new CLA video interview
- Thread starter freddrik
- Start date
Machinated
Member
AudioGeekZine
arsehole know-it-all
Ermz
¯\(°_o)/¯
Just watched it. Damn long. So much of what they talk about is so far removed from the working methods of just about everyone here. It's a good insight, but so much of it can't be applied by the ITBers that it's almost useless, haha.
I think the interviewer was just trying to make the mood light, whereas CLA was intent on just firing off the answers directly without the joking.
I think the interviewer was just trying to make the mood light, whereas CLA was intent on just firing off the answers directly without the joking.
and it harkens back to my advice in a previous thread regarding not mixing with a limiter on all the time, and not delivering mixes that are meant to be mastered by someone else with any limiting at all, and only light compression... CLA says exactly this, at a point about 4/5ths of the way through that vid... when you hear him start talking about his 2-buss processing and the Red 3 and Shadow Hills compressors. takes a few minutes for them to cover that ground though, so pay attention from that point on if you're inclined.
PhilR
Studio Scapegoat
Really annoying. I hate talking to people like that, watching them is just as bad.
I liked Chris's remarks at the end of the video regarding his relationships with his assistants and how he treats them as part of his team. Seems like a standout arrangement in comparison to many of the "old school" US studio types that regard assistants as essentially invisible unpaid servants. I saw the face to face pro tools/SSL back to back arrangement on one of his walkaround vids on youtube and thought that was a pretty neat setup. You can have the mixer one side and the editor the other and both can concentrate on the task in hand. Must be a good way to work when you're familiar with the routine.
egan.
daylightdies.com
I think you are confusing assistant with intern. Typically well paid engineers have (relatively) well paid assistants b/c it allows them to just focus on the mix. Particularly the big name guys who are in a position to have a regular team.
Of course if the engineer is making $15/hr then his assistant can't expect much. But if he is making $5k per song plus points and can mix 2 per day......
The other thing to remember is that his "assistants" could walk into most commercial studios and be chief engineer.
SOOO glad to see you back James! It's nice to get a little reality check now and again.
BTW, you edited out the line that I originally wanted to quote. This place needs more sense of humor like yours!
BIG BAD JAMES... WHO IS NEXT?
Would make a great VH1 reality show. haha.
kev
Im guybrush threepwood
Great vid. I cant begin to imagine using all of the gear that this man has. That interviewer is pretty annoying. In all fairness however, he tried to lighten the mood up and it really didnt pull off. CLA came accross a bit abrupt/to the point but I guess thats the industry thats shaped him like that!
I remember the late Jerry Finn stating that he used no compression at all on his mix bus when he was doing dookie
And damn, my whole home studio rig minus my amps and instruments probably comes to less than one of those SH Mastering units.
I remember the late Jerry Finn stating that he used no compression at all on his mix bus when he was doing dookie
And damn, my whole home studio rig minus my amps and instruments probably comes to less than one of those SH Mastering units.
MortenDK
Member
- Dec 3, 2007
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Yea that struck me too, it was only there for the color/character it was "barely moving". Same for the snare channel talk, about the Limiter only moving 1-2 db before hitting the compressor. But it sounds like his hitting the EQs pretty hard!, when he talks about the console "bending"...... maybe I have to see it again to get all the terminology into my head. Didnt get the console bending part, couldnt figure if he was running the console hot in levels or just the EQs!?....anyway good interview
Ermz
¯\(°_o)/¯
Yeah, I watched the entire thing and the part about his stereo bus chain was interesting. I mostly only ever use my bus comp for a tiny bit of movement and color, but the omission of a limiting tool on the back end completely is pretty interesting, and food for thought.
He has talked a lot about boosting absurd amounts of high end from the console into his compressors and basically 'bending' everything to kingdom come. This isn't really something you can get away with ITB, as you lack the aforementioned 'bending', and he has pointed out that he's still all about the analogue. ITB is only for getting the tracks closer to the ballpark for him when printing the tracks to the Sony.
Granted if you listen to any of his mixes on a record where he's mixed up alongside somebody else who's top class, at least to me, his mixes usually feel a little bit more stifled, over processed and not as 'large'. So that might be some food for thought as well, especially to those who will inevitably go out now and try to start 'bending' their Waves SSL strips with +12dB boosts...
He has talked a lot about boosting absurd amounts of high end from the console into his compressors and basically 'bending' everything to kingdom come. This isn't really something you can get away with ITB, as you lack the aforementioned 'bending', and he has pointed out that he's still all about the analogue. ITB is only for getting the tracks closer to the ballpark for him when printing the tracks to the Sony.
Granted if you listen to any of his mixes on a record where he's mixed up alongside somebody else who's top class, at least to me, his mixes usually feel a little bit more stifled, over processed and not as 'large'. So that might be some food for thought as well, especially to those who will inevitably go out now and try to start 'bending' their Waves SSL strips with +12dB boosts...
Zombietakeover
Member
actually his post was funny, and a bit of an "inside joke" since he's one of the few that caught my original ending sentence before i edited it away. you are the one that is being tool-ish, and i don't need a PM to say that, do i? why don't you try to contribute something other than sideways jabs, mr. zombiethreadderailer .
Ermz... subjectivity; it's a hell of a concept.
.Ermz... subjectivity; it's a hell of a concept.
Ermz
¯\(°_o)/¯
For sure man. Only the first paragraph was directed at your post though! I definitely caught his comments on not using a limiter on the back-end and it was definitely illuminating for me. I'll try to rip into a few mixes without one.
In fact I got a really good insight into how out of whack mixes can be and what trouble they can cause in the mastering phase, as I just got handed a quick mastering project to test out my new acoustic treatment. The drums were MUCH louder than the rest of the track, and it was almost impossible to tame and 'glue' them back into the track without some hefty limiting, which flattened out and made the track more lifeless.
I definitely see what you mean about the merits of balanced mixes.... Just gotta start getting there, haha.
Still, what do you think about CLA's mixing on records where he's up against other big names? The two main ones I'm thinking of personally are Nickelback's 'Dark Horse' and Breaking Benjamin's 'Phobia'. To me on Dark Horse the Staub mixes sound much larger, and on Phobia I think Grosse's mixes are much larger, and somewhat more open and less stifled sounding than 'Diary of Jane'. Just my own opinion anyway!
In fact I got a really good insight into how out of whack mixes can be and what trouble they can cause in the mastering phase, as I just got handed a quick mastering project to test out my new acoustic treatment. The drums were MUCH louder than the rest of the track, and it was almost impossible to tame and 'glue' them back into the track without some hefty limiting, which flattened out and made the track more lifeless.
I definitely see what you mean about the merits of balanced mixes.... Just gotta start getting there, haha.
Still, what do you think about CLA's mixing on records where he's up against other big names? The two main ones I'm thinking of personally are Nickelback's 'Dark Horse' and Breaking Benjamin's 'Phobia'. To me on Dark Horse the Staub mixes sound much larger, and on Phobia I think Grosse's mixes are much larger, and somewhat more open and less stifled sounding than 'Diary of Jane'. Just my own opinion anyway!
"stifled" is a very subjective term... but no, i don't think they sound like anything that i would describe as that.
AStudio
Member
- Mar 12, 2007
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That was cool, enjoyed watching that. The interviewer could have had some better questions but still none the less Chris was up for talking.
Im a Chirs Lord-Alge freak so was a good watch, didn't learn much I didn't already read about, but was cool to watch the man in action.
A little irrating that they are at the SSL headquarters in front of a duality and they cant manage to plug a mic in to get a decent feed Owww well, was cool
Im a Chirs Lord-Alge freak so was a good watch, didn't learn much I didn't already read about, but was cool to watch the man in action.
A little irrating that they are at the SSL headquarters in front of a duality and they cant manage to plug a mic in to get a decent feed
Owww well, was cool
