Jimmy Hoyson (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lou Reed)
Producer, mixer, and engineer Jimmy Hoyson is a six-time Grammy winner and the Chief Engineer at Pittsburgh's The Vault Recording Studio. His credits include everyone from Red Hot Chili Peppers and Michael Jackson to Lou Reed, The Goo Goo Dolls, Iggy Pop. Green Day, and B.B. King. In addition, he has extensive experience working on film and television scores such as 7th Heaven, Ugly Betty, 8 Simple Rules, The Wedding Singer, Ace Ventura, and Walk the Line.
Tell us about your current studio setup.
I have two studios that I work out of. I’m Chief Engineer at The Vault Recording Studio (@thevaultrecording), which has a vintage Neve 8058 with Adam monitoring.
I also have a mix set up at home, where I mix in the box with Protools. I’m a big fan of UAD plug-ins and prefer processing in their remote satellite boxes. I like that they have software versions of the analog equipment that I know so well.
I use Barefoot Speaker Micromain26’s for monitoring.
Having produced so many songs over the past few years, how do you stay fresh and excited about making music these days?
Music has always been the most essential factor in my life. Working on it puts me in a happy place. Every new project brings a new challenge. There’s a lot of pressure to deliver someone’s dream. You’d better be excited about doing it!
How do you typically approach the production of a song: what's your process for working with an act? How often are you making big production decisions in your work?
I try to do what’s best for the band. Not myself. I hold a mirror up to them and quite often find that they’re naive about their own sound and influences. Hopefully, I can help them rise to a new level and push themselves creatively.
One of the more significant production decisions I make quite often is when I put a studio recording band together for a singer/songwriter. I’d better get it right.
What advice do you have for aspiring producers and mixers looking for their big break?
Find an act that you’re passionate about and get involved with them. Gain their trust creatively and hopefully make your way into a studio with them. Rinse and repeat.