Darragh Nolan
Darragh Nolan is a prolific producer from his studio Asta Kapala working on tracks from Ailbhe Reddy, Jackie Beverly, Kobina, Molly Sterling, A.Smyth, NNIC and many more.
"What's your strategy for choosing the perfect microphone for each vocalist's unique timbre?"
I think no matter what, there’s always an element of trial and error insofar as you can’t always know what works without testing. However, the first step is to know exactly what the artist wants to achieve, i.e. modern, polished, retro, lo-fi, clean, trashy & all the possibilities in between.
The second step is to identify the mics that fit that vibe & test a few with the artist's voice. It should also be noted that preamp choice is an important variant at this stage too. I’ve deliberately chosen a selection of preamps to have tonal differences for shaping a recording so that plays a major part in the vocal chain as well. I have go-to mics for vocals but there are sometimes surprising outliers.
"How do you deal with room acoustics when recording in less-than-ideal spaces?"
I’d find the part of the room with the least reflections, use a reflection filter & depending on how much of the space you can hear through the mic (on playback), possibly use a dynamic mic like Sennheiser 441 or Shure SM7b. You can also do a little transient work on the vocal once it’s tracked to bring it closer.
"How do you organize sessions to facilitate smooth transitions between tracking and mixing phases?"
I like to colour & arrange tracks into a rough version of my mix template as I’m tracking but not to the detriment of the workflow. Most important is getting things done. I have specific colours & order for instruments that make sense at the mixing stage so I’ll do my best to shape it into this while tracking, so when I move to the mixing stage I can build around that easily.
"How do you handle version control when working with multiple collaborators?"
Everything is usually consolidated & stemmed out before being sent to or from a collaborator, so no matter the DAW, all tracks will import & line up easily.
"How do you help artists push past creative blocks during recording sessions?"
Usually with distraction. If something isn’t working, someone has hit a creative or energetic wall, move onto something else. Otherwise look at the time & if it’s close to lunchtime, finish the take & suggest we have one more crack at it after lunch. That’s usually when the magic happens. I’ll still let them do a few takes before lunch though, that’s the mental preparation needed for the freshly energised take after lunch.
"How do you balance an artist's vision with your own production instincts?"
The artist’s vision is most important. I’ll usually talk it out with the artist early on so I know how much room I have to make creative production decisions as we go. I’ll mostly stay out of the artist's way unless I feel strongly about an idea at any stage of the process. There are creative decisions when tracking, creative edits that can help an arrangement & tonal decisions that can ultimately shape a recording in a positive way & I’ll aim & be as transparent as possible about what I’m hoping to achieve, as long as it fits the artist’s overall vision.
"What's your strategy for building long-term relationships with artists?"
It really depends on the artist I guess. I’ll do my best to be a strong guiding force in terms of their career & achieve what they need to achieve in the studio. However each artist has different needs & I aim to achieve what’s needed. I’ll do my best for them & help them win.
"How do you manage scheduling when working on multiple projects simultaneously?"
Meet deadlines first & foremost. I aim not to jump between projects much daily as you can’t really dedicate your full attention to something if you’re splitting your attention. Focus on most pressing projects first until you’re happy with the result then move onto the next. Deadlines usually dictate your time management & everything else fits in between.
"What skills outside of audio engineering have been crucial to your success?"
I think having come from an artist background has helped immensely. I’m not just seeing it from my perspective, but more from the artist's perspective. The most important thing to me is that the artist is happy & feels we’re achieving their vision. Everything else is secondary.
"How do you balance personal projects with client work?"
Not that well really. I work on my own songs in small moments here & there. I write a lot but don’t release much. If I’m in the middle of a mix for example, & I get a slight resistance to what I’m doing, I’ll go & play piano for 5-10 minutes, it might be something I’m already writing or something new or just noodling. This is where my songs come from, & then when I have some downtime I’ll track them.
"How do you maintain work-life balance in an industry known for long hours?"
When recording I generally don’t do more than an 8 hour day as there are only so many useful creative hours in a day. Once you go beyond them you’re literally wasting time & achieving nothing, & this will only be apparent when you return to what you’ve done. If you’re recording many days in a row it’s extremely important to stick to the 8 hour window, because you’re literally taking energy from the next day by working late. Your creative energy gets depleted & you need space from what you’ve been working on to have perspective the next day. Take breaks too, like just step outside for 5 minutes to rejuvenate once or twice a day, you’ll know when.
"How do you create an environment where artists feel comfortable enough to be vulnerable and authentic in their performances?"
I think it’s important to be as encouraging as possible. Everyone is vulnerable when creating or performing so it’s always something I’ll be sympathetic to. As an artist myself I’ll put myself in their shoes so to speak & see how I can help give them the extra energy needed to get that great performance by being supportive & encouraging. Not taking it too seriously while being efficient & professional is the line & attempt to walk. I get there, mostly.
"Looking back, what advice would you give to yourself when you were just starting out?"
Nothing beats experience, jump in a get shit done, that’s how you learn & that’s how you improve.
"Whats the one bit of gear that you felt yourself taking that next jump up in your production work be it a mic or outboard or a deadly coffee machine"
I mean for years it felt like every new thing brought a jump up in production level, but the one that stands out to me in hindsight the most was getting a great set of AD convertors, it was like taking a curtain off the mixes. When I heard the Neve preamps for the first time too I was like ‘OOooooh, that’s why’.
