What are your favorite Tchad Blake mixes? And what are your takeaways? My key takeaways from Tchad are here in this comment below the links: ►🎚Mixing Breakthroughs: mixingbreakthroughs.com ►🎛Compression Breakthroughs: compressionbreakthroughs.com ►🎧 EQ Breakthroughs: EQBreakthroughs.com ►🔊Mastering Demystified: MasteringDemystified.com ►✅Become a channel member here: kzread.info/dron/qEKv3KIZoZrjv2LymD3iMg.htmljoin ►Here's a link to the Tchad Blake comparison playlist: open.spotify.com/playlist/4Hsis936dQBmi2VslZ9XPc?si=c5173e642ee546c7 ►Check out some of my own work at the link below: open.spotify.com/playlist/7oTw7efd6U5117UPorYjN1?si=214a9757f4eb48b4 KEY TECHNICAL TAKEAWAYS: -BOTTOM END: Tchad loves to go deep in the low end. He emphasizes the sub octave from 40-70 HZ, especially on kicks, and is often willing to compromise on upper bass and the lowest mids to make things sound deep. To make those low frequencies work, he ensures they are incredibly well controlled in dynamics, but without losing attack and punch. Although I don't know his approach to low end from the horses mouth, getting controlled low end that still has good front end "punch" and great sustain often involves either 1. Fast attack compression to control transients coupled with slow attack compression to bring the attack back, and a fast release to increase sustain or 2. Sample augmentation. Compressing low end instruments separately from other instruments, or relying on multiband dynamic control can also be helpful in getting this degree of prominent, deep, yet tight and well controlled low end. -DISTORTION: Tchad loves distortion and saturation, and isn't afraid to push it hard, often in parallel. Favorite devices include the Shure Level-Loc (or its digital replacement, the Soundtoys Devil-Loc) and the Sans Amp, which has been recreated in plugin form by Avid. -AMBIENCE: Tchad rarely uses much if any reverb, preferring to bring out natural room tone-or create it himself-often using dynamics processing and saturation to get more of it. He may occasionally use delay in place of reverb, but rarely in a very obvious way. -PANNING: One remarkable quality is just how W I D E mixes are once Tchad gets through with them. He sometimes pushes things to the degree of putting a bit of a "hole" in the middle relative to his peers. He is unafraid to stack prominent instruments into the sides, often with over-the-top distortion, clipping, saturation or dynamic control, and more prominent upper midrange relative to high end and low mids. He's also unafraid of having wide bass elements. -CONTRAST: Tchad is a master of contrast, regularly showing brief flashes of mono, midrangey and more distant sounds so that his usual up front, scooped and wide tone feels even more exaggerated in comparison. -CREATIVE HIGHLIGHTS: It's a pleasure to find little ear candy elements that other mixers might bury, that Tchad fearlessly brings forward and highlights. Sometimes he will push ear candy elements at the expense of keeping the vocal front of mind, but never at the expense of the groove. I could probably go on given more time... Let me know if you have takeaways of your own to add! -Justin

Dude - this is such a killer series - I hope you keep going. One guy that NOBODY ever breaks down is Nigel Godrich, yet he is a mixers Mixer. Loved by so many. You would make my year if this happened.

@SonicScoop

2 ай бұрын

He’s on the list! Are you aware of significant albums where he’s only mixed some of the tracks? Since he’s often producing what he mixes, this can be trickier, but I’m sure I can find some. -Justin

@Jooky411

2 ай бұрын

@@SonicScoopHe mixed the RHCP album “The Getaway” from a few years ago. It doesn’t get a lot of love, but I actually like it a lot. Dark Necessities is a good one

@alexanderkhait

2 ай бұрын

+1 for Nigel Godrich. Sex bob omb gave me an unforgettable teen time.

Keep this series going, Please do one for CLA and one for Manny Marroquin.

@SonicScoop

2 ай бұрын

Absolutely! I plan to do both :-) -Justin

@edwardkenemorales

2 ай бұрын

@@SonicScoop +1 for CLA. Andy Wallace is also a legend for the heavier rock scene.

@ahawk706

2 ай бұрын

​@@SonicScoop Andy Wallace please

Tchad’s work in AM is also iconic.

Love this series, Justin! Already waiting for the next one

This isn't a comment about Tchad Blake, but I just wanted to say how much I love John Congleton. I only discovered about a year ago that he's produced tons of my favorite indie rock records. I've since listened to every interview he's given. I really love his approach and philosophy. And his productions just make sense to me. They sound like I want music to sound -- raw and energetic while still being crystal clean. I know you've interviewed him, but I would love more content on him.

@rome8180

2 ай бұрын

I actually disagreed with you about "Bad Believer" sounding better than "Digital Witness," for the record. "Bad Believer" just sounded chaotic to me. There was nothing for my ears to latch onto. It also seemed to lack contrast. But maybe some of that's the song and arrangement.

Fantastic video series. Love it. Bring us Hugh Padgham too Justin. 😎🤘

We're going back a bit, but Tchad did a ton of work with Neil Finn. Try Whistling This is a great sounding record...pure Tchad Blake...earthy, organic and bold. Pure class.

@NagoyaHouseHead

2 ай бұрын

He also mixed Crowded House albums in the 90`s with Michel From as producer which is an absolute dream team

@stephenfleming8030

2 ай бұрын

@@NagoyaHouseHead As much as i love those songs, I always felt like Mitchel Froom dated those records with horrific plastic synths. Of course they weren't the only victims of 80s production values, but man, some of those songs are just so timeless that I guess anyone other than an engineer wouldn't notice.

@NagoyaHouseHead

2 ай бұрын

@@stephenfleming8030 I am talking about Woodface and Together Alone produced in the 90`s not the 80`s and I find both records to still sound really fresh and timeless today. No sounds on there have ever bothered me, and I'm quite a purist myself as my ultimate reference sound is James Taylor - Sweet Baby James

Hi Justin, many thanks for this great series - very inspiring. Tchad seems to have stepped away a bit from the non to little reverb approach in the last couple of years, but your analysis is spot on.

Thanks for putting these different examples of mixes side by side, quite interesting to compare. That slowly building track by The Kills seems quite interesting to me though, it doesn't need to be more mainstream and doesn't deserve your hate IMO. Tchad's Sheryl Crow record is pretty cool as well. But I wouldn't care for that Britney Spears song you seem to love either, so... "De gustibus..." etc.

Great episode! Tchad has such a bold forward approach to those center mids. Things just jump out at you. BIG low end too. Looking back, I never got into the black keys, but ironically, my favorite songs were the one's Tchad mixed (this was before i knew what "mixing" was). Do Shawn Everett next! Definitely has a unique sonic voice (and a few grammys to boot).

@SonicScoop

2 ай бұрын

He is on the list!

I hate that this is what I'm commenting but the series you were looking for in reference to the Phantom Planet song would be The OC - damn HS vibes

that waits reverb sound is prairie sun's reverb rooms in studio c. in cotati california near tom's home, the old wood sided boiler room is called "the waits room." my old band recorded drums in there and we were told it was where many of tom's vocal takes are made. the studio is built in what was an old chicken ranch. the big reverb sounds come from an adjoining room with a huge concrete floor that was a chicken processing area. now that room has a big cornfield mural and is sometimes a live room, although at the time i was there it was a reverb chamber for studios a and b.

great video! been using the Gabriel album as a study, love Tchad's mixes on Los Lobos and latin playboys

I love this series of videos great work

I love this series!!

He mixed a Thomas Mapfumo record that is absolutely amazing

I love his mix with Fiona Apple's 'Fetch The Bolt Cutters' esp the song "Ladies"

Tchad's also done Crowded House, The Finn Bros, Neil Finn, Elvis Costello, Arctic Monkeys and many others.

Great stuff mate

Tchad's Mix of Heaven is a Place - The Arcs would probably be my favorite.

The greatest in the world. In my opinion

Awesome thanks

Sam Phillips' Martinis and Bikinis. Also love pretty much everything he engineered with Michell Froom in the 90s.

When it goes to the chorus in Digital Witness the Tori Amos influence is so apparent. Big fan of TChad's style -- not always into the artist/bands he works with but love his approach. Def goes for wide which with headphones or a good system is a much more enjoyable listening experience. But the solid center mixes translate better to modern ways of consuming music, ie, phones, bluetooth speakers, etc.

Good video. Chad rocks.

@SonicScoop

2 ай бұрын

Agreed! -Justin

very nice video justin!😀 Would be interesting to see videos like these about mastering engineers too. Like bob ludwig, greg calbi, ted jensen, etc. But the question is, would that even be possible, does the personality/taste come trough that distinctly in mastering to know who mastered it, or is it too subtle to do a video about? Thanks,.

@SonicScoop

2 ай бұрын

I've been asking myself the same questions! I'll keep turning it around in my head, but I'm not yet sure how to overcome those challenges yet. That said, I didn't think of this comparison idea originally, but it seems so obvious now that I have. I'll mull it over.... ... WAIT! I just had an idea. Yeah, I think I know how to do it now :-) Hmmmmm.... This is going to be interesting! And fun. -Justin

@MariJu1ce

2 ай бұрын

@@SonicScoop Haha! Looking forward to it! This is the best youtube channel btw, good work!

You really should do something with John Agnello. He's worked with an absolute ton of great artists from Lennon, Springsteen and Cyndy Lauper back in the day to Sonic Youth, Dinosaur JR, Golden Smog and Kurt Vile. It's all about the vibe.

@SonicScoop

2 ай бұрын

He was one of my first interviews ever for SonicScoop back in 2010! -Justin

Hey Justin, do you know anything about Jason Chesse ? 😊😊😊😊 I'm already impatient for this mix con 2024 !!!!😮😮😮

Great one!!! Just one thing. He might mix totally ITB, but all the sources are recorded through analogue equipment. It’s not mediocre mics straight into a mediocre interface…. The depth and texture comes from great mics into great pres etc…And you know what I’m talking about. Cheers

@alexeysmirnovguitar

2 ай бұрын

There is an episode of the SonicScoop podcast where Justin goes deep into the preamps and analog gear topic. You need to check it out. The point is: preamps doesn't really matter so much, unless they are clean. The character you're talking about comes from creative use of saturation and distortion, wherever it comes from. Also THE ROOM is the big factor. I mean the room where the recording takes place. In my experience, it has more influence on the sound in general, then microphones. Maybe it's just me, but I think the art of the recording comes from knowing how the combination of the source, the room, mic choice and relative source/room/mic position. You absolutely can ruin the recording using the best set of mics and preamps in the world.

@SonicScoop

2 ай бұрын

Preamps and interfaces make a relatively small difference, unless we’re talking about something really special. (At the extreme, a Telefunken will sound somewhat significantly different from a Millenia for example, and a Burl will sound different than an Apogee, for sure.) Not that preamps don’t sound different at all-just that the average difference between preamps is much smaller than we are led to believe if you listen blind, assuming we’re just talking about the preamp itself, and not all the tweaks you might do in the channel strip attached to it. Mics make a bigger difference than preamps, and the room and the instrument make a far bigger difference still. But bigger than that is the performer, the performance, and practically every other decision the producer makes aside from the preamp :-) -Justin

please do a segment for Dave Fridmann next!! or Shawn Everett whose mixes to me sounds like a perfect marriage of Tchad and Dave!

@SonicScoop

2 ай бұрын

They are both on the list! -Justin

Sweet

1:05:17 - Oh please do..

all things Latin Playboys and The Ruby Vroom Album by Soul Coughing

Sorry, do these mixers mix on a box but through a desk / summing?

@SonicScoop

2 ай бұрын

I don't think that either Tchad or Serban use a desk or summing. I believe they are both all digital these days. Feel free to correct me if you have evidence to the contrary! But both of them sound like what most new producers imagine that "analog" sounds like, because they assume "more analog=more gooder". There is analog gear that definitely has its tone, and in some cases has only been approximated in the box... ...But those differences are generally much smaller than the differences in skill and taste between producers or engineers, and it's impossible to say which is "better" as that's entirely subjective. -Justin

City of Lost Children 👍

@SonicScoop

2 ай бұрын

Great movie. There’s a chance the sing placement I was thinking of was from “Smoke” or “Night on Earth” though. I’m going to have to double check now! -Justin

A little clarification, Tchad Blake mixes in the box these days but certainly has not been in the box for decades. He was hybrid for a long time but transitioned to fully in the box in the last few years.

@SonicScoop

2 ай бұрын

For sure, his career spans decades. But he’s been fully “in the box” for years now, and most of his work where he’s been acclaimed as a mixer on others’ productions (rather than only as a producer who mixes his own projects) has been since he shifted to ITB. It also says something that he’s fully ware if the advantages and disadvantages of both, and chooses to mix in the computer. -Justin

@sammodog

2 ай бұрын

Yes. I've been following him since the Mitchell Froom era of Richard Thompson, Los Lobos, and others. Wasn't criticizing just clarifying for any younger that his older work (more than 10 years ago) was analog or hybrid. I recall seeing videos of him when he was in Wales and still working hybrid, which wasn't that long ago. One of my favorite mixers. The low end he gets is unique and a bunch of his mixes are on my reference list. Cheers.

fantastic work from chad, but i don't wanna listen to that crushed stuff at home.