RUMOR MILL
The band thing is kind of my forte—putting five people in a room and just coming out with something great. Breaking down everyone’s egos and barriers.
Monday, September 16, 2013
THE DETAIL GUY
Pushing Up the Faders With Producer/Engineer/Mixer Jay Baumgardner
Although L.A.-based producer/engineer/mixer par excellence Jay Baumgardner has made his name in the rock world, his work—overwhelmingly at NRG Studios in North Hollywood, not far from our cesspool—spans multiple genres. But he brings to every project an impeccable ear and a penchant for finding the gestalt of a song in the details. The resulting work has an unmistakable punch and clarity. Nonetheless, after withstanding a few of our idiotic questions, Jay undoubtedly wished he could plug up his ears.
What have you been working on?
I mixed “The Sound of Winter” mix for Bush. I just got back from Milan, where I recorded the new Lacuna Coil album; I also mixed the new P.O.D. record. I’ve produced a couple of bands, including Otherwise and Girl On Fire for Century Media. I just mixed a Flyleaf song featuring Sonny from P.O.D. I have a partnership, along with the studio, with Uproar Festival, a rock tour that goes out over the summer. They have a contest to see who goes on the tour; we pick a band and record with them, which is a cool way of developing new talent. That’s been fun.
What’s it like to bring in a band that presumably has tons of potential but is fairly raw?
Sometimes it’s like fixing an old car or an old house. You see the potential, even though most people would say, “Oh, God, why don’t I just buy a new car?” But I know this could be a hot rod when we’re done.
Obviously, your toolbox is a big part of that. Do you want to say a little bit about NRG?
It’s the best creative space there is. Just being able to bring people in and have the time to work with them. I really enjoy getting in and working on the nuts and bolts—teaching people the right way to do things.
There used to be this idea of the studio as sort of a sacred site with an inherent magic. That perception has been diminished, because now it’s so easy to have a home studio with a ton of plug-ins.
Well, that’s the way I started. I had a home studio, and it got bigger and bigger. The hard part is having the best staff. I’m able to get the most talented people, and my people have the experience of working with the best people in the world. When you’re constantly working with great artists like Jon Brion or John Fogerty, it really ups your game, as opposed being in your home studio by yourself. Can you do the same thing in both places? Yeah. But, when you come into NRG, it’s a different standard that you have to uphold. You say to yourself, “This is where Linkin Park makes all their records. We have no excuses.”
Are there certain sonic attributes of the space that really stand out for you?
It sounds amazing, but it’s easy to and quick to get to that point. You’re not pecking around in the dark trying to figure things out. Working at NRG takes less time to do those things because your results are very predictable. The monitoring environment is the best there is, so you can really hear what you’re recording—you’re not just recording a million parts for no reason. Over years and tons of hit records, you can say, “This is what we did on this record,” and the results are on the radio. It’s pretty good bang for your buck, really.
Let’s get back to you. The studio is an important part of your process, but I’m wondering what sorts of projects you would love to branch out into.
I focus on music. I focus on great songs and great arrangements. I’m not stuck in any one style. I try to do diverse things. I’ve worked with tons of international artists. I did two albums for B’z, who are the biggest artists in the history of Japan—in all of Asia, actually. I just mixed another artist for Universal Japan this last week. I work with a band called Cruz from Brazil, a new act that I’m developing. They’re kind of rock/alternative.
What do you feel defines your style as a producer?
I’m really detail-oriented. I’m not particularly a “vibe” guy. Usually, it’s more about finding the essence of what things should be and then working through the particulars: Is the song in the right key? Is the arrangement correct? Just as importantly, I try to get people to listen to each other. A lot of times, you have four guys in a band and they’re not paying attention to what the others are doing. I try to make them aware of all the different parts, which can be pretty eye-opening. Then I can bring it together, and make sure that everyone is on the same page.
I take it that the majority of projects that come to you are bands.
The band thing is kind of my forte—putting five people in a room and just coming out with something great. Breaking down everyone’s egos and barriers.
Are you a player as well?
I’m a keyboard player, but I don’t really play much anymore. I played in bands forever and did Top 40 gigs and little session gigs. I would take my demos to people and they’d say, “You know, your band sucks, but the recording is really good. Have you ever thought about producing or engineering?” I said, “Does it pay?” Turns out it did.
What have you been working on?
I mixed “The Sound of Winter” mix for Bush. I just got back from Milan, where I recorded the new Lacuna Coil album; I also mixed the new P.O.D. record. I’ve produced a couple of bands, including Otherwise and Girl On Fire for Century Media. I just mixed a Flyleaf song featuring Sonny from P.O.D. I have a partnership, along with the studio, with Uproar Festival, a rock tour that goes out over the summer. They have a contest to see who goes on the tour; we pick a band and record with them, which is a cool way of developing new talent. That’s been fun.
What’s it like to bring in a band that presumably has tons of potential but is fairly raw?
Sometimes it’s like fixing an old car or an old house. You see the potential, even though most people would say, “Oh, God, why don’t I just buy a new car?” But I know this could be a hot rod when we’re done.
Obviously, your toolbox is a big part of that. Do you want to say a little bit about NRG?
It’s the best creative space there is. Just being able to bring people in and have the time to work with them. I really enjoy getting in and working on the nuts and bolts—teaching people the right way to do things.
There used to be this idea of the studio as sort of a sacred site with an inherent magic. That perception has been diminished, because now it’s so easy to have a home studio with a ton of plug-ins.
Well, that’s the way I started. I had a home studio, and it got bigger and bigger. The hard part is having the best staff. I’m able to get the most talented people, and my people have the experience of working with the best people in the world. When you’re constantly working with great artists like Jon Brion or John Fogerty, it really ups your game, as opposed being in your home studio by yourself. Can you do the same thing in both places? Yeah. But, when you come into NRG, it’s a different standard that you have to uphold. You say to yourself, “This is where Linkin Park makes all their records. We have no excuses.”
Are there certain sonic attributes of the space that really stand out for you?
It sounds amazing, but it’s easy to and quick to get to that point. You’re not pecking around in the dark trying to figure things out. Working at NRG takes less time to do those things because your results are very predictable. The monitoring environment is the best there is, so you can really hear what you’re recording—you’re not just recording a million parts for no reason. Over years and tons of hit records, you can say, “This is what we did on this record,” and the results are on the radio. It’s pretty good bang for your buck, really.
Let’s get back to you. The studio is an important part of your process, but I’m wondering what sorts of projects you would love to branch out into.
I focus on music. I focus on great songs and great arrangements. I’m not stuck in any one style. I try to do diverse things. I’ve worked with tons of international artists. I did two albums for B’z, who are the biggest artists in the history of Japan—in all of Asia, actually. I just mixed another artist for Universal Japan this last week. I work with a band called Cruz from Brazil, a new act that I’m developing. They’re kind of rock/alternative.
What do you feel defines your style as a producer?
I’m really detail-oriented. I’m not particularly a “vibe” guy. Usually, it’s more about finding the essence of what things should be and then working through the particulars: Is the song in the right key? Is the arrangement correct? Just as importantly, I try to get people to listen to each other. A lot of times, you have four guys in a band and they’re not paying attention to what the others are doing. I try to make them aware of all the different parts, which can be pretty eye-opening. Then I can bring it together, and make sure that everyone is on the same page.
I take it that the majority of projects that come to you are bands.
The band thing is kind of my forte—putting five people in a room and just coming out with something great. Breaking down everyone’s egos and barriers.
Are you a player as well?
I’m a keyboard player, but I don’t really play much anymore. I played in bands forever and did Top 40 gigs and little session gigs. I would take my demos to people and they’d say, “You know, your band sucks, but the recording is really good. Have you ever thought about producing or engineering?” I said, “Does it pay?” Turns out it did.
