Q: Several of the acts you discovered have gone on to become major
players and producers in the music business.
A: I found the Neptunes at a talent show. I heard Rodney Jerkins on my stoop in Virginia at my studio, trying to get in to have a meeting for us and heard this incredible talented dude. This kid came to me at age 15 or 16.
Q: What was your first instrument?
A: I started as a young kid as a guitar player. I play guitar to get the sound that I want and try and get the great guitar players to play, and sometimes they don’t understand my rhythm. So I use Waves GTR for them to replicate.
Q: Who did you listen to when you were growing up? I hear similarities between Curtis Mayfield‘s “I’m So Proud” and your production of Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative”. Was he a big influence?
A: Curtis Mayfield was my main man. Curtis was writing and singing for other people until they made him sing all his demos. That’s what he did. All his records that he done were supposed to be for someone but they couldn’t kick it like him. They couldn’t do it like him. He’s a very extraordinary guy that knows what he wants and he can really articulate and is the most incredible writer. I use space in my productions, space in the tracks and not letting the people over sing. I’ve been longing to get back to that to a small studio to actually do my own vocals tight in the room. Anytime I have an idea, I cut music for people. I do my backgrounds myself and pretty much walk in and sing on top of that. I’m a messenger. I feel it.
Teddy Riley On the Waves Factor
Q: What is it about Waves tools that make them such an important part of your arsenal?
A: I have had many hit records using Waves. “No Diggity,” the whole Blackstreet album, first, second, third, the Guy albums 2, 3 and 4, and on all my re-mixes I use Waves. Michael Jackson’s “Dangerous” is through Waves. I mixed on the SSL and because we didn’t have enough tracks to mix everything on the SSL on Studers, all of the vocals and all of the smooth keys and Michael’s backgrounds are all Waves and Pro Tools.
Q: What effect would you say Waves technology has on your musical vision?
A: Well, the technology, if you know how to use it or utilize it, enhances it. A lot of the stuff that enhances it for me with the technology is the editing factor where I don’t have to cut tape no more. I also integrate Waves GTR and the Vocal Bundle. When I do my Talk Box, I actually play through the Waves stuff. And, then, when I do my final mixes, oh my God, just to tame a lot of the stuff that is bleeding in the air, that C4 is the thing. And if I want it to breathe and give that presence, I turn and turn the highs up on that C4. That multiband compressor turns the highs up and it gives me more of the air, but also compresses it so that it’s not bleeding.
Q: How do you approach a vocal recording session?
A: Like, a new artist, we will stay in a vocal session for six to 8 hours and she has got to get it right. She has vocal trainer who warms her up before she goes in, a vocal coach works her out before she get in the room. I have the greatest microphones. The AKG 414 gold has the greatest sound. The delays, the extra delays, all of that stuff I like to use. I like my vocals through that even if it sometimes it’s really, really low. It’s great for lead vocals. I have singers who just like to hear their voice with the music and no drums. I have singers, like Michael Jackson, who like to produce the vocals and “Let’s write first. Here’s the piano. You play. I sing. Let’s do some ideas.” Like two hand touch football. One on one basketball.
Q: Which Waves processors do you like to use on vocal tracks?
A: My main thing is that I use the C4 along with the limiter with the DeBreath breath eliminator. That C4 in the compressor system, man, it’s just a whole other ball game for me. Working with it is another story. Like, my new artist, Melinda Santiago, she has a high voice and some of the beautiful stuff needs to be out there for the part that really hits it high. I do want it to where it hits the tape hard. I like when my vocals sound like they are hitting the tape hard. I use a lot of first takes. I use a pop screen for vocals. I do isolation booth for the vocals and I have a small booth.
I use theRenaissance DeEsser as well, but I don’t use it a lot. I’m an old school producer and I like to use what is natural: I like the breathing. I like all the noise. I’m a very old analog guy. I started at a very early age with a TEAC 2 track. I did my very first major album with Guy on a 12 track Akai.
Source :http://www.waves.com/content.aspx?id=3567#ixzz1s2797cis
players and producers in the music business.
A: I found the Neptunes at a talent show. I heard Rodney Jerkins on my stoop in Virginia at my studio, trying to get in to have a meeting for us and heard this incredible talented dude. This kid came to me at age 15 or 16.
Q: What was your first instrument?
A: I started as a young kid as a guitar player. I play guitar to get the sound that I want and try and get the great guitar players to play, and sometimes they don’t understand my rhythm. So I use Waves GTR for them to replicate.
Q: Who did you listen to when you were growing up? I hear similarities between Curtis Mayfield‘s “I’m So Proud” and your production of Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative”. Was he a big influence?
A: Curtis Mayfield was my main man. Curtis was writing and singing for other people until they made him sing all his demos. That’s what he did. All his records that he done were supposed to be for someone but they couldn’t kick it like him. They couldn’t do it like him. He’s a very extraordinary guy that knows what he wants and he can really articulate and is the most incredible writer. I use space in my productions, space in the tracks and not letting the people over sing. I’ve been longing to get back to that to a small studio to actually do my own vocals tight in the room. Anytime I have an idea, I cut music for people. I do my backgrounds myself and pretty much walk in and sing on top of that. I’m a messenger. I feel it.
Teddy Riley On the Waves Factor
Q: What is it about Waves tools that make them such an important part of your arsenal?
A: I have had many hit records using Waves. “No Diggity,” the whole Blackstreet album, first, second, third, the Guy albums 2, 3 and 4, and on all my re-mixes I use Waves. Michael Jackson’s “Dangerous” is through Waves. I mixed on the SSL and because we didn’t have enough tracks to mix everything on the SSL on Studers, all of the vocals and all of the smooth keys and Michael’s backgrounds are all Waves and Pro Tools.
Q: What effect would you say Waves technology has on your musical vision?
A: Well, the technology, if you know how to use it or utilize it, enhances it. A lot of the stuff that enhances it for me with the technology is the editing factor where I don’t have to cut tape no more. I also integrate Waves GTR and the Vocal Bundle. When I do my Talk Box, I actually play through the Waves stuff. And, then, when I do my final mixes, oh my God, just to tame a lot of the stuff that is bleeding in the air, that C4 is the thing. And if I want it to breathe and give that presence, I turn and turn the highs up on that C4. That multiband compressor turns the highs up and it gives me more of the air, but also compresses it so that it’s not bleeding.
Q: How do you approach a vocal recording session?
A: Like, a new artist, we will stay in a vocal session for six to 8 hours and she has got to get it right. She has vocal trainer who warms her up before she goes in, a vocal coach works her out before she get in the room. I have the greatest microphones. The AKG 414 gold has the greatest sound. The delays, the extra delays, all of that stuff I like to use. I like my vocals through that even if it sometimes it’s really, really low. It’s great for lead vocals. I have singers who just like to hear their voice with the music and no drums. I have singers, like Michael Jackson, who like to produce the vocals and “Let’s write first. Here’s the piano. You play. I sing. Let’s do some ideas.” Like two hand touch football. One on one basketball.
Q: Which Waves processors do you like to use on vocal tracks?
A: My main thing is that I use the C4 along with the limiter with the DeBreath breath eliminator. That C4 in the compressor system, man, it’s just a whole other ball game for me. Working with it is another story. Like, my new artist, Melinda Santiago, she has a high voice and some of the beautiful stuff needs to be out there for the part that really hits it high. I do want it to where it hits the tape hard. I like when my vocals sound like they are hitting the tape hard. I use a lot of first takes. I use a pop screen for vocals. I do isolation booth for the vocals and I have a small booth.
I use theRenaissance DeEsser as well, but I don’t use it a lot. I’m an old school producer and I like to use what is natural: I like the breathing. I like all the noise. I’m a very old analog guy. I started at a very early age with a TEAC 2 track. I did my very first major album with Guy on a 12 track Akai.
Source :http://www.waves.com/content.aspx?id=3567#ixzz1s2797cis