Making music, literally...

OK, I did not want you to lose interest. Instead of doing this in one, long, article. I decided to split it up.

I wanted to interview Andrew and check out Midnight Studios for 2 reasons. #1) I do music reviews and band interviews. A recording studio makes sense. #2) At some point this year, I will be recording my first single and album. I am checking out recording studios.

Part 1 is a background / back story on Midnight Studios and Andrew. We also started to move into the technical side of producing. Part 2 will bring you up to current day and beyond. I left off with Andrew starting to talk about the process of mixing / producing an album.

More involved than you think Andrew: Now, you buy a Macbook and there's GarageBand on it. So people think: "Oh, I got a studio." It's just such a different animal. To try and get things right. Like the singles I am releasing with artists I am working with.

Andrew gives us an example of the production / mixing with current artists he is working with. How different things are between just using software and a full studio.

Andrew: With Caroline (Marie), the first song she came in with. She was, literally, in the vocal booth for 8 to 10 hours singing for one song. WOW!!!! Andrew: To get it right. The second song she did was longer, about 12 hours. By the time you get the vocals, backgrounds, harmonies, ad libs, that's what it takes.

Andrew: There are many artists out there that do, what we call, one takers. It just does not happen. Even though technology has made our lives easier in a lot ways; the process has not been shortened? Andrew: No, not the initial. You're still getting in the same, exact, we have been doing it since recording started. Back when Les Paul invented the multi-track. The only thing that has happened now is technology has sped up the mixing and editing process. Has given you more flexibility. You still have to get that great performance into the software. That's what makes a song different.

Speaking of software... Andrew: I use ProTools Hd here. It's the top, industry standard. I can work out of other ones. For what I do, I found it's the best. There's just so much flexibility with it.

From this point, I wanted to go back to how the studio started.

Back to the beginning / From the floor upYou mentioned, when we were talking earlier (before the interview started), you designed the whole studio. The whole studio, literally, you designed it and built it. All the walls are specifically placed for reasons.

Could you explain a little more? Andrew: This whole concept started in my basement. With a little $300 m-box (see photo and definition).

Here, we also learn a little about Andrew's personal history with music.

Personal love of music...Andrew: I've been singing since I was 9. Playing guitar since 17 / 18. Played keyboard for a little while. I have always, always, always been into music. My dad was an incredible tenor. I remember growing up, trying to fall asleep listening to Ella Fitzgerald / Ray Charles and all that on the stereo.

Andrew: When I got into college, I really started getting into music singing. When I got out and came to Jersey, I was in a lot of bands. When I hit my first studio, back in the early 90's, I fell in love with it. Just seeing how everything was built. I always wanted to do this. Once I started getting into it with the MBox and ProTools, It just kept growing.

Going back to the studio...

Back into the studio...It just kept growing and evolving. Took on a life of it's own? Andrew: Yeah. It got bigger and bigger and bigger. Then I met Earl and the MBox turned into this at my house. (Andrew indicated towards the studio.) Andrew: My whole basement was redone to become a mixing room. The business I had, probably, for about 15 to 20 years. When I approached my wife about the idea. She actually said: "Go for it!" I was like: "Huh???" (laughing).

From idea to the beginning of physical reality...

Andrew: So we went for it. We searched the space out. There was 2 other spaces besides this one. When I saw this space, actually Earl took a ride down. He went through it with me. To check out the acoustics and everything. There was, absolutely, no walls in here when we walked in. The old ceilings, I think the are 24 ft. in the main room. The other rooms I think are 16 ft. and the drop ceiling in here (main control room). Part of my learning was I had to design the space.

Andrew: There is 1500 square feet here. I actually had to do the design, on paper, and present it to Earl. Earl was like: "Yeah, this right or no, no, no, this is not good." His idea was the control room looking into 3 different rooms. This way I could do massive separations in between instruments. From there, Earl was: "OK, this is how I want you to start designing." We went through design. He finally signed off on the process.

Time for the construction part...

Andrew: When we came in here, we gave the plans to the landlord (slightly laughing here) and the guys who were going to build. They looked at me like I was nuts. At first, they thought it was cool: "No right angles, we could put anything." We, literally, taped the floor. Wrote on the tape where each wall had to specifically go.

Andrew: (Starting off laughing): Once they started building it, they were shaking their heads because of how specific the angles had to be. Watching it go up and framing and everything. That must have been a real rush to see it happen.He did have a look of that rush talking about this. Andrew: It was crazy. I have old pictures. The room empty, walls going up, wiring going through. The control room is all, specifically, designed for acoustics.

Andrew: So when I am listening to what is coming out of the speakers; I am getting a 100% true understanding of what I am hearing. When you take it and put it in your car / Ipod / Boom Box / Home Stereo, you are going to hear the same thing that you are hearing here.

Andrew: It was an absolutely crazy learning experience. I have taken notice several studios popping up in the Lehigh Valley. Andrew: I am trying to do something different.

What makes Midnight Studios different......The present and evolving future

Andrew: I love the Lehigh Valley. I love the artists that are here. My goals are, I want to become the best in the country. I don't want to best just the best in the Lehigh Valley. That's not a shot at the anybody. It's just, I know where I want to go.

Just because he is not in school anymore, Andrew realizes you have to keep learning.

Andrew: If I'm not in here working, I'm learning. Watching YouTube, finding the best mixers in the country. Finding out, what are they doing? Watching videos, reading articles, how are they (the best in the business) getting their things to sound amazing. The other thing Earl taught me: "Go out and buy the top 10 songs of any genre. Just listen to them. Figure out what the producers did to make them sound good." That's part of my schooling. I'll just listen to stuff. Especially if I am doing a genre. I'll ask the artist: "What are some of your favorite artists, that sound good?" I will go and listen to those songs. So when the artist comes in, I will be mixing and producing along those lines. That's my education. It's not really the books, it's the years.


How serious and professional Andrew is..In today's social media world, there is always a chance the next thing you do could be noticed by someone major. Andrew: I tell my artists: "Yes, Absolutely, it's your songs. but; it's my reputation walking out this door too."

Andrew mentioned the awards before I could ask...

Andrew: "I'm very proud of the awards we got. We won best recording studio for the past 2 years, for the Lehigh Valley. I won best music producer for 2012. 2010, when we were first eligible, nominated for best studio / producer. Last year, I was nominated for best producer. It's my reputation too, walking out the door as well.

Andrew: If you want to get better at something, you have to be careful of that. Especially the level I want to achieve. It's not about ego getting there. It's about, I know what I can do. It's a process. My mentality, especially in this (music) industry is: You need to have that break or luck to get in. You better have the talent to maintain it. That's why you hear so many one hit wonders.

I could not resist. We took a break from interview and talked about music in general for a few.

That conversation led back into the interview from a new angle.

Technology and music: singles / albumsWe were talking about music in the 80's. Andrew made a few good points comparing that time period to modern day.

Andrew: Unfortunately / fortunately with technology, it's giving people and artists the ability to record. Where they didn't 15 - 20 years ago because you had to go to a big studio and drop a ton of money (good part). The downside: it's giving artists access to record more and more. It used to be almost like a weeding out process. Now, anybody can go in their basement. Throw up a couple of mics. Record a demo. I think, in some ways, it's over-saturated the market.

Quick mention of one major influence for Andrew: Quincy Jones.

I wanted to compare the days of recording a full album vs. today's music industry. You used to buy an album. If you liked a few tracks, great. Not like the entire album? Who cares.

Almost every song an artist releases has to be better than the non-released songs years ago. Would you agree? Andrew: Oh yeah! Today has become a singles world. With the exception of artists on major record labels. I tell people: "Your music is your resume." There is so much competition out there today. Because you do have easier access to recording. You have to be better than that other guy.

A short discussion on the recording industry followed.

I had a few more questions to wrap this interview up with. Starting with day 1 of the doors opening.

That leads me into an unplanned, part 3. I really want to keep your attention here! (Joking).

Midnight Studios