Recorded on Friday July 10, 2020.
This week’s guest (my second!) is a friend from my hometown, Winnipeg, Canada! Jake Sacher has over 20 years of experience in the music industry and now runs his own studio. In this episode we talk about the technology, working in the studio, the current music scene, how things have changed, how the internet changed things for everyone, and Jake’s advice for musicians who want to make a career in the music industry. Hope you enjoy!
(We had some issues with Zoom before we going going but we got it sorted and everything went well after that!)
0.0 – Technology: Audio & Video
-Mackie Big Knob Studio
-Mackie Universal Control (8-fader)
-Digital vs physical – and the fear of updating systems
-Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Harrison Mixbus 32c
-Updating technology – new Mac mini worth it?
-How to cool a system? – Platform fans or ice packs
12.45 – Getting into video production? More stuff to buy, more stuff to learn
Ice River Films (based out of Winnipeg, makers of the TV show First Contact)
16.00 – Mixdowns, using hardware vs software for post production, Pro Tools HDX, Apple’s eGPU is similar, Universal Audio Device
-comes down to what your system can handle on its own
-$120,000 for a computer?!? :O
21.00 – What Sacher Audio does – mixing bands, editing, mastering
-using electronic drums!
24.20 – Working with bands in the studio, what do musicians need to know?
-Bass players are the easiest
-Drummers require the most work (but three takes max, then take a break)
-Guitarists always want to add things
26.21 – Working with metal bands and replacing parts on the computer
-can the guitar parts be replicated on computer yet?
-see Native Instruments
29.48 – Reunion shows and becoming classic rock
-Serrated Scalpel (Jake’s band), The Tea Party, Guns N Roses in Hong Kong
-and HOW MUCH FOR A T-SHIRT?!
34.13 – Keeping up with modern music, the new genre is called “slam metal”
36.53 – How have musicians changed over the last 20 years?!
-How Serrated was trying to push the limits of tremello picking
-accessibility to information, artists, YouTube
-why didn’t we have access to this?! (The internet wasn’t around then!)
41.45 – Business side of things, how to make it as a band
-Studio 11 collection from years ago – how many bands are still around?
-the Metallica vs Napster challenge was a sign of the change in the music industry
-does streaming music pay artists very much? Nope. Jake goes through the financial numbers for modern streaming services
-how COVID has basically eliminated this year’s earnings for musicians… for EVERYBODY. No summer festival season means little revenue for most musicians, even A-list artists
50.01 – Advice to young musicians
-Provincial funding such as FACTOR (for music videos), Manitoba Film & Sound
-Federal funding
Find Jake at sacheraudio.com and https://www.facebook.com/SacherAudioServices