ANAK Creates Podcast | Coffee with Creators
By Alex Krotz
Aimed at exploring the art of engineering and music production, what that means to different artists, producers and engineers and how it affects the creation process, our goal is to inspire and empower all music creators.
Hosted by Alex Krotz, who shares his experience and insight working in the professional music industry with some of the biggest producers, engineers and artists.
ANAK Creates Podcast | Coffee with CreatorsJun 26, 2023
Modern Music Release Strategy and Planning
Releases are the most important thing to get people to hear your music, and weather you’re an artist, or producer helping artists, you should listen to this to hear how you can make releases better.
There really is no “Perfect” way to release music, but this is some of our findings and different things to think about when it comes to planning your releases and promotional packages. Having been apart of many releases ourselves, we talk about what we’ve seen more success with, and what we’ve seen flop.
There’s lots to think about from planning to execution depending on what works for you and your audience!
LINKS: Fremont Pike: Detroit Girl - https://youtu.be/-jx5EjSkJKg
Fremont Pike: Dead Prez Park - https://youtu.be/do4Nbq4qJVw
Fremont Pike: Sunday Scaries - https://youtu.be/jyUHo4QjySo
Most regretted audio gear purchases & why AVID’s sale is worrying
We all have dumb purchases that we thought would be a great idea but weren’t quite worth it, and we also have those purchases we wish we had all along! That’s what we’re chatting about today! Plus I discuss my new laptop, what the Junos sent me, and of course the latest news about AVID getting purchased and why that’s kinda worrisome for creators.
Pkew: Dumbest thing i ever done - https://youtu.be/HsFnnsi88n4
DIYRE Cloudlifter Clone - https://www.diyrecordingequipment.com/collections/studio-essentials/products/mb2
Slate Trigger 2 - https://stevenslatedrums.com/trigger-2-platinum/
AVID Deal Article - https://www.production-expert.com/production-expert-1/why-people-are-concerned-about-the-avid-deal
3 Things to Keep Your Creativity Fresh
Here are 3 things that I feel need to be a regular reminder for creators in general, things I need to constantly remind myself and others. When we're so passionate about what we do, sometimes these can fall by the wayside.
LINKS:
Barely Holding On - https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/alexkrotz/barely-holding-on-feat-sons-of-horus
SoundToys Superplate - https://www.soundtoys.com/product/superplate/
How Ethan Maac Creates His Musical Worlds
Artist, Musician and Creator Ethan Maac joins me today to discuss his creative process, how he got into production and how he thinks about everything creative that surrounds his music. He’s not only a talented musician and producer of his own music, but is heavily involved in the making of music videos and developing the visual identity of his music. We also dive into his latest Release Light Switch, along with many of this other tracks, and talk about the process of developing the ideas. Ethan has some really interesting perspectives on the art of music, and staying true to his natural instincts while creating, and what drives him too always be creating. This is a really great conversation, enjoy!! LINKS: @ethanmaac - https://maacmusic.com/ Light Switch - https://youtu.be/1OfHv9z_Kkc Light Switch BTS - https://youtu.be/0re8YyBSVzU
How AI could help music production!
This week we discuss Apple’s latest releases (and if they really are worth keeping an eye on for music production) company consolidation and news about Native Instruments and Moog Audio. I talk about Waves StudioVerse and what I think it’s all about, and then we dive into my feeling about AI in music production, 3 ways I think it could really help our current tools and help us with creation.
LINKS:
GOYO Plugin - https://goyo.app/
Dead President Park - https://youtu.be/do4Nbq4qJVw
Digital Spaghetti - https://youtu.be/eYkrZvAMDW0
Social Links
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/anakcreates
Podcast Video: https://www.youtube.com/@anakcreatespodcast
Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/anakcreates
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anakcreates
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/anakcreates
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anakcreates
My production method feels like sampling myself
This week we’re talking about an exciting new launch for ANAK Creates, some news coming from the Pro Tools world and some awesome new releases from friends of the channel. I also talk about my production method where I feel like I’m sampling my own stuff, chopping things up in a session and playing with them and using that as a method of inspiration to see what I can create with what I have. Then we finish off nerding out over Bring Me The Horizon and their new song Amen, cuz of course we have to have a banger for Mix of the Week.
MAC Kit OSTB - https://bit.ly/ostbmackit
Coaching: https://www.anakcreates.ca/coaching
Mix Feedback: https://www.anakcreates.ca/mixfeedback
Ethan Maac: Light Switch - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OfHv9z_Kkc
Fremont Pike: Dead President Park - https://open.spotify.com/track/3dOBAvca2qEHj4gMFVhWxR?si=17aa91b7c39f4ea4
Fremont Pike: Detroit Girl - https://youtu.be/-jx5EjSkJKg
Bad Snacks Video - https://youtu.be/xEmcDr9k-lo
Social Links
Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/anakcreates
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anakcreates
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/anakcreates
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anakcreates
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@anakcreates
Top 5 Mixes, Using Templates and April Fools Failures [Ear Break]
This episode of Ear Break we're joined by Malcolm Cottle to chat about the "fast fashion" of YouTube Covers and the usage of templates to enhance your workflow, and not to be a box for creativity. We also dive into our Top 5 Mixes, which is a question Malcolm approached me with months ago. It's a fun filled episode with lots of good insight and creative lessons as well. Of course we also talk about my recent Bad Habits cover that Malcolm was a part of, and some good ol' April Fools jokes!
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/anakcreates
Podcast Video: https://www.youtube.com/@anakcreatespodcast
Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/anakcreates
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anakcreates
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/anakcreates
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anakcreates
Peter Gabriel's Double Mix, World Gone Mad Creation, and are the Grammys Overrated? [Ear Break]
Welcome to the first episode of Ear Break! I series on the show that's more casual, answering questions and chatting about things around music creation, the music industry. This episode I'm chatting about my latest youtube video and the creative process behind it's creation and how it feels to be back on YouTube, Peter Gabriels new double mix, and a segment called Over Under.. Take a guess what that's about.
Links:
Peter's double mix - https://old.reddit.com/r/audioengineering/comments/10p5zkj/peter_gabriel_has_each_song_of_his_upcoming_new/
My new drum sample pack - (coming soon!)
Social Links
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/anakcreates
Podcast Video: https://www.youtube.com/@anakcreatespodcast
Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/anakcreates
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anakcreates
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/anakcreates
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anakcreates
Dr. Jay Hodgson - Mastering and The Perception of Sound
This episode I am joined by Dr. Jay Hodgson. He is an accomplished musician and songwriter, and a fantastic mastering engineer. He also has his PHD and is a professor at Western University, a published author with a number of academic books on topics in the world of music production and mastering (I am proud to say that I have been a contributing author to a few of his works). To top it all off, he is also creating quite the resume for himself in the world of visual art as well, you should really check him out!
In this conversation, Jay brings a very unique view to the art and craft of mastering, it’s place in the world of music creation, and his philosophy around music creation in general. He’s really great to work with, and his passion for all things music really shines through, and it’s not surprising he has a PHD when you listen to how he discusses this stuff, he get’s really into it!
There’s so much interesting stuff in here, it’s a wild ride, but I think you’ll get a really different view about mastering specifically and creativity in general, from a guy who really knows his stuff, but also loves to “break the rules”.
Emmett O'Reilly and Malcolm Cottle on their Anxious Attachment shortfilm music video and the lessons learned
In this episode I’m joined by Emmett O’Reilly and Malcolm Cottle to chat about their latest (and most ambitious) release Anxious Attachement. This is no ordinary project, this is a full cinematic shortfilm stringing together the music videos for Emmetts new record My Vacation. On top of that, the songs were also re-recorded live off the floor for the filming! A crazy ambitious project that’s been in the works for over a year, from planning to execution, with a great team that managed to pull it all off.
This chat dives into the creative process of this film, the inspiration behind it, and the execution itself. There are many ups and downs, wrenches thrown in the works, the film almost not happening a few times, and some monumental last minute changes, but in the end there were some great takeaways and lessons learned.
A wonderfully inspiring conversation, I hope you enjoy!
Links:
Anxious Attachement Film - https://youtu.be/MJo8THct3e0
My Vacation Record - https://emmettoreilly.bandcamp.com
Tanita aka Misscellanies Creative - https://www.instagram.com/misscellaneous_creative/
What is the perfect DAW? (For You)
There's really no such thing as "the perfect DAW" (Digital Audio Workstation), however, there is a great DAW to suit everyone. A DAW needs to fit your needs and your workflow, and above all else, it needs to help you create your best, fastest, and easiest. For every person, those needs are different.
In today's episode, I talk about this, since there is so much miss-information out there from people claiming the "perfect DAW" or "the BEST DAW" which, may be the case for them, but may not be at all for your needs.
Things to consider when picking your DAW for those getting started:
1. The Features you need (Now and in the future)
2. Your Future Growth and where you want to end up
3. Compatibility - The computer or system you want to use, and other gear like Interfaces, plugins etc.
4. Collaboration - Who are you surrounded by, collaborating with, studios your working with etc.
5. The Price - What you get for what you pay, and what the cost will be (in time as well) to learn
Adding life into programmed Drums - Tips for Drum Programming
Here are some tips for programming drums, both for drummers and non-drummers! Malcolm Cottle and myself talk about things to pay attention to as well as some techniques to improve the authenticity and realism of programmed drums.
Malcolm, a proficient drummer and programmer himself, discusses from a drummer perspective why learning to program is such a great skill for drummers in general to have at their disposal. While real drums are great (we all love them) it's nice to be able to program drums well, and if they are done well they can then be indistinguishable in a final mix.
Programmed drums aren't a problem, it's badly programmed drums that are a problem, so make sure you aren't doing that to yourself!
Let's talk about Software Piracy
This is a problem that hurts more people than you think. Plugin cracks and software piracy is something that plagues the music industry, and piracy of the music in general. I felt I needed to talk about it, discourage it, and explain why it hurts everyone.
Please do your part, don't be part of the issue, and don't be a hypocrite. This is my little PSA about software Piracy, who it hurts and why it hurts more people than you think.
Everyone Perceives music differently, and how that effects our productions w. Jay Riehl
We don't really think about the different factors that influence how we perceive music, such as our upbringing, life experiences, emotions associated with different aspects of the genre, artist or listening environment, age, and many more things.
In this episode, Jay Riehl and I discuss how that influences music creators and music listeners, and how you can't appeal to everyone. The only real north star of music creation is how you feel within yourself about what you're creating (and the feelings of the team involved) and you need to allow that to flourish. If you try to hard to fit into what you think people want to hear, you'll miss that target and get no further, because everyone perceives things differently in ways you can't possibly hope to really understand.
The Authenticity of Modern Music and what's really hurting the creative process
Modern Music Production Techniques aren’t hurting music, modern consumption is demanding to much and not allowing artists to write properly, as much was meant to be written. This is most obvious and easy to talk about in many modern metal and rock productions where drummers aren’t given the time to really write their parts along the way and are instead brought in at the end of a production just to record. Drum parts are losing their authenticity because (in those situations) guitar players are writing the parts to go along with their guitar parts instead of drummers being allowed the time to write their parts.
Many music critics blame this on modern recording and production techniques like editing and autotune, however this is not the problem of programming parts or editing, at the end of the day this is to do with the disruption of the entire flow of songwriting, and that is partially brought on by the demand consumers put on musicians to keep churning out music.
Let's talk about Mix Notes - Guidelines to help your mix notes go smoother
Mix notes are something that all producers, engineers, and artists have to deal with, wether giving or receiving them, they are part of music creation. However, it seems like many people don't totally know what to expect from mix notes, or what the processes and protocols around them are, especially newer artists.
In today's episode, that's what we discuss, 10 of my top tips for dealing tip mix notes. This goes for both artists, what to give and what to expect, as well as mix engineers who are looking at what is "the norm" (if there is such a thing in music creation) when it comes to receiving mix notes from artists. Where it's okay to draw certain lines, or things to remind artists about.
Basically, here's my guidelines to help your mix notes go smoother, and thus help preserve your working relationships.
A GREAT year of CREATIVITY! - 2021 Recap and a look forward!
2021 was a great year! This episode I wanted to do a bit of a recap of the highlights of the year for ANAK Creates, and a look into what next year is going to bring!
What are some of your top accomplishments creatively of the last year?
Top 5 Common Mixing Mistakes to avoid and take your mixes to the next level!
In this episode I discuss the most common mistakes or oversights that I find people make in their mixes and productions. When giving my mix feedback, these are some of the most common threads of advice I keep giving. There's so much to cover, but this is a good overview of some common things to keep in mind while working on improving your mixes and productions!
Check out my mix feedback! - anakcreates.ca/mixfeedback Use code HELLOFEEDBACK to get your first track free!
How to record yourself - As the artist, producer, and engineer w. Malcolm Cottle
In this episode, I'm joined by our friend Malcolm Cottle to discuss the ups, the downs, and the technicals of confidently recording yourself as a one person show - the artist, producer, engineer or any combination thereof.
Both Malcolm and I have been doing our own projects for years, where we need to be the creative brain as well as the technical brain in the project. While this is possible, there are a few tactics and safeguards we've developed and put in place to help us still achieve the best results possible. The biggest issue when you're doing the whole production yourself, is that it's easy to get to deep into it, and lose perspective along the way. Either you get burnt out and loose momentum, or you start changing to change things, while not actually making it better, just different (or possibly even going backwards and making it worse.)
Today we discuss how we've done it, what our top tips are, what we like about doing it ourselves and how it effects our creativity and creative workflow having ALL the control.
The best way to give notes and feedback - be a pleasure to work with and get the best results
Giving Feedback, Mix Notes, Production Notes, basically giving your thoughts on someone’s creative outlet, is something that happens often, but need to be given in the right way. Well delivered thoughts, feedback or notes can go a long way to improve the project, and achieve the best outcome result, but can get there faster and strengthen the working relationship between those involved at the same time. In this episode I discuss how best to deliver that feedback to achieve the best results, and why it’s so important.
I describe the best delivery method as the “compliment sandwich”. This is when you start off your message saying something you like, then follow it up with something you want changed or aren’t so keen on, then end off the whole message with another compliment or something you really liked about their work. It’s important to give the notes of what you want changed by also adding in what you like.
It’s not just about giving them notes on what you don’t like and what you’d like fixed and changed, but also about letting them know what you do like. On the receiving end, getting those notes is helpful to better understand what direction to take as adjustments are made.
You don’t want to just give criticism, you need to make sure it’s helpful and constructive. Don’t attack their choices and don’t give vague notes, explain what you are thinking, so they can best serve your vision. If it’s unhelpful feedback and notes, or doesn’t give a further direction of what you’re actually looking for, that will only serve to sour the working relationship, and ultimately not sure the project best.
At the end of the day, we all just want the best final outcome to our project, and this is a very easy way be a pleasure to work with and bring your creative vision to it’s full potential as well.
Budgeting a Record; Getting started with a minimal budget
When it comes to making a record, and more importantly the budgeting of the record, many new artists are unsure where to start. There are many questions, without a lot of honest answers out there. Every audio professional is out there trying to convince you that their services are needed and essential and worth the price. As an artist, you need to sift through the noise and figure out what you, and your project, need.
“What can we do ourselves without really compromising quality?”
“What should we be putting our money towards?”
“Can we even make a record with this budget?”
There are no definitive answers to many of these questions, no one-size-fits-all solution. There are however, guidelines (not rules) that can help to point in the right direction. Every artist, project, and genre will be different. Then personal things like pre-existing knowledge, willingness to learn, budge and different constraints will also play a role in deciding your next move forward.
In this episode I am trying to help artists understands what is involved, what can be approached more DIY without hurting the project, and what shouldn’t be compromised on. This only scratches the surface of this topic but should help you better understand where to get started and what questions you should be asking.
The Key Points:
- Production and producers for pop/hip-hop/rap can play a big role in recording and mixing if you find the right producer.
- For rock bands, having a dedicated producer (in the traditional sense of the roll) may not be the best use of money.
- There’s lot of recording that can be done with a home setup without compromising quality. Investing money and time into some basic home recording gear and knowledge can pay dividends as time goes on.
- Using MIDI/programmed drums, virtual synths, guitar DI recording is not compromising quality when that’s what you can afford. Amazing results can be achieved, especially when you have a good mixer on the backend.
- Many artists are home recording vocals now as well, which is not a bad choice if you put some time and effort into making a basic home recording setup.
- By putting time and effort into learning basic home recording, you save yourself time and money on recording studios, and stress while trying to complete everything in the budgeted studio time.
- Mixing is the most important thing NOT to cheap out on. A good mixer can take home recorded material and turn it into an amazing production. Some mixers (if discussed with early enough) may also be willing to help guide you with your own recordings so you capture get all the right elements for them to do their job the best they can.
- Getting an outside mixer is a great idea, giving you another set of ears and another creative perspective.
- Mastering doesn’t need to be top-of-the-line expensive, but don’t cheap out either. It would be a shame to ruin a production with a bad mastering job. Ask your mixer if they master as well, or who they would recommend. (Feel free to ask me as well, I have some good and not overly expensive names.)
- Don’t just think because something costs more it’s so much better and worth it completely. In the same vein of no paying for ego, these days there are many reasonably priced options for everything, so don’t overpay before you really think about it and do your research.
The ANAK Creates Podcast [Trailer]
Welcome to The ANAK Creates Podcast! I'm your host, Alex Krotz.
My podcast is all about exploring the art of engineering and music production, what that means to different artists, producers and engineers and how it affects the creation process. Oh, and with a healthy dose of music business thrown in.
We talk about all things related to music production, audio engineering, editing and mixing, career development, and the music industry. Learn from myself and my guests as we give you different perspectives and inspire your productions.
I share my experience and insight of over a decade of working in the professional music industry with some of the biggest producers, engineers and artists. I have contributed to multiple audio engineering textbooks and continue to guest lecture at various audio engineering programs.
For more info, full show notes and articles, my other helpful resources or more about me, check out anakcreates.ca
Find the video version on YouTube - https://bit.ly/3EjwjSe
TOO MANY plugins! A guide to purchasing plugins for the right reasons w. Malcolm Cottle
In this week’s episode, I’m joined once again by Malcolm Cottle to talk about plugins, one of our favorite things.
We discuss how lazy engineering can result from purchasing plugins without learning how to use them. To further knowledge growth, using a plugin need go beyond picking a preset, and dive into actually understand the fundamentals of why the plugin is doing what it’s doing, and how it needs to be changed to best fit into your workflow or your mix.
Everything in music creation is contextual.
We dive into the fact that plugin presets are not a one-size-fits-all solution, but instead are a starting point and something to learn from. New plugins won’t just solve your problem or achieve the sound you’re going (regardless of the flashy marketing), time needs to be spent learning the tools inside-out to unlock its full potential.
Malcolm and I also go through our criteria for new plugin purchases.
1. Do I have a plugin that already does the same thing?
2. Does this speed up my workflow or make something much easier?
3. Is this going to inspire my creativity?
4. Do I have a project to use this plugin on right away?
5. Is it on sale? (Why pay full price if you don’t have to!)
In the end, you need to be honest with yourself about why you are buying a plugin. It's only your own knowledge, workflow, bank account, creativity, and quality of work that will be impacted by not being honest and letting new flashy marketing overtake real knowledge acquisition.
Think smart about new purchases before you get them, and then take the time to learn everything you can and apply them to your own workflow. It won’t be two clicks and done, it requires trial and error, but the result is becoming a better producer and engineer.
Don't Pay for Ego | Being cautious about who your hiring and what reason they are involved
Someones name attached to your project is not the one reason that's going to push your songs to the next level. You need a great production and a team willing to help achieve that. Sometimes artists get blinded by the though of having someones name attached to their project, they miss out that it may not actually be the best thing for their project, and they often overlook far better options that will get them further in the long run.
Someones name can help, but often it's their connections and endorsement. If you pay for someones ego, and they don't actually care, then that won't happen and you could be left with no money and a mediocre production that you aren't even happy with. They key is finding someone who is hungry for your project and wants to dedicate so much more time and energy to helping you make it the best it can be.
There are no rules in music production and creativity, find your own process
Music Production, audio engineering, mixing, songwriting, basically any form of musical creativity has NO RULES and no Step by Step Processes that are set in stone.
Yes, there are guidelines, and there and step by step instructions for certain processes to get you going in a general direction or a general sound, but they are fluid, always changing and meant to be bent and broken.
When you push the limits of what you're told, that is when you find new things, and that's how you develop your unique sound and your own process!
Importance of embracing your authentic sound as an artist or producer
Video Version! - https://youtu.be/jegDxzFevf4
To be successful, and allow yourself to thrive and have a long career (or hobby) you need to embrace your authentic sound as an artist, engineer or producer. If you think your sound is to strange and no one will like it, you're wrong. Don't try and water down your creations to please others, make what you like, and people will be attracted to that.
Along with that, follow your gut instinct, even when trying something new, you can still just know if you enjoy it. If you wrote this song, and don't like it, and it becomes a massive hit, would you hate playing it night after night for the next 10-20 years?
These are some of the things I talk bout in today's episode!
This is episode 61, but it's the very first video version being released here on the ANAK Creates Podcast YouTube channel!
If you like this, be sure to check out my main channel where I talk about all things audio engineering, production, productivity, mixing, editing and more!
Also be sure to check out the past episodes as well, which you can find on your favorite podcast listening platform.
youtube.com/anakcreates
anakcreates.ca
#podcast #episode61 #authenticcreation
My top picks for studio gear, within the arbitrary rules - The "My Forever Studio" Podcast
There's a podcast I really enjoy listening to which is the "My Forever Studio" by MusicTech. If you haven't heard of it before, it's worth a listen and there's some really interesting discussions about gear choice and workflow due to gear choice as well.
Basically, the guest has to pick their gear for their "forever studio" where budget is no limit, but they only have a set number of items they can pick and thus, choices need to be made.
So today, to celebrate 60 episodes, and because I thought it would be fun, I did my own version of this (with a few bending of their rules to make my own rules) and go through my choices. This is more of my basic setup that I would take with me, rather then anything super crazy changing in my setup, but I don't think this will be the last!
Comment on the episode with some of your picks!
https://www.musictech.net/shows/my-forever-studio/
Be aware of social media education, don't let it ruining your creativity
These days, social media is such a large part in how we get our information. Likewise when learning thing, we like to follow social media accounts who's posts are relevant to what we enjoy, such as making music. The problem is that most fundamental educational concepts and social media educators (if you can call them that) don't really take into account the whole of many concepts.
In this podcast I talk about how social media might be ruining peoples creativity, how to tell and actual expert from a keyboard warrior in facebook groups, and why you need to look deeper into concepts or ideas shared in quick instagram posts, and not blindly believe the concepts you read.
Many social media posts are like the "rule of thumb" or the cheatsheet version of the notes, which don't actually make sense when you don't understand where they come from. So make sure you do your own further research.
Gibson is Entering the Record Business, is this a new era of labels?
Gibson (yes, the 127 year old guitar manufacturer) recently announced they will be entering the record label business. Along with this announcement, they also said that the first record they will be releasing will be with Slash (GNR) in 2022. Gibson Records (which operates out of Nashville) is also a partnership between Gibson and BMI.
So, is this good or bad for the music business and artist?
According the statements from Slash & his manager, they were really excited about the deal saying that Gibson is focused on making this record label artist focused and in this deal, Slash will retain the ownership of his masters. This is a huge deal!
In this podcast, I discuss my thoughts on this new endeavour for the brand, such as; Gibson's partnership with BMI and what that could mean, how Gibsons G3 (Gibson Generation Group) plays into this, how the brand is proving they are an artist focused brand, and what this whole thing could mean for the music industry and record label model as a whole moving forward.
This could open up the door for so many opportunities for brand-run record labels which, if done correctly, could hugely benefit both the brands themselves as well as the artists, big and small.
There's so much to talk about, let me know your thoughts on this and everything else I touch on in this episode!
Not all "BREAKS" are created equally | How to take breaks that actually refresh your creativity and avoid burnout
I'm back! I had a little bit of a break after the last episode, and today I explain why, and what I was up to, along with the takeaway lessons to help yourself maximize your energy and prolong your creative energy and avoid burnout.
It's important to find an activity and things that help refresh you that you can do BEFORE you burn out. Not all "breaks" are created equal, and in this episode I talk about what works for me and give some times to help you find what works for you.
Dealing with burnout, and avoiding it before it happens
Burnout is a real thing, and I feel like it his creatives hard. Because we love what we do, we sometimes don't notice the signs before it's too late.
This week I talk about my experiences, how I notice I'm reaching a point I need a break to avoid real hardcore burnout, and how to deal with it if it's happening!
Making Great Impressions - Breaking into the music industry w. Jay Riehl [PART 2]
This is Part 2 of my chat with Jay Riehl about breaking into the industry, the networking and personal aspect of getting your foot in the door and climbing up the ladder to where you want to go.
The biggest keys to the importance of making a good first impression, being a good hang and someone people want to be around, and showing your passion and drive to be learning and soaking up knowledge while not getting cocky.
Even as technology changes and the world becomes more vast then ever, the way to break into the industry, meet people and make people like working with you has never changed, and that's what we discuss!
Jay Riehl - jayriehl.com
Breaking into the music industry (as a producer, engineer or musician) w. Jay Riehl [PART 1]
This week we have an co-hosted episode with Jay Riehl! This is part 1 of a 2 part episode, because we ended up talking for a long time.. So tune in next episode for the conclusion to the chat!
We discuss about getting started in the industry, the networking aspect and the personal aspect of getting your foot in the door and climbing up the ladder to where you want to go.
The biggest keys to the importance of making a good first impression, being a good hang and someone people want to be around, and showing your passion and drive to be learning and soaking up knowledge while not getting cocky.
Even as technology changes and the world becomes more vast then ever, the way to break into the industry, meet people and make people like working with you has never changed, and that's what we discuss!
Jay Riehl - jayriehl.com
Music Credits - How taking too much credit can hurt you long term, give credit where credit is due!
In today's music creation economy, the biggest currency to help producer, engineers and even artists, is credit. The ability to prove the work you have worked on, and getting acknowledged for the work you've done, can go a really long way for your career and your relationships. Likewise, messing that up, over crediting yourself or not giving credit where credit is due, can be detrimental.
We're all in this together, so let's act like it! Here's where we can start, while we try and push other reforms for music credits as well *Cough, Spotify..*
Creative Journey, and building up confidence to release your music | Releasing my new single YOU
This weeks episode I talk about my creative journey in gearing up to release my first single in a long time, YOU. This song has been part of a big transition in my life, and I talk about what it took to convince myself to release it, how releasing covers helped with that, and how some things to think about if you feel like you are in this same situation!
I talked previously about my struggle with my creativity in recent months in Episode 32 - I lost my creativity | The journey of getting my creativity back, what happened and what saved it
Check out the new single YOU - https://youtu.be/qZYTVUb20AA
Also available on all streaming services - Artist: Alex Krotz
Important Tips to LEARN and SUCCEED in the Music Industry
In this episode, I talk about some of the tips of I've learned to help engineers, producers and anyone else, learn and succeed in the music industry. This started with a question I got from someone looking to get their foot in the door with an internship at a large studio. In answering that question, I realized many of the tips apply to anyone wanting to learn and build themselves up in this industry. So I thought I'd share some of the tips I have learned and taught others before.
As always, continue the conversation with me! anakcreates.ca or @anakcreates on Twitter & Instagram
What actually constitutes as a "Live Video" anymore? Is it diluting real talent? w. Malcolm Cottle
This week we have our first co-hosted episode on the ANAK Creates Podcast!! I'm joined by Malcolm Cottle, who will be joining me for a monthly show (approx, but no guarantees) where we get to sit down and chat about various things!
This week, we're discussing the trend of "live videos" on youtube, videos that are branded as "live" yet are clearly not really live, what we think about that, what that means for artists, and what we think actually deserves to be called "live".
Very interesting discussion, with some very different opinions! Please, let us know your thoughts, let's continue the conversation! - @anakcreates or anakcreates.ca
My new song release, Apple event spacial audio initial thoughts!
This week's podcast is a little update video and some thoughts on some new updates!
First, my new cover song My Head My Heart by Ava Max that just came out, Addict by Ellocin Daz, which I produced the track and made the video.
Then we talk about my thoughts on the new Spacial Audio feature from apple announced at WWDC, and my thoughts of what that means moving forward!
LINKS
My Head My Heart Cover - https://youtu.be/6Zl_GIxa71g
Gorillaback Productions - http://www.gorillabackproductions.com
SG Studios & Scary Gnome Productions - https://www.scarygnomeproductions.com
Elodie Adams - http://www.elodieadams.com
Ellocin Daz - Addict Video - https://youtu.be/dFtLRCv9Zhs
Getting started with a home recording setup w. Ryan Tuer
In this week's episode, I'm joined by my friend Ryan Tuer from SG Studios and Scary Gnome Productions. We talk about Ryans journey in music, the process of building SG Studios, and then we talk about some practical tips for home recording musicians and aspiring engineers and producers looking to create a creative space for music recording in their home. What you need to get started, how it doesn't have to cost a ton of money, and where to go from there to create something in your home to get started and have decent sound, no matter what your living situation is, including sound panels if you're feeling crafty.
A great episode with lots of knowledge and interesting insight from an expert!
Connect with Ryan - https://www.scarygnomeproductions.com
Listener Q&A! - My approach to layering and harmonies, and why I share my knowledge!
This week's episode is a Listener Q & A! I love being able to answer your questions, so keep them coming! Shoot me an email over on anakcreates.ca or on Twitter or Instagram @anakcreates, as I will be doing more of these!
This week's questions are:
- Why did you choose Pro Tools? Why do you stick with it?
- What was one of your favourite sessions you've ever done?
- Why do you share your knowledge like you do?
- I was watching your track breakdown from your Shawn Mendes cover, and when it comes to your productions, how do you plan out all the layers and get them all to fit together and the different parts? Do you have a specific approach?
- How do you approach recording vocals or guitars, do you like to do a bunch of takes and comp later, or punch in each time?
The importance of SPACE in your productions
During a recent episode with Jay Riehl, I asked him about his one piece of advice for up and coming engineers and producers to help with their productions. While we only briefly touched on it, I thought it was a great piece of advice and wanted to dive deeper and share some more of my own thoughts about what he meant and what we talked about.
I discuss the importance of leaving space, not only in the actual writing of the song and the parts you create, but then also in the layering and recording to create the production. There has to be contrast between sections and tension vs release to create memorable moments.
Streaming is NOT an enemy, it's an opportunity
Many people hate on music streaming, claiming it has ruined the music industry. I discuss how streaming saved already declining record sales and gave artists much more opportunity than ever before, if you view it the right way and embrace the reach and marketing that it gives you.
Making a career is more possible than ever, it's just all about how you think about it.
LINKS:
EP 44 - anakcreates.ca/updates/ep44
Apple is paying 1cent a stream - https://9to5mac.com/2021/04/16/apple-music-says-it-pays-one-cent-per-stream-roughly-twice-what-spotify-pays/
EP 04 - Major Record Labels are fading, but what is replacing them affects everyone! - anakcreates.ca/updates/ep04
EP 02 - Is streaming killing the music industry? - anakcreates.ca/updates/ep02
What does a post-record label music industry look like?
Over the last few years, the major labels have been slowly loosing a bit of their grip. Due to their power, they are still able to put certain narratives out there that people believe, but in reality, they are not necessary for small artists, as many still believe.
In this episode I talk about why this is the case, and what has enabled small artists to move past the idea that major labels are the only way to make a career in music.
My views on Editing, Drum Samples, Programming and how to find your sound w. Malcolm Cottle
This week we have a fun episode with our regular guest Malcolm Cottle, but instead of him being the guest, he did a full on takeover of the podcast, where he flipped it around and interviewed me!
We talk about my approach to drum samples, the ethics of drum editing & editing in general, my thoughts on drum programming, sample augmentation and sample replacement. We go into how I few the creation of records as a form of art and editing is an extension of that,
We wrap up with some practical advice for those getting into recording themselves, finding your sound and using others as inspiration, and how to know you have recorded enough layers of things to give to a mixer to achieve the sound you want.
It's a great episode and a fun chat!
How accountability can improve and inspire your music creation process
This week, we're diving deeper into something that we talked about with Malcolm Cottle back in Episode 37. While making is latest record, Malcolm tried a new tactic of getting a producer to help keep him on track. Even if you aren't hiring a producer, getting someone to help hold you accountable to your project, your goals and even just offer a 3rd party perspective to help you know what's right while making your decisions, is so important, and that's what I dive into in this episode!
Learn your tools, before expanding your toolbox
I really believe that to become a better creator, and really allow yourself to express what you want through your craft, you need to understand and know the tools you have at your disposal to create what you want.
In this weeks episode I talk about the importance of learning your tools, which in the case of music is your DAW, your plugins, your instrument. Starting from stock plugins, and building your toolbox up from there.
This insight has been talked about and shared in pervious episodes as well, because it's the most important thing when it comes to being a better engineer, mixer and creator all around.
The song is king, technology won’t save you
One of the most important parts of the production process, starts at the very beginning.
The song.
No amount of technology is going to save you if the song isn't great. If no one is tapping their foot, if no one can hum along or feel emotionally attached in some way, then no amount of great gear is going to make that song better.
This is a deeper dive into this topic which we touched on in one of the latest episodes with Jay Riehl, EP 39 - How recording technology has changed and evolved the mentality of using it w. Jay Riehl
How recording technology has changed and evolved the mentality of using it w. Jay Riehl
Jay Riehl was one of my first real mentors in the music space. Along with his business partner Ryan Tuer, took me under their wing at The Swamp studio back in the day, when I was just getting into high school. For years they taught me and I ended up engineering session for them before I went away to OIART (which was highly recommended by both of them).
Over the years, we have stayed the closest of friends despite the age differences, still doing projects and hanging together. Like the brothers I didn't have.
In this episode, I sit down with Jay to discuss the shift in recording technology and the difference in mentality around recording - what has changed and what hasn't.
Check out Jay at jayriehl.com
Check out his session work at theswamponline.com
Is speaker/room correction software any good? Who is it for?
With the growing demand for home studios, there's the problem of needing to make a less-then-ideally treated rooms sound good and translate well. This is one of the things that Sonarworks is aimed towards, which is a pioneer in speaker calibration software.
Based on their recent announcement of the new SoundID Reference Software announcement, I wanted to talk about the whole concept of this "speaker calibration" or "room calibration" software, my thoughts, who and when it's worth getting and when it's not. Spoiler, I think it has it's place, but it's not for everyone.
The creative workflow that helped for a remotely made record w. Malcolm Cottle
While 2020 was difficult, creators adapted to use the tools they could to create things remotely, and it actually opened up some amazing new technology and workflows, as well as access to the whole world of collaborators!
This week, I sat down (virtually, again) to chat with Malcolm Cottle about the newest Sons of Horus release that just came out on March 15th! This EP (the Revolution EP) was created almost purely over the internet (including mixed by myself), with many different feature guests on it (myself included) produced and created across borders. We chat about how that was possible, but also just more about the Sons of Horus Project in general, creativity and much more.
Great to have Malcolm on the podcast as always.
LINKS
Sons of Horus Revolution EP - https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/sonsofhorus/revolution-ep?fbclid=IwAR20hY2bwe0Jhz72HxIVCerpE17x_UbvopNjXhb-JB-Ym9m6Hr8CQ4-vwEA
Video for History Will Absolve Me - https://youtu.be/RL46tei3ytY
Video for Intense but Orderly Work - https://youtu.be/GvhFFXgyw2Q