Al Hodge is an Internationally known singer/composer living in his native Cornwall, UK. Having started his first band at the age of thirteen, Al left school and turned professional at just sixteen, joining popular UK west country band `The Onyx` who gigged throughout Britain and were frequently featured on BBC Radio 1 sessions.
Audiocourses: What are your feelings on digital audio compared to analogue audio?
Al Hodge: Love Digital and love analogue. Sometimes miss the warmth of analogue recordings but the crackling sound of a vinyl I do not miss at all!!
Audiocourses: What's your view on the "rate race" of getting your mix as loud as the last guy's, through multi-band compression and other such processors?
Al Hodge: Rat race is exactly what it is…as long as the recording is clear, positive and feels good and exciting then really doesn't matter how loud it is. The 'feel' of the track is the most important thing as far as I'm concerned. If it don't make it at the recording session then it aint gonna sound great when your listening back…no matter how pumping it is!!
Audiocourses: Often newcomers to sound engineering seem to get hung up on the latest new piece of equipment. Is that a good thing? Should we focus on the box?
Al Hodge: If the band or solo act or whatever…deliver the goods in the studio, then you can record them with less than decent mics and still make them sound good, providing you know what you're doing. The latest gismos are only the latest 'today'….'tomorrow' they are old hat.
Audiocourses: What's your feeling about the growing monopolisation of Pro-Tools.
Al Hodge: Everyone to their own…pro tools is a great programme but now everyone one to use it…"horses for courses" is what I always say.
Audiocourses: Can you describe your current favourite recording set-up, in terms of the equipment?
Al Hodge: I have always used Cubase to record and I am currently using Cubase SX and I find it perfect for my needs. One of my close producer friends 'John Cornfield' (Supergrass etc) has recently set my studio up and it's working like a dream.
Audiocourses: Were you to offer some words of advice to a newcomer, wanting to be a sound engineer, what would they be Al?
Al Hodge: Listen carefully to CD's and observe the balances between instruments and also the EQ of each instrument. Sometimes mixes can become 'muddied' purely because all the instruments have the same EQ and things can get lost and lose their identity in a mix. Thinning out and panning guitars for example can have the effect of more "space" in the mix.
Audiocourses: Can you explain a technique you use for recording drums, and for correcting any timing errors the drummer may have made?
Al Hodge: I don't ever record live drums because I use mostly drum samples for the work I'm currently involved in. The answer to the second part of the question is " find someone who knows how to keep time" ..cause I thought that….that was what the drummer is supposed to do!!
Audiocourses: You have a great reputation for "knowing your onions", is it imperative for a sound engineer to understand the electronics under the hood of say a guitar?
Al Hodge: No!
Audiocourses: Being a producer and a guitar player must mean you have to wear a couple of different hats? What's the main difference between these two roles, Al, for you at least?
Al Hodge: When I produce, I have a clear picture of what I want to hear at the end of the day and I also like to encourage the musos and try to get the best possible performance out of them. As a guitarist I am hyper critical of my own work and I'm sometimes too fussy about a particular part, wanting it to be perfect….sometimes less than perfect is good….human.
Audiocourses: Regarding the guitar, presumably you could trace the "Brit pop" sound, way back to mid-70s with the likes of "Free" and some of the other progressive bands of the time?
Al Hodge: Yes I could, and good bands come and go. There are some great bands out there at the moment and some crap. I personally listen to the likes of Larry Carlton who plays blues / jazz… as a guitar player I want to hear someone talk to me with their guitar phrases and he certainly does. I grew up with the Beatles so good 'songs' were an important part of my musical upbringing. Things seem to move full circle and I find the band's these days are heavier (detuning etc) but you don't get to hear so many great guitar solos anymore, it all seems to be power chords only and a few odd, but sometimes great riffs.
Audiocourses: How far do you go with the mastering process, I mean you can get a record sounding pretty "hot" before it reaches the mastering engineer, what's your approach with this, as both and player and producer?
Al Hodge: Sometimes a record can sound better before it goes through the mastering process and if that's the case…leave it well alone. It's so easy to screw up weeks of work with someone at the helm of the mastering suite who has no real ears!
Audiocourses: So much of your work seems to have influences ranging right back to some of the best "cats" in the biz. What are your influences? Who floated your boat, and still does? Was it that school audience?
Al Hodge: Started out playing the guitar when I heard 'The Shadows' the tune "Apache" blew me away and I knew from that moment that painting and decorating was out the window !! I joined my first band at 13 yrs old and played my first solo performance at a Music Festival in my local school. I played "Footapper" a well known Shadows tune. Early influences were The Beach Boys (loved harmony) the Beatles and Crosby Stills and Nash. From then on I listened to a lot of Steely Dan and still do, those guys are such great musicians. Of course I listen to Larry Carlton and Lee Ritenour and all those guys, they still shine a light for me.
Audiocourses: Ear do e like a pasty?
Al Hodge: Love em!
Audiocourses: I remember bumping into you over a couple beers somewhere when you mentioned your monitors were not loud enough, what's that all about Al?
Al Hodge: When I am playing solo (with a 4K rig) I need to have the feel of a band around me and the only way to do that is by using a big power amp and monster monitors!! That's what I got now and I love it!!
Audiocourses: What does it mean to be a session player and what skills are needed?
Al Hodge: You gotta be on the case when it comes to session playing cause when you work for a producer, he wants to see results and wants to know that you are the right man for the job. So the pressure is on, and you need to come up with the right parts that will maybe even rescue a track with some great riff, or guitar part. Producers make up their minds real quick in the studio because of time and costs so if you aint doing the business ….your'e gonna be outta there real quick and you aint gonna get a recall on any other of his projects.
Audiocourses: You have a prolific musical history Al, what's the big secret to success and staying in the biz?
Al Hodge: Enjoying what I do, being honest, and learning to live with people who sometimes, can be arseholes! There are a lot of musicians out there who are up themselves (for want of a better phrase) and think they are God's gift and at the sane time, really aren't that clever. Mentioning no names but worked with a few in the past.
Audiocourses: Are you init for the money?
Al Hodge: I got enough money to last me the rest of my life (providing I die next Tuesday)
Naaa…. Money don't even come into into, I do this because it's all I have ever wanted to do since I heard the Shadows!! I love playing, gigging and recording and writing.
Audiocourses: One of audiocourses.com writers had lessons with you once, a Mr Ben Morgan, he states you blew him away with your mixolydian scales, is that a favourite? Is that the Al Hodge secret?
Al Hodge: Probably never even know I wuz playing em'. What are they anyway? Do you sort of weigh flour and stuff on em'? I never really understood half of what I was playing but out it seemed to pour….if the runs turned out to be mixolydian then that's cool!! Thank him for me and wish him well in whatever he's doing.
Audiocourses: You like to surf?
Al Hodge: No…. I love to surf!!
Audiocourses: How often do you practise?
Al Hodge: As often as my arm will allow me? I suffer a little from tennis elbow (repetitive strain) and it kinda hurts after continuous hours of practise. I like to play at least an hour a day sometimes several hours.
Audiocourses: Your favourite guitar is?
Al Hodge: Manson Guitars
Audiocourses: Your favourite amp is?
Al Hodge: Fender or Boogie.
Audiocourses: Your foot pedal set up is?
Al Hodge: It's quite minimalist…I use an ibinez chorus pedal and a little distortion box, and also a wah wah pedal. That's it really. I am currently using a Dean Markley amp which sounds quite creamy when it's pushed.
Audiocourses: What are you currently working on Al?
Al Hodge: I am in the middle of writing some orchestral music for a DM Thomas
world premier play that is going to be performed at the Hall For Cornwall over
a period of 10 days (a first over such a long period). It's an exciting project
and the first time I have really delved into orchestrated music. If you check
out www.alhodge.com and go to the link 'Hellfire Corner' you can read all about
it.
