I am a Guitar Player, Composer, Songwriter and Musician located in the greater Nashville, Tennessee area. I have also worked for many years professionally as a Recording, Mix and Mastering Engineer. I work with Artists, Songwriters, Producers and on Music for TV, Film and Social Media.
As an engineer I have worked for or with many songwriters, artists, musicians, and producers. I also utilized my musician skills on guitar for many songwriting and demo sessions including many where I was the engineer.
I have recorded, mixed and mastered a large variety of styles and have a diverse clientele.
Graduate of The U.S.C School of Music
Please visit www.chrisjusticemusic.com for a partial client and credit list.
The Best. Is that you playing Harmonica? What drums did you use? Which guitars/amps and bass did you use? I really like how your track kept my interest in you production/arrangement choices.
Tom Yankton played harmonica. He is amazing! As for the other details it was either Slate Drums or Superior Drummer. I would have to go back and look but the guitars are likely a Suhr Tele style and Les Paul guitar through my 1974 Marshall JMP 50 watt and a mic’d up 4x12. Those are my go to for the Southern Rock AC/DC style guitars. Bass was a Jazz Bass recorded direct. Thanks for watching and your comment!
Thanks for watching!! The room is 15ft wide, 22ft long and 10ft tall in the center of the room. The side walls are 5ft tall at vertical before they angle in toward the center section of ceiling which is 4ft wide at the 10ft height. Hope that all makes sense.
Hey Chris, why did you go with the rack mounted-1200 watt brown box vs the regular one? Are you using multiple of those high wattage heads at once or just liked the rack mount form factor?
Great question! I leave 2-3 amps on at one time. My choice of the rack version was part form factor and part current handling. The rack mount version has a 10A transformer versus the small amp top version 5A transformer. I should do a breakdown in detail about how that is all hooked up.
I don't have them on. Otherwise my phone would be blowing up every 30 seconds. Usually new content is highlighted across the top when I log on. Yours hasn't shown up in months.
Makes sense about notifications setting for you. It can be distracting. It has been a several months since I posted. Life got crazy! I am going to try to be more consistent from now on!
I follow you on my other account as well and to be honest. Your new videos never showed up. I had no idea you put out new content. You are one of the few people I look to for quality information on mixing and sync info. RU-vid is a crap shoot.
This worked out great for feeding my camera an audio mix of Protools output and my lav microphone including using the compressor in the 476P Volt for my voice!
Sooo true. I'm a musician as well. I do this for a living; I write songs for major artists, Japanese idols, TV ads, produce other artists, mix, I have a prime-time radio show, I mix, and I am damn good. Constantly creating things. My ADHD brain goes into overdrive, and I have so many good ideas I could do on RU-vid, and I'm pretty sure they would be worth it. Why haven't I started a channel yet? Well, I'm colorblind and have never been good at graphic design, but music is my thing, and I can't create a thumbnail. As stupid as it sounds, creating thumbnails... I mean, yeah, just spend a few hundred bucks on a basic RU-vidr beginner set, but why would I go through all of that stuff if I know that I can't make a thumbnail, or I'm too lazy to learn it? I could always just go and pay a friend to do it for me, but then what? If it's not designed for the sole purpose of clickbait, no one is gonna click on it. One thing that I don't wanna do is just do whatever it takes for the clicks. "10 things I wish someone had told me before I began my career in music": thumbnail shows my face like I'm waiting for my turn at the dentist's office and reads "I WASTED 10 YEARS." No way! I want to stick to my personal beliefs and honesty. I remember coming across this channel when I was doing my research on a Mac Studio 2 Ultra and PT HDX plus chassis. It helped so much. It was good. Then there are other videos you have as well. The content is great. I don't feel like a rush of adrenaline kicks in, keeping me tense the whole duration of the clip, unlike most other RU-vid channels. I'm just a guy living in the biggest and most crowded city in the world. I avoid crowds, chain stores, big supermarkets. I go to small local businesses because I feel better there. I guess channels like yours make me feel like I'm having a constructive break, not a thrilling one. Your music is out there; mine is too. People appreciate my work and what I do, and I happen to get my moments of glory from time to time out in the real world. If I invest in RU-vid, doing good stuff, I'm almost set to fail. The easy way would be just to get a camera and roll it outside. Tokyo is a big city, and I get to fly domestic for free. Japan sells. There are many weebs out there that love this country, hungry for that. But for me, it would be like filming what surrounds me every day, and it's part of my life. Boring to me. Sorry for this big messy comment, but I just let my ADHD take over and be as honest as I can be.
I appreciate the whole comment! Thanks for watching and I am glad some of my content was helpful, useful and it is relaxing not chaos! Congrats on all your success! We should never take making a living in music for granted. It has it's ups and downs but is a gift!
I kept it! It works perfect for capturing Protools output and my lav mic for RU-vid videos in the camera feed. I used it on the Create Professional Sync Music video! I could do a video on how I implemented it.
My favorite content (like the stuff you make) are when really talented people just make videos and allow their talent to come through. I could watch you record parts for hours. It's the same reason Bukovac, Ostrander and Trapp kill it. There is not much production value, simply talent coming through.
Thank you for that! I love watching their content and I guess I just get a little imposter syndrome but need to do that more. Those guys are soooo good!! Thank you for sharing this comment! I appreciate it!
@@ChrisJustice I get it, but dude…,there’s a reason we are watching you and you make a living playing. Talent and hard work always makes a winning combo
Thanks! I truly appreciate it! I am going to get out of my own way and start doing more of that content. Thank you again!! I got a call from a big RU-vidr friend today and he was encouraging as well. That is what I love about RU-vid! I understand the assignment! 👍
Great examples and really the biggest takeaway is: make it as easy as possible for the editor/producer.. I used to work as a video editor and edited loads of stock music stuff from professional libraries: Only needing the full song, a version without the extra's or solo's. A dimmed down version and an rythm only (for example) let's the editor do anything they need. Wether it's a commercial, corporate video or documentary; the editor feels the freedom to make it fit in his edit... And indeed; make it easy to edit as not all editors are that good with music.. Very good example as I got 'fishing vibes' within 5 seconds of hearing the track :p
Thanks!! It is key to make it easy for the editor!! I will do another one of these that has more versions of the same tune as you mentioned. It was already in the bucket so it is coming!
Yeah, it's a mess.. Can't imagen how frustrating it must be for a content creator. Also with music production content I think half the creators don't really have anything to say. Just repeat someone else's top viewed content and slap a clickbait thumb with it. Also, also; we need more content on audio post production: wether it's sync music, workflows or what have you... Most of the content will just be about producing music (metal or EDM mostly, since these are biggest nerds (Nerd is a compliment in my book) ) Keep doing what you love doing, being sincere is something viewers notice and why they stick around.. While typing this I hope it isn't just me tho..
Thank you so much for your comment! I find this encouraging! I know I have to play the game but I am trying to not be cringe about it and I really am frustrated by the thumbnail and title thing. lol. I would much rather have a appropriate title that means something!
Sup Chris! I am with you on this. Keeping up with the algorithms is a drag! Hey, I sent you a message on your FB. When you get a chance. Keep the videos coming!
Fantastic knowledge Chris ! Cheers for sharing ! Great points to think about. I assume that they want the music mixed / mastered and ready to go ? Or, perhaps, it's different per client situation ? Thanks again.
Thanks for watching! The expectation is mixed and mastered. The only thing that varies in this usually is the minimum or maximum LUFS level that is required for delivery.
@TomYankton played Harmonica on this. I played everything else. Tom is my go to for Harp and honestly he plays many other instruments better than me as well. He is also a very humble and awesome dude! He has a RU-vid channel as well! Check it out!
Awesome! Thanks for answering my question with this video. One thing I'm not clear on though. Do you just send all the files to the video editor and he chooses where, what and what not to use? So, you have no say after you've sent them the files? Also, how many of these TV tracks to you produce for the show, like one a week? Thanks Chris. Really enjoyed this one!
The Video editor and Producer always have final say on how much and what style track to use where in this type of situation where the show is edited together and music added at the editing stage. If you are scoring a show or film then the music is created specific in style or genre for specific places in the show. Hope that makes sense. I do two to three deliveries a year for this show in batches of anywhere from 5-10 songs. Keep in mind the have several previous years music as well that still get used. I have built a custom library for this show. It is their signature sound. I will do another video showcasing the styles. Thanks!!!
No worries. You don't have to watch! Some viewers find these videos helpful. Maybe the follow up video soon to come will help you more. I show how I implemented this box into making youtube content more easily.
Thanks for posting this. After 2 days of trying to get my HD Native card to work in my xMac Studio you provided the clue about the switch for HDX being turned inside the PcIe chassis. Did the trick. Mine would work for 15 minutes and then the audio would stop playing. Your solution did the trick. Thanks again.
Chris, about the tv music. Is there a time frame that your tracks have to fit into? For instance, 1 min or 30 seconds? How does that work? And how much music do you have to create for one episode of the show? Thanks.
Well that is a brilliant idea for a video. The short answer is a 2 min track but I provide lots of cut down or edit versions from 2 min down to a 3 sec stinger. Episode usage varies by show.
Question: How do you balance the tension of writing something cool/creative/inspired vs staying out of the way and making space for the dialogue...but also being interesting such that it gets chosen for placement?
Great question! Thanks for watching as well! I keep my parts to simple melody, counter melody, riff, or hook parts. I also talk over it as I am writing it to see if it is too busy or dominant. It really is not much different than writing a signature lick for a song. It is always usually simple enough to stay out of the way but cool enough to hook someone in and make them listen, like it and want to use it!
I have been considering some of this Warm Audio gear. It's very interesting that you have this mix of equipment (i.e. original Neve mic pres next to Warm 1073s next to UA 1176 etc). It is rare to see this interplay between high end gear and Warm Audio gear. So my question is: is Warm Audio a "legitimate" option for my home studio or will I always be wondering / pining for the higher end gear? I am not a professional recording engineer (if this isn't already painfully obvious!) but I am a professional musician and burgeoning songwriter who wants to record my songs, one instrument at a time, in my studio.
@cheintz44 Thanks for watching and the comment! This might be worthy of a short video. In fact it is! SO MANY good questions and observations! Short answer is YES Warm Audio gear is definitely a valid option for a home studio and I have created a lot of music that has made me good money producing and in some cases good mailbox royalties. I even think gear like this is a worthwhile option for professional studios as extra pieces to compliment the staples like Neve, Api, Chandler, Tube Tech etc. That said I am going to do a video on this subject. There is more to go into! Thanks again!
Hi! I have a SL67 but with no mods and it sounds quite dull compared to your sound, is there a document or something with all your mods? I’m new to amp mods and would have someone do it for me if possible
@phantomfps2758 I think Suhr will mod the amp to the current specs. I can say it would be a pretty involved mod if you tried to do it or have it done by a tech. Better to let Suhr do it in my opinion. There is no document that I know of for the mods. Did you try replicating the settings I used in the video? Also, you would need to be using a 412 cabinet or an impulse response of a 412 cabinet ideally with green backs or 65 watt Celestion’s. Part of the magic of that sound also was the Dunlop Echoplex pedal before the Amp for just a slight repeat. Hope that helps.
@@ChrisJustice it’s all too complicated for me to attempt, but I have since used an ox box with a vh preset with the right cabinet, mics and reverb and it sounds out of this world through headphones and not too bad in a frfr speaker I have v type speakers in my cab which is probably why it isn’t very evh sounding but I think a eq pedal could push it to it more
@phantomfps2758 The Ox preset is good! Try a delay pedal in front of the amp set for a pretty quick delay that is like a slap delay and one repeat. It is a big part of that sound! A boost pedal or like you said an EQ just adding mids should help as well.
Good question. In this case centered under the console meter bridge sounded good and since the console is not centered in the room there was no obvious standing wave issue. Great addition to the Kali IN-8’s!!
I know you're just delivering on the client's request, but in my experience paying attention to that -12 to -14 LUFS guideline is a great way to have your song sound quieter than everyone else's. Yes, streaming services turn it down to that range. But a song mastered at -9 and turned down to -12 will sound much louder than a song mastered at -12. Someone told me the technical reason behind this, but I've forgotten exactly why it's the case. Obviously, there's a balance. My friend sent me some demos that he wanted brought up to commercial level. He also sent me one of his songs that had been mixed and mastered in expensive studios. He wanted me to match the level of that song. It was at -5 LUFS! It was metal, so that's part of the genre convention these days, but I thought it sounded horrible. I had to tell him I couldn't possibly match that level without destroying his demos. There would have needed to be more compression at every stage. I got his demos to -9 to -8 and called it a day. Point being, -5 is way too squashed, but I find that somewhere around -10 or -9 is the sweet spot of maximum loudness and dynamic control without sacrificing quality.
I agree 100%. I don’t like having to deliver tracks at -12 to -14 LUFS. That said if I don’t they don’t pass submission and I would not be making the royalties in them for NFL and other CBS sports. This was for TV and not streaming release.
This is excellent. I've watched a lot of mix breakdowns, and this is better than most of them. From looking through your channel, I'm guessing RU-vid isn't your source of income or even something you spend a lot of time on. But I still wish your channel had more subscribers and that you'd do more content like this.
Thanks! I want to do more videos but it is unfortunately a time issue. I make my living producing, writing for tv as well as artists and working with artists / bands as an engineer. I plan on doing more videos in the future.
hey man! great setup ! i'm planning to have my own recording studio, can you please talk a bit about your acoustic panel and how do you place them ? cheers from France bro ;)
@floriandefernez4478 Thanks for watching and your comment! I could make a quick video about that. Essentially I went in order of covering first reflection points, then spaced out the absorption so the room wasn't too dead since I track live electric guitars, acoustic instruments and vocals in here. Also I addressed the back wall and the front corners for some bass trapping.
For it's size, quality and price there really is nothing else out there anywhere near it. I have one strapped to a pair of Adams A8H's and it sounds incredible in my mixing room. Only issue I had was the 80hz crossover on the sub wasn't ideal so I had to use a combination of the Adams DSP filters and a Behringer x-over on the sub to create a lower transition around 50hz but once I found the sweet spot it was incredible. If Kali could add a flexible crossover it would be perfect. 😎
@Raaandy Thanks for watching and your comment! I could have been unlucky or not assembled correctly. I did find the directions a little lacking in the placement for the slide but it really isn't a big deal. I love the rack and have two now. The second one I eliminated the shelf and added small additional rack rails. Great rack for the money!
I paired this sub with some Yamaha hs4 ... For a gaming PC setup with guitar Amp sim .. Its a great choice I leave it on all the time so far no issues ... Very tight bass and I believe it actually gives better results than the Yamaha SUB .
If you get a perpetual license will you still keep your DAW? Do we really have to upgrade every year?? I know they brought back the Perpetual wich is a good thing. Pro Tools all the way!! No other Daw is better!!
@Malte-Micha thanks for watching and your comment! I have a perpetual license and I don’t upgrade every year. Everything still works even though my update plan has expired. In fact, once everything is stable I don’t upgrade anything until there is a need to.
20 years long PT user, the very moment Avid switched to the subscription fugazi, the thousand of € spent for software /hardware came to my mind. I’m a very happy Studio One user today.
@_left_eye thanks for the comment! I agree that Protools historically is not cheap. Their foothold as industry standard is cemented for now due to exactly what you stated the investment. Professionals and their need to be compatible with incoming and outgoing projects is the reason it is still #1. Not because it is “the best”. I also agree the expense of the subscriptions is not affordable to most as well, especially given other options. Good music can be made in any software! Studio One has a great reputation!
