Mixing Engineer

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

A: An EP I recorded for a local band. A few years ago I had this band approach me and straight out they said they were tight for money. I had heard some demos and loved the songs. We spent days in rehearsal going over the songs before hitting the studio. The studio session was amazing and everyone could feel a great vibe. I believe it was the rapport we had built in pre production that really helped the session move along. I was the recording engineer and mixing engineer for the EP. I am proud of how hard I pushed myself to delivery a great product for the band.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Just finishing off a 14 track Jazz Album I recorded and mixed. And about to book in another studio session to start a 11 track Rock Album.

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

A: Blake Chandler. Great engineer and good friend.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Why can't we have both? I have never really worried about it. It is what comes out the speaker that matters.

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

A: I will spend every hour I can to ensure it is the best it can be.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: All the music I get to listen to and the relationships I make along the way.

Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A: Q: How much do you charge? A: What budget do you have in mind?

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: That mixing is producing. Mixing is to bring out elements of what already is there.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What's been going on? Got any shows coming up I can check out? Do you have a budget in mind for this project?

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

A: Reach out and have a conversation. You will instantly get a feeling of whether the provider is going to fit you and your project.

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: Imac, ProTools, UAD Apollo, Townsend Labs Sphere, Sony 7506's

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

A: The last 8 years... I started back in 2012 by studying a Bachelor of Audio Engineering and Sound Production. For 3 years after university I was the FOH Engineer at the local Jazz Club. From 2015 to present day I have moved into mainly recording at large studios and mixing from my own studio.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Thick, saturated, open and full.

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: City and Colour - It would be a dream to mix a vocal that sounded that great.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Make sure you spend time on the recording process. Getting it right at the source is so important. Go through different microphones, turn knobs, change the snare, do anything to get a better sound.

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

A: Rock music has been keeping me busy lately.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Communication and building rapport with all clients.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Energy and emotion. I aim to bring out these things in every project. It is what makes a song connect with the listener.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Once I receive the audio files I transfer them into Pro Tools. I check the rough balance against the reference track to ensure I have received all the files. Then I confirm with the client that we're good to go. I then book in a day to do the mix. Once I have mixed a song I usually will sleep on it and give it fresh ears before sending off the first pass to clients. My revision process is fast and back to the client by the same day. Turn around depends on my schedule and the size of the project. I aim for a 2 week turn around start to finish.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My studio is running the latest ProTools software. The studio space has been acoustically treated to ensure all my mixes translate back over any speaker system.

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

A: Tchad Blake and Andrew Scheps would be up there. I was lucky enough to spend time with Andrew for a mixing workshop. I feel my skills for listening have grown ever since that day.

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

A: I am a Mixing Engineer. Most of my clients range from Jazz, Rock and Indie. However, I do get a few Hip-hop and classical jobs every now and then.