I fell into writing out of the pure love of music. It was the overflow from a life spent listening to, playing, writing, and recording music in my hometown of Memphis, Tennessee.

I grew up around the old Sun 45 records when they were new and came of age when Stax and Hi Records were making their mark in the world of R&B and soul music. Music was everywhere, and Memphis nurtured me down to my soul. It’s a place that is inspiring and maddening, and I have loved it enough to hate it and love it all over again. I still travel there regularly just to keep myself properly fine tuned with its vibe and great barbecue.

Besides the great indigenous music, I grew up with a love of a wide variety of other musical genres.

My pre-rock musical loves were classical piano (Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto is an all-time favorite), choral music (“Pilgrim’s Chorus” from Wagner’s Tannhauser and Bach’s St. Matthew Passion), ragtime Dixieland (particularly Sweet Emma and Her Preservation Hall Jazz Band), and show music giants such as Gershwin, Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart, and Rodgers and Hammerstein.

The arrival of the Beatles totally threw me into rock and pop, and the nights they performed on Ed Sullivan are events I’ll never forget. I saw my first pop concert in 1965, which was James Brown and the Famous Flames. Every moment of that amazing show is etched on my mind. I bought my first three rock albums in one day in 1965: For Your Love by the Yardbirds and Kinda Kinks and Kink-Size by the Kinks. My first 45s were the Yardbirds’ “Shapes of Things,” the Kinks’ “Till the End of the Day,” and the Byrds’ picture sleeve release of “Eight Miles High.” I still listen to these records with the excitement I felt way back then.

Like many kids, it was only a matter of time before I would pick up an instrument and join a band. My first paid gig was in 1969, a few months after I had picked up my first bass guitar, which was a white plastic Hagstrom. We played at something like a Young Democrats backyard party and recorded it on an early stereo Panasonic cassette recorder. I still have that tape of us butchering Booker T. and the MG’s, Pink Floyd, Blodwyn Pig, and Steve Miller. We even did an original number! It’s a priceless document of innocence and joy. From then on, I played every chance I could get. By the mid-’90s, I had performed in every imaginable venue, from the pits of chicken-wire-around-the-stage redneck dives to huge arenas, either as a band mate or a sideman.

While I loved playing live, it was always recorded music that captured my imagination. Listening to recordings has always been like hearing paintings, and I still feel that way.

Records were such mysterious things to me. You put a needle in a groove on a spinning vinyl disc, and this wonderful sound came out of the speakers. Often, I would become entranced by a certain song or part of a song and end up playing it dozens of times in one sitting. I memorized every instrumental part, every reverb or effect, and anything else that caught my ear.

When I wasn’t playing in a band, I was working at Memphis’s coolest record store, Poplar Tunes. It was also Memphis’s only record store at the time, and in the late ’60s and early ’70s, it was a scene. Every week we had local people like Isaac Hayes, Al Green, and other legends, as well as artists from all over the world, such as David Bowie’s Spider from Mars, hanging out in the store. What a time!

My vinyl fixation was made even more intense there, and by the time I left Poplar Tunes in 1973, I had already amassed a few thousand LPs.

My first studio session was in 1971 in Memphis at a place called Block Six. We were recording four songs—“Kansas City,” “Light My Fire,” Cinnamon Girl,” and an original by the organist—that we were going to lip synch and fake our way through on a local television show called Talent Party, which was hosted by WHBQ-AM DJ George Klein, who was a member of Elvis’s Memphis Mafia and the first man I ever met who wore a load of makeup. Anyway, I distinctly remember sitting under the huge Altec Voice of the Theater speakers and trying to play bass as the studio owner and engineer, Larry Rogers, told me that I was supposed to play the bass with a pick instead of with my fingers. For better or worse, I guess you can say that was the first time I was produced.

Shortly thereafter, I began spending time at two studios, Ardent Recording and Shoe Productions. At that time I met the guys in a brand-new band called Big Star and started working with Memphis power-pop artists Tommy Hoehn and Steve Burns. Warren Wagner and Wayne Crook, the owners of Shoe Productions, basically gave us the keys to the studio. We spent countless hours learning on a truly homemade console that looked like an automobile gasoline tank with slits cut in it for the faders and metal folding chairs for stands. We did everything wrong; it was all trial and error, and of that mostly error! There were no books or teachers around to tell us not to bounce guitars on a drum track or whatever. The whole concept of an educational program for rock and rollers was a pipe dream, and there was certainly no one around to mentor us. As the years passed, I continued gigging and recording in Memphis, and the friendship and support from people in the studio community has been priceless.

I kind of fell into writing in the ’80s, when Tom Graves, an editor of a new magazine called Rock and Roll Disc, asked me if I would write for their debut issue. I was busy as a producer, musician, and songwriter out of Memphis, and I figured that this would be merely something I did to channel my passion when I wasn’t doing music. Little did I know that I would write in every issue for the life of that magazine, which turned out to be several years.

Dave Marsh and Peter Guralnick were part of this publication, which was supposed to be a compact disc equivalent to the New York Times Book Review. The writing came from the heart, and Tom was a good editor. I learned a lot and probably never made more than a hundred dollars for the total time I wrote for them. Lesson number one: You don’t write for music publications if you think you are going to actually make money. Music writing is the literary world’s equivalent to working in a record store. You are there because you love music. Unfortunately, publishers know this, too. Nevertheless, it put me in front of some serious readers.

Writing about music seemed natural, and by the time a couple of years had passed, I had been published in Billboard, Rolling Stone, Details, Goldmine, Guitar Player, Music Express, and a number of other publications. It was weird how it happened, because I never had this in mind as a career path.

I had played thousands of gigs, live and in the studio, had song cuts as a songwriter, and was focused on a career as an artist.

That said, I was one of those kids who voraciously read every music magazine and book I could get my hands on. There was a time when Rolling Stone was required reading, as was Musician during Bill Flanagan’s time as editor. Mix magazine was another one I read cover to cover.

One thing I always loved was a good Q&A interview, and naturally I studied what made such satisfying reads. In fact, to this day, I would rather read a person’s own thoughts than some writer’s interpretation of them. It is largely the reason why I wanted this book you are holding to be a collection of carefully culled first-person lessons and reflections by a wonderful group of truly gifted people.

One book that I count as a serious influence was Bill Flanagan’s thoughtful Written In My Soul (Contemporary Books, 1987). It was his Musician magazine interviews of artists discussing the creative process, all compiled in one great collection. I’ve read it dozens of times over the years. Flanagan’s interviews reflected a kind of care and thoughtfulness that taught me a lot about treating subjects with dignity.

My first interview was in the early ’80s, with jazz flautist Herbie Mann. He was in Memphis to perform and promote his latest album. He was a thoroughly charming man, and I realized that I enjoyed the process of getting people to talk about their passions.

Around that time, I had already been published enough to know that I didn’t really enjoy writing features on some new hot act or writing reviews. I was acutely aware of all the work and dreams that went into making recordings, and I witnessed enough pain induced by uncaring, egotistical writers who should’ve known better. The only guideline I had in review writing was to make sure that I wrote it like I was talking to the artist face to face. That way, I had to be responsible for saying what I truly meant in a constructive fashion.

Even though I had written in many departments of Billboard, it was Thom Duffy and Paul Verna who opened the Pro Audio section up and allowed me to dive into writing about the recording world. It was the first time I really felt charged as a writer.

Generally, producers, engineers, mixers, mastering engineers, and others involved behind the glass don’t have self-involved star mentalities. With few exceptions, most are low key, approachable, and generous about sharing their knowledge. In fact, they are often surprised that anyone would really want to interview them.

As someone who came of age in music before there were academic programs that taught about recording and the music industry, the idea of talking with those I admired for a magazine feature was like getting paid to have private tutorials.

A little more than 20 years ago, I began writing for Mix magazine. It was the beginning of a working relationship that I cherished. Mix editors Blair Jackson and Tom Kenny were always truly supportive buddies, and the others at Mix have been wonderful, too. Of all the magazines in which I’ve been published, I’m proudest of my association with Mix.

Mix magazine afforded me the chance to interview many of the people I’ve most admired in the world of recording. Besides feature interviews, Mix let me write numerous application features that showcased pros sharing their knowledge on various topics. It was from these features that the idea of this book began. Essentially, I returned to the original interview transcripts and intros for those features and expanded upon them for this book. I eventually went out and conducted many more new interviews for this latest edition.

Unlike many writers, I’ve always had a ridiculous need to completely transcribe every single interview. Over the years, I’ve transcribed thousands of pages featuring hundreds of conversations with people ranging from Chet Atkins, to John Fogerty, to Mark Knopfler, to Allen Toussaint, to Tony Visconti, to David Z.

Out of a 20-, 40-, or 150-page interview with one person, I might only use a small percentage for the feature at hand. That interview, however, would often contain a wealth of other great stuff that never made it into the magazine.

The interviews in this book range from being brand new to being ones I’ve done over the years. In some cases, those I approached chose to write out their thoughts on a subject. In every case, the generosity of sharing this hard-earned information has been a true gift. While technology is constantly changing, this book hopefully offers proven techniques, as well as creative ideas for producing, recording, mixing, and mastering music that are timeless.

I’ve tried to mix it up so that there is something for everyone here. Some things might sound like nonsense or might seem tedious to one person and seem absolutely brilliant to another reader. Just as there are many genres of music, there is a diverse range of personalities represented here. Just check out the credits in the Appendix, and that should underscore how diverse the contributors who are represented in this book are. Then go check out their work….

As much as this book showcases the more technical applications of making music, I’ve made a point to make a lot of room for more philosophical musings. After all, this is about capturing creative sparks and paying attention to the space in between the notes.

There are many people who deserve my thanks: From my years gigging and recording in Memphis, I would like to specifically point out John Fry, Jody Stephens, John Hampton (an original Chew Head) and Skidd Mills from Ardent Recording, as well as Tim Goodwin of Memphis Sound Productions, Paul Zalesky of Stairway Recording, Steve Hauth and Ronnie Kietell for their endless hours at Steve’s studio on Cleveland, and Larry Lipman and Richard Ranta of the University of Memphis’ fine recording program. Jon Hornyak and the Memphis Chapter of NARAS have also supplied much valuable assistance over the years.

Other Memphis friends (some of whom have moved to Nashville) include George Bradfute, Steve Ebe, Robert “Bobby Memphis” Jordan, Joe Hardy, Keith and Jerene Sykes, Carl Marsh, Greg Morrow, Ross Rice, Rusty McFarland, Jack Holder, Johnny Phillips, Gary Belz, and Jesse Brownfield. Also special thanks to Norbert Putnam, a generous spirit who is joy to know as a friend.

Three people who did their best to provide support through thick and thin are Debbie Edmiston, Mary Truett, and Allison Black. I learned a lot during those years together. Thank you.

A true brother and partner in insane recording exploits at studios in Memphis and (particularly) Wishbone and Fame in Muscle Shoals is Mark Marchetti. We wrote loads of songs together and had a blast making music. Along the way, we even landed some song cuts and one that became a Billboard Top 20 Country hit. Thanks, Gail Davies!

One person who inspired and challenged me and was a true friend was producer, musician, and songwriter Jim Dickinson, who passed away on August 15, 2009. Jim, in more ways than he probably ever knew, held up a lens that helped me focus who I was in my culture from the Delta South and put a lifetime of feelings and understanding into something I could truly own and articulate with pride. He also was the first teacher who selflessly offered from the heart his feelings about the psychology of producing. Many of those things he shared fundamentally informed the way I viewed the creative process and honored the art of life around me.

The Nashville community has been incredibly nurturing. Trip Aldredge, Bob Bailey-Lemansky, Richard Dodd, Michael Wagener, Bill Lloyd, Brad Jones, Dan Goodman, Tony Brown, Bob Doyle, Lee Swartz, Richard Bennett, Lauren Koch, Chuck Ainlay, Justin Neibank, Jim Zumwalt, Benny Quinn, Denny Purcell, John Allen, Peter Cronin, Pete Langella, Joe and Marc Pisapia, Nichole Cochran, and Lisa Roy each have my gratitude for all the ways, big and small, where they made a positive difference.

A very special thanks goes to Brian Ahern, a dear friend and mentor. The thought and care I’ve seen Brian apply to artists, musicians, engineers, and anyone involved in his production projects has been a light on the path to achieving excellence, while treating others with dignity. He is a listener and concept architect who quietly contributes in usually unseen ways to pave the way to manifesting visions into realities. That’s the mark of a true producer, in my book.

Between the spring of 2008, when the work on this edition of the book began, and its completion in spring of 2010, I had a number of wonderful people who assisted in typing out and going over several thousand pages of transcripts, organizing files and photos, creating progress charts, and doing all manner of other stuff that largely helped me maintain a semblance of sanity. With transcripts and contributions from more than 130 people, most of who made it into this book, there were stretches of time where I felt like I existed in some self-created blend of Barton Fink and an “All work and no play makes Rick a dull boy” version of Jack Nicholson in The Shining. Helping me push things along to a sane conclusion are the following:

One person who has been a total foundation and true support throughout the making of this book is Mary Ball. Her support of and patience with my creative process and endless crazy hours, plus her hours of proofreading, editing, and organizing consistently helped make order happen and goals become completed realities.

From Belmont University’s intern program, special props go out to Wes Bailey, Brad Butcher, Kate Grom, Frank Serafine, Gabe Simon, Ben Trimble, and Stacey Wilson, who contributed many, many hours and months to this endeavor.

Middle Tennesse State University intern Crystal Potts also did loads of work with transcripts and photos.

In Santa Monica, I had the incredible help of Chris Vaughan and Nathaniel Shapiro. Both put in loads of work. Thanks guys!

Each of these people were a blast to hang with and work with. They went beyond being interns and became friends, and I’m grateful for their contributions.

Props to John Baldwin, who always has his hands full running his Nashville studio, engineering and producing cool bands, mastering at Georgetown Masters, and being the king of selling the best vintage audio gear on eBay. He somehow found the time to plow through chapter after chapter and provide factual corrections and tweaks. John, you always come through with the goods! Thanks buddy!

I owe a lot of gratitude to my editor, Cathleen Small, who was always upbeat, thoughtful, and supportive. Her follow-up questions and observations always clarified each page and made the book much better.

Also, super thanks to Mark Garvey of Course Technology PTR, who is probably the embodiment of patience and always believed this was a worthwhile endeavor.

I also want to give a shout out to Chris Fichera of Blue Sky monitors, A-Designs’ Pete Montessi, and Dave Pearlman of Pearlman Microphones. All three of these guys provided a lot of help with introductions. Chris has always been good support, and I can honestly say that his company makes some of the best bang-for-your-buck speaker systems out there. They are the standard in the film/TV audio post world and are the reference speakers for all my music supervision work in Santa Monica. I’ve been a fan of A-Designs and Pearlman mics for quite a while, and I even featured A-Designs in a Mix magazine piece. Hanging out with them was a blast. They are like the pro audio Click and Clack with a lot of bad jokes.

Chris Vaughan (photo by Nola Carroll) / Nathaniel Shapiro (photo by Ed Massey) / John Baldwin / Ben Trimble. Row 2: Erin Manning / Brad Butcher (top) / Crystal Potts (photo courtesy of Crystal Potts) / Wes Bailey / Gabe Simon. Row 3: Belmont Interns (L to R) Stacey Wilson, Brad Butcher, Ben Trimble, Kaitlyn Grom, Gabe Simon. Row 4: Stacey Wilson / Frank Serafine (photo courtesy of Frank Serafine) / Rick Clark and Mary Ball. All photos by Rick Clark unless otherwise noted. Special thanks to Belmont University, Middle Tennessee University, and all these wonderful folks pictured above who gave a lot, helping with all the heavy lifting required to realize this book.

Bottom line: I feel blessed to be surrounded by such supportive people and hope this edition of Mixing, Recording, and Producing Techniques of the Pros makes everyone involved feel proud. To everyone reading this book, I sincerely hope you find a wealth of concepts, applications, and ways of thinking in these pages that prove priceless in your life’s creative work in and out of the studio.

Rick Clark

April 2010