Today we have an interview with Matt Mahaffey. He is a Los Angeles based musician, writer, engineer, producer who says he has "worked with everyone on my wishlist." To get specific, his discography includes Pink, Beck, Brett Michaels, and Mandy Moore. As well as modern hits like Cash Cash, Forever The Sickest Kids, The Sounds, and Hello Goodbye. He is also the brains behind the mind boggling pop arrangements of Self, whose records from the nineties are some of the few technology driven records that stand the test of time years later. He was kind enough to answer ten of our questions after the jump.
1. What are your tracking philosophies as far as processing now or later, explain however you'd like to take that?
If I'm making records, I try to stay as old-school as possible and print EQ, compression, and effects then & there. Everything except reverbs. If I'm working in film or television, I try to keep everything MIDI as long as I can, because things are always changing up to the last minute and that can ruin your day if things are audio files at that point.
2. What is a Song Dealbreaker for you? AKA something in a song that will make it so you cannot listen to the song?
1.) I can't handle when arrangements get super progressive simply for the sake of being super progressive and musician-y. To quote Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park: "You did this because you could, you didn't stop to think if you should." I don't like hearing algebra fly out of my speakers.
2.) I don't like to listen to songs that are trying too hard to be a song.
3.) Unpleasant recording.
4.) All MY work is exempt from aforementioned gripes.
3. What is the best tip you could give about recording guitar?
Whenever possible, always have the head in the control room. I've even pulled the heads out of my combo amps & have them around as outboard. Then you can run a Fender twin into a Marshall cab or an Orange into an AC-30. That's a REAL amp farm.
4. What is the best tip you could give about recording Bass?
Start with having the EQ on the instrument flat, unless is a boutique piece that only sounds good a certain way. Then add it in after you get an amp or DI sound. No one like their eggs salted before they even taste them. Don't be afraid to use guitar amps. One of the best bass sounds I've ever gotten was plugging a bass into the mic input of a Hammond KX-66, cranking on the spring reverb from the unit, & miking the downward firing 12" speaker from the speaker cabinet with a U87 large-diaphragm!
5. What is the best tip you could give about recording Drums?
No matter what the room, miking technique, or gear available, just make sure all your mics are phase-aligned and a good drummer really helps.
6. What is the best tip you could give about recording Vocals?
Simple signal chain. Mic pre-amps are almost more important that the mic. For clean and even vocals, use a limiter after the pre & a compressor after the limiter.
7. What is the best tip you could give about Mixing?
Beware of "big-mono". Don't print something in stereo if it's not stereo. Pan simply and old school. 100/50/25/0/25/50/100. It always sounds better.
8. What is your favorite new recording tool?
I'm a fan of the Standard Audio- Level-Or. Also, Jeff Turzo just built me a stereo compressor of his own design that is jaw-dropping on beats.
9. What is an unappreciated recording tool?
Psychology.
10. Favorite Plug-in?
Glancing over at my current open Pro-Tools session, there seems to be a lot of Waves SSL E-Channel going on. So, the answer is Waves SSL E-Channel.
If I'm making records, I try to stay as old-school as possible and print EQ, compression, and effects then & there. Everything except reverbs. If I'm working in film or television, I try to keep everything MIDI as long as I can, because things are always changing up to the last minute and that can ruin your day if things are audio files at that point.
2. What is a Song Dealbreaker for you? AKA something in a song that will make it so you cannot listen to the song?
1.) I can't handle when arrangements get super progressive simply for the sake of being super progressive and musician-y. To quote Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park: "You did this because you could, you didn't stop to think if you should." I don't like hearing algebra fly out of my speakers.
2.) I don't like to listen to songs that are trying too hard to be a song.
3.) Unpleasant recording.
4.) All MY work is exempt from aforementioned gripes.
3. What is the best tip you could give about recording guitar?
Whenever possible, always have the head in the control room. I've even pulled the heads out of my combo amps & have them around as outboard. Then you can run a Fender twin into a Marshall cab or an Orange into an AC-30. That's a REAL amp farm.
4. What is the best tip you could give about recording Bass?
Start with having the EQ on the instrument flat, unless is a boutique piece that only sounds good a certain way. Then add it in after you get an amp or DI sound. No one like their eggs salted before they even taste them. Don't be afraid to use guitar amps. One of the best bass sounds I've ever gotten was plugging a bass into the mic input of a Hammond KX-66, cranking on the spring reverb from the unit, & miking the downward firing 12" speaker from the speaker cabinet with a U87 large-diaphragm!
5. What is the best tip you could give about recording Drums?
No matter what the room, miking technique, or gear available, just make sure all your mics are phase-aligned and a good drummer really helps.
6. What is the best tip you could give about recording Vocals?
Simple signal chain. Mic pre-amps are almost more important that the mic. For clean and even vocals, use a limiter after the pre & a compressor after the limiter.
7. What is the best tip you could give about Mixing?
Beware of "big-mono". Don't print something in stereo if it's not stereo. Pan simply and old school. 100/50/25/0/25/50/100. It always sounds better.
8. What is your favorite new recording tool?
I'm a fan of the Standard Audio- Level-Or. Also, Jeff Turzo just built me a stereo compressor of his own design that is jaw-dropping on beats.
9. What is an unappreciated recording tool?
Psychology.
10. Favorite Plug-in?
Glancing over at my current open Pro-Tools session, there seems to be a lot of Waves SSL E-Channel going on. So, the answer is Waves SSL E-Channel.
You can't imitate Mahaffey, you can only watch, listen and learn. He is the master of the audio universe.