I just came here to the comments section to say the same thing. I currentlystudy mix engineering and i wish i could get in the studio with her to learn. She seems so strong and cool and womanly. Rock on, lady!
Traditional notions mean shit. Just becasue something was done a certain way for a long time doesn't and shouldn't make it the only way. This is essentially art, and in art there are no rules.
Sylvia is amazing. My old band had the honor of working with her on a few songs back in 2010, and she is 100% the reason that I pursued audio production as a full-time job. She's a constant inspiration and one of the best human beings I have had the pleasure to meet.
Fantastic. There are some fabulous nuggets of information from Sylvia as she talks about techniques that would normally require a lot of time and money to discover. Thank you.
what an intelligent and eloquent lady... I find myself quietly envious of her musical experiences, moreso than many other studio professionals - probably due to her obvious contentment with what she does... great honesty in her answers too - glad I stumbled over this! :-)
I just discovered this woman and I find her absolutely lovely in many aspects. Great, friendly and down to earth attitude and smile. Very clear spoken and, obviously, she is a very knowledgeable and talented person. Truly enjoyed every minute of this episode. Thanks.
One of the best episodes I´ve seen so far. And I saw a lot episodes :) Sylivia gives us great advice and she shares her tricks with us. I really apreciate this. Thanks.
Good answer Sylvia, about getting it right in the recording phase rather than "fixing it in the mix". Music production is a recording art more than a mixing art. If it ain't recorded right, nothing you can do in mixing will fix it. That being said, with well recorded material, mixing is a fun creative art.
I always find that if it's recorded right then the song mixes itself. Everything just blends nicely and there's no wrestling with getting things to sit nicely with each other.
Oh my goodness, no. Youre going to bring out all the nerds who are overly sensitive to esses and lips noises! Her voice is beautiful and dependable but theres a lot of lip smacking in the audio. The s’s are a bit sizzly, too. Izotope RX’ll fix that!
No one can say her unorthodox ways and approach doesn't get the job done. She is tried, true and proven. She is an amazing soul and a all around beautiful person.
So inspired by this! I'm a violinist that doubles on the other strings, and all I use is a Neve 1073! Feeling validated by my choices so far, and really excited to try the tip about all the mics pointing in the same direction.
Hey Rob, I know it’s been 5 years since this comment... but how did you point your mics on the drums? I can understand the closemics all pointing one way but overheads..? I’m confused
@@powerlioneaglefist Ahh good question... I haven't done a lot of drum tracking since then, tbh, so I forgot all about this until your comment. Thanks 🙂 I think it's as simple as having overheads not straight up and down, but rather angled toward the player, rather than away from them (at odds with the kick drum mic, for example). Try experimenting with angling the overheads, rather than completely vertical. I have no idea what effect this will have... let me know if you get any good results, please!
I had heard about that Johnny Cash/Tom Petty collaboration from Dave Grohl's documentary on Sound City but i didn't know she was there. Sylvia is definitely a great Lady and has some very good advice. Thank you for that interview.
She is absolutely the nicest. From the interviews I've seen, I would totally expect her to bake chocolate Chip cookies during breaks. A stereotype, I know, but that's the vibe she gives off. (While blasting Scandinavian metal in the kitchen)
How do u know if you need to flip the polarity on one of your overheads? If they're both equal distance from the snare can it be possible to still need to flip the polarity.
flip it, if it sounds worse, put it back to normal. that is usually my test. Unless you measure it out it will never be 180 degrees out of phase, but it's usually about finding the lesser of two evils. If you find that something sounds really off, try flipping the phase. if it sounds worse than undo it. if it sounds better than feel like a genius and move on.
"I tend to add, more than I cut." This goes against the advice of practically every mixing instructor out there. I've recently gotten into engineering and mixing, and one thing I'm learning is there's no set way of doing things. Guidelines, but not rules.
exactly, there are people who go against the grain all the time, and the results make the record work. just all about experimenting and what is best for that song at the time.
I rarely boost when mixing with plugins because the "changed" frequencies tend to sound unpleasant, by cutting them the anomalies that appear are less hearable. I only started boosting when I got hands on good outboard EQs.
@@simonbezek6382 True! You do have to have a really good quality AKA REALLY EXPENSIVE analogue EQ such as those found on expensive analogue desks and outboard to make boosting frequencies sound "right" otherwise if you boost a lot with plug-ins the sound is not right, sounds "fake".
someone please tell me what is the song that plays at the end I must know! I'm assuming its a song she worked on, or maybe its something composed for this video.
wonder how many other women were as good as her but were never able to make it. she's so inspirational especially in a time where the old cultures of music industry are democratising, it's more possible for women and nonbinary people to assert themselves
the sm58 sounds good if you have a good mic preamp like neve 1073 with INPUT Transformers good alternatives a V72 or V76 good mic preamps are much more important than the mic inself. if you don't have the budget add input transformers to cheap mic preamps. the sm58 can be easyli upgraded ... remove the capsule put the mic in the oven and remove the internal transformer and replace it with a high quality one.
+No Filler Words Productions I also had trouble wrapping my head around it, but that's how I eventually understood it : imagine a drum kit with toms around the drummer as usual ; instead of having the mics follow the same half-circle and each pointing towards the drummer, each should point to an imaginary wall behind the drummer. In the first way, the HH mic and the low-tom mic should face each other, in the second way, they should aim at the same imaginary wall. Not sure if I'm clear :/ !
ua-cam.com/video/6ksVA69HICE/v-deo.html that's a really interesting idea of having all the drum mikes point in the same direction. Makes sense that they might be closer to being in phase with each other.
Miss Massey. You really excel at being a girl. Just to assure you! It's noticed. Your information over alignment of drum mics allso stood out. Such simple logic!
After an hour of Chris Lord-Alge's antics this is very refreshing!
Unlike the aforementioned "Lord," thankfully she is not full of herself.
In the industry, CLA is what's described as a "twat."
@@rome8180 Oh indeed! Albeit crude, but the said nomenclature does fit the bill adequately.
Haha CLA has some weird insecurities to act as he does.
+1
She's such a legend. Can't think of another engineer I'd rather meet. Love her interviews. One word ...PRINCE, and for me Silvia is the QUEEN.
I just came here to the comments section to say the same thing. I currentlystudy mix engineering and i wish i could get in the studio with her to learn. She seems so strong and cool and womanly. Rock on, lady!
I remember hearing her saying she made Maynard from Tool run around the block before recording a vocal take. What a lady!
This, is, necessary!
King Loser life feeds on life feeds on............
Oh. Do you know what song that was?
Sylvia is THE consummate professional. Every word of advice she gives here is golden, even if it doesn't fit traditional notions.
Traditional notions mean shit. Just becasue something was done a certain way for a long time doesn't and shouldn't make it the only way. This is essentially art, and in art there are no rules.
She’s also a total babe 😍
Sylvia is amazing. My old band had the honor of working with her on a few songs back in 2010, and she is 100% the reason that I pursued audio production as a full-time job. She's a constant inspiration and one of the best human beings I have had the pleasure to meet.
Fantastic. There are some fabulous nuggets of information from Sylvia as she talks about techniques that would normally require a lot of time and money to discover. Thank you.
what an intelligent and eloquent lady... I find myself quietly envious of her musical experiences, moreso than many other studio professionals - probably due to her obvious contentment with what she does... great honesty in her answers too - glad I stumbled over this! :-)
I would listen this lady the whole day !!! Thank you very much !
What a great lady and an awesome intelligent engineer.
Great Q&A... really good information here
I just discovered this woman and I find her absolutely lovely in many aspects. Great, friendly and down to earth attitude and smile. Very clear spoken and, obviously, she is a very knowledgeable and talented person.
Truly enjoyed every minute of this episode.
Thanks.
One of the best episodes I´ve seen so far. And I saw a lot episodes :) Sylivia gives us great advice and she shares her tricks with us. I really apreciate this. Thanks.
My favorite recording engineer/producer
At Full Sail they taught to "mix as you go" - Sylvia also gave one of my small classes an amzing guest lecture. She's so inspiring!
She Is AWESOME i Love To See Smart intelligent Woman in The Music industry Great Video
I Agree But What's The Deal With Capitalizing Every Word?
@@xXAjaxXx
Its a python script.
Good lady and top notch engineer and producer.
She's so cool!
Good answer Sylvia, about getting it right in the recording phase rather than "fixing it in the mix". Music production is a recording art more than a mixing art. If it ain't recorded right, nothing you can do in mixing will fix it. That being said, with well recorded material, mixing is a fun creative art.
I always find that if it's recorded right then the song mixes itself. Everything just blends nicely and there's no wrestling with getting things to sit nicely with each other.
I love you and everything you do Sylvia.
Thank you sylvia for the great advice especially drums wich I will be doing tomorrow
Wow a master class in 21 minutes. Quite outstanding. Thanks.
Very down to earth, keep it real type advice, and a great industry voice. Thanks!
I love this woman.
The vocal chain on Sylvia's voice sounds fantastic : -)
Seriously? All I can hear is lip-smacking.
Sharp S's
lol
Oh my goodness, no. Youre going to bring out all the nerds who are overly sensitive to esses and lips noises! Her voice is beautiful and dependable but theres a lot of lip smacking in the audio. The s’s are a bit sizzly, too. Izotope RX’ll fix that!
Its pleasant. More than likely an analog chain, i'd do a small dip around 250.
No one can say her unorthodox ways and approach doesn't get the job done. She is tried, true and proven. She is an amazing soul and a all around beautiful person.
Fantastic piece and a (at least seemingly) wonderful person Thank you so much for making this accessible!
Thank you so much for this video. And thanks to Sylvia for sharing her experiences and answering the questions. It really helped...
You’re awesome! Autodidactic here learning the ropes as needed. Stopped by to hear what you had to say and liked it much. Thank you!!
Sylvia is one of the best producers in the world right now.
the best Q&A so far .... Wow
Awesome engineer!
Sylvia is a beast!! Thnx fr the sound advice. Cheap mics. I'm sold on that
I could listen to her talk all day 😊
I need to record with this woman
I LOVE HER! such an inspiration of mine
What a super lady ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thanks for awesome video!
so much i need to learn...including English
such a genius lady.... ROCK ON!
+Diego Gutiérrez Bueen proveechooo
Thanks, Sylvia.
Thank you for your sharing tips!!
gosh, I think I love you, Sylvia
So inspired by this! I'm a violinist that doubles on the other strings, and all I use is a Neve 1073! Feeling validated by my choices so far, and really excited to try the tip about all the mics pointing in the same direction.
Hey Rob, I know it’s been 5 years since this comment... but how did you point your mics on the drums? I can understand the closemics all pointing one way but overheads..? I’m confused
@@powerlioneaglefist Ahh good question... I haven't done a lot of drum tracking since then, tbh, so I forgot all about this until your comment. Thanks 🙂
I think it's as simple as having overheads not straight up and down, but rather angled toward the player, rather than away from them (at odds with the kick drum mic, for example). Try experimenting with angling the overheads, rather than completely vertical. I have no idea what effect this will have... let me know if you get any good results, please!
Sylvia for president ;)
Great, helpful, and with love.
Excellent wish I could have been at that session
She is awesome!
Such a charming lady!
Pleasant voice, great explanation.
Thanks for sharing, some great advice on so many topics. Gotta try summing the time now!
I had heard about that Johnny Cash/Tom Petty collaboration from Dave Grohl's documentary on Sound City but i didn't know she was there. Sylvia is definitely a great Lady and has some very good advice. Thank you for that interview.
She is absolutely the nicest. From the interviews I've seen, I would totally expect her to bake chocolate Chip cookies during breaks. A stereotype, I know, but that's the vibe she gives off. (While blasting Scandinavian metal in the kitchen)
6:00 Great answer but I'm sure by inexpensive the guy meant mics of the PG series, Samsons, Behringers, MXLs, etc.
Addicted to that awesome lady!
She knows Her stuff. Admirable.
thank you for this MWTM...
great video thanks for sharing your techniques
Very nice Q&R!!! Cool that you like Norwegian metal! Seigmen :-) I run a studio in Norway since 92´. Lots of good metalbands now!
Important to note that phase should only be flipped on the bottom mics (not both) for each double-miked drums.
thx for clarifying that
How do u know if you need to flip the polarity on one of your overheads? If they're both equal distance from the snare can it be possible to still need to flip the polarity.
Larry Tate I they really are equal distance, then you would never flip one of them.
flip it, if it sounds worse, put it back to normal. that is usually my test. Unless you measure it out it will never be 180 degrees out of phase, but it's usually about finding the lesser of two evils. If you find that something sounds really off, try flipping the phase. if it sounds worse than undo it. if it sounds better than feel like a genius and move on.
Shure is the sound of rock, and Rick Rubin is the mind behind it
lol what
this makes no sense
No, neither of those things has any truth
Great video! S.M Rocks!
She is a genius.
Amazing info here thanks so much
Love ya girl!!
Thanks Sylvia💙♥️
i love her
Great tips. I always record my songs "mixed" meaning other than an end or start fade I almost never have any automated fader moves...
Sylvia, you had me at a potato filter for your guitar
"I tend to add, more than I cut." This goes against the advice of practically every mixing instructor out there. I've recently gotten into engineering and mixing, and one thing I'm learning is there's no set way of doing things. Guidelines, but not rules.
exactly, there are people who go against the grain all the time, and the results make the record work. just all about experimenting and what is best for that song at the time.
I rarely boost when mixing with plugins because the "changed" frequencies tend to sound unpleasant, by cutting them the anomalies that appear are less hearable. I only started boosting when I got hands on good outboard EQs.
@@simonbezek6382 True! You do have to have a really good quality AKA REALLY EXPENSIVE analogue EQ such as those found on expensive analogue desks and outboard to make boosting frequencies sound "right" otherwise if you boost a lot with plug-ins the sound is not right, sounds "fake".
As Sylvia mentioned "Neve", "API".
Haha CLA +15db on the top, shelved. On EVERYTHING!!
Great!!
Amazing!
genius on the drum mics
how much would it cost to get Sylvia Massey to give some lessons at my school?
Great info and personality :)
I need more sm58
THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO
Great info!
Awesome tips from a gorgeous woman!
Who would give this a thumb's down?
exactly my thoughts...
CLA
Probably old aged Male programmaers who were rejected by Sylvia when they were younger.
Good stuff.
I really wanna get that muffled tone on the first Tool album. How do I go about accomplishing this?
i like to use a beta 57 on vocals sometimes
Pure Gold!
when she's talking about phase with drums, you can use a plugin tool to fix the phase issues with drums. it's from Little Labs
But in reality, that is a fix. Learn how to deal at the source, and use little labs to further fine tune.
someone please tell me what is the song that plays at the end I must know! I'm assuming its a song she worked on, or maybe its something composed for this video.
wonder how many other women were as good as her but were never able to make it. she's so inspirational especially in a time where the old cultures of music industry are democratising, it's more possible for women and nonbinary people to assert themselves
What mixer is that?
What's the song in the end?
Love the story about the sm58 knocking the u47s out of the park
Thanks!
the sm58 sounds good if you have a good mic preamp like neve 1073 with INPUT Transformers good alternatives a V72 or V76 good mic preamps are much more important than the mic inself. if you don't have the budget add input transformers to cheap mic preamps. the sm58 can be easyli upgraded ... remove the capsule put the mic in the oven and remove the internal transformer and replace it with a high quality one.
I wish I knew what she meant by facing all the mics on the drum kit in the same direction. I need a mental picture
+No Filler Words Productions I also had trouble wrapping my head around it, but that's how I eventually understood it : imagine a drum kit with toms around the drummer as usual ; instead of having the mics follow the same half-circle and each pointing towards the drummer, each should point to an imaginary wall behind the drummer. In the first way, the HH mic and the low-tom mic should face each other, in the second way, they should aim at the same imaginary wall. Not sure if I'm clear :/ !
+Henri de Saussure I think you're right with the imaginary wall theory. That's what I took from it as well.
how would this concept apply to overheads?
9:15 mind blown!
Genius!
Linda 🤩..
excellent
ua-cam.com/video/6ksVA69HICE/v-deo.html that's a really interesting idea of having all the drum mikes point in the same direction. Makes sense that they might be closer to being in phase with each other.
Great info! ..and she's nice! =)
Maestra excelente
damn I really should cut 320-380 more on my toms. I want big bass toms in the 100-180 area on the toms.
she's cool
Miss Massey. You really excel at being a girl. Just to assure you! It's noticed. Your information over alignment of drum mics allso stood out. Such simple logic!