Songwriter/producer and music industry veteran Monty Powell has written hit songs for Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts and Tim McGraw and won numerous accolades including a CMA Triple Play Award for having written three #1 songs in one calendar year and SESAC’s Songwriter Of The Year in 2009.
Having recently completed construction of a new recording facility, Powell added the new Harman dbx 676 Tube Mic Preamp Channel Strip to his recording chain.
“Inspired moments in songwriting can be fleeting”, explains Powell.
“You need to be able to capture inspiration in an instant and dialing in a great vocal sound or tracking an instrument through the 676 is effortless. I can route any source to the 676 and comp together a song with confidence. Also, the 676’s compressor is really transparent. Controlling dynamics is a snap with its classic OverEasy setting.”
Powell’s songwriting talents are rivaled only by his generosity and willingness to share his craft, which has sprouted his latest endeavor, Musician Labs – a live, interactive, online instructional series and mentoring program for aspiring songwriters.
“Musician Labs is dedicated to teaching the principles necessary for sustaining a successful career in the music business,” said Powel. “I’m blessed to be able to share my knowledge as a songwriter/producer at a time when technology has removed the conventional barriers of communicating with other artists. I believe achieving success in the music industry is a science and cofounding Musician Labs has given me the perfect vehicle to teach my proven techniques and formula.”
Part of the conversation amongst songwriters inevitably lands on choices of gear.
“dbx compressors are a fixture in many of the Nashville studios where I first cut my teeth in recording music. The dbx 676 lives up to their legacy. It delivers a warm, natural, sound quality often missing from many digital interfaces at a price that isn’t out of reach for home studio enthusiasts. Not everyone can afford the luxury of tracking through a vintage tube mic. The dbx 676 can elevate the performance of any entry level mic. If you aren’t second guessing your signal path, your creativity can flow,” added Powell.
“Pairing the dbx 676 with an artist of Monty’s songwriting and producing abilities is a thrill. You can’t turn on a country radio station without hearing a song he’s either written or influenced and we can’t wait to hear how he uses the 676 on his future projects. In addition to being a force of nature in the songwriting world, Monty has a great ear. We’re honored to have the dbx 676 Tube Mic Preamp be a part of his recording and creative process,” stated Jason Kunz, market manager, portable PA, recording and broadcast, Harman Signal Processing.
The dbx 676 is a vacuum tube-based microphone preamplifier that offers a host of flexible sound-tailoring options to deliver extraordinary audio quality in recording and live sound applications.
The dbx 676 employs a high-gain, Class A tube preamp section based around a 12AU7 vacuum tube that can be adjusted to be clean and pure-sounding or dirty and full of harmonic character. The 676 incorporates the Compressor/Limiter design from the dbx 162SL and a 3-band parametric EQ, enabling exacting control of dynamics and tonal balance.
The dbx 676 Tube Mic Pre Channel Strip has a U.S. street price of $999.95.
