Mastering & More

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

A: Beside famous Russian and foreign Artists I am proud of working with Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church - Kirill. I've made a voice-over for His book, more than 100 pages in A4 format have been recorded, mixed and mastered by myself and in my studio. I am really proud to be a part of such a historical event, because it's the first audiobook of Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church that has been officially released.

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

A: I would love to work with Artists like: Dua Lipa, Calvin Harris, David Guetta, Miley Cuyrus, Selena Gomez, Billie Eilish - cause I think that they are one of the brightest Artists out there.

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

A: As a sound engineer I usually work on a different types of music: Pop, EDM, Trance, House, Rock, Orchestral, OST, Children's songs, etc. As a music producer I usually work on Pop, EDM, Trance, House, Rock, OST and Children's songs. As an Artist I usually work on Pop, EDM and Trance music.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: If I need to record a vocal or an instrument - I choose the appropriate mic and preamp depending on the Voice, Instrument and the result I want to achieve. As for Production, Mixing and Mastering - It's not the same process every time :). There's the direct relation on the style and purpose of the music.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: As for my studio setup - it's a highly professional studio gear. Besides SSL, Elysia gears, I've got some cool customised hardwares like 32-Channel Summing Mixer, Mastering Compressors, Mastering EQs, Exciters, etc., which sound absolutely amazing! I work in Protools Ultimate - the industry standard and I've got all You need to make Your music perfectly recorded, produced, mixed, mastered and ready for labels, radio stations, advertising, etc. Here's the full list of the studio gear: Digital Audio Workstation: Pro Tools Ultimate Apple Logic Pro X Interfaces: AVID HD I/O 16x16 AVID HD I/O 16x16 RME Hammerfall DSP AES 32 RME Fireface UC AD/DA converters: Apogee Rosetta 800 Apogee DA12 Apogee DA12 Summing: Customised 32-channel Summing Mixer Preamps: Solid State Logic Xlogic Alfa VHD Pre PiTone Systems CROOK Preamp PiTone Systems CROOK Preamp Customised “N28B” Preamp LONG Stereo Channel (2-Channel) LONG Stereo Chennel (2-Channel) LONG Voice Master Dynamic Processing: SSL G Series Compressor Elysia Xpressor PiTone Systems F.E.T. Stressor PiTone Systems F.E.T. Stressor SSL G Series Compressor (Customised Edition) SSL G Series Compressor (Customised Edition) Neve 33609 Compressor (Customised Edition) Dangerous Audio BAX EQ (Customised Edition) Pendulum PL-2 Analog Peak Limiter (Customised Edition) Symetrix 425 – Dual Compressor/Limiter/Expander (Customized Edition) Symetrix 501 – Peak/RMS Compressor/Limiter (Customized Edition) Symetrix 501 – Peak/RMS Compressor/Limiter (Customized Edition) Aphex Systems Studio Dominator Long DynaQuad (4-channel) TL Audio C-5021 Valve Compressor Frequency Processing: Maag Audio EQ4 (Customised Edition) PiTone Systems MEQ5 T-Filter EQ PiTone Systems MEQ5 T-Filter EQ BBE 882i Sonic Maximizer LONG Quad Filter LONG Para EQ 4/8 LONG Para EQ 4/8 LONG Exciter II Nekton Exciter Type FX Spacial Processing: Lexicon MX400XL – Dual Stereo/Surround Reverb Effects Processor Studio Monitors: Focal – Solo 6 BE N-Monitors X800 IK Multimedia iLoud Studio Headphones: Sennheiser HD 600 Sennheiser HD 280 PRO AKG K 271 MK II Monitor controller System: SPL MTC (Monitor & Talkback Controller) Microphones: Neumann UM57 Neumann U89i Neumann M 149 Tube AKG C 460 B AKG C 460 B SHURE SM57 SHURE SM58 RODE – K2 Analog Synthesizers: Access Virus TI Polar Novation Bass Station II Roland JP 8080 Korg MS 2000 Samplers: Native Instruments – Kontakt 5 Native Instruments – Battery 3 Toontrack Superior Drummer 3 DAW Controllers: Avid – Artist MIx Digital Signal Processing: UAD 2 Satellite QUAD Processing Plugins: Universal Audio Plugins Acustica Audio Plugins Pro Tools Plugins Softube Plugins Waves Plugins Native Instruments Plugins IK Multimedia Plugins Fabfilter Plugins Brainworx Plugins Lexicon Plugins Voxengo Plugins Toontrack Plugins MIDI Controllers: Vestax – VCM 600 Korg – nanoKEY Korg – nanoPAD

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

A: I mostly do Recording, Mixing and Mastering work on my studio.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I do mastering of an album for one of the Russian talented Pop Artist.

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

A: Yes! I would definitely recommend my clients who want to get perfect and captivating vocals to work with Lachi! She is a very talented and a very easy going person to work with! We have some great collaborations coming up soon :)

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Hehe, thought You've never asked this one :). As for me I prefer Analog. First and foremost is the analog feel You have while tweaking knobs and working with Your hands not Your mouse. Second is the sound You achieve while using professional analog gear. There are lots of great digital plugins, emulating analog stuff and they are awesome, honestly. Sometimes I use them also. But we all know that You can't emulate them for 100% and You never can emulate the sound achieved with the tube compressor being powered on 15 seconds ago and or being powered on several hours ago. The sound and feel iare not the same :).

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

A: My promise to my clients is that I am intended toward the entire customer satisfaction so revisions are unlimited until full gratification. Typical turn-around time is at a "railway speed".

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I like all the aspects of my dream job. But one thing that I like most is that You are the owner of Your time. You don't need to be at the office strictly from 9:00 am till 18:00 pm no matter what you are doing there, working or just surfing the net. It's up to You to decide when to start Your working day, in the morning or at midnight. Of course not detrimental to the deadlines You have :).

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

A: The most common question is - Can You please make it as fast as You can? My answer is always the same: Every time there is a question "How is it going with the track" pushes away the result for a day.

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

A: The biggest misconception is that people think that what we do is so easy and it cannot be called job. I hear such thoughts form people very often. Not to put too fine a point on it - my parents had the same thoughts unless I've showed them my Studio, clients that I worked with and some productions :).

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: The first and foremost question is: What is the purpose of Your track? What result do You want to achieve with it as an Artist? Do You want Your record to become top streaming tune on Spotify or Apple Music or on a radio stations? Or You just want to have it for Yourself and show it to Your Family and friends. This is very important I think. To clearly understand what does the client want to achieve, because the approach to production, mixing and mastering will be way too different.

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

A: The main advice will be: do not take into account credits of the PROs. If the sound engineer isn't a grammy nominated and hasn't worked with Rihanna or Madonna, it doesn't mean that he is unprofessional. It doesn't really matter at all, but what really matters is his humanness, the ability to listen to the client's ideas and thoughts in order to have great result that satisfies everyone involved.

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

A: Nice question :). I think that computer with Protools Ultimate, a pair of studio monitors, one compressor, one EQ and one sample pack for a starting point will be the best choice for me. Of course if the is a studio desk already, hehe.

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

A: My career path was a bit interesting I believe :). I have two higher educations Linguist (interpreter & translator) and International Law Scholar. I'd worked in the office for almost 4 years and my career had been rising fast. But my passion to music and sound itself form my childhood was always with me and I had been producing music my whole life no matter what I had been doing and where. And finally the time to choose my future had come, cause my knowledge and experience in musical sphere started to be my full time job and I'd made a decision to quit my Office job (honestly to say it had been a well payed job with a huge perspectives) and to become an honoured professional in the sphere of Music. But as the time had been passing I'd felt in love with the sound itself and started to go behind it. I understood that my passion is not to be a music producers only, but mostly to be a sound engineer and to help Artists get their sound to the next level, commercial level, by mixing and mastering their tunes. For the past 10 years I've managed to build a fully analog recording and production studio and I am happy that my real job is my dream job. Briefly: I am a Sound Engineer, Sound Producer, DJ, the owner of a Recordings Studio, a Record Label and a musical platform that helps young artists to be heard and to get a feedback from professional and famous artists, sound enginners, A&R managers, etc.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Intense dynamic and energetic music combined with fine and emotional harmony filled with fascinating and incredibly coloured timbres and sounds. Quality sound is my all-conquering credo by which I stands.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: I think that there are two most critical music production tips that I can share: 1. Less is more 2. Stop working on a track on time or You'll be producing it throughout Your life :). There's always something You want to change on Your track and You get back to it on and on, but changes that You make mostly harm Your track than make it better. Try to make a pause about a week, do not listen to it or even think about it. Then get back to it and listen. If You feel that something is missing than do it but remember: Less is more :)

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skills are Mixing and Mastering skills. I have more than 10 years of experience in these spheres.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring life and emotions to a song.

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

A: The one and only who is inspiring me through out my career is - Michael Jackson.