Loren Gold Keeps Hilary Duff Rocking
Loren Gold Keeps Hilary Duff Rocking
Artist/Keyboardist Travels Light With M-Audio Keyboards
Artist/Keyboardist Travels Light With M-Audio Keyboards
A solo artist in his own right, Loren Gold has recorded and toured with a number of top-shelf vocalists, including Mandy Moore, Tiffany and, most recently, Hilary Duff. On this latest outing with Duff, Gold is pulling double-duty as both keyboardist and musical director—a position that often forces Gold to rework songs and create original transitions with just a few hours to spare. But thanks to a collection of M-Audio products, Gold has no trouble dealing with tight deadlines and the rigors of life on the road.
Please explain what working as musical director entails.
I'm basically the leader of the band. I work out certain arrangements and obvious things like working out all the parts. And I make sure that we reproduce the record as closely as possible—while having fun at the same time.
The idea of reproducing a record can be pretty difficult. What’s your approach when you’re handed a bunch of Pro Tools sessions and told to ‘make it happen’?
It’s a fine line. People are there to see Hilary Duff and hear the songs as they know them on the record, but I also like to create a show that is proper for a live concert arena. So I’ll make changes and let people enhance things a little bit if it fits the song. You don’t want it to become too repetitive and just sound exactly the same. It's nice to have some other elements in there live.
From a keyboard standpoint, what kind of rigs are you putting together for the shows?
I've been using a lot of M-Audio stuff. On Hilary’s last record, I was using the Radium 49. [Editor’s note: The Radium series has been replaced by the new Oxygen line of controllers.] We were actually at Willie Nelson’s studio out in Texas, and there was this song that they wanted to get on the next record. They pulled me in there, and lucky for me I had my laptop and the Radium, and I also had an Oxygen8. I fired up Reason and lo and behold, those are the sounds that we got on there. It was a good thing I had it all with me! It’s so conducive to traveling.
I actually just picked up the GForce M-Tron as well. I'm a big fan of Mellotron samples, and I knew that was the one to get. I'm a big fan of M-Audio stuff, and that's my new favorite.
Would you say that you’ve gotten to a place where you’re comfortable going on stage with just a controller and laptop?
Oh absolutely. A few years ago I wouldn’t have felt so comfortable, but these machines are so fast now, and the software is so efficient. It’s very reliable to use it up on stage.
Do you ever have to record any intro spots, sound effects or transitions between songs while on the road?
I sure do. When we composed the intro for the last big summer tour, I went to the M-Audio controllers and sound banks. It was like, ‘we need an intro to start the show, and it’s gotta be two minutes, and we want it to be this theme and tie into the tour.’ I've been using Pro Tools for a while and I have the Radium 49, the Oxygen8 and Reason on my traveling rig and my home rig. Pro Tools is a big part of what I'm using. So it was challenging, but it was fun. I love working under the gun.
So tell me about your new solo recording, “Keys.”
“Keys” is my second pop/jazz record out on Gemini Sun Records. The Radium 49 was instrumental for me when I was cutting parts on the road last summer. I really couldn't work without it! I also did several in-store appearances to support the release and the Radium 49 was with me at every one.
Loren Gold is currently on tour with Hilary Duff. You can learn more about his solo work at www.lorengold.com. His sophomore solo record, “Keys,” is available through Gemini Sun Records, at record retail stores nationwide and on Amazon. Loren Gold is managed by Jonathan Todd at Sabre Entertainment - www.SabreEntertainment.net.
Please explain what working as musical director entails.
I'm basically the leader of the band. I work out certain arrangements and obvious things like working out all the parts. And I make sure that we reproduce the record as closely as possible—while having fun at the same time.
The idea of reproducing a record can be pretty difficult. What’s your approach when you’re handed a bunch of Pro Tools sessions and told to ‘make it happen’?
It’s a fine line. People are there to see Hilary Duff and hear the songs as they know them on the record, but I also like to create a show that is proper for a live concert arena. So I’ll make changes and let people enhance things a little bit if it fits the song. You don’t want it to become too repetitive and just sound exactly the same. It's nice to have some other elements in there live.
From a keyboard standpoint, what kind of rigs are you putting together for the shows?
I've been using a lot of M-Audio stuff. On Hilary’s last record, I was using the Radium 49. [Editor’s note: The Radium series has been replaced by the new Oxygen line of controllers.] We were actually at Willie Nelson’s studio out in Texas, and there was this song that they wanted to get on the next record. They pulled me in there, and lucky for me I had my laptop and the Radium, and I also had an Oxygen8. I fired up Reason and lo and behold, those are the sounds that we got on there. It was a good thing I had it all with me! It’s so conducive to traveling.
I actually just picked up the GForce M-Tron as well. I'm a big fan of Mellotron samples, and I knew that was the one to get. I'm a big fan of M-Audio stuff, and that's my new favorite.
Would you say that you’ve gotten to a place where you’re comfortable going on stage with just a controller and laptop?
Oh absolutely. A few years ago I wouldn’t have felt so comfortable, but these machines are so fast now, and the software is so efficient. It’s very reliable to use it up on stage.
Do you ever have to record any intro spots, sound effects or transitions between songs while on the road?
I sure do. When we composed the intro for the last big summer tour, I went to the M-Audio controllers and sound banks. It was like, ‘we need an intro to start the show, and it’s gotta be two minutes, and we want it to be this theme and tie into the tour.’ I've been using Pro Tools for a while and I have the Radium 49, the Oxygen8 and Reason on my traveling rig and my home rig. Pro Tools is a big part of what I'm using. So it was challenging, but it was fun. I love working under the gun.
So tell me about your new solo recording, “Keys.”
“Keys” is my second pop/jazz record out on Gemini Sun Records. The Radium 49 was instrumental for me when I was cutting parts on the road last summer. I really couldn't work without it! I also did several in-store appearances to support the release and the Radium 49 was with me at every one.
Loren Gold is currently on tour with Hilary Duff. You can learn more about his solo work at www.lorengold.com. His sophomore solo record, “Keys,” is available through Gemini Sun Records, at record retail stores nationwide and on Amazon. Loren Gold is managed by Jonathan Todd at Sabre Entertainment - www.SabreEntertainment.net.
