Ali McLeod on SoundBetter

Having a professional editor will make your tracks sound tight, groovy, and polished, ready for the mixing process.

I specialise in editing, tuning, and comping to help give you more time to focus on creating and writing your music.

Whether you've recorded at home or in a studio, the sound and feel of your track will be improved through editing and preparing for the mixing process.

Benefits of a pro editor:
- comping your track gives you the best of all takes, making you sound your very best
- editing can help solidify time and give your track a clean, groovy, tight feel
- having mix-prep done by a professional helps your mix engineer work more efficiently and with ease
- tuning will help your track sound as professional as possible, without giving it an un-natural feel

I'm a full-time producer based in Edinburgh, UK. I recently graduated with a Master of Music in Contemporary Performance and Production from Berklee College of Music in Valencia, Spain. I've worked with many amazing artists within a variety of genres, but I specialise in Funk, Jazz, Rock, Blues, and Singer-Songwriter.

Tell me about your project and how I can help, through the 'Contact Ali McLeod' button above.

Tell me about your project and how I can help, through the 'Contact' button above.

Credits

15 Reviews - 3 Repeat Clients

Endorse Ali McLeod

by billypeake
Verified
Ali did a nice job editing a very sharp bass track. We were too far along in the track to start over - so Ali was a huge help. Thanks, Ali!
by Shreyas P.
Verified
Another awesome editing job from Ali!
by Ethan G.
Verified
Working with Ali was an absolutely excellent experience from start to finish. He was easy to communicate with, the comping and editing work he did was intelligent and sensitive and musical, and he delivered faster than I thought possible. I would be very happy to work with him again. Top notch.
by Shreyas P.
Verified
Ali is my go-to guy for editing and always does a great job!
by Shreyas P.
Verified
Sent Ali violin files to be tuned and edited. He did a fantastic job, addressing all feedback and was communicative throughout the entire process
by Paul K.
Verified
If you are looking for precision, musicality, and professionalism when it comes to audio editing, look no further than Ali. Ali was clear in communication, turned things around quickly, and was an absolute pleasure to work with.
by Artem M.
Verified
Ali is a true professional, super talented, experienced and knowledgeable editor. Excellent work! 10/10
by Randy Y.
Verified
Edits can be tricky - it takes a great ear along with the tech knowledge to create a final that sounds "musical" - Ali has done that and more. This was my first time working with him but it will certainly not be the last. Phenomenal work!
by Shreyas P.
Verified
This is my second time working with Ali, and he is incredibly patient with my feedback and always does a great job editing the tracks without compromising the sound. Will definitely use him again for future jobs!
by TRS-23
Verified
Ali is a full professional and did an awesome job! Thank you!
by Shreyas P.
Verified
Ali did a fantastic job, editing all of my tracks! Very fast turnaround and great communication from him. I will definitely use him again for future projects.
by Gracie Laboy
What sets Ali apart is that you’re getting a producer, an engineer, and a session musician all in one kind, honest, and qualified person! He brings his expertise and experience in all of these roles to every situation. I respect and trust his musical choices wholly, and feel confident in his more technical work in the studio (miking techniques, using Protools, etc.) and during the post-production process (ability to do complex editing) to ultimately support the musicians’ artistic vision for the project. Ali is quick learner who is organized, and embraces tedious producer tasks.
by Lalo Mariné
Ali has a very clear vision of what to do with a song and where to take it, and given he’s very interested in the technical side of the process as well he’s a very complete and round producer.
by Carlos Egas
Ali is an amazing musician, arranger, editor, knows his way around recording and mixing and above all an awesome producer. When working with someone like Ali you know the music is going to be good! I cannot recommend him enough.
by Sarah
Ali is a joy to work with. He is hardworking, creative, funny, and always brings laughter and new ideas to the studio. He is never intimidating and does his best to make everyone feel comfortable and welcome in his sessions. He has a very high level of knowledge in terms of musicality and styles, and he always gives very constructive feedback in a supportive way. Highly highly recommend!!

Interview with Ali McLeod

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: Recently I worked on a collaboration through Berklee College of Music and Disrupcíon Records to produce the track "Georgia on My Mind". As the arranger, producer, and editor of this track, I had a great deal of creative space to shape this classic tune into a new sound. You can hear the track by scrolling up and clicking on it on the right side of the page.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I promise to always deliver on time, always revise to meet your goals, and to always have open communcation and guaranteed satisfaction. If you're not happy, I'm not happy.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: I've heard many musicians claim that editing makes music sound unnatural or robotic. While bad editing can make you sound that way, good editing is about fine-tuning everything towards the best interest of the track's groove and feel. If an editor has the ears, patience, and attention to detail, their work will improve the quality of any track.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: I like to ask for reference tracks and favorite artists to give me an idea of the desired sound. Finding out the goals and ideas for their music post-production can help bring clarity to my work. And of course, since mutual communication and understanding is essential for a quality relationship, I always discuss terms, timeline, and your expectations.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Ask a lot of questions! Make sure that you have consistent and open communication with your providor, and always ask for examples of work to make sure that your provider can produce quality work. Make sure your provider offers revisions and listens to your input. At the end of the day, it's your music, and you need to ensure that you are as happy with the result as possible.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Besides an eternal source of power, I would bring my laptop, headphones, hard drive, iLok, and a trackball mouse.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: I would absolutely love to work with Snarky Puppy! I love their music, I've seen them countless times live, and I've worked with some members of the band before. The band members are the epitome of my ideal collaborators: easy-going, humble, easy to work with, and great players.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: I prefer to work with live-recorded instruments (rather than MIDI or electronically produced music, EDM, etc.), and I love working in jazz, blues, funk, and rock. I have experience working on smaller sessions as well, so if you need help editing, comping, or tuning just one track, let me know.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: When I work, I have extreme focus and attention to detail. My strong ears, musicality, and love for communication help me do my very best work for my clients.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: With any pro editor, you'll have improved groove, accuracy, and organization when heading into the mixing process. The quality of my work can make a home recording with occasional mistakes sound like a flawless studio-quality session. My musicality and strong ear help your track sound its best through my efforts in comping and tidying your tracks to sound their cleanest and grooviest.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: Communication is key! The needs and opinions of my collaborators determine my work process. I prefer to speak with clients about what they want until we are both satisfied with our understanding of one another. When I work, I like to check in with clients frequently with updates and questions to make sure that I'm completing their project in a way that leaves them feeling and sounding their best.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: For editing, tuning, and comping, I use Protools 12, Melodyne 4 Studio, Prodipe Pro 5 Monitors, and Beyer Dynamic DT880 Pro Headphones.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: My musical and professional heroes at the moment include:Gregg Field, Snarky Puppy, Bob Reynolds, Lettuce, Paul Epworth, and Michael Brauer.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I work on my client's music post-recording, and specialize in time based editing, tuning of vocals and any instrument, and comping, which includes listening to multiple takes of a certain instrument and piecing together the best possible track from the recorded takes.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: It feeds my thirst for perfection and I love cleaning up tracks and making them sound their best.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: I've been working on some disco tracks recently that were recorded at Berklee College of Music. I played drums as well as produced these tracks, and now I'm in the post-recording phase of editing, comping, and tuning.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Always give yourself time and space to listen, process, and come back to your work. Don't rush the process. Sometimes, walking away from a project for a day or two and returning with fresh ears will help you hear new sounds and bring clarity to your process.