Los Angeles, CA — For legendary session guitarist Paul Jackson Jr., delivering pristine sound is both a personal philosophy and a professional necessity. To support his illustrious career on stage and on set, Jackson relies on a Lectrosonics LT and LR Digital Hybrid Wireless® transmitters and receivers for his live guitar rig. Now, Jackson is using Lectrosonics to bring that same uncompromising commitment to audio quality to his highly anticipated new guitar instructional video series, This Is How I Did It. Captured in partnership with Emmy-nominated director Keith O'Derek of Upfront Productions and three-time Emmy-winning location sound mixer Sean Garcia of SRG Sound, the team uses Lectrosonics Digital Hybrid Wireless® products including SMa, and SMQV transmitters and a UCR411a receiver.
Filmed in Jackson’s studio, they capture three audio sources for the instructional series: Jackson’s line out from his pedalboard, and both a lavalier and boom mic for redundancy on dialog. “Since Paul is wearing a guitar while speaking, his movements could easily cause clothing rustle,” explains Garcia. “Having both a lav and a boom running simultaneously guarantees we capture clean dialogue without interruption.”
This attention to detail is fitting for a guitarist who has spent decades shaping the sound of modern music. Born and raised in Gardena, California, Jackson's musical journey began with what he describes as a "three-way explosion of opportunities.” Immediately after graduating from high school, Jackson joined the band of his neighbor, Dr. Patrice Rushen. Around the same time, he met Ray Parker Jr., one of the top session guitarists of the era who was transitioning to a solo career and began referring session calls to Jackson. Simultaneously, prominent record producer Frank Wilson began utilizing him on major records. Jackson’s career skyrocketed, leading to recording with Ella Fitzgerald at age 19, playing on Michael Jackson’s Thriller and Bad albums, touring with Whitney Houston, and playing on Daft Punk’s Grammy-winning Random Access Memories. He has also scored nine seasons of American Idol and performed at the Oscars and the Kennedy Center.
Jackson created This Is How I Did It to address a common frustration with online tutorials: poor video and audio quality. “Keith, Sean, and I don't approach this like a simple web video; we approach it like we're filming a movie that will last,” Jackson explains. Currently hosted on the Udemy platform, the series features Jackson breaking down his original parts, sheet music, techniques, and studio anecdotes for hit songs. The first unit focuses on Michael Jackson hits like P.Y.T., Dirty Diana and others, with upcoming units covering Whitney Houston's I Want to Dance with Somebody and Daft Punk's Get Lucky and I Feel It Coming. To ensure absolute authenticity, Jackson even uses the exact 40-year-old guitar he played on the original Michael Jackson tracks.
For Jackson, maintaining a pristine signal chain is paramount. “Every piece of gear I have is the best because I’m trying to play the best, sound the best, and be the best,” Jackson says. “I have pedals on my board that cost $1,500 and very expensive guitars. Lectrosonics is the Rolls Royce of wireless systems. Why would I risk my signal on a cheap or second-rate wireless system? Other players have massive rack units, but the quality is nowhere close to what my tiny Lectrosonics set up delivers. It never goes down, always sounds great, and we never have a dropout. I swear by it.”
About Lectrosonics
Well-respected within the film, broadcast, and theatre technical communities since 1971, Lectrosonics wireless microphone systems and audio processing products are used daily in mission-critical applications by audio engineers familiar with the company’s dedication to quality, customer service, and innovation. Lectrosonics received an Academy Scientific and Technical Award for its Digital Hybrid Wireless® technology and is a US manufacturer based in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. Visit the company online at www.lectrosonics.com.
You can learn more about Paul Jackson Jr. at;
pauljacksonjr.net, and on Instagram and Facebook.
