>> How did you learn to use the recording software that you use?
You said you use Pro Tools.
Is that something that person can teach themselves, or did you take a class, or
read the manual, or ask friends, or?
>> Well, making records with my band.
Being a musician in a room where all this is happening, you observe and
kind of learn from that.
But so that was my three or four records of my own band and
then dozens of other records with other folks seeing that happen.
And asking questions and being curious about what's
going on in that world because you kind of realize that that's an instrument too,
that engineering is really kind of utilizing.
So, but then, that being said,
I got a great computer, got Pro Tools and just went to town.
I made an instrumental pedal steel record and nobody will ever listen to it.
But it's out there, I love it.
But it was me going garage band gorilla on something that I love musically and
trying to capture it.
And one of the things that I think, it's a weird elusive thing about music
is that the naivety that the young artists bring to music
is sometimes the absolute most pure amazing thing that somebody can ever do.
And no matter how skilled,
how many years you go on to study it, you can never attain that naivety.
So that being said, those things,
those skills that you learn in that world, you can always move forward in the plot.
So that songwriting, engineering,
performing on an instrument, all that stuff, it works.
>> I love the way that you describe all of your skill sets as sort of being
just different tools that all revert back to the idea of you being a musician,
whether you're talking about your approach to the studio, or
your approach to the guitar, or your approach to songwriting or producing.
I think that's really helpful to kind of have a united view of all of those
skill sets, it's really great.
>> Yeah. >> A lot of people know that there is
a current raging debate going on between the sound
quality of digital recordings, MP3s, or CDs,
or any kind of digital playback or media and analog vinyl.
There are people who will say that vinyl sounds better than any MP3.
I'm actually one of those people that will say that, but not everybody will know
that there is a parallel discussion that goes on in the world of recording.
That digital recording and analog recording are also things
that people talk a lot about, think a lot about.
And of course, the early days of recording all we had was analog tape to record to,
and full disclosure, I made a fully analog record with Dave and
I've also made digital records with you too.
And so I know that you've worked in both analog format and digital format and
wonder not so much on the listening side of things, but
on the recording side of things, what your perspective is about recording a tape
versus recording to Pro Tools or hard drives.
>> Well, my opinion is that I think tape sounds great
when it's utilized by somebody who can really make it work.
But it's a lot of wrangling.
It's a very intimidating, hard to learn art.
But it's slow.
That's the other thing about tape.
It's a slow process.
And one of the things I love about being in the studio is
being able to work quickly.
And if somebody has an idea, they can explore it quickly or
change it or move it if you want.
I mean, a lot of times, I record it in digitally like a tape machine.
I just press record, and it never stops until we have a tape that I like.
But the idea that you can go quickly and manipulate stuff
in the digital realm is, I don't know, it's so great.
It's the flexibility that I think is like magical now.
Rather than being able to cut tape and edit stuff like that, you can do it so
quickly and still feel the momentum of recording together versus having to take
a two hour break while somebody has to- >> Calibrate
the [CROSSTALK] [LAUGH] machine, yeah.
>> That's to me is the benefit.
I've never been a huge audiophile.
It's about the performance and
the song and the spirit that I feel from a recording versus
the absolute detail of the drum tone.
It's about the performance, so a lot of times, maybe it's terrible for me to say,
but that high, high and super high fi stuff, I still think it really matters.
I think it's about really trying to deliver something that's unique to me.