Audient is pleased to be supporting producer & mixer, Kevin Paul’s new podcast, MixBus, a series of in-depth conversations with recording industry luminaries, including award-winning producers Alan Moulder, Catherine Marks and Gareth Jones. With a view to finding out more about their careers and how they approach their work, Kevin captures the interviews using a simple, portable setup – an Audient iD44 audio interface, a few Audio Technica mics and a laptop.
“The mic pres sound great and I love the ease of use of the whole unit”
He explains the impetus to get on the other side of the mic. “It came out of listening to lots of audio production-based podcasts and realising there’s little from the UK. I thought: ‘I know a few people,’ so I called them up and amazingly they all said yes! At that point I thought: ‘Oh, I’d better get on and do this.’”
So he has done just that, and the star-studded guest list is fast attracting listeners. He draws on his 25 years experience in the business, recording over 100 artists including David Bowie, Goldfrapp and Nick Cave, all of which puts him in an ideal position to ask the questions.
Recording with iD44 interface: “I’ve not had a single issue with it”
Kevin (pictured below) likes to make it easy for his guests, taking his setup to their studio – or at least somewhere they know. “I want them to be comfortable and get them to share their approach as much as possible,” he explains.
So whilst he’s nailing his interview technique and still getting used to hearing himself on playback – “for someone who hates the sound of his own voice, why I’ve decided to do this is beyond me” – the podcast recording gear itself has to be spot on and minimal fuss. The iD44 ticks all those boxes. “The mic pres sound great and I love the ease of use of the whole unit. It’s plug and go and that’s perfect for me. It takes minutes to set up. I’ve not had a single issue with it,” confirms Kevin.
“It’s plug and go and that’s perfect for me. It takes minutes to set up.”
He admits that starting his own podcast was a lot to get his head around at first. “Getting it all together: hosting, making sure it’s available and not to mention actually promoting the podcast has been – and still is – a huge learning curve. The interviews are the easy bit!” he laughs.
Several of his conversations are already available to listen to either on his website, Podbean or any podcast provider, and there are more big names to come including Flood, Pascal Gabriel and Daniel Miller. As the podcast gains momentum and interest grows, further interviewee recommendations are rolling in.
Co-sponsors of the podcast are mic manufacturer Audio Technica, audio file-sharing facilitator Filepass and Kevin’s favourite pro audio retailer and Audient supplier, KMR Audio. “I’ve bought all my studio equipment from them for years. They have a great crew there and really help the customer with an informed choice. In my opinion they’re the best independent pro audio retailer in Europe.
“I wanted to keep it as British as possible, so I contacted people who’s equipment I respected and have used continuously over the years,” he continues, reminiscing about Audient’s early mic pres he used in live recording and wishing he had space for one of those “great sounding Audient desks.”
His industry knowledge and down-to-earth conversation style mean that Kevin has been successful in ensuring the British theme comes through in the podcast. “Audient to me, represents what the UK is about. Forward-thinking products and a real understanding about what people use their equipment for.”
Amen to that. Audient can’t wait to hear the next episode!
