Michael Wagener interview

How did you get started recording?

I was building equipment for a company called Stramp in Hamburg Germany. We built guitar amps and later started building mixing consoles. I found out that working with the stuff is much more fun than building it so I opened my first studio in Hamburg Germany called Tennessee Studios. With a new studio there are not so many clients so you have time to read manuals and learn.

Who did you record at Tennessee Studios?

I recorded Dokken at that studio in 79. Don Dokken then invited me to come to America.

What are some of your favorite projects that you have done?

I would have to say Skid Row, Extreme, Ozzy and Metallica

Did you get involved with digital recording early?

Yes. In the early 80s I started recording to digital tape. In 2001 I went to hard disk recording with a Euphonix R1 and in 2006 I switched to Nuendo.

What is your current studio setup?

I use Nuendo 4 on a PC, SSL AWS 900+ and Nuendo is controlled by a Euphonix MC Pro with a lot of outboard gear which is painlessly looped into Nuendo.

How did you first get involved using Nuendo?

When I was working with the Euphonix R1 I needed more control over the audio in the computer. I picked Nuendo because I liked the interface and I didn’t need to study manuals for years.

What projects have you used Nuendo on recently?

We used it on the last 2 King’s X album, the last Skid Row album, The Rasmus from Finland. The Rasmus went number 1 in Northern Europe. We also used it on Crooked X, the Black Mollys and Fatal Smile from Sweden.

What have been your client’s reactions?

After seeing me work several clients have switched over to Steinberg products especially some of the engineers that come to my workshops.

Can you tell us about your workshops?

I do workshops that last for 9 days and we record and mix one song completely and it is open to the public during a production schedule break. You can find more info on MichaelWagener.com

As projects grow larger do you find yourself mixing more in the box?

Yes. Absolutely. Some of the European projects have extensive amounts of tracks. I do a combination of in the box mixing, out of the box mixing and summing with outboard gear. It is especially handy for doing a recall for MTV.

What size projects are some of the clients bringing you recently?

The Rasmus was up to 200 tracks. I am able to do in a single dual core AMD processor computer.

What do you think of the new automation found in Nuendo?

Absolutely love it. Totally versatile, totally real life. It is the way we work. Very easy to handle and work with.

Have you seen the new Steinberg hardware?

Yes I have, It seems like Steinberg is working hard to make the engineer’s job easier. To my ears the mic pres and converters stand up or surpass those in much more expensive systems. The CC121 doesn’t interfere with the creative workflow. It has a knob for everything!

What are some of your favorite tips?

I love that I can reverse the polarity of a track with one mouse click. I love that I can move tracks in time without having to physically move them. I love that I can create new inputs from output channels. I love that I can put my own colors on the meters. It keeps your mind on the creative side.

What advice would you share with Steinberg customers?

Keep at it. Be true to your self. Don’t be a follower, be a leader like Steinberg is.