Bryan Carlstrom is at the Controls
More about Bryan Carlstrom

Making a Big Production of Everything
by Barbara Bales
Los Angeles-based producer/engineer Bryan Carlstrom is at the helm making more hit music. After working for a decade alongside producer Dave Jerden (Alice In Chains, Jane's Addiction, The Offspring), Bryan reached a point where he had "grown professionally about as much as I could. It was time to venture out and do it on my own. I began producing records in my spare time, beginning with some White Zombie tracks, which I worked on in between the records Jerden and I were doing at the time."

Bryan has seen over 50 albums he worked on come to fruition, a dozen of which have attained Gold, Platinum, multi-Platinum and even the ultra feather in your cap, a Diamond record—The Offspring. He recorded Grammy-nominated Alice in Chains songs, as well as their hugely successful Dirt album. Bryan has also been up for several Dove awards. He has worked with up-and-coming acts and superstars in every genre. In addition to Jerden, Bryan has worked with renowned producers Keith Forsey, Bob Rock, Ken Scott, Shel Talmy and Randy Burns. He has had the elite training, mentors and experience that most recording professionals would give their right arm for.

Americana, The Offspring's dazzling Diamond-status album (10 million and counting), was recorded by Bryan in 1998, entirely on Pro Tools. "Pro Tools is a hard-disk recording system that has replaced multitrack tape machines," he imparts. "Recording Americana was exciting because Pro Tools provided a much more creative and powerful atmosphere to work in." Other professional highlights for Bryan include working with Social Distortion, PIL, Anthrax, Billy Idol and Alice In Chains. "Alice In Chains are all very talented guys. When I recorded Dirt, I was concerned about whether people would like the album because of how heavy and dark it was," he recalls. "It's very common to question the final project, much like a painter would question his own paintings. Making records is kind of like war. It's one of the most emotional things I go through."

Prior to recording a band, he likes to hear them in a live situation to familiarize himself with their style and make sure the energy is captured in the studio. He says that much of making a record depends on "how the musicians are set up in the studio—their proximity to each other, their headphone mixes and the vibe you set up for them to play in." He listens to different records that "have the same style and sound to see what ideas will be stirred up in me. Often what someone else has done will give me an idea on how to do it differently or to put a fresh new twist on it."

"It's very common to question the final project,
much like a painter would question his own paintings."

His sound and recording techniques vary from song to song. "I record mainly through Summit tube gear. I currently own 60 channels of their equipment, including mic pres, EQs, compressors and mixers. All my recording is done outside the actual console. After going through the Summit gear, I record directly into a 24-bit Pro Tools system via Studer A/D converters. From there I monitor back through an SSL console, which is the only one I like to mix on because of the powerful automation and the mix-recall ability. One great thing about recording directly into Pro Tools is that if you are recording to a click, you can generate a click from Pro Tools—tempo changes and all. It gives me the ability to use Grid mode and to edit very quickly between takes, opening up doors to many creative possibilities.

"My mic selection hasn't changed too much over the years, with the exception of adding Royer to my list of favorite mics. Royer ribbon mics are a great marriage with digital recording; they are the only mics I will use on cymbals now. I have also been using them quite a bit on electric and acoustic guitars. On electric guitars I like to use an SM57 mic with a Royer 121; the two together are amazing. I usually print the blend. There are so many ways to record the same instrument, so it is necessary to have a large repertoire of techniques. One section of a song might call for a very big drum sound; another section might call for a smaller mono drum sound with a little slap delay. Or a section of the song might need the drums all compressed together and then recorded down to a pair of stereo tracks with some distortion added, like some of the old Keith Moon drum tracks. The distortion on the drum tracks really conveys the emotion of the song."

Bryan says that marrying creativity with technique to make great records "comes from experience, aptitude and a love for what I do. From my years of engineering, playing in bands and writing, the technical side of making a record [the engineering] has become second nature to me, so I can focus on the most important aspects of production, which are the melody, lyrics, performance, arrangements, orchestration, tempo, key, etc. It's about capturing the music in a creative and artistic way, not the technical mechanics of recording it. "Don't get me wrong. I own the finest audio gear in the world and wouldn't part with it. But it's not about the tools; it's about the art. Any craftsman will tell you that his focus is the art and the craft, but craftsmen love good tools. I am no exception. My equipment is a cornerstone in the production process. I have sought after the best and most unique-sounding recording equipment and instruments in the world. I have all the physical things necessary for the creation of a great record."

From a production standpoint, he says, "I take inventory of all the material—strengths and weaknesses—by storyboarding each song and taking notes on each section—things I like or that need work. After getting an overall vision, I determine what it will take to bring the record to completion, and then I can start the recording process. Ideas spring from both the artist and from me; we give each other feedback. Before you know it, the chemistry leads to the creation of something quite amazing. Whenever the artists are involved in the co-production of their record, they are happier. My ultimate goal is to walk away from a project knowing that the artist was creatively satisfied in the making and outcome of the record, and that the record is an honest and accurate representation of who the artist is and what the artist wants to communicate to the listeners."

Growing up, Bryan's influences were Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Santana, Cream, The Beatles, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, The Rolling Stones and CCR. Lately he has been listening to Massive Attack, Portishead, Beck and Radiohead, whom he regards as "amazingly talented—both the record itself and the production." My advice to bands is simple: Never give up and never follow the majority."