Matt Roach on SoundBetter

I started my career as an Assistant Engineer at both Vogville Recorders and The Armoury Studios, eventually moving on to a successful freelance career and becoming the Head Engineer at Greenhouse Studios from 2013-2015. I am one of the operators of Vancouver's Rain City Recorders (www.raincityrecorders.com) and am also the Studio Manager.

I'm looking to work with any artists interested in creating something meaningful. I put in a lot of work on all of my projects and want to find artists interested in putting in as much of their passion as I do.

Would love to hear from you. Click the contact button above to get in touch.

Credits

AllMusic verified credits for Matt Roach

Gatekeeper
Gatekeeper
Altrae Bilis
Altrae Bilis
Altrae Bilis
Altrae Bilis
Abuse
Current Swell
Current Swell

9 Reviews

Endorse Matt Roach

by Wesley R.
Verified
Matt is the best! He took my mediocre songs and polished those turds into diamonds. Thanks again man!
by Stepan Soroka
Matt understands the amount of work that goes into writing a song, and he puts in the same effort or more into the production. Working with him is like having another member in your band, and it never feels like work! The laughs keep rolling and the end product is always incredible. Would highly recommended his services.
by Sean Lang
Matt Roach has proven himself to be incredibly adept at all he does, while also being incredibly accommodating to his clients. Working with him was an excellent experience, and I would recommend him in a heartbeat!
by Molly Be Damned
Matt Roach is amazing. We were lucky enough to work with him twice so far, and hopefully many more times in the future. He really brings out the best in the people he works with.
by The Mountain Man
Matt went above and beyond when it came to doing our record. Not only did we have a hell of a time recording it, it turned out better than we could have imagined - and at a price we could actually afford. He treated our music as if it were his own art - and that was very important to us! Matt was beyond easy to work with, and we never felt rushed.
by Michael Gresham
We got to work with Matt a couple times now and he has always been a breeze to work with. His ear and gear are top of the line and we'd recommend him anytime.
by Brian O'Brien
Matt Roach has the ability to read your mind with his ability to mix. I have never met anyone who can read a song so well. A true talent and an absolute please to work with.
by FLVRHAUS
Matt made our songs sound better than I ever imagined they could, and I imagine a lot. Recording live at Greenhouse was one of the best experiences of my life, and I experience a lot. He's extremely open to feedback and also comes up with great ideas during the mixing process and makes you feel at home. I hope to record more with him in the future.
by Jake Touzel
Matt is an extremely talented engineer/producer with an ear like nobody else. Solid experience and all around fun dude!

Interview with Matt Roach

Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: Great records by The Hallowed Catharsis, Expain, Meridius and Resurgence.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: To always deliver the most I can within their budget.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: The freedom to express myself.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Infinite power generator Neve 1084 Neumann U47 Acoustic Guitar Computer Setup
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Always be honest with yourself. Ego is the death of a great album.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Primarily rock/metal and softer west coast rock stuff. My discography ranges from country, to thrash metal, to adult contemporary and everything in between.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Energy, focus, an outside opinion. I want to hear every song in it's best possible way, sometimes that means bringing absolutely nothing but being vibed on the track and sometimes it means performing on the track to get the results everyone wants.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: When recording a band I always start with preproduction, nothing like getting a group of people in a room all playing together and being able to capture that sound so we can see what really needs to be worked on. When mixing, or mastering, I always start early in the morning. I think it helps me remain focused and make sure all the small details of the project are taken care of.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I'm currently running an 8-core Mac Pro with a PTHD3 turnkey system, Digidesign 192 AD/DA and an API8200A summing mixer to give my mixes that analog vibe. I use API and UA preamps, and various microphones. For preamps I am currently running a UA 610SOLO and an API 3124+. For microphones I have a Sennheiser 421, several SM57's, AKG D12, and several other condenser and ribbon based units. For monitoring I am using a Dangerous Monitor ST controller with Yamaha NS10s and Adam P11As paired with a Yamaha YST series sub. In the box I use a variety of plugins.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: My strongest skill is my ability to listen to the needs of my client and bring that to life.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Both.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Make sure you do your homework, some guys want to get you in and out as fast as possible. I prefer to spend as much time as is required to get the project to where it needs to be at my rate.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I started recording demos in my basement circa 2000-2008, then I bought a Protools rig and tried to improve my skills. I attended Nimbus School of Recording in 2009 and within three months had an Assistant Engineer job at Vogville Recorders. Three more months after that I was hired as the Assistant Engineer at the Armoury Studios. From there I started my own freelance career and sought out my own clients, and eventually became the Head Engineer at Greenhouse Studios in March 2013. In March 2015 the studio closed and I began working at the new lease holders, Rain City Recorders, as well as making records out of Vancouver's Monarch Studios.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Song arrangements, Engineering, Budget Planning, Mixing, Producing