The Deli NYC #55 - Half Waif, NYC MixCon 2018

Free Mixing Advice by Top Producers 

the deli 

nyc emerging bands and gear 

Issue #55 Vol. #3 Summer 2018 thedelimag.com 

H a l f W a i f 

July 21-22, 2018

mixcon 2018 sponsors 

Alto Music 

One of the top 10 biggest music retailers in the 

United States offering low prices and attentive 

customer service on a selection of quality 

audio products. Alto’s success has been built 

on its team of talented people, many of whom 

have been here well over a decade. 

Antelope Audio 

Antelope Audio is a leading manufacturer of 

hi-end audio interfaces, mastering-grade converters, 

master clocks, FPGA FX & Mic Emulations. 

Their digital audio gear caters both to the 

professional and audiophile community, providing 

high-definition audio thanks to the proprietary 

64-bit Acoustically Focused Clocking 

(AFC) and Oven Controlled Jitter management. 

AVID Pro Tools 

Pro Tools is a technology and multimedia 

digital audio workstation developed and released 

by Avid Technology for PC and Mac 

which can be used for a wide range of sound 

recording and sound production purposes. 

Avid, based in Burlington, MA, also manufactures 

hardware audio peripherals for recording 

and mixing. 

Dangerous Music 

Dangerous Music’ mission is to solve the 

problems of the ‘hybrid studio’ by leveraging 

the best of both worlds through their analog 

summing devices. These are “knob-less mixers” 

that allow engineers and recording musicians 

to mix multiple signals in the analog 

realm rather than the digital one. 

Eventide 

Eventide is a NYC based audio and broadcast 

company that manufactures digital audio 

processors and DSP software, and guitar 

effects. Eventide was one of the first companies 

to manufacture digital audio processors, 

and its products are mainstays in sound recording 

and reproduction, post production, 

and broadcast studios. 

Handsome Audio 

NYC’s Handsome Audio manufacture the Zulu, 

the world’s first passive analog tape simulator 

and “Retro Enhancer,” which delivers the musical 

character of analog tape to any recordings 

through five simple controls. 

iZotope 

iZotope is an audio technology company 

based in Cambridge, MA that develops pro- 

Thanks to all the sponsors participating in the NYC MixCon 2018! 

Here’s some info about each company! 

fessional audio software for audio recording, 

mixing, broadcast, sound design, and mastering 

which can be used in wide range of 

Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) programs. 

Lawo 

Based in Germany, Lawo designs and manufactures 

pioneering network, control, audio 

and video technology for broadcast and 

post production, as well as live performance 

and theatrical applications. Products include 

control and monitoring systems, digital audio 

mixing consoles, routers, video processing 

tools as well as solutions for IP-based A/V 

infrastructures and routing systems. 

Manhattan Center 

Built in 1906 in Midtown Manhattan, the 

building hosting MixCon 2018 houses a state 

of the art Audio/Video facility, two recording 

studios, a Grand Ballroom, and the Hammerstein 

Ballroom, one of New York City’s most 

renowned performance venues. 

Manley Laboratories 

A Californian manufacturer of pro audio 

equipment, including microphones, signal 

processors, dynamic range processors, 

equalizers, converters, and specialized mastering 

products. 

Mix with the Masters 

Mix with the Masters offers an exchange 

of in-depth first-hand studio experience 

and knowledge that is unparalleled and not 

available anywhere else. Each seminar is 

conducted by one of the world’s top music 

mixers and producers, ready to share his 

professional secrets with a select group of a 

maximum of 14 carefully-screened, professional-level 

participants. 

Nail the Mix 

Nail the Mix is an online recording school for 

rock and metal producers, providing subscribers 

with monthly multi-track session from a 

legit, world-class band which is then used for 

mixing classes taught by top mixers. 

Phoenix Audio 

Originally formed in 1996 as the UK’s 

leading service provider for pre-1980 Neve 

recording consoles, Phoenix Audio is now 

a California-based company building boutique-grade 

professional audio equipment 

including mic preamps, EQs, compressors, 

DIs and summing mixers. 

Sonarworks 

Sonarworks’ mission to allow both music creators 

and consumers to hear music the way it 

was meant to be, across all devices, through 

software that removes unwanted coloration 

from studio speakers and headphones. 

Soundtoys 

Soundtoys is a Vermont based company that 

makes audio plug-ins for mixing that bring color, 

character, and creativity to your digital music 

studio by merging the sound and vibe of classic 

analog gear with modern and musical twists. 

Steinberg 

Steinberg is one of the world’s largest manufacturers 

of music and audio software and 

hardware, with millions of users worldwide, 

thanks in particular to its popular DAW Cubase. 

Steinberg also created the VST (Virtual 

Studio Technology) plugin interface used by 

almost all DAWs. 

Plugin Alliance 

Plugin Alliance is a new “Über-standard”, 

supporting all major plugin formats and uniting 

some of the best-known international audio 

companies like brainworx, Lindell Audio, 

SPL and Elysia, under one, virtual roof. 

Producers & 

Engineers Wing 

The members of the Producers & Engineers 

Wing work together to shape the future of music 

recording. As a Recording Academy membership 

division, the P&E Wing advises the Academy 

on technical matters related to recording 

and also addresses matters of concern to producers, 

engineers, remixers, manufacturers, 

technologists, and other related professionals. 

Spitfire Audio 

Spitfire Audio is a British music technology company 

that specializes in sounds: sample libraries, 

virtual instruments and other useful software 

devices. They collaborate with top composers, 

artists and engineers to build musical tools and 

libraries that any musician can use. 

Universal Audio 

Founded in 1958 by Bill Putnam Sr., Universal 

Audio has been synonymous with 

innovative recording products since its inception. 

Re-founded in 1999, it now manufactures 

both outboard recording gear and 

digital modeling plug-ins powered through an 

award-winning DSP platform.

29

The Deli Magazine is a trademark of The Deli Magazine, LLC, Brooklyn & Mother West, NYC. All contents ©2018 The Deli Magazine. All rights reserved. 

the deli 

nyc emerging bands and gear 

Issue #55 Vol. #3 Summer 2018 thedelimag.com 

Editor In Chief / Publisher 

Paolo De Gregorio 

Founder 

Charles Newman 

art director 

Kaz Yabe ( www.kazyabe.com) 

executive Editor 

quang d. tran 

assistant editor 

Tucker Pennington 

Cover photography 

Tonje Thilesen 

hip-hop editor 

Jason Grimste (aka brokemc) 

Web Developer 

Binod Lamsal 

Extra Editing 

Christopher Scapelliti 

Contributing Writers 

Ethan Ames 

Ben Apatoff 

Mackenzie Cummings Brady 

Cameron Carr 

Dave Cromwell 

Geena Kloeppel 

Lilly Milman 

Amanda Ogea 

Meghan Rose 

William Sisskind 

Henry Solotaroff-Webber 

The Kitchen 

Christopher Scapelliti 

Brandon Stoner 

intern 

Lily Crandall 

Publishers 

The Deli Magazine, LLC 

Mother West, NYC 

Advertising Inquiries: 

paolo.dg@thedelimag.com 

Press Inquiries: 

info@thedelimagazine.com 

Table of Contents 

p.6 Fresh Buzz 

p.8 Records of the Month 

p.10 Feature: NYC Record Industry 

p.18 Half Waif 

p.20 Recording Half Waif’s Lavender 

p.22 Bands + Gear 

p.28 NYC MixCon 

Since the turn of the millennium, both 

the record and recording industries have 

gone through a major upheaval. 

Because of the collapse of physical media 

sales (CDs) and the minimal margins 

on streaming, the record industry is a lot 

smaller than it used to be, but it seems to 

have now found its footing. 

In this issue we interviewed four Brooklyn 

label insiders about how they operate 

within this new scenario. The result is a 

feature many of our musician readers 

should find informative, and at times 

even surprising. 

Recording also went through a similar 

transition caused by the rise of home 

recording, which empowered the artist— 

while killing many professional studios. 

The advice we’ll be providing for musicians 

about recording is even better: six 

live classes about mixing with some of 

the best producers in the world, at the 

fourth edition of the NYC Mixcon, hosted 

at the Manhattan Center on July 21-22. 

Hope to see you there! 

Paolo De Gregorio 

Editor in Chief

Fresh Buzz | New NYC Artists 

While most acts take years to develop a 

mature sound and build a fan base, some 

stars seem to be born within a matter of 

weeks. This appears to be the case for 

Brooklyn-born, avant-soul-pop singer 

King Princess, who released her debut 

EP 1950 earlier in 2018 and just played two 

sold out shows at Elsewhere’s Rooftop. 

The first artist signed to Mark Ronson’s label 

Zelig, King Princess is also a producer 

and multi-instrumentalist with a deep musical 

background, and, judging from her 

kinky videos, an inclination towards subtle 

provocation that can only generate intrigue 

among music fans. (Paolo de gregorio) 

A shiver runs down our spines every time 

we read the words “self-directed video,” in 

particular when applied to artists that play 

musical genres that require top notch production 

values (like soul music). But in the 

case of NYC’s soul-pop artist Raveena 

(previously known as Raveena Aurora) our 

premonitions were proved wrong. With the 

help of director James Ronkko, the artist 

of Indian and American descent created 

a simple, but truly beautiful video that 

matches the breezy, lightheartedly intimate 

vibes of her single “Sweet Time.” A woman 

of many talents, Raveena not only looks incredibly 

comfortable in front of the camera, 

but also supports her art with commitment 

to social causes rarely found in soul pop 

acts. Her 2017 debut EP Shanti highlights 

her silky voice and mellow attitude, which 

evidently resonate with many New Yorkers, 

since she sold out Baby’s All Right for her 

July 27 show. (paolo de gregorio) 

Actress and singer-songwriter Lola 

Kirke dropped a double-whammy of 

news over the past month; she released 

the music video for her latest single “Supposed 

To”, and announced that her first 

full-length album Heart Head West will see 

the light on August 10. Both the single and 

the album deal with matters personal to 

Kirke; self-doubt, family matters, and pressures 

from society bubble to the surface 

in her lyrics. In the video for “Supposed 

To”, an older woman allows herself to let 

loose. Kirke says of the track: “How rebellious 

would you feel if you had spent your 

life just doing things that you felt that you 

King Princess 

The Nectars 

Avant-Soul-Pop 

Alt Pop-Rock 

were supposed to do? That society told 

you to do?” Kirke explores that theme and 

more on the upcoming LP; she’ll support 

its release with a residency at Union Pool 

on August 21, 22, and 23. (will sisskind) 

New Jersey quartet The Nectars is 

finding a way for the rock of 20 years ago 

to spill like a smashed Capri Sun pouch 

back into our consciousness. Their songs 

are about having fun, being free and in love, 

and offer a sound appropriately reminiscent 

of those positively punchy, female fronted, 

Lola Kirke 

Raveena 

Singer-Songwriter 

Soul Pop 

power pop bands of the late ’90s/early 

aughts (think No Doubt and Paramore). 

Singer Jessica Kenny has the presence 

and vocal prowess to take this band beyond 

the local circuit (as a matter fact, they 

have already toured the UK earlier this year) 

and songs like “I Want It” (our favorite) and 

recently released “We Will Run” have the 

melodic appeal to win over the new generation 

of melodic rock seekers. After a string 

of singles accompanied by lo-fi-ish videos, 

the band released debut album Sci-Fi Television 

on June 1st. (Meghan Rose) 

6 the deli Summer 2018

Records of the Month 

Renata Zeiguer 

Old Ghost 

On first listen, the songs and sounds of 

Renata Zeiguer’s debut album Old Ghost 

are deceivingly simple. Indie rock influences 

clash with her delicate voice in interesting 

if not straightforward ways. Yet 

there’s an appealing aspect of Old Ghost 

that continues to draw the listener in as 

Zeiguer paints an image of the world that 

is filled with naturally occurring voids 

that are at once brutal and beautiful. Her 

voice feels equally morose and triumphant 

as she explores themes of identity 

and loss. Nature also plays a large role in 

Zeiguer’s lyrics; cosmic elements of our 

world like the moon and the mundane 

creatures who inhabit it both haunt and 

captivate the singer. These poetic lyrics 

burrow themselves in her ethereal voice 

and unfold in expansive and cathartic 

moments as the production swerves 

from angular to harmonious. Old Ghost is 

an album that burns softly if heard in the 

background but illuminates brightly when 

it is lived with. (Tucker Pennington) 

Triathalon 

Online 

In this new age of bedroom pop and DIY 

everything, Georgia’s band Triathalon, 

who recently resettled in NYC, offers a 

sound all its own, blending elements as 

varied as soul, pop, jazz, and electro. Attempting 

to label their music proves challenging—and 

that’s part of their plan. The 

band’s third LP, Online, released earlier in 

2018, refines their sound through a more 

mature and focused (home) production. 

A newfound passion for soul seems to 

have shuffled the band’s sonic cards, 

although leaving the dreamy element 

untouched. Single “Hard to Move” is 

reminiscent of a lo-fi, synthetic version of 

Michael Jackson’s “Blame it on the Boogie,” 

while “3” is backed with a thumping 

bass verse that cleverly transitions to a 

jazz-inspired keyboard interlude. But 

“Couch” is the real gem here: based on 

a plodding funk loop, it chronicles a moment 

of bliss, with a lover, on the author’s 

favorite couch. (Lily Crandall) 

Amen Dunes 

Freedom 

There are some albums that feel like spiritual 

excursions the moment they start, 

transfixing us instantly at the right time 

and place. Amen Dune’s fifth record, 

Freedom, is one such record. The introduction 

informs us that the time is now, 

and it belongs to Damon McMahon and 

his finely tuned songwriting. Each track 

is impeccably produced, precise and imperious, 

as synths and bass lines appear 

on the horizon before shimmering out of 

view. The interplay between each instrument 

is like multiple generations of mirages 

materializing at once, and McMahon’s 

vocals sit in the center commanding attention 

with assured confidence in the 

stream-of-consciousness lyrics. Freedom 

was released wholly realized, yet it’s the 

undefinable aspects that assert why it’s 

an intoxicating and infinitely rewarding 

album. (Tucker Pennington) 


Feature | Record Industry 

“Are CDs 

becoming the hip, 

dead medium on 

an upswing?” 

“Reviews 

and media 

coverage 

have less 

impact 

on sales 

than they 

used to.” 

NYC Record Industry 

Alive and 

Streaming 

Three Brooklyn Indie Labels Share Their 

Thoughts on the State of the Industry 

written by paolo de gregorio 


“Is ‘ Pe ak Vinyl’ a myth?” 

“physical 

media is still 

46% of the 

market.” 

“Cassettes aren’t 

"Social 

Media and 

Playlist 

are the 

main promotional 

force." 

dead qui te yet!” 

In the early aughts, some kind of “slow earthquake” 

triggered the end of the record industry as 

we knew it. Originated by the advent of the MP3 

format, which allowed listeners to easily download 

and stream music, that seism brought about an 

era of revenue and job losses that lasted almost 15 

years. Starting in 2015, the sector finally began to 

show signs of growth again, driven mostly by new 

revenue from streaming music services like Spotify 

and YouTube, but also by the unexpected resurgence 

of vintage formats like vinyl and audio cassettes. 

We caught up with three very different trend-setting 

Brooklyn-based labels—Fools Gold, Captured Tracks 

and Partisan Records—to see how they are navigating 

these relatively uncharted waters and to ask them 

a few questions our musician readers might find helpful 

for managing their careers. 

the deli Summer 2018 11

“...there are more ways for unknown artists 

to get discovered, and more opportunities 

for fans to get turned on to something new 

and exciting than ever before.” 

A = Alan from Fool’s Gold 

N = Nick from Fool’s Gold 

M = Honcho Mike Sniper of Captured Tracks 

Z = Zena White, MD at Partisan Records 

Is there anything you miss about the way the record industry 

worked before the rise of the MP3? 

N: It’s easy to get nostalgic for an era when you could “live” 

with a record for weeks or months at a time before listening 

to something else. But now, it’s not just music consumption 

that’s changing: EVERYTHING is accelerated. You have to embrace 

it or get left behind. And it’s arguably a net gain—there 

are more ways for unknown artists to get discovered, and 

more opportunities for fans to get turned on to something new 

and exciting than ever before. I’m proud to play a part in that. 

M: The thing that’s changed the most with the digital age is 

press outlets. Instead of tons of options with high readership, 

it’s gone the other way, drastically. You used to compete 

with other indie rock for space in channels for coverage; now 

you’re competing with huge pop stars. It’s all been turned 

into this mess of monoculture. Music discovery is in the playlists 

and YouTube now, not reviews. Reviews were what entire 

P/R campaigns were aimed at. 

Z: I joined the recording sector in 2011 when most labels 

were struggling to see the light at the end of the tunnel, Lord 

knows why! I think I saw that no matter what, the marketing 

of campaigns—the album cycle if you like—was still in the 

hands of the label and at the center of everything else. There 

were a lot of frustrating conversations about windowing on 

Spotify… it’s amazing to see the health in the industry now 

compared to back then. It’s buoyant and positive. There are 

always challenges to navigate, that’s just business. 

What are today’s most influential online sites and apps 

that can push a record to sell? 

N: The power is in the listeners’ hands more than anything 

else. Everyone talks about data—who do you think is generating 

that? You see artists blowing up out of nowhere, not 

because a gatekeeper anointed them, but because the fans 

did, and the sites and apps are reacting to that. So we just 

want to help our artists hit as many ears as possible—a performance 

slot at our festival DAY OFF, for instance—and let 

the sites see that genuine connection in action. 

M: I think the websites’ abilities to drive streams and sales is 

dwindling. If you have access to SoundScan reports you can 

see that getting that “big” award that used to drive a ton of 

sales has not had the effect it used to have on newer artists, 

only on already established ones. Playlisting is important. 

A: I don’t think reviews play a factor in sales anymore. The 

buzz of an artist can either come through word of mouth 

which is essentially social media now and there is definitely 

visibility that comes from playlists on the DSPs (Spotify, 

Apple Music, Tidal, YouTube Music). And the playlist game 

is frighteningly powerful. 

Z: I’d say in this “post-truth” world or whatever, reviews are 

less important and peer recommendations are #1. Media 

coverage doesn’t lead to fans or to sales, it just creates more 

arguments for the various gatekeepers to care. 

Since CDs are on the way out and vinyl, although healthy, 

is a niche market, where’s the bulk of the earnings for 

labels these days? 

Z: For us, it’s about 50% physical still, which is pretty much 

the global average (IFPI 2017 global recorded music sales 

were 54% digital / 46% physical). There are a lot more costs 


“First and foremost, it’s 

about the songs. If the 

songs aren’t great, there’s 

only so far you can go.” 

More info 

about the labels 

involved with physical of course, so there’s always a strong 

argument to seek digital growth. But physical is still important 

to us and our artists. Also, technology has had a positive 

impact on neighboring rights revenues as it’s finally starting to 

force improvements in the global structure of PROs. Everyone 

knows about neighboring rights now—a very unsexy subject... 

M: Streaming is about 70% of our overall business. CDs are 

still relatively strong though. They’re still the dominant way to 

purchase music in big territories like Japan. The “Peak Vinyl” 

thing is a myth, too. That’s based on major labels finally putting 

their Prince, Neil Young, Beatles etc. records back in print and 

SoundScan collecting that info. Before the “Vinyl Boom,” a lot 

of records were selling a lot of copies; Billboard just wasn’t 

collecting the info on it as most vinyl shops weren’t reporting. 

N: Some would say CDs are back, baby! (When you can buy 

vinyl at Whole Foods and cassettes at Urban Outfitters, compact 

discs are the hip dead media on an upswing.) But the 

reality is that labels need to constantly be on the look-out for 

revenue streams in all forms. 

Is there any other physical merchandise that’s worth the 

manufacturing/distribution hassle? 

Z: If the demand is there, definitely. In fact, I’m confident that 

there’s always going to be a market for high-value physical 

product and merchandise for the right artists. Music is an 

emotional, intangible product and the very nature of people 

means they want to “wear” something they feel connected to. 

M: We kill it on cassettes. Not enough to buy a house, but we 

do really well with them. 

N: Fool’s Gold makes everything from coffee mugs to turntable 

needle cases. If it exists and we can make it fun and 

special, we’re down. 

Started in 2007 by DJs A-Trak and Nick Catchdubs, 

Fool’s Gold Records brought the underground 

electronic and hip-hop scenes to the forefront of 

independent music. Some of their earlier releases, 

such as “Day ‘N’ Night” by Kid Cudi and the first 

self-titled album by Run the Jewels, helped shape 

popular music as well. Since then, Fool’s Gold has 

been signing some of the most cutting-edge electronic 

artists from around the country. 

Captured Tracks was founded in 2008 by Mike 

Sniper, who first used it for his own band Blank 

Dogs. A decade later, the label has become the 

home to some of the most influential artists in their 

respective genres and many popular indie bands. 

Signing the likes of Mac DeMarco, DIIV, Wild Nothing 

and Perfect Pussy, the label has shown it can 

be host artists who specialize in several genres 

within the indie realm. 

Beginning with a focus on tailoring artist specific 

needs, Partisan Records has grown many 

independent artists from the ground up. Early on 

their catalog boasted acts like Deer Tick, who focused 

on a blend of alternative rock and Americana, 

but as the label grew, many diverse artists 

released their debuts with the label. Electro-pop 

group Sylvan Esso and acts like IDLES and Cigarettes 

After Sex are part of its growing roster.

“We don’t want to sand 

down quirks, if anything 

we only encourage artists 

to get weirder!” 

Live shows still generate a lot of revenue. Is your label 

involved in that side of things—relative to your artists— 

at any level? 

N: If you’re talking about “360 deals” we prefer to focus on 

our own live label events rather than touching artists’ individual 

touring. Which is not to criticize that practice across the 

board—any situation where all parties are truly bringing value 

to the table is worth a discussion. 

M: Shows drive P/R and P/R drives sales, so yes, it’s important. 

However, we leave it to the Booking Agent, the Promoter 

and the Tour Manager. All of our artists keep all of their live 

performance fees. We do help promote the shows and lobby 

to get them on bills or with a Booking Agency, but we’re not 

show promoters. 

Z: We’re very conscious of adding value wherever we take 

rights. When we build in live revenues to our deals, it’s in 

order to justify a greater advance and only until that is recouped. 

An artist can need money for any number of things 

and we see it as our responsibility to try and support their 

needs but it can be difficult to recoup on record sales alone. 

Is there a specific list of qualities you look when you sign 

a new artist? 

M: First and foremost, it’s about the songs. If the songs aren’t 

great, there’s only so far you can go. So my own and 

the staff’s taste will have an influence on who we sign. Then 

it’s the artists’ dynamics in their sound, the way instruments 

work together. Is it exciting to listen to? After that, it’s on the 

artist to impress on us that they’re willing to work really hard. 

These days you need to support an LP with a minimum of 

75 shows to generate real traction, but artists also need to 

find a way to be great sounding and provocative performers. 

The last thing is that we want the band to already know their 

aesthetic and goals. Someone like Drahla or Naomi Punk had 

the visual aspect of their music already figured out and what 

they wanted their audience to be. Molly Burch did as well, but 

in a completely different way. 

Z: Yes, vision. They have to know what they want, what kind 

of world they want to build. The music alone is rarely enough 

to build a career, not for the types of artists that we work well 

with. They need to have ideas and the ability to collaborate 

and communicate is important. We’re constantly assessing 

where our value is and that differs from artist to artist, even 

from record to record with the same artist. We need to be 

able to communicate well with an artist and their team to be 

able to figure out where we’re most useful to them. 

A: We love to catch artists at a point where they’ve already 

figured out their sound and their identity, but they still show a 

ton of promise for growth. It’s fun to sign someone relatively 

early in their career like that because we get to present them 

to the world. 

N: We look for artists who are individuals, period. There are so 

many new rappers and young Soundcloud producers, but we 

are looking for distinct and unique sound, plus a look and aesthetic 

to match. We don’t want to sand down quirks, if anything 

we only encourage artists to get weirder! FG is a big umbrella, 

and the unifying element is that everyone is an awesome misfit 

in their own way. Then we can add our special sauce, whether 

it’s helping pinpoint the strongest songs to release, or pairing 

artists with the right guests or collaborators. We treat ourselves, 

the label, as a collaborator helping elevate the material! 

Why for a band, these days, is it better to get signed than 

to go DIY? What does a label do for the artists it signs? 

Z: I joined the label from the services sector myself so I’ve 

seen both sides of it. I’d say we have two strengths as a grow- 


“The basic point of a record label is simple: use 

the master recordings to the advantage of the 

artist as much as possible in order for the 

artist to be free to write, record and perform.” 

ing label: proper artist development and a strong international 

network that believes in the quality of our releases and is 

ready to prioritize them. You won’t get either if you go DIY. 

Both IDLES and Cigarettes After Sex were doing a really good 

job of DIY when we signed them: they had taken it as far as 

they could on their own. We’ve always been really respectful 

of that—we don’t try to change what works for these acts, 

we add fuel to it, increase the team and make it even better. 

M: Some artists don’t need labels. If they’re not super ambitious 

and aren’t going to do a ton of touring and are happy with 

doing Bandcamp sales, that’s great and more power to you. 

Then you have someone like Frank Ocean who’s on the other 

end of the radar and also doesn’t need a label as he has a huge 

team that does what a label does. The basic point of a record 

label is simple: use the master recordings to the advantage of 

the artist as much as they can in order for the artist to be free 

to write, record and perform. You need experience to do that. 

N: Everyone’s situation is different. You can’t say “better” 

or “worse” in blanket terms, artists need to make the best 

decisions for themselves at whatever stage of their career 

they are in. Do you want to handle everything yourself, or do 

you want to spend time making music? Some people can 

do both. Most successful acts are successful at delegation. 

A: We’re big believers in quality control and in the extra layer of 

perspective you get when you (the artist) pass the music along 

to your label team and they are able to bring it from like 80% to 

100%. It really helps to get another set of ears to pick through 

the songs, help bring in a few features, sometimes help work 

out who should mix it to get it sounding just right, and work out 

art and marketing strategies to package it for the world to discover. 

The label is also able to fund this process when needed. 

In the future do you see your label focusing on having 

artists that represent a variety of genres or specializing 

in niche genres? How has this approach differed since 

you first started? 

A: Fool’s Gold has never been genre-specific. Nick and I are 

DJs, we’re both known for a certain eclecticism that is rooted 

in hip-hop but reaches a lot of other spaces, and that has always 

driven the vision of the label. Kids are more open-minded 

than ever. Rap fans listen to Mac DeMarco. We look at it 

from a lifestyle point of view much more than a genre. 

M: At Captured Tracks we’ve always strived to have a sonically 

diverse roster within the broad section of “indie rock.” 

When people think of “The Captured Tracks Sound” perhaps 

they think of Wild Nothing, DIIV, Beach Fossils and Craft 

Spells. That’s okay—because I love that type of music—but 

I have to remind them that we also have had Perfect Pussy, 

The Soft Moon, Naomi Punk and The Holograms on the label. 

I liked what Chris Lombardi from Matador once told me about 

the subject. He said, “People always thought of Matador as 

Pavement, Guided By Voices, Yo La Tengo… but at the same 

time we had Unsane and Pizzicato Five on the roster.” 

Z: Partisan Records is growing its roster to be increasingly 

varied and we find ourselves looking to fill gaps in some 

ways. We’re careful not to chase what genres are selling the 

most at any given time and stick to the principles of signing 

musicians who are making genuine, honest art. 

N: With every year we learn from our past releases, tightening 

up the business and getting more selective—there’s so much 

good music, but not everything makes sense to put your 

time, effort and money behind. It’s all relative but the mission 

is the same: you have to be DOPE, regardless of genre. d 


SPITFIRE AUDIO

Feature | Cover Artist 

Avant-Pop Synthpop 

Facing the Night 

– an Interview with Half Waif– 

Written by Paolo De Gregorio 

and Tucker Pennington 

Photography by Ally Schmaling 

for many people, is 

a constantly shifting notion. 

For others, it’s a place that’s 

“Home,” 

lost, temporarily or maybe 

permanently. The concept is geographical 

at heart, but it’s built through the elapsing 

of time and the crystallizing of feelings over 

time. It involves reoccurring perceptions, 

acquired habits, people and our feelings 

for them, a sense of safety and shelter. 


With its frantic pace, New York City challenges this notion. 

Neighborhoods change rapidly, old buildings vanish and beloved 

shops are replaced by new ones we don’t care about. 

Most friends and neighbors don’t settle here for good—they 

prematurely move back to their old homes as soon as the 

city’s dynamism starts to prove exhausting. Because of all this, 

New York is a very flawed “hometown.” 

Maybe that’s the reason why Half Waif’s Nandi Rose Plunkett, 

a New Yorker from 2012 until 2017 (via Massachusetts), felt 

the need to define what home is through her music. On her 

latest LP Lavender, she explores the gestalt of home through 

painfully beautiful songs. 

While the Big Apple lacked the elements to become a feasible 

home for Plunkett, it still provided a basis for this creative era in 

her life: “The five years I spent in New York gave me so much. 

I was galvanized by the people around me making exciting art, 

and I learned what it felt like to want to quit but then to keep 

going. With all its challenges, living in the city made me realize 

just how much I love making music—there were so many 

opportunities or reasons to stop, but I could never give it up.” 

In 2017 Nandi Rose moved upstate, in a house surrounded 

by nature that resembles her childhood home. This sort of 

reclamation of both positive and negative memories covers a 

central part in the artist’s inspiration: “The withering described 

in “Keep It Out” is the nightmare fear of boredom, dissolution, 

estrangement from the self, neglect, indifference: what happens 

to bad marriages, which I witnessed as a kid. In singing 

about it, I hope to keep those wolves at bay and create a different 

kind of life for myself. If we name it, we can know it, stare it 

in the eye, and shout it out of the realm of possibility.” 

Written during a period of discord when Nandi Rose was far 

from NYC, touring, and her grandmother’s health was failing, 

Lavender eschews traditional expectations of what a pop record 

can tackle. Churning synth swell and gestate as Plunkett’s 

poetic lullabies unravel in moments that are split between grief 

and hope. Ballads about confronting the unknown and creating 

an identity from those experiences are key themes delved 

into on songs like “Torches” and “In the Evening”. Constantly 

pushing the boundaries with their textures and the interplay 

between the instrumentation and her voice, each song refuses 

to settle into a singular mode of thought. 

like with “Silt,” I started with that patch on my Korg Minilogue, 

and the sound told me where the chords would go, and the 

chords told me what the words would be, and the words told me 

how the melody would sound, and the melody told me where 

the drums would come in and out. It’s a dialogue between parts, 

and I just rush around trying to listen and translate as best I can.” 

With their sharp electronic production that elevates Plunkett’s 

heart-wrenching lyrics, the 12 tracks on the record represent 

one of the most consistent strings of quality songwriting and 

production we’ve heard in a while. They were forged with the 

help of collaborators Adan Carlo and Zach Levine and under 

the supervision of producer/mixer David Tolomei. 

“This was the first time I worked on an album with a band in 

this way”—Nandy Rose admits. “They were indispensable to 

the project. Adan recorded all of the bass and guitar, often using 

his array of pedals to create texture. Zack recorded the live 

drums at Dreamland Studio, and also performed some of the 

electronic drum programming. All in all, though, it’s hard for me 

to draw dividing lines saying “I did this, they did this” because 

the work was done so fluidly—a true testament to our friendship, 

which created a fun and easy collaboration, and the way 

David polished, shined, elevated, and illuminated the sounds 

in the mix seemed to me to be a kind of magic.” 

As she prepares for a run of shows in the States and Europe, 

the themes of the record continue to occupy her thoughts. 

“It’ll be weird to be there without my bandmates, but I’m also 

excited to challenge myself and see how I grow through this 

process. My grandmother lived in England for half her life, so I 

do find myself drawn to towns like hers across the pond. But I 

think I’d find it hard to leave the Northeastern US. For all of the 

homes I’ve made for myself through music and travel, this part 

of the world is the deepest home I know.” d 

Half Waif’s Synths 

“Sometimes it’s just one sound that dictates the whole thing— 

Korg Minilogue 

Nord Electro 5D 


Soundtoys Little Plate 

Recording 

Half Waif’s 

Lavender 

A Q&A with 

David Tolomei 

David Tolomei will host an NYC MixCon mix-walkthrough 

of a song from Lavender on July 22 at 3pm. Here’s a Q&A 

about his contribution to that record to get you warmed up! 

What earned you the co-producer credit, on Lavander? 

I think the broadest way I could describe what I brought to the 

table in terms of production would be my studio experience and 

my overall creative aesthetic. 

The band knew they wanted to integrate live instrumentation 

into the project. In our first meeting they laid out which songs 

they heard live drums on, mentioned one song would be centered 

around piano, and that live bass and some miscellaneous 

overdubs would ideally be options we’d explore. From this discussion, 

I selected a studio based on the sounds we wanted to 

achieve. Some important features were the massive live room 

with a vintage Steinway B, API board, old Neve pres and Pultecs, 

great comps for smashing like CBS and Dbx, as well as an incredible 

mic locker. 

I knew a studio of this quality would mean racing the clock, so I flew 

in a day early and we did a half day of pre-pro, going over all the 

songs and ironing out potential time sucks. It felt very collaborative; 

everyone in the band is very intelligent and the direction was clear. 

Tracking is where I think the producer’s hat was most apparent 

because big studios are where I’m most at home. During the session, 

I managed the schedule, got all the sounds, and coached 

performances. Everyone in the band is a very talented multi-instrumentalist, 

but how those performances translate in a studio environment 

with 40 mics up, and how that will come together in the 

mix stage and become a cohesive master... that requires coaching. 

The record sounds incredibly homogeneous, a rare feat for 

hybrid albums that feature all sort of sounds. How did you 

achieve this? 

Marrying programming with studio sounds is always a challenge. 

The goal is to get those unique textures to stand out, but in a 

way that’s seamless. Unfortunately, that’s a battle fought independently 

on each song with its own unique instrumentation. It’s 

not like you crack the code and then the problem’s solved. 

It’s really important for me to regularly pan out and look at the 

album as a whole. I think continuity comes from a series of tiny 

judgment calls you make, that they’re experienced by the listener 

all at once. A lot of it is just instincts that come naturally over 

the years. You tweak it till it feels ‘right’ to you. But what’s ‘right’ 

to you at that moment is a commentary on who you are in the 

present as result of your experiences. 

What was the most challenging part while mixing it? 

Right from the start, I found this to be a really emotional album. 

Trying to heavily process everything to get modern sounds while 

retaining all that emotion so the band’s incredible writing could 

shine through; that was really challenging from the start. I wanted 

to keep it raw enough that you could connect with Nandi, but not 

so raw that it sounded dated or like a live album. 

What single plugins did you use a lot while mixing and why? 

In the case of this album, Soundtoys Little Plate had just come 

out of beta, so when I was stuck on the second song, I pulled it 

in and started playing around. One thing I noticed immediately 

is that it’s a very sculpt-able reverb, in that it takes additional 

processing extremely well. For this reason, it became clear that 

it would become a theme on the album. I did my best to keep 

this heavy use subtle, but if you were to disable any single plugin 

from the whole album, losing Little Plate would definitely have 

the greatest impact on the final aesthetic. 


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ands + Gear 

Read the full features on 

Delicious-Audio.com 

Elbows 

Trip-Funk Avant-Lounge 

Under the Elbows moniker, Brooklyn-based producer 

and songwriter Max Scheible crafts music that travels 

through genres, bending tastes and traditions and creating 

something that sounds totally fresh. Scheible, also 

a multimedia artist, chronicles in his tracks his Bay Area 

roots, shifting genres with the moods of the songs, going 

from old-school hip-hop to smooth synth-heavy jazz to 

lounge music. (Will Sisskind) 

[Top] Roland GAIA SH-01 [Bottom] Moog Sub 37 

We hear all sorts of influences in your records, what’s your 

musical background? 

Growing up, my folks played a lot of ’60s/’70s psychedelia and 

soul, and my mom definitely kept Sade and Badu in the car. 

When I was around ten someone gave me a copy of 93 ‘til Infinity 

from Souls of Mischief, which got me into hip hop, and by 

extension, jazz. In middle school I started renting out CDs from 

the library by the tens and just started listening to a ton of jazz 

and whatever hip hop they had. I started playing guitar, writing 

songs, and recording on a four-track tape recorder when I was 

thirteen, and have been writing and recording ever since. 

From the art on your records, it’s clear that there are some 

non-musical influences that are worked into your songs and 

persona. 

My earliest memories are of drawing and most of my family 

thinks of me as a visual artist. My Aunt Julie once asked me, if 

you had to pick one—visual art or music—which would it be? 

And to her I said: Aunt Julie, to me there’s no difference. When I 

write a song I have an idea for a visual to go with it, and if I make 

a drawing I can hear a soundtrack to that drawing. Ultimately I 

want to tell stories that stretch completely from music, to visual, 

to film, to physical things. 

Do you have some pieces of gear that you find yourself turning 

to the most while you compose? 

For me the initial composition always starts with a story that needs 

to be told, which then dictates the colors and feel. I usually start 

with guitar or rhodes to get the chords down, and from there move 

to synths to find the particular sounds of the record. I have an 

amazing crew of friends that play live with me, like a band, and 

help expand the records. The four main synths we used on this EP 

are the Roland Juno-106, the Moog Sub 37, the Moog Sub Phatty, 

and the Roland GAIA. The most influential piece of gear, however, 

ended up being this old toy organ, made by I want to say Farfisa 

I found in a shared studio space in Williamsburg. The entirety of 

“Oatmeal” (outside of the 808s, percussion, and samples) came 

from that organ, and it pops up again on “Corduroy” and “Blimp.” 


Casio DG-20 

FASCINATOR 

In the late ’80s, when bands like the Happy Mondays and 

the Stone Roses were all the rage, Manchester, UK was 

the kingdom of alternative pop. The wild parties propelled 

by that scene triggered the nickname “Madchester,” which 

was soon adopted to describe that era’s music, which 

blended funk drumming and psych arrangement with an 

overall pop sensibility. In new album Water Signs, NYC 

via Australia electronic one-man-act Fascinator finds inspiration 

in that sound and other music made for partying 

he learned to love while DJing in NYC. (Paolo De Gregorio) 

Your new record seems to have a bit more of a pop sound 

compared to previous material, was that a choice or a natural 

development? 

The best kind of pop is accidental. There may be a little of that 

on here. The record was largely informed by countless hours 

DJing at Baby’s All Right, Elvis Guesthouse (RIP) etc. so I’m 

sure some sort of subconscious desire for people to enjoy 

themselves has seeped in. The record began in the darkest 

hour of my life. Fresh out of a horrific breakup, completely 

broke and 6 months of couch surfing on the generosity of fellow 

New Yorkers. The only source of income I had at the beginning 

of that was a happy hour DJ shift every Friday at Baby’s 

All Right ($50 + food and drinks). Sometimes the next person 

wouldn’t show up and I’d play for 11 hours and tell everyone 

Indie Pop Madchester Revival 

to call me “Baby’s All Night”. Through sheer desperation I grew 

that to playing all over town which, combined with my dispirited 

mind-set, led to a state of constant bender. So while I wasn’t 

in the best place, this album is, at its heart, a party record. Inspired 

by things I’d play at the time like Fela Kuti, Neu!, Happy 

Mondays, Dusty Fingers compilations, early Beck, Francoise 

Hardy, Chemical Brothers, Ananda Shankar and loads more. 

Was there a piece of gear that was particularly inspiring? 

The Casio DG-20 is probably the most interesting thing I used. 

You may have seen it on Flight of the Conchords. It’s just fun. 

Not particularly rare or expensive or even that nice sounding, 

but I like that era of Casio organ boards and that’s all it is really. 

Except plastic strings instead of keys. I also played a really nice 

Rhodes in a barn on Nantucket on the song Midnight Rainbow. 

Other than that nothing particularly interesting springs to mind. 

Is there a person outside the band that’s been important in 

perfecting your recorded and/or live sound? 

Over time there have been a few. Darren Seltmann, one of the 

founding members of The Avalanches, helped me initially find 

my sound. Fascinator has had around 100 members over the 

years, mostly one-offs but Jesse Kotansky aka Lord Decorator 

who currently plays with me has been a mainstay. He brilliantly 

noodles over my tracks on oud, violin and percussion and 

makes it something special. 


ands + Gear 



MONS VI 

Bedroom Pop Dream Pop 

Based in Brooklyn by way of Miami, Mons Vi combines 

an electronic-influenced, lo-fi aesthetic with 

emotionally-charged lyrics. The Columbia grad got 

us hooked in 2017 with tasteful tracks that blended 

the songwriter’s melancholic and atmospheric pop 

with occasional edgier tunes reminiscent of the early 

Strokes. Latest single “Divina,” on the other hand, 

seems to represent a successful transition towards 

crisper and livelier electro-pop instrumentation, with 

an added multicultural flavor represented by Adrianne 

Gonzalez’s voice, sharing lead vocals duties—in 

Spanish. (Pearse Devlin) 

Your 2016 EP is entitled Indie Rock Bullshit, and it sound 

a lot more “indie rock” than your following material. What 

inspired that title and the transition to the more electronic 

and chilled sound of the latest singles? 

I got bored of indie rock. It’s all I hear in Brooklyn and the 

rest of the world isn’t listening. That’s because there’s very 

little innovation happening in indie rock. There’s also little 

space for anyone who isn’t a white guy. So, I’m seeking 

creativity in other places, using elements of indie rock 

where they make sense to make something new. 

This evolution must have implied a change of instrumentation, 

what were the tools that inspired this new course? 

When people say they play instruments nowadays, they 

tend to leave out the DAW. That’s the instrument everyone’s 

using, and it’s what’s bringing you your favorite music. 

I play Logic. It’s what I play more than anything else. 

Photo: Derek Jay 

There’s still a lot of guitar in the new material, are you a 

fan of stompboxes? 

Straight ahead guitar has been explored up, down, left, and 

right. So, anything that can change the sound is welcome. I 

use the ZVEX Lo-Fi Junky a lot. 

On your single, “Divina,” the lyrics are both in English and 

Spanish. How did this idea come to be? 

Everyone who works on Mons Vi right now is from Miami, 

so when I asked Adrianne to sing on “Divina,” it felt natural 

that her lyrics came out in Spanish. She’s also half Venezuelan 

and half Cuban, so doubly natural. 

ZVEX Instant Lo-Fi Junky 

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Von Sell 

Like the mesmerizing blur of the world passing by as seen 

through a car window, Von Sell’s newest single “Digital 

Sleep” swirls with detail faster than we can understand. In 

a flurry of voices, delayed and warped into the dominant 

texture of the track, “Digital Sleep” urges us towards attention 

while never offering a chance to focus. The track 

plays true to the idea of short-sightedness but also acknowledges 

its own investment in the beauty of so much 

sensory content, constantly veering in new directions, 

collaging together seemingly unlinked sections. The effect, 

particularly Von Sell’s production of his vocals into an 

ethereal backing, is dazzling. (Cameron Carr) 

Your newest single, “Digital Sleep” sounds more “avant” 

than your 2016 debut EP. 

I think there’s always been two sides to me and my music. I have 

the urge to make music that’s accessible, but and the same time 

I always want to challenge the listener to some degree... bridging 

that gap (if there is one), or finding the sweet spot, is just 

always a little like shooting at a very small target from very far 

away: almost impossible to hit perfectly. As a result I just happen 

to sometimes end up slightly more on the experimental side 

Thermionic Culture Rooster 

and other times on the more “conventional” side. 

Synthpop Avant-Pop 

Was there a piece of gear that inspired the abstract sounds 

in the track? 

Not really. I recorded these piano chords originally and it just 

sounded a little boring to me. So I ran it through God knows 

how many plug-ins until it didn’t sound like a piano anymore. 

That kind of laid the foundation, and I ended up approaching 

a lot of the sounds in this song that way—but in the creative 

process I didn’t even have any gear other than my laptop, a 

mic, a midi keyboard and a preamp… In the mixing stage, I 

remember running a lot of sounds through the Thermionic Culture 

the Rooster. 

What do you like the most about the recording process? 

What do you like the least? 

What bugs me more than anything is when I record a sketch 

of a certain element, that lacks the precision or quality of a legitimate 

recording but is still somehow magical... and then you 

record it for real but it loses its magic and you know you’ll never 

get it back. What I love the most are happy accidents; you put 

something on the wrong track or the wrong place or turn it up or 

down by mistake, but it ends up sounding amazing! 


[Top] Danny’s pedalboard: TC Electronic Polytune / Malekko 

Omicron Spring Reverb / MXR Carbon Copy / Death By 

Audio Super Fuzz War / Jext Telez White Pedal / Ibanez 

Tube Screamer Mini 

[Bottom] Jake’s pedalboard: BOSS TU-2 / BOSS DD-3 / 

Death By Audio Fuzz War / Fulltone OCD 

Native Sun 

Songs Born From Love and Hate, the debut EP by New 

York’s Native Sun, is an eminently fun and danceable record 

recommended for fans of ’70s punk and the moody, 

’90s alt-rock of The Pixies. With their unrelentingly heavy 

drums, growling power chord-laden guitars, and in your 

face vocals, the band wears their punk influences on their 

sleeve, but enjoys occasional drifts into unsettling, psychedelic 

territory. For Native Sun, however, brevity is an 

asset, and they don’t wade too long in the muddy waters 

of psychedelia before bringing it back to the meat of the 

song. It’s compelling and energetic music which makes 

for a rollicking live show. (etahn Ames) 

Your sound is very guitar driven, do you get your signature 

distortion from the amp or pedals? 

Danny: The amp. There’s nothing better than the sandpaper grit 

yet smoothness of a tube amp turned up fucking loud and breaking 

up. Sound is all just manipulation of the pleasant and not so 

pleasant. I try to really push the amp, it’s the only way you’re going 

to get actual character out of your tone—listen to Tom Verlaine... 

Jake: Sometimes the sound engineers at venues get combative 

about our amps’ volume we like to play at, so I use a Fulltone 

OCD up front just to get my Twin sounding angry without spending 

our entire soundcheck arguing with someone I just met. 

Mo: Both. The pedal makes the distortion, but the clean tone you 

get from the amp is also really important to make it sound that way. 

Was there a specific pedal that kind of changed your life? 

Psych Rock 

Jake: Death By Audio’s Fuzz War, unquestionably. I’ve never 

played a pedal with so much character before, and its big 

knobs make it easy to adjust with my foot during a show. That 

pedal is my baby. 

Danny: Jake lets me use this pedal by Jext Telez called “The 

White Pedal.” It replicates all the overdrive and fuzz sounds 

found on “The White Album;” it’s supposed to mimic different 

tones on those old Vox Conquerer amps. Think the smooth fuzz 

of “Happiness Is A Warm Gun” to the rawness of “Helter Skelter” 

in a pedal. It’s extremely versatile. 

Mo: Dunlop’s Fuzz Face Hendrix marked me completely, but then 

the EHX’s Russian Big Muff (Black one) changed me in every way. 

What else do you have on your pedalboard right now? 

Danny: A small pink reverb pedal, old Bassman heads don’t 

have a reverb knob; MXR Carbon Copy; DBA Super Fuzz War; 

Ibanez Tube Screamer. 

Jake: Other than the OCD and the Fuzz War, I also run a BOSS 

DD-3 delay into a BOSS Chromatic Tuner and that’s it. More 

than three effects and a tuner is too much for me, personally. 

Sometimes I’ll use a Death By Audio Fuzz Warr Overload instead 

of the standard Fuzz War, and sometimes the Reverberation 

Machine instead of the DD-3. 

Mo: I use a TC Polytune 3 as tuner and first in line so I can cut 

the signal. Then the EHX’s Russian Big Muff as my main Fuzz 

(ALWAYS GO WITH THE RUSSIAN). I also use a Seymour Duncan 

Pickup Booster on ALL THE TIME. It gets me a cool drivey 

clean tone, and with the fuzz on is just madness. 


NYC MixCon 2018 

Free Mixing Advice, In Context. 

July 21-22, 11am– 9pm: Manhattan Center, 311 W 34th St., NYC 

Sign Up at Mix-Con.com 

M 

ixCon, the world’s biggest convention that’s entirely 

focused on mixing audio, is a unique (and free!) opportunity 

for all engineers and recording musicians 

to learn the secrets of the pros. The only event of its kind, 

MixCon brings together world class mixers and producers— 

often GRAMMY-winners and platinum sellers—and asks 

them to take us under the hood of some real commercial releases, 

showing us how they worked on them and how they 

get their sounds. 

Join us on July 21st and 22nd for an unforgettable weekend full 

of precious advice, panel discussions with industry luminaries, and 

hands-on demos and listening sessions featuring select new gear. 

In the following pages you’ll find the event’s schedule, a preview 

of some of the advice you’ll be getting, as well as profiles 

about the producers. 

Seats are strictly limited, so be sure to RSVP for your free seat 

today at mix-con.com. 

About Manhattan Center 

The Deli and SonicScoop are very excited to announce 

that the 2018 edition of the NYC MixCon will be back 

at the Manhattan Center. Once again, the event will be 

hosted in the facility’s Grand Ballroom (on the 7th floor 

above the Hammerstein Ballroom!) and in the two incredible, 

state of the art studios, which will host more 

intimate classes and seminars: the legendary Log Cabin, 

and the newly-updated, pristine surround-sound listening 

environment that is Studio 7. 

The stunning, semi-secret “Log Cabin,” entirely made of 

stone and wood, has quietly built up a devoted clientele 

over the last 20 years, with a client list that has grown 

to include the likes of Chick Corea, Norman Connors, 

Jimmy Douglass, Eliot Goldenthal, Ja Rule, plus film/ 

TV/brand clients including True Grit, Extremely Loud 

and Incredibly Close, Lucky Charms, American Airlines, 

Mercedes Benz, and more. 

Studio 7, tucked right next to the Grand Ballroom, is 

5.1 Surround capable and it’s connected directly to the 

both ballrooms in the building: the elegant and acoustically 

superb 10,000 foot space The Grand, and the historic 

2800 capacity ex-opera house The Hammerstein. 

Studio 7’s 5.1 Control Room 

The Log Cabin’s Live Room 


nyc mixcon 2018 - Speakers’ Schedule 

These world class producers and engineers will walk the crowd through a mix they worked on recently, 

sharing secrets and preferred techniques. They will take questions at the end of the presentation. 

FREE at the 

Manhattan Center’s Grand Ballroom (Doors: 11am) 

SATURDAY 7/21 SUNDAY 7/22 

RSVP at 

Mix-Con.com 

6pm 

A Pop/RnB Mix 

Walk-Through 

Ariel Borujow 

(Keys N Krates, 

Puff Daddy, Galantis, 

CID, Cee Lo) 

6pm 

Latin Platinum 

JC Losada 

(Shakira, Santana, 

Ricky Martin, Jon Secada, 

Luis Enrique) 

3pm 

EDM and Electro: 

Production and 

Mixing 

Matt Lange 

(Deadmau5, 

Mau5trap Records) 

3pm 

The Creative 

Electronic Mix 

David Tolomei 

(Dirty Projectors, 

Beach House, !!!, 

Future Islands, Half Waif) 

12pm 

Creating an 

Orchestral 

Soundtrack with 

Instrument Plug-Ins 

Jake Jackson 

(Doctor Who, Star Wars, 

Assassin’s Creed, Black 

Mirror, Nick Cave) 

12pm 

How to Give 

Yourself a Raise 

by Mixing Faster 

Joel Wanasek 

(MIYAVI, Machine Head, 

Vinyl Theatre, Dope, 

blessthefall) 

Q&As, Gear Expo & In-The-Studio Workshop in between presentations! 


nyc mixcon 2018 - MIXING Tips 

from 

sonicscoop.com 

Tip #1 10 Ways to Improve 

Your Mixing Efficiency 

by Jules De Gasperis 

Streamlining and improving your workflow during mixing is a key 

component of the job. The more you can free yourself from doing all 

the little pesky tasks, the more you can focus on your actual craft. 

Here are ten tricks to help optimize efficiency while mixing: 

1. Organize Your Plug-Ins by Category 

Rather Than by Manufacturer. 

Most DAWs will let you do that. 

2. Create Your Own Mixing Template. 

We all develop habits when mixing and have our own favorite 

plugins for the various instruments. A mixing template with 

your favorite plugins already loaded in the correct tracks will 

save you a lot of time. 

3. Split Your Tracks into Sub-Tracks to 

Deal with Tonal Changes. 

If a guitar part plays subtly in the verse and suddenly opens up 

during the chorus, separate the region in two or more tracks 

and treat them differently. 

4. Reach for Plug-Ins That Are Faster 

to Use. 

Sound quality should always prevail when it comes to mixing. 

But there is a big argument to be made for ease-of-use when 

it comes to plugin selection. Some plugins get the job done 

faster than other, with a similar (if not better) sound quality. 

5. Save Your Own Presets. 

Sometimes, a sluggish or convoluted plugin can be worth it, 

especially when it really does offer better sound quality, or 

will do something that no other plugin in your arsenal can. To 

offset the time it takes to set it up, save your own presets with 

basic settings that are already dialed-in much of the way, so 

you only need to fine-tune them later. 

6. Find Your Automation Parameters 

More Quickly. 

If you have trouble finding the name of the parameter you 

want to automate in a plugin or virtual instrument, put your 

track in touch or latch mode, start playback, and simply click 

The brainworx bx_dynEQ v2 is an active EQ that I find to be absolutely 

great, but complicated to set up! Because of this, I created 

3 presets that I usually start from: “Tame harshness 3kHz”, “Tame 

honkiness 300Hz”, & “Soften treble 6kHz”. 

on the knob you’d like to automate. You will then see its curve 

(and name) appear in your automation window! 

7. Know Your Shortcuts. 

The awesome power of shortcuts will always be underrated. 

8. Mentally Map Specific Plug-Ins for 

Specific Uses. 

When mixing, keeping a mental map of what to use and when 

to use it is very healthy for helping to establish an efficient, forward-moving 

process. Knowing what plugins work well on specific 

instruments or solve specific issues is a huge time-saver. 

9. Create A Vocal Sidechain Track 

Right Away. 

To help vocals cut through, set up a sidechain compressor on 

instrument subgroups like keyboards, or guitars, and use the 

lead vocal as the sidechain input. This allows you to slightly 

and transparently duck these supporting instruments whenever 

there’s singing. 

10. Use A Good Mouse. 

Don’t be afraid to invest some extra bucks on that type of tool. 

Gaming mouses are comfortable and allow you to assign their 

extra buttons to DAW functions you use all the time, which 

saves you time and repetitive movements. 

30 the deli Summer 2018 

Read the full article on Sonicscoop here: bit.ly/TipsForMix

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Clearing samples for use in music has become not 

only a complicated legal process, but an expensive 

one. So what happens when your production depends 

on the implantation of “old” sounds? 

Taking a chance on not clearing a sample is not always 

an option if you want to be sure to you can get your 

track out there (or actually make any money on it.) So 

why not just take the time to create your own retro samples? 

They’ll be yours to own. No legal issues. No funyc 

mixcon 2018 - MIXING Tips 

from 


Tip #2 How to“Vintagify” Your Own Drum Tracks and Loops 

by Mark Marshall 

ture conflict. And they’ll be 100% unique to your track. 

To help you create even more convincing retro drums, 

this article goes through some failsafe steps the author 

uses to create convincingly old-sounding samples 

for his own productions. You’ll even get to hear 

some before-and-afters at the link below. 

Here are some quick tips, for the in-depth article go to 

http://bit.ly/VintagifyDrums 

1. The most important part of emulating vintage sounds is getting 

the instrument and the performance right. 

2. Whether you’re recording live instruments, or starting with 

sampled ones, keep in mind the sort of drum mic’ing that was 

common in that time period - for instance, in the 1950s and early 

1960s they didn’t use more than 2-3 mics on the drums (mono 

overheads, kick and snare). 

3. Tuning also plays a huge role in achieving vintage tones. For 

example, the toms were often higher pitched and more open 

than what a lot of modern drummers expect. 

4. After you have a good drum balance happening, put a classic 

compressor on the drum bus, like the UAD Fairchild 670 or 

660. A little compression will do. We’re not just looking for dynamic 

range control here, rather, the vintage flavor that specific 

compressor adds. 

5. Using plugins like UAD Studer A800, try to recreate the hiss 

produced by the bouncing of tracks engineers were forced to 

adopt in the years preceding multi-track tape machines - it’s 

part of the vintage character. 

6. Once you have the main sound down, try swapping samples 

for kick and snare to see if they produce results that work better 

in your song, but remember: the overhead is the star here. 

Compressor plug-ins like the UAD Fairchild 670 

or 660 [top] add vintage flavor to drums, while 

tape emulators like the Studer A800 [bottom] add 

tape hiss similar to the one heard in recordings 

from the ’50s and ’60s. 


nyc mixcon 2018 - MIXING Tips 

from 


Tip #3 3 Studio Techniques to Get 

Better Vocal Performances from Any Singer 

by Sally Morgan 

There are many small ways a producer or engineer 

can inadvertently yet deeply undermine a singer’s 

ability to perform in the studio. Let’s take a look at 

some specific practical techniques a producer can 

use to help a singer through a recording session. 

1. Mindful Breathing. 

Breathing can keep singers in the present moment, keep 

them in the music, and keep them from freaking out about 

the end result. Mindful breathing lowers the heart rate and 

blood pressure while increasing brain function. 

To give your your singer a nearly instant mental and physical 

“reset”, guide him or her through this simple mindful breathing 

exercise that can be taught in a moment, with benefits 

that will show after just 3 repetitions. 

[A] Inhale by opening down into the body to the count of 4. 

[B] Suspend the breath by suspending the open body to 

the count of 5. 

[C] Actively blow the breath out to the count of 6. 

[D] Repeat a minimum of 3 times. 

3. Help The Singer Catch Their Breath. 

When a singer is running out of breath way too fast, it’s usually 

due to nerves that interfere with getting a deep inhale. I 

have 2 very simple exercises to unlock a singer’s breathing. 

Pant like a dog. This forces the singers breath down into the abs 

that are meant to propel breath and sound through the body. 

Be Santa! Say, “ho, ho, ho!” imitating a good belly laugh. 

Even better yet, real laughter will always do the trick. Just be 

sure not to make a joke at the singers’ expense or you too 

could find yourself with one less vocal client coming back for 

deeply productive and supportive sessions with you. 

Read the full arfticle here: http://bit.ly/TipsForVocals 

2. Help The Singer to “Sing to 

Someone They Know.” 

A singer who isn’t really in the song, who is just 

phoning it in, instead of really getting down and 

dirty with the song, is a singer who isn’t communicating. 

And if music is about anything, isn’t is about 

communicating an authentic emotion or perspective 

to an end listener? 

Here are 2 simple instructions to get a singer communicating 

through the song, and singing like they 

are talking to their BFF. 

Ask the singer to decide who 

she or he is talking to and what 

is his or her relationship to 

that person. If the person they 

choose does not bring out the 

best for the song, ask the singer 

to use someone else just for 

giggles and listen to how their 

tone of voice changes. 

Ask the singer to “say” the 

lyrics very clearly, and with 

meaning. This does not mean 

over-enunciating by working 

the jaw too much. It means focusing on getting the 

simple, clear meaning of the words across. 

Ask the singer “What makes you begin singing this 

song? What happened the moment before singing 

this song that you are responding to?” This helps 

them get into the “story” behind the song and focus 

on what the performs really means. 


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The Deli NYC #55 - Half Waif, NYC MixCon 2018

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