Dee Kei (DK) na mimi tulikaa kwa kipindi cha Mixing It Up with Daddy D kilichoanza na mix-bus limiters na kwa namna fulani kikaishia kwenye kina kirefu — umakini wa lengo moja, ndoa, ulezi, imani, na swali lililokuwa kichwa cha habari: mafanikio ni nini? Ikiwa una muda wa sehemu za kiufundi tu, nusu ya kwanza ni yako. Kama unaweza kustahimili safari nzima, nusu ya pili ndiyo inakuwa ya kweli.
Ukiruka kutoka LA kwenda Hawaii, asilimia tisini na tisa ya muda ndege inaelekea upande usiofaa — lakini wanarekebisha kila wakati. Marekebisho madogo madogo, na hatimaye unatua pale unapotaka kwenda. Wanadamu kwa kweli hawana uwezo wa kuwa wakamilifu.— Jon Rezin
Mazungumzo
DK: Karibu tena, John — sijakuona kwa muda. Hujambo?
Jon: Vizuri sana, bwana. Nimebarikiwa sana. Sina la kulalamikia.
DK: Lala zaidi — ungeweza kulala zaidi. Watoto wako ni wadogo sasa hivi?
Jon: Ndiyo bwana. Nina mtoto wa miaka minane, wa miaka kumi na moja, na wa miaka kumi na mbili.
DK: Kwa hiyo hulali kwa sababu unakaa hadi usiku sana?
Jon: Nafika kasi yangu jioni. Watoto wakishaenda kulala, hicho ni kipindi changu cha dhahabu cha kufanya kazi bila usumbufu. Inanichukua kama dakika ishirini, ishirini na tano kuingia kweli kwenye chochote cha ubunifu ninachofanya — kumix, kuproduce, hata kazi za kiutawala — na kuwa na hilo bila usumbufu, bila mtu kusema "Baba, fanya hili," napata uzalishaji mkubwa zaidi pasipo kusumbuliwa. Wakati mwingine napata kifungua kinywa na familia. Tunaendelea hadi tarehe ya mwisho ifikiwe au hadi nisiweze kusikia tena.
Kuchanganya kupitia limiter
DK: Wewe ni mtu wa clipper sana? Unapenda ku-clip vingi?
Jon: Ndiyo. Kwa muda mrefu nilikuwa natumia IK Multimedia Stealth Limiter — unaweza kuisukuma kwa nguvu sana. Kumbuka, namix na hiyo kwenye master tangu mwanzo kabisa, wakati ninapata sauti zangu. Pia nina multiband compressor kabla yake kwa kusculpt jumla. Siku hizi God Particle ya Jaycen Joshua ni ya ajabu na inafanya mambo mengi yaliyo sawa. Kwa hiyo sasa hiyo ndiyo ya msingi, na ikiwa ina matatizo na ku-limit mahali fulani nina zingine zimepangwa moja kwa moja baada yake, zimezimwa, ili niweze kubadilisha kwenda limiter tofauti kwa hali hiyo.
DK: Watu wengi ninaowajua — na jinsi nilivyofunzwa — hawakuweka chochote kwenye mix bus. Niliongeza baadaye. Kwa nini unafikiri kumix ndani ya limiter ni jambo la manufaa?
Jon: Nilifanya kwa njia yako kwa miaka mingi. Kitu kilichoendelea kutokea ni kwamba ningepata mix ikisikika tamu sana, niitume ku-mastering au niiwekee limiter haraka kwa mteja, na limiter ingeondoa dynamics zote — laini, mbaya. Kwa hiyo nilipata hisi hii: ikiwa nitaenda kuiponda mwishoni, vipi nikimix kupitia yake? Halafu ninaishia na dynamics kama nitakavyo, na frequency spectrum kama nitakavyo — kwa sababu limiting inabadilisha mtazamo wa frequencies, hasa upande wa juu. Kwa hiyo nasculpt ndani ya master limiter kwenye kiwango ambacho rekodi itaishia.
Jon: Mteja akiidhinisha, naondoa limiter na ku-print toleo lililowekewa limit na lisilo na limit — instrumental, full, a cappella, TV — na ninamtumia mhandisi wa mastering matoleo yaliyo-bypassed pamoja na screenshot ya limiter yangu ili waweze kupatanisha sauti ambayo mteja aliipenda. Hilo lilitokana na wahandisi wa mastering kunipigia simu wakisema "hatuwezi kuipata isikike kama ulivyoifanya wewe."
Jon: Karibu wakati huo huo nilipopata hisi hii, nilikuwa kwenye mhadhara wa Manny Marroquin. Aliendelea kuongea kuhusu "running it back in" na nikamuuliza wakati wa Q&A, "Unamix ndani ya limiter?" Naye akasema, "Lo, ndiyo, kwa kweli." Hiyo ilikuwa uthibitisho: hivi ndivyo ninavyohitaji kufanya hasa.
Njia sahihi katika wimbo mmoja ni njia mbaya kabisa katika wimbo mwingine. Kwa hivyo kuwa na ujuzi wa kina wa zana na mbinu zako — unabadilisha tu.— Jon Rezin
Mix kuwa kubwa ni suala la mix, si la mastering
Jon: Kuna umuhimu wa kuhakikisha mix yako inaweza kusimama karibu na chochote ambacho itachezwa nacho — na hilo lote linatokea katika hatua ya mix. Hilo si suala la mastering. Ukimix bila kuwa na hilo akilini, utapondwa na kubanwa lakini bado haitakuwa loud.
Jon: Ikiwa gain reduction ni ya ajabu na vocal inapump, hiyo si vibe. Kwa hiyo nitaondoa limiter kwenye master na kuiweka kwenye bus ya vyombo vyote — niiache muziki upondwe na vocal ipande juu yake.
DK: Ni saturators zipi unazozipenda kwa sasa?
Jon: Vingi vya kila aina. Xenon saturation iliyo katika Silika ya Kush Audio ni moja ya vipendwa vyangu. Mixland TILT — ile ya saturation ni nzuri sana. Decapitator ni classic ambayo bado nainusa. Spectre — natumia Spectre kwenye kila mix. Inaonekana kama EQ lakini kimsingi ni EQ ya kuongeza tu inayoongeza kupitia saturation. FabFilter Saturn iko kwenye mzunguko. Oven ya Bob Horn nimeitumia kwenye unit halisi ya hardware nyumbani kwa Bob — bwana, ni baridi sana. Kama plugin nimeitumia kwenye mixes tatu au nne — nataka kuishi nayo kwa miezi michache kwenye nyenzo tofauti kabla ya kuunda maoni ya kweli, lakini hadi sasa naendelea kuijaribu.
Mfumo wa marejeleo
DK: Unatumiaje references? Kama, unaziingiza ndani ya session ya Pro Tools?
Jon: Ndiyo — natumia ADPTR AB. Ninapakua references zangu kwa aina yoyote ninayomix — hip-hop, R&B, Afrobeats, chochote — pamoja na rough mix. Lazima niishinde rough mix kila wakati, vinginevyo sifanyi kazi. Nasimama tu, nasikiliza, na nauliza: nipo wapi? References zinanirudisha kwenye uhalisia wa dunia.
Kuhusu kuzingatia jambo moja
DK: Ulitaka kuwa baba ukiwa mdogo kiasi, ulioa mapema katika kazi yako, lakini una ubunifu wa kutosha na uvumilivu wa hatari wa kufuatilia muziki — hiyo ni kinyume cha kila kitu kingine. Je, ulihisi ulikuwa kichaa wakati fulani, au unahisi ulipata njia ya kuwa mbunifu kwa kimantiki?
Jon: Nina aina ya umakini wa lengo moja ambao kwa watu wengi unaonekana usio wa kweli na karibu na ukaidi mkubwa. Najua nataka kwenda wapi na nitapata njia ya kufika huko. Kuna hadithi niliyosikia — labda ile ya kuchoma boti / Cortés. Kapteni anawashusha askari wake, kisha anawaambia wachome meli. Njia pekee ya kurudi nyumbani ni meli za adui. Wazo hilo lilinigusa sana.
Mipango mbadala ni ya wale wanaoamini kwamba watashindwa. Hilo linasikika la kijinga sana ukiwa na majukumu — hasa kwa watu waliochagua njia za kawaida za ajira — lakini ndilo linalonifaa, na linaninisukuma.— Jon Rezin
Jon: Watu wakiniuliza "unafanya nini kwa furaha?" Nasema, "Nafanya muziki kwa furaha." "Lakini hiyo ndiyo kazi yako." Sawa kabisa.
Kazi ya Westlake na mwenzi sahihi
Jon: Tulipohamia LA — mke wangu anatoka Kenya, kwa hivyo ilibidi tusubiri visa yake ya kazi — nilipata kazi Westlake Pro, ambayo wakati huo ilikuwa ndani ya Westlake Studios. Ofisi tu; unakwenda kukutana na watu wa studio kwenye eneo lao. Kwa hivyo nilitumia hilo kujitambulisha kila mahali: "Mimi ni Jon Rezin, mimi ni engineer." Watu walikuwa wakiniita nije kuangalia mpangilio wao, niusakinishe, kisha waniajiri kufanya kazi ya miradi. Ikajijenga. Nilimaliza baada ya miezi sita — mara tu nilipopata wateja wa kutosha, niliacha kazi.
Jon: Kuoa ni kuhusu kupata mwenzi sahihi. Mwezi wa nne au wa tano Westlake nilikuwa na wateja wa kutosha, na mke wangu akasema, "unahitaji kuacha kazi." Nikasema, "Lakini hii ndiyo inatusaidia." Akasema, "Visa ya kazi inakaribia kupatikana. Hii hailishi roho yako." Ndio ikawa hivyo.
Bendera za kijani
DK: Ni dalili gani za kijani za mtu mwema kweli?
Jon: When I met you, for example — well-spoken, thoughtful, you care about doing the right thing, you're striving for excellence, you're a family man who cares about his family. They're not a burden to you — like the books you and your wife are writing about your kids. People whose compass in life is aimed in the right direction, or at least the same direction I'm striving toward — those are the people I want to keep on the inside circle. Sometimes it's almost an energy. You meet somebody and you feel like you've known them forever.
Jinsi ya kuweka dira yako ielekee upande sahihi
Jon: Nothing is set-it-and-forget. It's constantly readjusting. There was this analogy I heard — if you're flying from LA to Hawaii, ninety-nine percent of the time the plane is going the wrong direction. But they're constantly readjusting these little micro-corrections, and you finally land where you're going. Humans kind of suck at being perfect — so we're always making mistakes, sometimes big, sometimes small, and always readjusting.
Jon: My wife and I consult a lot. We sit down and chat — what are we trying to achieve, how close are we, what needs to change in how we educate our children, in how I'm dealing with a difficult client, in the email I'm about to send. Consultation with people who have your best interest in mind and the capacity to assist — that's important.
Sehemu kubwa ya maandiko ya Bahá'í — hiyo ni dini yangu — yanazungumzia kwamba kazi inayofanywa kwa roho ya huduma ni ibada. Kwa hivyo kila wakati ninajiuliza: kazi yangu ina thamani, lakini ninawezaje kuwa wa msaada kupitia ninachofanya, kwa yeyote ninayemfanyia?— Jon Rezin
Kufafanua mafanikio
Jon: Early on, when I was starting, I said I want a wife and children. I want a family. I could have done the whole grind and probably been "successful" in the career sense without those things — but that's not success for me. So having the full package, even though it meant a slower burn instead of breakneck speed — I have my goal. I'm working on great music, I'm working on stuff I really enjoy, people are appreciating my work, and I have an amazing family. I get to work from home. So even though I may not be "successful" in some narrower sense — I'm successful.
DK: How do we define success? Sometimes I define it based on: am I the type of person people want to be around, and am I the type of person who can take on responsibility and uphold it.
Jon: The challenge is that based on that definition I'm definitely not successful. I agree with you a hundred percent — but there's a point where the responsibilities mount up so much that the replies get slower, things slip through the cracks. My kids are avid swimmers. I have to be at the swim meet. So yes — maybe I didn't get back to you when you needed me to. Sorry, I had to make a choice. Right now the responsibilities are significantly more than the time I have for them, but somehow the things get done. It's not "easy breezy" — it's more like, "oh God, it's all on fire — how do I drown less?"
Mawasiliano na ndoa
Jon: I tend to over-communicate — I don't know if it's possible to over-communicate, actually. Some people are like, "Why do you say all these obvious things?" Even at work — "Hey, I'm sending you that thing, please remember XYZ." And they're like, "Dude, I know that." I'd rather say it than have the expectation you're going to remember the one random thing I told you before, and then you don't deliver. So I over-communicate. And that's worked for me.
Jon: With my wife — we spend a lot of time consulting, sharing vulnerabilities. If I have a rough thing with a client I'll just tell her, "Hey babe, I'm feeling down right now because of this." She's like, "I got you. Thank you for sharing it with me." Sometimes nothing can be done — but it's important for partners to know he's on low fuel right now. So let me step up. And vice versa.
Kuhusu kuwa hapa sasa na shukrani
DK: How do you actively stay present and grateful?
Jon: Present is hard for me — my mind is always scattered. Always thinking about things that have happened, things that are going to happen, of course what's happening right now. My wife is into mindfulness and meditation, so I'm absorbing some of that mojo. I'm trying to recognize moments as they're happening — and throwing up a prayer in those moments, whether it's a blessing happening, or whether I need assistance. I'm marking the moments.
Jon: As far as gratitude — every night the whole family does what we call blessings and prayers. Each of us goes through our day and lists what we were happy about: I got to play with my friend, mommy made an amazing meal — it's always mommy. We actively bring ourselves to account and recognize the things we're grateful for. It's served us well as a family. There's always stuff that's hard, but remembering what's a blessing keeps us focused. And we literally do it every single day.
Hitimisho
DK: This has been amazing. We talked a lot more about audio than we usually do, and it was a very mindful episode. I appreciate you taking the time.
Jon: Real pleasure. I love the fact that we never know where the conversation is going to go — but it's always going to go somewhere cool.
Tazama mazungumzo yote kwenye YouTube. Shukrani nyingi kwa Dee Kei na jamii ya Mixing It Up with Daddy D.