Chris Tabron Uses Pro Tools | Carbon with The Voidz
Who is Chris Tabron?
Chris Tabron is a GRAMMY®-winning producer, mixer, and engineer known for his work with artists like The Strokes, The Voidz, and Beyoncé. Tabron thrives on pushing sonic boundaries while maintaining an efficient, streamlined workflow. He also teaches at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute, where he shares his knowledge of record production with the next generation of music creators.
Whether experimenting with production techniques or refining his workflow to maximize efficiency, Tabron’s approach is innovation—making him a perfect match for the flexibility and power of Pro Tools | Carbon. Always looking for new ways to do things, he often uses equipment in ways they weren't originally intended. Outside of the studio, Chris enjoys riding Triumph motorcycles, cooking, and photography, with a particular fondness for baking bread.
Working with Julian and The Voidz
Chris recently worked on a new album with Julian Casablancas and The Voidz. Julian is a prolific songwriter known for his creative ideas, and he allows producers like Chris to bring those ideas to life. Working with both The Voidz and The Strokes has been an incredible experience for Chris, as both bands bring unique energy and creativity to the studio. Chris describes Julian as an "idea waterfall," constantly generating creative concepts that challenge and inspire him. Julian's ability to provide a vision while giving Chris the freedom to execute it technically makes their collaboration particularly fruitful—especially with Julian's knack for describing sounds in imaginative ways, such as wanting a bass synth to feel like "flying through space."
How Pro Tools Works for You and the Band, Especially Julian Casablancas
Chris has developed a color-code system with markers in Pro Tools that helps him and the band capture ideas efficiently. He refers to this as a "great hack" for organizing their creative process. One of his favorite features is the ability to use three marker rulers, which makes his workflow much easier. He also enjoys digging into the new Avid MIDI effects and the import session data window, which enhance his production capabilities. He uses tools like SoundFlow and a Stream Deck to quickly mark interesting moments or specific instructions from Julian to ensure nothing is lost in the creative process.
How Pro Tools | Carbon Fits in with Your Workflow
During tracking sessions, Julian monitors his vocals through DSP without committing them because it allows him to record with Auto-Tune, chorus plugins, time-based plugins, and non-linear effects in real-time. He says it’s essential to have DSP-ready equipment, and Carbon allows him to monitor using the same plugins by simply activating the Hybrid Engine in Pro Tools. Chris finds it amazing that plugin companies still make DSP plugins, such as Plugin Alliance and McDSP. He can't imagine working any other way without Carbon in his workflow, describing it as the closest experience to working with a console. If Chris needs to track an artist at a home studio, he can bring Carbon with him, effectively bringing the whole studio along.
Why Chris Prefers Using DSP Plugins Over Native Plugins
Chris always wants the artist to hear what the record is going to sound like as closely as possible while they’re in the booth recording it, so when he plugged his U47 microphone into Carbon, he was pleased to hear that it sounded exactly as he expected. He later learned about the different impedance settings, which was a revelation allowing him to add different colors and textures to the signal coming directly from his microphone. Chris added a plugin on the chain for the drums and could hear it in his headphones while playing, with no latency, allowing him to focus on the music without technical distractions. Carbon enables him to get his job done efficiently, letting the hardware handle the technical aspects.
Final Thoughts and Advice
Chris speaks passionately about the future of recording innovation and how evolving technology keeps him eager to learn more. He loves teaching at NYU and is inspired by the next generation of creators. Chris strives to relate to his students, making them feel comfortable and open to asking questions and collaborating. He finds inspiration in his students' creativity. His advice to students is to collaborate with others, as sharing and working together is invaluable for creativity.
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