REEL TO REEL: TIM LENGFELD
Over the next weeks, we will be chatting with some audio professionals (Live and Studio Engineers, Record Producers, Arrangers, Mastering Engineers, Sistem Engineers); we will be asking all of them the same questions. We trust that these interviews will both inspired and informed you.
This week we feature Tim Lengfeld
1. When does it happen? When does a session leave the realm of chaos to hit the stage of clarity?
After the first full listen through a project
2. Your greatest inspiration is?
Great music mixed great
3. Your top 3 production / mastering values without which you will never mix / produce?
– Ears must be in top shape, strictly enforce breaks every 45 minutes
– Quality Control is as important as the manipulation of audio
– Treat every project with the respect it deserves
4. Your top 3 all time albums?
– Rammstein “Reise Reise”
– Arvo Part “Fratres” / Bournemouth Sinfonietta
– Radiohead OK Computer
5. The 3 most frequent mistakes “inexperience” makes?
1) Limiting/noiseshaping/resampling the mixes before sending to mastering
2) No or unrealistic brief
3) No slack built into deadlines
6. The question everyone asks you?
What is mastering?
7. Your most memorable mistake?
When I melted a rare vinyl while transferring.
8. Your current influences?
The great sounding masters of a few decades ago.
9. A crazy production story?
Sending a DDPi for replication and getting back CD-ROMs containing the DDPi files…
10. The advice no one gave you that you would have loved to have had when you started?
I was very lucky to receive great advice from the start. One thing that comes to mind is the advice that it is sometimes better to turn down projects
11. What do you do to keep your productions fresh?
Approach each project as unique
12. Your greatest ever mastering lesson gained?
The buck stops with ME
13. The recommendation you would love to give to any producer / engineer (especially young ones)?
– Don’t stress about gear
– Experiment
14. Anything else you would like to add?
Clients like to work with nice engineers. Try to be nice.
More about Tim here: mastering.co.za