Jeff Powell is a recording engineer and producer based in Memphis, TN. He has worked on sessions for artists from Stevie Ray Vaughn to the Twilight Singers, and has produced more than half a dozen Grammy-nominated or –winning albums for artists like Travis Tritt, BB King and Luther Allison.
In this segment of an interview with ArtistsHouse, producer and engineer Jeff Powell explains how he knows which take to use as the final choice, and whether he decides this while it’s being recorded or in playback.
Producer and engineer Jeff Powell sits down with ArtistsHouse for a chat about his career, about producing good-sounding records, and about making a career in audio production. He shares secrets about mixing, managing artists, and making the studio work for you whenever you engage in a new recording project.
In this segment of an interview with ArtistsHouse, producer and engineer Jeff Powell discusses the pros and cons of having a producer engineer their own sessions.
In this segment of an interview with ArtistsHouse, producer and engineer Jeff Powell explains how he uses room sound and microphone placement to fatten up the sound of recorded drums.
In this segment of an interview with ArtistsHouse, producer and engineer Jeff Powell explains how he goes about helping young bands achieve “their sound” in a professional studio setting, and how he helps them understand that the settings and gear they use live might not translate well to tape.
In this segment of an interview with ArtistsHouse, producer and engineer Jeff Powell discusses his love of intelligently used distortion in recordings. He cites Aretha Franklin’s recorded vocals as an instance in
which accidental distortion doesn’t do anything to ruin a track, and explains how he goes about introducing a little intentional distortion into the signal chain in order to add power to a track.
In this segment of an interview with ArtistsHouse, producer and engineer Jeff Powell shares an experience he had working with producer Glen Johns which illustrates how a well-recorded record can lend itself to numerous approaches to mixing, and discusses his own analog-based approach to mixing a project. He also explains why less is often more when mixing a record, and notes the importance of using EQ, fade and loudness to create space in the mix for every part that needs to be heard.
In this segment of an interview with ArtistsHouse, producer and engineer Jeff Powell shares advice for young people hoping to build a career in those fields. He emphasizes the need for studio workers to understand the business side of their job, explains why the producer and engineer are often the last people on a project to get paid, and offers tips on when to expect to get stiffed for your work.
In this segment of an interview with ArtistsHouse, producer and engineer Jeff Powell shares his opinions on whether pursuing a college education in the recording arts is worth it, and why.
In this segment of an interview with ArtistsHouse, producer and engineer Jeff Powell discusses an encounter he had with legendary producer Jim Dickinson, which launched him on his current career.
In this segment of an interview with ArtistsHouse, producer and engineer Jeff Powell gives advice for getting your foot in the door in a career in an engineering or production career, and how not to get kicked out of the studio on the first day.
In this segment of an interview with ArtistsHouse, producer and engineer Jeff Powell discusses his very experiences producing the Holy Cows, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Primal Scream at Memphis’ Ardent Studios.
In this segment of an interview with ArtistsHouse, producer and engineer Jeff Powell explains how a working knowledge of basic music theory helps him be more effective in the studio.
In this segment of an interview with ArtistsHouse, producer and engineer Jeff Powell explains how the digital recording process differs from analog recording – especially how engineers need to account for the fact that the sounds captured on tape in an analog setting differ substantially from the sounds captured on digital, even if all the other variables (mics, instruments and amps, EQ, type of console, etc.) are identical.
In this segment of an interview with ArtistsHouse, producer and engineer Jeff Powell shares his thoughts on how Pro Tools and similar recording technologies have changed how producers work – for example, by allowing producers to salvage an incredible take with a few mistakes, and on the other hand, by perhaps making producers and engineers at times more complacent.
In this segment of an interview with ArtistsHouse, producer and engineer Jeff Powell discusses how he manages band dynamics in the studio and helps musicians get past their issues and pet ideas to capture the best possible take. He also explains why he makes sure to capture a great scratch vocal when building a track.
In this segment of an interview with ArtistsHouse, producer and engineer Jeff Powell shares his opinions on what the most important instrument is in a mix – whether it’s the bass on a hip-hop track, the drums in a rock track, or in some cases even the back-miked sounds of the studio itself.
In this segment of an interview with ArtistsHouse, producer and engineer Jeff Powell explains how he manages a studio when recording small and large ensembles – when to isolate all the instruments, when to allow the guitar to leak into the drum mic, when to record live, when to track instruments separately, and how to help artists become comfortable with the approach that is the most appropriate for their session.
