Audeze interviews musician and engineer Roman Kašník

Roman Kašník is a musician, sound engineer and technician. A person who likes technical innovations as well as vintage hardware. Music and sound have been with him all his life.

"With the Audeze MM-500 I am able to achieve the desired result faster. They help me with critical spots of the mix. They are great with my main studio monitoring. Simply precise and rigorous listening that I can rely on."  - Roman Kašník

Here's our chat with Roman:

Can you pick out any highlights from your work that you're particularly proud of?

If I had to choose one project from my professional life, it would probably be the installation of the LAWO system for the National Theatre in Prague. As a project manager I was responsible for the installation and configuration of the entire system. It was a very complex project and a great experience for me.

How would you define your main role on most of the projects you work on these days?

Everyone who comes to the studio expects a job well done. My job is to meet all expectations. It's hard to pick one specific role. You have to be a great sound engineer, producer, part psychologist to get the most out of the artists.

How did you get started in music? What kind of music did you listen to while growing up and how has that progressed?

I started with music like everyone else - elementary art school. 8 years playing trumpet, later piano, keyboards. You're most influenced by music when you grow up. For me, it was definitely the '80s. I still love them to this day.

Can you name any factors that influenced the course of your musical life? Heroes, role models, moments, interactions, etc?

In 1990 I bought my first MIDI computer ATARI ST. I remember the harrowing bus journey to Munich, where I bought it with my hard-earned money. Subsequently, I bought my first MIDI keyboard. That changed my professional life.

Can you briefly describe a moment of frustration from your past work, and what you may have done to overcome the obstacles? Would you approach it differently now?

One learns throughout life. There are a lot of things I would have done differently. The important thing is to learn from it and move on. There's no point in endlessly worrying about something that can't be changed. But I think it's the same in all fields.

Is there any gear you find yourself turning to most when working on a project? What are some of your favorite tools/instruments recently?

An essential tool in any recording/mastering studio is monitoring. You can't record, mix, master a record without having a perfect monitoring. This is one of the reasons why I bought the Audeze MM-500. I also really like to use real hardware. Nowadays almost everything can be digitally simulated, but it's nice to be able to compare and touch things and hear the difference.

Do you have any words of wisdom for people who might aspire toward a similar path for their own careers?

Be persistent. If you enjoy music, you need to put in the time. Don't be afraid to experiment and try new things, push the boundaries, look for new ways. That's the only way music will continue to evolve around us.

How long have you been working with headphones, and how do you typically use them in your workflow?

I've been using headphones more often lately than I used to. It's good to use both headphones and quality monitoring. With headphones I am able to analyze some problems more clearly and quickly. I liked the MM-500 after the first test. It's almost unbelievable how similar the listening experience it offers me compared to my studio monitoring. Simply put - everywhere I have the MM-500s I have studio-like listening and can rely on them. Also, with the rise of streaming, a lot of people are listening to music on their mobile phones via headphones. Checking how the resulting mix will sound in headphones is a must.

How have your Audeze headphones affected your work?

With the Audeze MM-500 I am able to achieve the desired result faster. They help me with critical spots of the mix. They are great with my main studio monitoring. Simply precise and rigorous listening that I can rely on. Plus, I can take them on the road and work outside the studio.

Can you tell us what you've been working on with them recently?

There's always something going on. I'm currently finishing up the mix of an album and two EPs that are due out before the end of the year.