AES Student Blog

Meet Hasan Sercan Atli from Istanbul, Turkey, who received a Bronze Award in the Student Recording Competition, Category II (Traditional Studio Recording).

Tell us a little bit about yourself: Where are you from? What do you study? How did you discover your passion for audio?

I was born in Turkey’s Capital, Ankara, where I also graduated from Atilim University as a civil engineer last year and then I moved to Istanbul for my Master’s degree. I'm currently studying Audio Technologies at Bahçesehir University. I'm also working on the CompMusic Project (Computational models for discovery of the World’s Music) as a research assistant for the Turkish Makam Music team.

In high school, I had a rock band with my friends. I both sang and played guitar. We attended many local and big competitions. This was my first experience with mixers, recording and live music equipment, at music studios and concerts. My interest started at that time.  

I’m very new to sound technologies. I have been working in the studio for just 8 months: recording, mixing, and a little bit of mastering. I love working in the studio, but I'm also eager to learn live sound engineering. 

Tell us about the production of your submission. 

The project that I submitted, "Sabah", is one of Nil Ipek Hülagü’s songs. I told my supervisor about the Recording Competition and we asked Nil to record her to attend competition. Nil is a singer-song writer and famous in Istanbul. She has a great voice and has been working with great musicians. She will be recording an album this summer.

I recorded two of her songs for the Recording Competition, and “Sabah” was selected to be submitted. It was my first project as an engineer, which made it very special. 

What was your most significant/funny/inspiring experience as an audio engineer?

One of these happened during Nil’s vocal recording session in the department’s music studio. I set up a condenser microphone and set its polar pattern to cardioid. But I didn’t recognize that I placed its backside to Nil. We were very short on time and I could not solve the problem for a while. It sounded like her voice came from the next room and I had to set the preamp gain very high to hear her. I was afraid that I broke Neumann U87 for a moment. Then we solved it and continued the recording.

Accidents happen: What was your biggest mistake in a production and what did you do to redeem the situation?
 
I once recorded a jazz trio for a documentary. It was my first time recording for a movie and I completely forgot to record it with 48kHz samplerate. It was not a major problem but the director did complain about it.

What’s your advice for engineers who are just starting out?
 
I’m also a very new engineer, but I would advise them to try new things, and not to depend on rules and books – just trust your ears, be patient, always listen and work hard.

Tech talk: What are your favourite pieces of equipment (microphones, outboard, plugins), and why?
 
Condenser Microphone: AKG C-414 because of its frequency response.

Dynamic Microphone: Electro-Voice RE20

Outboard: CraneSong STC8 Compressor because of its great presets, and Manley Massive Passive Stereo Tube EQ for tube color.

Preamp: Universal Audio 2-610 Tube Preamplifier, of also for the tube color

Apogee converters and Dynaudio Air Series for reference monitors. 

Can you name one or multiple of your favourite recordings or productions and tell us why you like them/what you like about them?
 
Jamie Cullum's album "The Pursuit". It sounds very natural. I don’t like too processed works that damage the musicians' performances. I love its dynamic range. 

What do you like about the AES? How does it help you to become a better and more successful audio engineer? 

The AES brings together both academia and industry. Also, AES gives you the opportunity to meet, talk and listen to many exceptional and experienced people. This was my first time in both the convention and the competition, but I want to attend all of the conventions in future.

Tell us about your favourite experiences at the 136th AES Convention in Berlin!

The recording competition, of course. Presenting my work and receiving feedback from the judges was the highlight of the convention.

What is your favourite frequency?
 
2 kHz and the 'air' region are my favourites.

What do you do when you’re not in the studio or doing anything music related?
 
I spend time with my friends and my family. I go out to parks for walking or running with my dog and reading.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In a university as academic staff and in a studio as a sound engineer.

Listen to Hasan's submission here. 

Find Hasan on Facebook, Linkedin, or send him an email.