We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Chris Bodall. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Chris below.
Chris, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, let’s start with trends – what are some of the largest or more impactful trends you are seeing in the industry?
I would love to report nothing but good trends in the audio production industry, but as an educator and editor, one of my jobs is to look for faults. Therefore, they are easy for me to see. Most of the disturbing audio production trends I see can be traced back to lack of education and / or a “good enough” mentality. There are ways things should be done in order to ensure audio is of the highest quality throughout the process. But unfortunately it’s becoming increasingly common not to follow these best practices.
For example, let’s look at the most popular music of the day – hip hop. More and more I see people working with a single MP3 instead of individual WAV files, clipping (especially in the kick / 808), and improper compression / limiting. The end result is the music suffers. It may sound “fine” to the average listener but it could sound great to everyone, including those of us who can hear and appreciate the difference quality brings.
Another common complaint I see these days (from everyone, not just audio engineers) is the lack of intelligibility of dialog in TV and film. I bet you’ve had to turn on subtitles for something lately. As informal education takes over, I implore everyone working in the industry to make sure you are learning from reputable sources. YouTube videos are not only infinitely useful for learning just about anything, they seem to be becoming the de facto standard. I use YouTube every day. But there is also a lot of misinformation out there (not just on YouTube). I recommend learning from trade magazines, fellow industry peers, and other tried and true methods. That’s not to say experimentation shouldn’t happen. A lot of the “standard” recording techniques we have today were discovered by just playing around due to curiosity.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?
I got into recording because I wanted to record some cover songs. Once I made my first audio edit, I was hooked. I LOVE making things sound better. It’s my primary motivation. But I do more than engineer. I’m also obsessed with instruments. I started teaching at 16 after taking a few years of formal lessons.
I wanted to start teaching because I believed I could explain things in a manner anyone could understand – everything from simple chords to complex music theory. I’ve had students as young as 5 and as old as 85! There’s nothing more satisfying than when a student has an “aha” moment and suddenly everything clicks. Music is a language and once you have enough pieces of the puzzle, you see the world differently. You understand that not just music is vibrations, but EVERYTHING is vibrations. Some scientists believe consciousness comes down to the way things vibrate. I find this endlessly fascinating.
I would say there are several things that set OverTone apart from other studios. One is value. I provide some of the highest quality possible for the lowest price in the area. Two is personality. If you want honest feedback, I’m your guy. And three is passion. I recently got out of a session with a singer who said I was the best engineer in Raleigh. I don’t think I’m the best so I’m not here to brag but what she said next I’ve heard over and over from clients over the years. The reason she said I was the best is because she could tell I genuinely cared about the song. Which is true. Everything is in service of the song. I do have opinions, but at the end of the day, it’s your song. And it’s your sound I want to capture.
The work I’m the most proud of would be the larger names I’ve been lucky enough to work with even though I’m a small one-man operation in a home studio. Companies like Pinkfong (you know “Baby Shark”), Samsung, Nickelodeon, NASA, iHeartRadio, Audible, and more. But I also love working with independent local artists and students. I get joy out of the diversity of work I do. I wouldn’t want to do any one thing 40 hours a week.
The services I provide are largely grouped into the following categories – audio production, lessons, consulting, and other services. For audio production, I offer recording, editing, mixing, and mastering of any audio: music, vocals, VO, audiobook, podcast, jingle, etc. in studio or by email. As far as lessons, I teach guitar, bass, ukulele, and audio production both privately and for certification via Recording Connection. Consulting includes studio construction consulting / gear troubleshooting (new or existing, home or professional), and Voiceover (VO) demo reels & coaching. Other services include executive producing, audio transfer / restoration, and string changing / instrument maintenance.
Is there a mission driving your creative journey?
I just want to do what makes me happy. Some days I get to record songs that will get millions of views on YouTube. Some days I work with a new artist no one has heard of. Some days I’m teaching guitar for hours straight. And some days I’m helping someone make their first voiceover demo. They make me happy in different ways. Some days are very technical and left-brained. Some are abstract and right-brained. But I need all the things I do to feel whole.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
It’s always difficult to see yourself from the outside which is why I listen to what other people tell me to make sure I’m not blinded by my own biases. I feel like if enough people tell you the same thing, it’s probably true. The consistent feedback I’ve gotten on my reputation is that I do quality work and that I’m professional. Anyone can throw up a mic and call themselves a studio. It takes knowledge, dedication, and skill to consistently deliver at a high level.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.
overtonemusicnc.com/ - Instagram: @OverToneMusicNC
- Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/overtonemusicnc - Twitter: @OverToneMusicNC
Image Credits
Patrick Manss and Edgar Bernal