Jack Joseph Puig Girls Don’T Cry by Fergie
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craft My Wings by Bette Midler plus Iris from the Goo Goo Dolls. Heavier Things by John Mayer, Big Jack Joseph Puig Girls Don’t Cry by Fergie. All of those are great, successful records. All were Grammy records — He’s one of the very few producer/engineers who also holds a job in A&R. JJP talks those records were what basically created the sound to NIGEL JOPSON about the fi rst draft, compressors, Waves plug-ins and doing of those acts — and that’s the notch on the belt: not how great the bass drum sounds, not how good something right. the cymbals sound or the cool thing on the electric guitar, none of that shit matters. When you have ack Joseph Puig is a Grammy Award-winning over a decade, arranging his huge collection of vintage that kind of success over a period of time, it gives engineer and producer with a long track record outboard equipment and music memorabilia into a you a level of confi dence — ‘You know what, I can of successful productions and chart-friendly creative cave resembling a million-dollar version of actually do it!’ Anyone can do it once, but when it’s mixes. He began his career engineering at a funky art-deco rehearsal hall. Recently, Waves that many times and that signifi cant, then you’re JMCA Whitney studios, later becoming the legendary launched the JJP plug-in collection (reviewed in doing something right. Bill Schnee’s protégé. Along with Schnee, he lists Resolution V7.6), emulations of Jack Joseph’s vintage Arif Mardin and Glyn Johns — Puig engineered 8 or Fairchild compressors and Pultec EQs. In 2006 Jack I believe you’ve had the longest lockout session 9 albums for both producers — as major infl uences. was appointed executive vice president of A&R at ever at Ocean Way Recorders? In the mid-90s, he became one of the select few US Geffen/MCA records. He is currently working with Thirteen years, that’s correct. I’ve just moved mixers whom labels turned to as a ‘comfort brand’. The Pussy Cat Dolls, Daniel Bedingfi eld and Panic At upstairs from Studio A to Studio D. I took all my The list of acts Jack has worked with is immense, and The Disco. (Photos: Arik Weiss) outboard with me, 95% of the equipment you’ve includes The Black Crowes, Robbie Williams, Weezer, seen is owned by me. I’m now working on a Hole, Stone Temple Pilots, The Counting Crows, What was the breakthrough album for you recording console that is far more advanced than Beck, No Doubt, Green Day, John Meyer, The Rolling as a producer, was it the Black Crowes with the console I was on before. The Focusrite I was Stones, Sheryl Crow, Vanessa Carlton, Stereophonics, Amorica, or was it Lemon Parade by Tonic? working on in Studio A was great at the time, but I Sum 41, Black Eyed Peas, The Pussycat Dolls, Mary I think Tonic was one of my fi rst big commercial outgrew it. Now I fi nd I have the need to be able to J Blige, John Hiatt, Fergie, Macy Gray, Queen Latifah, successes that made me feel like I could really do a recall at the touch of a button. I need a console Lifehouse, U2 and Eric Clapton. Puig has chosen to do it. There’s been a few different breakthrough that is more expansive and extensive in terms of work at Ocean Way’s Sunset Boulevard studios for moments. Lemon Parade being one, Wind Beneath the technology. 40 resolution October 2008 Resolution October 08 V7.7.indd 40 21/9/08 21:13:35 Is the mix recall aspect of the When you’re mixing on the Neve, Neve 88R in Studio D very do you put a basic balance in important to you? with the Encore automation and We are at the point now where when then leave the faders in Touch people ask you to do a mix for them, Record? the first thing they say to you is OK, Once I get to that position, yeah. send me the first draft. They are What it should be doing is following already planning the changes. You me, recording me — I should not be haven’t done anything yet ... you following it. The first thing I do is, I actually haven’t even turned on the quickly put up what my instinct is, I system. You may be five days from don’t listen to a rough mix or someone doing the mix and they are talking to else’s bounces, I just throw it up how you about the first draft. We live in I think it should feel. I find you have a world of total recall, people expect a large part of the feel within the first you to do it. 15 or 20 minutes. I usually put that down quickly as a reference, then I Are you mixing on the Neve, or go off creating. just using it as a giant summing amp? Do you ever reach the point Oh no, I’m mixing on it. I have where you need to use Trim experimented with working Faders to nudge a group of levels completely in-the-box, and it’s back down? possible to get some good results. Here’s the thing: you can use any of I wish it was better. But there’s these systems the way they want you no question in my mind that it to use them, or you can get very, very sounds much better mixing through creative with them. In other words, an analogue board. I’m using both you should be running it, it shouldn’t analogue and digital, I have an equal be running you. The Neve 88 I’m love for both. I think they are both working on is fully loaded with every pertinent, and when you can get possible option you can imagine. them to shake hands and get along, you get something on a whole other When you get a song to mix, level. Sometimes there’s something what is the workflow outline for in the analogue world which is a you? better fit and can perform better We get the session, then we prepare than something digital. I’m using the it. Part of that preparation is practical dynamics section on the 88R channel elements, as well as creative elements, strip and they’re amazing. Everything some particular routings or plug-ins about the desk is amazing, with its that I like as a default starting point. ability to switch EQ in and out and In terms of the practical element, automate the sends ... it’s just the it’s as simple as colouring the tracks whole flexibility. It’s a great creative with colours that I know are always tool. The change from mixing on the applied to certain instruments. Guitars Focusrite to mixing on the 88R was are always yellow, drums are always fantastic. I’m really enjoying it and I blue, bass is always a darker blue, think I’m getting some results which vocals are always red, keyboards I could not be happier with. green. What this allows me to do on October 2008 resolution 41 Resolution October 08 V7.7.indd 41 21/9/08 21:13:44 craft secondly they remind me — because what happens The Puigchild has a very smooth sound is, the more and more options you construct, build, compared to many of the Fairchilds still in come upon, create — sometimes you can forget some operation. of those options, this reminds me of it so I can grab it I spent years looking for the one I’ve got and I’ve kept over and try it. it in tiptop condition. I collected the parts that were necessary, so that years later I would have spares: If it’s a project you haven’t worked on before, I thought ahead. When we modelled them I always do you have a quick listen to the song and made sure that every part in them was absolutely in then maybe have your assistant mix some perfect condition. I acquired a lot of my equipment tracks down or combine them in a way that before we were in the state that we are now [with will enable you to work faster? vintage gear], which meant that there were a lot of No, no I would never do that! I mix the record. That’s choices. I remember when I chose my Neve 2254 not cool for the client. The client didn’t hire him, they compressor, I chose it out of 15 or 16 different units, hired me. I had that good fortune. You’ve had some of the jewels from your I can hear a huge amount of compression on outboard collection modelled in software by John Mayer’s vocal and guitars on Heavier Waves. What was your motivation to lend your Things, but you’ve set it up so the initial name to a plug-in collection? transient of the sound always gets through. Waves is the Bentley of plug-ins, in my opinion. Out of all the tools I have as an engineer or a mixer, So lending my name to Waves is associating my compression is by far the most creative, by leaps a session is shuttle very quickly between where I name with a company that is extremely established, and bounds. If they told me they were going to take want to go without giving it a thought.