The Audio Engineering Society at Indiana University was thrilled to host world-renown horn arranger Jerry Hey and Larrabee Sound Studios audio engineer Andrew Hey for an all-day tracking session in the new Georgina Joshi Recording Studio.The day consisted of a drum session, horn section overdubs, and a vocal tracking/editing masterclass. The studio musicians overdubbed their respective parts to tunes like Sam and Dave's "Hold On I'm Coming" and Tori Kelly's rendition of Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing"; we're grateful to Andrew who was gracious enough to present these Pro Tools sessions. The event's attendees got the opportunity to get a close look at these sessions, with Jerry producing while Andrew worked his magic in front of the Avid S6: he is by far the fastest engineer in LA. There was a predominant focus on Pro Tools shortcuts and the importance of not allowing yourself as the engineer to have the studio musicians wait on you.Specifically, Andrew used a lot of main counter shortcuts, tab to transient, and nudge/cut and paste keys to drive the session's tempo forward as efficiently as possible.Not only is it valuable to have a speedy Pro Tools workflow, whether that's through having a designated Pro Tools template for a vocal tracking session or knowing every shortcut, but being well-versed in Autotune and Melodyne is crucial especially in an LA-style setting.Time is money. Anything you can do to quicken your work flow will benefit you in the short term with a productive session, as well as in the long term with more and more gigs, similar to how Jerry Hey stands by Andrew's engineering skills: he can get the best product the quickest!
A huge thank you to Jerry and Andrew Hey for their time and sharing their expertise.Also, thank you to the Jazz Department for booking the phenomenal student musicians.
