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Interview with Electronic Music Collective Hyasynth House

Hyasynth House is a Nashville-based electronic music collective for female, trans and non-binary creatives founded in 2018 by Jess Chambers and Eve Maret. The pair have been incredibly productive since the group’s inception, having hosted a wide variety of events like electronic music meet-ups, live shows, and even a live score accompaniment to classic silent films at the Belcourt Theatre in Nashville. Most of all, the group works hard to foster a community where female, trans, and non-binary artists have a readily accessible platform to express their talents as well as meet and learn from one another.

What inspired you both to start Hyasynth House?

Jess: I was playing shows around Nashville and found myself to be almost always the only female on the bill. The live electronic music scene at that time was mostly made up of cis-men. I was curious to see if I could help change this by reaching out to femme, non-binary and trans electronic artists and helping them get a functioning live setup so we could play shows together! I got excited about the idea of having regular meet-ups to discuss gear and creative process.

Eve: Like Jess, I too longed for a sense of community here in Nashville. Before Hyasynth House, I had considered moving away because I didn’t feel like I was connecting to many people creatively. I’ve always needed to be stimulated and inspired, to make meaningful connections to other artists, and to promote positive change through creative expression. With Hyasynth House, I envisioned a music scene that was more inclusive and diverse; one that centered around the notion of providing a platform for female, non-binary, and trans artists to freely express themselves and learn from each other. At its conception, Hyasynth House represented a microcosm of a healthy society.

Are there other collectives or groups out there that you’ve modeled Hyasynth House from or take examples from?

Jess:  I’m very inspired by Discwoman. They’re a New York-based collective, booking agency, and event platform. They started as three friends putting on a 2-day festival featuring all their female friends who DJ and the response was so positive that they continued as an agency. They have used their success as a platform to be vocal about gender and racial discrimination issues within the electronic music industry.

Can you talk about your experience in the music community in Nashville and how Hyasynth House plays a role within it?

Jess: Our experience has generally been very positive. There is something special about femme, non-binary and trans artists hanging out and making things happen for ourselves. It feels powerful and beautiful, and it’s so much fun!

Hyasynth House works to bring together and uplift female, non-binary and trans creatives. We’ve held meet-ups where artists demonstrate their live setups and teamed up with local techno label Tram Planet to run a DJ workshop. We gathered artists to perform at high-profile events such as the Big Ears Festival 12 Hour drone and Science on Screen at The Belcourt Theatre. We’ve hosted shows for local and touring artists. We’ve been proactive in having conversations with local promoters about how we can collectively deal with harassers and curate safer and more diverse live shows across the entire underground/D.I.Y. scene.

What impact do you hope to have on the electronic community in Nashville and beyond?

Eve: We hope to see more gender and racial diversity in the music industry. I feel really grateful for the people I’ve met through Hyasynth House who have touched my life in a really beautiful way, and for the opportunity to bring people together and uplift one another. This ripple effect has the power to make a difference!

What work do you think in this realm is most important?

Eve: Having an all cis-male lineup at a show is not acceptable. Female, non-binary, and trans artists need to be given a platform to be creative. Giving marginalized people a safe space to be vulnerable and share their art is an absolute necessity, both for our individual healing and the healing of the community at large.

How are you tackling these issues?

Jess: Our meet-ups and workshops are exclusively for femme, non-binary and trans people at this time. We believe this is an ideal environment for our collective learning. That said, we are not policing anyone’s gender, and we won’t turn anyone away. We also prioritize calling in talent that is female, non-binary and trans when we have events, so we are directly giving opportunities to the marginalized groups we are focused on.

What challenges has Hyasynth House faced since founding? What kind of regional and local reactions have you received?

Eve: What’s challenged us most has been coping with the behavior of those who don’t understand our vision. Intentionally creating space for female, non-binary and trans artists in our community has sometimes touched a nerve, and certain people have had intensely negative reactions to what we do. It’s hard for them to accept that there’s no “one, right way” to building a diverse music scene. How we’ve chosen to navigate this work is our choice, and we’ve seen a lot of positive changes (individually and collectively) take place as a result. We’ve been offered a great deal of help, and people share their opinions freely with us. We strive to remain open and adaptable while standing by our values. Ultimately, we make decisions based off of what we believe is in the best interest of the people we advocate for. We’ve received a great deal of positive support both locally and across the nation in the form of articles, awards, and the blossoming of mutually beneficial creative relationships.

Can you talk about the artists you have worked with so far with Hyasynth House?

Eve: We’ve been really lucky to showcase the work of amazing artists from Nashville and across the country. Linda Heck, Amaryah Shaye, Erika Glück, Annalyse Clark, Belly Full Of Stars, Adrienne Franke, are a few local artists who’ve been involved in our workshops and shows. Tessa♡ (Cassie Lopez and Edie Babs), Pearl Crush, and Precious Child are non-local artists we’ve had perform at our events.

Favorite piece of gear in your arsenal?

Jess: Roland SE-02 synthesizer

Eve: Ableton Push 2

Best piece of advice you’ve received for your music career?

Eve: Once, at work, a customer came in with a shirt that said, “Quit work. Play music.”

Jess:  This from Discwoman Co-Founder Frankie Decaiza Hutchinson… (not directly to me, but really valuable advice) ”Don’t compete. Try and focus on yourself. People are always going to look like they’re doing cooler shit than you. It’s really just a big distraction and I see that a lot. I know we all experience jealousy and these kinds of feelings….don’t compare yourself to other people.”

Advice you have for other artists?

Eve: Follow your heart! You can do anything you can imagine, just stay true to yourself.

Jess: Aim to touch people’s hearts. Making music isn’t about being clever; it’s about sharing something real. If someone feels it first rather than deconstructs it intellectually, then you’ve tapped into the power of music and art.

What do you have coming up that you’re excited about?

Eve: I’m moving to California in August, and Jess and I are exploring what form Hyasynth House will take once I’m out West. We will continue to expand, connect people and ideas, and host events. I’m most excited about inviting more people to have a hand in coordinating events. We want those who are touched by Hyasynth House to feel welcome to use it as a resource to manifest their creative visions. Reach out to us!

www.instagram.com/hyasynth_house

www.facebook.com/hyasynthhousetn

Jess Chambers aka Dream Chambers

www.instagram.com/dreamchambers

www.facebook.com/dreamchambers

Eve Maret

www.instagram.com/evemaret

www.facebook.com/evemaretmusic

 

 

Mix With the Masters Scholarships Available- Bob Power

SoundGirls Members have the chance to receive a 1000 euro scholarship provided to SoundGirls members from Mix With The Masters. There are three scholarships available for the week-long session with Grammy and Multi-platinum Producer/Mixer Bob Power.

This is a week-long seminar valued approximately at 4,000 euros and includes lectures and workshops, accommodation within the mansion, catering (breakfast, lunch, dinner) the fitness room, swimming pool and shuttles from Avignon to the studio.

You must have an advanced understanding of audio and work as producer/mixer/engineer to attend Mix with the Masters.

Session Dates: June 7-13th

Apply for the scholarships here

Deadline to apply is May 17th

You are responsible for Travel to France and remainder of balance to Mix with the Masters.

Session Includes

  • private bedroom, on site within the mansion for 6 nights
  • Full-board accommodation with meals prepared by gourmet chefs on-site
  • Return shuttle services from Avignon to Studios La Fabrique
  • Unlimited drinks and snacks throughout the week
  • Approximately 50 hours in the studio with the guest speaker
  • One-on-one time between you and the master to assess and work on your own material
  • Professional photography done throughout the week, including portrait shots of you with the Master
  • Hundreds of full-resolution photos shared with you afterwards via download link, to keep and use as you please
  • A certificate of completion issued on behalf of Mix With the Masters and Studios La Fabrique, signed by the Master if you wish
  • Exclusive MWTM merchandise given only to seminar attendees: embossed Moleskine notepads, pens, mugs, t-shirts, USB keys and stickers.
  • Use of the La Fabrique swimming pool, garden, fitness centre, and scenic walks
  • Nearby access to the enchanting town of St. Rémy de Provence

About Bob Price:

Grammy and Multi-platinum Producer/Mixer Bob Power possesses a wide and diverse range of musical talents: producer, engineer, composer, arranger, performer, and educator. In the recording world, Power has produced, recorded, or mixed hundreds of pop and jazz recordings for such artists and groups as Erykah Badu (produced and mixed 1998 Grammy “Best Female R&B Vocal”, “Best Female R&B Album”), A Tribe Called Quest, D’Angelo, Bobby Mc Ferrin, Chaka Khan, MeShell N’degeOcello, Ozomatli (produced and mixed 2002 Grammy “Best Alternative Latin Album”), De La Soul, Common, Jason Moran, Miles Davis, the Roots, Mos Def, Reggie Watts, Curtis Mayfield, David Byrne, Spike Lee, The Jungle Brothers, Quincy Jones (Remix), and Run DMC. A 1997 Grammy Award nominee himself for mixing, Bob Power has had over 40 charting records, and has received more than 20 gold or platinum records.

In the broadcast advertising world, Bob Power has written and produced music for Coca Cola, BMW, Philip Morris, Mercedes, Casio, the American Cancer Society (EMMY Award winner), and many others.

Holding two university music degrees, he began his studio career scoring for television in the late 1970s.

In addition to producing, mixing ,and mastering at his studio Chez Bob in New York, Power teaches at the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, Tisch School of the Arts, New York University.

Program

The process of greatness fostering greatness has long been recognized and is the reason why master classes are organized. The Mix With The Master’s seminars is part of this tradition, offering an exchange of in-depth first-hand studio experience and knowledge that is unparalleled and not available anywhere else. Each seminar is conducted by one of the world’s top music mixers and producers, ready to share their professional secrets with a select group of a maximum of 14 carefully-screened, professional-level participants, who come from all over the world.

One factor that contributes to the enormous success of the seminars is that all tutors support the general MWTM ethos, which is about the love of music, music technology and wanting to help others. Participants also are in part selected on displaying similar, positive attitudes. The fact that the seminars last a full week is another major contributory factor because it offers tutors the time and space to go into real depth, and the participants the opportunity to spend a prolonged time watching a master at his peak, and to ask any question they can think of.

The tutors share exclusive, insider-information on any subject: detailed technical knowledge, how to run sessions, how to handle artists, how to manage a career, the right attitude, how to remain successful, and more. The tutors also assess the work of the participants, by listening to their mixes and mixing recording sessions that they bring, and providing extensive feedback to each participant on where they are at, and how they can get to where they want to be. This is invaluable and offers participants wanting to become world-class professionals in their own right a unique advantage.

Another primary factor in making the MWTM seminars exceptional is that they take place at La Fabrique, a large, comfortable, high-end recording studio located in a picturesque historic building, surrounded by huge, lush grounds, and set in the south-east for France in one of the world’s most beautiful environments. The secluded and idyllic location offers the participants and tutors a lot of space to relax and recharge, far away from the hustle and bustle of daily life and the all-demanding intensity of their regular professional environments.

Because the courses are residential, the participants and tutor work, eat, socialize, and sleep in the same environment. While tutors, and participants, will at times opt to retire to their private quarters, there is ample opportunity for social interaction outside of the studio environment. Participants interact extensively with each other and the tutor, making it easier to assimilate the intangible qualities necessary to be successful at the highest level—presence, focus, social skills, intelligence, creativity, the right attitude, and so on.

In short, for seven days participants can experience mixing with a master in both senses of the phrase, mixing and interacting with them. Get more information about Studio La Fabrique

 

 

Mix With the Masters Scholarships Available- Bob Power

SoundGirls Members have the chance to receive a 1000 euro scholarship provided to SoundGirls members from Mix With The Masters. There are three scholarships available for the week-long session with Grammy and Multi-platinum Producer/Mixer Bob Power.

This is a week-long seminar valued approximately at 4,000 euros and includes lectures and workshops, accommodation within the mansion, catering (breakfast, lunch, dinner) the fitness room, swimming pool and shuttles from Avignon to the studio.

You must have an advanced understanding of audio and work as producer/mixer/engineer to attend Mix with the Masters.

Session Dates: June 7-13th

Apply for the scholarships here

Deadline to apply is May 17th

You are responsible for Travel to France and remainder of balance to Mix with the Masters.

Session Includes

  • private bedroom, on site within the mansion for 6 nights
  • Full-board accommodation with meals prepared by gourmet chefs on-site
  • Return shuttle services from Avignon to Studios La Fabrique
  • Unlimited drinks and snacks throughout the week
  • Approximately 50 hours in the studio with the guest speaker
  • One-on-one time between you and the master to assess and work on your own material
  • Professional photography done throughout the week, including portrait shots of you with the Master
  • Hundreds of full-resolution photos shared with you afterwards via download link, to keep and use as you please
  • A certificate of completion issued on behalf of Mix With the Masters and Studios La Fabrique, signed by the Master if you wish
  • Exclusive MWTM merchandise given only to seminar attendees: embossed Moleskine notepads, pens, mugs, t-shirts, USB keys and stickers.
  • Use of the La Fabrique swimming pool, garden, fitness centre, and scenic walks
  • Nearby access to the enchanting town of St. Rémy de Provence

About Bob Price:

Grammy and Multi-platinum Producer/Mixer Bob Power possesses a wide and diverse range of musical talents: producer, engineer, composer, arranger, performer, and educator. In the recording world, Power has produced, recorded, or mixed hundreds of pop and jazz recordings for such artists and groups as Erykah Badu (produced and mixed 1998 Grammy “Best Female R&B Vocal”, “Best Female R&B Album”), A Tribe Called Quest, D’Angelo, Bobby Mc Ferrin, Chaka Khan, MeShell N’degeOcello, Ozomatli (produced and mixed 2002 Grammy “Best Alternative Latin Album”), De La Soul, Common, Jason Moran, Miles Davis, the Roots, Mos Def, Reggie Watts, Curtis Mayfield, David Byrne, Spike Lee, The Jungle Brothers, Quincy Jones (Remix), and Run DMC. A 1997 Grammy Award nominee himself for mixing, Bob Power has had over 40 charting records, and has received more than 20 gold or platinum records.

In the broadcast advertising world, Bob Power has written and produced music for Coca Cola, BMW, Philip Morris, Mercedes, Casio, the American Cancer Society (EMMY Award winner), and many others.

Holding two university music degrees, he began his studio career scoring for television in the late 1970s.

In addition to producing, mixing ,and mastering at his studio Chez Bob in New York, Power teaches at the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, Tisch School of the Arts, New York University.

Program

The process of greatness fostering greatness has long been recognized and is the reason why master classes are organized. The Mix With The Master’s seminars is part of this tradition, offering an exchange of in-depth first-hand studio experience and knowledge that is unparalleled and not available anywhere else. Each seminar is conducted by one of the world’s top music mixers and producers, ready to share their professional secrets with a select group of a maximum of 14 carefully-screened, professional-level participants, who come from all over the world.

One factor that contributes to the enormous success of the seminars is that all tutors support the general MWTM ethos, which is about the love of music, music technology and wanting to help others. Participants also are in part selected on displaying similar, positive attitudes. The fact that the seminars last a full week is another major contributory factor because it offers tutors the time and space to go into real depth, and the participants the opportunity to spend a prolonged time watching a master at his peak, and to ask any question they can think of.

The tutors share exclusive, insider-information on any subject: detailed technical knowledge, how to run sessions, how to handle artists, how to manage a career, the right attitude, how to remain successful, and more. The tutors also assess the work of the participants, by listening to their mixes and mixing recording sessions that they bring, and providing extensive feedback to each participant on where they are at, and how they can get to where they want to be. This is invaluable and offers participants wanting to become world-class professionals in their own right a unique advantage.

Another primary factor in making the MWTM seminars exceptional is that they take place at La Fabrique, a large, comfortable, high-end recording studio located in a picturesque historic building, surrounded by huge, lush grounds, and set in the south-east for France in one of the world’s most beautiful environments. The secluded and idyllic location offers the participants and tutors a lot of space to relax and recharge, far away from the hustle and bustle of daily life and the all-demanding intensity of their regular professional environments.

Because the courses are residential, the participants and tutor work, eat, socialize, and sleep in the same environment. While tutors, and participants, will at times opt to retire to their private quarters, there is ample opportunity for social interaction outside of the studio environment. Participants interact extensively with each other and the tutor, making it easier to assimilate the intangible qualities necessary to be successful at the highest level—presence, focus, social skills, intelligence, creativity, the right attitude, and so on.

In short, for seven days participants can experience mixing with a master in both senses of the phrase, mixing and interacting with them. Get more information about Studio La Fabrique

 

 

Missed this Week’s Top Stories? Read our Quick Round-up!

It’s easy to miss the SoundGirls news and blogs, so we have put together a round-up of the blogs, articles, and news from the past week. You can keep up to date and read more at SoundGirls.org

April Feature Profile

https://soundgirls.org/town-planning-to-florence-and-the-machine/

The Blogs

Recording Guitars and Bass

Post, Theatre, Foley, and SoundGirls

Internet Round-Up

 

 

Jett Galindo | Mastering Engineer and Vinyl Cutter, The Bakery

 

SoundGirls News

Leslie Gaston-Bird is raising funds for her 50th birthday. Happy Birthday! She is raising funds for the “SoundGirls – Gaston-Bird Travel fund” which has been established to increase the presence of women and those that identify as women at audio trade conferences. Women who have been invited to speak, or sit on panels at audio related trade conferences are welcome to apply. More info at https://soundgirls.org/soundgirls-gaston-bird-travel-fund/

SoundGirls Co-Founder Michelle Sabolchick Pettinato has created a Free eBook called 7 Things Every Live Sound Engineer Should Know

“The most common thing I hear from new engineers and those just getting started in live sound and mixing is how overwhelmed they are with how much there is to know. They focus on trying to learn all of the gear and keeping up with every new piece of equipment or plugin out there, instead of learning the underlying principles and techniques. This is why I created the eBook. There were so many other things I could have listed, but I tried to keep it to what I felt would help solve some of the biggest problems sound engineers face: Understanding how the system works together, being able to mix on any console, dealing with feedback, getting better quality sounds and mixes, and having more confidence in what they are doing.
The book covers these important concepts- Signal Flow, Proper Gain Structure. The eBook explains the importance of these, as well as proper EQ techniques, how to use a gate and compressor, choosing the right microphone, basic troubleshooting, and getting good sounds from the source.”

The link for the free ebook is:
https://www.mixingmusiclive.com/ebook-page

Top 30 Audio Engineering Blogs, News Websites & Newsletters To Follow in 2019

Congratulations to all our bloggers. The SoundGirls Blog is number 12 of the Top 30 Audio Engineering Blogs, News Websites & Newsletters To Follow in 2019.

SoundGirls Events

https://soundgirls.org/event/bay-area-chapter-1st-mondays-meetings/?instance_id=1496

JBL VTX A8 Workshop – May 9 @ Harman Northridge

https://soundgirls.org/event/mastering-w-piper-payne-oakland-2/?instance_id=1522

https://soundgirls.org/event/vancouver-meyer/?instance_id=1524

https://soundgirls.org/event/vancouver-soundgirls-social-3/?instance_id=1526

SoundGirls Wikipedia Edit-A-Thon – May 26th

Register For Career Paths in Recording Arts

 

https://soundgirls.org/event/los-angeles-soundgirls-june-social/?instance_id=1555

SoundGirls Intro to Soldering – Colorado

SoundGirls Opportunities

Scholarships Available for Smaart Training

 

SoundGirls and SoundGym

Shadowing/Mentoring/Internship Opportunities

Shadowing Opportunity w/ ME Aaron Foye

Shadowing Opportunity – Brad Madix and Annette Guilfoyle

Shadow Gil Eva Craig – NZ & Australia

Viva La Muxer – SoundGirls Volunteers

SoundGirls Resources

Spotify and SoundGirls Team Up – EQL Directory

SoundGirls – Gaston-Bird Travel Fund

Letter for Trades and Manufacturers

Women-Owned Businesses

SoundGirls Scholarships 2021 Now Open

Events

Sexual Harassment

https://soundgirls.org/about-us/soundgirls-chapters/

Jobs and Internships

Women in the Professional Audio

Member Benefits

From Making Tea to Top Gear

Lucy J Mitchell is a freelance Sound Editor and Dubbing Mixer for TV, Film, and Computer Games living on the Surrey-London border. Lucy has been working in the Audio Post Production industry for ten years and works on all genres and all areas of sound editorial. Lucy is a writer for renowned audio industry website Protools Expert, has both chaired and been part of panel discussions at BVE and The Media Production Show, and is a guest lecturer and workshop leader at multiple Universities and 6th Form Colleges.

Lucy started her career at Envy Post Production as a Runner in 2009 after graduating from University with a Classical Music and Musicology degree. Whilst at Envy she was named one of the Top 30 Under 30 in Broadcast Magazine’s Broadcast Hotshot feature in 2013 and went freelance in 2015, where she has worked for multiple post-houses, film production companies and independent directors.

Studio Walls being built

She is currently in the final stages of building a sound studio in her garden to house her new business LJ Studios that will be a one-stop shop for all Audio Post Production, including the added services of voice-over and foley recording, and music supervision & composition. She aims to work with the best freelancers around and would love to use as many female engineers and artists as possible. She already has eight freelancers officially onboard, six of whom are women. She will also be offering work experience and training opportunities at the studio, with the aim in encouraging young girls and women to join the industry. The studio will also be baby and child-friendly so that her clients do not worry about needing to sort childcare to come to a dub review.

Credits include BBC’s ‘Top Gear’ and ‘EastEnders’, Amazon Prime’s ‘The Collection’ and National Geographic’s ‘David Attenborough’s Rise of the Animals’, Channel 4’s ‘Derry Girls’, and has just completed all the audio post for a feature Drama ‘Rising Free’ for American production company Lightfall Films, with their next larger budget feature already penciled in with LJ Studios for early 2020.

Lucy grew around TV & Film, her Mum choreographed shows such as The Benny Hill Show, and her Dad ran Carlton Television (now – Outside Broadcasts ‘CTVOB’). While she was interested in their jobs, she did not see an obvious career path that she wished to pursue. Lucy had a musical background and explored available careers, but only knew about Live Sound Engineering. She would work during holidays as a cable basher (running behind the cameras holding the cables and making sure no one trips up) for the Brits and BAFTAs and learned that camera work was not for her. Although, “I’m not going to lie, crouching down behind the camera next to Brad Pitt’s seat, and holding an umbrella over George Clooney on the red carpet at the BAFTAS might still be one of the best days of my life… don’t tell my husband”.

Lucy would take on work experience placements in post houses and studios around London, and this is where she discovered her love of Post Production.  “During my first placement at a full post house, I got sit in various departments including VFX, offline editing, and bookings. However, after my first few hours in the sound studios, I asked my head runner if I could just stay there all week. I loved it!”

At University, she would study classical music and musicology, as she was nervous to focus on a vocational degree in case she changed her mind and wanted transferable skills to obtain employment in a “normal job.” Lucy almost studied Math and Finance but decided she would get bored and looked into combining degrees in math and music.

“I guess that shows where my engineering brain comes from!” but she could not find universities that offered solid programs in both Math and Music, so she chose Music with a sound engineering and production module.  Although when the time came for the engineering module, they only had five spots and drew names out of a hat, sadly Lucy’s name was not one of them. “I was gutted at the time; I wanted just a little training!”

After she graduated, she reached out to various post houses and got a few interviews. She would be placed for a trial day at Envy Post Production and by the end of the day, was offered a full-time job. The first gig at Envy Post Production was as a runner making tea and delivering tapes around Soho. Lucy would spend her lunch breaks and after hours training in both the machine room and studios “this was to learn all areas of the department to help me understand what I’d be assisting.” She was promoted to Audio Assistant after about eight months. “From there, I became head of the Machine Room, before eventually being promoted to Tracklayer (sound editor).”

Lucy is self-taught “I have learnt everything on the job, and since going freelance I’ve done a lot of reading both online and through books and I keep learning. It’s done me well, but I do wish I had some form of training, who knows where I’d be now! I was very intimidated as a runner as every single other person in the kitchen had a relevant degree. I feel like I would have had more confidence in the early years in my career, having more knowledge and experience, and potentially could have moved up the ranks quicker. But I’m proud of where I am despite my lack of formal training,”

After just over six years at Envy, Lucy left to go freelance. “Once I started looking into the freelance thing, initially because my mum was ill, I realised I could work on so many more types of programmes”. Lucy would go on to work on EastEnders (editing and mixing), Derry Girls (dialog editing), The Collection (foley editing), Thomas and Friends (sound effects editing) and computer game Guitar Hero Live (crowd ADR editing and mixing).

What do you like best about working in post?

I like the variety of my job – one day I’m editing dialogues for film, the next I’m adding sound effects to a cartoon series. There’s variety in not only the nature of my work, but the type of programming/films I am working on, and that keeps it interesting. I particularly enjoy recording Voice Overs, so am looking forward to adding VO services to my studio when it is up and running soon.

What do you like least?

Trying to make something sound good that was poorly recorded – it starts as a fun challenge, but then gets increasingly frustrating and a lot less fun. Also, the long hours are difficult, especially if you have super tight schedules and you can’t take many breaks to walk around and stretch your legs. It can also be quite lonely working from home on your own all the time – I’m fortunate that my husband is a freelance Musical Director, so he is around during the day often.

What is your favorite day off activity?

I sing in a show choir, The Adam Street Singers – they’re how I met my husband; actually, he joined as MD shortly after I auditioned. I love singing, love that I keep my musical bones moving, and have some very close friends there.

I also have a Brunch Club with my best Uni friends where we each host brunch every six weeks or so which is great as it can be so hard to make plans with people, especially with the irregularity of my work. We plan out each month at the beginning of the year –and whoever can go, goes. Sometimes there’s three of us; sometimes there’s eight. Both of these ‘activities,’ and dog walking, really help with the loneliness that comes with freelancing.

What if any obstacles or barriers have you faced?

As a freelancer, you are not just ‘competing’ against editors and mixers with the same experience as you; you are competing against people with years more experience, even decades. To clients, you are another Sound Editor or Dubbing Mixer, and they want the best for their show/film. I am still not working on as many dramas, films, and animations as I would like, because there is always someone the clients have used before or someone with more relevant titles on IMDb. It is difficult standing out in a crowd of talented sound engineers.

How have you dealt with them?

I try not to let the competition get me down – I have had problems with comparing myself to people my whole life – but in a way, I think this has helped me a little as it has pushed me to do better. I try to meet potential clients as much as possible so that I can build a rapport with them. They might have a lot of talented editor/mixers on their list, so it’s important to give them a reason to want to work with you.

Advice you have for women who wish to enter the field?

I think you need to have quite thick skin to work in post-production – it still very much is a boys club and I managed to fit in well with the machine room boys as I got involved with the ‘banter,’ gave as good as I got, and generally got on well with them. Perhaps because I was a tomboy as a kid, have two brothers, and was very involved with sport up until a recent injury, the blokey culture wasn’t intimidating to me. Having said that, I have met women in this job who were not like me, and have still not been put off – so I’m not saying you need to act more blokey and get involved in the banter necessarily, but just be prepared for the banter to exist and to not let it put you off. If the banter is inappropriate, then that is a different story of course!

Must have skills?

As I said before, I didn’t have any formal training, or any technical knowledge/skills before I started as a runner. However because of my musical background, I had a ‘good ear,’ and my math background meant that I didn’t find the more technical/engineering side of the job too difficult. If you want to be a freelancer, then good organisation is key. And although you may spend a lot of time working alone, good people skills are worth their weight in gold – either winning new clients or maintaining olds ones! Word of mouth is still well and truly alive, and often the only way to get the work you want.

Favorite gear?

I don’t have any particular gear I use – I have some new microphones and headphones for the new studio so I may change my mind. But for me, I rely on a few plugins that I would recommend to anyone and everyone. The two I use the most, both happen to be useful for dialogues. RX7 Advanced – for noise reduction, ambience/eq matching and general cleanup magic; and my most recent purchase, Auto Align Post – for syncing up slightly out-of-phase microphones. Unless I am purely working on sound effects, I use both of the plug-ins on every job without fail.

What are your long term goals?

I would like to be a Supervising Sound Editor for TV Drama and Film, and also work on more animations. I also would like also grow my business, LJ Studios, to move to a proper facility and be a go-to one-stop-shop for all audio post-production. My husband and I are planning on working together in the new studio recording singers and mixing some small groups and choirs, so it would also be amazing to have a studio that can facilitate larger choir recordings and to grow the music department of LJ Studios.

For more  information on Lucy and her credit list

Lucy J Sound

LJ Studios Ltd

Interview on PSN Europe

 

SoundGirls Intro to Soldering – Colorado

Soldering is a necessary skill for audio engineers and techs. Being able to make and repair your cables can get you out of a tight spot and save you money. In this workshop, you’ll learn proper soldering techniques to carry with you to live gigs, in the studio and beyond! We’ll build XLR and TRS or TS cables that you can take home with you. Please note that you will need to bring your own soldering kit with you – see below for options. If you don’t have one, don’t fret!

This class will address the knowledge and techniques required to produce high-quality manually soldered joints and provide an overview of the basic manual soldering equipment and the proper safety precautions for soldering. You will be able to take your finished mic and guitar cables home to continue practice soldering.

If you cannot bring a soldering iron to class please email us at soundgirls@soundgirls.org and we will try and locate a loaner.

Required Tools to Bring to Class

 

 

Recording Guitars and Bass

Hey SoundGirls! This month’s blog is a continuation of the last month. In March, I started writing about the process of recording a simple four-piece band. I started with drums. This month I will be moving on to guitars and bass.

Guitars.

Recording this instrument is truly in its own ball game. Capturing guitar tones is an art and a skill that has to be honed. Having a good ear is essential for recording any kind of guitars. For time sake, I’ll just be covering recording electric guitars and bass. (I’ll make a blog about recording acoustic later on – I promise).

I’m going to create a scenario here (there are many different factors that go into what mics you’ll pick depending on the kind of gear the guitarist is using). Let’s say he is playing a Fender Jazzmaster through an Orange combo with your standard pedal board (reverb, delay, distortion, compressor). For this setup, I usually like to keep it simple. I’d go with a dynamic, and a condenser microphone. Although for this, I’ll make it interesting and go with a ribbon microphone rather than a condenser. Recently I’ve been recording electric guitars with a Royer 121 (ribbon mic) paired with a dynamic microphone (usually an sm57 or an sm7b).

Placement

For the SM57, I will place this facing directly at the center of the cone of the speaker. For the Royer 121, I will place this off-center of the cone all while setting up the mics to have a “good phase.” Alright, now that we have picked our microphones and placed them on the amp- let’s pick our signal chain and start getting tones!

For pre-amps, I’m going to send the SM57 through a Shadow Hill. On the Shadow Hill model, I am familiar with; you can pick what kind of metal you want your sound running through. You can choose from nickel, steel, or have a mix of the two called “discrete.” Let’s go with discrete. Since its an SM57, we aren’t getting much warmth from the microphone. This is why I picked a tube pre-amp. I want to have some color. For the Royer 121, I want to send this through a Neve 1073. My reasoning for this is because I really want to have full control of the sound here. With the 1073, I have some simple high, low, and mid-band eqs to mess with after I dial in the mic. If I hear something I don’t like- I can take it out without there being a dramatic change. That’s my main reason for picking this pre for this mic. Before we move on, I want to touch on why I chose the Royer 121. The 121 is a ribbon. Ribbons are known for being a little dark. In this situation, I don’t mind, because we are recording guitars. Especially where I have placed the ribbon mic on the amp, having a dark microphone will round out the top end of what we are getting from the guitar a bit.

Bass

For this instrument, nine times out of ten for live tracking I send the bass DI through a tube pre-amp. Which tube pre do you use, you ask? Well, it depends on what studio I am working out of. The studio I went to school at, and still, frequently occupy while recording with my band- I use the Voxbox. So, let’s say we are at that studio. I like to use the Voxbox because it also has a built-in compressor. I just tap the compressor a bit to put the bass in its place during tracking, and usually, heavily compress in the box during mixing. The Avalon is another great pre-amp choice for tracking bass. Both of the pre-amps have built-in EQs that you can use to bring out the fundamental of the bass.

Here is a mic sheet with the added addition of what we added to our session today.

Instrument Mic Wall Input Pre-amp Compressor Eq Pro-Tools Input
Kick In D112 1 API 1 DBX 1
Kick Out Fet47 2 API 2 2
Snare T Sm57 3 API 3 Chandler Little Devil 3
Snare B Km84 4 API 4 4
Rack Tom V421 5 Vintech 1 5
Floor Tom V421 6 Vintech 2 6
H.H SM7B 7 TubeTech 1 7
O.H Hat Coles 8 Gamma 1 (shadow hills) 8
O.H Ride Coles 9 Gamma 2 (shadow hills) 9
Room L Royer 121 10 UA 610 Distressor 10
Room R Royer 121 11 UA 610 Distressor 11
Bass DI J48 DI 12 Voxbox 12
Elec Dynamic SM57 13 Gamma 1 (shadow hills) 13
Elec Ribbon Royer 121 14 Neve 1073 14

Post, Theatre, Foley, and SoundGirls

Working as a one woman sound recordist and boom op in a short film

As this is my first SoundGirls blog post, I thought it would be a good idea to make it a bit of an introductory one. So hi! My name is Iida Aino Viljanen, and I’m originally from Finland hence the difficult name. I’m a sound designer (and a composer but work mostly in sound design), and I work in both audio post-production for film/video and in theatre. I don’t know if many sound designers like to combine these two areas of work (at least I’ve not met anyone else but hi to all of you who also do this!), but I think it’s an excellent way to keep things exciting. Don’t get me wrong, I love working with both, but it’s refreshing to being able to switch between the two as, even though the process is very similar, the work is also very, very different. Recently, however, I’ve been working more with post-production sound, so I’m hoping there will be some theatre projects ahead in the near future! I’ve also done a little bit of production sound recording/boom operating and that’s something I’m planning to do more in the future as I found it very interesting.

I wanted to become SoundGirls’ blogger as I think this is an amazing channel to find about other audio women’s work and support each other. I mostly work with men in my day-to-day life (however I’ve recently been working with more and more women directors yay! But most audio people I work with are still men, so it’s awesome and inspiring to read what other women are up to and what their experiences in this industry are. Weirdly enough I’ve been also really missing writing after graduating from university so writing this blog fills that gap nicely!

I used to work full-time as an Assistant Dubbing Mixer in broadcast in the UK but after recently relocating to Stockholm, Sweden, I’ve been working as a freelancer. I think both work situations have their pros and cons, but at the moment I am enjoying the possibility of working on very different projects which freelancing allows me to do. Although, it’s at times also very stressful as you need to find your own work and can get a bit lonely. I work mostly on my own devices, but luckily I also freelance at a local audio post-production studio a couple of days a week where I can meet other sound people and people in general. So I don’t become a complete hermit!

I’m still quite early in my career, learning something new almost every day, and I’d say working as an Assistant Dubbing Mixer in post-production house after graduating from university was a beneficial and educational experience that taught me a lot about the work itself but also about the industry we work in. So, to any students or new graduates, I’d recommend applying for runner or assistant level jobs and internships in post-production houses or even just asking if you could shadow someone. It makes a huge difference even in your confidence to see how more experienced persons do things. It’s great to learn from more experienced sound professionals and adapt their workflows to your own. Freelancing can be very lonely, leaving plenty of room for self-doubt, and it helps when you know what you’re doing. Even just seeing a senior-level Dubbing Mixer’s Pro Tools template can be very helpful for your own work. My university course at Glasgow School of Art was excellent (would highly recommend it!) and I learned a lot there but working as an assistant was an even bigger learning curve for me as the tv industry really can be hectic, and you must learn to work fast as well as know your Pro Tools.

I know I would find freelancing more complicated and I would doubt myself a great deal in my work had I not worked in post-production house after graduating. Though, I do realise getting these jobs or even an internship can be tough when there’s plenty of other students applying for the same positions. However, my hot tip is to email all the places you know and to research some more. I’ve noticed that runner and assistant level positions tend not to be advertised very often as annoying as that is, so sometimes they might have been thinking about hiring some help and then boom your email hits their inbox. Just remember to include a showreel or an example of your work to your email – even some university work is good or your final project if you don’t have a showreel yet. It’s much easier to get noticed when they already hear your work and skill level.

Recently I’ve been recording quite a lot of foley for short films, and I’ve enjoyed that! Foley is something I’ve only done a little bit previously, but after these films, I’d love to do it more often as it’s certainly fun. I’ve already noticed that I’m looking at items in grocery stores with Foley in my mind wondering what kind of sounds different things could make. One thing which is not fun though is footsteps and specifically cutting footsteps. After vocalising my frustration about this one of my friends told me about this fantastic invention called Edward Foley Instrument which is a Kontakt player compatible VST that allows you to create footsteps using a midi keyboard. To me, that sounds like a dream come true and according to my friend, it’s genuinely life-changing so this is going to be my next investment! At least a video of it looks great, check it out if you too want to cry while editing footsteps.

Oh and as I’ve found out during my foley experimenting if you ever need to record poop smearing sounds porridge works wonders!

Foley recording porridge aka cow poo

That’s about it for this time! As I previously mentioned I have recently relocated to Stockholm so if you’re a SoundGirl living in Stockholm, please get in touch via Twitter or you can find my email address on my website! I would love to meet other audio women here.

I thought it would be a fun idea to finish my posts with little recommendation lists of podcasts, videos, and articles about women in audio that I’ve found interesting. So here goes my first list of recommended content:

Tonebenders – Episode 099. Sound Design for VFX Round Table (Podcast)

(Can also be found on SoundCloud and Podcasts-app.)

Nia Hansen (Avengers films) and Paula Fairfield (Game of Thrones) discuss designing creature and superhero sounds, and honestly, this was one of the most interesting and inspiring discussions I’ve heard for a while.

Sisters of Sound – Episode 15. Sound Editor Claire Dobson (Podcast)

(Can also be found on Podcasts-app.)

To be honest this whole series is worth listening to as it’s all about women in audio – not just in audio post-production but also in music, sound art, engineering, etc. but I thought this episode was especially interesting as they interview sound editor Claire Dobson who’s worked for example on The Handmaid’s Tale, Vikings and Fargo.

LNA Does Audio Stuff (Youtube channel)

My dear friend LNA had enough of the male dominance of Youtube audio tutorials so she made her own channel. If you are wondering about which speakers to buy for your home studio, how to set up a home studio or how to get started with Ableton then check this channel out! LNA is also open for suggestions so if you have an audio question you’d like an answer for or if you want to know how something is done message her or comment on her videos and she’ll make a tutorial for it!

Find more Podcasts with Women in Audio here

If you want to follow me elsewhere here are the links to do so:

Iida Aino is a sound designer and composer based in Stockholm, Sweden. She’s originally from Finland but has spent most of her adult life living, studying and working in the UK and has only recently relocated to Stockholm. She graduated with a Master degree in Sound for the Moving Image from Glasgow School of Art in 2017. Even though she’s still early on in her career her work already includes short films, tv programmes, adverts, installations, and theatre shows. Currently, she works as a freelancer and won the Best Sound Design Award at the feminist Underwire Film Festival in London in 2018. Iida Aino enjoys all things audio (especially spatial audio is an area she’d like to experiment more with!) and loves the way women in this industry support each other. iidaainosound.wordpress.com

Read Iida’s Blog

 

Missed this Week’s Top Stories? Read our Quick Round-up!

It’s easy to miss the SoundGirls news and blogs, so we have put together a round-up of the blogs, articles, and news from the past week. You can keep up to date and read more at SoundGirls.org

April Feature Profile

https://soundgirls.org/town-planning-to-florence-and-the-machine/

The Blogs

Career Paths in Film and TV Sound: Stories of Tenacity

Positive Action for Women in Music

The Simple Home Studio Kit

Internet Round-Up

 

Ele Matelan is the director of public outreach at WildClaw Theatre. On February 11, she gave an Artist Talk to Northwestern’s Sound Arts and Industries students about Foley.

 

Q&A with sound no.1 on Six The Musical Eleanor Theodorou

 

SoundGirls News

Leslie Gaston-Bird is raising funds for her 50th birthday. Happy Birthday! She is raising funds for the “SoundGirls – Gaston-Bird Travel fund” which has been established to increase the presence of women and those that identify as women at audio trade conferences. Women who have been invited to speak, or sit on panels at audio related trade conferences are welcome to apply. More info at https://soundgirls.org/soundgirls-gaston-bird-travel-fund/

SoundGirls Co-Founder Michelle Sabolchick Pettinato has created a Free eBook called 7 Things Every Live Sound Engineer Should Know

“The most common thing I hear from new engineers and those just getting started in live sound and mixing is how overwhelmed they are with how much there is to know. They focus on trying to learn all of the gear and keeping up with every new piece of equipment or plugin out there, instead of learning the underlying principles and techniques. This is why I created the eBook. There were so many other things I could have listed, but I tried to keep it to what I felt would help solve some of the biggest problems sound engineers face: Understanding how the system works together, being able to mix on any console, dealing with feedback, getting better quality sounds and mixes, and having more confidence in what they are doing.
The book covers these important concepts- Signal Flow, Proper Gain Structure. The eBook explains the importance of these, as well as proper EQ techniques, how to use a gate and compressor, choosing the right microphone, basic troubleshooting, and getting good sounds from the source.”

The link for the free ebook is:
https://www.mixingmusiclive.com/ebook-page

Top 30 Audio Engineering Blogs, News Websites & Newsletters To Follow in 2019

Congratulations to all our bloggers. The SoundGirls Blog is number 12 of the Top 30 Audio Engineering Blogs, News Websites & Newsletters To Follow in 2019.

SoundGirls Events

https://soundgirls.org/event/bay-area-chapter-1st-mondays-meetings/?instance_id=1496

JBL VTX A8 Workshop – May 9 @ Harman Northridge

https://soundgirls.org/event/mastering-w-piper-payne-oakland-2/?instance_id=1522

https://soundgirls.org/event/vancouver-meyer/?instance_id=1524

https://soundgirls.org/event/vancouver-soundgirls-social-3/?instance_id=1526

SoundGirls Wikipedia Edit-A-Thon – May 26th

Register For Career Paths in Recording Arts

SoundGirls Opportunities

Scholarships Available for Smaart Training

 

SoundGirls and SoundGym

Shadowing/Mentoring/Internship Opportunities

Shadowing Opportunity w/ ME Aaron Foye

Shadowing Opportunity – Brad Madix and Annette Guilfoyle

Shadow Gil Eva Craig – NZ & Australia

Viva La Muxer – SoundGirls Volunteers

SoundGirls Resources

Spotify and SoundGirls Team Up – EQL Directory

SoundGirls – Gaston-Bird Travel Fund

Letter for Trades and Manufacturers

Women-Owned Businesses

SoundGirls Scholarships 2021 Now Open

Events

Sexual Harassment

https://soundgirls.org/about-us/soundgirls-chapters/

Jobs and Internships

Women in the Professional Audio

Member Benefits

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