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Exciting News! I’ve Joined Austrian Audio’s Friends Page!

I’m thrilled to share that I’ve been added to Austrian Audio’s esteemed Friends page!

This recognition reflects my genuine appreciation for Austrian Audio’s OC7 and OD5 microphones, meticulously crafted tools that align perfectly with my pursuit of top-tier sound.

I’m honored to join the ranks of Austrian Audio’s Friends! Explore my profile on the Friends page here.

Last spring, I had the pleasure of visiting my good friend Joe Barresi at his studio. During that visit, Joe had just received a shipment of mics from Austrian Audio to demo and, knowing my curiosity for new gear, offered me the chance to try them out.

Always eager to explore new sonic possibilities, I picked up a couple of OD5 microphones. Little did I know, these mics would pleasantly surprise me in more ways than one. From the moment I started using them in my next session, I was struck by their robust build, incredible ease of placement, and, most crucially, their sound quality.

The Austrian Audio OC7, the  True Condenser version of the OD5

Those initial sessions led me down a rabbit hole of exploration. I found myself diving deeper into Austrian Audio’s range, getting my hands on the OC818s, the OC7, and more OD5s. As I continued experimenting with these microphones across drums, guitar, and bass cabinets over the following weeks, I found myself completely sold on their unparalleled performance.

Moreover, Austrian Audio’s groundbreaking use of dual-capsule technology in the OC818 opened new doors for me. The access to the back capsule, allowing separate processing, significantly expanded the sonic horizons. Being able to harness distinct characteristics from each capsule gave me a whole new realm of sonic possibilities, allowing for an unprecedented level of creativity and precision in my recordings.

The Austrian Audio OC818

From their nuanced sound to their effortless adaptability in various recording scenarios, Austrian Audio’s microphones have become an integral part of my personal toolkit. They seamlessly blend top-notch build quality with exceptional sound reproduction, making them an essential choice for capturing the essence of every performance.


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Alice in Chains ramp it up with new video

I had the pleasure of mixing Alice in Chains August 21st acoustic set live at the Space Needle for SiriusXM. Then mixed their live performance at the Crocodile Cafe on August 24th, the day their new album “Rainier Fog” was released. 

Now here they are again with new single Never Fade and video to go along with it.  Produced by Nick Raskulinecz, Engineered by(myself) Paul Fig, Mixed by Evil Joe Barresi.

As Taylor Fields from iHeart Radio says:

Alice In Chains is continuing their story from their “The One You Know” music video, with their official “Never Fade” visual.

The cinematic “Never Fade” music video picks up right where the storyline in “The One You Know” left off with the same two characters as we learn more about who (or rather what) they really are. And the visual ends open ended, which means that the story is likely to continue in the band’s next music video.

Alice In Chains’ William DuVall explains of the Adam Mason directed visual, “The ‘Never Fade’ video is a continuation of the ‘The One You Know.’ The full story will gradually be revealed. For now, check out what we love to do best – play live, and tell a story with our music.”

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“All Out Life” Slipknot

I am so excited to have engineered this recording with Slipknot. We have history from back in 1998-99 when I was playing guitar in Amen touring the U.S. with Machine Head and Coal Chamber. Then life put me at a crossroads.  I gave up touring and being a recording artist to sit at the runner desk at Sound City, where I started my life over on the other side of the glass, so to speak. Since 2001 Slipknot hasn’t stopped. They’ve overcome so many tragedies and obstacles and shown true resilience in the face of the universe trying to slow them down. Now here we are together in the studio with Greg Fidelman at the helm as producer, corralling all their energy into this crushing recording. I am so excited for everyone in Slipknot for this release. Enjoy!

Produced by Greg Fidelman, Engineered by Paul Fig and Mixed by Joe Barresi (All, Sound City guys)

As Tom Connick from NME says:

     ‘AllOut Life’, the Iowa nine-piece’s surprise new single, was released yesterday amidst countless claims from the band that their new album would be “‘Iowa’ levels of heavy” – a call-back to their genre-defining 2001 second LP. You’d be forgiven for rolling your eyes at those claims. The band are a full 18 years older than when they recorded ‘Iowa’– they’re now fathers and husbands, and have full bank accounts and back problems. Such things don’t typically lend themselves to the kind of nihilistic rage that ‘Iowa’ thrived upon (back problems aside).
      It takes just seconds of ‘All Out Life’ to burn away those doubts. An explosion of twisted riffs and the clattering, marching drums that defined their early years, it’s as searing and immediate as a shot of acid to the veins. The pace is unrelenting, even that oh-so-Slipknot percussive middle-eight surging forward. It’s the return to bruising form that they promised, and then some, with Corey Taylor’s rottweiler vocals perfectly summing up the sentiment: “Old does not mean dead,” he bellows, “New does not mean best.”
Read more at https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/slipknot-new-song-all-out-life-review-2395781#sP5xWF6riT6ZfzPJ.99

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Alice in Chains to Release “Rainier Fog” August 24, 2018

I have been working with Alice in Chains since I engineered “Black Gives Way to Blue” with Nick Raskulinecz as producer in 2008. We went on to work with the band on “The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here” in 2011-12.

It was a long journey with AIC to get demos together for the new album especially when they were doing much of the writing between tours and travel. Its a privilege, and a hell of a lot of fun, to work with Nick, Jerry, Sean, William and Mike again to create this epic new album.  The band wanted to go back to their roots and draw on some of the organic energy that they used to tap when they were part of the Seattle grunge scene.  So we recorded this new album in Seattle at Studio X. From there, they went to Nashville to Nick Raskulinecz’s studio to wrap up overdubs and vocals. Then we were in Joe Barresi’s space (JHOC) in Pasadena, where he mixed every song. I’m really proud and excited of what we achieved with this album; it blends classic Alice in Chains with new sounds and moods. “Rainier Fog” gets released on August 24, 2018, until then enjoy these pre-released tracks!