Editors' Blogs

Welcome to recordingmag.com 2.0. Er, maybe 3.0! Whatever version we're on, I think you'll agree this is our best.

The site that you're exploring is the result of at least a year's worth of planning, preparation, blood, sweat and tears. The world has changed drastically, and the way we consume information on the web has changed even more drastically. Here at the Recording offices we spent a lot of time discussing how we could build an incredible web-based resource for recording musicians, and also compliment the magazine that has been a staple for over 20 years.

And this is the result.

Talk to me

One of the great things about the web is the interactivity it brings, and we hope to really up the ante in the world of recording. Here in my blog, I hope to keep you apprised of my adventures in the studio. I'll be posting blogs, pictures and videos about projects I have, sessions I'm doing, and challenges I face.

As I post these things, I welcome your feedback. In fact, I WANT your feedback. If you see a mic technique I'm using and can tell me how to do it better, email me! If you think my most recent mix is whack, tell me what you don't like about it (just be nice--I'm sensitive...). And if you are having a problem in the studio, and you just can't figure it out, email me. It could be the subject of a Q&A, a blog post here or maybe even a video or an article in the magazine. After all, your challenges are everyone's challenges and we can all learn from each other. 

Pardon the intro

Let's back up a minute. My name is Justin Peacock. I first started as a writer for Recording Magazine in 2005. Lorenz, the magazine's editor, interviewed me shortly before then about a live recording/broadcast I did. It was a notable production as it was one of the first live radio broadcasts ever to be encoded and broadcast in 5.1 surround. I eventually wrote the magazine's special issue on Garageband, created a 15-part beginners' series called Feet First, and then became Assistant Editor of the magazine. And I've now transitioned to "web guy" where you'll find me taking care of our shiny new site.

Anyway, I've been an engineer for just over 10 years. I started with a bedroom studio (sometime I'll post some pics and some of my early recordings!) and eventually got an internship at a big studio called Colorado Sound here in Denver. It was a great place to learn, and I got my hands on great gear and learned my first large format console.

Meanwhile, I was also working at the University of Denver's Lamont school of music as the staff recording engineer. I recorded all of the music school's concerts and recitals, racking up between 100-200 events a year. I really honed my chops on stereo techniques, mic placement, classical and jazz music. It was an amazing opportunity for such a young engineer. I was also working on a pro remote recording truck as an A2, recording big live shows all over Colorado and the United States. 

Connections later moved me into the world of radio. By coincidence, 3 Colorado radio stations have excellent dedicated live performance studios, and I ended up working at all three over the years. KBCO's Studio "C" is well-known and attracts many great artists. My first session there was with Pat Metheney, and I later worked with everyone from John Mayer and Sarah McLachlan to Maroon 5. 

I also did a lot of live engineering for KUVO, Denver's jazz station (legit jazz, not smooth!) and Colorado Public Radio, the NPR affiliate and classical music station. I still do some work at CPR and you'll see some photos of that studio in the coming months.

Throughout my career I've been the staff engineer at 3 studios, designed and/or installed 4 studios, done literally hundreds of live recordings and now have a studio in Boulder, Colorado with my partner Dave Hedin, who I work with as The Hook Factory. Our room is the B-room at Immersive Studios, and you be seeing both rooms a lot in my blog...

First Project

To get things started, I'm going to post some videos from a recent tracking session that Dave and I did next door in the big room. You'll see us in Studio 6 producing basic tracks for a really cool young band called What About Pluto? They're a pretty rockin' band with great pop hooks. We're going for a sound that's kind of like Jimmy Eat World meets Paramore. Or something like that. Anyway, the tracks came out great and I'll tell you more about the sessions, mics, preamps, etc in a future blog post. 

For now, enjoy! -Justin