Matt Robertson has worked with the UK’s biggest producers, on films like Hot Fuzz and The Other Boleyn Girl, as well as producing the music for over 100 TV ads including campaigns for Mercedes, Pepsi, HP and Land Rover. With such a myriad of different musical projects, Matt demands the best gear and says of his sE purchases: “price v performance really is that good.”

Matt with his sE gear

Matt Robertson learned his production skills from one of the best in the business: Prodigy producer Neil McLellan. “We started a music production company and he basically taught me pretty much everything I know about recording and producing and makes amazing records,” says Matt.

The company they founded was bought by New York based The Lodge with whom Matt now produces, arranges and orchestrates music for film and TV including the aforementioned smash hit films and TV adverts. Part of Robertson’s philosophy is to make the best of his surroundings and gear when recording…

“I'm a firm believer in the fact that you can get good results out of less than ideal recording situations with a bit of knowledge and patience,” he says. “However, having the right tools on hand makes life very much easier. Packages like the sE4 mic pair and the sE Reflexion Filter definitely fall under the category of ‘making life easier’. They are good, solid products that perform very well.”

So how is Matt specifically using his sE gear? “I'm using the sE4s as instrument mics and also as close drum mics,” he says. “They are great on snare drums. I’m also using them a lot on acoustic guitar and was using them as a cross pair somewhere in between room mics and close mics on things like piano and glock and when re-amping stuff. With the sE4s I really like the whole package: stereo bar, shock mounts and all. It’s good quality hardware.”

“I have been using the Reflexion Filter for vocals in less than ideal recording environments,” he continues, “where it really does help a great deal in getting rid of bad room sounds. It has made it possible to do credible vocal work in very much less than ideal rooms and is a good workaround for many situations.”

Finally one of the other sE items that Matt is a fan of is one of the company’s simplest: a mic stand! “Yes, but good mic stands are very hard to come by,” he laughs, “and is a very welcome addition to my recording gear!”

Over all Matt simply judges the sE range on its quality and astonishing price…

“The last studio I was in,” he recalls, “the studio owner refused to believe that any good mics could be that cheap, but I proved him wrong. Price v performance really is that good.”

Matt is currently finishing an album with Kelly Malone, recording with composer Michael Price for the film Wild Child, and working on a project with producer Damian Taylor for the artist Atarah Valentine.

Matt’s top recording tip

“I love recording the sounds of instruments in real places. I think the sense of space around recordings is very important in setting up a mood and a sense of integration between instruments. Obviously this depends a lot on the kinds of projects that you are working on, but if at all possible I like to be able to record in a good sounding room where you are more likely to want to keep the room sounds than try and turn them off!”