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Damien Quintard is a renowned producer/engineer and Miraval Studios Co-Founder along with Brad Pitt.
Photo by Clément Mahoudeau
Well it sure has been a true rollercoas
ter! It sure was a challenge to design and manage this new flagship studio, specially in the middle of a pandemic! But I immediately felt a huge responsibility to honor the past of this iconic studio and push for the future, with modern technologies and of course while making sure tech never gets in the way of creation and inspiration. I'm so happy of our opening and the artists' reaction to the place!
There's a unique sense of history to this place. It's a Château in a domain that has always been looked on gracefully by nature for eons. So when you enter this space you're just in another dimen
sion, where simplicity is key and the troubles of the everyday life start to fade away to give way to a frenzy of inspiration. Pictures and videos don't do it justice, you really have to be there to understand I guess, but it's such a pleasure working there, you always get very surprising results.
My musical life has been heavily influenced by the artists and musicians I've had the opportunity to work with over the years. I've had the privilege of collaborating with many talented musicians and producers who have inspired me with their creative vision, technical skill, and dedication to their craft. Some of my biggest role models in the industry include Arca, Brian Eno, and Andrew Scheps, whose innovative approaches to production have had a lasting impact on the sound of popular music. Moments of creative breakthrough and the satisfaction of bringing a project to completion also continue to motivate me and drive my passion for music production. It's all about the interactions with other musicians that strive for a human feel that made it all happen for me.
Well, sound is always a frustration for me, because I always have and feel the need to learn more. When you're in front of a new session or at the start of a recording it's like when you're in front of a blank sheet of paper. I never like to work with templates because there's always something different that comes up when you start from scratch. In that sense, frustration is a boost for creativity.
Having built Miraval Studios I have the honor and the privilege to work on the best gear in the world, this is great for major sessions but more and more I find myself striving for simplicity in the gear I use. I always want to keep it as simple as possible. A place like Miraval Studios is really meant for inspiration and creativity, it's this incredible sanctuary where gear is important because it supports quality, but the priority is to create a cocoon that keeps the artist in a creative space. Inspiration non stop!
I actually started over a decade ago! I remember buying the very first version of the LCD-X and started using it for my recordings and mixes. There was a clarity to it and a warm feeling too. It was a big investment in the beginning of my career but, because I was travelling a lot, it was super useful to always have a trusted pair of headphones with me, even if they were at the time pretty heavy! I’m very happy to be able to use them now in Miraval Studios, and so are the artists.
Photo by Noémie Loussier
