Episode Details

RSR EP002 - Vance Powell

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Intro:

Vance Powell is a Grammy award winning producer, engineer and mixer from Joplin, MO. who’s impressive list of credits include Keb’ Mo’, Jars of Clay, Jack White (Third Man Records), Buddy Guy, Kings Of Leon, Sturgill Simpson, and local Nashville artists such as Jeff The Brotherhood, Moon Taxi and Bobby Bare Jr. He made his start in live sound, touring with local Missouri bands as a front-of-house engineer and in 2002 John McBride asked him to run Blackbird Studio. Vance is now also co-owner of Sputnik Sound.

Early Life:

Vance was introduced to electronics early in his childhood, as his grandfather was an electrical engineer and miner. He later attended electronic school while in high school. This helped him to land a job as a second audio engineer in a local studio – Massey Studios – in Missouri where he worked for $5/hour learning and teaching himself the arts of mixing, and other tools of the trade like tape duplication (i.e. mastering). This marked the beginning of his successful career as an audio mix engineer.

Reference Monitors:

Auratone Monitors are speakers designed to listen to mono mixes. Yamaha NS10’s later became the replacement for Auratone reference monitors.

“…I use NS10s (Yamaha) because they sound cool… and they will translate well in any situation.” –Vance Powell

“It’s all about your reference… It doesn’t matter what your speakers are,” says Powell. “I have definitely made changes to a mix based on a mono iPhone speaker.

When asked how one is able to hear the bass on a mono iPhone speaker he says simply “turn the bass off and then back on.”

Jam Session:

Q: What is the best advice you have for someone just starting out?

A: You have to be fearless to make it in this business. If you are a person who is afraid of change, or afraid of failing, or afraid of losing your house… you’re normal, but if you are afraid and act upon it because you are afraid, you’re not going to last.

Q: What was a time where you feel you hit a real point of failure or a time you felt like giving up that turned out to be a val