Imaging In 2019 – Jonathan Burbano E
- ImagingIn2019, Opinion, Radio Imaging
- Jonathan Burbano E, Latin America, Latinoamérica, Radio, Radio Imaging
- July 2, 2019
Welcome to the “Imaging In 2019 Series” – a blog series that interviews inspiring producers and great creators of Station Sound.
Jonathan Burbano E
This week’s guest I’d count as a friend. He’s a really cool guy – always very positive in his approach to his work and peers in the industry.
He is based in South America and in this Imaging In 2019 post, he talks about his history, the struggles and his inspiration for creating his work.
Welcome Jonathan to Imaging In 2019!
1. Tell us a little about how you got into Radio and what you are working on currently?
Well, I began in radio casually, I remember went out of my school with a friend who won a gift in a small radio station contest in my city (maybe 1988) and I did access to knew that radio station, saw the equipment, console, cassettes, Lps, micros and a boy who announced the weather and news, it was incredible! Maybe that was the first time that approached me to a radio station. After that, I looked for my first opportunity in radio industry here in Ecuador, I worked for Hola FM, Bonita FM, Carolina FM and Super 949 FM.
I tried as a radio announcer and in the same way I was could find my other passion too: recording commercials, produce spots and ids for radio station in my city.
Ten years ago, I was live in US producing radio imaging for Maxima 95.3 fm and another radio stations in Ecuador like Mega FM, at present I work for very good projects like Xtrema 92.5 FM a Top 40 radio station with Latin programming.
I produce Ids, beatmix, power intros for radio shows and on air talent based here in Ecuador and collaborations of voice over like: Waldemaro Martinez, Xavier Gamboa, Jessica Reyes, Lisa Keys, Beatriz del Cid, Patricio Borja y muchos más.
In my perception In Latinoamérica there are only a small market who appreciate this kind of work, we need to expand it. Because I think that the same radio station owners don’t want evolve and they keep their same sound for years. Only a few people bet to win in relation to a radio imaging, that’s our dare as a producers in South America.
2. What do you think about Imaging in 2019 - who are your mentors and what station's Imaging appeals to you?
Well, undoubtedly the radio imaging today must to be aggressive in the good word sense, always focusing in the people, not in self. One target for each promo, several promos for one target…!
Keep high adrenaline, keep people awake. Remember it: in radio or TV promos, the audio imaging it must be the frame of the painting.
My “Radio Imaging” favorites super heroes are: Dave Foxx, Denzil Lacey, Leandro Adrogué, Mikel Vilchez, Álvaro Sicilia, Melvin Rosado, Staxx Williams, Ron Tarrant, Scott Banks, Christian Troitzsch, the real audio imaging masters.
My main references as radio stations are: Z100, FM104, 538 Radio, Megastar, KQ105 fm, Flaix FM, etc.
3. In 2019, what do you think is more important - creativity or technical ability (or both)
If I had to choose, I would keep both. Mainly because both complement each other. Without creativity, even if you have the best equipment (hardware and software), you do not get very far and viscerally. The most important point is to find the right balance to be able to like more listeners with your work. It is very important to have overcome each stage in the production area, from recording basic radio commercials, to giant productions. Only then will you improve your skills and knowledge. I do not agree with those who want to get to the top quickly without having first gone through a preparation stage.Then the learning will come and the number of magic tricks will grow, because producing an image for audio is that: magic.In this business, you have to sound current, I have been working for many years and the people and their taste for music has also evolved. Today we compete with global radio stations, whose brands invade the world market; In Latin America, there is still no possibility of creating places where they teach you to produce sound images for radio, therefore, staying on the cutting edge in a self-taught way is too important. It’s a matter of loving what you do, the rest is going arming alone on the road, it’s trial and error.
4. What was the best tip you know now, that’d you wish you knew when starting out?
No doubt, think big! I would have liked to learn to work in video production, now it is very necessary to boost your work in a complementary way, that gives more presence to your productions and you gain more reputation in the industry.
5. We all love tools and plugins. What is your DAW and favorite plugins or tricks?
I still remember my first multi tracks: Cool Edit, then I went through Cubase, Nuendo and Pro Tools. I found Logic Pro X by chance of life and I was hooked fast, has a powerful MIDI engine and a vast collection of bases and rhythms that makes it far superior to other DAWS on the market.Currently I also use Adobe Audition for some quick work, because I can work the voices in an exact way. But my main DAW is Logic Pro X, there I edit, sample and finalize the tracks with very good sound quality. As for plugins, I have my favorites: Izotope Bundle, Waves, Fab Filter Suite, Sugar Bytes and best of all I am a fan of Native Instruments, I have the Ultimate Komplete with dozens of expansions and bundles.
