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  • The Studio Philosopher

    I am the Studio Philosopher and I have been enlisted by Studios 301 to share some of my thoughts and knowledge about all aspects of studio life. Much of what we do in the studio is technical, but these technical aspects are influenced and informed by less tangible qualities. Over the coming months I will provide insight into ways have thinking that may influence your studio practice or at the very least make you analyse how you work.

    To begin we will appropriately start before we even get into a studio session with Preparation.

    In many ways preparation is at once one of the most important and overlooked aspects of a recording or mixdown session. An engineer (or assistant) who is across all aspects of an upcoming session and has the necessary setup in place before a session starts will almost always provide for a stress-free (or at least less) and productive session.

    The first key in preparation is knowing your equipment. This means before you even have a conversation with a potential client you should have an intricate knowledge of the operation of your setup, hardware and software. From a large studio to a basic laptop rig be aware of possible eventualities and troubleshoot them long before you bring anyone else into the room.  This means spending the hours with your equipment and software, watching tutorials, and READING THE MANUAL!

    Now that you know your setup, you’ve got a client booked and a session approaching. It is essential for you to make contact via email and/or phone to clarify exactly what the client requires. In larger environments request a tech list and room setup sheet. Even if your recording a mate in your bedroom having a clear idea of exactly what and how the want to record/mix is going to make your life easier on the day and also make you look super professional.

    Once you’ve received all the technical specs and info for the session the next step is to set up your session the day/night before.  This means you can troubleshoot any last minute issues (of which there is almost always at least one) without a client over you shoulder. It also means on the morning or the session, when things can get a little chaotic, you can be in a position to make minor adjustments and handle new client requests rather than doing basic setup.

    This level of preparation is a bare minimum for anyone working in a large studio environment and I believe is essential no matter the size of your setup. This hard work beforehand enables you to focus on creativity and magic making during a session.

    Till next time…

  • 301 Interns… Where Are They Now?

    You’ve seen them around at Studios 301 — they’ve helped load in your session, grabbed your late night coffees, tracked down that special piece of gear – they’ve even flipped your burgers at some of our courtyard BBQ’s.

    Our interns are a special blend of talent and ambition, so it comes as no surprise to see each of them taking off with exciting new projects and very promising careers. We caught up with a few of our past interns-turned engineers / songwriters / audio school teachers / musicians and more, to hear what they’re up to now and how their time at 301 helped pave the way.

    – Wade Gilmour has set up a recording studio at Belmore Boys High School for educational and private use, as well as started a small record label focusing on short runs of vinyl and digital releases for local artists. He has also begun teaching the Audio Engineering course at JMC Acadamy on a full time basis and continues to work as a freelance engineer, doing both live sound and session work.

    – Jarrah Nelson was scouted to assist in managing the world’s first Ableton-dedicated training company, Liveschool. Building on a successful brand, he helped develop the business and expand its reach. He says, “The experience I gained at 301 opened my eyes to the in’s and out’s of not only the music industry, but working in a close knit, team oriented environment. This was crucial to my job at Liveschool.” Jarrah has also partnered with a friend from Uni to do freelance audio consulting and production, recording various solo artists and cover bands and providing them with material for their demos and sites. Jarrah also assists with audio installation at Soho Bar in Kings Cross.

    – As a result of his hard work and a succesful internship, Mike Macias was fortunate enough to go on to work with G.Simone, spouse of hip-hop legend, KRS-One. He wrote music, recorded, mixed and edited for Simone which he says was “great fun.” Mike also does live audio for gigs across town and plays his own studio-recorded material live in Sydney. As for the future? “Next year I plan to go back to studying and take a course in post-production film, or even composition and editing audio for gaming.” Mike says most of the techniques he learned at 301, he now incorporates into his work at his home studio – “not just on the technical side, but also working with the artists and making them feel as comfortable as possible to capture a great performance.” Check out Mike’s music project, MicMac here.

    – Simon Chisholm has continued volunteering his time at 301, gaining invaluable knowledge and experience in the technical workshop under the mentorship of Technical Director Stephen Crane and Rick Taylor. His tasks include helping to fix faulty equipment and building new pieces of gear, both for the studio and himself. He continues to take on freelance projects at 301 and has recently been hired as a Tape Transfer Engineer, whereby a client’s old analogue or digital tapes are recorded to a more modern digital format. Simon notes, “My time spent at  Studios 301 has enhanced my skills and operational knowledge when working as Audio Director in outside broadcasts.”
    What advice do they have for finding your footing, post-internship? 301’s studio assistant and former intern Jono Baker says, ” Be willing to work hard and commit to what you see as your potential career. Make the most of your opportunities at hand. The more you put in, the more you get out.”

    For more information on the internship opportunities available at Studios 301, contact interns@studios301.com.