Embark on a journey with Parsa Vahedi, also known as ‘MMV,’ as he transitions from orchestral to mainstream and hip-hop music, leveraging his Master’s in Music Production and Engineering to create captivating content. With over 500 educational pieces shared on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, Parsa’s expertise extends to mixing, mastering, and content creation, garnering him over 50,000 followers across social media platforms. As a beacon of expertise, he collaborates with major industry players and mentors aspiring musicians through insightful live streams. Now immersing himself in the EDM realm, Parsa is crafting PsyTrance beats with dreams of gracing stages as a touring DJ. Join us as we unravel the diverse layers of MMV’s musical odyssey.
– Hello Parsa, we’re delighted to have you as part of our “Artist Interview” segment. Could you please tell us about your initial inspiration for music? Particularly, what drew you to orchestral music initially, and later to mainstream music and the Hip Hop scene?
Hello, it is a pleasure to be a part of this. I always remember that first moment that changed my perspective from a passionate listener to wanting to create the emotions I was receiving from music. It was the very first time I heard the opening title of Game Of Thrones composed by Ramin Djawadi. For me, everything began from that day. I spent many hours and days consuming content on how to start with music production. At the time, I came across ‘FL Studio’ software. Since it was difficult to compose sophisticated orchestral music with zero background and music knowledge, I practiced a lot making simple beats. In 2013, the majority of content on YouTube was related to making beats, specifically within the FL Studio community, and as a result, I was inspired by that genre at the time.
– Thank you for sharing your journey, Parsa. How did your formal education at the Academy of Contemporary Music influence your approach to music production and engineering?
I believe it had the most impact on my technical understanding of the music production process. Before college, I was capable of crafting instrumental pieces, but I knew they lacked a professional sound. My college teacher, Antoni Pilato, was the first person to spark my interest in mixing. Since then, I’ve been obsessed with producing original music and refining it through mixing and mastering. At the university level, I had the privilege of learning from several knowledgeable professors who were actively involved in the industry. Each of them contributed to my skills, particularly in mixing and mastering. I believe in adopting the approach of learning from those you respect and admire, which has been highly effective in my learning journey.
– Your dedication to learning is evident. What inspired you to embark on your content creation journey in early 2023, and how do you think it has influenced your career up to this point?
Honestly, after almost 9 years of heavily involving myself with music on a daily basis, I found myself struggling to advance my career due to a lack of networking skills, despite my proven ability to consistently produce professional-quality music, both original compositions and collaborations. So, somewhat reluctantly, I followed the advice of my brother, who had been urging me for years to put myself out there and share my knowledge. I began posting educational TikTok videos, initially posting 3-4 videos a day for the first couple of months. Over time, the process became less daunting, my fear of being in front of the camera gradually diminished, and I found my voice within the community. After a few months, my page started to gain traction, marking my first small success in my career. In terms of the impact of content creation on my journey, I must say it was quite pivotal. The proudest moment of my first year of content creation has to be when I was recognized by Image-Line, the developers of FL Studio, and invited to join their Artist Relations team.
– Very inspiring! With over 500 pieces of educational content created across various social media platforms, what has been the most rewarding aspect of sharing your knowledge and expertise with your audience?
It’s quite unbelievable when I receive a message from a stranger across the world who says, ‘’I love what you do bro, you’re doing great work for the community and I’m learning a lot from you’’. I don’t think I have ever felt this kind of joy before. As time goes by I get to know more and more people through these messages and that’s a sort of emotional reward.
– Your influence on the global community through education is remarkable. Hosting regular live streams where you offer feedback on your audience’s music is a unique method of engaging with your community. What inspired you to embrace this approach, and what do you aim for your audience to gain from these interactions?
Well, with videos, you can convey specific information to your audience, and short-form content makes it even more concise and to the point. However, through live streams, I have the opportunity to directly address the challenges my audience is facing. For instance, a common issue among many producers who neglect their mixing skills is poor low-end quality. Over the past year of conducting Music Review live streams, I can recall at least 10 individuals whose tracks significantly improved sonically due to their participation in these sessions. Additionally, through streaming, I’ve had the chance to connect with many peers worldwide on a deeper level, something I felt was lacking throughout my first 9 years in the industry.
– That’s a clever approach to mentoring and community building. Shifting gears, could you share your experience using our plugins?
My initial impression of zplane’s plugins was the level of attention given to sonic clarity. For example, Elastique Pitch V2 doesn’t necessarily offer a unique feature that isn’t available in our DAW, but it does provide a much cleaner and more preserved signal output. I also enjoy using Vielklang 2, a harmonizer. The range of possibilities and versatility within the plugin is what inspires me.
– Thank you for sharing your experience with using our tools. I will certainly convey your feedback to our developers. How important do you consider incorporating our plugins into your music production endeavors?
Since getting my hands on them, I can confidently say that at least one zplane plugin is involved in each project, and sometimes multiple plugins are utilized. It truly depends on the specific project, but even a plugin like TONIC, which is a simple yet effective Pitch Detector, proves useful occasionally, especially for someone with non-musically tuned ears.
– Your incorporation of our plugins into your workflow highlights their significance in your creative process. Based on your experience, have you noticed any significant advantages or benefits when using our plugins compared to those developed by other companies?
I accidentally addressed this question a couple of questions back, but to touch on it again, it’s the way your plugins handle the signal that I believe sets them apart as among the most professional-sounding plugins available. Compared to plugins that perform similar tasks, I find that in some cases, zplane’s plugins offer more versatility, which can be as simple as having a Dry/Wet knob for parallel processing.
– Your recognition of our plugins’ signal treatment and versatility is valuable. As an artist and content creator, how crucial is it for you to have access to high-quality and dependable plugins?
For the past decade, many content creators and industry professionals have emphasized the infamous quote “it’s the ear, not the gear.” However, in my honest opinion, it’s just as much about the gear as it is about the ear. Let me quickly explain. We can all agree that time is one of the most valuable commodities, and while certain tasks can be accomplished with poor gear or no gear, they can certainly be completed much faster and more effectively with the right equipment. This principle applies to almost any field, ultimately saving time. If you are a creative individual who handles every aspect of your work from start to finish, having all the necessary tools to create but lacking the means to refine your work either makes you reliant on others or indicates a deficiency in that area. In summary, I believe that your gear should evolve alongside your skills, and that’s the approach I’ve adopted in my journey.
– Thanks, Parsa, for your time! In conclusion, what do you foresee as the next major innovation in music production?
It’s my pleasure, and what an interesting question to wrap up with. I foresee the mass introduction of major artists’ VR Live Shows through Pro-Vision Goggles or similar gadgets. Wishing you and all the readers health and happiness.
To stay updated with Parsa Vahedi’s musical and content creation journey, be sure to follow him on social media: Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Spotify.