The more I learn about the way The Tchad works, the more I like his style:
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I’ll watch the video later, but I just have to say that man looks remarkably like Billy Bob Thornton in that thumbnail.
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Lots of intuition involved in his decisions, and a drive to make the music he gets sound better, rather than just capture it. I like how he said even on live recordings, once it goes to the studio, it’s fantasy land. He’ll throw everything he has at it.
I’m sure there is some sort of method he uses to keep things organized, but he emphasizes not wanting a goal at the beginning get in the way and just letting things happen.
Of course, that takes a huge knowledge base and familiarity with the things he works with so he can just grab whatever he hears to help spice things up. I’m sure he has plenty of technical knowledge, but that’s not what he relies on. Pretty cool approach if you can pull it off.
How does this compare with your approach?
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4:50 - Sans amp. Interesting. Didn’t know that about Tchad. I first learned this tip by watching a Fab Dupont demo this in a masterclass at Sweetwater. Noticed how Tchad says he keeps a variety of pedals patched into his rig. Cool stuff. I’ll intend to start patching mine back up when I get my mixer working again. I have a Sans Amp pedal but I’ve never even considered strapping it to an aux and using it as a quasi re-amp device. 5:41 I noted he uses it as an EQ and phase device, as well as distortion. Also uses Decapitator.
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Kind of talks like him too, i.e. Billy Bob in a hushed voice.
That’s really cool, he’s basically “following the energy” and keeping his creative options open at all times. That may overwhelm some people, too many options, but he seems to keep himself focused on what’s happening now and other things can come up in the future.
So cool how he describes Distortion = volcano erupting = danger. Looking at evolutionary reasons why distortion might get our attention and mean something in the context of the music. That guy is a deep thinker as well as being intuitive. 
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Great mix engineer, great post
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Yeah i enjoy his take on mixing and his mixing. Thanks for sharing.
You’re right!.. Only Billy Bob thinks he’s cool; The Tchad just is. 
Yeah, I love his way of thinking - he’s creative and intuitive. He’s the anithesis of all the “bigger, better, faster, more, street-racing-mentality, gear-obsessed, do-yah-think-they’re-compensating-for-something?, I-can-hear-fleas-fart-can’t-you?, analogier-than-thou” audio nerdery.
I’d like to think I try to “follow the song” and be intuitive and creative - but who knows? I’m mostly just trying (& probably mostly failing) to get sounds that have already been gotten, hoping that, in my failure, some sort of individuality will come through in the end. I think I do try to “reach a sound I hear in my head”, but my approach is pretty pragmatic - if I don’t get exactly what I’m hearing, then close enough is probably fine. The important thing I’ve learned is not to get too hung up on details…
But, let’s face it, there really is no comparison, 'cause he’s The Tchad and I’m a less-than-nothing-know-nobody. I’d certainly like to gain some more ability with distortion, and that kind of “claustrophobic” in-your-face drum-style he describes, though…
Yeah, Tchad’s known for his use of the Sans Amp… but I already knew about that and his guitar pedals… so for me, that was the most unremarkable thing about this Q & A. His humility about his hearing ability was probably the most notable thing to me.
I honestly think that there seems to be some correlation between gear-focus and indecision in mixing. Of course, inexperience and lack of confidence is a factor too.
Yeah, that was great.
No worries, glad you guys enjoyed it - I know I certainly did!
His humility dealing with that ridiculous question about that youtube kick drum was pretty notable to me. Lol
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Hey man. Have you seen Bad Santa? Billy Bob is the shit.
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