Show Notes
Grammy Award-winning producer Matt Lawrence gives us a fun insight into his early years in the industry as an assistant producer, and offers a valuable selection of tips and ideas for launching a successful studio career today. Chapters 00:00 - Introduction 00:35 - Working At Metropolis 02:26 - Recording Van Morrison 05:02 - Capturing A Moment 07:10 - The Craft Of Recording 09:34 - Learning From Others 13:32 - Musical Interests 15:04 - Getting Into The Industry Today 19:08 - Starting A Mix 22:40 - Time Spent On A Mix 24:25 - The Importance Of Pre-Production 26:55 - Different Approaches To The Same Mix 28:56 - Dither And Delay #SSL #Neve Matt Lawrence Biog Matt Lawrence is a GRAMMY Award-winning mixer, producer and engineer who has worked on some of the most influential records of the past 20 years, contributing to over 11 billion streams worldwide. Matt is also a certified Dolby Atmos mix-engineer. Credits include Adele, Amy Winehouse, Bat For Lashes, Black Eyed Peas, Ellie Goulding, Foals, Frank Turner, Flowerovlove, George Ezra, Declan J Donovan, Laura Marling, Tom Chaplin, Tom Walker, Kodaline, You Me At Six, Macy Gray, Mumford & Sons, Naughty Boy, Emeli Sande, Sugababes, Beverley Knight, Katherine Jenkins, Keane, One Direction, Robbie Williams, Scissor Sisters, Kylie, Eric Clapton, Shirley Bassey, Joan Armatrading, George Michael, The Who, The White Stripes, The Vaccines, Van Morrisson, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Paloma Faith and Groove Armada. It was for his work on Mumford & Sons ‘Babel’ album, that won Matt a Grammy. Debuting at number one on both sides of the Atlantic, it has since gone 4x Platinum in the UK and has sold over 2.5 million copies in the US alone.
Starting out at Van Morrison’s studio in Bath, Matt worked on no less than seven of his studio albums, as well as with other artists such as Annie Lenox, Paul Weller and Stereophonics. Following a move to London’s Metropolis Studios, Matt rose through the ranks to Chief Engineer, working with acts such as U2, The Clash, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Joe Cocker and Garbage, as well as more leftfield artists such as Bjork, DJ Shadow, Goldie and Jeff Beck. Honing his skills working alongside such a variety of high calibre producers and mixers has given Matt an almost unrivalled education and experience in making records. Names such as Sir George Martin, Gus Dudgeon, Marius DeVries, Butch Vig, Steve Osborne, Ben Hillier, Guy Sigsworth, Alan Moulder, Gary Langan, Nellee Hooper, Michael Kamen, Bill Price, Norman Cook, Mark Ronson, Justin Timberlake, Timberland and Will.i.am have all had a direct influence on his career. Although Matt’s work has already contributed to many hit records internationally, he also enjoys working with new and up and coming artists from an early stage in their careers. Matt’s vast background in immersive and surround sound mixing allowed an easy transition into Dolby Atmos, where he has mixed albums for a wide range of clients, such as Lumineers, Mumford & Sons to NSG. Matt has also established himself as a ‘go-to’ for Live broadcast mix supervision, where during the busy festival season (namely Glastonbury, Reading and R1BW) he works alongside the artist and the BBC to ensure that the performances stand out as timeless concert classics. The ever-increasing client list who’s benefited include a wide range of artists such as George Ezra, Arctic Monkeys, Declan McKenna, Confidence Man to The Last Dinner Party. Matt’s production and mix work continues apace with current productions for Finnegan Tui and Olivier Martin and mixes for Jack Garratt and Flowerovlove. https://www.matt-music.com/ Kevin Paul Biog Kevin Paul started his career as a DJ but quickly found his passion was sound engineering. His first audio job was at Soho Studios in 1991, moving to Konk Studios six months later, where he worked alongside successful producers and engineers such as Bob Clearmountain, Adam Mosley, Pascal Gabriel and Gil Norton, as well as bands such as The Kinks,
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Cameron Craig of the Music Producers Guild and Chris Cooke of CMU discuss the new MPG Producer Deals Guide, explaining how producer agreements are changing and what producers need to understand about points, royalties, expenses and publishing. They explore the issues facing both established and unsigned artists, and why agreeing terms clearly and putting them in writing is essential. Chapters 00:00 - Introduction 00:18 - Who are CMU? 01:03 - The Producer Deals Guide 03:51 - The Changing Industry 09:35 - The Producer Contribution 18:45 - Unsigned Artists 21:02 - Addressing The Matter Early 25:00 - When To Get A Publisher 26:31 - Managing Multiple Works 33:04 - Covering Expenses 38:17 - PPD And Net Receipt Deals 44:55 - Written Agreements Music Producers Guild The Music Producers Guild is a not for profit organisation that was started by producers, mixers, recording engineers, re-mixers and programmers and is run by volunteers from within the industry. Their aim is to support members in their careers, campaign for the rights of music industry workers, promote diversity within the industry and to celebrate the achievements of members via the annual MPG Awards. https://mpg.org.uk/dealsguide Cameron Craig Biog Cameron is a two time Grammy award-winning Producer-Mixer-Engineer. A hugely impressive credit list notably also includes several albums with U.N.K.L.E., along with names like Adele, Annie Lennox, Bjork, Tina Turner, Baxter Dury, Grace Jones, Joe Strummer, Duffy, Amy Winehouse and many more.
Michael J. Morgan joins Sam Inglis to discuss the practical challenges of working freelance in the audio industry, from setting rates and finding clients to building relationships and developing a sustainable business. Chapters 00:00 - Introduction 00:28 - Business Mentoring For Freelancers 07:43 - Modern Career Paths For Audio Engineers 09:51 - The Right Time To Go Freelance 13:19 - The Benefits Of Specialising 16:30 - The Role Of A Manager 21:24 - The Importance Of Networking 26:44 - Utilising Social Media Wisely 32:25 - Setting The Right Price 40:53 - Streamlining Your Workflow Michael J. Morgan Biog Michael J. Morgan is a business coach for audio engineers and founder of The Business of Mixing, where he helps mixers, mastering engineers, producers, and other audio professionals build stronger, more sustainable freelance businesses. He has worked with approximately 500 audio professionals, including engineers behind records by Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa, Tame Impala, and others. His work focuses on understanding the market, positioning, pricing, client relationships, and the business systems behind a long-term career in audio. Michael has also led research and strategy work with pro-audio companies including PMC Speakers, oeksound, and OHMA Microphones, and has shared his work with audiences through Sweetwater, Mix With The Masters, Sound On Sound, and a number of industry podcasts. https://mixing.biz https://www.instagram.com/mixing.biz Sam Inglis Biog Editor In Chief Sam Inglis has been with Sound On Sound for more than 20 years. He is a recording engineer, producer, songwriter and folk musician who studies the traditional songs of England and Scotland, and the author of Neil Young's Harvest (Bloomsbury, 2003) and Teach Yourself Songwriting (Hodder, 2006). Catch more shows on our other podcast channels: https://www.soundonsound.com/sos-podcasts
Gérard Assayag talks to Nick Rothwell about his pioneering work in creative AI and computer music at IRCAM, exploring co-creativity, computer-aided composition, musician–machine interaction and the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and musical performance. Chapters 00:00 - Introduction 00:51 - Background Story 03:18 - Working at IRCAM 05:33 - Computer Science 09:26 - Music Presentation Software 13:13 - Co-creativity with OMax and Somax 16:37 - Exploring Creative AI with REACH 23:45 - Generating Symbolic Scores 28:34 - Music As A Prompt 31:23 - Improtech Workshop Festival #ircam #openmusic #OMax #Somax #Improtech Gérard Assayag Biog Gérard Assayag is Research Director at the Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique/Musique (IRCAM) in Paris, where he founded the internationally recognised Music Representations team. He also directed IRCAM's Sciences and Technologies of Music and Sound (STMS) laboratory, and led the development of influential computer music software including OpenMusic, Antescofo, Orchidea, OMax and Somax. Assayag is a co-founder of the Sorbonne University Institute for Music Sciences, the Sorbonne Institute for Artificial Intelligence, the French Society for Computer Music, the International Society for Mathematics and Computation in Music, and the Journal of Mathematics and Music. His research focuses on computer languages and algorithms for music, computer-aided composition, and creative AI for musician–machine interaction. He is the recipient of a European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant for REACH (Raising Co-Creativity in Cyber-Human Musicianship), an international project exploring creative AI for music. He also performs live as a generative electronic musician using the AI tools he has developed. https://www.ircam.fr/en/people/grard-assayag https://www.facebook.com/iIRCAM https://www.ircam.fr/www.instagram.com/ircam_paris Nick Rothwell Biog Nick Rothwell is a composer, performer, software architect, coder and visual artist. He has built media performance systems for projects with Ballett Frankfurt and Vienna Volksoper, composed sound scores for Aydın Teker (Istanbul / Kapadokya), Shobana Jeyasingh, AWA Dance, Luz&Mannion Dance (Flamenco) and Undercurrent Theatre, programmed physical media sculptures with Simeon Nelson and Rob Godman, live coded in Mexico and in Berlin with sitar player Shama Rahman, collaborated with the body>data>space collective in Prague, Paris and Dresden, written software for Studio Wayne McGregor, Beinghuman in Kathmandu, the Pina Bausch Foundation and Nesta's FutureFest, consulted for Tate Modern, and developed algorithmic visuals for large-scale outdoor projections in Poland, Estonia, the Cambridge Music Festival and Lumiere (London / Durham). He has taught design at CODE Berlin and currently runs the Computer Science undergraduate course at University of the Arts London.
Tony Platt talks with Paul White about his career highlights, developing his recording techniques and memorable sessions with Bob Marley, AC-DC, Gary Moore and Uriah Heep. Chapters 00:00 - Introduction 00:27 - Contacting Studios 06:23 - Learning By Watching 08:59 - Tape Operator At Trident 11:19 - Moving To Island Studios 12:57 - Becoming An Engineer 14:56 - A Different Recording Era 15:58 - Recording Bob Marley 17:25 - Using Spill As An Advantage 20:26 - Recording Techniques 23:04 - Memorable Sessions 26:13 - Taking Time To Develop Bands 28:42 - From Analogue To Digital 33:54 - Incorporating Analogue 35:51 - Analogue Emulations 39:05 - Expanding Into Different Genres 41:56 - Current Music Projects 42:37 - AI In Music
Music producer Ben Hillier reflects on his journey from orchestral percussionist to studio producer, from assisting on recordings to working with Elbow, Blur, Depeche Mode and Nadine Shah, sharing insights on feel, creativity and making records from his distinctive straw-built studio. Chapters 00:00 - Introduction 02:36 - The Studio Design 03:56 - Recording Orchestras 08:51 - From College to Assisting 16:03 - Being A Good Engineer 20:08 - Recording Elbow 28:40 - Working With Blur 35:19 - Encouraging Creativity 40:35 - Engineering Depeche Mode 43:36 - Getting Feel Into Electronic Music 50:12 - Collaborating With Nadine Shah 57:46 - Being A Good Producer 59:20 - Creating A Good Studio Environment 1:01:13 - Choosing Which Projects To Work On 1:07:34 - Preferred Tools And Workflows