Ryan Freeland is a five-time Grammy-winning engineer known for his work with Bonnie Raitt, Ray LaMontagne, Hugh Laurie, Aimee Mann and many more.
In 2008, he opened Stampede Origin Studio in Los Angeles, a custom-built facility featuring a large control room, 15-foot ceiling drum room, three isolation booths and an impressive list of outboard gear and vintage microphones.
Recently, Ryan was able to take a break from his busy schedule to chat with us for our ongoing 20 Questions series. Read on to learn more about his prized Neumann M49s, his go-to vocal compressors and his top 12 favorite albums of all time.
1. How did you get started making records?
I wanted to make records for as long as I can remember. It was really the sound of albums that spoke to me, more than the band, more than the songwriting. The sound inspired me to want to learn how to make records. And I’ve been obsessed with it since my first reel-to-reel tape machine at the age of 12.
2. Early on you worked as Bob Clearmountain’s second engineer — can you tell us something you learned while working with him that’s stuck with you over the years?
Bob wanted to have the best studio possible in which to make the best records possible. What he cared about most was that the records sounded great. The work it took to get there was irrelevant. That made a huge impression on me. It’s not about the budget or the hours or the particular client, it’s your mix. Your name is going on it, so it better be great.
This is an excerpt from an interview originally posted on Vintage King. Read the full interview here!