Joe McGrath: Making the Most of What You Already Have

Nov 29, 2023

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Joe McGrath is well known within the music industry and is an accomplished producer, and recording/mix engineer who leads the team at Hellfire Recording Studio Dublin. His ability to put people at ease, combined with brilliant technical skill has led him to work with a diverse list of acclaimed artists including Republic of Loose, Mary Coughlan, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, The Coronas, Johnny Mc Evoy, Loah, Stano, Fields, David Keenan, Wyvern Lingo, Niwel Tsumbu, and Yankari to mention but a few.

Joe studied acoustic design and has sat on the Programmatic Review panel for the Certificate, Diploma, and Masters courses in Music Technology at the Dundalk Institute of Technology. He designed the vast majority of the acoustic spaces in Hellfire Studio. His understanding of live rooms and how to quickly manipulate acoustics allow him to capture sonics that bring out an artist's originality. Acoustics and recording are Joe’s passions and live recording is Joe’s specialty. A session with him is performance-driven, keeping creativity and individuality center stage, whilst also being productive and fun.

“Collaboration to realize artistic visions” is what Hellfire Studio stands for to Joe. Producing for artists, working alongside engineers such as Rob Kirwan (Hozier, PJ Harvey), Ger Mc Donald (U2, Manic Street Preachers) and engineering for producer/composer Valgeir Sigurðsson ( Bjork, Feist, Sigur Rós) on Mary Couglans powerful “A Woman Undone” – has given him the insight and attention to detail to make great records and set the standard for Irish recording and production.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

Using mic positioning to change the sound of an instrument
Providing value to your clients
Surviving a recession as a studio owner
Getting your first clients
Why your gear doesn’t matter to clients
Acoustic design: What actually matters?
Picking the right monitors for your room
Getting big studio sound in a small room
Why having a big room doesn’t always equal big sound
The importance of using a “random” mic
Micing your walls and floors
Starting sessions with the vision in mind
Creative freedom in engineering
Building trust with your clients

To learn more about Joe McGrath, visit: https://joemcgrathmusic.com/

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