often that a new product comes along that garners much attention be it good or bad. Often, its both. The Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) market is no different. Everyone has their own opinions about their favourite DAW. Everyone says theirs is best because of this bell or that whistle that works better than anyone elses. The other long-standing argument refers to the sound of a DAW. My DAW sounds better than yours! can be heard being shouted from the rooftops. Of course, we logic-based [not that Logic Ed] organisms know that the ones and zeros of a software program dont really have a sound. Do they? One bit of bytes doesnt really sound different from another. Does it?

These arguments have been going on for as long as theres been a DAW marketplace. And since theres such fi erce competition among DAW makers (and such passion from their users), its diffi cult for a new DAW to break into that marketplace. But in 2008, hardware maker PreSonus (already famous for its compressors, preamps and interfaces) entered the DAW market with a very elegant effort in the form of Studio One. This new DAW met the market with mixed reviews for certain, but thousands of people in search of something new and intuitive jumped at this new

Studio One caused a stir when it entered the DAW market in 2008. Now version 3 has landed and looks like a true heavyweight contender. Studio One Expert Matthew A. Mann, takes a look

workstation and sunk their teeth in and refused to let go. Well, Studio One is no longer the new kid on the block, and is now at version 3. With the release of v3, we get multiple new added features that change the game for PreSonus and may lead to many people jumping from their old DAWs to this shiny beast. Lets take a look at whats on offer, how it compares to some of the other DAWs out there, what its missing, and why you should seriously consider augmenting your current setup with Studio One 3.

Whats so special about it?So what is it that makes Studio One so popular to its ever-expanding community? It began with a simple one-window user interface. The interface was easy to use and very intuitive. It should be said that, when Studio One came to the market, it was not the prettiest DAW out there. It was fl at grey, black and light blue. So, people fell in love with Studio One for what it had inside, not what it looked like on the outside. Add its drag-and-drop capability and auto-routing functionalities and it was a no-brainer. Unlike some other DAWs, dragging an effect from the sidebar browser onto a track automatically routes the audio through that effect.

Key commands are also intuitive. For example, hitting the T key brings up the Add Track dialog. This pop-up allows one to select from a number of options, including: a name for your track(s), the number of tracks, the type of track (instrument, audio, folder), track colour, auto-colour, track input and auto ascending (for assigning each ascending input to each new

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STUDIO ONESO WHAT IS ALL THE FUSS ABOUT?

Studio One 3 comes bundled with some virtual instruments how many you get will depend on the version you opt for

With the release of v3, we get multiple new features that change the game for PreSonus

DetailsManufacturer PreSonus Price Artist: 69; Professional 279; upgrade/crossgrade 35 to 249Distributor Source Tel: 020 8962 5080Web www.presonus.com


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The Professional version of Studio One 3 introduces the Project Page (above)

track as its created, and output. You can accomplish a lot with this dialog box.

Another point of note: PreSonus doesnt call its instrument note manipulation format MIDI even though it may occasionally refer to it as MIDI in the manual. It is actually a higher-resolution format, allowing for much more accurate manipulation of instrument data. This also allows for very tight integration with certain third-party developers plugins, such as Melodyne, for example. Melodyne Essentials (trial version on Artist, full version on Professional) is integrated completely into Studio One, and works brilliantly for pitch adjusting, format control and even developing harmonies and its not an add-on insert or plugin, its a menu item and works really well.

Studio One also comes bundled with a few virtual instruments and some loops and samples. The amount of content you get with Studio One is dependent on which version you buy: Artist (very small loops and presets library), Producer (much larger library and added VST support for third-party instruments) or Professional (a ton of loops and samples and all the VIs on offer). The virtual instruments included are Mojito (a mono synth), Presence (a soundfont sampler), Impact (a pretty versatile drum machine) and Sample One (a drag-n-drop sample player). Theyre not the prettiest instruments, but they are very capable. And the loops and samples are fantastic. There are tons of electronic and acoustic loops, and all are very high quality.

In version 3 of Studio One, PreSonus has changed the format of its versions of the software. There is now a free version containing Presence XT (the new version of its sampler) and a limited number of instruments, effects and

loops. The mid-range version is now called Artist. It includes more effects, more loops and Presence XT, Mojito, Mai Tai (its new dual-oscillator polysynth), Impact (with more kits than before) and Sample One. The full version is still called Professional. It adds everything from the previous versions, and also support for VST2, VST3 and AU instruments and effects, the entire PreSonus Effects Suite, ReWire, and third-party sample libraries from EXS, Kontakt, Giga and SoundFonts in Presence XT. It also adds the Project Page for mastering your projects, which Ill touch on later.

A songwriters toolkitThis most recent release of Studio One adds some incredibly powerful features designed to help the songwriter/composer get the most out of Studio One and enhance creativity. The Scratchpad and Arranger are a powerful combination that let you develop different arrangements and save them within your songs. You can also try out different solos or instrumentation within the Scratchpad and then drag them into your timeline. You can save many different Scratchpads in your project, too. Its almost like loop-based recording and arranging, but in a timeline. This is also nice because you dont have to set up new tracks to try your different ideas, and each track is already associated to your favourite effects.

The verdictAll in all, Studio One is a fantastically simple DAW that allows the artist the freedom to create without getting bogged down in all the technical know-how. And its complex enough to provide everything an artist needs to go from fi rst idea to a mixed/mastered CD, all within one application. While its layout and a few missing features may turn a few people away, its pedigree and PreSonus track record for listening to its users and giving them what they want mean that Studio One is here to stay and will continue to grow into, quite possibly, the best DAW out there for the songwriter, recording/mixing engineer, mastering engineer and producer. Its no wonder PreSonus is calling it the next standard. MT

CLARIFICATIONIn the June issue of MusicTech, in the review of Native Instruments Emotive Strings, we stated in the Alternatives box that Grosso and Capriccio dont run in NIs free Kontakt 5 player. Sonokinetic would like to point out that they do and that all of our orchestral products, apart from Tutti and Da Capo do run in the free player. For the ones that currently dont we are working with NI to bring them to KP compatibility, too, but Grosso and Capriccio (and Minimal and Vivace) already run in the free player. Our apologies to Sonokinetic and for any confusion caused.

Other new features that you can find in Studio One 3 that make this the new Composers Toolkit include:

Multitouch support and a DPI user interface for Mac and PC

Remote control for Studio One on the iPad

Automatic delay compensation

Control link (very easy mapping of controls to control surfaces)

User-definable keyboard shortcuts (including presets for Pro Tools and Cubase, and Logic shortcuts)

Video import/export

New, previously unavailable effects such as Bitcrusher and Roto

Pipeline (an insert for using external hardware processors)

The Professional version of Studio One 3 introduces the Project Page (above)

loops. The mid-range version is now called Artist. It includes more effects, more loops and Presence XT, Mojito, Mai Tai (its

The Project PageThe Professional version of Studio One 3 comes with a very capable integrated mastering solution called the Project Page. In the Project Page, you can drag your rendered stereo tracks from each of your songs. From there, you can arrange them (called sequencing), add as much or as little silence between each song as you want, and then add mastering-grade processing to sweeten the lot.The Project Pages brilliance lies in its complete integration with the rest of Studio One. Lets say you have your stereo masters laid out and ready for final sweetening, and you hear a mistake or want to tweak the EQ on a particular track or instrument in one song so it will sit better in the mix. You can go back to the Song Page for that particular song, make your changes, save your song and the Project Page stereo master will then update automatically to reflect the changes you made.A well-respected mastering engineer has said: Studio One may soon become a game changer for the mastering community. This seems to be pretty much the case for the home studio community as well.

Advance MT


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MT Feature Mastering: The Guide

Mixing and mastering require two very different mindsets. In the mix, your focus should be jumping constantly from the minutiae to the big picture and back again. Does the attack on the

kick drum compressor let enough through? Is the release letting go before the next hit? Does this extra compression on the kick mean it is now masking the bass guitar? You have hundreds, perhaps thousands of parameters at your control, each capable of making tiny changes that could cascade down to fundamentally change the whole mix. However, if you want to make a change to any one channel you can jump quickly into the mix and alter that one sound. If the vocal needs something more to help it punch through, you can quickly grab a saturation tool, a parallel compressor, a delay or even an EQ. Any of these different tools could be the right one to help the vocal punch through.

However, in mastering your focus is almost always on the big picture; you should be thinking not only about this one song, but how this song sits next to other songs, both on the album it is being released on, and also others by artists in a similar genre. Your tools are broader in spectrum. Any compressor you add will be applied to the whole mix; there are ways of narrowing the focus, mid-side or multiband techniques; but should you want the vocal to punch through, the tools you have are likely to impact on considerably more of the mix than were you to make a similar change in the mix. For this reason, it can be very difficult to master your own mixes. If you think the

vocal needs to punch through more, that decision should have been made in the mix. Any attempt to decide what in your own mix needs to change begs the question, was the mix really finished? Getting another perspective on your mix is the one reason we recommend you find an accomplished mastering engineer whose work you enjoy, to build a relationship with. Alternatively, why not find a friend to share mastering duties with? You can master their mixes, while they master yours. If you hope to one day become a seasoned pro at mastering, this is a great way to get your first few masters under your belt.

Listen, listen, listenWhen you receive a new song to master, it can be very tempting to simply revert to a sort of mastering by numbers approach. Boosting the low-end and the top in a basic smile curve, adding width to the top-end, and mono-ing the subs, adding your favourite stereo compressor and colour tools and then bashing on a mastering limiter at the end maybe even a multiband limiter with a mastering preset in place. This primitive approach to mastering has become all too common, and not only among inexperienced producers mastering their own tracks, but also among a few seasoned pros who ought to know better. But mastering a track will require far more consideration of the specifics of the individual mix than any presets or even rough go-to selections could possibly allow.

The golden rule of mastering is to do no harm. The goal is to bring the most out of the mix, not to change it, nor to impose your own mark on it, simply because

Mastering: The Guide

Mastering is your fi nal chance to make your song shine and sit comfortably alongside the other tracks on an EP or album.

Mike Hillier explains everything you need to know

MT Feature Mastering

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Quiztones Another excellent tool for improving your critical listening is Quiztones from Audiofile Engineering. This application lets you test your ability to hear frequencies (both using sine waves, or EQ applied to music) and gain differences. Quiztones is available for Mac, iOS and Android: http://quiztones.com.


Mastering: The Guide Feature MT

The golden rule of mastering is to do no harm. The goal is to bring the most out of the mix, not change it you can. You dont need to push the mix through all of your most expensive processors, as tempting as that can be. The best mastering engineers in the world know when to throw the kitchen sink at a mix, and when to do nothing at all.

So before you reach for even a single processor, take the time to listen to the mix several times. Listen closely and determine what needs to be done, then set about doing that, and only that. Ask yourself what you do and do not like about the mix. Is there anything in the mix that pulls your attention out of the song? A click, a sibilant vocal, or piercing cymbals for example. Are any frequencies too present? Are any frequencies lacking? Are these problems constant, or things that occur only at certain moments? If theyre constant, you should be thinking about which EQ to use to change that, and if theyre only at certain

moments, do you automate the EQ, or use a dynamic EQ, or a multiband compressor? Do all the elements of the mix sit together well? Or could it use a little extra glue from a compressor. Compare the mix to other similar songs, most importantly the other songs on the album or EP your are mastering, if that is applicable, but also to other songs in the genre. Compared to these songs, how does the frequency content in this one compare? How wide does this song sound compared to the others? Does the vocal sit above the instrumental bed by a similar amount? How loud does this mix sound compared to the others?

Once you have answers to all of these questions, you are ready to start processing the song.With this in mind, you may find that 90 per cent of your masters still end up using the same chain. You may even find that you use the same settings within this chain a lot of the time, but you will be doing it for the right reasons; and you will also know, most importantly, when not to use these tools, and when to break out some other tools that you may use infrequently. What will make you stand out from a machine, or a poor mastering engineer, is your ability

Mastering: The Guide

DDPi The final process in mastering is often to supply the necessary files for the replication in whatever formats are required. For digital distribution, this may only be 24-bit .WAV files, but for CDs a special DDPi file is required. Some DAWs can export DDPi files natively, while others may require a dedicated DDPi plugin, such as the HOFA DDP Generator see http://hofa-plugins.de/en.


MT Walkthrough A beginners guide to critical listening

01 Load your reference track into a new channel in the mix, or use the reference track trick from last months issue, then add an instance of a clean EQ, such as FabFilter Pro-Q 2.

03 Copy the EQ and its settings onto the track you want to master, and switch back and forth using the X-OR Solo mode, listening to the impact of the sub-frequencies in your track compared to the reference.

05 Continue moving the two fi lters up in tandem, or use a wide band-pass fi lter, to compare each of the important sections in each mix.

02 In the EQ, engage the low-pass fi lter, and set it to play back only the sub-region.

04 Move the fi lter in both channels up, to allow more of the bass end, and add a high-pass fi lter to remove the sub-frequencies. Again, compare the two tracks.

06 Finally, remove the low-pass fi lter, and leave only the high-pass fi lter to listen to the high-end only. This is the hardest bit to get right, as you may struggle to hear some of these frequencies entirely.




ISRC In addition to the audio, metadata can be stored in some file formats. The most important of these is the ISRC code. ISRC codes are the International Standard Recording Codes, used to uniquely identify songs, similar to ISBN codes on books. Each code should be 12 characters long, and will help royalty collection agencies to identify recordings in order to make payments. You can buy them and get more info from the PPL: www.ppluk.com/I-Make-Music/Why-Should-I-Become-A-Member/What-is-an-ISRC.

to critically analyse a track and bring only what is needed to improve on the mix.

Plan your actionsIn the last issue, we looked at getting a mix ready for mastering, focusing on a mix of Anchor by HART. In this article, were going to focus on the same track as we pass it through the mastering. The song was mixed by Mario Leal, who did an excellent job, not only getting the mix right, but focusing just enough attention on the master buss to make the master a fairly easy job. Alongside the mix, Mario provided a couple of Coldplay tracks as references Up In Flames, from Mylo Xyloto, and Magic, from Ghost Stories. So we loaded copies of these into our session alongside the final mix. It is a good rule to always open up a good line of communication with the artist, the mixer, producer and anyone else who might have a say in the finished master at this stage, as this will help you to get an idea of what they each feel needs to be brought out in the master. It can also be helpful to provide some mix feedback, especially if the mixer is inexperienced; this may even give you an opportunity to have the mixer correct any issues you might have spotted in the mix and send a new mix, preventing you from having to find a way to fix it in mastering a task (and phrase) that should always be avoided, where possible.

With Anchor, our first thoughts are that a little more excitement could be brought to the mix with the help of a little more top-end, especially if were to try to match the tonality of the two reference tracks, while the bass needs a little more energy but not so much as to become overbearing. In the low midrange, we want to bring some separation between the kick and

bass, while a little higher we need to try to bring power to the guitars and vocals. This frequency range can be particularly troublesome. Too much energy and you risk the mix sounding muddy, too little and it will sound thin. Getting everything just right, then, is the key to a great master.

Using an M/S matrix, we can listen to the sides (the difference portion of the matrix), to hear only those parts of the mix that are panned out from the centre. The sides of Anchor are mostly reverbs and delays, with an electric piano-type sound fairly prominently mixed wide. There is also a little guitar, some violin and BVs. So, any compression or EQ we add to the sides is going to affect only these elements. The primary bass elements, the kick and bass are mono, although a small amount of both of these is feeding a stereo reverb. However, there is still a fair amount of sub-frequency energy in the sides, which wed prefer to see sitting more squarely in the centre of the mix. With so much of the mix in the centre, bringing up the sides is mostly going to add additional reverb to the mix, which is often also a consequence of bringing up the levels; so for now at least, we probably dont need to be bringing any additional width. But we can safely EQ the mid (or mono sum) portion of the signal to alter the beat, bass and vocal without too much effect on the sides.

The reference tracks are both quite loud masters, so we know were going to have to try to get some extra level out of the mix. Some of this perceived extra level

Mastering reverb Reverb is not a process that is used often in mastering, and while many all-in-one mastering applications will include a reverb, it should be reserved for the rare occasions when you are fixing a bad mix, or trying to match two disparate mixes recorded in different locations.


MT Walkthrough Comparing compressors

01 With the pre-compression EQ already in place, add the fi rst compressor you want to try; here, were using the FabFilter Pro-C.

03 Duplicate the track onto another channel, and copy the pre-compression EQ, then add the next compressor. If youre using outboard hardware before the compressor, or DSP processing using a processor, such as a UAD, and running out of processing, you can buss one track to multiple auxes with EQ on the original and compression on the aux channels.

02 Set the parameters of the fi rst compressor to provide the best-sounding compression you can achieve for the track you are working on. Let the compressor guide you, and experiment with any built-in interesting features. Pro-C, for instance, can model three different compression types.

04 Now add your next compressor. Dont be tempted to listen back, or to try to replicate the fi rst compressor sound let the new compressor guide your sound towards what that compressor is best at.

05 Repeat steps 3 and 4 for as many compressors as you want to try. Dont go overboard here, though, more than three or four options will take quite a while to set up, and you may fi nd it diffi cult to decide between them.

06 Finally, level match each of the newly compressed channels, and using X-OR solo mode, switch between each to decide on your favourite. If you have a friend close to hand, get them to do the switching while you keep your eyes closed, so as not to bias yourself in favour of any one unit.




Using outboard If you really want to make it as a mastering engineer, sooner or later youre going to need to invest in some outboard analogue hardware. Mastering versions of many compressors and EQs are available, but frequently at much-inflated prices compared to the standard versions. This is because instead of potentiometers, mastering editions usually have switches with dedicated stereo-matched resistors to ensure far superior stereo accuracy and improved recall, often within 0.1dB.

Mastering Feature MT

will come from the added brightness a trick frequently overused by mastering engineers, but one that does need some care, as too much can spoil the mix. The rest of the extra level has to come from dynamics processing.

With all this decided before weve added a single plugin, we now have a road map for the track. This means any plugins we add, at least initially, should be ones that will help us approach directly the issues weve already discovered; so, as one would expect, we are going to reach for an EQ, a mid-side EQ, a compressor and a limiter.

The fi rst passWe like to make any M/S alterations early in the signal chain, and so we have opted to add the Brainworx

bx-digital V2 plugin first in our chain (we actually add it in Insert position two, for reasons that will become apparent). This EQ is a clear favourite of ours for this task, as it not only has five bands on each channel, plus high- and low-pass filters, but also clear controls over the M/S matrix, including a stereo width knob, L/R balance, and separate M and S pan controls. Placing the M/S EQ before the first dynamics module in our chain enables us to control how the dynamics module will respond to the width elements of our track.

In the next position, we add an instance of the UBK Clariphonic DSP. This is a parallel EQ, with two high-frequency shelves (and so can be used only to add level, not as a subtractive EQ). The controls on the Clariphonic are a little esoteric, but in short the Focus engine adds midrange, while the Clarity engine adds

high-end with shelves as high as 37kHz. Again, we want to place this before the first dynamics module; this is to improve our signal-to-noise ratio when using a compressor, and to compensate for any loss of high-end that the compressor may introduce.

The final EQ were going to add is the UAD Manley Massive Passive Mastering Edition. This EQ has four parametric bands, in addition to high- and low-pass filters, and is to our ears one of the sweetest-sounding EQs weve worked with. It isnt great at detailed precision EQing, but it can transform a track with only a few boosts or cuts, and its control over the midrange is among the best weve ever heard. Unlike the previous two effects, the Massive Passive is going to be positioned after any dynamics processing, so we generally leave a few spaces clear for adding additional compressors, expanders, de-essers, multiband processors, etc even when we think we know we want to use only one of these.

For the compressor, were going to use the much-venerated UAD Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor. But not before passing the mix through a variety of alternatives to see which brings out the right character in the mix. Determining this is tough, and over time we have developed an intuition that has helped us to move quickly towards the right compressor for the job; but we still find ourselves duplicating the track over several channels in our DAW and testing it with a selection of compressors. In this example, were also testing the UAD Neve 33609, and

Daniel Pattison, aka HART Like last month, we have again chosen to look at Anchor by HART in this article (www.facebook.com/hart.musica). The track was recorded by Ben Walker (www.bensroom.co.uk) with additional recordings by Mario Leal and George Murphy and string arrangements by Nico Muhly. The track was mixed by Mario Leal (www.mario-leal.com).


Monitoring Nearfield monitors are the de facto standard in mixing, and many mastering engineers also rely on them, but a good pair of full-range speakers can be just as useful in a mastering environment. ATC and PMC are the most common names to be found in the big-budget mastering houses, but Unity Audio, Genelec and Barefoot all make slightly more affordable full-range monitors.

Headphones A good pair of open-back headphones can be of great assistance when mastering. However, it can also be useful to have a pair of cheaper earbud-style headphones to listen back to how a great proportion of your listeners will hear the end result. Its one thing making a master sound great on expensive systems, but many consumers use laptop speakers or earbuds, so check your masters on these, too.



our own hardware quad VCA compressor a clone of the classic SSL 4000 G buss compressor, with additional side-chain options and improved stereo handling. It is important not to get caught up in a hardware versus software debate, or any initial preferences for certain GUIs here, and blind A/B testing yourself after a short break can often result in an unexpected conclusion as here where we might have been tempted to go with the hardware out of preference for breaking out of the box.

When comparing compressors like this, it can be tempting to try to match the effect of the first with all subsequent models, but this will give an inherent advantage to the first, which is allowed to do the best it can, while all others are simply cloning it. Instead, we like to ignore all previous settings and simply try to set the compressor to work its magic the best it can each time, comparing the occasionally quite different results to determine our preference.

Finally, we have added a brick-wall limiter; this is going to serve a dual purpose to add a small amount of level to the track if necessary, and secondly to

ensure peaks are controlled. As with the compressor, it can be useful to set up two or more limiters to see which works best for the track in question, especially if you have several high-quality ones. In this instance, were using the UAD Precision Limiter, which has been a staple of our mastering chain for some while, beating all our own alternatives every time.

Further changesWith these tools in place, we can start to make all the changes we feel are necessary to bring our mix to sounding more like a finished master. During this process, you will undoubtedly find new changes you want to make: a boost in the low-end, intended to add weight to the kick, might reveal additional energy in the bass, which will in turn spoil the kick. These almost circular problems can sometimes be adjusted with slight alterations to the EQ curves, and at other times can require additional processing to be added. Its not uncommon for our final master to gain and lose two or three processors as we settle on the final sound of the track. Sometimes, a high-end boost can bring just the right polish to most of the track, while revealing a problem with the hi-hat or cymbals, which may be

fixed with a multiband compressor or de-esser. Compression can reveal a muddiness in the reverb, which is tough to fix in mastering, but there are tools, such as iZotope RX, UAD Precision K-Stereo and Zynaptiq Unveil, as well as M/S processing, if the sides dont contain too much other information.

It is important to constantly be comparing your initial unmastered mix with the master in its current state, as well as each individual change. To this end, it is useful to have a system set up to quickly bypass all your processors. The simplest method is to duplicate the track in your DAW, one with the processors, and one without, and switch between each one using solos. You can adjust for any gain changes by adjusting the level of the louder (usually, but not always the master) down, so that any comparison is being done at relatively similar levels. We prefer to use Meterplugs Perception to achieve this with a single channel. Youll note that earlier we left the first Insert slot free; this was so we can place an instance of Perception Source, with Perception Control added at the end of our Master channel fader. Perception handles not only switching from pre- to post-processing, but also level matching and sample-accurate sync.

With Anchor, after our first pass with the processing, we still arent happy with whats happening in the low-end. Were using more EQ than we would like to try to shape the bottom-end, and while were getting enough weight on the kick, things are starting to sound a little murky between each beat of the kick drum. To compensate for this, were going to add an instance of UAD Precision Multiband and engage the LF band, leaving all the other bands off. Then we set this band to the Gate mode with a very low ratio (1.1:1), and tune the frequency and envelope to pull out some low-end between each beat of the kick. This will give us the freedom to add in as much weight to the kick as we want, without also adding mud between kicks; in fact, on the contrary, between kicks the sub-frequencies will be pulled back, giving the bass elements more room to shine.

By this point, the mix is beginning to take on the sound we were hoping for; however, with so many synthetic elements in the track, and having opted for in-the-box processors at every stage, well also add a little extra warmth with the UAD ATR-102 tape simulator. This also gives us a little bit more level, both through subtle compression, and additional harmonics as well as softening off any harsh transients, which means we dont have to push the final brick-wall limiter so hard to get the track as loud as we want it.

Finally, all our processing has brought the stereo image in a little. This is a common consequence of compression and limiting on the master buss, as well as with cutting frequencies on the sides with an M/S

It can be useful to set up two or more limiters to see which works best for the track in question


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MT Walkthrough Setting a multiband compressor

01 Add an instance of your multiband compressor to the mastering chain we usually place it just before our full-band compressor, if were using one.

03 Turn the solo band off to hear the whole mix. If you have the option, be sure to use linear-phase crossovers. Engage that mode, as this will produce the least phase distortion in your mix, although it will also produce the greatest amount of latency.

05 If need be, set the compressor to act a little too heavily while you focus in on your attack and release settings, then dial the threshold and ratio back down.

02 Here, were using the UAD Precision Multiband. Weve used the solo band function to solo only the lowest-frequency band, and weve scrubbed through the range to fi nd the cut-off frequency that is just the sub-frequencies of the kick. You dont need to use every band, usually one or two is more than enough.

04 Use a very low ratio, a moderate attack and a closely timed release, and dial down the threshold until gain reduction starts to bring the compressor into action.

06 Finally, bypass the effect and compare the processed signal with the unprocessed version to be sure that you have made an improvement to the master.



EQ, so we return to the Brainworx bx_digital V2 and dialled the stereo width knob up a little. This essentially turns up the difference channel in the matrix before it is all summed back together.

Bouncing down the masterIn the previous part of this feature, we looked at creating a number of different versions of the mix. With the master of the basic mix done, we now import these additional mixes to different playlists within our DAW, and pass each one through the same processing. This takes very little time, and means the versions will all have the same polish as the final mix. All bounces are done at the original sample rate and bit depth of the mix, which should be at least 44.1kHz/24-bit. We then produce a dithered 44.1kHz/16-bit CD quality version, as well as any other files the artist wants. The exact signal chain weve used here on Anchor is something that will almost certainly not work on any other track, but the process by which we came to the

decision to apply that processing is something that can easily be applied to any song. While each time it may produce a different signal chain, you can be confident that the signal chain it results in is one that has been specifically engineered for that one track.

When working with albums or EPs, you will need to reference all of the other tracks on the EP/album as you work through, trying to give each a sense of being part of the whole work. It is often useful to employ similar signal chains; however, this does not mean that each has to be identical, simply that as each processor has its own colour, you can quickly get a similar colour on another track by using a similar processor. We often use the same compressor, limiter and at least one EQ on every track, but will also allow ourselves freedom to apply other processing as necessary, as well as to remove any of these processors as they are no longer required. Check www.musictech.net for audio exmples to go with this feature. MT


For course enquiries call +44(0)20 7729 4884 or email [email protected]

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Industry Guru Aisling Brouwer

If you have ever wanted your music to score major TV and film productions, you could do worse than taking advice from someone who has been there and done that. MusicTech talks to Aisling Brouwer about how to succeed

in the world of media music composition

22 | August 2015 magazine

MT Industry Guru Aisling Brouwer

MT Feature Interview

MT149.interviewGuru.indd 22 26/06/2015 12:45

Aisling Brouwer Industry Guru MT

The chances are youve realised that writing pop music is only for the brave and that getting music syncs for TV and film is where your creative focus could and possibly should lie. In fact, this has

become one of the prime outlets for todays music producers output, because there are more TV shows, video games and films produced than ever before, all requiring soundtracks of one kind or another. But it can be a difficult area to break in to. Aisling Brouwer has scored major TV shows such as The Apprentice, The Calling and The Taste. Her set-up has already appeared in MusicTechs Show Off Your Studio feature, but we were so impressed with her musical CV that we had to get her in for a MusicTech guru grilling

MusicTech: How did you get into music production and working on TV and film composition?Aisling Brouwer: I have been writing and producing music ever since I was a kid, but initially started as a singer/songwriter. After moving to the UK to study songwriting, I decided to change my course to music and film composition with an aim to focus on writing music for the screen. I spent my second year studying in Los Angeles as an exchange student and, encouraged by my tutors, I started approaching the film, animation and theatre departments to instigate collaborations. These projects confirmed

this was the path I wanted to go down, and during my MA in composition for film and TV, I started working as a freelance composer for several London-based companies. I met Dru Masters and was given the opportunity to pitch for one of the series he was scoring for the BBC (The Big Allotment Challenge). Luckily, he liked it and I started several more projects with Workhouse Music. Once the ball was rolling, I started getting in other projects and I moved to London to pursue the career full-time.

MT: What was your original goal?AB: It was to be able to sustain myself from music alone, and write music for film in particular. The problem with film is that unless you are working on big projects, the budgets are often derived from personal funds and therefore TV and production music can be a more lucrative starting point. I fell into writing for TV and documentary series, and try to balance that with film, trailer, production music, and personal creative projects. I have achieved the goal of writing music for a living for now, but I dont believe in chasing one isolated goal in my career my objective is to challenge myself, push my work further, and be creatively innovative.

MT: What have been your most successful projects? AB: Id like to think my most recent projects are always more successful than the last few, and I always treat every new project like its the best thing Ive worked on. I dont think my career has spanned long enough yet to pick one out of the hat thats peaked my career, but I guess the one that jumps out on my CV the most is the 10th series of The Apprentice. Working with Workhouse Music, I got the chance to work on some great TV series for BBC, Channel 4 and TLC but in terms of my best musical work I am proud of some of the tracks Ive written for production music, film music and even personal projects that sent me down new compositional paths.

MT: What do you think about the way music production technology has progressed? How has this been good or bad for the media composer?AB: A decade ago, I had just bought my first DAW and was recording mostly in other peoples studios with more experienced engineers and producers, so I am mostly struck by how accessible music technology has become to people with less experience. The interfaces have become much more intuitive, and it is no longer necessary to own a vast amount of hardware equipment and expensive gear in order to produce good music.

Given that I spent the past seven years moving cities nearly every year, and was back and forth between the US, the UK and The Netherlands, I could transport a fair amount of my studio without too much effort; this had considerable advantages. On the other hand, one could argue that because music technology has become so widely available, and much more affordable, it tends to make the competition tougher. Distinguishing your sound from the masses, and competing with a much larger pool of composers, producers and artists can be a complicated process and keeping up with new developments equally challenging. There is a rawness and authenticity to production that is lost when everything is so easily perfected digitally, and demos no longer suffice if they are actually demos when pitching against so many people they should more or less be the final product for the project.

MT: What happens with a typical commission?AB: Depending on whether Im working directly with the series producer/director/creative or through an

magazine August 2015 | 23

I am struck by how accessible music technology has become to people with less experience

Aisling Brouwer has built an impressive CV of TV and film soundtrack work since moving to the UK



MT Industry Guru Aisling Brouwer

agency/music production company this varies hugely. If Im involved from the beginning, there are usually several meetings, coffees, and spotting sessions to talk through the overall aims of the project, and in what ways the music can serve to achieve this. More often than not, a temp track and/or reference music has been added during the edit. Rarely, the composition comes before the edit. If this is the case, or if the track is production/library music, I write the track according to the stylistic brief but not directly to picture.

Most of the time, however, the music is the last thing to be added, and thus the deadlines can be exceedingly tight. Once Ive established the musical palette, I start by tempo mapping and marking the various hits, builds, fades, transitions and so on. I then get cracking on establishing the main compositional elements and try to do most of my mixing and processing along the way to avoid changing the sound too much at the end. If the project isnt under a tight deadline, the composition usually goes back and forth between the composer and the client a few times to make room for adjustments, tweaks and variations before the final version is delivered and the project concluded.

MT: You must get asked about music production and breaking in to the industry all the time. What do you get asked about the most?AB: I think because Ive written for orchestral ensembles quite a lot, I often get asked about my arrangement and production techniques concerning

the amalgamation of classical and commercial music. Most of the emails I get, however, are more inquisitive about how to break into the industry, which companies to approach, which sound libraries or plugins I use, or just general advice on making money from composition. I think its useful for any composer to have a basic knowledge on orchestration and arrangement (The Study of Orchestration, by Adler, is great), as you will never get the full potential out of ensemble instruments if youre pitching them in the wrong register or layering them inefficiently. Never pan orchestral patches that have been recorded in their original layout, or the whole ensemble will sound incoherent. I tend to try to find natural-sounding patches so that some light reverb, compression and creative EQ are sufficient to create an authentic sound. Waves MV2 is wonderful for getting the best out of a sound.

MT: Are there any particular production processes that trouble you on scoring projects?AB: One that I am completely guilty of myself is

overwriting a piece. It is so easy to get carried away and to keep adding layers to an arrangement, but I usually end up stripping off half of it at the end of the process. The advice passed on to me back then was be confident with the sounds you use, let them cut through and remember that in most cases, less is more.

MT: What advice would you give anyone entering the world of music production with the view to making a living from it?AB: It sounds dull, but networking really does make all the difference. Approach as many people as you can and listen to what they have to say or any advice they can give you. Aside from getting to know directors, producers, and liaising with agencies, it can also be valuable to develop relationships with other composers, because often work is delegated between them if they are unable to complete projects on their own.

Be confident in your own abilities, but never stop learning from others. I often send mixes off to friends who are producers/engineers/composers, and no matter how finished I think a track is, there is always something a fresh pair of ears will pick up on, that you may have missed.

Be disciplined enough to keep yourself constructively busy, even if you have a period of less work. Most importantly, be open to new opportunities and dont get too hung up on only working on certain projects, or achieving a certain goal immediately its the jobs you do in-between that define you and build your skill set. As well as being versatile, try to figure out where your strengths lie and build on these. Just because you want to be versatile, doesnt mean you have to be able to create every single genre of music, so pick your battles and develop a style of your own that people can identify you by.

MT: Finally, what are you working on now, and where can people find out more about you and your work?AB: I am currently in development with some exciting new projects, and I try to update my website: www.aislingbrouwer.com and soundcloud: www.soundcloud.com/aisling-brouwer as frequently as possible. The documentary series Extraordinary Pregnancies has just started on TLC Discovery Networks International, and I hope to release an EP later this year of my personal projects as well so keep an ear out! MT

As well as being versatile, try to figure out where your strengths lie and build on those

Forever changesMT: What is the future of music production in less than 100 words?AB: Unfortunately, I suspect the large increase in use of production and library music will continue to surge, and therefore composers and music companies will have to find new ways in which to work around and alongside this. Large conventions such as NAMM and Musikmesse constantly exhibit exciting new turns in music production technology that will continue to shape and innovate music production worldwide; and given how much has changed in the last decade, it is difficult to imagine what the next 10 years will bring, but also exciting!


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SQUAREPUSHER

After bringing to a close his self-confessed guitar-overload period,

Tom Jenkinson (aka Squarepusher) goes back to basics with Damogen

Furies, an album that signifies a return to his love of pure electronics and

brutal sound manipulation.


MT Interview Squarepusher

Interviewing Tom Jenkinson is a special treat for any interviewer clichs go out the window, response mechanisms become unfiltered, and as long as you have an inquiring mind, intellectualising about music is encouraged. Stark honesty is the order of the day,

and Jenkinson is not one to let you down. Hes a man who cares deeply about the music he makes and the process behind it, less so regarding the desire to infiltrate the personality behind the performer. For many artists of his ilk, interviews are an infrequent chore, and he initially greets with a look of suspicion. But ultimately, Jenkinson is surprisingly easy to talk to, generous with his time and provides a fascinating, cerebral glimpse into the obsessive mind that resides behind 20 years of outlandishly inventive electronic music.

MusicTech: I read an interview in which you stated that you wanted to find out whether beats or bass lines could be catchy; did you ever find an answer?Tom Jenkinson: I think what I was alluding to was: can

MT interview

MT149.intSquarepusher.indd 28 02/07/2015 16:13

Squarepusher Interview MT

you make music that is devoid of hooks, big melodies or ear worm? Can you make music without all those elements thats appealing, memorable and compelling, and can you get those low-frequency background elements to grab people in the same way that a conventional melody line could do? The answer is that you could make them, but in 50 years time I still might not really know because the history of music is the only thing thats going to give us the answer. The experiment is an ongoing thing; provisionally Id like to say yeah, I think you can. MT: Your track My Red Hot Car seems to support the theory. I remember replaying those beats in my mind as I would a pop songTJ: Well if it works for you then its already shown that it can work. One thing I wouldnt expect is for it to work universally of course, but if it can genuinely be said to have had that effect on a handful on people then that suggests it can work. I guess it gets

a bit more blurry with the bass line because its using exactly the same materials that a melody does but its differentiated by the register. The way I approach music, I tend to want to hear activity in the low registers in the high end I tend to prefer stasis and continuum and feel less comfortable with busy activity in the treble register. Ive always been intrigued by what happens behind the scenes and, traditionally, bass and drums. With popular music and beyond, those elements have been used as the foundation for the forefront elements like vocal lines and guitars. I think it comes with understanding how musics made.

MT: When did that all begin to unravel for you?TJ: Its intriguing because I remember my early forays into trying to understand how music was made and I didnt have access or know anyone that understood these things either, so a lot of work was being done using my imagination. I really wanted to know about the cog wheels behind this thing that affected me and how they were working. Music was steering me towards the obvious elements; its partly sold on the basis of the vocalist and their personality and image, so youre always pointed at them, yet there are all these other elements that are potentially as significant, if not more. For me, its certainly to do with a sense of inquisitiveness about the workings of things; the bass and drums are the workings of a pop song, take them away and all the obvious bits are still there, but the music no longer has any life.

MT: The bass players that influenced you include Mick Karn and Pino Palladino, who both played very melodic chord structuresTJ: I really loved [Karns] Japan actually; it was some of the first music I heard. Admittedly not all of it, but there were certain songs of theirs that I found very haunting, that almost scared me. As a six or seven-year-old, the music was scary but really compelling. The Mick Karn element was quite important in the construction of that strange, sort of mysterious atmosphere. The fact that it was in the low registers but almost taking a lead line, again, that sort of topsy-turvy element has always been interesting to me.

MT: You were originally a bass player, so what triggered off this journey into electronic music?TJ: My early thinking about music wasnt split up into acoustic and electronic. All those categories retroactively superimposed on my musical world, but when I was first recording things off the radio, records from jumble sales, or however I was

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accessing music, it didnt come to me in a divided-up way. I had no access to music media, so I was approaching it in its totality; electronic music was as much a part of music as everything else. To me, the things you use to make music are all fascinating. In the same way I didnt define music into categories or styles, according to how it was made, I didnt divide-up instruments any instrument is interesting to me. It wasnt like there was software available to immediately access sound-making things. Whats going to be accessible when youve got not money? I used to make instruments, like basic drums. I remember putting a load of drawing pins in a biscuit tin and made a skin out of masking tape; it was like a snare drum.

MT: I had a ZX Spectrum and would write HTML code to play little melodies. Did you do the same?TJ: Precisely the same. Latterly on the Commodore 64, but earlier the first thing I had was a Vic 20, which was similar a 6502 chip and loads less RAM, but it had a really cool sound. The Vic chip had three square waves and the semblance of a white noise generator. It was basically a sample of white noise that you could pitch up and down high pitches were cymbals, mid pitches for snares and low pitches for bass drums. So Id make sequences by pitching it up and down to make a semblance of a drum pattern, again, all based on my idea of what a drum kit was like. Ive got those recordings, one day Ill release them, but I think the majority of the public would think, like, why?

MT: Some artists say music does not come from them, but through them as if theyre acting as a conduit. Can you empathise with that statement?TJ: No, I dont buy into the conduit thing, because the next stage of that is talking about supernatural activity and being guided by otherworldly beings, which is just bullshit and doesnt mean anything to me. One thing I would say is that you dont necessarily associate the creative activity with yourself because its not principally deliberate music is not entirely the result of a rational decision-making process. This is one of the problems of having to talking about music. If you dont have to talk about how its made the problem doesnt arise, but because people ask how you did it, you reflect back. A lot of the time you dont quite know how, but sometimes its a wholly formed idea

before you even go in the studio. There are different corners to the compositional process. For me, Ill regularly have an idea before I even start, and its a question of almost translating it rather than coming up with it as I go along.

MT: If you cant put your finger on the origins of the creative process, could you explain it as a backdrop of stored emotions?TJ: That introduces the problem, and assumption, that what a listener felt when they listened to a piece of music is the same as the person who wrote it felt. I think the listener will tend to make the assumption that what theyre feeling is not only what the composer was feeling, but what they intended the listener to feel. I really dont think the worlds that simple. For example, if you reflect on your own experience, Im sure youll find that one record on a given day sounds flat, yet therell be a different moment when you think differently about the world and suddenly it makes perfect sense and talks to you. Its such a hall of mirrors that drawing anything resembling a straight line from a composers intentions to a listeners experience is a hiding to nowhere. One thing I would say is that if youre happy or sad, it tends to affect how quickly you work. If Im annoyed or not feeling so good about things I just blunder along, yet Ive wrote some brutal, aggressive music when Ive felt on top of the world. Its not like Im sitting there punching things in the studio and generating this aggressive, nightmarish soundscape. If you think about it on a world stage, some of the most happy and colourful, vibrant music comes from people who live in diabolical situations.

MT: I asked as theres a track on Damogen Furies, Baltang Arg, where you brutally repeat the same note, which sounded to me like a writer trying to get something out of his system?TJ: This is the beauty of it, that you can have that response and who am I to tell you that youre wrong. But I think its best looked at as fun, and you can imagine whatever you want. Really, Im just a




cardboard cut-out image of the artist a vessel of ideas that you fill up. Im not being funny, but the person of me is probably not someone youll ever meet, and certainly never through my records. My records are a fantasy, I like making things up I like imagining stuff, its got fuck all to do with my life in the sense of what I think about.

MT: So when you make music, the wants and needs of your listener do not enter your consciousness?TJ: I suppose there are different listeners that we could talk about. In the case of being in the studio writing, the listener is me, and I think we should differentiate between the listener in that sense and the broader audience. I see it as trying to do justice to those people and to not assume what they want to hear, because I think thats patronising treating them like sheep, as if they dont have their own intelligence. I like to put things forward and let them make of it what they will; I dont want to gear it to them or second guess their preferences and

build it into the music. Maybe some people can do that, but even if I could I wouldnt because, for me, the best youve done is fulfilled some expectations, but youre almost certainly shutting down the routes to new experience and new musical events. The Holy Grail is basically doing what you want and people liking it, and Ill always do that it doesnt always work, but if it does everyone wins. This was apparent to me long before I started having a career as a musician, but you can look at many examples of popular music where the image they created through their first few records also created a sense of notoriety and became a prison through which either the record label wouldnt let them escape, or their own egotism, selfishness or desire to sustain the lifestyle it gave them, couldnt break out of.

MT: Which is the case for the majority of artistsTJ: Well thats it, its endemic. I guess everyone will deal with it in their own way, but Ive seen at close hand people who gradually run out of steam because they feel theyre not allowed to do things that are not encapsulated in that brand theyve generated. For me, you have to change and go with it, otherwise youre going to rot away inside that concrete prison. But youre fighting against the tendency of the industry, because the industry is only interested in short-term revenue the big 1D, sum it up in three fucking sentences, stick-it-on-the-supermarket-shelf approach. What you gonna do? Everyone makes their own choice.

MT: Your music was heading in a more commercial direction albeit not by most peoples standards but Damogen seems to take a step back and focus very much on sound manipulation.

TJ: The quote you referred to earlier, where I was trying to figure out if I could make music where the bassline and the drums were the hooks; that relates back to what I was trying from about 1998 to 2005. After that I felt a pull towards songwriting, again not by most peoples standards, but with reference to what Id done. I wouldnt put it as commercial and thats not just being a snob. I know what youre saying, but as much as Im fascinated by DSP and ripping sounds apart, smashing them together and seeing what happens almost being as destructive as creative I love a good tune; cant deny it.

MT: Do you encourage that or shy away from it?TJ: I will sometimes try and subvert that and push it away, and sometimes it comes to the fore, and if it comes to the fore Im not so contrary that Ill refuse to do it. If I think of a tune and it feels compelling Ill write it, its not a big deal. I will employ concepts in my music and get fair use out of them, but Im not going to be governed by them. Again, its another form of self-imprisonment saying Im not allowed to do this, and while Ill do that to a point to explore ideas and things that are less obvious, at some point you think, Man Ive just thought of a killer melody. That came to the fore a few years ago, but thats gone away now and Ive been more and more wanting to start ripping things apart and shredding fucking sounds. To explain it youd have to write the book of my life, and eventually who fucking cares? The musics sitting there, thats the important thing.MT: How much of your music do you allow the machines to take over, as opposed to you being in full control?TJ: My basic premise is... if Ive got a tool Ill try and understand it as deeply as a I can, but that doesnt mean Ill always use it with respect or in a sophisticated way. For me, that doesnt mean you become a prog wanker, you can be as punk as anyone, but you understand what the sonic

Any machine will do a number of things above and beyond what the manufacturers intended

(Below) Tom didnt supply a kit list but these shots of his studio reveal a few choice items, including his mixer plus an array of outboard.




manifestations can be. Im not really a manual guy, I like to get stuck in and if somethings not apparent then Ill refer to the manual, but part of the enjoyment of it is exploration and the manual gives the game away, if you like. I have to say, I do think that were seeing a lot of music that is preset-driven. I guess sometimes the instrument has an architecture that will steer you around; it will present possibilities that are easier to do than others, but a lot of musicians seem to be demonstrators, because theyve basically followed the path of least resistance with an instrument and are therefore exposing its principle characteristics. Thats not something Im keen to do, not out of egotism because promoting the instrument is of no interest to me, so Im always trying to steal control back from it really. With some of the instruments Ive used, people would be surprised about some of the results Ive got out of them because theyre not designed to do certain things and yet, if you put your mind to it and really get to grips with how its built and not the manufacturers intentions, any machine will do a number of things above and beyond what the manufacturer intended. Its just looking at it with an open mind, then those things become apparent.MT: Do you still work from home and are you forever expanding your studio?TJ: I hate the whole collection of gear thing. To me its another hiding to nowhere, thinking if I get the CS80 I can really make beautiful music, but until then Im not going to do anything. Ill just make

music with anything, a mentality that was borne out of me having no access to musical instruments yet a burning desire to make music. That still prevails to this day, so I dont care, Ill just use whatevers there. On the last record I was using gear that I used on Go Plastic; the Yamaha FS1R and TX81, those synths formed the backbone of the last record.MT: Do you mainly use hardware for sound generation and software for sequencing?TJ: The single thing I tend to use for hardware is the Yahama QY700 sequencer, thats the centre of my sync set up, and Ill augment it with the computer if I need to. On this record, the only hardware element is the sequencer, everything else is done in software that Ive worked on myself its all self-developed.

Ive been working on that on and off for the last 15 years. The first manifestations of it were on Do You Know Squarepusher in 2002, but this is the first record Ive made entirely from patches that Ive made up myself?

MT: Is that because software is not doing want you want it to do, or that you want a distinct sound?TJ: As I got a more developed idea of how musical instruments work, my desire of what to do with them changed. I tended to think about making the instrument rather than trying to adapt or make do with something else. The software I created is not always related to really flash audio stuff, a lot of its on the control side being able to switch between certain kinds of parameters and modulating them without having to reload a preset, or making that real-time control as smooth as possible. All of these things drive me towards wanting to make my own stuff, and as I go on, the only instruments that I want to use are acoustic, not software or digital-based instruments.

MT: Is the software youve created intuitive?TJ: Sadly not. Im sure you have a very good understanding of these things but if I showed it to you right now, youd be looking at it going, whats that?. Its not designed to be user friendly; I know what it does because I made it. Its laid out in a way that makes sense, but everythings abbreviated; it wouldnt be a nice thing to use if you werent me. So from the sequencer onwards its now all my stuff, from sound generation to processing to mixing.

MT: That surprises me. I imagined you to be hands on and enjoy the physicality of working with hardware rather than click-mouse approach?TJ: I dunno, bear in mind the musical inputs are still going through the hardware sequencer, so there is the physical aspect of that. The tweaking of sounds I am doing with a mouse, but I do sometimes set up

A lot of musicians seem to be [gear] demonstrators. Im not

keen. I want the control back

These insider shots (top and below) might not reveal everything in the sharpest detail but that is very Squarepusher if you think about it. What can you spot?




a MIDI controller and there are moments when I want to bust out the hardware and go mad with all the faders, but a lot of the time I tend to veer towards brute data programming. Dont get me wrong, there is a spontaneity in putting that data together, but the final form has an extremely chiselled, artificialness to it.

MT: What about mixing, do you do that in the box?TJ: I tend to do it as Im going along. With the writing process, Ill just get a rough mix together and tweak it a bit for the final mix down. The mix down is almost in the track. As a really basic example, Ill build an EQ volume control into the instrument so Ill just kind of set all the gains then do all the volume balancing as Im going through, and if it needs a bit more bottom end Ill just turn up all the bass. Its all automated as I go along itsjust a data thing, you just change the parameters.

MT: How much data are we talking?TJ: It varies, youd be quite surprised. In terms of the actual tracks, its less than youd imagine. Bear in mind it wasnt ever boiled down to stems, it was just a live take played on the sequencer and thats it;

no edits, no stems generated, no piece-by-piece construction, its all a live, all-in-one take. The thing that fascinates me is more about making a small amount of instruments sound like a lot of instruments, so that sometimes what you thought was a synth is also doing the drums. Im stretching things about so that instruments are swapping roles and augmenting each other to build sounds as if theyre made out of hundreds of different things.MT: Do technical problems still infuriate you, like latency for example?TJ: I dont know if latency was ever a problem, Ive always managed theres always a work around. I guess technology has got better, but I dont look at things in terms of problems, I look at them in terms of, right, how am I going to make it work?. I dont think sit back and think, Theres a problem, fuck it. Ill just fix it and then itll be fine. Years ago, trying to do live DSP on a guitar, youd go through the computer and back out, so thered be the latency of the soundcard times two, because youre going in and back out again, plus whatevers happening in the software but you can just play ahead of what you hear, even if its not immediately natural.

MT: Does technology still excite you; are you always on the lookout for new gear?TJ: Im not a gear head really. Ive spent so much time with it that, to me, its just about using it. I dont necessarily see a connection between a new instrument and new sound. You look at a lot of electronic music now, yeah its all new software but it sounds like fucking clockwork crap. I understand there are obviously new instruments coming out that reveal new possibilities, but Ill still look at a four-string bass guitar and think there are infinite possibilities that I havent explored. I think that getting obsessed with gear is a bit dangerous. I know a lot of people that have done it and I think you can end up throwing away a lot of energy trying to find a new instrument; nine times out of ten, just use the old one.

MT: In the early 80s technology did make things sound brand new, is that possible at all now?TJ: Thats a very interesting question, but I think the core thing that I will always come back to is the excitement of composition. However much Im fascinated by and how much time Ive spent experimenting with sound, timbre and sonic characteristics, its always secondary to the core rhythmic and harmonic activity. Sometimes I just want to sit there and play a guitar. Im interested and fascinated by technology and how developments bring different possibilities to bear, but I think the danger is the emperors new clothes thing, whereby Ive got a new instrument so Ive done something new well not necessarily. The history of popular music is littered with examples of the flash new trend, but in 20 years time its just crap, vacuous gimmickry, but the thing that doesnt erode is great writing. So we can make more sound frequencies available, brilliant! Sounds to me like it would just be adding loads more treble, but I like bass. MT


How to record bass guitarIn the latest of our occasional series on recording instruments into your DAW, John Pickford tackles the bass guitar

MT Workshop How to record bass guitar

spill and open up options later on in the recording process. Some bass guitars have active pick-ups, meaning that

their output is high enough to be plugged directly into your mixer or interface, however most basses feature passive pick-ups, necessitating the use of a DI box to boost the low-level signal. Although bass recorded through a DI can sound tight, dry and clean, it can also lack some of the body and punch that you get from a great-sounding bass cab.

However, when recording a band live in the studio, using a bass DI not only avoids unwanted spill, it also allows a good drum take (for example) to be saved if the bassist makes a mistake. And if the bass part is perfectly played but the sound isnt quite right, the clean DI signal can later be fed through an amplifi er and miced up; this technique is called re-amping (see Step By Step 2). Nowadays, there are many outboard recording channels or channel strips that feature excellent DI inputs. Some of these are based upon vintage console designs and most feature both EQ and dynamics control, enabling superb results to be produced without the need for amplifi cation.

Micing the cabOften, though, to achieve the very best bass tones, only the sound of a miced-up bass cab will do. The sound of a good bass amplifi er, particularly if its a valve model, is hard to emulate with DI techniques alone. Most engineers favour either dynamic types with a strong low-end response, or a large-diaphragm condenser. Ribbon designs can sound great on bass but are more delicate than other types and dont like to be placed close to sources producing high SPLs. Microphones designed for bass drums such as the classic AKG D112 usually work well on bass guitar as they generally have a pronounced low-end boost that is fl attering to bass signals, and can handle very high SPLs. Dont worry if you dont have one of these though, as most general purpose mics, such as the Shure SM57 will do a reasonably good job if positioned correctly see the More On Mic Placement box below right.

Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick often recorded Paul McCartneys bass as an overdub, using an AKG C12 set to fi gure 8 (bi-directional) and placing the mic around 4 or 5 feet from the bass cab. For most recording situations though, moving the mic between 5 and 18 inches from the speaker should give you all the tonal options you could want, unless youre after a particularly roomy sound. Whereabouts along the plane of the speaker the mic is

The bass guitar features in most styles of popular music, ranging from deep, dub bass in reggae, to the bright, punchy slap-tones of funk, with all manner of genres and tones in between. No matter what style youre recording

though, the bass guitar should provide a solid foundation for your track and, along with other elements of the rhythm section, defi ne its groove. There are several ways of recording bass, the most popular being DI Directly Injecting the instrument to your recorder, micing a bass amp/cabinet and, as many engineers like to do, combining a blend of DI and microphone signals (see Step By Step 1.)

One thing to consider is whether the bass is to be recorded simultaneously with other elements of the track, such as drums and guitars, or performed as an overdub. If youre recording other instruments in the same room as an amplifi ed bass, its likely that there will be a certain amount of spill. This is fi ne as long as the leakage isnt going to adversely affect any future processing during the mixing stage, and some bands thrive on creating a live groove in the studio. However, adopting the DI approach can both avoid

(Above) MusicTech hardware guru John Pickford in the studio preparing this feature. John is a vintage hardware nut and well be featuring his amazing set-up in MT soon.

MT Technique How to record bass guitar


MT149.TUT How to record Bass.indd 34 01/07/2015 15:25

MORE ON MIC PLACEMENTUnlike electric guitar amps, that can sound good with a mic almost touching the speaker, bass cabs benefi t from further distance between the speaker and mic. Around 5 inches is the minimum distance to achieve a decent tone, but longer distances can give excellent results if the recording situation permits.

aimed will also determine the fi nal tone. Pointing the mic at the centre of the speaker cone will give the punchiest sound, while moving along to the edge of the cone will give smoother, warmer tones.

If you are using a mic with a cardioid polar pattern, bear in mind that the closer you place it, the more bottom-end will be heard due to the proximity effect. This can be used to advantage if you only have a vocal mic (such as a Shure SM58) at your disposal, as these mics tend to have a rolled-off low end response.

Compression techniquesBass guitars typically have a wide dynamic range and its almost always necessary to use some compression. The amount required will depend very much on the style and technique of the player, but as a rule of thumb, some gentle

compression at the recording stage with a heavier squeeze during mixdown is a sensible starting point. Try using a 4:1 ratio to begin with and then, if the bass part is still too wildly dynamic, try a higher ratio when mixing.

Some bass playing styles, such as slap-bass, feature an occasional very loud note that can be tamed by using a much higher ratio of 10:1 or more to limit the peaks. Using extremely fast attac

Music Tech August 2015

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