Prince Started Every Day In The Studio Like This! Engineer Susan Rogers : Sunset Sound Roundtable

Step inside the world of the legendary Prince and witness what really happened in the recording studio with his trusted engineer, Susan Rogers. In this exclusive interview, Susan takes us back in time to the days when Prince roamed the halls of Sunset Sound Studio 3, sharing intimate details about what it was like to work with the Purple One himself. From his creative process to his idiosyncrasies, Susan spills all the secrets that made Prince the music icon he is today. Don't miss out on this rare opportunity to hear from one of the most important figures in Prince's musical history, exclusively on The Sunset Sound Roundtable.
Link To Full Interview : • Prince Engineer Susan ...
Get more info on Susan's upcoming book here: www.thisiswhatitsoundslike.com/
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[@Bodyknowledge77]

Looking forward to consuming this full meal of the Prince experiences.

[@katiec6935]

tmrw at 7pm. see ya there

[@Bodyknowledge77]

@@katiec6935 Oh snap katie C got the inside track!? 🙂

[@sunsetsoundrecorders]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3rZkJKtltGMgpY

[@alanlamb7062]

She does a world class job of describing what went on in the studio!

[@poiesist]

Not an advertiser or anything, but currently reading her new book “This Is What It Sounds Like” exploring the neurology of music listening and how tastes form, and she writes as clearly and more pointedly than she speaks! She’s an MD on top of being a first rate sound engineer. Highly recommend!

[@eljoy5280]

@@poiesist Great recommendation!

[@zikandgroovefr]

She does has her way of words like writing.

[@ytusersumone]

I was thinking the same, how articulate she is and observant of course.

[@Matt-xv2cp]

May be the best I've ever heard to be honest.

[@the_truthdealwithit4217]

Love Susan. She's real, not critical, she appreciated the genius she was working with. I honestly think she was the only person who really got how different Prince was and how beyond everyone else he was!

[@ThatsJustMyBabyDaddy]

Wow. Engineers are truly the unsung heroes of the music industry.

[@djtecthreat]

Every business needs a person like her. An expert and true professional but not too proud to be the support structure for an artist so they can create. That in itself is an art.

[@peterfalconer]

I'm a massive Prince fan, but Susan Rogers is ace and doesn't get nearly enough credit, so it's awesome to see her giving more and more interviews like this so we have a real insight into how things worked in the studio. Only Prince could have been Prince... but he wouldn't have been Prince without all the people around him.

[@keithbell9348]

Agreed. I might also add, what Frank Zappa said about his relation with Warner Bros. "To their credit the best thing they did for Prince was to stay out of his way". That's from a business model perspective. Leave him alone and let him be uniquely him. I find it interesting how Susan captured something similiar on how engineers learned to do the same thing- be there to help him tweek stuff, but at the same time, learn the boundaries, and do not get in his way. Smothering him or take over, and you as an engineer would be replaced. Susan picked up on how different it was to work with him then it was for other musicians and she adapted well to his work ethic.

[@jarrettgardner0628]

Dr. Susan Rogers is hands down... "Thee Greatest Female Studio Engineer Of All Time"!!

[@user-zs3on5vb9b]

Why is there always this separation? I get it in sports. But music? Sound engineering? Singing? Are women at a natural disadvantage? Are men? I don't get it

[@user-dn4rx8ev3j]

I fully agree. Had this person said something to the effect of: Susan Rogers is the greatest sound engineer of all time. I would be hard pressed to disagree, and it would be far more palpable. Alan Parsons would be a close second btw ✌

[@yommish]

Susan has a great way of explaining his musicianship

[@sunsetsoundrecorders]

Thanks for watching

[@k.chriscaldwell4141]

03:17 Prince learned that from James Brown. James Brown focused on the rhythm section-the grove.

[@darkbluebossa]

One of the coolest things of being a Prince fan is to imagine that everything came from the same mind most of the times and he had the full arrangements in his head before recording it

[@nealo814]

Most writers do. You hear everything when you write but not everyone has the skill to make to happen. Prince and all the greats did

[@Daveymallon]

Jesus this is an absolute gift to be able to hear these intimate stories about one of the very greatest musical minds there has ever been. Susan is like a tap of truth pouring out info of princes creative process and it comes across so damn clear that you feel like you were there too. WOW, I’m blown away and super grateful for these segments. Thank you to whomever is responsible for getting us this!

[@emmanuelleroy2915]

Damn Prince was a prodigy

[@bryanholloway3241]

The knowledge of this woman about his arrangement is amazing.

[@KeithCopeland778]

Prince had an amazing mind and was one of the most gifted and skilled musicians who ever lived!

[@italiad1013]

I went/graduated at Full Sail as a recording engineer because of Prince. Yes luved the artist n musician but was fascinated n obsessed inspired with the art of recording he possessed even moreso. Was hard finding bits in books back in 1988 about his studio skills but what little there was fully excited me to pursue it. Been a recording engineer ever since🙏🏻

[@sunsetsoundrecorders]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3rZkJKtltGMgpY

[@oholm09]

I can do that

[@stingylizard]

Hat's off! Full Sail,1986

[@ArloTarr]

I like Susan’s notion of Prince’s music being like a “sphere”. Every instrument having a special surprise in it. I just finished recording and mixing one of my own songs. I put it on a mixing and mastering FB group to get feedback on the mix. Most of the replies were more focused on which singular instrument would be up front in the mix. I think it should change as the song unfolds. Thinking of it like a sphere vs a pyramid is a great way to think about a song when writing it and mixing. Thanks for this video DFD! Looking forward to more of this interview🤘

[@DeepThinkingGPU]

she's getting good and explaining prince's process

[@messiahblack2295]

This is a very special woman💜🙏🏿

[@farrellcityking1]

Great musician to ever walk the planet.

[@EmmaLPeel]

His genius and her brilliance were a perfect blend.

[@moonstarlg]

I love hearing what it was like to work with Prince in the studio! Behind the scenes peek of a genius at work. Thank you Susan!!

[@ROCKNROLLFAN]

That's exactly why my uncle used to say that his songs were PERFECT and that nothing in his songs were ever lacking and Prince even said that in an interview a LONG, LONG time ago.

[@paisleyprincess7996]

Susan understood Prince, which is why they worked so well together. Peggy McCreary was the engineer before Susan, and he put her through the ringer….He did with Susan but he gave Peggy hell

[@surfshack2]

Wow fascinating. He was a genius. God the world was so different back then....I often drift off and think about how special and fun the 80's were (the time of my youth) and when it was over , that was it it was gone. When i hear Prince now it always makes me think back to the 80's.

[@sunsetsoundrecorders]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3rZkJKtltGMgpY

[@johnjeffery6638]

The THING, that killed the 80s was Grunge- what a bunch of garbage!!

[@sheldoncooper8199]

@@johnjeffery6638 Well Every decade has its Defining music. Grunge was just a short Hype. Boygroup music was much much worse. Prince moved on from the 1980 ies. he as a much different musician during the 1990 ies. Did You know he was bored of Purple Rain after just 6 months

[@apreciouslife13]

Very remarkable guy. It just flowed out of him.

[@visionop8]

It's not just you. It was before my youth and I miss it too.

[@marijandesin8226]

Prince was a BOSS user!

[@johnmoore4714]

I could listen 👂 to Susan Rodgers All day about Prince 💜

[@JohnSmith-hf4tv]

I wondered why this short video made me almost tear up, but her story just made me realize how much I still miss Prince, his presence here on earth, music has not been the same after he passed. RIP to the greatest musician the world has ever seen.

[@alertbox]

This woman is so articulate

[@diegomorera8822]

she has a legendary super cool vibe, loved her instantly! Great storytelling

[@Golani-ic8ue]

He was a very talented artist, he could play every instrument .

[@poliziagrammaticale9430]

No, he couldn't. He could play guitar, bass, keys and drums. Just like other talented musicians such as Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder or Lenny Kravitz, to name only a few.

[@ryanedwardmusic]

The lesson for modern producers is at the end, find your template and get to work, stop scrolling endless presets and samples

[@paulEmotionalaudio]

Certified musical genius. What a privilege to have been able to work with such an incredible talent…

[@RealHomeRecording]

Privilege?

[@blakelycreative3171]

The "sphere" explanation is just perfect.

[@BobSchoepenjr]

She is a great storyteller as Prince is a musician

[@SlickWilly79]

Susan is extraordinary

[@joshkelly794]

I worked with Susan on the Westerberg record 14 songs...genius!!!

[@TheCrafsMan]

Wow. I sincerely appreciate the way in which she describes not just the approach, but the idea of limited tracks being an advantage, with each part having to really count.

[@misterbonzoid5623]

Listen to Young Marble Giants 'Colossal Youth' or PiL's 'Public Image (First Issue)' to hear others doing this.

[@duckman531]

How different from the countless number of top artists who enter a studio with no clue of what they want to do.

[@mrwest5552]

Thank You Susan, Thank You Sunset.

[@Subatomic_Glue]

Prince: It aint shit, if it don't swing.

[@michaelbyrd7883]

What was so astounding about Prince and Michael Jackson for that matter is they could create a melody dancing on top of a groove just on the spur of the moment without any inspiration and it would be better then anything you could think of if you worked on it for years. That's the scope of their talent and creativity.

[@shashimenon1000]

Good to hear a serious discussion and understanding the way of a genius.

[@comment.highlighted]

Wow. I just learned something that opened my mind to other possibilities. Thank you 🙏

[@Luke91633]

Susan Rogers is a genius . She was so keen on understanding his musical creativity better than anyone could have done . To break down his music like that just shows how masterful Prince was and how she had to digress so to speak with other artist mix. Every instrument standing on its own independently is amazing how she described his approach is inspiring .

[@in.der.welt.sein.]

I can't imagine not tuning my own instrument. It's almost like "tie my shoes, peasant!"

[@hrushikeshj8810]

Haha I know what you mean. But I imagine it would get pretty boring if you are playing 10 instruments 😅. So peasants it is :)

[@wandamanning9198]

I love Susan. I always wondered what his thinking looked like inside his head. Probably a kaleidoscope of thoughts. Amazing!!!

[@Loyal-ey2eq]

Price was a genius, deeply missed by this fan.

[@hollybizzle813]

I love how she highlighted and explained his way of thinking 💜🙏💜

[@marknocera7212]

Prince was a musical genius!🎸

[@estebanb7166]

Yes, this term gets thrown around a lot, but I think it actually applies here. He was a beast!

[@EmmaLPeel]

He truly was. I here that term being used to describe other artists that don’t deserve it.

[@AhtoNajeebRashied]

Super excellent

[@gunsofsteele]

Head? Sister? Prince was incredible!!!!

[@BOBMAN1980]

This was probably the most educational and inspiring 5.5-minutes of distilled insight I've experiences in a LONG time. Thank you!

[@MikaelLewisify]

Prince was an absolute musical genius, but I’d imagine he was an absolute monster to work with.

[@mikepalmer2219]

Maybe but I have heard a lot of people talk about him being a really nice guy. But I can imagine him trying to get stuff out of his head and onto a recording might of been intense if you had to help him.

[@Daneiladams555]

Yes I’ve known 2 people that worked close with him and called him a monster

[@vintagetubeamplifiers]

The best part of this was Prince used a BOSS Heavy Metal pedal!

[@janebeatty9472]

Susan is incredible!

[@Jr.III-187]

I love Susan's insight.

[@wheatonna]

I was just enjoying the remix of "Revolver," so this talk of "only" 24 tracks makes me smile.

[@schubertuk]

Very interesting interview. What Susan Rogers says may be unique in the pop world, but it describes the methodology perfected by JS Bach, and found in abundance in the string quartets of Haydn, Mozart & Beethoven. It is composing with true counterpoint, and this is very much out of favour (or more likely forgotten) in the modern pop scene which favours the Wagnerian/cinematic sound-wall approach where individual tracks may not appear to work with each other, or even be interesting, but walls of sounds play against each other instead in a pyramidial fashion. Wagnerian scores are almost like looking at a modern mixing desk; where as a Bach like approach gives ever voice equal importance, with every voice capable of taking the lead. Fascinating that Prince employed this approach. I am not using this to diss Wagner who was a truly ground-breaking composer (as well as a horror of a human being) - just contrasting the approach.

[@ravenstrange8466]

Prince was my hero. He was an absolute inspiration to me. On a personal level, I've always worked making the drums and bass as the strong point and everything else becomes ornamentation

[@MakeLifeExtraordinary]

This was one of the most informative pieces of an interview I’ve heard here. Because for songwriters everywhere and engineers, it gives a glimpse into a masterful mind that you can then try to replicate yourself. The hardest thing for any songwriter, especially if you also write all of your own music, is keeping (as Susan said) the lanes narrow enough so that you don’t distract yourself into oblivion. Meaning destroy your creativity over objectivity… distracting yourself with anything other than the basic song. If you want to change sounds, you can do that after everything is done… Especially now. But use basic great sounds to write every one of your songs, So that your instrumentation doesn’t become the anchor that weighs you down and ultimately drowns your creativity. Very nice.

[@MISTYEYED.]

This is FANTASTIC! Thank you.....

[@300rivers7]

Keep in mind too, they were in their teens and early 20's. That's amazing. Of course, so were the Stones, Zeppelin etc., but what a talent they all had to do the things they did at those ages. To capture the hearts and minds of the rest of us who could feel it, relate to it, but didn't have the talent to do it ourselves. Tom Petty is another one. Made it look so easy it was almost criminal!

[@fazole]

Watch the documentary, The Wrecking Crew on YT. These performers had a LOT of help, even instruction.

[@FuzzyChesterfield]

G*D, I love hearing her talk about these things. What a gift she was to Prince at that time.

[@dr.scorpiopus8064]

I really appreciate how well Prince is explained in this interview.. fantastic!!!

[@tmp9710]

A Ton of Value..Thanks

[@VangeliRock]

That's some cool deep insight. Love this kinda stuff. She described it so good, it's like she puts you right in the room.

[@BillVincent]

Prince was the Bob Ross of pop music - simple ingredients, simple tools, pretty much always the same colors, but quickly producing incredible art, and lots of it. Personality-wise they couldn't have been further apart, but both had a similar approach to creating their work. I'm a huge fan of both, and also paint and create music as well. This little nugget of video is incredible to hear, and I love the sphere analogy around Prince's mixes. Listen to a track like D.M.S.R. and he could (and did) showcase almost every instrument/track at some point. Very simple, yet fricking amazing.

[@joemama22]

You are insulting Prince by comparing him to Bob Ross... Ross produces tacky waiting room art....

[@BillVincent]

@@joemama22 Produced, not produces - and no matter what you think, there are literally millions of Bob Ross fans around the globe who would vehemently disagree with you. Bob was a teacher as well as an artist, and while his paintings were scenic, they were real oil works and he taught (and still does teach through his shows) millions of people how to paint and use their imaginations to create. You would be hard pressed to find a better introduction to painting than Bob's shows. He is a total legend in his own right for his style of sharing his art, his gentle persona, and for teaching current and future generations for decades to come at least on how to start painting in a non-threatening and non-judgemental way. Your comment just shows your ignorance - it has no effect on Bob's legacy or Prince's, and it wasn't even Bob's paintings I was really comparing - it was their shared style of using simple ingredients to quickly produce art - and btw, Prince didn't always create masterpieces, so you can take him down off your high horse a bit. He was creating pop music, not curing cancer or doing brain surgery. Both of them are great artists in their own way - and maybe it's not even Bob's paintings themselves which is the art he created, but more his shows, which ran for 32 seasons. Name one other person who managed that in their career!

[@sophiafake-virus2456]

@@joemama22 Perhaps Bob Ross was used slightly tongue in cheek, just as one might wear a Motorhead Tshirt ironically, there's something to Bob and Motorhead but they ain't quite Princely.

[@daveogarf]

@@BillVincent - Bob Ross was a THIEF. He stole his technique from his mentor, Bill Alexander.

[@gorgeouslady5612]

Play the Violin record it! slow down the speed play it Backwards!. Layer the piano with Strings!. put an Echo to the Drums! now play a Cool Keyboard Riff! and blend it with the bass!. And it's Called Funky Stew!.

[@selliott1504]

Wow! What a fantastic interview! Susan talks with such knowledge and musical authority! X

[@ayejay8862]

Dr. Rogers puts it better than any other regarding Prince. You know without a doubt how deeply she really knew the artist.

[@funkyragazza812]

Super interesting...even to a non-musician who loves music..and Prince. Thank you! ☮💃🏽

[@Spherical_El]

What a brilliant insight 😘

[@DarthPreamp]

Prince was a giant musician.

[@halwarner3326]

Incredible explanation.

[@ReinventingEnergyAndLove]

This is, Reinventing Energy And Love ✊🏿 ❤️

[@sirpoppinchuck]

Great breakdown of Prince's methodology of sound.

[@ethanthomas68]

Thanks for the insights Susan!

[@thefunkgodeloheem2278]

🔥🔥🔥 these talks are like priceless DIAMONDS 💯💯💯

[@DesignRhythm]

Wow, absolutely incredible description... this is pure gold.

[@Soundpaintmusic]

Love the flavor analogy. How beautiful!

[@jmcbeady8210]

Great insight.

[@dwtn81]

The way Dr. Rodger described listening to a Prince track is the same with a Coltrane song.

[@gabrieleponticiello6842]

AAAMMMAAZZZIIINNNGGG!!! Thank you Susan Rogers for putting it in such nice words. Thank you Sunset Sound Recorders

[@michaelpal7641]

If I had to chose between hitting the lottery and Susan Rogers guiding me thru my home studio creations-it would be a no brainer!! The level of knowledge she brings, both as having a Ph.D and working for Prince is simply unimaginable! Great video-thank you.

[@nicolapaganuzzi4282]

But if you chose the lottery win, you could pay Susan to help you! It would be a win-win 😉

[@michaelpal7641]

​@@nicolapaganuzzi4282 Thank you for your comment. While a ring of truth-Money isn't, (at least to me) a factor in having the musical talent/integrity to become noticed by a person like Susan Rogers. In retrospect, having the money to hire her would be priceless. The end product would be, for me, worth the money and hard work. This video details the "perfection" that was the artist we know as Prince. Home studio creators like myself can only dream, write, and record and keep doing it till the last breath. Thank you again for your comment. Much appreciated.

[@MrRatingz]

true genius, love to see original artists!!! today is so much of the same crappy stuff. When you see a Gaga or Keys come along it is so refreshing!!

[@harvey2609]

I could listen to this woman all day 🤎🇬🇧

[@williambrandongiles3692]

Thoroughly, Enjoy, Every Clips from, These, Enlightened and , Important stories! Sunset Sound is very unique!Looks like another historical and magical place for us!....( And ,A story from one of the greatest gentle,professional wizard like engineers , Susan Rogers!).... ((🎧 🎵))

[@sunsetsoundrecorders]

FULL INTERVIEW TONIGHT kzbin.info/www/bejne/b3rZkJKtltGMgpY

[@mastod0n1]

Absolutely fascinating. I write and record music as a hobby and one of the most important things, to me, is to have a work flow set up to where I can bounce around from drums to guitar to bass to keys without having to waste any time changing cable routing or adjusting levels or tone. Nothing kills a good idea quicker than spending 10 minutes on your signal path.

[@Daneiladams555]

Never call music a hobby It’s an insult to yourself Just my opinion

[@seanclancy918]

SOOOO EPIC!!! Just watched the whole interview

[@byfaithwalking1529]

00:57 reminds me of the video with Morris Hayes recalling the time a tech handed Prince an out of tune guitar on purpose

[@josephhoward4010]

From Minneapolis myself. My friends older brother is a producer and he said the exact same thing to us once: “if the drums don’t swing, and sound good solo, it’s not a good song”

[@adamcoe]

That's DOCTOR Susan Rogers by the way. A doctorate in Music Cognition and Psychoacoustics, which means she knows how the fuck to make records

[@DaveHillJr]

Appreciate Susan’s shares and wisdom. Great insights about limits and using the same tools.

[@davidparan]

Amazing

[@drgeorgetayloriii4280]

Man - you lost a lot of weight. You look great. Another great interview on Prince.

[@admiralbillom7559]

a very pleasant woman to listen to.

[@Twobarpsi]

Incredible insight to this 🤘

[@JasonVanDoornMusic]

Incredible!!!

[@verbals5]

I love hearing all the instruments. Always. Don't wanna miss something. Don't tease me.

[@VictoriaTheodore]

This is brilliant. Thank you!

[@amp_unlimited]

Great content! I really enjoyed the insight.