Inside the Session: Ken Riley Records Levi Platero’s “Surrender” with ADK Microphones and Maag Audio
ADK Microphones
There is no substitute for hearing recording equipment where it matters most: in a real studio, with great musicians, making a record.
We recently had the opportunity to go behind the scenes with Producer and Engineer Ken Riley at Rio Grande Studios during the recording of Levi Platero’s new album, Leaving This Town.
In this video, Ken takes us inside the sessions for “Surrender,” featuring Sage Cornelius, and shares some of the choices that helped shape the recording—from drums and guitars to electric violin and vocals.
Throughout the project, ADK Microphones were paired with Maag Audio microphone preamps, EQs, and compressors, creating a recording chain that gave Ken the flexibility to capture each performance while preserving the character of the musicians and instruments.
Capturing the Drums
A great drum recording is about much more than any single microphone. It is the combination of the kit, the room, the player, microphone selection and placement, and the signal path that ultimately creates the picture.
For these sessions, Ken used ADK Microphones throughout the drum setup, paired with Maag Audio PreQ2 500 Series microphone preamps.
The goal was not simply to make the drums sound “big” or “polished.” It was about capturing the energy of the performance with the detail, dimension, and character needed to fit naturally into the record.
Guitars, Electric Violin, and More
As the sessions moved beyond drums, the sonic palette expanded.
Acoustic and electric instruments—including guitars and electric violin—each presented their own textures, transients, and tonal characteristics.
This is where having a variety of microphone voices becomes especially valuable.
ADK microphones were used across the sessions to give Ken different ways of capturing those instruments while the Maag Audio signal path provided additional tools for shaping and complementing the sound.
Rather than forcing every source through the same sonic approach, the recording chain could be adapted to the instrument, arrangement, and performance.
Recording Vocals with the ADK Z² 67 Z-Mod
For vocals, Ken turned to the ADK Z² 67 Z-Mod, paired with the Maag Audio PreQ2.
The Z² 67 is part of ADK’s flagship Z-Mod Series and was designed around the idea that a microphone should provide an engineer with a meaningful tonal palette while maintaining exceptional performance and specifications.
Its ADK-designed capsule, transformer-coupled tube circuit, and interchangeable tube options allow engineers to explore different relationships between the tube, circuit, and output transformer while maintaining the core character of the microphone.
But specifications and design philosophy only matter if the microphone serves the performance.
That is exactly what these sessions were about.
“What Really Matters Is How It Sounds”
Perhaps the most important point Ken makes during the conversation is also the simplest:
At the end of the day, what really matters is how it sounds.
We can talk about capsules, transformers, tubes, preamps, EQ curves, compressors, specifications, and circuit design—and those things absolutely matter.
But they are ultimately tools.
The real measure is whether those tools help the producer, engineer, artist, and musicians create the record they are trying to make.
For Leaving This Town, Ken found ADK Microphones and Maag Audio to be a great combination for the music, providing the flexibility and sound he needed throughout the recording process.
And for us, that is one of the most rewarding parts of designing microphones: seeing them become part of someone else’s creative process.
Watch the Full Session
Go inside Rio Grande Studios with Ken Riley and hear how ADK Microphones and Maag Audio were used during the recording of Levi Platero’s “Surrender,” featuring Sage Cornelius.
Watch the full video above and hear these tools at work where they matter most—making music.