Pro Tools Expert Podcast

In this week’s edition Julian and Ashea are joined by  Steve DeMott where they discuss the importance and power of saying 'no' in a music production environment. Talking Points:‘The Power of No’ in music production, recording & mixing.  Expanding on William Wittmans article:Finds of the week:Julian: PMC 6-2Ashea: Sketch Casette 2Steve: Zoom H6 field recorder

 In this week’s edition Julian & Ashea are joined by James Richmond where they discuss some of the stand out developments of last year.

In the final edition of 2023, Ashea is joined by Russ Hughes & Reid Caulfield.  Where they discuss the important topic of managing mental health, particularly in the audio industry.Talking Points:Dealing with anxiety and other mental health issues that plague freelancers and audio professionals. The stigma attached to mental health issues.The role of social media and how it can affect our mental health.Coping and good practices to reduce stress etc.Finds of the week:Russ: A Therapeutic Journey BookAshea: Contact- MovieReid: The Demon- Haunted World , Blink, McDSP SA3

In this week’s edition Julian and Ashea are joined by Ary Maudit, where they discuss studio roles, terminology and definitions, are they changing, if so how?Talking PointsAs an engineer at Strongroom, what is your role, and what are the main things you get asked to do? Have you witnessed people’s role changing/morphing over time, if so how?Producer, beatmaker, songwriter let’s discuss our interpretations of those roles and how they have developed/changed.Stems,multitracks. Any definitions that are commonly confused?Our thoughts on Russ’ article. https://www.production-expert.com/production-expert-1/its-none-of-your-business-how-people-choose-to-make-musicFinds of the week:Julian: PSP Auralcomp Ashea: Nutribullet BlenderAry: Amedeo Modigliani

In this week’s edition Julian and Ashea are joined by Nathaniel Reichman, where they discuss the things they loved in the month of November. Talking Points: Universal Audio Opens LUNA to All Mac Users in Inclusive Software Update Avid Now A Private Company As STG Completes Acquisition Apple Logic Pro For Mac And iPad Updated - Includes Mastering Assistant And More Serato Unexpectedly Announce Native Apple Silicon Support For Pitch 'n Time  Plugin Steinberg Nuendo 13 Announced : A Comprehensive Update for Post-Production ProfessionalsSlate and SSL Gobbler Universal Audio Sound City Plugin Announced Spatial Audio And Using Audiomovers Binaural Renderer For Apple Music Ginger Audio iRender Spatial Released SSL E 4K releasedFinds of the week:Julian: Loudspeakers For Music Recording And ReproductionAshea: Fletcher & Mills Studio Desk Nathaniel: ChatGPT 3.5’s new voice conversation feature 

In this week's episode Julian and Ashea are joined by Graham Kirkman, where they discuss the gear and software that they wouldn't want to live without. Talking Points:Let’s discuss some of the gear/software that we find ourselves relying on and why that is.Open Back Headphones, Sit Stand Desk, Macbook Pro,VisLM, Celemony Melodyne. Neve 1073 Mic Pre, Neumann U87. Logic ProFinds of the week:Julian: Caldigit TS3 Plus -Ashea: Waves Silk Vocal Graham: Supperware Bridgehead 

In this week’s edition Julian & Ashea are joined by Eli Krantzberg, where they dissect the meaning of the commonly used term 'Sounds Like A Record'.Talking Points:We hear the terms ‘radio ready’ and ‘sounds like a record’ used a lot in this industry, so let’s break down the elements that make a song worthy of that statement, and why do some songs fail to sound like this?Music is constantly changing, and so the definition of a ‘record’ surely has too. Let's compare some hits of yesteryear and how they match up to those of today.Can a  great production/mix make an average song sound like a record?Gear and tools used on many of the great records. Eli, as we have you on, let’s discuss the new Logic Pro updates.  Finds Of The Week:Julian: Sonos Era 300Ashea: Witness For The Prosecution PlayEli: Model N Channel 

In this week’s edition Julian & Ashea are joined by Steve DeMott, where they discuss the future of music production and emerging trends in the world of audio.Talking Points:Let’s discuss some of the new trends and practices we are seeing pop up in the industry in general.Steve, you mentioned a few days ago that you’ve noticed a trend in audio plugins, how they seem to be geared towards improving subpar recording techniques- Let’s discuss this point.Are there any areas that need more attention in terms of technological development?Are there areas that we feel would be best left to traditional practices and can’t/shouldn’t be solved by a plugin?Finds of the week:Julian: McDSP SA3Ashea: Miloco Gear's Pro Audio Showcase ReturnsSteve: KiiveAudio Complexx

In this week’s edition Julian and Ashea are joined by Luke Steven Ramsay, where they discuss how to revive and make use of old material, that’s currently collecting dust on our hard drives. Talking PointsDo you have a lot of unfinished material sitting around on your hard drive? If so, why do you think that is?Let’s discuss some useful ways as producers we can make use of the old unfinished material.Are there some good tools you know of to speed up & help the process of finishing songs?Platforms that allow us to put our work to good use, e.g beatstars, sample libraries etcFinds of the week:Julian: Live From Daryl’s House Glenn TilbrookAshea: New Logic Pro Updates Luke: Middle Kids Dramamine

In this week’s edition Julian & Ashea are joined by William Wittman, where they discuss the things they loved in October.Talking Points:Supertone- Clear Voice Separator (Goyo)Gik Acoustic- SlatFusor 4SHarrison Audio Mixing ConsoleLandr Mastering Plugin,*Presonus- Open Source DAW CollaborationMaag Audio Pre Q2Finds Of The Week:Julian - New Macbook ProAshea- New Super Atomic Material William - Eventide MicroPitch Immersive 

In this week’s edition Julian is joined by Ashea & Siobhan Anderson. Where they compare 3 of the most well known DAWs and ask, ´Does your DAW do this?´Talking Points:What first attracted you to your DAW of choice?Let’s briefly discuss platform compatibility for Logic X, Pro Tools & AbletonWhat do you like about your DAWs user interface? Have you tried other DAWs, what didn’t you like about them?MIDI, Virtual Instruments and samplers: What is this like with the DAW you use, is there room for improvement?Audio Recording and Editing.How does your DAW of choice fit into your workflow?Finds Of The Week:Julian - 32 Classic Mixing ConsoleAshea-LANDR Mastering PluginSiobhan - Natural Symphony

In this week’s edition Julian is joined by Ashea & Marcel Schechter from Genelec , where they discuss  ‘Solving Room Acoustics For Better Mixes ’Talking PointsWhat are some common acoustic problems in recording studios, and how can they be solved?How can room size and shape impact the acoustics of a recording space?Are there specific materials or treatments that are essential for improving room acoustics in a studio?.What role does speaker placement play in achieving optimal room acoustics for mixing and monitoring?What advice do you have for home studio owners on a budget who want to improve their room acoustics for better audio quality?Are there any myths or misconceptions about room acoustics that you'd like to debunk?What are some common mistakes that recording engineers make when dealing with room acoustics, and how can they be avoided?Let's Talk SAM, GLM, GRADE Reporting etcHow can the UNIO Audio Monitoring Platform help with the points we’ve just discussed?Finds Of The Week:Julian -  Lola

In this week’s edition Julian is joined by Ashea, Paul Maunder and Roger Guerin, where they discuss the pros and cons of an education in audio. Talking Points:How has education helped you in terms of knowledge and your career?There’s a plethora of free material online, on Youtube etc, how valuable is learning via this method?The value of structured courses. ‘You don’t know what you don’t know’Should we learn from the very beginning? Can learning backwards be a thing?Online vs attended courses.How important is studying audio engineering in the era of A.I & assisted mixing etc. Can you still be a good producer/engineer without this knowledge?Finds Of The Week:Julian - Shure SM7dBAshea-Antares- Spanish LanguagePaul - Soundly Cloud librariesRoger-Amie (by Meyer)

In this week’s edition Julian is joined by Ashea and Steve DeMott. Where they discuss the ‘Things We Loved In September  ’Talking Points:Export Selection In Pro Tools 2023.9AutobouncePro Tools SketchDX Revive Nugen AB AssistSontec MES-439-D9DMixland Vac Attack Vacuum Tube LimiterFinds Of The Week:Julian - Kii SevenAshea- Encounters- Docuseries NetflixSteve-  Sontec MES-439-D9D

In this week’s edition Julian is joined by Ashea and James Richmond, where they discuss Perpetual Licences vs Subscription Models. Talking PointsPro Tools Perpetual Licences are now available for sale exclusively through authorised Avid resellers, they will not be sold via the Avid Web Store, thoughts on this?Pros and cons of perpetual licences vs subscription-based models from both the consumer and companies perspective. Compatibility issues-  Operating Systems- Backwards forwards compatibility- legacy versions. What considerations should audio professionals keep in mind when deciding between perpetual licenses and subscription-based access for their software tools?How do perpetual licenses affect software updates and support? Are there potential drawbacks in terms of staying up-to-date with technology? (Avids announcement re updates).Are there specific scenarios or types of users for whom perpetual licenses make more sense, and conversely, situations where subscription models might be preferable?In the ever

In this week’s edition Ashea is joined by Russ Hughes & Vincent Hervy, where they discuss, how A.I and new technology  is changing the audio industry.Ways in which A.I/ new technology has changed the way we work in music up until nowHow will our jobs need to evolve with the ever improving advances in technology?How can we make A.I work to our advantage?Finds of the week:Toy Box Audio- Thump OneThe Godfather Of Harlem - TV Series

In this week’s edition Julian is joined by Ashea and William Wittman, where they  discuss the hottest new releases for August.Talking Points: Avid Pro Tools SketchFocusrite Scarlett 4th Gen InterfaceSonnox VocaSTL Tones Control HubUJAM UFX ReverbAllen & Heath CQ Series MixersFinds of the week:Julian - Audio Plugin UninstallerAshea- Acon Digital Remix Real-Time AI Stem Separation Plugin William- TONEX Pedal 

In this week’s edition Julian is joined by Ashea and Gareth Nuttall, where they discuss  how arrangement can affect the mix.Talking Points:How often do you end up changing parts of the arrangement to improve a mix? The importance of sound selection, layers and instrument placement.Frequency masking and arrangement tricks that can help. Filling in frequency gaps:Combining kick and bass, for a better low end.Vocal layers and processingFinds Of The Week:Julian - Miso Gochujang noodlesAshea- Sonnox VocaGareth - Korneff Audio- Amplified Instrument Processor

In this week’s edition Julian is joined by Ashea, Graham Kirkman and Steve DeMott who discuss ‘Plugin UIs. What are the important things that developers need to consider?’Talking Points:How important are visuals to us?Visual, graphical displays vs skeuomorphic designs, what are some of the pro’s and cons?What Plugin UI features do you think improve your mix/production decisions and why? Inter-Plugin communication and why is that useful to us?How can plugin developers make better use of the technology available today?Finds of the Week:Julian - David Bennet Piano Beatles 7 ModesAshea- Mixing Night Audio- LOL CompGraham - Mix To MobileSteve - Fender J Bass

In this week's podcast, Ashea is joined by Russ Hughes and Karen Down (The Support Squad) who discuss 'Mental Health In The Music Industry'.What are some of the challenges and pressures that audio professionals face in the music industry that might impact their mental health?Pressures of freelancing-How do we address the financial and emotional pressures that audio professionals might experience, and how does this impact their mental well-being? How does the music industry handle issues like sickness burnout, anxiety, and depression, which can be prevalent in this field?How do you address the stigma around mental health in the music industry and create a supportive environment for musicians/artists?Finds Of The WeekRuss- Colin From Accounts- Tv ShowAshea- Essentialism- BookKaren- Sound Of Silence- Song by Disturbed