Episode 111 - Jon Castelli

Live with Matt Rad - Episode 111
Mar 21, 2023
w/ Jon Castelli - Week 88
Show notes by: Bradley Will

Show Notes:

Next Tuesday 3/28 @ 7p, the Conversations podcast is returning for a one-off episode.

Using Limiters on Group Busses to Get Loudness

Jon:
Do whatever it takes to get there.

• If anything, I'll put a clipper on an 808. The Ozone soft clipper in the maximizer.

Matt:
Each of the strategies we discuss will only work some of the time. They're not 100% guaranteed to be a viable approach on different projects.

An artist I'm working on has three songs that all sound like three distinct pop genres.

• The artist has a specific sound that they bring, but each genre also has it's own genre expectations and sound. They each require different approaches.

Jon:
Sometimes it's worth re-evaluating your approach for each genre. Try something different to see if there's a different way into the mix that can bring you to a different thing.

Nowadays I'm trying to get less gain from the mix buss.

The future of records seems to be these multi-genre records where the style is all over the place. Such as the upcoming 6lack record or the recent SZA record.

Q: Is Ableton Live good for vocal production?

Matt:
It's better than a tape recorder, but it's far worse than Logic and Pro Tools and most DAWs.

• The comping is lacking

• The nudging options are not as good.

Pro Tools just crushes it in it's feature set and implementation for cutting vocals.

Ear Health

Matt:
Put a pair of the highest dB reduction earplugs in every pair of pants or jacket that you own, so that you're never caught off guard in a public situation.

Take care of your hearing. Everyone's hearing is going to deteriorate over time, but you can act in ways that give you greater longevity.

Quality of life around health and stress.

If you feel weird about protecting your ears you shouldn't be a musician. You need to feel comfortable wearing them in public.

Jon:
Don't use Q-tips in your ears. Let the wax fall out naturally instead of rooting it out with a swab.

Some people have a large amount of waxy buildup in their ears. Luckily my ears don't get clogged up too much and I don't need to have doctor clear them out.

I have custom earplugs, but you need to clean them.

I'm going to a show tomorrow night that I know is going to be loud, but I wont even go into the venue if I don't have earplugs.

Even restaurants have loud SPL and you should consider protecting your hearing if the ambient noise is loud.


Matt:
I often have audio going at all times throughout my day. I'm trying to make more time where I don't have audio just going, going, going.

• It's really important to have space for your ears where there's silence.

• Give your ears and brain a break.

• Taking a break is good for mental health as well as your ear's health.

Jon:
I'm listening to far less podcasts all the time than I used to. I'm making a conscious effort to listen less frequently.


Matt:
I'm suspicious that my intense desire to listen to smarty-pants podcasts is more akin to doom-scrolling on Tik-Tok. It's a way to fill my brain, and I don't feel that they're always having a positive effect on my life.

• I'm making an effort to read slower these day when I read so that I can better digest the information.

Jon:
I drive with no sound so that I can have a break.

• If I have a gut-feeling that I need peace of mind, then I turn the stereo off.

Bad Mixes That Are Still Effective

Matt:
There's no rules to any of this stuff.

• The Mr. Brightside mix sounds small and weird, but it's amazing.

• Same with Hey Ya.

Jon:
I think the best mix is one that gives the song it's best chance at success.

To call a mix good or bad, depends on whether it elevated the source material.

• Did the mix make the song better or worse?

Matt:
One of my favorite things about working for Simon Cowell on The X Factor was that he specifially did NOT want people to tell him who wrote, produced, or mixed a record. He just wanted to listen and decide without having expectations of what the best version was.

Q: How do you overcome not having the motivation to mix and produce?

Matt:
Switching creative modes like shifting from making a record to drawing something is a great way to keep your head in it when you're stuck on another task.

• Feeling joy about what I do is a big part of staying motivated. I'll start my day doing things that I enjoy, even if my day is going to be filled with other tasks that I'm dreading.

Jon:
I rarely get de-motivated. I love mixing records, so it's hard to be unmotivated to mix.

• The only time I can think of is if I'm sick. Then I'm unmotivated.

• The sooner I start resting the sooner I'll get over that feeling.

Matt:
If you can't find the consistent motivation to produce all of the time, this may not be the best vocation or path for you. It may be something else.

• What it often takes is loving to do it for 14 hrs a day for no pay.