Can you achieve commercial/professional sound from using consumer/semi-pro audio gear?
Nowadays you can. You have to use different techniques to achieve that analog sound.
The chains of plug-ins are different from a chain of hardware units. You have access to a bunch of emulation hardware through plug-ins.
What’s your take on computer processing versus hardware processing?
I love it but it’s just a lot to learn. Now you have access to virtual gear that you’ve never had or heard.
The learning curve is a lot faster in the digital world because you have more access to more things.
It was a big deal to have access to one LA 2A Limiter or Pultec EQ. If you have a UAD card you have access to six 1176 or LA 2A units
I found that at the end of the month I have a lot more keepers. I’m a one-man band and it takes time.
Most Hip Hop producers never went to school to learn Pro Audio and production. How did you acquire your knowledge in music production and engineering?
I lot of it was hands on. When I was DJing and producing back in the days I picked up a lot of technical stuff.
Based on your own experience how does someone get that hands-on training without attending school?
Taking the school route is a waste of time. Most of the stuff you learn in school can be learned on the Internet. You read books and articles.
If you really want to learn you can intern at a studio and watch a professional do it. They can’t teach you how to trouble shoot when you have 20 people behind you and something goes wrong.
There’s nothing like watching the mixing process of a record. It’s amazing. You’ll see how vocals get processed and the proper use of EQ.
HECTOR DELGADO has been behind the scenes as DJ, producer, and engineer for many artists.
He has produced and turned knobs for Baby Face, ONYX, The Fugees & Missy Elliott.
We caught up with Hector Delgado working on various projects including The BLADE TV series.
NEW DRUM SOUNDS
What’s the most challenging part of mixing a record?
There’s no quality control in the game no more. Computers helped the game and it hurt the game. Before you even get to the mixing you have the recording.
Nowadays people don’t have the technique on how to record stuff. Everybody think you can fix it in the mix. You have a good recording too. It depends on the style of music. In Hip Hop music it’s beat
How do you get your drums to knock in the mix?
Eqing at 100K on the kick really helps bring the bottom out. When mixing inside the box with Nuendos I’ll use basic EQ and compression on each track like the kick, snare, hat, and bass. I’ll then group all of them to one group. I’ll put a stereo compressor and limiter to help bring it out on the mix
What is your processing chain on your drum group?
I use a lot of the UAD plug-ins like the Fairchild & the Precision EQ. I like to make it sound like one kit. I’ll put it in a room reverb for taste.
Is the UAD card plug-ins close to the real hardware?
From day one they were Hot. The emulations are incredible. Bomb Factory released the software-based plug-ins first. The UAD is hardware based for your computer. They make the computer more powerful.
Pro Tools is industry standard for recording. Why are you using Nuendos?
It’s like when ADATS first came out. It was industry standard. Tascam came out with a better format but everybody considered ADAT the better standard.
With DAWS everything is compatible. Every label you work with asks for stems or consolidated files of all the tracks and you can import the files into any programs.
What Pro Tools does is great but it doesn’t do a lot. The midi is very basic. It’s not a very useful program for producing tracks. Most people are using Logic, Nuendos, Cakewalk and Reason.
Is their any semi-pro gear that you’ve used and got good results?
Nowadays equipment is getting cheap. There’s really no difference between consumer and pro gear.
If you have a computer, mic pre, microphone, converter and speakers you’re good to go. Back in the days when you had a studio it was a big deal.
Nowadays everybody has a studio. There’s no quality control and the product is garbage.
