Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1057439
C A S Q U A R T E R L Y F A L L 2 0 1 8 23 elements are more fixed position. The industries that are pushing immersive are VR/AR/XR, video games, and internet content. Once it gets more and more into the home, then I'll probably adjust my room. It is fun to mix in that environment though! What's the coolest place you've recorded in outside of the LA area? Recording at Abbey Road. I have been over there a bunch the past couple of years. It's so strange if you're a gear head like I am, as you'll be walking down the hall and there's a console that the Beatles recorded with just sitting there! It's incredible. I've done some video games over there, most recently for Lost Ark. I recorded a full 80-piece orchestra and then did a choir afterward. Given that I'm usually recording instruments, recording the choir in that environment creates such an unbelievable sound. I put six or eight mics up and just tried to get out of the way and let the 40-60 people singing perform. Such an amazing sound. Do you ever get stressed on gigs? When you're in a room with producers, directors, editors, composers, and a bunch of other people, and there's an 80-piece orchestra on the other side of the glass, there's an extreme amount of pressure. If you think about it, that's a ton of money every minute. I'll still be sweating, but at the end of the day, it is music. So, I try to create an environment of comfort. If I put that vibe out, then I feel that vibe is felt. While I may be freaking out inside if there's some mishap, I try to present positivity. Plus, the reliable support staff that these facilities have is very comforting. For instance, when I'm working with Tom Hardisty (manager of scoring at WB), we don't even need to speak. Tom had been a staff engineer at Todd-AO and was the first guy who trained me at Dennis' place and connected me to Signet Sound. When he was leaving for Todd-AO, I took his position, so we have a strong history. No one person can do it by themselves. What keeps you going in this field? What I love about working on film score music is the diversity. One day, I'll be doing a jazz quartet or recording a rhythm section with brass and strings and the next, I'll be using some instruments I wasn't even really aware of. I recently recorded an instrument from Africa called a "kora" that's like a big lute. Really cool. In the record world, you often get pigeonholed into one type of genre. Here, I'm able to work in multiple genres with amazing people and to be constantly learning. I'm extremely blessed. • Control room view at Abbey Road while recording for the Lost Ark video game.