People who are starting out in music production often ask whether they need to take a course or get a qualification before they can build a studio and make professional-sounding music. The short answer is no. Can formal training help? Absolutely. But is it essential? Not at all....
If you’ve spent any time around bass players, you’ve probably heard someone proudly announce that their Rickenbacker is a stereo bass. It’s one of those statements that has been repeated so many times that most people just accept it as fact. The trouble is, it isn’t actually true....
One of the questions I get asked quite often is, “How long does it take to learn all this?” Usually, the question comes while someone is looking around the studio, staring at the screens, microphones, speakers, cables, software, and blinking lights. The answer? Years. Not weeks, not months,...
Famous musicians aren’t always mysterious. Living in New Zealand, famous musicians can seem a bit mythical. We all know who they are, but they generally live somewhere else – overseas. They appear on television, pop up on social media, release albums, do interviews, then disappear back into some...
The best mix isn’t always the perfect mix … I saw an incredible photo on Facebook the other day. A farmer is sitting on a tractor, casually looking over his shoulder, while in the background a fighter jet is moments away from hitting the ground. The pilot had...
The Rickenbacker bass problem nobody mentions! I love Rickenbacker basses – they’re iconic, they look fantastic and they sound fantastic. If you’re chasing that distinctive growl heard on countless classic rock records, there’s really nothing quite like a Ricky. But they do have a big drawback – you...
Ahhh, the sound of nostalgia. Every now and then I stumble across something that instantly transports me back in time. Cassette tapes do just that! Now before the vinyl enthusiasts come after me, let me make a confession – I’ve never really been a fan of records. I...
Here’s a slightly sideways topic, but one that might help someone who finds themselves in the same confusing situation I did. Most of us know what a migraine is. We picture someone lying in a dark room with a pounding headache, sensitivity to light, perhaps seeing flashing lights...
Ever find yourself labouring over a mix that just isn’t working? You’ve tweaked the EQ, adjusted the compression, moved instruments around the stereo field, turned things up, turned things down. Yet somehow the mix still feels wrong. This has happened often to me mixing OLDER’s songs and other...
There’s a lot of discussion these days about editing recordings to perfection. With modern software, it’s possible to tighten performances, remove noises, correct timing, and tune vocals until everything is technically flawless. The question is: should you? For me, the answer depends entirely on what instrument I’m working...
There is a lot of discussion these days about imperfections in music and the importance of the human element. Personally, I think we can sometimes spend far too much time trying to perfect things that don’t actually need perfecting. When I’m recording and mixing music, particularly with OLDER’s...
This might be a controversial one. Records are having a huge resurgence – people get genuinely excited about them. They talk about the warmth, the sound, the ritual, the experience. Record stores are thriving again. New albums are being released on vinyl and some people seem convinced it’s...
This is how we started in the early ’90s. Back then, we knew we’d really made it when we managed to buy a secondhand eight-track recorder. An old Fostex A80, I think it was. To us, it felt like a professional studio. This little reel of quarter-inch tape...
If you’re building a studio, buy good speakers, or they are better known near-field studio monitors, first. I’ve got a pair of cheap speakers in the studio that I refuse to get rid of. They’re not here because they sound amazing, they’re here because they look cool. I...
Microphones are funny things. This one sitting in front of me is about 25 years old. It’s an original Rode NT1 and, from memory, it cost around $500 when I bought it. Back then, that felt like a serious investment. Newer versions of the NT1 are a similar...
My hearing is shot, so how do I still mix music? My hearing isn’t great. Years of making music, standing near loud things, and congenital degradation have all taken their toll. There are frequencies I don’t hear particularly well anymore, and if I sat down and really thought...
In the age of streaming, where musicians get paid bugger all for a play, I thought it might be worth talking about royalties. I don’t know the exact figure these days, but it feels like something ridiculous — three-tenths of a thousandth of a cent per stream. Whatever...
People occasionally ask musicians about their best gigs. That’s easy enough – the packed venues, the great audiences, the nights when everything clicks and you walk off stage thinking, “Yes, that’s why we do this.” The more interesting question is this: What’s the worst gig you’ve ever done?...
People can get surprisingly passionate about guitars. The wood, pickups, brand, country it was made in, year it was built, shape of the headstock, its pedigree – the list seems endless. Me? I own two. One is a Yamaha Pacifica that cost me about $700. I’ve had it...
I saw an interesting post recently from a musician who had spent the best part of 30 years making music independently. They started out as DIY and, decades later, still proudly described themselves that way. It got me thinking… Technically, I’m a professional musician. Over the years I’ve...