Talk About Your Junk : Manny Nieto
Malcolm X Abram
Throughout February, EQD's "Show Us Your Junk!" video series is showcasing the "Rock Block," an actual city block in Los Angeles' Silver Lake neighborhood that houses the studios of veteran producers, mixers, and musicians Aaron Espinoza (The Ship), Rob Schnapf (Mant Sound Studios) and Dave Trumfio (Kingsize Soundlabs). The fourth member, Manny Nieto, has since moved his Suplex Audio to a new location, but we've included him because Manny was the first to find and build a studio in that location. As an addendum to the "Show Us Your Junk!: Rock Block" series of videos, we asked each producer to answer a few more questions highlighting their methods, professional histories and to share a bit more of their cool gear collections.
Manny Nieto has been there, done that, and probably recorded it there too.
Manny is the proprietor of Suplex Audio, and for more than two decades, he has recorded The Breeders, Los Lobos, Health, Chokebore, his bands Distortion Felix and Chavez Ravine, and more. But before Suplex, Manny was the OG founder of the Rock Block. He was the first to open a studio in that location and invited his other music makers, recordist friends, and colleagues as spaces opened up. Eventually, Manny moved on to a new space, making room for Rob Schnapf's Mant Studios to take Manny's old spot. Manny is also still recording and making plenty of his own music, which can be found on his LA Hall of Records label.
For his edition of Talk About Your Junk, Manny discusses the positives of going off the grid in a foreign country to reclaim his love of recording music on his own terms, his love of analog gear in our digital world, the importance of learning from your failures and successes and the simple joys of real Chinese food and good Hong Kong coffee.
EarthQuaker Devices: When did you first discover your interest in recording? Was it fueled by being a musician, or were you always into the recording process? Were you one of those kids reading the production credits on the back of your records?
Manny Nieto: At first, it was the love of recording on old-school cassette players, and sometimes I'd record on one player, then playback and re-record onto another tape player around age 13, not knowing that was multitracking. My first feelings about wanting to build a studio were in 1997 when we recorded with Steve Albini. He had shared some stories of building his 2nd studio at Electrical Audio (with Nirvana money), and it kind of blew my mind, his being able to be independent of the industry and make art 100% on his own terms.
EQD: You mention that you learned a lot while at Electrical Audio. Can you give us one or a few big takeaways/lessons that have served you well and guided your career over the last 20 years that you would suggest to any aspiring recordists?
MN: Well, the day you quit your job to pursue recording off the grid of what society dictates as a normal job, you must be committed mentally and feel in your heart this is what you want to do. I'm 26 years into making music now, and because of my dedication, there are no regrets except selling my 67 Plexi head and all my 1971 (Gibson) SGs!
EQD: You had sort of a crash apprenticeship at Electrical Audio. Do you currently use interns? Is interning/apprenticing still an important part of learning the craft?
MN: I do believe internship is important. My example of starting a studio is quite different than most back in the day. I would consider this more frustrating as there was no vast Internet of information when I started.
My favorite source of knowledge was Tape Op magazine. Even to this day, it's a great source of knowledge for independent producers and engineers. Even for fans of music, this magazine shares interviews with not only producers but the artists that recorded with them. Most producers that started recording back in the day would intern at a local studio. I believe this may be the fastest way to get into recording and also learn the most. Because I built my first studio, I was bound to only record there, but if you interned at a world-class studio, you would learn from the best and rub elbows with some amazing artists. The best of both worlds would be to intern somewhere and actually build your own studio. I have had interns, and it was really rewarding. The longest term intern I had was a woman who had better hearing than me. She moved on to do sound at some local venues. I believe she may even be producing now.
Because I have a small studio in a small space and traveled the world recording, I've kept it simple and it’s only me. But if you know someone and you like them, bring them on. You can learn a lot and actually throw ideas off someone else. If you're thinking about recording as a career, I do recommend you intern at a local studio. You may have to pick up coffee and sandwiches and deliver food to the artist, never touching one piece of gear. But after hours, try to learn from the house engineers how to do a recording set up because there will be a day that one of them doesn't show up to work, and they're going to ask you to step in, and that could be the biggest day of your life. So be ready, be smart, and always set your alarm for 7 a.m. because you have a busy day making music.
EQD: For many, the idea of an established studio owner with a full slate and a family going off to find new sonic adventures in a foreign land is kind of crazy. What was so enticing about working in China? Were you trying to shake off some L.A. Burnout? The challenge? The food?
MN: At this point, I think I had already been recording for about 10 years, and the idea of kind of cutting the umbilical cord of a studio was very scary. That was how I associated myself; as a local Los Angeles producer. And my studio was my house, that's where I made the music. To let that go was terrifying. Sometimes in life, you have to take a chance if you want to grow.
Leaving the United States to go into a foreign country carrying all your own recording equipment was insane. But I thought it would be challenging, and I needed to get physically in shape. That's a good thing for a cat that sits on his ass all day. Also, if you're going to do something like that, pick a place that usually doesn't have producers traveling through. I planned for almost six months in advance, trying to imagine the worst and best things that could happen. I even looked into worldwide medical insurance in case I had any issues or problems.
I remember thinking, I just don't want to go anywhere where there are monkeys and poisonous snakes. Weirdly, everywhere I went, there were monkeys and snakes. In Hong Kong, there were monkeys in the mountains, and in Singapore, they lived in the trees and the tall grass behind where I lived. Cobras even, damn.
I traveled alone for most of two years off the grid. I didn't see any friends or people I knew. It was only new people I would meet and share my life with. Lots of soul searching, and in the long run, I think it was the best thing I ever did. I became a better person, father, friend, son, and eventually a better husband. I met my wife in Hong Kong while I was recording, and we did it for five months then got married in Singapore. That may have been my true destiny. This happiness I found in life helped me grow as a person. When I returned to Los Angeles, I was ready to start a new chapter in recording and producing. To this day, even stories like this remind me of what I did, and I can only smile and think, "What a crazy life you've lived, you son of a bitch."
And, if you're talking food, there's nothing like real Chinese food, and it's not like what you find down on Garvey in Los Angeles. In Beijing, there were four story buildings filled with restaurants with hot pots with some of the craziest fish dishes I've ever had. Singapore had some of the greatest combinations of Indian and Asian food I've ever experienced. My favorite breakfast was carrot cake which had no carrots and no cake in it. Oh my God. Having Hong Kong coffee even to this day has changed the way I have a cup of Joe. They use condensed sweetened milk or condensed milk which is very dense and thicker than even cream. Having toast and coffee Isla is the way I like to start the day, so Hong Kong coffee is the way to go.
The only thing that took a toll on me during this trip was traveling in different time zones, and the weather was dramatically and drastically different. From ten below zero in Beijing to 100 plus degrees in Singapore. I was 46 years old at the time, and I didn't know it, but I was getting dehydrated, and eventually, I got kidney stones and ended up in the emergency room. I lost track, in some ways, of keeping myself physically hydrated. That was pretty much the worst thing that happened. Besides that, now my hips and knees feel the stress of carrying 100 plus pounds on my back.
I think if you were going to do something like this, 23 to 30 years old would be the optimum age to be able to handle all duties. Being in my mid-40s, when I did this, the only good thing was that my son was already grown, and I actually had left Los Angeles being single, so there were no commitments back home. If you plan an adventure like this, make sure you take care of the people you love around you, and everyone's OK with you going off the grid. Take pictures but also take it all in! I remember walking the streets of Beijing at 1 a.m. looking up at the sky, the orange glow from the smog and the lights reflecting off of it, and thinking, nobody knows where I am right now.
Insane.
EQD: What was the most interesting thing about the bands you wound up working with in China? What was your favorite of the records or bands you recorded while there? Was the language barrier an issue, and did the Chinese bands’ attitudes differ from the American bands you were used to working with?
MN: I left Los Angeles thinking I was getting jaded, and maybe all the bands here were jaded as well. The long end of the story is I think we're all the same. I ran into some musicians and artists out there that were just like Los Angeles. Some of my favorite bands were recorded in Beijing, Chengdu, China, Macau, and Singapore. The band called Cheating Sons was one of the greatest I worked with out there. Even though that's considered Southeast Asia, they were all of Chinese descent. He sounded like Roy Orbison meets Led Zeppelin and the Beatles. Of all the noise bands I recorded, one of the greatest is Snapline in Beijing, China. There was another band I loved called Proximity Butterfly, based out of Chengdu, China. Just outside of Hong Kong is an island called Macau, and a band called Forget the G was based there.
The language barrier was difficult, but almost every band I worked with had one person that could speak English. Lots of times, when I traveled, I would hand the phone to them, and they would speak Chinese to the taxi driver. I was always given great instructions in Chinese on how to travel and what to show people if something came up and I got lost. I got in the habit of grabbing a card from the hotel I was at, or business cards showing addresses near where I was going, and I could always hand the driver those, and I would get there. I never did learn the language. Sadly, I think you can't show an old dog new tricks. Let my son learn Chinese. Hell, maybe I should've studied up. I worked almost every day of the trip for two years, so no complaints, no regrets. I loved it, and I feel like I'm a better person now. One thing for sure is when I came back from this trip, I started eating less processed food and fast food. Eating healthier and better for your body is a must if you want to do this for a long time. Yeah, I'll have some coffee with condensed sweetened milk, please.
Hold the tequila.
EQD: You seem to prefer and collect "unique" gear rather than just "vintage," expensive, or popular. Do you actively seek out weird amps & guitars, new or old? Do you often point artists towards the more unique gear?
MN: Yes. Even today, I'll tell an artist what to buy in terms of old amps. Most of my producer and musician friends give me tips on things they like, and then I'll search them out and buy them. There are a lot of things that I had once, and now I search for them and buy them again. I get great happiness out of old mics, some of them not expensive, some of them very. I can only recommend buying things that you love and trying them out first. I love guitar pedals, and there is an untold story of how in the mid-90s, I was known as the pedal guy. I would travel from San Diego to Seattle buying vintage guitar pedals. That was exciting because not only did you go to cool places, but I got to experience the food and the culture there as well. Maybe that's what kind of set my mind. So when I went to China, I could almost experience it the same way as I did traveling the US being independent and an entrepreneur.
EQD: Your ears are really tuned to analog equipment. How do you apply that when recording and mixing digitally? Do you try and make digital sound more analog? There are so many plugins for that sole purpose. Do you still prefer to record analog?
MN: I sold all my tape machines about 10 years ago. The only tape machine I have now is a guitar tape echo, an EP3. I try not to use plugins that give you a retro feeling because most of the time, they've done something to the sound that I don't like. What I like to do is get a sound using only a microphone and preamp and no EQ. All adjustments for that sound are done with the guitar, the amp, the drums, the bass, and the vocalist singing. These are the sounds I want to get correct from the start, and it saves me time later from having to fix them. I do more EQ, making things smaller or bigger, but the source is always the largest sound, never adding too much low end or top. Mixing is a dance that I don't think I will ever perfect. So you must always try and be open minded.
EQD: You've been at this for a few decades. Are there any significant differences in what young artists of the 90s and early aughts wanted from a professional studio session vs. today's young artists, many of whom have DAWs on their smartphones and tiny home laptop studios in their bedrooms?
MN: I think it's great that now artists can make records in their bedroom or go to Guitar Center and buy a recording set up if you're not planning to make a career of producing and owning your studio. I find that these artists that bought all that gear eventually burn out, and it puts a big stress on them and the band regarding control issues. Sometimes it stokes the resentment of other members concerned; that one member holds the key to their sound is really tough on people. So, most of the time, I work with new artists; they are free and excited to hand over the keys because they don't want to record their own band anymore. It's cute. So yes, I appreciate being able to make a living making records, and I try my best always to think that the artist is always right. It helps me travel the road through their eyes and ears, and eventually, I can come to a point where they're happy with how things are sounding. I don't feel threatened by modern technology. My own recording system is definitely outdated, but it doesn't stop me from making records, and the bands I have never really ask me what kind of gear I have. They just want to make a cool record.
EQD: What's the single piece of advice that you think every young, wide-eyed, gear-loving wannabe producer or mixer should know as they start?
MN: I think you should always think about what you wish for. Wanting to work with the biggest band in the world means that you're going to deal with the biggest attitude in the world. You need to have a thick skin and confidence in what you do, so when someone tries to make you feel bad, you know in your heart that you are OK. Persevere and see through the tough times if it's something you really love. Don't make decisions based on just money. Search your heart and find out if that's really what you want to do. I've been honest with myself and only record bands and music styles I like or want to experience. I don't do rap music or hip-hop, but if you sound like Kool Keith, I'm down. There will be times when you may feel that this is not going to work out, and I think you need to follow your heart. Like a prizefighter, if you get in the ring and you don't feel like fighting, you need to get out. It's the same with recording. If it becomes unhealthy for you mentally, physically, and financially, you may need to lick your wounds and return another day more prepared. That's not bad. That's life, and as much as you want success, there will be failures. Everybody's had them, and no one is immune to this.
As a person, try to stay true. I'm not preaching. It's only you that wakes up to your own self every day and looks in the mirror. Try to be good, try to be fair, and if you make mistakes, try to learn from them. Help out people when you can, and if you want to start recording, you may have to do many years of free recordings just to cut your teeth on making art. At that point, all your hard work will pay off, and you'll find yourself one day like me at Abbey Road, where the Beatles recorded hanging out with Oasis.
Malcolm X Abram is a recovering reporter and music writer and a proud 40 year guitar noodler. He lives, works and plays in the bucolic dreamland of Akron, Ohio in an old house with two dogs who don’t really like each other and way too many spiders.
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