Mobile Audio Solutions

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Try everything. Don't get caught up in the "what if". Progression is driven by curiosity. The next "new thing" depends on it.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Right now (July 2016), we are working with Nashville progressive guitarist, Tommy Deff. He has some really great ideas that we are turning into songs. It's a lot of fun working in production with people that you just "click" with.

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: We have had our hands in all kinds of music. From progressive rock to bubble gum pop, Nashville's wide spectrum of music continues to surprise us. It isn't all country, people. Trust us.

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: Shawn Everett is an inspiration of mine. Listen to Alabama Shakes' Sound& Color. You'll get it.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: We take a lot of pride in our vocal editing abilities. When editing is done right, it isn't noticed. Anyone can slap an AutoTune Evo plugin on a track. We use a multitude of editing tools to tune, composite, double, and time adjust your vocal. It's the highlight of any song and should be treated as such.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: When you come to BackPack Audio, you leave with a product that has integrity, depth, and color.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: It all starts with conversation with our clients. Understanding their sound and goal is crucial to our operation. Once we get an understanding of what their needs are, we bring the required gear to their location of choice. Upon arrival, we setup as fast as we can. We respect our client's time and money. Once the setup is complete, we start tracking. Wesley and I are both Pro Tools Certified so we are very quick on the keys. After tracking, we will move to another location if necessary. If not, payment is made and files are transferred to the client via USB hard drive. More times than not, a client will ask us to also edit and mix their tracks. If this is the case, we give them a package deal with a discount for their business. We complete one song at a time, and accept payment for one song at a time. This protects both us and our clients.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Being a traveling recording studio has its obstacles. Brand new technology allows us to do what we do. If you want to record in the middle of nowhere (which we often do), you need a power source. We bring along our 1,300W Duracell battery that can support a session lasting up to 6 hours. Along with power, you need portable professional studio equipment. Zoom just came out with their new field recorder, the F8. This thing is amazing. It packs so much versatility into such a small portable package. We usually use this field recorder as a multi-track USB interface into Pro Tools using full 24bit 48kHz fidelity. It's built-in preamps are crystal clear and are perfect for field recordings (obviously). When it comes to music, they are a little too clear. That's why we bypass them by connecting our colorful 500 series lunchbox preamps into the Zoom's line-in inputs. Our six-slot lunchbox chassis features three different models of preamps: (2) CAPI VP26, (2) Vintech 573, & (2) Warm Audio WA12. The result is portable, robust, and colorful sound on the go.

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: What we do the most is our on-site recording service. When you give the option to record anywhere, you can really see the creativity sparks start to fly. There's nothing like capturing the sounds of real places. We've recorded in racquetball courts, attics, fields, treated studio rooms and so much more. We give our clients another way to be creative. I think that is why this service is so popular.