Great Engineer Interviews: Martin Frey

Sound Instruction Interviews
​Audio Engineering Veteran, Martin Frey

Martin Frey is the quintessential live sound industry veteran.  With an amazing history in audio (as you'll see), and a willingness to be an open book for up and coming engineers, he has shaped quite a career and legacy.  We are very excited and pleased to be able to present this interview.  This is a must-read for almost any engineer; especially those just starting out!

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Martin in High School mixing on a Traynor console: '79-80

So how did you get into audio engineering?
 
Martin: I actually started in High School back in the 70’s. I was very involved in our Theater Arts program with acting at first. The year I failed to land a role (I think it was a musical, ha-ha!), I made the move over to running audio playback, sound FX and such. We also had a rudimentary portable sound system used mainly for assembly, and occasionally for a battle of the bands competition. I recall our chemistry teacher being adamant that we not blow the tweeters! It consisted of a pair of Altec A7’s (Voice Of The Theater), 15” + 1” tweeter powered by an SAE power amp and a Yamaha M406 rack mount 6 channel mixer (bass and treble controls only). Naturally, I joined the sound crew as well.  These were the humble beginnings of a life-long passion for live audio.

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Altec A7

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​My first real experience mixing bands came via a local music store. They had purchased a sizable Peavey Project One PA system. Power was all CS800 & CS400 amps with crossover canisters located on the rear of the amps. The console was a Peavey MKIII with Peavey EQ27’s. I went out during summer vacation mixing Bluegrass festivals all over. Back then, there were no direct inputs yet, and electric instruments were still severely frowned upon. That meant all microphones only across the stage, SM57’s for instruments, and SM58’s for vocals. We used Bose 802’s for monitors believe it or not! It was a fantastic learning experience in any number ways. I had the very good fortune through mixing Bluegrass music to become exposed to first class musicians/players with excellent vocals. I still enjoy both listening to and mixing Bluegrass to this day.

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Martin at the Blue Note where he worked with some of the top names in the biz. 1986-89

​I later got my very first road gig through the same music store. They had rented a portion of their big Peavey PA to a touring R&B band. I’d ended up mixing R&B music for well over the next decade. After two years of mixing that first road band, I landed a job mixing a well-known local R&B Artist with a seven-piece band (George Oliver & Gangbuster). This was my first experience mixing live horns. That job eventually landed me my first house gig at a venue called The Blue Note. The Blue Note was a classy R&B dinner/show nightclub with a very exclusive clientele, and first-rate entertainment. T​he Crystals, The Persuasions, Mary Wells, Bonny Pointer, The Platters, Hank Ballard & The Midnighters, among many others. I kept that gig for three solid years. My entire first year, I worked there seven nights a week. Once I became comfortably situated, I’d come in afternoons, and began to slowly rebuild the entire PA system from end to end. It was fully functional, but had suffered the consequences of neglect over time.

I had two consoles, one for FOH, and a second rack mounted mixer just for monitors. The great thing was that I was entirely on my own, and virtually unsupervised. This gave me the real opportunity to learn by fire (as it were). I remember subbing out only once in all my time working there. It was to work the IATSE local labor call for Pink Floyd’s Delicate Sound Of Thunder Stadium Tour (1988) in town. That experience forever changed my vision of exactly what I was meant to do in this life. Buford Jones mixed FOH for Pink Floyd on that tour. Little did I know at the time, but he would eventually become both a colleague, and friend well over a decade later! Buford would also become both a mentor, and important influence in multiple aspects of my professional life.

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The USO & Beyond

​I spent the better part of the 90’s switching between working for local sound companies, and doing freelance work as a live mix engineer. Working for a real sound company, put me in the position to learn shop prep and real equipment maintenance and repair. It also afforded me the opportunity to learn to mix monitors, yet another skill set entirely. Add to that, corporate audio sound system design and mixing. It also put me into a position to attend training seminars. I attended the Pro Sound Workshop at Chapman University in 1996, and took Meyer Sound’s SIM II training and became certified in 1999. 

Martin Monitor Mixing '93-'94

Buford Jones & Martin posing on the Soul2Soul tour.

​I mixed my first USO Tour in 1991. It took me to Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East. It gave me a new found respect for our Service Men and Women, and for that which we call home. I kissed the ground when I deplaned after returning home from that first USO tour. I mixed another in 1996, and they would eventually be followed by many others. To this day, it’s my little way of giving back to those who have given us so much.
 
I also began dabbling in mixing symphony orchestras in the 90’s, simply because the opportunity presented itself. It would become a huge benefit later on while mixing a certain artist all over the world years later - we'll get to that here in a little.
 
My first real “Artist” tour came at the mid-90’s. I mixed an Inuit Artist named Susan Aglukark who garnered widespread popularity in Canada. We did the first ever “Arctic Circle” Tour, and had a Much Music TV crew with us filming the entire moth we were up there.
 
I eventually moved to Nashville, TN on April Fools Day of 2000, and have been based there ever since. This was the year that Buford Jones and I would cross paths once again. He was mixing FOH for Faith Hill on the Tim & Faith Soul2Soul 2000 tour, and I was mixing the support (The Warren Brothers). I shared his console for many shows, and through that, we became friends. He went on to work directly for Meyer Sound as their main Educational Training Instructor/Lecturer, and that’s how he became a mentor to me. Buford is truly a kind soul with an impressive career rich in live sound engineering experience, which he has so generously shared with the pro audio world at large.

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Mixing Brantley Gilbert at Lucas Oil Field, 2013

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​I went on to mix many Country Music Artists once I got settled in Music City: Tanya Tucker, Sarah Evans, Big & Rich (2004-2012), The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Brantley Gilbert; among others. I also branched out into both Rock and Pop, mixing FOH for 1Republic (2008), Journey (2011), and The Alan Parsons Live Project (2010-2013). I also began to take on production management roles once having moved to Nashville. With almost 20 years of experience behind me already by then, it seemed like yet another good skill set to both learn and apply accordingly.

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What's Your Current Gig?
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Martin: I’ve been working at two full time gigs for the last 2 ½ years. I’m both mixing (FOH & Monitors) and production managing Lonestar. They are a truly great live band, and put on a real show for their fans every single night. Lonestar plays 75-80 shows a year, which leaves ample time for my other full time gig. I work at The Country Music Hall Of Fame And Museum here in Nashville as a contract Sound Engineer. There are 7 venues at The HOF which all require experienced sound engineers. It’s a fantastic house gig for me. Last year I mixed 74 shows for Lonestar and mixed 79 events at the HOF. I also own a small self-powered PA and 2 smaller format digital consoles that I rent out (with me) mainly for showcases and similar events.  Large or small, I mix them all.

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Mixing Lonestar (Fly date) on the SSL L500 Plus

What’s your favorite gear to work on?
 
Martin: Gear that works is always a good place to start, lol! There’s so much amazing gear available now that allows us do things we could only dream of 15-20 years ago! First off, I’d have to say digital console technology for sure. I’ve mixed on virtually every live format digital console out there. I do have my favorites though, but not necessarily for the reasons you might think. I know that Midas, Digico, Yamaha and AVID (The BIG 4) all make great sounding consoles. I’ve been an (avid) AVID user going back to version 1.1. I had one of the first dozen D-Show Venues on tour in the world, and used it without failure - mixing Big & Rich for many years. In my opinion, AVID’s platform and format are the easiest of all to learn, program, and operate. Between Yamaha and AVID, I’ve had the absolutely lowest failure rate. That’s a major source of comfort for me. Reliability! Being able to email a show file any where in the world and have it loaded on your desk when you show up is priceless. Add to that the endless user custom I/O configuration ability, and being able to manipulate/optimize an entire PA system on those days when a great PA and/or systems tech is not in your cards, is very valuable. This past year I’ve mixed FOH on both AVID’s new S6L and SSL’s L500 Plus. Both are wonderful sounding consoles. I’d have to say though, that the SSL took me to a new level in mixing on a digital desk. It’s hands down the most analog sounding digital console I’ve ever mixed on. That comes at a price though because it isn’t cheap!

Secondly: Plug-ins. I own a wide variety of Waves plug-ins, however in the grand scheme of things, I actually use them quite sparingly. I’m a big believer in both good source material, and proper gain structure. Judicious use of both; in conjunction with one another, will inevitably lead to a great sounding mix. Plug-ins cannot and will not define your mix, but ability will. Talent (IMO) is required on both ends of the snake! I rely 100% on my ears, and I trust them. This is (technically) what we are getting paid for.

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​"I’m a big believer in both good source material, and proper gain structure. Judicious use of both; in conjunction with one another, will inevitably lead to a great sounding mix. Plug-ins cannot and will not define your mix, but ability will. Talent (IMO) is required on both ends of the snake! I rely 100% on my ears, and I trust them. This is (technically) what we are getting paid for."

Mixing EAW’s Anya Demo in Singapore, 2014

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Thirdly: PA loudspeaker technology. With the advent of faster/cheaper/more DSP processing ability than ever before, PA speaker technology has jumped by leaps and bounds over the last
20 years. There are now so many great sounding speaker manufacturers out there, the line between the BIG BOYS, and less expensive speakers, has slowly began to blur. Don’t get me wrong, that’s not to say that the least and most expensive brands sound similar necessarily.  What I’m saying is that most properly powered/processed/optimized (tuned) PA’s today, will really give you a fighting chance to arrive at a great end result for the audience. I’ve also had the great fortune to be personally involved in the development of some of the most cutting-edge PA technology available today. It’s both exciting and mind blowing to see how far PA speakers have evolved through the last 3+ decades!

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Best moment in engineering?

Martin: One-off symphony dates immediately come to mind. I mixed two big symphony shows during my 9-year tenure with Big & Rich. The first, was a July 4th  (Independence Day) concert in Boston on the Charles River (Concert Bowl) with The Boston Pops for national broadcast. We had flown in (via private jet) from Canada in order to make sound check the day before. We sound checked without the Symphony that evening, but had a full run-through on the 4th. I mixed Big & Rich on a Midas H3K, and the Pops Engineer mixed the Symphony via a Midas XL4. Exhilarating! A couple of years later, we performed with The National Symphony on the West Lawn, which was also for National broadcast. I mixed Big & Rich on a Yamaha PM1D, and the Symphony was mixed via a PM5D.

Big & Rich on The West Lawn for Memorial Day

Martin With Alan Parsons

​Best of all though (hands down!), was mixing The Alan Parsons Live Project with Orchestre de la Suisse Romande for the 50th Anniversary of CERN (The European Organization for Nuclear Research) near Geneva, Switzerland. Every 4 years, the super particle collider is shut down for maintenance and upgrades, and 2013 happened to be the 50th anniversary. I mixed Alan Parsons on a Soundcraft VI4, and the Symphony was mixed via an InnovaSon Eclipse.  We utilized the world’s only fully digital Neuman KMD series mic package. 65 piece symphony, and a 200 voice choir. I had mixed several APLP dates around the world with a full symphony, and occasionally mixed the Symphony myself as well on a second console. Usually though, I would take stems of the symphony sections into my desk for final mix. This was done simply for convenience, because I was intimately familiar with all of the arrangements. We also did several US and South American full symphony dates. Alan’s band was absolutely stellar to both work with, and mix.  Not to mention that Alan himself, is both an industry Icon, and a wonderful Human being.

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Mixing APLP & Symphony at CERN, 2013

Mixing 1Republic back in 2008 for both V-Fests in the UK, and both Summer Sonic stadium shows in Tokyo and Osaka, was pretty darn exciting too. We hit 19 countries that year; touring with Lenny Kravitz, John Mayer, and Maroon 5 as main support, and then finishing the year with a 30 date headline tour in the US. That year took us to the EU 4 times, the Far East, UK, and RSA. I certainly racked up some serious air miles! I also production managed 1R for the entire year. Funny, I was just listening to a 2-buss live recording from the House of Blues in Orlando (I recorded almost every show on that tour). It brought back such fond memories of what a great live band they are, and how fun they were to mix.

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Most embarrassing moment?
 
Martin: One thing I’ve learned, is that the older you get, the faster you learn from your own mistakes. There is no such thing as failure, only learning.  I’ve hit the master mute switch once or maybe twice (?) at the most inopportune moment during a big show. I call it the “Butterfingers” slip. You haven’t lived until you’ve accidentally hit the master mute on a giant PA! Perhaps my winning moment of complete utter horror, was when I accidentally & prematurely muted John Rich’s vocal mic during a show where concussion mortars where used in our pyro package. It required precise timing every night to mute vocals right at that point before ignition. I was ready to go, and one finger slipped. Busted! John approached me after the show and called me out on it. I apologized profusely, completely owning the unforced error citing “Butterfingers”. He just laughed out loud thankfully. It could very well have ended my tenure prematurely. Always own your own mistakes, regardless of the potential ramifications. Stuff happens more than you might think. We are after all, human beings, and not super beings.

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"There is no such thing as failure, only learning."

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Best mic'ing tip or technique(s)?
 
Martin: Choose the right mic for the job. Know your mic response curves and polar patterns. Listen closely to the sound source before placing your mic. Don’t be afraid to move the mic around. A little can go a long way once you find that sweet spot. Sometimes cheaper is better, and sometimes it’s not. Don’t be afraid to ask a friend or peer for advice. Read about it. Experience comes from doing it wrong at first!

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Best mixing tip or technique?

Martin: Learn proper gain structure and live by it. Proper gain structure will get you much farther ahead in the overall sound quality of your mix. This applies to any and all consoles that you may find yourself mixing (or forced to mix) through. You must learn to drive the head (pre) amp correctly in order to get the most musical sounding end result. This becomes even more important in the digital domain, because there remains yet another stage after the head amp - which is the A/D converter. Maximizing the bit conversion rate of the A/D converter after the head amp, will result in the best possible sounding end result every time; regardless of console brand. 

"Learn proper gain structure, and live by it."

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Any advice you'd like to give to up and coming engineers?
 
Martin: Always strive to be a team player.

Be nice.

Never lose your cool for any reason whatsoever, because it will come back to haunt you. Remember whom you are working for at all times, and always represent your employer in the best possible light.

Do your homework and be prepared.

Make friends, because they will become your road family for life.

Take any and all available classes and manufacturer training courses. Expand both your horizons, and skill sets. Attend any Industry work shops, lectures, and trade shows whenever possible.

Experiment.

Watch YouTube videos.

Read books.

Ask questions - Lots of questions.

NETWORK! Find and work with people who are more experienced than you are. They will help you to bring up your game. Ask them for advice.

Remember, experience comes from making mistakes.

​And above all, have fun out there! 

Having fun: Teotihuacan Mexico, at the summit of The Temple Of The Sun with The Temple Of The Moon in the background. Journey Bass Player Ross Valory took us for a private tour of these Ancient Toltec ruins. Experience of a lifetime!

Sound Instruction would like to personally thank Mr. Martin Frey for taking the time out of his schedule for this interview!  

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