Originally self-taught, Embrace drummer Mike Heaton has added teaching a new generation of enthusiastic percussionists to his repertoire, as well as writing and recording with the help of his Audient ASP880 8-channel mic pre and iD22 audio interface.
Both the Audient units are always kept set up so he can record at the drop of a hat. “One of the drum kits is fully mic’d up […] and now the only thing I use is the ASP880 and iD22, because the 10 inputs is spot on,” says Heaton “Nine inputs for the drum kits and one for the bass. I know it’s going to sound good – it’s very useful.
“For a small project studio, having 10 really good preamps and a clear software interface as well, it just makes things easy and quick to do,” continues Heaton. “If I want to take it out and record on site, it’s easy take the iD22 and a laptop with you and set up in someone’s front room. I’ve done it a couple of times, and it’s very simple to do. That’s what I like about it – it’s such a compact little piece of kit.”
The most recent, eponymously titled Embrace album was recorded in guitarist/producer Rick McNamara’s studio, Magnetic North, with the help of his own two ASP880s. Although there isn’t talk of a new album as yet – the last one was seven years coming – the band completed a successful US tour with Starsailor last year and will reunite at the annual Secret Festival again in September of this year.
Heaton also enjoys mentoring young bands, balancing motivational advice with the odd reality check.
“Younger kids think that since you’ve had three number one albums, you must live in a castle and own a Ferrari,” he laughs, but he’s keen not to shatter all their dreams. A motivational teaching method he uses is to record a session with his students. “I pick up a bass and play along with them,” he explains. “When they’ve gone, I’ll chuck a bit of guitar on top of it, email it to them and say: ‘There you go, that’s you playing drums on your first studio session.’
He and some of the other members of Embrace have got involved in the annual fund-raising ‘Battle of the Bands’ competition, Centre Stage for children’s charity Martin House, where kids between the age of 13 and 21 compete to play at the O2 Academy in Leeds and ultimately for a slot at the Leeds/Reading festival. Heaton’s been known to go out of his way for some of the entrants, too.
One particular band had bad luck when their bass drum fell off the stage mid-set. “I invited them back to Squirrel Studios. I’m not really set up for band recording due to the size of my room, but we recorded each of them to a click track, and they went away with a tight and punchy mix that they’re proud to put on social media. Not bad for 14 year-olds.”
