In Tony Visconti’s Own Words
“I think I subscribe to that Gladwell 10,000 hours theory. I think you have to spend an inordinate amount of time doing something to really understand it. You have to put in time to become a master. You have to know your craft so well that you’re not rattled, that you instantly know what is wrong if something is wrong. It’s very rare that after you become a master of something that there’s a new experience that you haven’t encountered before.
My name is Tony Visconti. I’m a record producer. I’ve been in this studio for five years. I’ve added a little more equipment including these wonderful speakers (Barefoot) behind me but nothing much has changed. I like to keep things status quo for awhile.
In this room, I mixed Esperanza Spalding’s new album. David Bowie’s last album, The Next Day. Alejandro Escovado’s last album in this room. I know some monitors are very colorful, they’ll give you extended low end. They’ll have a crunchy mid-range and I think I’ve been deceived too many times by getting a souped-up pair of monitors in my studio. I’ve tried everything. That, for me, has been years and years of research to find something that I’m really happy with. It’s going to translate to other environments which I cannot control.
It’s very rare that after you become a master of something that there’s a new experience that you haven’t encountered before.
The first time I heard a pair of Barefoots was during the Sonic Highways sessions at the Magic Shop in New York City when Butch Fig brought his own pair. They were on the board and at first I thought it was the in-wall monitor speakers but it was the Barefoot sitting on top of the console that I was listening to. Then it finally, clunk, click, I finally got it. These are great speakers and I’ve got to have them. .” – Tony Visconti, GRAMMY-Winning American Record Producer & Musician
