Who is Ken Lewis?

Maddstone · 30th October 2005

I havent had the pleasure of working with this man before, but damn, just looking at his track record and hearing the work he's been on, just blows my mind.He's literally a multi-genre producer in his own right, but does more mix engineering than anything else (and brilliantly I might add).Along with being the go to guy for Just Blaze and Kanye when needing to recreate, to perfection, those old school soul samples.Multi-instrumentalist, and then some.The dude is a force to be reckoned with.Props to him.I know he mixed 2 tracks for a Major label rapper's project, on which a producer bud of mine contributed as well.

What's y'all ppl's views on the man's work and skills?If u worked with him before, what was the experience like?

Igotsoul4u · 30th October 2005

I can't stand him. You couldn't pay me to be in the same room as him.

jlotto · 31st October 2005

Ken Lewis is a baaad man!

he has helped build just blaze's and kanye west's careers

djui5 · 31st October 2005

Ken is a really cool guy. Tell him I said hello.

Igotsoul4u · 31st October 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlotto

Ken Lewis is a baaad man!

he has helped build just blaze's and kanye west's careers

I would love to hear Jay-z's opinion on the above statement

jlotto · 31st October 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Igotsoul4u

I would love to hear Jay-z's opinion on the above statement

question. maybe i'm reaching but, r u Ken Lewis?

Igotsoul4u · 31st October 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlotto

question. maybe i'm reaching but, r u Ken Lewis?

Huh?

Maddstone · 31st October 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by djui5

Ken is a really cool guy. Tell him I said hello.

SO u worked with him cuz?He seems like a cool guy.Very focused too with his eye on the prize.

djui5 · 31st October 2005

No, I haven't worked with him.

Igotsoul4u · 31st October 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maddstone

SO u worked with him cuz?He seems like a cool guy.Very focused too with his eye on the prize.

I have worked with him on several occasions. Send me a private message if you want the dirt.

Big 3rd · 2nd November 2005

I emailed him once about some mixing techniques. He replied the very next day. I was pretty impressed with that. And even though he was pretty vague on some of his secrets, he still gave me some good insite. Seems like a pretty cool cat to me.

jonnyclueless · 4th November 2005

Ken is one of my best friends, we go back a long ways. He can seem abrasive to some people who don't know him, but is one of the best engineers and coolest cats.

He was heping Just Blaze when Blaze was just a receptionist at a studio Ken frequented. He mixes with Logic instead of PT, so that may be part of his sonic secret.

XHipHop · 4th November 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonnyclueless

He was heping Just Blaze when Blaze was just a receptionist at a studio Ken frequented. He mixes with Logic instead of PT, so that may be part of his sonic secret.

In the box or on a mixer?

If on a mixer, what mixer and what D/A's?

Thanks.

jonnyclueless · 4th November 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by XHipHop

In the box or on a mixer?

If on a mixer, what mixer and what D/A's?

Thanks.

Both, depending on the project. But he does most work at home ITB. Some at studios, but I would have to ask him which ones. Uses the regular HD converters. When he mixes at a studio, he just uses what is there, which I can assume is almost always the HD ones. He and I have debates about this all the time. I am kind of finiky about which converters are being used, he could care less. But he is the successful one, I am the artistic one. Some of the things he does make me gasp. Most of the things I complain about are the very things he does and uses with great success, so I geuss it's really in the user more than the gear.

XHipHop · 4th November 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonnyclueless

I geuss it's really in the user more than the gear.

I agree with that and thanks for the response.

I like mixing in Logic as well so I was just curious.

Maddstone · 5th November 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonnyclueless

Ken is one of my best friends, we go back a long ways. He can seem abrasive to some people who don't know him, but is one of the best engineers and coolest cats.

He was heping Just Blaze when Blaze was just a receptionist at a studio Ken frequented. He mixes with Logic instead of PT, so that may be part of his sonic secret.

Yeah, he does seem like a cool guy.He mixed 2 tracks for an emcee called Prokid from South Africa, as well.So he's a Logic man.I think Young Guru mentioned that logic is gonna start making inroads into the market heavily and steal some of PT's thunder (users).I know the 45King is blown away by Logic and a producer called Dplanet is just luving it.Saying the sound is really tight.Mac users are smiling.

A bud of mine's been a PT user for eons and he's been using it in conjuction with T-Racks.Gotta say though, his sound is madd crisp.Granted, his trackings spot on and tight too so the process will be beautiful in the end.His band's sound always ends up sounding that much nicer, which is just an additional compliment to an already incredible sound, naturally.

So Ken is a "whatever works well for that track" type of guy.Its cool like that.

**TonyBelmont** · 5th November 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonnyclueless

He was heping Just Blaze when Blaze was just a receptionist at a studio Ken frequented. He mixes with Logic instead of PT, so that may be part of his sonic secret.

He wasn't a receptionist, he was an intern.

Also, I have to disagree with Logic imparting any sonic signature.... It's more his ears and his use of plug-ins which would make his tracks sound the way they do. But regardless, I like his mix on Usher's album.

Maddstone · 6th November 2005

Tony, I actually dont own that Usher album, surprisingly, as its a really good one.But which tracks did he mix off that one?Just the Blaze "Throwback" track?

Speaking of which, have u heard the original on which that "Throwback" is based?it supertight.

**TonyBelmont** · 6th November 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maddstone

Tony, I actually dont own that Usher album, surprisingly, as its a really good one.But which tracks did he mix off that one?Just the Blaze "Throwback" track?

Speaking of which, have u heard the original on which that "Throwback" is based?it supertight.

Yep, that's the track....

jonnyclueless · 9th November 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by TonyBelmont

He wasn't a receptionist, he was an intern.

Also, I have to disagree with Logic imparting any sonic signature.... It's more his ears and his use of plug-ins which would make his tracks sound the way they do. But regardless, I like his mix on Usher's album.

Well, he sat at the desk and answered the phones whenever I was there, so call it what you want, but I think everyone else here gets the idea of the point.

And I stated very clearly that he doesn't care much about the converters or system being used. But he does use Logic exclusively at home (where he does most of his mixes), so it is a contributing factor as Logic does sound different than PT.

Dopamine · 9th November 2005

He a Logic man??? That's why his website is www.protoolsmixing.com

Maddstone · 9th November 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dopamine

He a Logic man??? That's why his website is www.protoolsmixing.com

I was also wondering bout this myself, as I found his page at this site a while back.Anyways, maybe he uses both, depending on the studio.

Igotsoul4u · 9th November 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maddstone

I was also wondering bout this myself, as I found his page at this site a while back.Anyways, maybe he uses both, depending on the studio.

Me to. Kinda weird. I am guessing he does his sample recreation stuff in logic and maybe does mixes in protools.

Maddstone · 10th November 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Igotsoul4u

Me to. Kinda weird. I am guessing he does his sample recreation stuff in logic and maybe does mixes in protools.

Think u hit the nail on the head there.That could very well be the case.

jonnyclueless · 10th November 2005

Nope, he does everything in Logic. He can barely even get around PT. The domain name is for marketting reasons since Pro Tools is such a well known name. Kind of ironic. Of course it's on TDM, and he has an assistant who knows PT who converts and preps them into Logic sessions for him, all the work he does from home is strictly in Logic. If someone wants they can just write to him on his web site (I assume there is an address on there). He's got prettycool set up and plenty of outbaord gear including a EMT140 plate he just got and set up in the garage (for which I hate him).

illynoise · 12th November 2005

Record something in one program, like Cubase or Protools (le), then open up Logic and record something, even the same thing, you WILL hear a difference. Technically there shouldn't be, but there is. I think that Logic just records louder, but there you go there is a difference.

Mixing on Logic is the best, there isn't anything better IMO. The way Logic lets you clip the audio signal is another strong point, you can really push it and get results, without hearing clipping and get a certain punch. I've been on Logic for 10 years now, it's still the sh!t.

My2,

BaseJase

Umlaaat · 13th November 2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by illynoise

Record something in one program, like Cubase or Protools (le), then open up Logic and record something, even the same thing, you WILL hear a difference. Technically there shouldn't be, but there is. I think that Logic just records louder, but there you go there is a difference.

Mixing on Logic is the best, there isn't anything better IMO. The way Logic lets you clip the audio signal is another strong point, you can really push it and get results, without hearing clipping and get a certain punch. I've been on Logic for 10 years now, it's still the sh!t.

My2,

BaseJase

yup. thumbsup

30th October 2005	#1
Maddstone Gear maniac Joined: Oct 2005 Posts: 274 Thread Starter	Who is Ken Lewis? I havent had the pleasure of working with this man before, but damn, just looking at his track record and hearing the work he's been on, just blows my mind.He's literally a multi-genre producer in his own right, but does more mix engineering than anything else (and brilliantly I might add).Along with being the go to guy for Just Blaze and Kanye when needing to recreate, to perfection, those old school soul samples.Multi-instrumentalist, and then some.The dude is a force to be reckoned with.Props to him.I know he mixed 2 tracks for a Major label rapper's project, on which a producer bud of mine contributed as well. What's y'all ppl's views on the man's work and skills?If u worked with him before, what was the experience like?

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30th October 2005	#2
Igotsoul4u Lives for gear Joined: Mar 2005 Location: New York, NY Posts: 2,845	I can't stand him. You couldn't pay me to be in the same room as him.

31st October 2005	#3
jlotto Lives for gear Joined: Jun 2003 Location: Gotham City Posts: 640	Ken Lewis is a baaad man! he has helped build just blaze's and kanye west's careers

31st October 2005	#4
djui5 Lives for gear Joined: Mar 2004 Location: Phoenix Posts: 6,664	Ken is a really cool guy. Tell him I said hello.

2nd November 2005	#11
Big 3rd Lives for gear Joined: Mar 2005 Location: Detroit, WHAT!!! Posts: 3,881	I emailed him once about some mixing techniques. He replied the very next day. I was pretty impressed with that. And even though he was pretty vague on some of his secrets, he still gave me some good insite. Seems like a pretty cool cat to me.

4th November 2005	#12
jonnyclueless Lives for gear Joined: Aug 2004 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 799	Ken is one of my best friends, we go back a long ways. He can seem abrasive to some people who don't know him, but is one of the best engineers and coolest cats. He was heping Just Blaze when Blaze was just a receptionist at a studio Ken frequented. He mixes with Logic instead of PT, so that may be part of his sonic secret.

6th November 2005	#18
Maddstone Gear maniac Joined: Oct 2005 Posts: 274 Thread Starter	Tony, I actually dont own that Usher album, surprisingly, as its a really good one.But which tracks did he mix off that one?Just the Blaze "Throwback" track? Speaking of which, have u heard the original on which that "Throwback" is based?it supertight.

9th November 2005	#21
Dopamine Lives for gear Joined: Nov 2002 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 1,912	He a Logic man??? That's why his website is www.protoolsmixing.com

10th November 2005	#25
jonnyclueless Lives for gear Joined: Aug 2004 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 799	Nope, he does everything in Logic. He can barely even get around PT. The domain name is for marketting reasons since Pro Tools is such a well known name. Kind of ironic. Of course it's on TDM, and he has an assistant who knows PT who converts and preps them into Logic sessions for him, all the work he does from home is strictly in Logic. If someone wants they can just write to him on his web site (I assume there is an address on there). He's got prettycool set up and plenty of outbaord gear including a EMT140 plate he just got and set up in the garage (for which I hate him).

12th November 2005	#26
illynoise Lives for gear Joined: Oct 2004 Posts: 1,674	Record something in one program, like Cubase or Protools (le), then open up Logic and record something, even the same thing, you WILL hear a difference. Technically there shouldn't be, but there is. I think that Logic just records louder, but there you go there is a difference. Mixing on Logic is the best, there isn't anything better IMO. The way Logic lets you clip the audio signal is another strong point, you can really push it and get results, without hearing clipping and get a certain punch. I've been on Logic for 10 years now, it's still the sh!t. My2, BaseJase