Mixing / Synths / Sound Design

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

A: The Sevens Project album is a very special project for me. I was both a producer, composer and performer. The operating method was that we would write songs and compositions, but we weren't tied to being the actual musicians who would end up performing them. It was pitched as a one-time project, so we didn't have the overarching pressure of needing to tour it (though we ended up doing a tour anyways!) We wanted to engage more of the musical talent around us to bring these songs to live. In the end, i believe we had 42 musicians performing on the record who all worked together for a large cohesive sound. Ego's were left at the door and the music was the prime focus. You could feel the energy whenever we were recorded. There was just someting special about that process.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: How every day is different.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: To get into their musical headspace... - what was the first concert they ever attended? what was the last concert they bought tickets for? - what was the first album they bought? what was the last album they bought?

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

A: A guitar Piano. A 90's deluxe memory man delay pedal. A small portable synth, i.e. critter and guitari pocket piano. I guess i need an amp and cables to use that delay pedal with the synth and guitar...

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

A: I began as a musician who slowly got more interested in the people who would mix the shows and record the albums. This led me to years of working behind the board as a live sound engineer, running a music venue, and touring the world with a number of different bands. The venue I ran had high ceilings and a great natural sound, so I took that opportunity to invite bands in to record during the daytimes. And from there I discovered a love of recording & mixing, and began setting up my own space to do so. I've been recording & mixing records since 2005.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Always pay attention to your gain staging. It's often the most overlooked aspect of a mix.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Communication. A successful project often begins with a clear understanding of the client's goals. I will usually start any project by having an open conversation with the artist about the music that inspires them, the way they hear their own music, their vision for the music, as well as my vision for what I can do for their music.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Mostly digital with lots of analog toys. I will typically mix in ProTools but will run tracks through any number of devices depending on what we are going for. Today we ran some guitars through the filter of my Moog Voyager, followed by a FreqBox and Phaser. We also did live dubs on some vocals using an Echoplex and a Memory Man. But I am equally equipped to mix completely in the box if we want, as I am fully equipped with the UAD suite of plug-ins, as well as tools from FabFilter, Plug-In Alliance, Addictive Drums, etc. The studio is meant to be a bit of a playground. We are surrounded by keyboards and they are always on, so when an idea strikes, or if a client needs to express a musical idea quickly, we are ready to go.

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

A: In general, what inspires me can change from day to day. I try to keep an open ear to new music and new artists. The albums that have been blowing my mind in the last year have been: Oneohtrix Point Never - "Garden Of Delete" This is a mind altering piece of modern composition. //// Chelsea Wolfe - "Abyss". John Congleton gets crazy sounds..! //// Kendrick Lamar - "To Pimp A Butterfly". The world needs more jazz in it's rock and hip hop. //// Here We Go Magic - "Be Small". Perfect songwriting, and proof that a song doesn't always need flashy production to be amazing. //// Erased Tapes - This label is putting out some excellent music from Olafur Arnalds, Nils Frahm, Dawn of Midi, etc. Minimal compositions and beautiful soundtracks. ///// Lee Hazlewood - "There's a Dream I've Been Saving". A beautiful box set by one of pop's most under-rated producers. //// Other than that - my "go-to's" are: - Miles Davis: for his experimentation, openness to collaboration, and his "no-bullshit" attitude with regards to trying anything he wanted. - Steve Reich: if "Music For 18 Musicians" was the only piece of music I had to listen to for the rest of my life, I think I would be ok with that. - Brian Eno: while his pop albums are masterpieces and his ambient work changed the shape of music, his writings and philosophical thoughts on how to use the studio as an instrument have shaped my approaches to my own work.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: When I receive a session or stems from a client, I take the first hour or so organizing it - labelling song sections, coloring, assigns instruments to busses, and getting a general template going. I try to listen to the song a few times with faders up and unprocessed, occasionally muting or soloing tracks along the way. This is to get a sense of the song as a whole and to figure out the important elements that I may need to focus on. Afterwards, I will hone in on any particular areas that might need fixing, ie. tuning, timing, extraneous noise, but once that is out of the way, it's off to the mix. Depending on the artist I'm mixing, my process can work in any number of ways, but typically, I will focus on getting what is the root of the track sitting right along with working on vocals.

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

A: Pop/Rock/Electronics that leans towards experimentation & sonic manipulation

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. I like the tactile feel of working on an analog console. I like pushing faders and twisting EQ knobs. But I also love the recall of a digital system, and being able to work on something quickly, and then coming back to it the next day without any reset, etc. Each system has it's pros and cons, and I believe it really depends on the project as to which is best to use.

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

A: Mixing. With modern communication what it is, an artist can be located literally anywhere in the world and we can still work on mixes in relative "real time". Using dropbox, google docs, email, skype, etc. it is easier than ever to work with an artist remotely on their project.