Doug McBride: Creating Big, Natural Recordings

Oct 11, 2023

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Doug McBride is a multi-talented individual who wears many hats—Founder and Chief Engineer at Gravity Studios, mastering engineer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, as well as a family man. Located in Chicago's Wicker Park, Gravity Studios has been a launchpad for various artists. Doug's career took off at the Chicago Recording Company, where he climbed the ranks from 1990 to 1993. He has worked with a plethora of artists, including Izzy Stradlin, Veruca Salt, Smashing Pumpkins, and Fall Out Boy. His initial success came when he produced the hit song "Seether" for Veruca Salt, which set the stage for Gravity Studios to become a go-to place for both local bands and major label artists.

In the late '90s and 2000s, Doug's reputation began to attract artists from around the country and even Europe. Names like Ben Kweller, Johnny Rzenik, Badly Drawn Boy, and Tahiti 80 made their way to Chicago specifically to work with him. Over the years, he has also produced tracks for Racheal Yamagata, Jack’s Mannequin, and Buddy Guy. In 2005, he expanded his business by opening Gravity Mastering, focusing on mastering services for other producers and engineers. Committed to supporting independent artists, Doug has adapted to the evolving recording industry while maintaining his straightforward approach.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

Working with Steve Albini
Creating natural sounding recordings
Surviving the music industry on no sleep
How the height of your room impacts your sounds
Leaning into room mics
Getting the most of a small room
Following musical trends
Using compression on drums
Background vocals: How to get them to sound wide and clear
Tuning vocals for clarity
How to prevent overcooking your mixes
Being prepared to capitalize on opportunities

To learn more about Doug McBride and Gravity Studios, visit: http://www.gravitystudios.com/

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