Jake Gosling recording No.1 artists with sE Mics
Thursday 27th October 2011
Jake Gosling is a music producer, songwriter, remixer and manager best known for his work with artists such as Wiley and Ed Sheeran. In this interview, Jake talks to sE about his studio essentials including his vast sample library and his sE Electronics Z3300a, sE4400a and sE1a microphones.
- sE Endorsee: Jake Gosling
- Occupation: Music Producer, Songwriter, Remixer & Manager
- Artists: Ed Sheeran, Wiley, Mark Ronson, Timbaland, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake
- Mics/gear: sE4400a pair, sE Z3300a, sE1a pair, sE Stand 1
Update January 2012: Ed Sheeran "+" reaches triple platinum with over 900,000 sales!
Key Quotes:
“I use the sE4400a pair all the time now! I record a lot of guitars and live piano with them, and they’re a fantastic vocal mic too… they are a major asset to what I do and capture such a broad range of sound so well that there’s nothing else comes even close”
“The 4400a’s are incredibly versatile… a brilliant set of mic’s, and nowadays I can’t live without them.”
“The mics build quality, performance and sound are totally reliable and very true”
Jake Gosling Interview with sE Electronics' James Ishmaev-Young (October 2011)
Jake Gosling is a Music Producer/Songwriter & Remixer with quite some CV to his name. He started playing in bands at college and usually ended up producing the bands he was in, so it made complete sense to make it his full-time profession. He’s been a singer in many bands and also plays keys, drums, accordion, melodeon and percussion but making ‘beats’ and playing with samples is what he does best. He also uses a mix of analogue with digital by ripping up vinyl, sampling and creating his own unique sound.
Jake has an extensive range of tracks from pop and singer-songwriter ballads through to Grime and R&B / Urban tracks. Since 2009, he has immersed himself in the urban scene and has become a key producer and songwriter in this genre. He has co-written and produced with the godfather of Grime… Wiley, and a host of others including the likes of The Crookers, Pitbull and Mark Ronson.
Jake has realeased a number of official remixes under the alias 'Sketch Iz Dead' for Lady Gaga, Timbaland, Timberlake, Kerri Hilson, Wale & Far East Movement. Jake has played a pivotal role in developing a number of new artists, including Ed Sheeran who Jake ‘found’ when Ed was just 15. Over the last 5 years working together Jake has written and produced several EP’s and released ‘No.5 Collaboration’ project, which went to No 2 in the iTunes Album Chart as a completely independent release!
Jake has also produced and co-written Ed Sheeran’s new album ‘+’ for Asylum/Atlantic Records, which went to No.1 in the UK’s Official Album Chart, selling more than any other debut artist in the first week ever (!), and with two Top 5 Hits ‘The A Team’ and ‘You Need Me I Don’t Need You’.
He is also composing the sound track for the Film ‘Twenty 8K’ along with Ruth Barratt, due for release March 2012, a UK urban film from the writers of the hit show ‘Shameless’.
“My set up has really gone pretty much into the box; I work on Cubase 5 and Ableton for recording and programming, and use a lot of outboard/keys such as Jupiter 8, live Piano, Rhodes, Korg MS2000, and USB record player and tons of Vinyl! One of the main essentials is my vast sample libraries which I have made up from hours and hours of painstakingly going through records and old DAT’s and finding unique sounds that I like… and the other essential… my sE mics.”
“When I was first looking for a really good microphone and my budget was tight I decided on the Z3300a, I liked the way it was clean but warm and had a great sound to it that I felt really worked for capturing vocals. I also use the sE4400a pair all the time now! I record a lot of guitars and live piano with them, and they’re a fantastic vocal mic too… they are a major asset to what I do and capture such a broad range of sound so well that there’s nothing else comes even close. The 4400a’s are incredibly versatile, not just for their ability to capture a huge variety of source material, but also because they are small and have a very clever shock mount system which means you can get them into awkward spaces quickly and easily. A brilliant set of mic’s, and nowadays I can’t live without them.”
“I’ve used and collected a number of different mics over the years, but the sE range suits me down to the ground with detailed and characterful sound. It’s an added bonus that sE mics that compete with the best of the really high-end brands out there cost a hell of a lot less money.”
“The mics build quality, performance and sound are totally reliable and very true. I use the Z3300a on most vocal sessions, though it’s also great as an overhead mic on live drums, and guitar amps for the sound of the room. The sE1a pair and 4400a’s get used on pretty much everything; vocals, rap, percussion, snare’s top and bottom, Hammond, electric guitars, acoustic guitars, violins and strings.”
Jake used the Z3300a for the main vocals on the Wiley album ‘See Clear Now’ including the single ‘Electric Boogaloo’, and on The Crookers Album ‘Tons of Friends’. The Z3300a was also used extensively on Ed Sheeran’s Albums ‘Collaboration No.5’, and most recently for all the vocals of his new No.1 hit album ‘+’ along with the 4400a on all acoustic guitars, live pianos and percussion.
…and a final note...
“The heavy duty mic stands sE makes are also a big must… when you’ve invested in decent mics you don’t want them to end up on the floor!”
Here is Ed Sheeran on YouTube in Jake's Studio (Sticky Studios) performing "You Need Me, I Don't Need You" completely live with guitar, looper pedal and the sE Electronics Z3300a. Grab a coffee and enjoy, this clip has had over 4 million views!
