Brian Dale - Music Educator at Pyramind
„Thank you so much for all your help and for the NFRs!!! It is greatly appreciated. We're HUGE fans of the RND stuff around here.“
Originally from Philadelphia, Bryan Dale has been playing guitar since the age of 13 and was teaching private lessons by the age of 17. While obtaining his bachelor's degree in Advertising & Public Relations at Pennsylvania State University, Bryan played in local bands, organized open mics, and continued his independent study of acoustic and electric guitar and electric bass. Bryan got his first professional studio experience working outside of Pittsburgh in a local independent studio. Shortly thereafter, he sold his car to invest in his first home studio and subsequently recorded six solo records before enrolling in Pyramind's EMP program in 2005.
After graduating from Pyramind in October of the same year, Bryan worked briefly for Cutting Edge Audio Group in San Francisco before being hired by Pyramind as Admissions Liaison/Assistant to Matt Donner. Since then, Bryan has gone on to teach Music Theory 101 and ProTools 101 at Pyramind. Bryan continues to record local acts, write and record solo material, and pursue local contract work while continuing to build upon the education he received at Pyramind.
Tell us a bit about your work, what have you worked on recently?
I am an avid guitar / bass player of 20 years who has been engineering sound for 10+ years. Over the years I graduated from a completely analogue studio workflow to ones centered around a protools production rigs. I work in three different studios, two of which are HD, one of which is LE. Most of my current studio time is divided between my personal production / composition work, 1-on-1 protools consulting with clients, and producing independent music acts, many of whom are former students of Pyramind; the Audio Production School where I serve as Admissions Director, ProTools Instructor, tutor for music theory and Pro Tools, and Engineer.
Give us a little background on your career: How did you get involved with music?
I started playing guitar and bass obsessively around the age of 10 years old, playing in bands by the time I was 14 and teaching a roster of students by the time I was 17. As a dedicated songwriter and composer, production and engineering was the next logical step. Around the age of 20 I started working in a studio outside of Pittsburgh, PA., which at the time was a 48 channel studio tracking into multiple ADATs. Ahhh, the old days. My passion and dedication to music never ceased while working many jobs in other industries before finding a home for much of my work in Pyramind, the school I also attended in my late twenties.
What made you choose a career in audio engineering and music production?
It chose me. It is the one force that gets me out of bed every day and keeps me from getting in bed every night.
In general, what is your specific idea/ideal on sound, what makes a good sound?
Good sound, at least in musical terms, comes from composition, performance, arrangement, fidelity and balance.
When you work on a project, how do you usually develop the idea of a sound or the idea of what an artist should sound like?
Most artists have a very specific direction in which they want to go. As a producer, you want to help them define that direction and achieve it. At the same time, you want to help them explore directions in which they may not be completely comfortable.
What was your approach to the sound for your last album?
In approaching the solo project on which I am currently working, the number one goal aside from overall composition and quality is a highly dynamic mix/master. So many projects coming out currently fall victim to the "loudness war" going on in commercial releases, thereby sacrificing the integrity and subtleties of the music itself.
About sound engineering/recording technology: What do you think were the important innovations for the last few years?
The innovations taking place at Intel and Apple Computer have had a great impact on the home studio environment, simply in terms of the amount of CPU power available for home studio (non-HD) applications. The competition between DigiDesign's ProTools and Apple's Logic have forced both programs to improve in functionality, usability and affordability. Also in the last few years many plug-ins that were formerly TDM/HD only have become available in Universal Binary format, thereby leveling the playing field to some degree. Lastly, the amount of incredibly hi-fi and useable soft synths that have come out in the last few years is astounding.
Can you describe how these innovations have taken influence on the creative process?
Having every single sound imaginable at your fingertips is both a gift and a curse. It allows you to go in any direction, but can thereby slow down and dilute workflow. On the other hand, there is no such thing as too much CPU and the technological computer-based improvements allow bigger more advanced sessions across the board (at least in a non-HD environment). More computer horsepower means fewer stops and starts hinged up an underpowered system and thereby allows more freedom and flexibility.
Can you describe what new directions you see with recording technology, where is headed?
In the last few years the line between consumer and pro has become increasingly blurred. I only see this trend becoming more and more of a reality as the technology moves forward. Digidesign in particular will likely soon face a fork in the road with the entire structure of their HD vs LE product line. With computers able to handle larger and larger sessions, at some point the abilities of the software will have to be unlocked to allow users to use their increasingly powerful computers to their full potential. We should also see software applications truly utilizing the 64-bit architecture that is now the norm in today's best computers.
How do you see the future of digital sound in general - any visions ?
As drivespace, bandwidth and computer speed moves forward, so too will audio fidelity, allowing for higher sample rates, bit depths etc. Unfortunately, because the most commonly sold media format is the MP3, until consumer internet bandwidth moves forward substantially allowing for .wav files and beyond to be bought and sold as MP3s are today, the current 16 bit 44.1 CD audio format will likely not change for some time.
What role do plug-ins play within your work in general, how do they help you?
Plug-ins play a large part in a successful mix. I tend to mix tracks as I'm writing or recording them, and in this way, having a fatter and meaner sounding mix WHILE in the writing process can be very inspirational and help the artist to perform better through inspiration, and to play appropriately given that they're hearing a very rough estimate of what the final mix will sound like.
We hear you use RND Plug-ins, what is your experience with RND-ins?
I used The DETAILER and the UNIQUEL-IZER in a colleague's studio and was extremely impressed, prompting me to pursue RND plug-ins for my institution and personal use.
Can you tell us why you chose RND Plug-ins or what specific characteristic they have?
The RND plug-ins have a sonic character that is uniquely their own. They are also very "musical" sounding and are for the most part, user-intuitive . They also address many wants and needs of most engineers, such as maintaining dynamics while increasing loudness and providing an EQ with unlimited bands.