Mouse Quake | Producer - NAS - Ty Dolla Sign
Dallas based music producer and recording engineer, MouseQuake, has a rather impressive roster of credits with Grammy winning multi-platinum artists including Lil Wayne, Nas, David Banner, Pimp C, Mr. Lee, Ty Dolla $ign to name but a few. But he credits Mr. Lee with giving him the big break he needed to step into the limelight and run with the really big dawgs of rap and hip hop.
“I really appreciate Mr. Lee for bringing me in, turning me loose and just letting me do what I do"
To be able to take somebody’s work and then put your touch on it and being approved by an array of legends, it’s kind of humbling.” MouseQuake’s take on making music is that you have do this for love and not for the money.
Because if you’re doing it for the money you’ll never have enough of it and you might as well just go get a job.
He was gracious enough to share some of that love and offer us some words of wisdom about his background and his recording process.
Where did your love of music come from?
I've always wanted to do music. I used to sit and bang on the tables in school and then get thrown out of class or beat up my mother's pots and pans so I started playing drums. And from then on I progressed.
How do you use the recording studio as an instrument?
"I use the studio in two capacities: one to set the mood for the music I want to do. And two, to use the technology to invent the music that I do"
What are some of the challenges you face when receiving tracks recorded elsewhere by others or by the artists?
Distorted vocals. Peeked out. Extremely low recordings. Over compressed recordings. The Kaotica Eyeball actually squashes the anomalies of the sound outside of the microphone. It emulates the qualities in a soundproof booth.
"Whatever they put directly in front of the microphone with the Kaotica, that's what I get."
So I don't get the breathing, the hissing and all that other stuff on the outside of that. The Kaotica Eyeball is one piece of studio equipment I would call essential.
How does the Eyeball help you in a mobile capacity?
I actually take my Eyeball with me on every trip that I go. So it's actually my carry on luggage. And what it does, it actually gives me the ability to record anywhere. I've actually recorded some stars in their living room. It's like a mobile vocal booth to go for my portable recording studio setup.
How important to the track are the vocals?
"The vocals are the story. The music is the base. And you better start loving your engineers too because we make all this stuff sound good'
What advice would you give up and coming producers trying to get to where you are?
Study, practice, work. Study, practice, work all the time.
Why is music important?
