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Some Kind Of Voltage with Rob Maile (AEA Microphones)

Metadata

title
Some Kind Of Voltage with Rob Maile (AEA Microphones)
description
Rob’s a producer-engineer & classically-trained musician. He produced his first record just last year. His DIY spirit and engineering chops combine for a unique mix of science and magic. An alchemy of the recording studio. He’s modded and restored classic gear. Builds microphones at his day job (at the legendary AEA Microphones in Los Angeles). And is passionate about pairing the right tech with the right moment.
status
complete
date
2026-05-05
kind
guest
guestSlugs
  • rob-maile
listenUrl
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lovemusicmore/episodes/Some-Kind-Of-Voltage-with-Rob-Maile-AEA-Microphones-e3iqjrj
lmwUrl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THv0oMFdSyo
appleUrl
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/some-kind-of-voltage-with-rob-maile-aea-microphones/id1567355195?i=1000766189060&uo=4
spotifyUrl
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5p01nZDlWmYl09LMttmKGE
youtubeUrl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0FMjtTyXC0
topicsDiscussed
  • Microphones
  • Analog
  • Music production
  • Electronic music
  • Genre
  • Music theory
  • Microphone technology at AEA
  • Creating unique sounds with vintage gear
  • Navigating a music career
  • Fusing electronic and acoustic elements
  • The emotional resonance of music
hostNote
**Rob Maile** builds microphones at **AEA Microphones** in Los Angeles by day and produces and engineers records with a classically trained ear and a DIY spirit. He forged most of what he knows from people and from connecting, not from a single linear path: and that self-directed formation shapes how he thinks about gear and capturing sound. We get into the physics first: microphones are transducers, they translate sound into electricity, and dynamic mics and speakers are built from the same components (coil and magnet), which means you can use a speaker as a microphone if you know what you’re doing. Rob walks through ribbon microphones, why analog low-end is an underexplored area of recording, and the kind of non-traditional experiments that produce interesting results when you stop treating the signal chain as fixed. We also talk about the Pultec — "almost an instrument on its own", the intersection of professional gear and DIY thinking, and what it means that music is one of the things that makes us continue existing: the stories that hold people together, especially when everything else is uncertain.
selectedMoments
  • label
    Rob introduces his role in the industry
    startSec
    116
    note
    Rob shares his background as a producer-engineer and his work with AEA Microphones.
  • label
    Understanding dynamic and ribbon microphones
    startSec
    198
    note
    A deep dive into the mechanics of different microphone types and their uses.
  • label
    Connecting microphones with speakers
    startSec
    287
    note
    Rob discusses the relationship between microphones and speakers and creative DIY solutions.
  • label
    Non-traditional recording techniques
    startSec
    531
    note
    Rob shares insights on unconventional techniques in capturing low-end sound.
  • label
    Combining instruments with unique miking techniques
    startSec
    942
    note
    Rob reflects on the process of integrating various instruments during recording.
  • label
    The intersection of professional and DIY gear
    startSec
    1273
    note
    Discussion on how professional recording gear influences his creative decisions.
  • label
    Exploring the emotional dimension of recording
    startSec
    2635
    note
    Rob articulates how music serves as a unifying force in society.
excerptQuotes
  • text
    So I'm a producer-engineer located in the Los Angeles area. I went to Musicians Institute in Hollywood.
    startSec
    125
    reviewed
    true
  • text
    Microphones are a type of transducer, which is an electrical device that translates sound into electricity.
    startSec
    197
    reviewed
    true
  • text
    Dynamic mics are made of a coil and a magnet... speakers use the same components.
    startSec
    309
    reviewed
    true
  • text
    I've found some interesting, cool results doing that, just experimenting. Non-traditional low-end is an underexplored part of music recording.
    startSec
    514
    reviewed
    true
  • text
    I kind of had to forge it for myself... most of my knowledge that I obtained... I got from people and from connecting.
    startSec
    928
    reviewed
    true
  • text
    The Poltec is such a musical piece of gear. It's almost an instrument on its own.
    startSec
    1441
    reviewed
    true
  • text
    Music has always been one of those things during the pandemic... that's what makes us continue existing is things that tell our stories.
    startSec
    2637
    reviewed
    true
faq
  • question
    What is Rob Maile's role at AEA Microphones?
    answer
    Rob Maile is a producer-engineer who builds microphones at AEA Microphones in Los Angeles.
  • question
    How can I create unique sounds in music production?
    answer
    Explore non-traditional recording techniques and utilize vintage gear to capture distinct sounds.
  • question
    What are the differences between dynamic and ribbon microphones?
    answer
    Dynamic microphones use a coil and magnet, whereas ribbon microphones use a thin strip of metal suspended between magnets.
transcriptPublished
false
draft
false

Content

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