Producer and engineer Les Camacho got his start when he was barely a teenager in Miami, FL. Like many 14-year-olds, he faced challenges. His mother recognized the signs early and connected him with a friend who ran what was then Pantera Studios. He learned engineering on the job and at 17 was tapped to record vocals for 2 Live Crew’s As Nasty as They Wanna Be at the legendary Criteria Recording Studios. Now based in Los Angeles, he’s since worked with artists including Fleetwood Mac, Massive Attack, and the Killers. He also spent three years doing front-of-house for Pink Floyd beginning with the 1994 Division Bell tour.
There are many things that contribute to making a song strong. For Camacho, one of the most important elements is finding an artist who’s self-assured and unapologetic. “People like Joan Jett and Iggy Pop came in and said ‘I’m gonna do this whether you like it or not,’” he says. “‘If you don’t [like it], don’t buy my record.’ So, it’s great melodies, great songwriting, but also an artist who isn’t going to worry about being popular. They’re just going to kick ass and let the chips fall where they may.”
Working in production and engineering since his early teens, one of the biggest challenges Camacho has faced is when artists don’t get along. “As a producer, you’re kind of caught in the middle and you have to be the United Nations,” he says. “So the hardest thing is managing the personalities in the room while also keeping the project moving forward. These days it doesn’t happen as often as it used to. People seem to be more interested in being good to one another, even if it’s begrudgingly. Another challenge is when artists get creative and want to do take after take.”
Camacho enjoys working with rising, emerging, or undiscovered artists. To find them, he scouts local clubs, confers with friends, and offers his services at a price cash-challenged artists can afford. “I check places like Hotel Café, Gold-Diggers, and Venice West,” he says. “I also look at what my friends like on Instagram.”
Around 2021, Camacho was invited to beta-test Sony’s immersive 360 Reality Audio and VME (virtual mixing environment). It’s currently in development but has grown to become a tool that he loves. “It’s amazing,” the producer asserts. “Their 360 RA is immersive audio, but you can play it back on headphones and it’s fantastic. The other side of that is their VME. They measure your hearing and can then mimic a profile of all kinds of studios.”
Camacho’s recent and upcoming projects include work with alternative/Americana Nashville band Grizfolk, independent artist Cordelia Watson, and a number of label projects that he can’t yet discuss. His three go-to studios are Gold-Diggers, Sunset Sound, and EastWest Studios. Favorite gear includes ATC’s SCM45A and Kali Audio SM-8 monitors as well as AudioScape’s E-Series Deluxe Buss Compressor.
Contact les@rockwaymusic.co
