“I haven’t met anyone who heard the hardware equivalent of a plugin and didn’t wonder what they’ve been missing” Chris SD on the power of analogueChris SD knows what an effective studio setup entails. After working on albums for the likes of Bryan Adams and Kris Kristofferson, before being recruited as the in-house producer for roots rock band Blue Rodeo, the award-winning Canadian producer gives us insight into the gear that has shaped his career and has developed his talents as an engineer.

READ MORE: CHLOÉ: “Every piece of gear, every collaboration, and every mistake is an opportunity”

Chris now resides in the United States, as the founder of the online studio, Sundown Sessions Studio. His team provides virtual recording, mixing and mastering for artists all across the world, removing many of the geographical barriers that exist for musicians. Adding yet another string to his bow, he is also the founder of sync studio Sync Songwriter, where he assists songwriters with placing their music in TV and film.
The multi-talented producer sits down with MusicTech to digest all of the expertise he has collected over his nearly three decades in the industry, and how it has shaped him in the studio.
Image: Press
What were the soundtracks that made you want to start producing music for film and TV?
There have been so many, but the formative ones were the Spaghetti Western soundtracks by Ennio Morricone, and the work of John M. Keane on the original CSI show.
As a sync producer, you often have to work towards specific briefs in a genre you might not be familiar with. How do you approach new styles, especially on tight deadlines?
We experiment and work with a lot of different styles, but we don’t stray too far from what we’re comfortable with and tend to stick with what we do well. I don’t want to try and compete in outside genres that others do every day. I’m a big believer in finding your lane, and getting better at the things that inspire you.
Tell us a bit about your studio.
I spend time between my home in the Tennessee Smoky Mountains and my sailboat in Southern California, so the studio is pretty much virtual these days. I have a fantastic co-producer and mix engineer who have their own setups.
A lot of the work we do comes from songwriters and instrumentalists from around the world that I meet through my organization, Sync Songwriter. We produce a lot of their music for TV & film and then I introduce them directly to music supervisors for shows, movies, and ads through my program, ‘The Art of the Song Pitch’.
Image: Press
What’s your latest gear or plugin purchase?
My latest purchase was the dynamic resonance suppressor, Oeksound Soothe2. It can sometimes be a bit over the top and easy to overdo on things like vocals, but it works really well on drum overheads and other cymbals to tame harshness and weird resonances. It helps the presence and clarity while reducing weird overtones. It’s definitely worth the purchase for the amount of time it saves over fiddling with an EQ to solve a weird problem!
What’s the best free plugin you own?
The Kilohearts Transient Shaper gets used on pretty much every kick and snare track. It does an incredible job at adding snap and attack and reducing boomy tails on drums.
Goodhertz Tupe and Kilohearts Transient Shaper
What’s been the biggest investment in your career/studio?
The biggest investment has been the analogue pieces that have become the muse of our digital creations. We’re all used to hearing sounds straight out of DAWs, but when you can burn some electricity into those signals, it increases the vocabulary of the track. I haven’t yet met anyone who has heard the hardware equivalent of a plugin they love and didn’t wonder what they’ve been missing.
That said, we’re digiheads like most and there are a lot of things you can do in a binary world that you can’t with sine waves — but brisket always tastes better out of a smoker than an oven, if that makes sense. My smokers are some Neve strips, TAB V72S, Sta-Level, Lisson Grove R-124 and a tape echo.
You have a vast discography. Is there a production or writing technique that can be found across all of your works?
Keeping strong ‘organic’ elements is definitely a theme across the discography. It doesn’t matter if it’s a dance track or a cinematic pop song; having some ‘real’ touches like guitar, acoustic drums, and/or piano can really elevate songs beyond a niche.
Has there been a specific piece of gear or a plugin that has shaped your work as a composer?
The Vox AC30 has been a regular go-to amp for a long time and has been an inspiring sound for years. Something about that tone makes it incredibly easy to sit down and just play and create. It doesn’t matter which guitar or pedals you throw in front of it, turning it on with all the knobs at noon is enough to get something great happening.
How do you see your sound and studio evolving in the next two years?
I’m always really interested in exploring new technology. As plugins become more advanced, new sound design possibilities open up for me. The idea of new gear/plugins allowing me to discover and create brand-new sounds is definitely exciting.
Image: Press
Do you have a dream piece of gear?
The Yamaha CS-60 is definitely up there. The CS-60 has been used a lot by LCD Soundsystem and has an incredibly wacky character that I don’t think plugins have really captured yet.
What’s a music production myth you think needs debunking?
That all you need is a great song. I believe that a great song AND great production go hand in hand. Subpar songs with really cool production can make it. Great songs with subpar production can make it, but the biggest successes happen when both meet at the top.
 
Who gave you the biggest lesson in your career?
When I had just started my first band, I went to a music conference to try and network with some industry folks. As I was walking into the venue, one of the keynote speakers happened to be walking out. It was Malcolm McLaren, the ex-manager of the Sex Pistols. I seized my moment and in passing quickly asked him if he had any advice for a band just starting out.
He looked me up and down, grabbed the conference lanyard around my neck, threw it on the ground and said: “Don’t come to them, go home and write great songs and make them come to you.”
I have kept that advice close to almost everything I do.
Read more music producer interviews. 
The post “I haven’t met anyone who heard the hardware equivalent of a plugin and didn’t wonder what they’ve been missing” Chris SD on the power of analogue appeared first on MusicTech.