Making Records with Eric Valentine - W.T.F. #1 Answers part 1

[@daviddockery20]

These videos are so great, thanks a lot! Here's an index 4:08 Why did you decide to create a youtube channel? 8:43 Advice on the recording process/workflow 20:21 Advice on keeping yourself/artists focused during long sessions 24:13 Advice on work/life balance 33:49 More on family/work 39:13 What was your first major label job and how did you get it? 47:30 Advice on working with poorly recorded material 52:42 Would you consider building UTA 500 series modules? + Third Eye Blind episode? 53:56 Recording process for the T-Ride album 1:02:09 Advice on studio room building materials 1:06:05 What is your go-to recording equipment for recording in a remote place? 1:08:42 What are your favourite songs for referencing? 1:14:57 Would you ever do a 'studio on a X budget' vid? 1:17:18 Recording process/anecdotes from Songs for the Deaf? 1:23:30 How best to manage musicians in the studio? 1:29:59 How do you save/catalogue your sessions? + Which external hard drives do you use? 1:32:44 Advice on business/money side of things 1:35:15 Do you plan on monetising? 1:38:10 Would you do private lessons? 1:38:46 How to bring mixes to the next level/how did you learn to mix? 1:41:48 Is there more than one way to achieve the mix you want? 1:43:52 How to approach sub 100 Hz frequencies in your mix? 1:47:15 How does your mix process differ when you didn't record the material? 1:50:45 How to avoid low muddiness when tracking/advice on low end tracking 1:54:19 Advice on EQing vocals to help them cut through 1:58:07 Busing music/vocals separately 2:04:02 Passive summing mixer stuff 2:04:57 How do you keep phase locked when tracking multiple guitar sources? 2:10:36 Advice on getting levels from low-output microphones? 2:14:25 Do you ever use IR's? 2:16:36 How do you deal with the relationship between volume levels and EQ response? 2:19:10 How to develop an ear for mid range stuff? 2:22:52 How did you record the Fush Yu Mang guitars? 2:24:43 What is the most badass guitar tone you've heard that you did not record? 2:26:36 Advice on room mics for guitar recording 2:29:07 How did you record the intros on the Good Charlotte records?

[@mrwev]

David Dockery wow!!! Thank you so much for this!!!

[@BarnacleButtock]

You're a God amongst men

[@joelstephens9311]

the real MVP right here

[@adammiddleton8542]

So cool! Thanks

[@djindustrialcomplex]

I came in here to say the same thing. Thanks a lot Eric! (And thanks David too)

[@LesonDeson]

I'm glad I watched the QOTSA video :)

[@castlestreetrecords]

Ilan Benitah yh I mean shit I’m glad I wrote down all of it

[@cliffmagreta8414]

That flute solo...

[@LesonDeson]

@@cliffmagreta8414 I will never forget it haha

[@katielowen]

Luis Tim Schwenk maaaaaan any way you can send your notes?!😭😂

[@jeanemmanuelkrieger6001]

What happened to the QOTSA video ? Taken off? To many secrets revealed ? 🤪

[@russianmusicgear]

mix reference notes: Tom Petty - you don't know how it feels (bright mix, great drum room sound) Led Zeppelin - no quarter 1990 remaster (dry drums, great midrange without being upleasant) Led Zeppelin - when the levee breaks Beck - morning (great acoustic guitar sound) Beck - dreams Beck - paper tiger Beck - say goodbye Bjork - army of me (agressive synthy mix) Bjork - hyper ballad (to check out low end consistency in a mixing room) www.allmusic.com/artist/rich-costey-mn0000848591/credits Audioslave - show me how to live (Rich Costey) Muse - time is running out (great example of a flat mix, that gets hyped by the radio) Muse - hysteria www.allmusic.com/artist/nigel-godrich-mn0000869688/credits Radiohead - the national anthem (Nigel Godrich) Radiohead - karma police www.allmusic.com/artist/spike-stent-mn0001016918 Gorillaz - feel good inc (Spike Stent, great low end) www.allmusic.com/artist/tchad-blake-mn0000017254/credits Black Keys - the go getter (Tchad Blake, great low end reference) Black Keys - tighten up Black Keys - next girl Black Keys - everlasting light Black Keys - too afraid to love you Black Keys - she's long gone Arctic Monkeys - arabella Andrew Bird - capsized www.allmusic.com/artist/eric-valentine-mn0000158389 Third Eye Blind - burning man Third Eye Blind - good for you Aslyn - ain't no love - (great kick drum low end) Deathray - only lies

[@katielowen]

Max Ivanov this is a great list man; do you try to get multi track versions of these, so you can reference the individual elements, or do you reference the finished final?

[@oliviermpeeters]

Thanks for sharing awesome !

[@BigHairyGuitars]

02:00:53 God shines his approval down upon EV's mix buss approach.

[@m.a.y.kleigh]

This channel is my new addiction makes me reevaluate my own work and so many ways so thank you !!!

[@LiamGaughan]

Eric man, thank you so much for your time regarding my questions at 33:49. I can't thank you enough for your insight and depth. It's massively appreciated!

[@JohnChaplin]

Eric - Thank you. 2.5 hours of sharing your knowledge and experience is so invaluable.

[@RedMedicineRecording]

Hey Eric, Thanks again for taking the time. Heres a few questions: 1. can you detail exactly how you are backing up to dropbox? I Love the idea, I tried with Carbon Copy Cloner, and couldn't make it happen. 2. when does production become songwriting, and how do you handle that discussion? 3. how did your wife manage to bring two glasses of wine, AND a suitcase back to the room at the same time? very impressive!

[@BigHairyGuitars]

I think I've written this for each video, but I'm just gonna keep posting :). Thanks for your generosity and openness! These videos are amazing.

[@shorerocks]

Yeah!

[@taopagan]

Still watching, but wanted to mention how clear and concise I found your explanation of how you treat low end! Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge

[@sparky-FM]

Yes, T-Ride!!!! I remember sitting on my bed back in the early 90s listening to that album back-to-back for hours trying to work out what the hell was going on with that album. Looking forward to the deconstruction, Eric.

[@shorerocks]

And they recorded tracks for another album, there is even some YT footage out there. Thats the question I asked Eric, btw. *sigh*.

[@gavmurray7398]

awesome 2 and a half hours of q&A. you rock EV!

[@chrisfields123]

Glad I watched the QOTSA thing and shared it with many

[@nononoitaintme]

Any chance you could share it to me?

[@fatdrunkbaby24]

Second that. Huge fan, would love to see it if you could share.

[@markfavazza8013]

Eric, I just wanted to say, I am glad these are out there. I know I am going to seem like a fool here, and I knew you did recordings after T-Ride, but I just wasn't aware of the extent. I was A HUGE FAN of that brilliant record and I was thrilled to see your deconstruction vid of Zombies From Hell. 2:48:50 hours never moved faster. I learned a lot about that record. I am a drummer and always admired the drumming on that record, and sweated a lot trying to play those beats. I won't go on and on about the production, but it really wasn't something we ever heard up until that point. It came out of nowhere, in a good way. Anyways, huge respect for your talent, but also your pleasant demeanor in these vids. Another favorite record of mine is Songs for the Deaf. Had no idea you helped with that one, but yeah, of course you did that one!! Mark

[@castlestreetrecords]

The heartbreaker idea sounds amazing-would love to see that

[@Miner49erize]

Regarding monetization, have you considered partnering with a sponsor to purchase ad time in your videos? I know a lot of KZbin content creators that I follow do that... Seems to allow you to keep your content away from KZbin's copyright/monetization system, but still be compensated for your work. You DEFINITELY deserve to be making some good $$$ for all this incredible stuff you've been posting! So insightful, so helpful, can't thank you enough!

[@thomasgillmore8459]

Thank you so much for doing this. It’s much more organic than so many other videos and you do it for joy, not as a job and it shows!

[@Martin-kn6vc]

This is honestly amazing, Eric! Thanks so much for taking the time to do this and other videos!

[@bigsnack]

Wow, seriously this channel is amazing, thanks for the insight and the candor! You have created some of the best drum sounds of all time! Have you ever thought about putting out a drum library for Slate / EZDrummer or some other vendor?

[@bartie55]

love these insights! shedding some light on actual (practical) things you have to deal with, as well as some clarifying though processes , thanks!

[@DonOblivious]

Holy crap, it's really surprising to hear that you didn't know about the Fletcher-Munson curve! Not only because of your profession, but your age: you lived through the heyday of the "loudness" button. The "Loudness" button that used to be popular on home receivers decades ago was meant as sort of an inverse of the Fletcher-Munson curve to make music sound fuller at low volumes. It was basically a preset bass and treble boost, or sometimes just bass boost, that let you leave your knobs/graphic-eq set the same when switching between listening loud or soft. Our ears are wildly inaccurate because of all the parts involved: ear drum, 3 different bones in the ear, the cilia. Plus there's bone-conduction through the rest of the skull. Put 6 wildly different mics on an amp and they're all going to sound different, like you seem to be fond of, but your body doesn't have a mixing board you can adjust. Oh, and one of the mics is hyper-sensitive to frequencies in the speech range. (bone conduction is why ear plugs top out at the amount of protection they do: no matter how much you plug your ear canals sound can find a way in and hurt you. Put the highest rated over-the-ear protection over the highest rated in-ear protection and you only gain like 3dB of protection. 33 NRR with plugs, 31 NRR with muffs=36 NRR with the 33/31 combo assuming proper insertion and no glasses.)

[@Keigan884]

Hi Eric, I really love your channel and music. Would you ever talk about getting good recordings out of un-ideal recording spaces such as basements, etc? Especially on drums. Also, how do you decide how to edit songs into their final form? Just a gut decision? Or do you want the song totally in it's final form before even pre-production?

[@chrismorrison5497]

Another amazing video. I am so excited to hear somebody so pro has used spectral analyzers to take a look at, say, the curve of a kick drum. Having done that myself its cool to hear a pro say it.

[@caleykelly]

This is very generous Eric. Cheers!

[@terrydoylemusic]

Great video. Clear info that will help many I am sure. Thanks for putting this together!

[@damienlott]

Thank you Eric. There's more valuable info on this video than in the whole MWTM site.

[@shorerocks]

The T-Ride record goes far beyond anything rock / prog I ever heard. Still a favorite in my extensive cd collection. Production insights? Hell yeah!

[@robertpehrsson6979]

Thanks for the generosity of sharing your knowledge in these videos. There is so much to be learned from this channel. Thank you!

[@jaimebringas8275]

Eric, thank you so much for sharing this, it's wonderful and exciting for everyone who loves all about audio and records stuff, to hear advices and experiences from you, by your own words, a success person in recording. This is pure motivation, at least for me, it's inspiring because at the moment I'm trying to build a career, a portfolio, etc and it's very difficult at the beginning, but it's comforting to know that someone as successful as you, also had a hard start in his early years. Btw, I would really love to see some taking back sunday deconstruction

[@godofgore6667]

Pleaseeee do Good Charlotte soon. I have always loved the sound of that record. Thanks so much for the videos!

[@marmaladecreammedia]

Thanks so much for doing this man! Can't tell you how much I appreciate the deep dives and insight into your craft and process.

[@discountmuzakinc.7637]

Thanks Eric, you are punk rock for doing this!

[@georgethornton1744]

Has anybody got a download link for the QOTSA vid perchance? Would really appreciate having a gander at it

[@nolanneal]

George Thornton yes! I second that question! Haha

[@soundtoys795]

Eric, could you please detail your separate busses for music and vocals mix technique and how they are summed back together at the master?? Thanks SO much for your channel!

[@coldroomstudio9973]

Hey Eric, great seeing your references! I was surprised to see quite a few of them are the same as my go to references... along with your mixes on the Slash album you mixed!

[@justinbuit1338]

Hi Eric, Thanks for the answer! Would love to sign up for a live drum recording lesson:)

[@adhamfranco]

I managed to catch the Qotsa video just before it got taken down, really cool stuff dude thanks for sharing it while it lasted dude

[@alphanumeric1529]

I worked 15-20 hours a day, everyday without break, some of it work, through my 20's. When I was 30 I had a child. The first time I held that baby, I nearly fell over, I landed against a wall thankfully. Such a profound shock came over me. I've never experienced anything like it. My business, my art, something that I dedicated myself to completely, just became so profoundly unimportant in an instant. My advice to my young homies, have children earlier than you had planned, you'll waste less of your life, and a valuable segment of your life at that, energy filled life.

[@mckevrock]

Wow, glad I got to watch it before it disappeared!

[@DMKahn]

Love you bro. Don't you know you gotta drink when you cheers? LOL, just buggin' ya. Thanks for the content, cheers!!

[@mrwev]

Haha!! I'm such a light weight that even one sip could inspire some unintended responses to those questions :)

[@peterbrandt7911]

THAT was the best way to deal with these silly takedowns I've ever seen so far! Most of us would pay channels like yours (and of other mixers) to play our stuff in whatever way.

[@dylankaminkow5411]

How the hell did 4 people dislike this?!?! This stuff is gold, thanks again Eric and keep em coming! Enjoy the wine!

[@henrydurham6861]

would be great to see a breakdown of the 5sos mix! bubblegum pop can be a whole different beast

[@DarkRattlehead]

Keep it going, it's awesome to hear your advice and to get more knowledge about your great work. Any chance of opening Slash's multitrack? It sucks that the QOSTA video got taken down, especially since it shed some light on many myths and rumors about the recording process and your involvment in it. That's not a surprise, Homme's reputation speaks for itself at this point. Oh well..

[@pascaldeshayes5459]

I totally hear you on the family and music production tension - it's been my life for the 15 past years ;-) Investing in our children is without a doubt our first responsibility even it comes at a (personal) cost most of the time. Much respect!

[@jimmyw2802]

for the question on 1:39:14, guys you can check out www.cambridge-mt.com/ms-mtk.htm this site. it provides multitracks and the mix&mastered versions of the songs (for educational purposes only). helped me a lot! hope you guys have a great time learning mixing.

[@Jasonweckard]

Great Q&A!

[@mikeseder9385]

Thanks for all the fantastic advice, Eric!

[@VijverEendje]

Man thank you so much! You are so awesome and kind! Really useful tips and tricks! Really inspiring to listen to you

[@LesonDeson]

She Looks So Perfect has been my mix reference for the past 5 years. 💜

[@ethanpawlukiewicz5717]

By who?

[@citadelo5ricks]

1:02 GP8, gated guitar, Yeht Mae did that in the 80s too!

[@elimakowski1469]

Just an idea for an "on the bus activity". You could feature a subscriber(s) original song that catches your fancy for whatever reason and discuss it, perhaps analyze mix or production. Your taste is very valid and respected. You could bring this to life through a time specific entry period etc. I love your insight and dialogue!

[@SocialGore]

The "mic pre's as inserts" experiment would make an amazing video..

[@HubLocationSound]

Hey Eric, love this stuff man. Regarding monetizing options, you should also consider 'superchats' on youtube where people that donate money's questions are pushed to the top and answered by you via live stream.

[@danolivier4899]

how in God's name is this channel free

[@ump3368]

he enjoys it

[@cap217cap217]

Eric, I want to go back to the Nickle Creek record years ago. Some questions. - You said that you used a 251 on the mandolin yet it doesnt sound like it has that high end air vs more body. I wouldnt think a 251 would sound like that w a mandolin. - You also said that you used a pair of u67s on the guitar. But when I listen, I hear more mono and panning to make everything fit. Did both mics make it to the track or was one left out? Or was it just panned both to one side? Really interested in hearing how this was done. Im interested in this because sparse instrumentation but it still sounds so big and natural. And do you have these tracks anymore to dig into one?

[@jaypeedrums]

Thanks for such an insightful video. So much to digest! If I'm honest though, as a drumming engineer with a young child I'm mostly curious about how you get your little one to sleep for over 2 hours at a time! Haha! Thanks Eric.

[@tonoormusic]

Eric, thanks for doing this, I can't believe you're doing this, fantastic

[@CamiloVelandia]

Man!!!! Sucks about QOTSA! I was looking for it again!! If you post it on Vimeo it's more likely to stay up

[@OverdriveMusic]

I would love to see a Good Charlotte episode Eric!!!

[@ibuiltthesky]

I wanna party with this dude !! Thanks for the awesome videos mate 🌤☺️🌤

[@SocialGore]

hey u

[@tedgerard333]

Eric your the man!! Thanks for sharing, I am learning so much.

[@opuitska]

I could listen to this guy talk for hours. Slight man-crush also.

[@PitchforkIncorporated]

Not sure where people submit questions? Would be great to get some overdub tips & tricks if you have any? Like how to layer guitars, keys ect. ?

[@melodicaudiomusicgroup]

Love the t-shirt Eric😃

[@pclairoot]

For recording at remote locations, the easiest way to go about is to go the movie way. There are multirack digital recorders operating on batteries with 8 to 16 preamps operating on battreries. Check Sound Deices, e.g.

[@davestanley357]

This man is incredible. Then he mentioned Sam Harris’s podcast which makes me love him even more.

[@seandaniel23]

Awesome channel man! Big fan here!

[@RogerBOnYT]

does anyone have a link to download the QOTSA episode? would greatly appreciate it; thank you :)

[@ragingchimera8021]

Damn, Lynx Aurora "on a budget"... my budget is obviously tighter than yours : ) I love the info Eric and I'm really enjoying the channel.... thank you!!!

[@jessiebeveridge742]

I really appreciate these videos. Thank you.

[@lukeburgoyne6131]

Anyone have a download of the QOTSA video at all? Help a brother out here

[@spiraldude]

I would also like one of those copies if anybody's willing to share

[@dankaiser4608]

S.ame here!

[@paulbishop2161]

Hey Eric, here's my question for you. I literally just woke up from a dream that I was watching a video you had made for the channel where you had gone to Steve Vai's studio, in the dead of night, dressed in one of his leopard print shirts and ski sun glasses, and you were just trying out all his guitars, amps and gear. Am I a prophet and have just seen a vision of your next video? If not, can you make it happen? It was incredibly entertaining to watch! With love from Paul in the UK

[@blairyoung2461]

Any got a copy of the QOTSA video? 😊 ❤️

[@chasetheacewest]

Would like to hear you talk more about the 5sos project

[@chrisdover8507]

So cool. I think we all need to meet THE DESTROYER

[@joelybarish4618]

What are the details of your UAD Pultec use on the music bus???

[@mrwev]

Joely Barish grace Potter love is love episode.

[@bobbyberetta4206]

Great video Eric!👍

[@kevinstiles2203]

Thanks for doing this Eric!

[@lahattec]

Thanks very much, Eric. How do you not look a day over 30?

[@kurdtjohn]

Glad I was able to watch the whole thing before it got taken down! But, man, that episode was controversial, to me at least.

[@davidkhammer]

Too bad about the video taken down. Would have loved to see a song for the deaf and go with the flow.

[@drummerjeroensimons]

It,s great to see you do things from the heart and soul and go with the flow (natural) approach!!! Because: working hard doesn,t feel like hard work when you love doing it...:)

[@rome8180]

Maybe share the QOSTA video off KZbin? I doubt it's that they don't want their behind the scenes stuff up. It's probably more than playing their tracks triggered an automated flagging response. QOTSA are notorious blockers in general. I'm not sure what platform you can use to post it. But there's got to be something. Post it there and then link it here.

[@mrwev]

rome8180 I’m looking into it now :)

[@acarlovonsexron1994]

@@mrwev Rick Beato had a similar incident with his breakdown of No One Knows, but it was later put back up. Also, just an FYI, there's a couple of great videos w/ footage from those sessions on YT that shows bits from Barefoot, the Site, and a bit of Conway. "QOTSA- Behind the Scenes (Songs for the Deaf)" (4 parts) as well as "Masters of Reality Against the Grain". Also, you might recognize my profile picture ;)

[@stinkage]

anyone got the QOTSA vid? *scratches arm furiously*

[@ump3368]

drive.google.com/drive/folders/1pQ6Wp03vISOyIPbO4pJkOugwISw3UpeD

[@vindrums]

@@ump3368 awesome, thanks man!

[@nichttuntun3364]

Thank you for preserving this amazing video. It's so annoying that these days some people wet their pants for nothing when it comes to digital rights.

[@tomlebeau7921]

If you downloaded the qotsa video, please send it to me

[@jrileyhill]

Thanks Eric! this is awesome

[@caspermaster-com]

Issnt session fetigue mostly because musicians cant play their part, thats what i think is the 90% factor. 1. it tires everybody to hear somebody struggling 30 times for a take. 2. Uncertainty for a long time is very draining, (will we even get it? we pay money for this) 3. Its just irritating for everybody, and that is killing the vibe. 4. Repeat from step 1.

[@hoojamaflicks]

I missed the whole qotsa video takedown thing, tho fortunately watched it before it was taken down. who asked for it to be taken down?

[@BeatsbyBlanch]

hoojamaflicks probably josh lol, for giving away their tone secrets

[@ten4450]

damn i’m so happy i watched the no one knows video

[@victormorley8341]

Soooo what’s the name of the intro song?

[@nolanneal]

Victor MORLEY there’s a link below this vid in the description section. :) I had to look it up too haha! Such a perfect song for this channel!

[@slinkystrings]

1:01:20 - 1:02:00. Slick rick !

[@2dollarcrew]

I’d legit pay 20 a month just to have more of these and access to the raw tracks.

[@emildelarosa3425]

Ever think of starting a facebook group?

[@marcelosuarez3027]

If anyone downloaded the QOTSA episode, i'd love to have it if anyone wanna share.

[@godofgore6667]

I have it, but the sites I tried only let me get it in 720p. I figured it was better than nothing though.

[@marcelosuarez3027]

@@godofgore6667 well you can put it in a dropbox, Google drive or whatever and share us a link.

[@rome8180]

Hey, I follow Lie Likes Music (the guy who asked the first question). You should too. Great channel. He does videos analyzing Modest Mouse, King Crimson, My Bloody Valentine, etc

[@bobbycat8]

Thank you!!

[@sdgiffin]

Who's got that QOTSA vid? Hit me up.

[@corvax9]

Let's just say, that if you go to the /qotsa Reddit thread with this video, you'll find exactly what you're looking for

[@sdgiffin]

@@corvax9 Word!

[@blayniac]

Talk to Rick Beato about "Blockers".....

[@robjgolde3221]

blayniac I never realized how much I needed a Rick Beato/Eric Valentine video

[@blayniac]

@@robjgolde3221 Ya Velcome!

[@DK-qe6uo]

That cough in the headphones hurt!

[@mrwev]

Sorry about that!!! I've been ducking them on past videos but I just didn't have the time for it on this. Apologies!!