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Kiara Mitchell
Sooooo......the best jewel of advice as an engineer/producer I have learned that is further perpetuated by my experience at Icon Studios Atlanta, PROTECT YOUR EARS!!!!! I got to sit in on a Mastering and Mixing training session with Senior Engineer, Karl Heilbron. In a short few hours, Karl shared with us simple and effective methods to better control the flow of a session, various filters and effects for pre-sets and plug ins, as well as steps that you want to take throughout a session to stay on top of troubleshooting.
Karl shared with the group personal stories of encounters he has experienced throughout parts of his career. But, one of the most fascinating things happened when he lowered the volume on the monitors. I COULD HEAR EVERYTHING!!! I have noticed that producers and artists alike, will oftentimes blast the speakers at obscene levels, and while it creates great energy in the room, it is so damaging to the ears. At about half of the volume that the entire session ran, I was able to hear every instrument, every nuance, every break and dramatic pause almost perfectly. It was absolutely amazing. I have been on the other side of the control booth for some time now, so to see something so simple make such a dramatic difference really intreagued me! Having played instruments my entire life, I have been trained to listen carefully, lol thus my excitement when I come across a gem to preserve my ears..........simply mix at half the volume!
Happy Listening....
