Producer and engineer Thai Long Ly has expanded his family of recording gear with a Neve 1073DPX dual preamp/EQ. From now on, thanks to this versatile unit, he'll be able to track and mix much more easily and quickly.
Since 2018, Ly has been the principal recording engineer for Postmodern Jukebox (PMJ), a collective of artists that sets out to reimagine popular modern music in vintage genres such as swing and jazz. The collective regularly posts videos on its YouTube channel and has already racked up more than 1.4 billion views and five million subscribers.
Before the pandemic, Ly worked at Bell Sound Studios in Hollywood, California. But during the various lockdowns, the studio decided to shift its focus to voiceover and ADR recording. That's how Ly started working out of his own home studio.
“I keep a portable recording rig and a passport ready so that, when I'm needed, I can go anywhere. These days I mostly work on mixes; I don't usually do tracking, just vocal or instrument overdubs from time to time.”
Adding a Neve 1073DPX to his inventory was a huge step, as Ly explains: “I already had 26 channels of mic preamps, but I didn't want to be without Neve's rugged 10 Series gear for my tracking and mixing work. With a pair of LINE INs, the 1073DPX is ideal because it gives me the two classic 1073 channels with that very distinctive EQ, all in just two rack units for $3,000.”
As a bass player, Ly describes himself as very sensitive to low frequencies and the impact they have on depth.
“The DPX always nails it. With the high-pass filter you can set exactly the right limits on the amount of air and presence you need. There are no abrupt changes. Just broad, subtle cuts with smooth transitions, all without losing clarity or tone. Thanks to the built-in DI input I don't have to go hunting around for what I need, and the independent mastering options let me adapt the inputs while keeping the levels I care about. It's easy to feel the solidity and consistency of a mix made and engineered with Neve.”
Ly says that if you add five channels of DPX to five rack channels of vintage 1073s, it would be very hard to tell them apart, especially in a mix. “What's more, the new ones come with a warranty, new caps and pots that are like new. I love this preamp, and I like it so much that I'd be capable of ordering another 16 or adding more channels to use with PMJ.”
But the 1073DPX wasn't Ly's first Neve purchase, as he first got to know the company in 2008 when he picked up an 8816 summing mixer for his home studio.
Now that Ly mixes from home, his workflow is 100% hybrid. He already has several outboard racks for his mixer, which is connected to two 96-point TT patch bays.
“I know ITB mixes are easier to work with and that plugins have improved a lot, but I still go for that characteristic sound electrons make as they pass through a circuit, or the inherent sweetness of a transformer. I'm always aware of the differences between a good analog signal path and a digital one, and I'll be a staunch defender of analog for as long as I'm allowed. I enjoy pressing a knob more than clicking a mouse, and I like the workflow a lot more. Not to mention the sound, which is also much better.”
A native of northern Virginia, Thai Long Ly moved to Los Angeles in 1992, where he started playing bass in various rock, pop and soul bands. He even opened a high-end bass boutique called LA Bass Exchange, which he ran until 2002. He made the move into production when he began writing and producing with the American voice actress and stage performer Caren Lyn Tackett.
“I started out with ADAT and a Ramsa digital mixer, and I was lucky to have several mentors (Erik Zobler, Al McKay, Gary Chang, Tony Shepperd and Eleanor Academia) who guided me through the maze of production, songwriting and sound engineering. I had no idea all of that would become my way of life.”
Over the years, Ly has worked with some big names in music, including George Duke, P!nk, Dionne Warwick, Stanley Clarke, Johnny Mathis, Vinnie Colaiuta, Thundercat, Kamasi Washington, Elle King and Robbie Williams. He is also an active member of the CAS (Cinema Audio Society), where he works as a post-production mixer and sound editor on film and TV projects.
Ly's arrival at PMJ came about when PMJ's owner, Scott Bradlee, contacted him to ask him to record the group.
“I had no idea who PMJ were or what they did. I also almost turned down the offer because, for starters, I dreaded the drive from Pasadena to Encino. On top of that, I thought I'd be a simple fill-in, so I wasn't at all sure it would be worth it.”
But it was worth it, and then some. Four years later, Ly has been responsible for the band's entire signature sound. And recently, following the advice of renowned record producer and engineer Eddie Kramer, Ly makes a habit of bringing a camera to all his sessions, so he is now also the group's official photographer.
“All the PMJ clips are recorded without monitors, without rehearsals and without overdubs. We usually do everything in about two or three hours, including setup and the dinner afterward. During the pandemic we didn't get together much, just some videos here and there when restrictions were lifted. But PMJ has just wrapped up its last tour and is already preparing the new national and international tour for 2022. Likewise, we're getting ready for another season of shooting videos, and it's only a matter of time before we start filming.”
Ly's projects also include production and mixing work for bassist Hadrien Feraud's upcoming release; post-production work on a film soundtrack by Snowapple; recording live videos for the rock/pop band East of June, led by former Incubus bassist Alex Katunich; and co-writing and producing a project for Katja Koren, an artist from Los Angeles. All these projects have involved Neve gear in one way or another because Thai Long Ly is at the helm and, as we've seen, Ly is a great admirer of the Neve sound.
