Don ’ t Miss the FREE Home Recording 101 Webinar
Derek Hoffman
The man behind Fox Sounds , Toronto ’ s Derek Hoffman is leading something of a double life , producing punk rock bands and also creating collaborative pop music from the ground up . Current credits include work with The Elwins , Andrew Hyatt , Boys Night Out , Stick to Your Guns , Silverstein , and many others .
CM : How important is it to your work to be pushing the envelope with gear , techniques , and approaches to recording ? Is it important to constantly be trying new things , or is there something to be said for “ sticking to what works ?”
DH : I feel it ’ s always important to try new things . Even though I ’ m very happy with the sounds of records I ’ ve made , I ’ m always reading and studying new things to try that might create a result that will blow my mind . I should add , though , that a musician ’ s ability to perform will trump any sort of recording technique , so a lot of my energy goes into the artistry of a record rather than the technical approach .
CM : Can you think of any unique and innovative ideas you ’ ve employed on recent recordings that resulted in a really special sonic moment ?
DH : Yeah , Snapchat ! Working on The Elwins
Derek Hoffman
record , we are really trying to experiment with new ideas , often recording human performances and then really messing with them until they become something hyper-real , different , and special . We were a little stuck , trying to come up with some guitar counter melodies in a verse of one of their songs , and usually when I get stuck , I just reach for random tools for inspiration . In this case , I started using Pro Tools to reverse little chunks of the guitarist ’ s performance and we got a wild sound – as if your guitar was an uncontrollable beast trying to run away but you held on to it and played your part ( laughs ). So , to complete the idea , we would Snapchat our guitar idea , and then use the reverse filter to learn how to play it backwards , and then record that in Pro Tools and reverse each note . Thanks , Snapchat .
CM : Similarly , are there any of those kinds of moments on recordings by others that stand out for you as being particularly exciting and that inspire you to push the envelope ?
DH : I think pop music is in an amazing place where insanely creative people are adding that cool factor that pop seriously needed – Jack Antonoff on Taylor Swift , Skrillex on Justin Bieber , Ariel Rechtshaid on Usher ... So any time I hear a producer commit to a whacked-out sound , that inspires me and
Don ’ t Miss the FREE Home Recording 101 Webinar
Join us on Thursday , Oct . 6 , 2016 at 7 p . m . ET for “ Home Recording 101 – High-Quality Tracks from the Comfort of Home ,” a free webinar presented by Canadian Musician and NWC Webinars . Log in from anywhere as we discuss the ideal components for a good basic home recording rig , how to save money without sacrificing quality , and how to get top-quality , professional-sounding recordings every time .
Visit www . nwcwebinars . com for more information and to register .
reminds me it ’ s okay to do crazy shit as long as you commit . A lot of the sounds in Justin Bieber ’ s “ Sorry ” are so cool and unexpected and I was very inspired by Vampire Weekend ’ s Modern Vampires of the City – so many amazing textures and bold ideas .
CM : Do you maintain a dialogue with your friends and peers in the industry about things you ’ ve tried in the studio , regardless of whether they were successful or not ?
DH : Absolutely . I ’ ve been fortunate to work with some amazing mixers and producers and I ’ m never afraid to call them and ask them questions about techniques , music , and just plain life . I also welcome the same from people looking for more info about records I ’ ve done or just the world of producing music in general . My favourite part of working in music is meeting new people , learning how they write and perform , and letting it inspire me the next time I create . Music is all about bringing people together and I ’ m thankful for all the people I ’ ve learned from , learned with , or taught something to .
Andrew King is the Editor of Canadian Musician .
[ 56 ] • CANADIAN MUSICIAN