Clue Q&A

Clue excerpts from the two interviews:

From the interview with Luca wezel:

• Question: Was there anything that made you want to stop doing what you were doing?

• Answer: In the beginning, the hardest thing to develop is a good ear and a strong critical sense. You tend to convince yourself that what you're doing sounds good, but once you start training your ears, you realize that’s not always the case. That moment can be discouraging, but it’s part of the process.

• Question: Have you ever had to hold someone back from what they were doing?

• Answer: It does happen sometimes, and you need to know how to bring it up the right way. Ultimately, the sound engineer is there to serve the artist and support their vision, so I always try to ensure their artistic direction takes priority.

• Answer: At first, many clients would just send me their recordings and I would only handle the post-production. Later on, some started coming to my studio to record, and it’s with those projects that I achieved some of the best results—and the artists themselves were more satisfied too.

• Answer: The projects where I have the most artistic input are the ones where I also work with the artist during the recording stage. In those cases, the role of the sound engineer can be to help the artist unlock their potential or offer a different perspective. This exchange often sparks new creative energy.

From the interview with Enea Di Salvo:

• Question: Have you ever found yourself going against an artist’s idea?

• Answer: Often. You need to know how to have a respectful dialogue, but in the end, it’s important to honor the artist’s decision. As engineers, we are here to serve the artist.

• Question: What are the pros and cons of handling multiple stages like recording, mixing, mastering, etc.?

• Answer: The main risk of working on every stage of your own project is confusing what’s objectively good with what you’ve simply grown attached to. An external perspective can help with that. Some projects involve 20 people or more—while this can improve technical quality, it often comes at the cost of intimacy and personality. Another tip: the fewer people involved, the faster the process tends to be.

• Answer: You have to learn how to read the person in front of you. Some artists need encouragement and direction, while others don't need to be told anything at all.

• Note: Both interviewees mentioned that their role often takes on the nature of a psychologist or therapist—helping the artist feel comfortable and better understood throughout the process.