Interview With The Wave Alchemists
This week we stalk two guys that are probaly close to tiling their bathroom walls with awards. They're loved by producers and magazine reviewers alike. Steve Heath and Dan Byers - the Alchemists!
Was Wave Alchemy your first sound design project? If yes, what forces pushed you to follow this path?
Dan: Wave Alchemy is in fact our first solo sound design project, although we have worked in collaboration with other sample providers such as Sony Media and Sample Magic in the past.
Both me and Steve were/are active users of sample libraries and found a lot of the products out there to be uninspiring and below par in regards to audio quality. We believed there was a gap in the market for a highquality, reasonably priced product line. This is how Wave Alchemy was born!
As far as previous experiences, I have a background in producing dance music and ambient/film genres whilst Steve has previous experience as an assistant in a Nottingham studio as well as teaching music technology part time.
Wave Alchemy's first release, Electro House Underground, got rave reviews and was a massive bestseller and an undisputed champion for months, at least here on Loopmasters.com. What were all the right things you did to make it such an outstanding sample library?
Steve: When Electro House Underground was released back in 2008 the Electro House scene was at its peak and by far the most popular genre of dance music.
When producing Electro House Underground we critically listened to a lot of the leading producers in the genre to see what was working and what not. We took our influence from the scene and tried to push it forward with our own touch.
On top of this we used authentic analogue synths such as the Minimoog. This really helped us capture the tone we were looking for and the sound that people relate with the genre!
People at Wave Alchemy do their stuff with passion. Then, when you look at it from a bystander's point of view, it is just samples. What's so sexy about this particular type of audio matter that drives you and makes you put so much heart into it?
Dan: I can speak for both of us in saying that we just love what we do! At Wave Alchemy we put as much effort into an £8.99 product as we would into £99.99 product. I really wouldn’t feel happy about putting anything out into the market that I wouldn’t use myself.
The things that drive us as a business are the excellent magazine reviews, the brilliant feedback and ultimately and most importantly the customer’s satisfaction!
It’s also a great feeling to be contacted by some of the world’s greatest producers/Djs s and have them tell you that they love your sounds!
When I go through the kit list of your latest sample libraries, I, as user, feel pampered. You go through so much effort just to sample that kick drum or snare drum. Or to make them loops sound brilliant in any mix. Is it really that important to use such high-end stuff in..."plain loopmaking"?
Dan: It’s not essential to use such high-end equipment and I am sure that many sample providers do not, although it does make a difference and that’s what Wave Alchemy is about!
The drum hit samples on our new release - Drum Machines 01 are recorded with API pre-amps and enhanced with Solid State Logic EQs, empirical labs distressors for example. The difference this makes in comparison to going straight from the drum machine to the converters is very welcome!
Another example is that we will use outboard processors and analogue synths long before we reach for their software counterparts. We love the hands on approach of the outboard gear, it makes things seem more real and our workflow really benefits from this.
The sound design and music production industry is slowly gaining a life of its own. Would you agree with me that it has its own celebrities? Who are they? Or maybe not who, but - what? Gear, software, gadgets?
Steve: I’m not sure about celebrities but as far as sound design goes there are so many unsung heroes out there. We love the fact that Eric Persing spent nearly ten years sampling sounds for Spectrasonics’ Omnisphere - that’s dedication! I think Eric s a guy that everyone looks up to in the sound design world.
Yesterday a good sample was good enough. Today with software like Live and Reason or Kore the sound designers deliver much more complex stuff - the samples are part of racks and presets with twisted audio routing. What's it going be like tomorrow?
Steve: I think that as technology grows, sample libraries will diversify with it. Libraries will become much more complex, although we will still see the classic simple library format of the present. Some of the twisted audio routings and racks you refer to are excellent for mangling audio ‘on the fly’ thus making them perfect for live performance use. I think we will see much more of this in the future.
What 'helping hand' would you offer to people using your sample material? What pitfalls to avoid, what guidelines to follow in order to make the best of Wave Alchemy's already excellent stuff
Dan: I think that the term ‘there are no rules’ can apply when using a Wave Alchemy product!
Our libraries can be used straight ‘out of the box’ with great results although with a little editing and creativity you can turn our sounds into something completely different or into something that will suit your own style perfectly. Don’t be afraid to experiment with layering, compression etc. It can change an already good sound into something magical.
The last ten years in the music industry brought about changes fuelled by the rapid growth of the Internet (once it had undergone its shock therapy in 2000). The changes were... 'exponential', but there must be an end to that at some point. Do you have your own personal favourite industry novelty or concept-in-the-making, so to speak, that just might lead the musicians to new, unchartered territories?
Steve: The internet has completely changed the way in which the music industry works. Larger record labels for example have had to completely re-think their business model, whilst on the other hand music is much cheaper and more accessible. The Internet also opens up a huge world of promotional opportunities for lesser known artists and producers which is always a good thing.
I love the fact that there are software programs out there that make overseas music collaborations a reality. I also love the fact that I can log into a website and be buying some great sample packs within minutes! I am sure there will be many future concepts that will lead musicians to new and exciting territory. Things are changing so fast!
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