Michael Wagener - Sound Engineer
Michael Wagener president of Double Trouble Productions and onwner of Wireworld Studios has produced such CDs as the first two Skid Row albums, most of the Dokken albums from the 80s, stuff for White Lion, Saigon Kick, Warrant, Great White, Extreme, Sebastian Bach, and even mixed Metallica's "Master Of Puppets," Poison's "Look What The Cat Dragged In," Ozzy Osbourne's "No More Tears," and Motley Crue's "Too Fast For Love."
Tell us a bit about your work, what have you worked on recently?
The latest project we did at WireWorld was the new King's X CD. Before that I produced engineered and mixed the new SkidRow album,"Revolutions Per Minute"
Give us a little background on your career: How did you get involved with music?
I started playing guitar when I was 12 years old. At age 22 I got a job in a company building guitar amps and mixing consoles and later put music and electronic together and became a recording engineer.
What made you choose a career in audio engineering and music production?
After building music equipment for some years I realised that working with the gear was much more fun that building it.
In general, what is your specific idea/ideal on sound, what makes a good sound?
A good musician makes a good sound, gear can only help us to enhance what is being played. A good sound to me is the sound that enhances what the music is trying to say.
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?
I listen to the artists demos and try to hear what's good about the music and the performance and what is not so good. Then I try to enhance the good things and bring down the not so good things, so basically the music and the playing make that decision for me.
What was your approach to the sound for your last album?
King's X are extremely great musicians, so we opted for more of a live feel, rather than a big production.
You mixed "Master Of Puppets" which is one of the best metal albums of all time. What do you remember about mixing that record and how come you never worked with Metallica again?
Those guys definitely know what they want to hear on their albums, it was a very intense experience in a good way. After the success of "Master..." I got extremely busy and they teamed up with Bob, which works great for them, so why change it.
What band or artist have you not yet recorded but would very much like to work with?
AC/DC
A bit about sound engineering and recording technology: What do you think were the important innovations for the last few years?
Refinement of digital technology, even though I think we're still not quite there yet.
Can you describe how these innovations have taken influence on the creative process?
I feel that digital recording has given the artist a tool for writing and putting down ideas in a more relaxed way.
Can you describe what new directions you see with recording technology, where is headed?
Honestly I'm not sure. I feel that it is still the driver and not the car that makes the difference.
How do you see the future of digital sound in general and specificly for the `rock community´ - any visions ?
Digital technology should get to a point where most of the attention is being moved from the left side of the brain back to the right side. I feel some of the equipment requires too much attention which takes away from creativity in music.
What role do plug-ins play within your work in general, how do they help you?
I use plug-ins in combination with hardware "plug-ins", even though I find myself more and more using certain plugs inside the computer. A software plug-in is easier to insert into the chain, which also give you the opportunity to quickly try different approaches to a problem.
We hear you use RND Plug-ins, what is your experience with RND Plug-ins?
The RND plug ins give a lot of attention to detail and most importantly attention to musicality. They approach things from a different view and put a lot of weight on musicality.
How do RNDigital Plug-ins help you with your work? How are they integrated into your creative process?
I find that RND plug-ins make it easy to get a desired result and come right to the point. If I have any complicated problems with any tracks, you can bet that the real-world approach to the design of the RNDs let you solve sound problems very easy.
Which RND Plug-ins do you use most frequently? What are your favourite features?
The DYNAM-IZER and the UNIQUEL-IZER. The approach is completely different from conventional compressors and equalizers and they have features not found on other plugs.That means you can get results, that you can't get with conventional plug-ins.
Can you tell us why you chose RND Plug-ins or what specific characteristic they have?
I like them because they are made by a person whom has been "in the field" for years and has been innovative in everything musical he touched. You can tell, that a lot of experience went into the design of the plug-ins.