GRAMMY-Winning Mixer/Audio Engineer Chris Lord-Alge at Full Sail University

[@nickracine]

Everything said in this is gold, but I think the most important takeaway is how to handle the money. Separating yourself from the money and staying as an artist was hands down some of the best advice I have ever heard for this. Thank you Full Sail and CLA for this great interview!

[@mikewallace1270]

There are a lot of interviews with Chris on KZbin but this Hass to be the best!

[@DanRodriguez1]

mindblowing. best CLA interview ever.

[@Jsarmientos]

I remember this seminar. I had the pleasure to attend, real inspiration.

[@stephenpierce3202]

I Love you Mom. Ill never forget you Uncle Jim and Aunt Connie playing guitars in our living room as A Kid. That's why I love music to this day.

[@DanielSilvestriProd]

the very last advice is priceless, really... especially for younger generations. I really respect this guy much more now

[@luisolivarez8240]

Save your money & go to community college for audio recording. It's less than a quarter of the price for full sail & you get more hands on practice.

[@adamkiefel79]

Great interview. So much excellent information

[@timschneider7891]

Always wanted to rock. Now at 54, want to write. Whether it’s to write on my own or for others, I have known from childhood that vocabulary and comprehension and grammar are my specialty but thought there would be no way to make a living except to teach it

[@GweeGwee]

what a deep, real, down to earth guy. the parts near the end about "things always work out for the better" and how you take someone's art and put a bit of yourself in there were spot on. Would love to meet this man someday

[@LeoDujmov]

I like how he performs his job with heart and speaks from the heart about it... from 55:00min is Wow (words of wisdom - literally)... everything has been said in the last sentence: "Your emotions drive their music!"

[@onswiftwings88]

Enjoyed the interview. I am an audio engineering major in south texas and my instructors came from full sail university

[@BlethyMusik]

I'm grateful for these advises. thanks a bunch Chris....

[@GurnBograt1986]

I do like Chris's attitude toward mixing.

[@ANuRogue]

I was there it was awesome! Chris Lord Alge knowledge and positive energy. I look forward to working with this great legend soon. @SantiandRogue

[@ronnieallenmtv]

Chris is a legend in the business and will always be a significant part of the history of the recording industry. He's a little over-the-top, but has earned the right to be so. He touched on a few great ideas. Engineering on that level has surpassed getting the work out. It's now about how to *present* the Art. Most Artists at the top want to work with other Artists that happen to know how to mix, and not engineers that have no artistic leanings. The Song itself will speak and drive the mix.

[@TheChopnaldo]

loved the part where he went: you have to be switzerland

[@hullan666]

Wow - this is goldmine of knowledge - the best mixer to ever hit an SSL - please never take down this video! promise? :)

[@joeyxl3456]

Chris is a great guy to listen to.

[@fiddlefolk]

great video with a super talented mixer!

[@TroubadourMusic]

Great talk. Admire CLS a lot.

[@TheMHD2010]

This man is what Anthony Robbins meant by are you doing things right, or are you doin the right things. Niether are wrong, but one is way more effective. I envy all that attend this school. Reach for it and dont settle for less than you deserve. MHD

[@mulugetaseyoum]

The place of outstanding creativity.

[@DashGlitch]

This guy inspires me so much!

[@fiddlefolk]

Your emotions drive their music! Wow! Great advice from Chris!

[@jrreckley]

I got to sit down at school to see one of these interviews live!!!

[@rayshonjonse4873]

crowd is a bit stiff but this dude is hilarious lol

[@cassetteo]

Usually the students are very high, I know from experience lol

[@manifestgtr]

there's a problem with listening to guys like chris talk about coming up and making it...that type of career path doesn't exist anymore like it once did...recording isn't this magical process with big flashy machines and a fast talking guy with a cigarette standing behind the console anymore...so it's tough to know exactly how the next big mix engineers are going to come up...the only thing we can say for certain is that they'll be working in the digital domain

[@RealHomeRecording]

The next big engineers will come from working with the next big talents. The studio that has Lorde on their resume (for example) is getting gigs right now...I guarantee it.

[@tomtomz9731]

Likely it will come from do it all writer-producer-mixer-recording engineer which we all are nowdays in the digital age. heck I never set foot in a highend 1Mil K studio and I can go in and "work it" with minimal guidance. Do consider that this might be hurting the depth of music as we now less focus on the instrument and more focused on writing and printing that music. My keyboard playing & composition skills are mediocre, but when it all comes do to business. I can produce some kickass commerical level stuff. If I would focus just being a great player, I would have no abillity to be as creative as I am today. Would likely just be a keyboard player for some band. But today I can produce and co-write with great bands and artists. much more exciting!

[@manifestgtr]

yes! I couldn't agree more with the opening of your second statement...I've been saying that exact thing for awhile now...are we going to watch virtuosity (in any realm...engineering included) die as plugins become so sophisticated that they overtake everything? virtual instruments and processors are only getting better...hopefully that doesn't mean the musicians/producers/etc will get lazy

[@hachewie]

manifestgtr Do you think they will ever sound better than a great musician playing great music? I personally don't think so. There is more to music than just sound. The feel/energy of the performance is crucial to making great sound.

[@manifestgtr]

naw...I'm sure that'll always exist on some level...it's still true that nothing beats a great performance of a great song...guys like chris lord alge see stuff like that every day and it's a major reason their mixes are so killer...that much is still the same...gold in, gold out...we'll always need talent and we'll always need creativity

[@twilightbiscuit]

loving him

[@dannyowashere]

I attended Full Sail and dropped out once I started working at a studio because I was ACTUALLY LEARNING legitimate information instead of the bullshit Full Sail was feeding me. Now I got a collection company they so graciously threw at me that I have to deal with. Do yourself a favor and NEVER attend Full Sail. All the money you waste on Full Sail can be used towards your own living while you intern at a studio.

[@mrpeartree60]

I really like this video..... I think all up and coming engineers and producer should check it out...... Two thumbs up. Bless,

[@Vaf20]

fantastic!

[@AlexNiedt]

This was really, really valuable.

[@AndreaIngham]

my teacher just recommended I watch this

[@johannesdesilentio1536]

Cool story.

[@skyDN1974]

25:30 400 playlists? What do they mean?

[@gonkula]

well played sir, well played.

[@CaptainVelveeta]

"half the time, the sound you're looking for is on the verge of doing something wrong"...fucking priceless!

[@PaNaMaHoLLa]

HIS RESUME IS DOPE AS SHYT

[@mattmullin33609]

Great interview!! Except the whole time I was waiting for him to say "...and that's when I stole the Declaration of Independence"

[@AaronRichardsMusic]

what does backward pumpkin mean

[@thekaratesuit]

3.00 - why did he just randomly stand up?

[@911truthfarmer]

because he really needed to do another line.

[@hummarstraful]

@@911truthfarmer haha. First person to give you some love for this 2 year old comment.

[@axel76]

Words of wisdom

[@vladfarcam4817]

what is the AS show? at 1:00:00

[@Dubstepmatic]

i want to watch all CLA videos on youtube

[@D3TFR3SH313]

Amazing

[@oscarctv]

This was good !

[@tutuyin]

whats with the seats and mics?

[@viruslived]

how much is that Full Sail water?

[@SoundBoss5150]

This is an awesome lecture! That being said, listening to this on my mixing monitors I can't help but laugh at those wind-chimes around his neck :-P

[@ilikeaeroplanejelly1]

it's like his uniform... it defines him

[@TheRealCalijokes01]

My idol- wait he went to full sail ?

[@fullsailuniversity]

Who is your idol? 😊

[@oNTiger]

What kind of audio program doesn't even have control over the live sound for their own videos?

[@glcrodem3]

Good couple of pointers, with some random BS thrown in for good measure, but what the hell with the mics feeding back?

[@ChrisProduces]

Yeah that's so strange. Mics feeding back...that never happens...

[@tomtomz9731]

Does he always talk like that? seems like he practiced this and put alot of thetrical focus into this interview. feels a bit un-natural\uncomfortable to listen to.

[@johannesdesilentio1536]

@@tomtomz9731 Yeah he does, that's CLA... in fact often he's more dramatic, he was on good behavior here trust me.

[@Miner49erize]

I get that CLA has mixed a bunch of cool records, but he comes across as SUCH a bullshitter in this interview... I just have this strong intuition that for almost every tip he's giving, there's someone he's worked with who can say "Yeah, he did that that whole time & it drove me INSANE." When he tried to play off the "400 playlists" comment like he understood what it meant and then came back and admitted he didn't know what that meant at first, that confirmed it for me. However, to his credit, that's his calculated strategy: be super confident, smooth everything over even if you're clueless, never let them see you sweat. He said as much in the interview. And i's not a completely stupid strategy. It's clearly worked well enough for him. However, I'm no pro mixer, but when you get caught red-handed bullshitting someone in my business, your reputation takes a huge hit and people won't want to work with you. Much better just to be humble, be honest, work hard, and ask questions when you need to learn more in order to do your job better (which is always).

[@spookybuk]

CLA should be in Kiss - dude is a star. Great interview, but what about this host? He was the one who choose these chairs, wasn't him? Tell him that Modern Family called. They want Phil Dunphy back.

[@mattmolchany9978]

necklace jingle needs a gate.

[@kevinasir76]

The mic placement on the interviewer is so awkward and distracting.

[@johannesdesilentio1536]

Looks like the mic is trying to crawl into his mouth

[@thetylermays]

haha 58:10 .... his makeup analogy is the most hilarious thing i've heard!

[@coltonrudd]

Why are there empty seats in the audience?

[@Zmuzikpradoocer]

Awha love it

[@wrmoesta]

Nice feedback at 16:00

[@MrArtVein]

He's high AF

[@cast390]

I didn't know Paul Stanley gave seminars

[@KY1KRR]

when he got up in the beginning of the interview and just sat back down that was soo awkward hahahaha

[@superdertie]

fuckin great video. many many thanks

[@sfn4702]

AWKWARD

[@slikjmuzik]

54:12 - 56:12 = Wow!!

[@experiment0003]

Manny Marroquin, George Massenburg, even experiment0003. It depends on the genre! Yea CLA is up there too!

[@06youngrandy]

Fucking Inspirational

[@joeyxl3456]

Jesus why cant the guy be excited with Chris

[@gusto.vision]

Subtitles in portuguese

[@aperson8438]

44:00

[@lolitafrances1596]

There's that great mix engineer called Raz Klinghoffer you should all check out

[@SuperFaceless1]

55:44 the reason why I watched this...

[@eggbass]

I bow down to CLA

[@joeyxl3456]

Don't figure out mixing, figure out the song - CLA

[@jessewilson-music]

I wish the guy asking questions would open his mouth. lol

[@MCyoushedo]

:D i was there

[@jmasterX]

He mixes a song every 12 hours ??? :O

[@NYCArtistCollective]

53:56 checks watch. :oh my god how long can this guy talk for (shakes head)

[@thekaratesuit]

1.52 - that joke sank

[@hachewie]

Stupid chairs.

[@hippyblood4]

does he ever wear anything but the same black shirt.

[@TerenceKearns]

My moment was 56:30

[@TheDestinationSound]

1:03:10 the other secret for success. We all want to get paid but take it from me, I've ruined relationships and lost jobs early on because i mentioned money. We have to get paid but be very cautious about how and when you mention that to your client =-)

[@ZOOLUism]

Does he use coke?

[@jack4147]

+Leigh Reilly that's what i thought too watching this and if that is the case which it looks like it would be nice to have substances spoken about in the answers cause they are only really half answers otherwise really

[@NeilRaouf]

+Leigh Reilly haha! thought the very same ;-)

[@ZOOLUism]

Lol he looks high as fuck lol

[@ZOOLUism]

Neil Raouf looks high a fuck

[@NeilRaouf]

like a hungry lion watching antelopes and getting ready to attack!!!

[@ChrisRichardsSpace]

Really liked.. apart from the "touching them" bit. Know what he meant but the phrasing was creepy as f*

[@BoogieFlicker]

I guess he shouldn't have done that line of coke before he came on stage...

[@austinruhstorfer1453]

While CLA is a great talent, he often contradicts himself through out this lecture. He's hard to follow and listen to..

[@ItalianoConfuso]

Granny award winning engineer? :D

[@sandledfoot]

ironically, that jaw mic sounds terrible

[@WhallonJesse]

Full Sail is a waste of time and money. If you want to work audio recording buy your own gear and practice or intern at a studio and save yourself $65,000 and up of student loan debt.

[@JohnSmith-dg9sy]

Jess Whallon 'save yourself $65000'. Ever try buying the gear they have there? That'll cost you more than 65 grand and that's not even including the education you'll receive, the inside knowledge from incredible mix engineers. Sure, you can buy a mac, an interface and some plugins (close to $5000 just for that) but what happens when you come up against real analog gear and have no idea how to use it or you're just sat messing around with plugins you have no idea how they work or just using preset settings, because they're there? What about setting up a tracking room or a mixing room? $1000+ for a decent set of monitors, $1000+for a decent 16+ channel mixing desk, somewhere around $1000 to foam the room, $100+ for a SM57 (maybe you'll need two or three, maybe even 4), about $1000 for a decent set of drum mics, $500+ for a decent vocal mic (and then you'll need another different type because one mic wont sound great on every vocal and then you'll need another because neither of them will cut it and another and so on). What about hardware compressors, eq's etc? You're looking at $1000+ each for them. Starting to get expensive, huh? looking at about $15k+ and that's just basic gear, nothing compared to the gear they have at full sail. What happens when you learn bad techniques 'cause no one told you different? What happens when no one will give you a chance and you've spent all this money with no income from it? What happens when you've got to get an actual job to pay for all this gear and never have time to use it? It's incredibly stupid to say sitting in your bedroom learning bad technique from other bedroom producers can ever compare to an actual education from pro's is stupid. but don't worry kids, it's super easy to get an internship in a studio, they're always looking for untrained bedroom producers to employ. Yeah, right.

[@WhallonJesse]

John Smith Full Sail makes their money off recording engineering students by promoting the fantasy that graduating from their program will give you such a leg up over the competition it is worth the sky high tuition price tag. Recording sound is a very niche field, you want to spend your money on a education with a broad base early on because you don't know where you will end up. I've heard all the sap stories about how "its my passion" and I "wouldn't do anything else, I just love it". You know what people love? Having a roof over your head and food in your stomach, after those basics are taken care of you can pursue your passion. People that don't are called starving artists for a reason. Working in entertainment is rewarding and enjoyable for a lot of people, that is expressly why employers can pay their interns nothing. Supply and demand ensures there will always be more people begging for recording time and willing to work for free, even PAY to work in some instances, then jobs available. It is the same with any other job industry that's fun like flight instruction or video game design. What I was emphasizing, and which you clearly missed the point, is experience trumps education in today's job market. Everyone and their mother has a bachelors degree, you can do 100% online "college" and get a diploma for anywhere because they want your money. College is a business. No one cares what piece of gear you worked on because they company will train you how they want you to work. A resume that shows personal initiative, a self starter and experience working with real clients carries a lot more weight than a recording arts bullet point and a bunch of volunteer hours in school organised recording sessions. Furthermore, if you can't get a job in your chosen field, a recording arts degree is 100% worthless outside that field. Have you ever been the Orlando area and stopped in any of the local fast food places, Starbucks especially? They are full of Full Sail grads! Not dropouts, actual people who went through the program successfully and found out the hard way that not only is the degree non transferable to any regionally accredited school but also that the industry is saturated with Full Sail grads. I suppose if you are the top of your class, go above and beyond the rest you will be alright in the long run, but I stress that if you applied the same effort in just about any other degree program with a much broader base your job prospects would be much greater. You can always do recording on the side as a part time job when starting out and it won't hurt you.

[@keeganknut2924]

What on earth does this have to do with the good advice this video has to offer? Not trying to troll, just wondering.

[@bekibondageofficial]

+Jess Whallon - I hear you brother.... After all is said and done how many jobs are there for, 'qualified' sound engineers ? The truth is that rich kids who get sponsored by parents get to play at music whereas poor kids who may have bags more talent and enthusiasm never get a chance... thats the Antithesis of Rock n Roll and Jazz isn't it ?

[@bekibondageofficial]

+John Smith what about kids across the world that are not from wealthy backgrounds or cannot payback loans ? Does that mean the thousands of poor kids are less talented or creative ??

[@hansonmick]

I know he's bad ass mixer but as a speaker.....Rather listen to santa clauss

[@narcoticsstackaddicts6453]

He's a plum

[@Bigtruthproductions]

This is completely not relevant anymore. These jobs don't exist anymore. Start buying gear, piece together a studio little by little, record yourself, record your friends, practice, practice practice. Watch KZbin tutorials, read blogs on recording, make more musician and engineers friends, engage yourself with the local music community. Just do it. Don't listen to this guy about rolling up cables and getting coffee.

[@gonzomuse]

Craig Hanson Where do you record drums? Or don't people play them anymore? Or a whole band. You are right you can do something similar at home, but studios will always exist.

[@SkyFelixMusic]

Craig Hanson Oh yeah, lemme just record a whole orchestra in my room. "Oh but string samples are just as good!!!!!" Come on

[@Bigtruthproductions]

I have recorded with a Grammy award winning producer. Did 2 songs in 1 room. You can certainly set up and mic a kit in a room. I am not a famous Rockstar but do have music on Pandora, Itunes, spotify, ect. I will tell you that many of the best engineers and pruducers can make due in small spaces and limited gear. Of course there is a place for big studios, but the average person that wants to become an engineer/producer...and get really good, I would advise buying a fast computer, interface some mics, and a midi keyboard and just start diving in. Cheers and good luck to all aspiring musicians. Search All Rights Reserved Band on Pandora.

[@Bigtruthproductions]

Oh, and you guys would be surprised about how good samples sound. Almost everything you hear on the radio is layered with a ll kinds of samples. Just ask any well know ptoducer/engineer

[@gonzomuse]

I've been an engineer for 25 years and work on the stuff you hear on the radio. So I have a decent idea of where the industry is at the moment. Studios where people can make a lot of noise, and acoustically treated rooms, and the engineers that know how to operate them will always be relevant. Sure, 1 kid and a PC can do amazing work, but KZbin tutorials and laptops are a small piece of the puzzle and they will never completely replace the studio. You have said that there will always be a place for big studios, so you have partly contradicted your original statement. It took me a long time to get where I wanted to go professionally because I thought I could teach myself, and I thought that for 12 years. Within 4 years of working in the "old school" setups, my work finally took a leap. And now all my work is for the majors. If I'd stayed at home I wouldn't have heard what proper records sound like, or learnt how to make them, so take it from someone who has been there. This stuff is still very relevant. If you think you are too good to coil a cable or make a coffee then you wont last professionally. Watching youtube is no comparison to actually working.

[@Byronic19134]

LOL College kids are taught nothing about competition and winning which makes this interview awkward.

[@PhiladelphiaDon]

Sounds to me like they were being a bunch of pricks (: But Chris you rock!!!!

[@wseeback]

I know a coke head when I hear one. I've worked for them before. They all have that "no nostrils", dry mouth, always clearing their throat voic3

[@joewarlick8505]

He def doesnt do coke. I worked for him and his brother.

[@beatsbyjaeforte]

Full Sail is big a waste of money. Instead invest that money into your own gear and find a mentor and use youtube as a resource. Study and record anything you can.

[@2622benttrailok]

Full Sail is such a waste of money