Eric Musyoka: Profile (Producer Engineer)

Any one that has lived in Nairobi over last 10 years and listened to radio must have heard the auditory signature “beat ya Musyoka”; synonymous with writing and producing catchy hooks and crafting killer songs, Eric Musyoka is one of the most influential music producers working in Nairobi right now. A man of man many talents, Musyoka holding is his own as a busy live, studio engineer and also finding time to work with a diverse array of bands and single acts such as pop heavy weights/MAMA award nominated P.UNIT, Afro/electro pop trio JustaBand and even the dazzling Nikki. TheMtaaBlog managed to catch up him at his Decimal studio where he was gracious enough to give us a one on one in-depth interview

Enjoy!

Who are you?

I am Eric Musyoka; I love music with all my heart. I run a recording studio known as Decimal. Its part of Decimal Media, a business involved with all aspects audio work and music.

Your early beginnings as an audiophile

I Initially I belonged to a rap group Nannoma when we were in high school. I was in charge of producing the music for the group. We met Mohamud Omar, Mandugu Digital and Ogopa Deejays who helped us record our first song around 1998. I was producing then but it was more of directing to the “real producers” what we wanted.

My biggest influence though came from listening to bands performing at annual shows when I was growing up in Machakos. I had a burning desire to know how they did what they were doing. I started drumming tins and when we moved to Nairobi, I was able to enroll for music classes in Primary school.

There was a studio located with the school and seeing Five Alive recording spurred the interest to pursue music as a career, though I didn’t know how to approach my parents and let them know what I wanted. But with time, I got more exposed to western music and the like of Dr Dre and Timbaland. By then the music scene in Kenya was ripe for me to venture into and in 2001 I left my music group Nannoma to pursue life as music producer.

In 2003 I got the opportunity to work at Homeboyz. It was there that I discovered my full potential as a producer. I was able to horn my skills and get the insight of what it was like being a music producer and sound engineer.

What is in your tool box (hardware software, mics, monitors, DAW) and why

My studio is centered on a console-less set-up. I mix entirely in the box and do my summing outside through analog compression but I still return it to the box. This allows me the freedom to invest in what really matter – Good Pre-amps and Mics and plug-ins. I do plan to get a console but my current set-up is small for the console I would like to have.

My main Pre-amps are Focusrite ISA-One’s and Platinum series, and a Presonus 8 channel pre-amp for drums and multiple micing set-ups. I prefer the Focusrite as they are affordable and I used them extensively in audio school so I know what to expect from them. My mics include, a Neumann, Rode, Sennheisers, Audio Technica, AKG’s and Shure Microphones. My choice of microphones is determined a lot by where am to use the Microphone. I have mics for most of my basic and everyday requirements.

I monitor through Yamaha NS-10 with a Sub Woofer. I prefer the NS-10 because I find them flat and very realistic. They also don’t fatigue your ears hence I can listen to them for longer periods without taking a break. Also I can’t blast them so much so that controls my desire to mix and listen to music LOUD. I also have some M-Audio BX-5’s for my mobile rig.

My DAW of choice is Pro Tools. I know it inside out, BUT I also use Logic Pro extensively for Composing. Each has its own strength. I do a lot of audio editing on Pro Tools as I find it easier to navigate through BUT I find it difficult to quickly put down ideas on to. So for that I jump to Logic Pro.

What can't you do without and why (hardware  and software)

I cannot do without my Mac Book and MBOX. Because it affords me the flexibility of working anywhere I want as long as my laptop has power given our power situation in the country. My Pro Tools HD Rig gives me the flexibility spread out the workload on my machine so I am able to get more from my system without taxing my computer. I am able to do complex mixes of up to 192 tracks without a glitch…… this allows me to experiment a lot. It came in handy for a film project I was working on and I really loved what I was able to do with it. I just loved it! It was superb. It the best investment so far in the studio

Walk us through your work process from brain fart (rough idea) to finished song

Most of my ideas come outside the studio, in traffic, or just at home. I record to my phone and then when I get to the studio I redo the songs now properly. I rarely sit down and compose music. It has never worked for me. Once the idea is down, I built around it. Sometimes it takes a few minutes, other times you need to add a guitarist or a keyboard player to complete the picture. Then I get it to the client/ artist. If they like, we record any remaining parts e.g. vocals, mix it and do all necessary edits then deliver it as a complete product ready to be heard.

Specific Production Cuts: Ha-He(JustaBand) Juu Tu Sana (P-UNIT)

Walk us through the making of the tracks: from pre production to Mix

Ha-He for Just-a-Band was my “Billie Jean Moment” My wife was using the car that day so I had to take a bus to work. I happened to enter a “boom twaaf” and I remember I conversation I had with JAB of how will Kenyan’s appreciate their perspective on art and music. So as I was watching the music video I thought - what sound will be unique to JAB but still endear them to Kenyans without sounding too foreign So I began chanting the Ha-He’s in the song and as usual my phone at hand with fellow passengers thinking am mad….. Ha- He was born. I made the track in say 1 Hour and by the time I gave it to JAB, it had a Chorus and all they had to do was add the verses, Jim also added the synth at the bridge and we had Bill come record it and within a month it was all ready

As for P-Unit…… lets just say in my recording history I have never ever recorded a bunch or creative guys like them. They compose on the go and each idea is always fantastic. The only need direction on how to execute the idea but any producer would love to record such a group. Most of their music is computer sequenced so once they give me an idea, I start working on the track, and it may take a few days or a few minutes to create it. They listen and we adjust accordingly. There are a few joints that I have created a track before and they jam to it e.g Juu Tuu Sana KArE! and Hapa Kule. Hapa Kule was for another artist who said the track was WHACK!

When it comes to mixing, I mix all the songs in a similar format. I also record all the same except when there is a specially requirement e.g. stereo micing or choirs. I record to Pro Tools and transfer all the elements from Logic to Pro Tools if the song was done in Logic. But at times I may do all in Logic but transfer the stems to Pro Tools for finalizing. I mix all my Vocals first, they are the most tasking since the track would have been touched during composing. I treat each song differently depending on the feel am going for.

For HA-HE we were going for a retro look, a 70’S vibe on the vocals. We used auto tune slightly and a phone effect with gentle distortion through out. Depending on the vocalist, I can at times double the take and process a separate one differently then gently blend it with the original. That technique I use a lot with singers but at time I use it on rap vocals. My vocals will always be INFRONT of everything else. They ate the center stage. The rest of the elements are mixed around the vocals…

Audio Post for TV:  Changes

Walk us through what you do.

On Changes (TV Series) , I am the Music Supervisor and Post Production Director. I over see all the music submitted by other composers for the show and make sure that it suits the mood and theme of the show. I sit with the Producers and Directors and sieve through the music collection submitted to us to determine what to use and where to use.

I am also involved in composing the main mood music that accompanies the show. This music is what carries the scenes and creates the emotional aspect of the show. Any additional songs that are required for specific scenes I have to compose that too.

Then I am involved in the final mixing of the show. I ensure that the music balances well with the ambiance, effects and dialogue and that the quality is up to the standards set by MNET. This is the part that I love doing. It’s the most creative aspect of the work and also challenging. I feel that am well utilized when it comes to mixing and balancing all the elements to make it as realistic and entertaining as possible.

Interface of being a producer who can engineer or engineer who can produce. ?

 As time passes am becoming more of an engineer than a producer. I am leaning so much into the technical aspect of sound. The producer side enables me to see the end product in more detail and to be able to steer it to the desired end. As a producer I appreciate my understanding of music and how to produce music. The sad part is that a Producer MUST has an engineer to do the work. An engineer doesn’t need a producer to work. You meet producers who cant record, or even know what microphone to use where and when So its an added advantage being and engineer who can produce, because you are able to apply your engineering skills to improve your product. If am recording a biug choir, I need to know how to set-up the session in a way to get he best sounds. If I have a good choir and an engineer who can’t record the choir well, what’s the use?

Music Business; Running a record label in Africa: how do you do it. Highs or Lows?

 As far as running the label is concerned, I am green in that area. That’s why for now am handling P-Unit to see how things go and how well I can do it. For me the reason I have a record label is to be albe to collect a huge catalogue of music that I own and that I can use in future as an asset for the company. So far I can’t say I have seen many challenges given that P-UNIT is our first release. We have Nikki and Monique on the way but mostly they handle many of the management aspects on their own.

How do you protect your intellectual Property?

I am a member of K.A.M.P so I register al my music through K.A.M.P and M.C.S.K. Kenya Copyright Board has made it mandatory to copyright any music released by musicians in the country which I think is a good step. Also I keep all my publishing rights to any compositions that I am involved in through Decimal Media. So there is always a paper trail for everything.

Selected Discography:

(List of Selected Production Work)

Ha-He – Just-a-Band

Biceps- Juliani

Juu Tuu Sana – P-Unit

Am Leaving – Nikki

Nipe Nikupe – AY

Leta Wimbo – Sema

Keroro – Nonini

Kushoto Kulia – P-Unit

Finally the Question every one wants to know: Are you Mac or Pc?

 Mac FOREVER courtesy of Steve Jobs and Mac-n-More Solutions….. Why settle for less!!!

1. Virus Free......
2. Stable and reliable
3. Good looking……. STNNING is actually the word
4.  No funny 3^rd party  parts from funny Asian Countries…..* ( Ed Note: Aren’t all macs now made in China?)
5. Fantastic Display and Graphics
6. Then there was Logic Pro…..
7. Then Steve Jobs created iTunes, and iPods….. and it was never the same again!
8. It hangs once in a year….. PC hangs all the time like a 58 Kondi…..
9. All Professionals use it….. including me!
10. Its always the first to come up with revolutionary ideas e.g Fire Wire 400 and 800, PCIe, Quad Core, Expose, Dock, Unibody, Track pad, Quick Time, iTunes, Safari ……. Then PC’s play catch up later when the technology is almost obsolete

Musyoka’s  Arsenal

• Mac Book Pro
• Apple G 5
• Pro Tools HD
• MBox 2
• Logic Pro 9
• Focusrite ISA-One
• Focusrite Platinum series
• Presonus 8
• Audio Technica 2020 pair
• Neumann TLM 193,
• Rode NT1-A,
• sE 5600a tube mic. 
• Yamaha NS-10 with a Sub Woofer
• M-Audio BX-5
• MPC 2000
• KORG Triton

As we leave Musyoka to do what he knows best, baking auditory masterpieces…it is obvious he is an apple fanboy to a fault…living in the moment, finding contentment in what he does.

By RT for TheMtaaBlog copyright 2011