Choose Your Battles!

At first glance, I am just as passionate about gear as the next guy. Still, I am always shocked when I hear people say things like: “If I had this or that piece of gear, I’d get more professional results,” or “No wonder his productions sound good—he mixes on a $400,000 SSL!”

Honestly, that is a load of nonsense.

In fact, I consider that last statement insulting to the person working on the SSL. If the quality of his work comes down entirely to the gear, then you might as well put anyone behind the console. No need to know the techniques, have musical taste, or develop a good pair of ears. All you need is an SSL! That is basically what the statement implies.

If you were behind that SSL, wouldn’t you be insulted?

The Pointless “Analog vs. Digital” Debate

Another thing that still amazes me to this day is seeing audio professionals argue about the quality of emulation plug-ins compared with the “real units.” Most people who have worked with these analog devices will tell you that many emulations come “incredibly close to the real thing”, while still sounding slightly different. But the truth is, if you compared two analog units of the same model, you would probably reach a similar conclusion.

Asking “Does the digital version sound like the analog unit?” completely misses the point. The real question is: “Is this plug-in useful to me?” For example, I have never used a real Pultec equalizer. I do own a plug-in version, but I have no idea whether it sounds like the “real thing”—nor do I care. All I know is that this plug-in is useful when I want the type of sound it delivers.

Now consider this. Suppose I spend $5000 on a Universal Audio LA-2A. It goes without saying that this compressor offers exceptional sound quality. I now have one exceptional channel available for my productions. Now suppose I buy an LA-2A plug-in for around 30 bucks. Not only do I still have roughly $4,970 left in my pocket, but I can now use this compressor—one that is “incredibly close to the real thing”—on an unlimited number of channels, in mono or stereo. What is left to debate?

Frank Filipetti, whose credits include Elton John, James Taylor, Barbra Streisand, George Michael, and others, makes another compelling argument. Even though he has access to an astonishing amount of analog gear, he has been mixing entirely in the box for years.

In one of his seminars, he uses his own collection of Neve 1073 equalizers as an example—16 units in all. To use one of these analog EQs, he has to convert the signal from digital to analog to send it into the 1073, then convert it back from analog to digital to bring it into his mix session. According to him, by the time the signal has gone through those conversions, the sound he gets from the analog unit is inferior to what he gets from the plug-in emulation. And when you think about it, adding two extra audio conversions just to use the analog unit is pretty hard to justify.

And Filipetti is far from alone. Andrew Scheps (Hozier, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day), Tchad Blake (Sheryl Crow, Los Lobos, Peter Gabriel), and Serban Ghenea (Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Bruno Mars), to name only a few, have all embraced in-the-box mixing at the highest level for several years.

There is also the whole practical side of things. Not only does all this gear have to be physically connected and maintained, but every setting has to be adjusted manually. That means you need to take notes on everything if you want to recreate a sound later or handle client mix revisions. In the digital world, of course, the project file saves all of that for you.

So, What’s the Takeaway?

Sound quality depends far less on the gear than on the person using it.

Gear, whether analog or digital, helps you reach the sound you are looking for more easily or more quickly. Period. It doesn’t automatically make you a better engineer. It doesn’t guarantee the quality of your work. And it definitely does not define how professional your studio or your productions are.

So don’t think you’re held back because you don’t own “real” compressors, “real” EQs, or any other piece of hardware. Today, any audio production software comes with more processing tools than you need to create a professional mix—as long as you know how to use them! Gear is no longer a valid excuse, either for success or failure.

There are plenty of examples. Until the summer of 2009, most of Porcupine Tree’s catalogue was recorded in Steven Wilson’s old bedroom at his parents’ bungalow. Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska was recorded on a TEAC/Tascam 144 Portastudio with a pair of Shure SM57s. And Billie Eilish’s multi-Grammy-winning album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? was recorded in a bedroom!

Choose your battles and invest in the right places.

If you mix, good acoustics and good monitors will help you far more than any piece of gear, whether digital or analog. Focus on really learning the tools you already have, and keep developing your command of mixing techniques.

If you record, set up your recording space properly and invest as close to the source as possible: microphones, DI boxes, preamps, interface, and so on. Refine your recording techniques. No equalizer, no matter how good it is, can beat proper microphone placement.

If you are a musician, remember that what you are creating is, above all, music. Do not let gear kill your creative momentum. Nothing is worse than having to bury your head in a manual or track down a faulty cable when inspiration strikes. If you have to spend 15 minutes patching gear before every recording, the spark will be gone before you even press Record! Choose the equipment or software that helps you reach your goals faster. As a musician, YOU ARE the source—so take care of your instruments, too.

The emotion isn’t in the gear—it’s in the song!

No matter where you work in the production chain, your goal is to convey emotion. And emotion is neither analog nor digital. Your listeners do not care where a song was recorded or what equipment was used; they care about the song.

Gear doesn’t even come close to what matters most—the music. A good song with strong arrangements is usually easy to record and mix. But if the song or the performance is weak, a wall of gear won’t make it better. Likewise, attributing someone else’s success solely to the quality or quantity of their equipment is just as absurd. People make music. Gear does not.

In short, the two things on either side of your head—and what sits between them—have far more impact on your productions than any piece of equipment. From there, it all comes down to choosing your battles and investing your time and money where they will actually make a difference.