Recording & Mixing Engineer

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: When it comes to recording, my typical work process is to (if possible) listen to the demos and/or reference tracks I've been sent. I would then analyse these tracks and come up with recording plan (which microphones and recording techniques do I think will be the best to achieve the sound I feel will suit the track / the musicians are asking for, am I going to use effects while recording, why, and which ones, etc.). I try to communicate with the artist(s) before the recording as much as possible, not only to understand what they are expecting but also to make them feel more at ease with working with me. When it comes to mixing, I will first check that the session I have been sent is organised (tracks being named, colour code I am used to working with, etc.). I then check that the track sounds as best as it can at that stage of the process: I check that the session has been edited and cleaned properly, that everything is in time / in tune, etc. Once I made sure this has been done properly, I will start mixing using different processing techniques depending on the track I am working on.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have access to an important choice of really high-quality studios (Neve VR60/48, Avid S6 M40, 24-Channels Soundcraft Ghost), hardware gears (SSL X-Rack with VHD Input Modules and Stereo Bus Compressor, Lexicon 224XL, Focusrite RED2 EQ, Drawmer 1960, BSS DPR402, Lexicon PCM 70, Studer A800 MKIII 2” 24-track tape machine, etc.) plugins (McDSP, iZotope, Waves, Avid, etc.) microphones (Neumann, DPA, AKG, Maroon Audio, Shure, etc.) & instruments

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Discovering new music and meeting new interesting people.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. I don't think that restricting myself to only one "type" of equipment would bring anything positive to my work, and thus to my clients' tracks. I like to use both analogue and digital equipment for different part of my workflow / different needs a track might have.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Learn to say "Yep, that's it". I am a perfectionist myself so I know how difficult this can be, but I believe one of the most important thing in production not only is being able to tell when your work could be better but also being able to tell when it is as best as it can be.

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: I work on a wide variety of music, but my main genres are pop, rock, indie-rock, progressive rock, hard rock, heavy metal, blues, jazz, pop, pop-rock, folk as well as experimental and ambient music.

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: I started by taking part in an "Assistant of Production" course at the SAE Institute in Paris, France in 2013. I graduated and decided to then move to London, UK where I took part in SSR London "Audio Engineering Techniques & Technologies" Diploma course (currently "Music Production & Sound Engineering" Course). While still studying at SSR, I was offered an Internship as a Studio Assistant (helping with commercial sessions, student sessions, lectures as well as master-classes with engineers such as Marcel Van Limbeek - Tori Amos, Iamthemorning-). Successful completion of my course at SSR resulted in getting promoted to Studio & Facilities Support Technician and being recommended to companies such as Abbey Road studios live recording department Live Here Now. My live recording experience with them led me to work with artists such as Northern Lights Symphony Orchestra (Live @ Lloyd’s 2015) and Status Quo (Assistant Engineer - As part of a "learning opportunity") as well as being offered a position with the company Audiohire (audio equipment and live engineering company). I started to work as a Freelance Recording & Mixing Engineer at the same time. Thanks to the various projects I was involved in during my different courses and the people I met on my way to get into the industry, I quickly ended up working on very interesting projects with companies such as Heal’s, St Mary's University, Twickenham and Lloyds Bank and artists such as The Invisible, Directors Oliver Warren and Rainer Niermann, Multi-award winning film composer & interdisciplinary choral conductor Esmeralda Conde Ruiz, Creeper, and Billy Bragg.

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: To make them my priority, understand their artistic vision and work as best as I can and deliver a top quality product.

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: Look for a person who will not treat you and your work like a number on their list of things to do. It is important to find someone who is willing to work with you (and not against you) and wants your project to sound as good as it is possible. You want to work with someone who will not only be technically good, but who will also understand you and / or your band and your work.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I believe my strongest skill is being able to understand artists and their needs. I pride myself in spending a lot of time not only listening to tracks I am working on before even starting to work on them, but also thinking about what these tracks need in order to sound as good as possible.