2015
MixTrips: Tom and Kenny at Cold Spring Tavern
On Saturday, July 11, Chris Pelonis picked me up in Los Olivos in his Porsche convertible and said, “You wanna go get a beer...
Post Type blog
2015
MixTrips: Chris Pelonis
Chris has been a longtime friend and I’ve thought from day one that he had one of the great creative/technical minds in our industry.
2015
MixTrips: What It Is
I’ve been at Mix since 1988, and I’ve seen a lot in this world of professional audio.
2015
MixTrips: Finding a Groove on the Road
I’ve said it before in these pages: I’ve always wanted to go out on summer tour.
2015
Who’s Keeping Score?
If there is one thing you can say about the digital age so far it’s that there has been a remarkable level of indifference...
2015
Where Will We Be?
When I was a kid, I used to play a daydreamer’s game of “where will I be?”—when I’m 20, 30, in the year 2000,...
2015
Reflections From the Bay
“It is represented to us that the universal suffrage, as now existing throughout the Union, is abused; that fraud and corruption prevent a fair...
2015
This One’s for My Buddy Dwight
You don’t know Dwight. There’s really no reason you should. He’s not a recording engineer or live sound professional. He doesn’t make audio products......
2015
What Is a Recording Studio?
Back in 1989 when I walked into John Mellencamp’s Belmont Mall Studios off Highway 46 east of Bloomington, Ind., I had no idea that...
2015
Class of 2015: You’re On Your Own, Kid
I always look forward to reading Mix’s “Class Of” issue.
2015
Everybody Loves a Good Story
I’m of mostly Irish descent, and I come from a large family. My undergrad degree is in history and my master’s is in journalism....
2015
Pick Up Your Pro Tools Pace
While attention to detail and organization are vital elements in professional session workflow, speed can often make or break a session.
2015
Where Legacy Becomes Future
When we last featured Capitol Studios on the Mix cover, in November 2012, we invited a whole gang of L.A.’s finest engineers and producers...
2015
Tales From the Client Side
The ink was barely dry on my January 2015 column about the dynamics of dealing with artists when I found myself in a situation...
2015
What Kind of User Are You?
Last month I wrote about new subscription/membership models that are now being offered by Avid, Slate Digital, Cakewalk and Audionamix.
2015
Never Settle for Good Enough
Toto could have easily phoned this one in and nobody would have blamed them, or even criticized them.
2015
Subscriptions Anyone?
It’s nothing new. You’re likely reading Mix because you have a subscription. It’s based on a mutual agreement.
2015
Redemption and the Personal Studio
The semester was nearing its end when one of my students showed up after missing class for most of the term.
2015
The Industry and the Engineer
There is a long tradition of artist-industry collaboration in professional audio, and it comes in many, many forms
2015
When Do You Trash Your Preferences?
At the risk of sounding like a VO in a movie trailer (“In a world, where everything is everywhere...), when you have unlimited tracks,...
2014
It’s All About the Experience
You can’t talk about recording studios without talking about their “vibe.”
2014
Don’t Forget to Stretch
At the start of every new year, I like to take an assessment of my studio life, looking at both the gear I have...
2014
Fundamentals
As often as possible, we need to remind the people we mentor that the fundamentals of audio apply to both studio and stage.
2014
Education Through Teamwork
Although the major stars don’t often admit it in public (except, perhaps, on the awards podium), success in the music business is the result...
2014
Professional Development
One question I hear most often from students who want a career in pro audio is how can they break into the business.
Blog
Robair Report: Time and Space in L.A.
"If you’re early, you’re on time. If you’re on time, you’re late."
Blog
Tech Talk: 18 Years in L.A.
I’ve lived in Cleveland, Phoenix, Washington, D.C., and now twice in Nashville, but the city I spent the biggest chunk of time in is...
Blog
TechTalk: Upgrade? Is It Time Yet?
As an engineer, educator, content creator and communicator, I’m constantly wrestling with tech upgrades. But the first question I have to always ask myself...
Blog
Robair Report: The Eternal Swap Meet
Do the products we use for music production ever become obsolete if they still work?
Blog
TechTalk: Do Nothing
I’m always looking for something to do. Call it OCD, OMG, WTF or whatever you’d like—one of my dearest friends calls me her “favorite...
Blog
TechTalk: On Being A Sponge
Everyone knows the Chinese blessing/curse, “May you live in interesting times.” For me, the polarity-flipped blessing would be, “May you always be surrounded by...
Blog
TechTalk: It’s About Time
We all deal with timing every day. From hitting the stoplights on the way to work to setting a song tempo, making business decisions...
Blog
TechTalk: MetApeel
Metadata is like a banana peel. It looks great on the banana, but once it’s separated, no one wants to own it. Who will...
Blog
TechTalk: Traveling Rigs
NAMM is in a couple of weeks. I’ve been going to these shows since the 1980s, and I always get the same buzz from...
Blog
TechTalk: Top Gear From 2013
The last 12 months have been an interesting ride for our business. Dealers I questioned at Winter NAMM were lukewarm about business, but just...
Blog
TechTalk: The Conversation is Changing
I’ve talked about quality more than a few times in this column. I’m a firm believer that quality is cheaper when buying gear, and...
Blog
Robair Report | Know-It-All
I recently played a show at a major performing arts facility on the East Coast, which not only had exceptional sound and lighting, and...