Music Producer/Mixing Engineer

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. Great analog equipment is extremely important for capturing the sound, but the infinite storage and ability to recall make digital crucial as well.

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

A: My work isn't done until the client is completely satisfied with the final product.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Even when it is hard work, it's fun!

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: Blaise Guld's "Mr. Impossible" was a lot of fun because I was a part of the composition process, as well as playing drums, bass, electric guitar, keyboards, and mixing and mastering. I feel like we pushed the boundaries a little bit of what pop songs can be and the final product sounds great!

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Big, warm, and deep. A song has to move you and a good mix is crucial.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Trust your ears.

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

A: On my own time I am in a synth-driven symphonic rock band called MURSIC, however most of the work I do is pop or electronic. I truly just enjoy working on any sort of music.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Mixing. (also my favorite part of the process)

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Precision drumming, funky bass, rockin' guitar and an extremely high-quality recording process that stays light hearted and fun, while also being extremely productive. My clients end up with a recording that is professional, balanced, clear, and that almost always exceeds their expectations.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Most of the time, my clients come to me with a chord progression and some unfinished lyrics. First we figure out a good tempo for the song, and record the chord progression and a scratch vocal just to start getting a feel for the song. Then its time for drums and bass. I am an experienced session guitarist, bassist, and drummer. This allows me to fill in whatever the client needs. Once we've finished recording all the instruments, we track vocals. Sometimes we do 2 takes, sometimes we do 30. Whatever it takes to get the song sounding the way you want. I NEVER use auto-tune. If we are tuning anything it will be done manually to sound completely natural. Once everything is tracked, I mix the songs, and send mp3's to the artist for any changes they feel necessary. Then we use a plethora of different sound systems and make the final touches in the mastering process.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My personal studio is geared for a very modern workflow, with an extremely high quality front-end. This allows us to make great sounding records, incredibly fast. The array of microphones include the AEA R84 Ribbon Mic, classic SM57's, plenty of mic's for drums, and a pair of Audio Technica AT4050's. These microphones paired with Rupert Neve preamps allow for extremely high quality recordings, full of warmth, detail, depth, and emotion. 192kHz 24bit converters capture the signal perfectly into the computer, and thats where the fun starts!

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: Most commonly I have clients come to me frustrated with getting their mix just right. To me, mixing is the most important area of production, and can completely change the impact of the song. I very much encourage my clients to come track with me in the studio for the best results, but my friends call me "the wizard" because of my ability to take poorly recorded tracks and make them shine.

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: Everyone from Beethoven to Metallica, Coltrane to Katy Perry, and everything in between. I think that there are always aspects to enjoy of every song, as well as pieces to learn from. Great music makes you feel something, and each person experiences those feelings differently. This is why music is so exciting! As far as production goes, my favorite album is Dark Side of the Moon.