Iron Imager 9 – UK vs Oz, Capital vs. Triple…

Guys, I am so excited to present this years Contender Chris Longman from Global in the UK. He will take on the existing champ BT at WWRS in Los Angeles to win the belt and become Iron Imager 9! Before the biggest competition in imaging is happening at the end of the month I sat down with Chris to chat a bit. Enter the 2020 Iron Imager Contender Captial’s finest Chris Longman!

Have you been to LA / California / the US before? Are you excited to visit?

No, I’ve never been to LA! The only time I’ve been to the US was when I was a kid when we went to Florida. Always tried to plan a trip but always ended up doing a Europe citybreak instead. Hopefully this will be the start of many more trips out there!

Of course you know Sam Wickens – what’s your strategy against one of the best Imagers out there? How do you want to win this battle?

Yeah, of course I know Wickens! Top lad and a great producer – but just take a look at where he learnt everything he knows about imaging…
I’m excited to meet Brendan, he’s been in the game a long time. His entries each year have been phenomenal and I know he’ll bring his A-game!

If any, what will be your key advantages?

It’s hard to even picture winning right now, I guess we’ll see how it goes on the day. But I can be quite organised in setting up a PT session, which helps me work quicker through it, but all that could go out the window in the panic of the event!

Any idea of how the training regiment will look?

I guess I time myself to get all the next promos on my to-do list made in under an hour? I mean, as I write this, I’ve got three I need to do and a bunch of other bits. So ideally they’ll take that time anyway!

How difficult will it be to work off a portable workstation vs. your fully equipped studio? What’s your setup?

I don’t think that will be a huge problem. I’ll bring my laptop, a mouse and keyboard. I mean, I won’t have the luxury of studio monitors, but when we work at events, we work off smaller computers with headphones in loud environments – so I’m sure that will come into good use!

What are your favorite PlugIns right now? New findings?

I like simple and usable. Imaging doesn’t have to be complicated plugin over complicated plugin. I think all I need is Waves and Soundtoys – we have a few others that we dive into here and there, but that’s the main use for me.

I’m using Crystaliser a lot right now – just for the pitch delays.

Having said that, Effectrix helped me on a branded intro recently – but it’s not always the easiest to use.

What techniques do you use most often these days?

Well, it depends on the project. It’s all about keeping it simple, whilst trying new tricks. Use a trick from a plugin you’ve used for years, and automate anything from another plugin you forgot you had layered over – every chance it will sound awful, but that’s the only way to build up a list of go-to tricks. Be organised – structure is key for a good promo. Try something different each time whether it be in a script, or using sound design or a plugin you haven’t yet learned. But if you’re short on time, use your old reliable Vintage Filters, AIR Lo-Fis and whatever it is you know will work – they’re reliable for a reason!

What are the biggest challenges in radio imaging these days?

It’s always about trying to be different. Find a sound you’ve never heard on another station. You could make something you think you’ve never heard, tune into somewhere different, and they’re doing the same all by accident. But it’s all about improving yourself. We’ve got 9 of us on the team at Capital now – all very talented – if you manage to make something they’ve never done before, you’re on the right tracks!

Anything you want to tell BT?

If I lose to you, I’m okay with that. We’ll go for a beer afterwards and have a laugh about how I let you win. If I win, you can claim the same – or we can agree from the off that we’ll just split the cash prize? (That’s probably not the fighting talk you’re after, is it?)