20 Questions

Producer/engineer Lenise Bent has been working in the entertainment industry since she was just eight years old. She began her career as a member of the Screen Children’s Guild, which lead to studying film and TV production in college. That is until she stepped foot into a recording studio for the first time. After dropping out of college to join the Sound Masters Recording Institute (one of the only audio schools in Los Angeles at the time), she was hired as an assistant engineer at The Village Studios in Los Angeles. There where she would build an incredible resume working on iconic records like Aja by Steely Dan, Breakfast in America by Supertramp, and Tusk by Fleetwood Mac. Lenise quickly graduated from assistant to chief engineer for producer Mike Chapman, with whom she recorded the platinum-selling record Autoamerican for Blondie, as well as songs for The Knack, Suzi Quatro, and many more. Continue reading →

Jennifer Decilveo is a Grammy Award-nominated and Brit-nominated songwriter and producer based in Los Angeles. Best known for her work with Anne-Marie, Melanie Martinez, and Andra Day, Decilveo brings soulful sounds and vintage textures to every production. We recently sat down for an interview with Jennifer for our ongoing 20 Questions series. Read on to learn more about her approach to songwriting and producing, her love for the LA-2A, and how her favorite plug-in is based on a garden hose in a box. Continue reading →

  Chris Tabron is a multi-platinum record producer, mixer, and engineer based in Brooklyn, New York. He has worked with everyone from pop legends like Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, and Mary J. Blige to indie rock icons like the Strokes, the Voidz and Lower Dens.We recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Chris for our ongoing 20 Questions series. Read on to learn more about his hybrid mixing setup, impressive outboard collection, and why he brings his trusty tap-tempo metronome to every session. Continue reading →

Chris Coady has been producing, mixing and engineering your favorite records for decades. He has become known for his work with indie rock icons like Beach House, TV on the Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and more. We recently had the chance to chat with Chris for our ongoing 20 Questions series. Read on to learn more about his philosophy on producing, his affinity for vintage dynamic microphones and how he uses old VCRs to spice up his mixes. Continue reading →

F. Reid Shippen is a mixer, producer, and recording engineer whose credits include 10 Grammy®-award winning projects and hundreds of #1 hits. His credits include Kenny Chesney, Elle King, Sammy Hagar, Dierks Bentley, MercyMe, Cage the Elephant, Pink, Minus the Bear, Jonny Lang, Chris Tomlin, Disney, Lucie Silvas, Colony House and BASSH. Reid currently owns and operates Robot Lemon studios in Nashville, Tennessee. We recently sat down with Reid and chatted for our ongoing 20 Questions series. Read on to learn more about his modded SSL 4000, why he spray painted his acoustic guitar, how he uses effects pedals to process his drum mics and how a lot of recording advice is "fake news."   Continue reading →

Piper Payne is the Owner and Chief Mastering Engineer of Neato Mastering, and a Co-Founder and the Chief Product Officer for Second Line Vinyl. An avid enthusiast of audio education, Piper has worked with the SF Chapter of the Recording Academy, the P&E Wing Advisory Council, AES SF Chapter and Women's Audio Mission. On top of all that, Piper has found time to master music for nationally renowned artists like Third Eye Blind, Madame Gandhi and Geographer. Recently, Piper was able to take some time out of her busy schedule to chat with us for our ongoing 20 Questions series. Read on to learn more about how she got started mastering, her innovative incogNEATO: Remix service and her penchant for Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. Continue reading →

Ryan Freeland is a five-time Grammy-winning engineer known for his work with Bonnie Raitt, Ray LaMontagne, Hugh Laurie, Aimee Mann and many more. In 2008, he opened Stampede Origin Studio in Los Angeles, a custom-built facility featuring a large control room, 15-foot ceiling drum room, three isolation booths and an impressive list of outboard gear and vintage microphones. Recently, Ryan was able to take a break from his busy schedule to chat with us for our ongoing 20 Questions series. Read on to learn more about his prized Neumann M49s, his go-to vocal compressors and his top 12 favorite albums of all time. Continue reading →

Tucker Martine has been producing, recording, and mixing artists like REM, My Morning Jacket, and Modest Mouse for over two decades. He currently owns and operates Flora Recording & Playback in Portland, Oregon. We recently sat down with Tucker and chatted for our ongoing 20 Questions series. Read on to learn more about his favorite EQs, his approach to producing, and his idea for a killer new guitar pedal. Continue reading →

Catherine Vericolli is the owner, engineer and manager of Fivethirteen Recording Studios in Tempe, Arizona. She is a lover of all things analog who has personally headed all console installations and outboard wiring at Fivethirteen since the studio's first console and 2" machine in 2006. She also co-edits Pink Noise Magazine and teaches classes at The Conservatory Of Recording Arts and Sciences. During a rare moment of downtime while on a business trip in Hawaii, Catherine was nice enough to chat with us for our ongoing 20 Questions series. Read on to learn more about her obsession with ribbon mics, what it’s like starting your own studio and the time she met Rupert Neve. Continue reading →

The mastering process of a record has always seemed to be one of the more elusive parts of the music industry. What exactly are they doing? Why is it necessary? How do they do what they do? Mastering engineer Scott Hull wants to clear up some of the rumors for everyone. Based in Peekskill, New York, Hull is the owner of Masterdisk and has worked with the who's who of the music world; Bruce Springsteen, Nirvana, Steely Dan, Madonna, Whitney Houston, The Rolling Stones and many more. He has seen and done it all throughout his illustrious career. Continue reading →