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Dana Nielsen: Capturing Pro Vocals

81 min • 9 augusti 2023

Dana Nielsen is a Grammy-nominated mixer, engineer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist known for his work with Rihanna, Adele, The Smashing Pumpkins, Neil Young, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Weezer, The Avett Brothers, Bob Dylan, and Kanye West.

Nielsen also frequently works with music for picture, producing, recording, and mixing a growing number of film scores and soundtracks, such as Kristen Wiig‘s Barb & Star Go To Vista Del Mar (Lionsgate), Will Ferrell’s Anchorman 2 (Paramount) and Casa De Mi Padre (NALA), as well as the Sam Rockwell/Olivia Wilde dark comedy Better Living Through Chemistry.

Based in Los Angeles, Nielsen has amassed credits that run the stylistic gamut from Neil Diamond to Slayer and just about every style in between. Nielsen’s work can be heard on albums by a diverse roster of artists. He worked as an engineer on Kanye West’s Yeezus(Roc-A-Fella) and Rihanna’s Loud (Def Jam), recorded Bob Dylan’s Tempest (Colombia), and recorded Neil Young and Crazy Horse for their album Colorado (Reprise).

As a composer, saxophonist, singer, and programmer, Nielsen’s own music and/or voice can be heard on countless TV commercials, as well as hit shows like Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, America’s Next Top Model, and the Duplass brothers’ HBO series Room 104.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

Using the studio as a place of creativity and collaboration
Knowing when and when not to provide input in a session
Working with Rick Rubin
Executing on the vision of a producer
Being prepared for when creativity strikes
The easiest way to work your way up the ladder in the world of production
Getting a pro vocal sound
How to deal with bleed when editing vocals
Editing tools for vocals
Melodyne vs. Autotune
How to record vocals quickly
Tracking through Autotune
Why you should always start a mix by focusing on the drama first
Using automation to make mixes more exciting
The “slippery fader” trick

To learn more about Dana Nielsen, visit: https://www.dananielsen.com/

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