Matt Heafy
Trivium’s Guitarist has found the ONE
Recent Projects: Trivium
When the boundaries between writing and touring start to blend, having the ability to record at the drop of a hat becomes an imperative asset for the professional musician. Case in point: Trivium. Hailing from the flattened streets of Orlando, guitarist and lead vocalist Matt Heafy of hard-metal band Trivium guides us every step of the way- from capturing the first demo to touring the final album in front of a sea of their heavy rocking fans. Matt’s predilection for the neat and tidy is a testament to his Apogee ONE and Duet, the centerpieces of his workstation whether he’s traveling or at home.
“With the ONE, I’ve found that all the initial ‘having to set something up’ is minimized into the most efficient system possible,” Matt says. “A lot of bands and artists seem to have specific ‘writing time,’ but with Trivium we’re always on tour- so when inspiration strikes, we need to take advantage right away. Since our last record “Shogun” was released, we’ve all been constantly jamming separately and collectively while writing new material. With so many song ideas and variations coming about all the time, it’s fantastic to be able to quickly hook up something as minimal as the ONE’s connections and begin to record. With this ease of being able to record simple tracks to entire songs- everyone in the band is always in the loop of how the songs are going. We’re currently still working on the next record, and will use the ONE to record all the pre-production at first, then take it to the next level.”
Every musician approaches the creative process from a different angle, each method being uniquely fit to how he or she works best. And when you have a band, learning how to successfully collaborate is a whole different process. “Every album of ours has been completely different in our approach to writing, demoing, recording, etc., but with this new one we have a new system,” he says. “At first, everyone started with either bits of songs, simple riffs, or entire organized songs into demos- then passed them around to everyone in the band. From there, we started learning everyone’s songs and then taking them to the stage we’re at right now by collectively jamming and working on band production. Even if it was a simple riff- or an entire piece- the song always gets pumped with new ideas when it’s worked on as a whole band. The way I started writing my songs for this new record was first having an idea on either acoustic or electric guitar. Next, I programmed synth guitars on Piano Roll in Logic, along with full bass, drums, melodies, vocal ideas, string ideas, etc. From there I used the ONE to record real guitars on top (I initially used synth tracks due to not being able to have a guitar with me, but still knowing what notes to do). At that point, I was able to send entire songs with real guitars, real bass, fake drums, clicks, and vocal melody ideas on the piano to the rest of the band.”
“With Apogee and Apple- things are minimal, but all inclusive, and keep organization the way I prefer to see it.”
Matt argues that a crowded workstation and messy creative space impairs his ability to create music. “As my other band members would agree- I’m sort of a ‘regiment/schedule/organization/obsessed/person.’ I need things very organized, clean, minimal, and to make sense,” he explains. “I’ve tried PCs with PC-based recording peripherals, software, hardware and all that- and it’s a cluttered mess to me. With Apogee and Apple- things are minimal, but all inclusive, and keep organization the way I prefer to see it.”
The easier a product is to use, the less obstructive it becomes when diving into the process of making music. Matt has discovered a way to bridge his musicianship with a solid understanding of recording technology using just his Apogee gear with Logic. “Before ONE, I was a Duet user,” he says. “I still love the Duet, but I’ve made the Duet my home studio rig (that’s the only piece of gear I need) and I use the ONE for all the touring. With the ONE, everything I could ever need can be done with the unit, and it’s compact and durable. The sound quality is immense, and recently I’ve been learning that the possibilities are pretty endless with the combo of Logic and the ONE. You can make things for any purpose in the musical field, as simple or as complex as you want.”
To learn more about Trivium, visit their website at:
http://www.trivium.org/
