Audeze catches up with engineer Ronen Roth

Ronen Roth records, mixes, and masters records, based in Tel Aviv since the year 2000. He is always in the search of the "Magic."

"The level of detail in Audeze headphones left me astonished. Wearing them creates an impression of being seated in a finely-tuned mastering room, where I can perceive every aspect of the music with exceptional clarity. This experience boosted my confidence in my own work."  - Ronen Roth

Here's our chat with Ronen:

Can you pick out any highlights from your work that you're particularly proud of?

The Secret Sea 2013 Self-Titled album 

The Secret Sea 2012 “Not About Us” EP

Robin 2012 "Efrat Ben Zur"

Narkis  2017 "Bo Nedabr Emet"

How would you define your main role on most of the projects you work on these days?

As a mixing and mastering engineer, my primary role is to achieve the desired sound and bring the creative vision of the artists to life. My ultimate goal is to help the music connect with the listener on a deeper emotional level and create a lasting impression.

I aim to enhance and elevate the recordings given to me by artists, even if they were recorded in non-professional settings like a home studio.

At the end of the day, what matters most to me is delivering a unique and exceptional experience to the listener.

 

How did you get started in music? What kind of music did you listen to while growing up and how has that progressed?

I began my musical journey as a bassist for local bands, However, when I discovered the synthesizer, the new possibilities of manipulating sounds just blew my mind. I didn’t really know how to play conventional instruments well but I did know how to design and manipulate sound. 

That brought me into recording and audio engineering where I could design sound while recording others and also “play” (with the console faders) on many instruments.

My methodology became “design and commit to the sound at the moment you record it and don’t wait for the future mixing stage.”

Initially, I drew inspiration from bands such as Joy Division, The Cure, and Depeche Mode. Later, my musical influences expanded to include the likes of Peter Gabriel, Nirvana, Black Keys, Nick Cave, and Daniel Lanois.

Can you name any factors that influenced the course of your musical life? Heroes, role models, moments, interactions, etc?

Some artists and albums have had a particularly strong influence on me, notably Daniel Lanois. I was particularly struck by his use of unique ambiences during recording and allowing the band to play together in the same room, resulting in wide and impressive dimensions in the recordings. This inspired me to venture out and record bands in special locations outside of the studio. The connection between the players in these settings brings a truly unique, honest, and three-dimensional quality to the recording.

Tchad Blake, a remarkable audio engineer. His techniques for recording and mixing left a lasting impact on me, particularly his ability to create cinematic and dynamic 3D recordings that make you feel like you're sitting in a movie theater. Personally, I find this experience more exhilarating than the new Atmos technology.

Can you briefly describe a moment of frustration from your past work, and what you may have done to overcome the obstacles? Would you approach it differently now?

It's really frustrating when a mix doesn't "come together" and get the "glue" that you're looking for. In such situations, it may be advisable to call it a day, head home, spend time with your loved ones, get some rest, and return to the studio the following day with a fresh perspective and find this glue in a couple minutes.

It happens when an artist decides not to use my mix, however, in such cases, I try to learn from the experience, knowing that I did my best at that time, and then move on to the next project.

 

Is there any gear you find yourself turning to most when working on a project? What are some of your favorite tools/instruments recently?

 

I constantly rely on the AEA R88 Microphone, as it produces an exceptionally realistic, beautiful, and grandiose sound, making it the top-notch equipment in my collection.

 

Do you have any words of wisdom for people who might aspire toward a similar path for their own careers?

My suggestion is that instead of attempting to imitate popular trends, they should aim to introduce something distinctive and innovative. It's important to always explore your own ideas and have a sense of curiosity.

How long have you been working with headphones, and how do you typically use them in your workflow? How have your Audeze headphones affected your work? Can you tell us what you've been working on with them recently?

I normally mix and master on a pair of speakers but a few years ago when the Covid thing came I had to work from my home studio on a few projects. Now, I'm turning to headphones to check the translation of my mixes/masters regarding the dimensions, low end and panning a few times during the mix.

On the Covid time I bought myself a pair of LCD-X (since then I also got the MM500), The level of detail in Audeze headphones left me astonished. Wearing them creates an impression of being seated in a finely-tuned mastering room, where I can perceive every aspect of the music with exceptional clarity. This experience boosted my confidence in my own work.

I always have my Audeze headphones with me, especially when working in an unfamiliar studio, where they are essential for checking the mix.

I'm working with them these days on a really special project- remixing (from the original tapes) one of the albums of the iconic band Mashina. It's really exciting to touch those historic recordings and to invent a new sound to it.