My guest today is is one of my oldest and dearest friends – Los Angeles studio bass player Paul ILL.
I’ve known Paul for such a long time that I sometimes forget what a heavyweight musician he is, as he’s played with a wide variety of great artists both in the studio and on the road.
This includes superstars like Tina Turner, Pink, Gwen Stefani and Alicia Keys, to legends Bob Weir, Mike Love and producers Michael Lloyd and Linda Perry, among a long list too vast to mention.
During the interview we spoke about:
I spoke with Paul from his studio in Los Angeles
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction to Mental Health and Music
00:00:19 - Guest Introduction: Paul Ill
00:00:30 - Paul's Musical Background
00:01:01 - Gear Evolution Over Seven Years
00:01:21 - Gearaholics Anonymous
00:02:13 - Gear from 2018
00:03:06 - Current Gear and Setup
00:04:33 - Amplification Changes
00:05:33 - Quad Cortex and Its Impact
00:09:06 - Playing with Orchestras
00:10:37 - Reading Music and Preparation
00:11:13 - Using the Quad Cortex in Live Settings
00:12:05 - Direct Box Preferences
00:15:15 - Physical Ailments of Musicians
00:20:00 - Generational Changes in Musicians' Health
00:21:03 - Session Work Changes Over Time
00:22:08 - Remote Session Dynamics
00:24:06 - Producer Expectations in Sessions
00:27:32 - Collaborative Technology in Music
00:28:16 - Experiences with Bill Ward
00:30:00 - The Importance of Tone and Gear
00:31:29 - Misunderstood Musicians: Songwriting
00:33:07 - Upcoming Solo Album
00:34:38 - Multi-Instrumentalist Approach
00:35:29 - Mental Health Professional Side Hustle
00:36:37 - Conclusion and Future Plan
Additional Resources:
Learn more about Paul ILL at: https://www.instagram.com/paulillmusic, https://www.facebook.com/paulill
Explore The Mixing Engineer’s Handbook (6th Edition), the go-to guide for modern mixing: https://a.co/d/eEEpPrL
This edition adds chapters on intelligent processor plugins, saturation and distortion, and mixing in small studios. Learn to use reference tracks, mix in Dolby Atmos and Sony 360RA, and master modern techniques like MS processing, frequency-based panning, and sidechain compression, all to make your mixes sound pro.
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