Barry Rudolph is a recording engineer/producer/mixer with over 30 gold and platinum RIAA awards to his credit. He has also participated in numerous Grammy-winning records. Barry’s discography includes engineering and mixing for artists such as: Pat Benatar, Rod Stewart, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hall and Oates, The Corrs, BB Mak, Enrique Iglesias, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Mathis, Mick Jagger, Robbie Nevil, Selena, Tony Williams, Keith Moon, and The Beach Boys. Barry has worked with music producers: Tom Dowd, Steve Cropper, Jerry Fuller, Oliver Leiber, David Gamson, Neil Giraldo, and Rick Rubin. As a journalist, Barry is a contributing editor to MIX Magazine and the ‘New Toys’ columnist for LA’s Music Connection Magazine. Barry has his own music mixing facility and teaches recording engineering.
He will be moderating the Cool Garage Recording Tools and the Crap to Avoid panel at South by Southwest on Friday, March 16 from 11:00AM to 12 noon in the Austin Convention Center, Room 17B. We asked Barry a few questions about the panel:
What was your interest in creating this panel and how does it relate to your background?
I’ve been working on this panel idea for a couple years with Seagate. Seagate knows DIY musicians appreciate any guidance on gear selection, so they came to me as someone, via several editorial gigs, who has an extensive history of recommending tools. For those who are not familiar with the company, Seagate makes the computer storage most widely used in the recording industry.
The idea was really born out of necessity. Recording music technology has exploded in complexity in the last 20 years and most musicians and artists often feel intimidated and confused when it comes to making expensive software and equipment purchases. Recording equipment and software choices influence and shape the sonic character and feeling of any musical work.
This panel provides guidance to establish your own framework for “doing it yourself” when making decisions about equipment choices specific to both your work process, and musical style.
Meaningful equipment specifications, feature sets that are important and why, and sage advice to avoid major disasters both in the studio and in your bank account will be discussed.
Who else is on the panel and what do they bring to the subject?
Seagate has done a great job pulling together some industry experts to participate in the panel, including: Joe Chiccarelli nine-time Grammy Award-Winning Producer/Engineer/Mixer (Beck, U2, The Strokes, My Morning Jacket, The Shins, The White Stripes, Morrissey, The Killers, The Raconteurs, Young The Giant), producer Andrew “Mudrock” Murdock (Avenged Sevenfold, Godsmack, Alice Cooper, etc), producer Mike Green (Paramore, Good Charlotte, All Time Low, etc) and Anthony Gordon a DIY SXSW-performing artist and Artist Relations Manager responsible for Avid’s professional audio products portfolio.
Why is this panel important to musicians?
Let the de-mystifying begin! Anyone who’s recording music wants to ensure that the equipment they use will help them capture the highest quality sounds. All these folks on the panel are actively involved in the recording process. They’re professionals who make a living at this. The knowledge they’ve collected over the years can be tremendously valuable to anyone who’s trying to navigate their way through the recording process.
What do you hope people will walk away with after attending this panel?
A recognition that high technology is always changing and requires a basic understanding of what makes the tools work their magic and what kind of tools really matter for your own personal process. To fully utilize technology yourself requires a dedication to your own process, and a thoughtful consideration of tools that truly enable it.
Best way for people to contact you?
barry@barryrudolph.com
www.barryrudolph.com
www.facebook.com/barry.rudolph
