Brad Sundberg seminars: In the studio with MJ

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Brad Sundberg @InStudioWithMJ

#NewYork we’re coming to you. Capping off an amazing 2018 with our final seminar for the year.
Tickets on sale now.
21:21 - 15. Nov. 2018

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A few weeks ago I asked if you could let me know where we should come in 2019, and the response was incredible!

The dates are not finalized, but let me give you a preview of what 2019 is shaping up to look like:

February - Paris
March - Mexico City
March - Miami
April - Milan
April - Zurich
May - Washington DC
June - Los Angeles
July - Gothenburg
August - Seattle
September - Atlanta
October - Vienna
October - Prague
October - Budapest
December - Berlin
January (2020) - Sydney

This is still in progress, and more cities could be added (Orlando, for example), but this is the general plan for next year.

As always, I am grateful for everyone who has been a part of my events: helpers, promotion, guests, etc. ITSWMJ has become a significant part of my life, and I am thankful to everyone who has participated in some way.

I am working on some new ideas for the 2019 shows, and I look forward to seeing you - whether it is your first event or your seventh!

Have a great Christmas and Holiday Season with your friends and family, and I'll see you in 2019!

Don't be a Stranger -

Brad

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Brad Sundberg‏ @InStudioWithMJ

Washington DC - will you be there? Tickets at http://inthestudiowithmj.com

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Brad Sundberg‏ @InStudioWithMJ

Milan in 10 days.
Zurich in 14 days
Los Angeles in 47 days.
See.
Hear.
Learn.
More than singer.
More than a dancer.
More than a songwriter.
A one-of-a-kind entertainer.
I can't wait to introduce him to you!
http://www.inthestudiowithmj.com

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The MJCast‏ @TheMJCast

European #MJFam, are you ready for Brad Sundberg’s @InStudioWithMJ? Milan - May 14th & 15th. Zurich - May 18th. Bad, Dangerous & HIStory, the REAL Neverland Valley Ranch & MORE. Let’s get the focus back on #MichaelJackson’s art & legacy. Tickets at http://inthestudiowithmj.com J.

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jackson.ch‏ @jackson_ch

@InStudioWithMJ Thank you that you came to Zurich. We enjoyed the Seminar so much. #bradsundberg #michaeljackson #saestudios #zurich #inthestudiowithmj

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Brad Sundberg
@InStudioWithMJ

In the Studio with MJ Los Angeles welcomes Vincent Paterson.
Vincent joins our special guests including Big Al Scanlan, Brad Buxer, Michael Prince, Matt Forger, and Brian Vibberts for what promises to be a very special few days in LA. More info on our Facebook.

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@InStudioWithMJ

Announcement: So happy to welcome KEVIN DORSEY to our #3DaysofMJ in #LosAngeles. Kevin was Michael’s Vocal Director and toured from The Bad World Tour on. He has some great stories to share and will be joining Matt Forger & Brian Vibberts for our Studio To Stage evening.

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Taj Jackson

@tajjackson3
Really excited to be going to this
Heard so many great things about it from past participants.
Who is is going? @InStudioWithMJ

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Big Al
@nvrbigal
Taj, I hope you are there on Friday. I will be sharing some stories of 15 years with Mr. Jackson. My very best to you and your family. Big Al

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Keen Zhang
@mkgenie

This year we work with Mr. Brad Sundberg @InStudioWithMJ to hold an exclusive seminar for Chinese fans on June 23 in LA. If you want to join us , please come. The tickets: https://inthestudiowithmj.ticketbud.com/ (BTW we will have Chinese translators so the process could be slower)

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Brad Sundberg
@InStudioWithMJ

Such a fun day In the Studio with Big Al, the super talented Vincent Paterson, a chat with the amazing Kevin Dorsey and the evening talking recording Michael with Matt Forger and Brian Vibberts.

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@mkgenie

Thank you Brad Sundberg @InStudioWithMJ for doing this exclusive Chinese seminar for us! We all cried at the end after listening and seeing never before known materials and stories. Amazing experience. Hope to attend more In Studio with MJ events in the future! What a day!

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Brad Sundberg
@InStudioWithMJ

Announcing Brussels, Belgium. August 30 - Sept 1. Brad Buxer and Michael Prince join me as we celebrate #MichaelJackson Tix at http://inthestudiowithmj.com

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In Studio with #MichaelJackson .. in Brussels .. Aug 30 thru Sept 1, 2019 -- Get your tickets right!
@InStudioWithMJ

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Brad Sundberg
@InStudioWithMJ

Prague - Oct 18&19
Vienna - Oct 22&23
Budapest - Oct 25&26
Will you be there?
http://Inthestudiowithmj.com

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In The Studio With Michael Jackson

Berlin, Berlin, Berlin...

Have I got some surprises in store for you this weekend. Ho Ho Ho!!

We've been doing some digging and found some gems deep in Santa's bag!

You will see things you never seen.
You will hear things you never heard.

The amazing Kii Audio THREE speakers will provide the clearest, punchiest sound you've ever heard.

It's a year and Christmas celebration like nothing else!

I'll bring the music and the treats - can someone grab a few cartons of eggnog?

We are nearly at capacity, but there might be a seat or two under the stockings or next to the reindeer. He's house-trained, you'll be ok.

www.inthestudiowithmj.com

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Latest from Brad:

So, without further delay, I am very excited to announce the 2020 Itinerary for "In The Studio With MJ!"

January 31st/Feb 1st - Orlando

February 22nd - Atlanta

March 7th - Miami

March 22nd - Honolulu

May 1st/2nd - Moscow

May 16th - Detroit

June 26th/27th/28th - Los Angeles

July 10th/11th - Hamburg

August 1st - New York

August 28th/29th/30th - Brussels

September 18th/19th - Brisbane, Adelaide or Melbourne (TBD - sorry!)

September 23rd - Perth

September 25th/26th - Sydney

October 23rd/24th - Madrid

November 13th/14th - Warsaw

December 12th/13th - Paris

As per normal with ITSWMJ, there will likely be some adjustments, but this is the plan as of now.

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Brad Sundberg
@InStudioWithMJ

ITSWMJ Atlanta 2020
2.21.20 An Evening In The Studio With MJ
2.22.20 Full In The Studio With MJ/Tour Of Neverland
“People want to go back to the music, to where it all began - in the studio."
tix
http://inthestudiowithmj.com
@SAENORTHAMERICA

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Interesting notes from Brad on setting up and sound checking an audio system, using MJ CD's:

Class Is In Session!!!

OK, not really a class this time, but close.

Let's talk speaker placement and reference music, two of my favorite topics!

A former guest of mine by the name of Steve asked me a really interesting question about how I would set up speakers and which MJ songs I would use to calibrate a music set-up. Here's the funny thing - I rarely listen to MJ music casually; I prefer to listen to as part of my seminars or seminar prep, or... room tuning. Before each event I tune the room myself using my music, so I know how it will sound for my guests. I only trust my ears, not the guy who used the room two days earlier.

This sparked a non-stop flow of thought in my brain, and I typed my answer as quick as I could. I actually liked how it turned out, so I thought I would share it here - on the Studio page.

I would love to your comments and thoughts for your fav MJ songs in terms of sonics, not so much performance. There are no wrong answers, everyone has a unique set of ears and a unique perspective. So... here's my answer to Steve.

<><><><><><><><>

Steve, thanks for the question. Let me give you a couple quick thoughts.

First, move the speakers in closer to the monitor, and aim them just slightly past your head, as if your shoulders are your ears. The height looks good at ear level, they are just too wide.

Next, consider some acoustic panels on the walls. Don't go 100% dead, but you need some place for the sound to slow down a bit. I don't know what is behind the listening position, but I would highly suggest a bass trap or a few of Art Noxon's Tube Traps. https://www.acousticsciences.com/

The view is amazing. I'll give up perfect acoustics on that wall for the view.

As for material, this is Pandora's box. There are high res mixes available, raw tracks, etc., but I'm going to focus simply on released CD's for now.

I would start with the song "Lady In My Life". This is far and away one of my favorite Swedien mixes because it is so airy and warm. The vocal blending is perfect, it isn't over-produced, every instrument is crystal-clear. Listen to it. Close your eyes. Adjust the speaker placement slightly as needed for where you are sitting.

Next, I would listen to "Keep The Faith". This has less of a live band feel and is more synth-driven, but Bruce brings in the choir on the second verse. Listen in the first phrase when they switch from ooooohhh to aaaaaahh. It's like the speakers suddenly move wider apart, because their sound is so full. Keep listening to the choir, ignore Michael for a couple minutes. That choir sound is a like a master class in recording. Listen to that insane vocal slide at 4:15. The choir was standing in a circle when we recorded that song (no binaural tricks, just Swedien doing it right), and it should sound huge on your system.

After that I might use "Another Part Of Me", but the dance mix. Don't tell anyone, but this is usually what I use when I tune the rooms for my seminars. Once you get to about 3:50, it drops down to just drums and David Williams guitar. That guitar sound is so crisp and clean, like a Ritz cracker. Focus on that guitar, feel it breath. Then at 4:21 the bass comes back to hang out with David and the drums. I can hear a bad driver (speaker component) in about 1.2 seconds with that song.

The last one I often use for speaker evaluation might surprise you: "Little Susie". Not the whole song usually, rather the SFX and the intro. The music box (which we created at the Hit Factory), the little girl humming, the footsteps, the clock... listen to it. The song itself isn't my favorite, but the sounds make it unique. Michael's vocal is solid, the orchestra is rich, the harp finishing some phrases all alone... it has a lot of dynamics and emotion.

OK, there's my starter list. I hope that points you in the right direction, and thanks again for asking a really fun question.

Ref: In The Studio With Michael Jackson (FB)

Note: Brad is planning some changes to his 2020 schedule:

There will likely be a slight date adjustment in Detroit due a studio scheduling conflict with the facility we are working with.

We are looking at adding a weekend of London events later this spring.

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bsunmedia
@InStudioWithMJ

Sample Questions:
Michael performed for more than 5 million people during the HIStory Tour. T/F
Whose castle will you find at Disneyland in CA?
A - Cinderella
B - Belle
C - Sleeping Beauty
D - Jasmin
Join me for LIVE trivia on Sat at 2pm EST https://facebook.com/inthestudiowithmj/

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In The Studio With Michael Jackson

Invisible Airwaves Crackle With Life

Way back when dinosaurs roamed the earth we had something called Radio. I have loved radio since I was very young, and being a bit of a geek I wanted to learn as much as I could about it.

(Don't worry MJ fans, Michael will make an appearance in a couple paragraphs.)

We lived near Santa Cruz, California, and I would experiment with little home-made antennas and for reasons I can't really explain, my dad would let me put these on the roof of our house. I would listen to late-night radio and sometimes pull stations in from Chicago, Denver and Minneapolis. I loved it, hearing voices and music from more than a thousand miles away! I never wandered down the "Ham Radio" path (that crosses into a new level of geek-dom for me), rather I stayed with my simple AM/FM radios, antennas and speakers. Besides, I liked music more than I really wanted to chat with some guy in Greenland.

I also love the randomness of late-night radio, hearing whatever the DJ feels like playing. Old, new, dance, pop, rock - simple small-town radio stations with insanely powerful transmitters and no corporate programming. A dying breed, but that's what I grew up with. And I loved it.

So fast forward to 1990/1991. Now I am living in LA, my job title is "Technical Director" for an album called "Decade" (later to be renamed "Dangerous") being produced by Michael Jackson. My little homemade rooftop antennas have been replaced by Neve consoles, Westlake monitors, Neumann microphones and every type of compressor, EQ, amplifier and FX processor imaginable.

Michael is banging out song after song, and the teams are recording and producing them as quickly as he can write them. This is some of the best music I have ever heard, and each team is pushing the limits of the equipment. The mixes are huge, the walls are shaking from the low end, and the project is taking on a life of it's own.

Now - this part gets a bit fuzzy.

Every night we would make cassettes for Michael and team to take home and listen to in the car on the drive home, but someone (Michael?) asked if we could create a way to broadcast the mixes and hear them in real-time in our cars in the parking lot.

Let me explain.

It's one thing to hear a Michael Jackson mix on a pair of $150,000 monitors in a perfectly tuned studio. It's extraordinary. But very few people actually own those types and speakers and room acoustics. (See my previous post from last week about near-field monitors.) So it is essential that the music "translate" to the real world, to car stereos and clock radios. That's why we would make cassettes for everyone to listen to on the drive home. But Michael wanted something more immediate. Why wait until the end of the day (night) to hear the mix in our cars? Could we do it sooner?

And... it takes quite a bit of time to mix a song, record it to cassette, make cassette copies and distribute them - so why not broadcast the mix onto FM radio?

This was done in a handful of studios in the LA, with varying degrees of success. It's not really something a studio could talk about much because... it's slightly illegal.

Radio transmitting in the US - and most countries - is strictly controlled by the government. A kid in a bedroom can't legally build a radio station and start flooding his neighborhood with Depeche Mode 24/7. But I digress.

Basically, you can't just run out and buy a good-quality FM transmitter (especially in 1990 when there was no Amazon) and start transmitting. But, Michael wanted to hear the music in his car in the parking lot of the studio. And it had to sound good - not a toy transmitter - it had to be up to our standards. So I set to work.

To be clear, there WAS NO INTERNET at that time (I know, it's hard to imagine) so I think I bought a magazine about amature radio. Sure enough, in the classifieds in the back was a guy selling radio transmitter kits. I guess the theory was that he would sell you the bits and pieces and instructions, and his hands were clean from a legal standpoint. I guess.

So send him money I did, and soon enough I received my transmitter kit! I fired up my soldering iron and got to building. I learned about frequency selection and how the antenna (called a di-pole) had to be cut to a very specific length to function correctly. There were also a bunch of warnings about not over-riding a commercial radio station's legal frequency because SWAT cars might surround your house and outrageous fines might be levied... blah blah blah. I soldered on.

Finally it was test time. I honestly can't remember what I used for testing, but the sake of the post I'll imagine it was "Streetwalker", a long-time favorite of mine. I fired up the transmitter, the amber and green lights lit up, and hit play on the song. Then I ran to my car and tuned the radio to FM 89.3, my chosen frequency because there was only a Spanish speaking station there that seemed to be far away.

And there was "Streetwalker", in my car!! Thumping full volume, clear and punchy! My transmitter actually worked! Of course being a true Studio Rat I couldn't run in yelling and jumping, I had to be a bit more cool about it. "Oh yeah, I built that transmitter if anyone wants to hear it..."

And they did! Bruce would finish a mix and we would all run to our cars to listen to it. Michael would listen in Bruce's Bronco, then his Mercedes. It became a nice excuse to leave the dark studio and spend a few minutes in the sunshine and hear our work in various cars in the parking lot.

It also felt just a little daring. I would leave the transmitter off all the time EXCEPT for when we ran to listen to a mix. I pictured black government vans driving 85 MPH trying frantically to triangulate the source of these illegal broadcasts, only to be infuriated when I shut the transmitter down. "We'll get him next time!!" they would shout with fists raised in the air, then drive off and drink coffee with sugar and no cream. (I suffer from a very vivid imagination.)

So tonight, for reasons I can't really explain, I pulled the old transmitter down and plugged it. I was almost nervous that smoke would come out, but it lit up right away - after so many years. I taped the antenna up on the window (Deb was in the other room and she basically doesn't even bother to ask questions anymore) and I started the extended version of "Another Part Of Me". And I ran to my car. Just like in 1990. I tuned to 89.3, and there was Michael, reminding me that "It's just another part of me..."

I backed my car out of the driveway and drove past a few houses, Michael kept singing. Good grief, how powerful IS this thing? I drove out of my neighborhood, maybe a quarter mile away, and the breakdown of the song started. Just drums, percussion, guitar and Michael. This is crazy, the black government vans have surely been summoned. I was far enough away that a bit of static faded the mix slightly.

I turned back into my neighborhood as the bass rejoined the mix, then the keyboards and the static disappeared. My old transmitter was happily flooding scores of homes and cars with MJ, if they only tuned to 89.3!

For a few moments past and present blurred into one. Michael's voice in my car, and his laughter in my memory. All from a little not-quite-legal transmitter, playing his music making me equally happy and nervous.

But mostly happy.

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In The Studio With Michael Jackson

Everyone has an opinion...

I have nothing against Usher or Janelle, but these Verizon "Pay It Forward Live" events really show if an artist can command a room, a song and keep an audience engaged.

No director.
No audio crew.
No lighting techs.
Just an artist and a microphone.

Not easy in 2020 with endless distractions, but at least... try.

Some of the shlocky (feel free to steal that word) performances I have watched are embarrassing. Others have been OK.

That said, Michael could have sat on a bail of hay in a tent and given a master class in entertainment compared to much of what we are being sold as "good".

Agree?
Disagree?
Comments welcome!

https://www.yahoo.com/…/watch-ushers-li ... oncert-for…

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In The Studio With Michael Jackson

Been working on something special and I am so excited to finally share it with you on this sentimental day. Full explanation of the week ahead in the video, but keep checking back every day this week at 9:07 am, New York Time. Stay safe,
-Brad

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In The Studio With Michael Jackson

ITSWMJ 5K
What:
Join me and the ITSWMJ Family on Halloween weekend for a 5K!
Walk. Stroll. Jog. Roll. It's your choice, at your schedule, in your neighborhood.
A portion of each paid ticket will be given to Maji Hope https://majihope.org/ so everyone wins!
>>>We will draw one name from the Silver and Gold Participants to win one of my personal HIStory Test CDs from the 1995 test production samples.<<<
When:
Halloween weekend 2020.
Who:
You. Alone. With a friend. In a group. It's up to you!
Where:
In your neighborhood. At the beach. In the mountains. On a treadmill. It's your choice.
Why:
It's time for the ITWMJ Family to do something fun and healthy, AND to support our friends at Dig Deep Give Well! https://majihope.org/
How:
1 - Sign up to participate. You can sign up for free or purchase one of our packages. https://inthestudiowithmj.ticketbud.com/in-the-studio...
2 - Start walking, strolling, jogging, rolling several times a week. Track your progress - share it with the group! Invite your friends to join! Stay with the group for encouraging words and mixes!
3 - On Halloween Weekend find a time and route and do your 5K! Do the Thriller dance! Wear a costume! Or just do it however you want. Take photos and videos and upload them to our Facebook page and we will create a full celebration video after the event!
Recap:
Let's face it - 2020 has been rough. The Coronavirus has kept many of us at home and not terribly active.
It's time to get back in shape for fall!
Reconnect with the global ITSWMJ Family!
Celebrate your victory with a cool shirt and medal to show off to your friends!
Join us on Halloween weekend in your neighborhood; You Are Not Alone!
https://inthestudiowithmj.ticketbud.com/in-the-studio...

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In The Studio With Michael Jackson

HIStory Test Pressing giveaway LIVE on FB and Insta Monday night 8:29pm EST for ITSWMJ 5K Silver and Gold participants!! Tickets still available at https://tinyurl.com/y6bn5cey to walk/run the 5K, help us dig water wells for Maji Hope and have a chance at winning the Test Pressing!! (Sign-ups closing Monday Oct 19, 6pm EST).

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In The Studio With Michael Jackson

First some housekeeping, then a quick story.
Thank you to everyone who is participating in the ITSWMJ 5K!! The response has been great, and I believe we have more than 35 countries represented in the registration. Amazing.
The "HIStory Test Pressing" drawing has already taken place, a huge congrats to Lyne Tyler for being the lucky winner!!
All merch has been sent out, so hopefully it will arrive in your hands before next weekend, but some international destinations maybe take a bit longer - please be patient.
If you have no idea what any of this is about, please go here for more info. https://tinyurl.com/y6njvtee Note that you can still sign up (and there is a bit of swag still available), but the drawing is over. And of course you are more than welcome to donate directly to Majihope.org to help dig water wells in Africa.
The run/walk/jog/ride can take place anytime, anywhere around Halloween weekend (or shortly after), and we will be creating a video of as many participants as send video/photos to us.
All that said, thanks again for making this first one a success!
Now, I have told this story before, but I noticed that The Estate is releasing the full "Michael Jackson's Ghosts" on the MJ YouTube Channel for a few weeks, so let's go back to the production for a minute.
We all knew Michael was working on a huge short-ish film for the songs "Is It Scary" and "2 Bad", but I don't think I really understood how big this was until I saw it.
I first met Michael around late 1984 during the EO music recording at Westlake, and I guess he liked my jokes and modest talent enough to keep me around for album after album, project after project. The the time we finished HIStory (recorded primarily in NYC) it is safe to say we had a very comfortable working friendship. He contacted me and wanted me to create a playback system (basically a small concert system used for film shoots) to his "Ghosts" shoot.
I had done a few shoots with him before, including "Closet", and he knew I could build him a system that would, in his words, hurt him. You see, when Michael likes the sound of something and wants it louder, so it punches him in the chest, he will yell, "Hurt me!! Hurt me!!" So, he made it clear than for this shoot he wanted a system that would unapologetically hurt him. In a good way.
Time to get to work.
I was friends with Steven Czerwinski (Cerwin Vega), so I called him and explained what I was doing. He had just redesigned their amazing folded port subwoofers and I wound up buying four of them for the primary system. I already had a massive pair of Augsperger speakers which are amazing on their own, but Michael always needs more bass, so the Vegas were the perfect match.
We built a crazy cart and strapped the monsters together with straps normally used to semi trucks. Then I built the amplifier rack, which I seem to remember generated around 25,000 watts of power. Old school, in your face analog power. I drove it to the stage, which I think was built in an airplane hanger.
The whole very very secure, with everything sealed off with giant sheets of black plastic and security everywhere. I flashed my cool pass, got inside in started assembling my monster.
Then comes the fun part - testing and tuning.
I tune every system I build with my ears, and I know how Michael likes to hear music. It was loud. Like incredibly loud. Of course working in a hanger is not exactly good for acoustics, so the best you can do is make the system so loud that the echos and reverberation can't be heard over the flood of sound.
I pushed the system hard, knowing that Michael would push it even harder, and it held up.
What you likely don't realize when you watch "Ghosts" is that just outside of every shot feature music/dancing is this mountain of speakers. The audio production team had to constantly wheel these things around and keep them just out of frame, so Michael could hear/feel them, and the camera didn't see them.
It is pretty unlikely that you have a 25,000 playback system in your home, but this Halloween season take an evening and fire up "Michael Jackson's Ghosts" and push your system just a bit and imagine being on that set, with music so loud that it almost blows your hair, then watch his incredible dancing.
I can't move like he does, but I am proud to have been part of what brought the music to his ears, and ultimately his feet.
And if your neighbors complain, 2 Bad.

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In The Studio With Michael Jackson

Hey Guys,
It has recently come to my attention that Bruce Swedien is very sick and has been hospitalized for many weeks. He is fighting. I have reached out to him and his amazing wife Bea.
Bruce is, quite simply, the reason I met and worked with Michael. He has been my mentor and friend since 1985, and he has taught me so much about the recording industry and life.
He is, in my opinion, the greatest recording engineer and music mixer ever.
Please take a moment to pray for Bruce and Bea, and the next time to listen to a Michael Jackson song, really listen to the mix, because it was recorded by a true master.
If you would like to share a thought with Bruce, it might be easiest to do it in the comments below, and I will print them up and send them to him and Bea.
I love you Bruce, and I am praying for your comfort and recovery.

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In The Studio With Michael Jackson

Never Be Late
I think it was early on an album called "Decade". Well, that was it's working title - eventually it would be called "Dangerous". I had been working with Bruce Swedien for a while, and maybe I was getting a tiny bit comfortable.
When you work with Bruce you learn to anticipate what he is going to do and what he will need you to do.
You see, I was his Technical Director for several years working with artists like Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones and Barbra Streisand. Small projects.
Some of these albums took nearly a year to complete, followed by dance mixes, international edits, video mixes, etc. The workflow was intense, yet Bruce always maintained a calm, controlled and lighthearted hand on the helm.
The sessions were amazing to be a part of. Bruce was not only a master of getting music perfectly and artfully recorded, but also creating an atmosphere of fun and excitement. When you were in the control room with Bruce, he made it feel like there was no where else on the planet you would rather be. He was the captain of his ship, and his ship was a studio packed with perfectly calibrated tape machines, racks of compressors, EQs, reverbs and de-essers.
The funny thing is Bruce used remarkably few of those tools, rather he simply recorded the sounds with huge dynamics and minimal noise. When you listen to his raw tracks they sound... perfect.
Before we moved into a new studio, one of my many jobs was to painstakingly go through every patch point, console channel and piece of outboard gear and test and calibrate it.
Everything.
This often took days to get a studio fully up to the his standard. Nothing was overlooked. When he touched any given piece of equipment he trusted that I had already tested it to avoid problems during the session.
I found and fixed a lot of problems before he walked in the door, which made the sessions run as smoothly as possible.
So when I say that I could anticipate his next move, those are not just words - that was my job.
When we moved from studio to studio it would take a large cartage truck just for his cases of microphones (I think there were about 15 by my count), and his two giant equipment racks.
Plus the speakers.
And the speaker de-couplers.
And the amplifiers.
And the Hewlett Packard test gear.
And the custom blue and yellow patch cables (Swedish colors).
And the computers.
And the custom fader pack.
And the custom meters.
And the beautiful old tape box that he used to write on the track sheets, filled with personal notes from previous sessions.
It was no small undertaking, but I was good at my job, and I was proud of the music we were working on.
So back to the "Decade"/"Dangerous" project.
We booked a drum session, likely with JR (John Robinson) to lay down tracks on one of the songs. I was at the studio very late the night before, prepping tapes for the song. Bruce never, ever, wants to run out of tracks, so we would prepare work-tapes for each song so we could quickly change the tape and have another blank slate for any given song.
Drum sessions are a lot of work and a lot of fun. Every engineer loves to get drum sounds, as this is part of the fingerprint of their personal sound. Plus, most drummers by nature have a great sense of humor, so I loved drum sessions.
My job, under normal circumstances, was to mic the drums before Bruce walked in the door. I knew which mic to use on each drum, I could place it within a few millimeters of what he wanted, and I would start getting the levels dialed in if he wasn't there yet. I had done it many times, and we almost didn't need to talk about it in advance - he could simply walk in and make his final adjustments, get the sound locked and enjoy a few sips of coffee.
Until this session, when I overslept.
I was never late.
Until this session.
I was late.
I walked into the studio, and there was the legendary Bruce Swedien unrolling mic cables, setting mic stands and placing mics on drums. My job.
I quickly and humbly apologized, but all he said was "We'll talk about this later."
Not what I wanted to hear.
We quietly finished setting the mics, getting sounds, and the session went smoothly.
Bruce joked and laughed and everyone had a great time, like you always do on a Swedien session, except me. I tried to laugh at the jokes, but in my back of my mind I knew "later" was coming.
At the end of the day everyone hugged and packed up and left, and I thought maybe he would forget.
He didn't.
I was rolling up cables and putting mics away and he called him into his "office", the control room.
He looked at me and while I don't remember word-for-word what he said, it was pretty close to this: "Do you have any idea who we work with? We are working with Michael Jackson, the greatest singer on the planet."
He didn't yell.
He didn't raise his voice.
But he was dead serious.
He continued...
"Michael chooses the best people to work with, and that's why we are here. There was no reason for you to be late, and I know it won't happen again. See you tomorrow."
And that was it - he never brought it up again.
We travelled together.
We laughed together.
We shared many meals together.
I prepped countless sessions for him, and he thanked me at the end of every day.
It was remarkable to watch him work, and the ease with which his decades of experience allowed him to handle any situation with the calm demeanor of an experienced admiral.
He was the greatest music mixer I have ever known.
He was a true pioneer in the industry.
He was my mentor.
He was my friend.
And I was never late again.
Rest in peace dear friend, I love you and I am grateful for every moment.
Braddy-Daddy

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In The Studio With Michael Jackson
Happy Thanksgiving!
Our first podcast!
More to come...
https://itswmjpodcast00.podbean.com/.../brad-sundberg.../

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In The Studio With Michael Jackson is at Dollywood Theme Park. · Sevierville, TN, United States ·
Birthday and Holiday Greetings from Dollywood.

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In The Studio With Michael Jackson

Merry Christmas!!
Debbie surprised me with a very cool gift! She framed some of the posters (many signed by guest speakers) from the 200+ "In The Studio With MJ" events we have hosted in more than 20 countries over the past nine years. It's bittersweet as 2020 brought it all to a screeching halt, but it's a great way to remember how far we have come since the first one in Paris long ago.
I am thankful for every single event, studio, friendship, hug, and . And I'm especially thankful to Deb and my girls for being part of this "hard-to-explain" hobby, and for celebrating it in such great fashion!
I have every hope and belief that heavy suitcases, European trains and overnight flights will resume in 2021, but in the meantime we'll hang these on the wall, continue with the podcast and work on making future events better than ever!
Thanks for a very special gift!

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In The Studio With Michael Jackson

The place formerly known as Neverland Valley Ranch sold last week, so I thought you might want to hear about how it all began, at least from my perspective. I was barely 25 years old when Michael asked me to start building music systems at his then-new ranch. And so it began...
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3et6Id ... k5mkA?nd=1
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/.../in-the.../id1545865398...
Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/.../aHR0cHM ... kLnBvZGJlY...

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In The Studio With Michael Jackson

20,000!!
OK, I don't get wrapped up in numbers, but today we passed 20,000 page followers!! Considering 2020 hosted just one event (Miami), I am grateful for everyone's patience and enthusiasm as we gear up in 2021.
The podcast is rolling.
The seminar is being retooled.
Our special events (Mickey, Michael and Martinis Trivia; The Halloween 5K; The 7 Songs Series, etc.) have been a lot of fun and we intend to keep them coming as we watch for when we can start hosting live events again.
All that to say "Thank You" for your ongoing interest, support, friendship, notes and comments. It's been a very challenging year for all of us, but we'll get through it and get back where we belong: In The Studio With MJ!
Thanks for getting us to 20,000, stay safe and be blessed!
Brad

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In The Studio With Michael Jackson

Fingersnaps and Monitors
It happened again.
It usually happens when I least expect it. Like in the grocery store, or in the waiting area in a tire shop. I’ll hear a few notes of an MJ song and I can almost smell the popcorn, hear the laughter, see the studio, feel the mic cable.
I can instantly remember odd details like Bill Bray’s gravelly voice, or a new poster that Matt Forger bought for Michael’s lounge, or Bruce Swedien adjusting his amazing moustache moments before recording Michael’s vocal.
I usually let myself enjoy it for a few seconds, then resume with whatever I was doing.
Today was… different.
Over the past few months I have been converting our spare room into a music room where I can record my podcast, edit and mix music, evaluate mixes and even watch a movie now and then.
This afternoon I was building and wiring two new equipment racks I purchased for the room, and I decided to test it with some MJ music.
I fired up my Bryston 4B amp and my Westlake BBSM-8s studio monitors.
Studio monitors are very important to people who spend time in studios. It's not so much because one brand “sounds” better than another, it’s more organic than that.
An engineer uses his or her monitors (speakers) like a tool, almost a part of them.
So if an engineer is walking into a new studio in a new city and everything is different, they can request or bring their favorite monitors and they have a familiar starting point. Sort of like how the cool professional chefs on TV bring their own knives because they have used them countless times and they know how they perform.
Most engineers understand that blowing out their ears by listening to giant monitors day after day after day is not smart, so they learn to mix at reasonable levels using these same monitors they know and love, and this helps create consistent quality in their mixes.
I have owned my Westlake BBSM-8s studio monitors since about the mid-90's. Bruce Swedien used this exact pair to mix Michael's Dangerous and HIStory albums, and they were gifted to me shortly thereafter. They are signed to me from Bruce, "To Braddy-Daddy, I love you!! Bruce Swedien."
That's what Bruce, Quincy and Michael used to call me: Braddy-Daddy.
There are very few “things” that I treasure, but these are very special to me because of their history and how well I know them.
Sorry for the tangent, back to wiring my music room.
I put the racks back in place and popped a tape (yes, a tape) into the DAT machine and hit Play.
I turned up the volume and went back to work connecting the power cables to my new mic preamp. I was sitting on the floor with my back to the monitors, my mind more focused on wiring than music.
As I mentioned before, I know my Westlakes literally like the back of my hand. I have listened to countless mixes, albums, demos, videos and movies through them. They aren't the newest, latest or greatest by any stretch. They are scratched and have "memory marks" from more sessions than you can imagine. They have been used, in the best possible way.
So as the song was playing, I heard a loud fingersnap right behind me... from the Westlake.
It was clear, sharp, and instantly familiar - but I didn't remember hearing it so clearly in the song. It was so... real.
Just for a moment...
I paused just for a moment, then I turned and looked behind me.
My trusty Westlakes kept playing every note of the song, almost as if they loved it as much as I do.
Just for a moment I was back in the studio when I heard that fingersnap.
When Bruce used to record Michael, we would have him stand on a low drum platform to sing. It was made of plywood and Michael would naturally dance on it during any given vocal, and the microphone would hear his footsteps.
Michael didn’t just sing with his voice - he sang with his body.
His breathing.
His dancing.
His voice.
And... his fingersnaps.
I have talked about his fingersnaps before, how they were remarkably loud and percussive. Snapping his fingers was as natural to him as walking. And his snaps weren’t like other people’s snaps - they were part of his sound, and completely unique.
So when I heard that snap, completely unexpected, I paused for just a moment before looking back at my Westlakes.
It was like flipping through a photo album in my head.
For a moment I remembered Studio D at Westlake, with Michael singing the chorus of “Man In the Mirror”.
For a moment I remembered being on the scoring stage at Todd-AO, with Bruce putting the final touches on the mix for the short film “The Way You Make Me Feel”, with the amazing intro by Yello.
For a moment I remembered being in the back of a passenger van in New York during the HIStory project, showing Michael how to control a crazy music system I built for him in the van using...studio monitors.
All from a fingersnap that I wasn’t expecting.
It's been more than ten months since I have hosted an MJ event, but last week I visited a studio here in Orlando. It's a studio that I've mentioned before - one where Michael recorded a few tracks decades ago. It’s old and worn and has history in the walls that you can almost feel.
The studio owner said, "When can we host an event here? Say the word and we'll be ready!"
It's been ten months.
You have no idea how much I have missed being in studios.
Sharing the music.
Seeing old friends.
Making new friends.
One fingersnap.
Delivered perfectly from my trusty Westlake BBSM-8’s.
It’s time to get back into the studio.
It was more than a fingersnap.
It was a nudge.

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In The Studio With Michael Jackson

After talking to Matt Forger about Captain EO I went through some boxes and found the shirt I bought at Disneyland on opening day of the film.
Also pictured is my Captain EO poster signed by Michael Jackson. It says “To Brad, thanks for everything. Love, Michael 1998”
If you haven’t listened to part 2 of my conversation with Matt Forger on the podcast, the links are below!
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/.../in-the.../id1545865398...
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6mojhe9hwWxMulj5tRbzLB
Google Podcasts:
https://podcasts.google.com/.../aXRzd21 ... zdDAwLnBvZ...

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In The Studio With Michael Jackson

The Music Box
It's a song that most people have never heard.
Quite often when someone finds out I worked and had a friendship with Michael for nearly two decades they will say something like "I love Michael Jackson!!" I know all of his songs!!"
I and say something like "That's great!" I never start quizzing them, because that would be rude.
Truthfully if someone started quizzing me about songs from eras I didn't work on, I would likely crash after a few questions! People ask me about songs from Off The Wall or Invincible and I don't have a clue, because I wasn't there. But I did have the privilege of watching many songs go from concept to finished mix (sometimes taking years), so I have a bit of an advantage with those.
Of course I have also had conversations with "hard-core" MJ fans who don't like "Thriller" because it is overplayed at Halloween. But occasionally I will have them close their eyes and I will instruct them to forget the video and the commercials and the party mixes, let me just play the song for you on a great pair of speakers.
Just listen to it, as if for the first time.
It is usually pretty surprising when they discover how beautifully it was produced, performed, recorded and mixed. Because that's how Michael and his team made music.
Last week I did a podcast called "Random Facts, Memories and Tidbits from the HIStory Album", where I listed and described ten random, well what I just said.
It was fun to put the list together, and quite frankly it could have been much longer, but ten seemed like a good start, and I might add more in future podcasts.
One that did not make this list was the music box. It almost deserves a podcast of its own (which I might do) because it represents the level of quality that we were pushing for.
Of course I am talking about the song "Little Susie", which is one of those songs that few people would know. MJ fans know it, but you get my point.
"Little Susie" is a dark, disturbing song about the death of a little girl. Not exactly a bubble-gum topic for a pop record, but Michael wanted it on the album. It was a very important piece of music for him, so we took it very seriously.
The intro is almost a bit of audio theater, with the footsteps, the ticking clock, the little girl winding the music box and then listening to it.
We painstakingly recorded these sounds at the Hit Factory, and the plan was to simply find a music box sound on a synth and play the melody, but nothing sounded right. So we did what anyone would do in that exact situation and bought a music box and tore it apart, then "played" each note on the comb. (It's really called a "comb", at least according to my Google-machine).
Each note was played and recorded into a sampler, then it was played to make it sound like the little girl had just wound up the tiny machine, with the spring slowing down towards the end.
This little intro (tucked between Pie Jesu and the body of the song) lasts around 70 seconds, but it represents at least two things.
First, Michael wasn't afraid to do things other artists wouldn't even think about doing. He had done extended intros before, and they can be a very powerful lead-up to the song.
And, if he is going to do it, it is going to be done well.
I couldn't and wouldn't put a price tag on the cost involved in creating those 70 seconds, as it was part of a much larger project, but it didn't just happen in an hour, rather there was a good bit of trial and error involved. But we wanted to do it right.
Michael loved theater and building suspense, and this was a classic example. He knew not to go too far, rather let the listener decide what the scene looked like for themselves.
MJ fans, rightly so, either really love "Little Susie" or take a pass on it. It's not really a fun song or something to pop on during a party tucked between "Another Part Of Me" and "Jam", as it would quickly clear the dancefloor.
But that little music box takes me back to a giant studio on West 54th in Midtown, as we put in long hours and long days and long months building a project that we could all be proud of. A project called "HIStory".
And the music box reflects so many things, as no corners were cut. (In the US we have an expression "Don't cut corners", which means don't do a sloppy or fast job to get done more quickly. Do it right the first time. Of course this is said far more often than actually done.)
We needed a choir for the song "They Don't Care About Us".
There are lots of choirs in NYC, but Michael wanted the choir he knew and loved, so we flew the ENTIRE Andre Crouch choir from LA to NY. This way Bruce could record them his way, and Michael could work directly with Andre to get the sound he was looking for.
I know it doesn't make sense to you, but the little music box reminds me of stuff like that.
The music box reflects how Michael wrote songs, created records, performed for his fans, shot short movies (music videos). He wanted everything done correctly, with as much focus on quality as possible.
I spent a couple hours today rewiring the playback system in my music room. I needed a matching pair of cables for a specific function, and there was no way I was going to drive around the city find them on a rainy Sunday. I had two mis-matched cables, which no one would ever know were mis-matched, except for me. But that would have driven me crazy and been nibbling in the back of my head every time I used that system with a pair of mismatched cables.
So I kept digging through bins of cables and connectors until I found a matching pair. It was the right solution. It was my music box.
Every time I set up a music system for a client or prepare a studio for one of my events I spend as much time as possible calibrating the speakers to make them sound as perfect as possible for my guests. I'm sharing my music box with them.
My daughter Maddie and I have been rebuilding the new version of "In The Studio With MJ", which we hope to premier in Orlando next month. I am going back and hearing songs and nuances that I am so excited to talk about and share their stories.
In it's own way each Michael song is a music box, waiting for it's story to be told.
Have a great week.

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In The Studio With Michael Jackson
tSpnonsor6eehrd ·
TBT
Ferris Wheels, Music and Physics
I'm pretty sure the first time I was at Michael Jackson's Neverland Valley Ranch was in 1988. He had just purchased it, changing the name from Sycamore Valley Ranch to Neverland.
He asked me to drive up to discuss some ideas that he had for music systems.
I jumped at the chance.
I had first met Michael in late 1984 or early 1985 when he was working on the Disney project Captain EO at Westlake Studios where I had the glamorous job of being a runner. I would get food, answer the phone, clean the kitchen, and learn how studios work.
By 1986 I was working closely with Bruce Swedien and Quincy Jones and I joined the team (so to speak) during the production of the Bad album.
Michael and I were very comfortable with each other in the studio, but me doing protects at Neverland started an entirely new chapter of my life. He would challenge me to figure out how to put music on everything from a horse-drawn carriage to a full-size steam train - and everything in between.
Music helped bring the ranch to life, and he knew that I don't do things halfway. Massive amplifiers and subwoofers and concert grade speakers were installed anywhere he wanted thunderous music, and I had to basically learn about crossovers and system tuning on the fly.
Neverland was my boot camp.
March 3rd and 4th of 1988 my wife Deb and I saw Michael perform live for the first time at Madison Square Garden in New York. We had full backstage access and at one point we were actually allowed to go up on stage and watch him close the show just a few feet in front of us, as we were standing behind an enormous wall of speakers.
The whole thing was mesmerizing, but feeling the impact of those speakers, particularly the side fill speakers which were aimed right at Michael, was basically etched in my brain.
"This guy likes it loud."
So while it would be impossible for me to build a full concert system on every corner of the 2800 acre ranch, I did the best I could to replicate that sound on a reasonable budget wherever I could.
In some ways I guess I still do.
So these Neverland music projects were pretty grand in scale and something I took very seriously with each new challenge.
And the ranch just kept growing and growing.
It was fairly common for Michael to call me and tell me about a new ride he was getting, or sometimes the call would come from the general contractor or his assistant and then the process of design, proposal and installation would begin.
Except once.
One of the first rides set up a Neverland was the Ferris Wheel. Like many people I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with Ferris wheels because they are both calming and terrifying.
Michael wanted music on the Ferris Wheel, just like all the other rides. He loved the system we installed for him on the Carousel and the Bumper Cars and the Sea Dragon, so he asked again about the Ferris Wheel.
There is every likelihood, in fact I can say with great certainty, that I have spent more time thinking about Ferris Wheels and how they operate and how they are a series of wheels on axels within a larger circle on an axel than most other normal human beings.
I tried repeatedly to design a system where I could get music to each car, but running wires is virtually impossible unless you have an an Imagineering budget, which I did not.
The next obvious solution is to do something wirelessly with batteries and chargers and transmitters which even in the best of circumstances was going to be extremely high maintenance.
(For those of you under a certain age this was long before Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Sonos and streaming, rather it was Wild West audio.)
The funny thing is it probably bugged me more than it bugged Michael, but it would come up once in a while and he might ask if I had any solutions.
I do not like to say no but I also don't like to build things that don't perform like I want them to.
So the Ferris Wheel was winning this battle of wills.
I would walk through that part of the park alone late at night with music coming from everywhere except the Ferris Wheel.
It would almost taunt me.
Finally one night I just rode all by myself, trying to think of how to get music on it.
From the top of the wheel I could see all across the park to the zoo further up the valley, as well as the tens of thousands of twinkle lights that covered every branch of the massive California Oak trees through the valley and up the hills.
I could smell that unique mix of livestock and vineyards and grass and machines.
I could hear music playing from all of the other rides scattered throughout the park, each playing its own song.
Additionally we had installed scores of rock speakers playing selections from Debussy, Disney and soundtrack selections (all personally chosen by Michael) seemingly from everywhere along the paths, shrubs and tucked inside custom topiaries.
It was amazing.
It was basically the best seat in the house, visually and sonically.
I wish I could remember the exact conversation, but the next time I saw Michael I told him the Ferris Wheel was perfect just the way it was, without its own music, because it was the one place in the park where you could see and hear everything.
He agreed, thankfully.
And I was finally able to let it go.
Enjoy your weekend.

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In The Studio With Michael Jackson

It's been too long.
I've missed too many faces, too many smiles, too many friends.
It's been a long, hard 448 days since my last event in Miami in 2020.
To date we have hosted more than 200 events in cities from Tokyo to Prague, Perth to Milan, Seattle to Mexico City - about 41 cities and 21 countries.
It's been a long time to wait, but we are coming back!
The first official event will take place in Orlando on July 17, 2021!
Orlando it open!
Restaurants are open!
Theme parks are open!
Recording studios are open!
The new ITSWMJ event is going to take you places you have never been.
Even if you have been to one of my events before, I can promise you that you will see and hear things you have never seen or heard before!
I miss you.
I miss your smiles, hugs and laughter.
I miss hearing your stories, tasting your food, walking your streets.
But there is light at the end of this tunnel... we're almost there!
It all starts on July 17th, 2021 in Orlando, Florida.
In a studio that was once used by Michael. For real.
Join me in 49 days in Orlando.
The lights will dim.
The music will start.
The screen will come to life.
And we'll be together again... In The Studio With MJ.
It's going to be a very special day.
Will You Be There?
PS - Please do me a favor and share this post and tell your friends. Have a great day!
https://inthestudiowithmj.ticketbud.com ... ---orlando...

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In The Studio With Michael Jackson

My friends Phil in Paris and Jared in Orlando sent me an amazing Captain EO mug!! Just because!!
At first I thought a nice cup of herbal tea might be great, but then a familiar spacey-sounding synth started playing with jarring volume in my head, which then built into a really cool drum groove. Then this happened...
>V1
Beans takin' over
We have the truth
This is our mission
To see it through
Don't use your teacup
Not big enough
This is for coffee
The perfect cup
>C
We're steaming up
Some primo brew
And this is our
Message to you
(Let this brew be true)
The mugs are all linin' up
Bring smiles to each face
They're all in line
Waiting for brew
So can't you see...?
It's just for coffee not for tea
Hee hee!
Ooh!
>V2
A rich pour over
Jamaican blue
A touch of cool fresh cream
We'll bring to you
There is no sugar
Don't ruin the brew
Eyes closed now take a sip
It's fresh for you
>C
We're steaming up
Some primo brew
And this is our
Message to you
(Let this brew be true)
The mugs are all linin' up
Bring smiles to each face
They're all in line
Waiting for brew
You know the truth
It's just for coffee not for tea
Hee hee!
Ooh!
Doo-doo-doo-doo
Ooh!
>Insturmental
Shoo, shoo
Shoo, shoo
Ooh!
Hee-hee-hee!
Ooh!
>C
We're steaming up
Some primo brew
And this is our
Message to you
(Let this brew be true)
The mugs are all linin' up
Bring smiles to each face
They're all in line
Waiting for brew
Can't you see...?
It's just for coffee not for tea
Hee hee!
Ooh!
For coffee not for tea
Ooh!
>Outro
Beans takin' over
Hee-hee!
Ooh!
This is the truth, baby
Hee!
For coffee not for tea
Ooh!
Thanks for the mug guys, I love it!
It's perfect for my morning coffee!
>>Tickets for "In The Studio With MJ" Orlando July 17, 2021 on sale now.<<
https://inthestudiowithmj.ticketbud.com ... ---orlando...
(humming..........."for coffee not for tea")