Chris Pummill

Recording and Mixing Engineer

Chris Pummill on SoundBetter

After 8 years of working alongside some music legends, I am well equipped to record or mix your next project!

Going back 30 years, I have been recording. From comedy bits on an old radio with my brother, to band demos on a simple dictation machine in the garage. As audio technology evolved, so did my passion for music production. It lead me to study at the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences before becoming an intern and quickly moving up the ladder in some of the best studios New York has to offer.

After serving as Head Engineer at The End Studios in Brooklyn for several years, I have shifted my operations to be entirely freelance so as to better serve my clients. This flexibility means I can record and mix anywhere according to your needs and budget, including your own home, where I can bring my own studio quality, analog mobile rig. And after working several tours in Europe and South America, I've shown that no locale is too far.

Click the 'Contact' above to get in touch. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Credits

AllMusic verified credits for Chris Pummill
  • MC Paul Barman
  • Talib Kweli
  • Talib Kweli
  • Talib Kweli
  • Talib Kweli
  • Talib Kweli
  • Instituto Mexicano del Sonido
  • Toy Selectah
  • Coastgaard
  • Wet
  • Talib Kweli
  • 9th Wonder
  • Monogold
  • Talib Kweli
  • Preservation
  • K'Valentine
  • Brady Rymer
  • David Gibb

Interview with Chris Pummill

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

  2. A: Talib Kweli's "Radio Silence" album. I was the tracking engineer on that project. We recorded Talib's and the featured artists' vocals all around the globe. On tour in Europe and all around the US, I had to be on call and setup in a matter of minutes to capture that artist and moment. It was quite a challenge and I think I was able to make them sound great, regardless of the tour bus, hotel room, closet etc. I also got to assist Young Guru a little in mixing the album. I am very proud of the finished product and of all the lessons I learned while making this album.

  3. Q: What are you working on at the moment?

  4. A: Both Talib Kweli and Pharoahe Monch's newest solo projects.

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

  6. A: No, I'm new to this. Sorry!

  7. Q: Analog or digital and why?

  8. A: Digital. It's a speed and efficiency thing. Analog is amazing but the plugins nowadays sound great. I often need to turn mixes and revisions around in a matter of hours or minutes and digital/in the box sessions allow me to do that.

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

  10. A: I will help you bring your vision to life, even if it takes a little extra work or revisions.

  11. Q: What do you like most about your job?

  12. A: The ability to please the customer by any means necessary. Since I'm my own boss, I am able to provide as much help and resources as I see fit to make sure you are happy.

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

  14. A: Q: Can you give a discount on your rate? A: Most likely, yes. Let's put together a plan to get your project done with your budget.

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

  16. A: That I'm just a "hip-hop" engineer. I work with a lot of rappers and producers but I also work comfortably in many other genres.

  17. Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

  18. A: Where and when are you most comfortable, confident and relaxed?

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

  20. A: Be very particular. Some people are just not a good or "right" fit.

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

  22. A: Neve 1084, LA2A, 1176 Blue Stripe, Shure SM7, Roland Jazz Chorus

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

  24. A: I played in bands in high school and always tinkered with music production until i decided to do it "for real". I finally went to school and subsequently an internship when i was 27. I'm 8 years in the business now after learning and climbing the ranks in several Brooklyn and Manhattan studios. I'm always learning though..

  25. Q: How would you describe your style?

  26. A: Old school, analog and somewhat aggressive.

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

  28. A: DJ Muggs. His sound influenced my taste in music and is what made me fall in love with East Coast(even though he's based in LA) hip-hop. I moved to NY to chase those sounds and influences.

  29. Q: Can you share one music production tip?

  30. A: Commit. Do a "save as" if you have to, but commit plugins and tracks so that you can be more creative and not have to worry about your computer resources.

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

  32. A: Hip-Hop, RnB and Gospel.

  33. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  34. A: The ability to hear where a song should go sonically.

  35. Q: What do you bring to a song?

  36. A: Excitement and Experimentation.

  37. Q: What's your typical work process?

  38. A: It's different every time. But I try my best to make the artist comfortable so we can get the best sound and performance possible.

  39. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  40. A: I run a hybrid setup at home or my studio. It's a fully loaded Macbook Pro Retina running Pro Tools 12. I either use an Apollo Twin Duo and UA Quad Satellite OR 2 UA Apollo 8's for conversion and plugins. Other than the UAD's plugins, I use Waves, Soundtoys and BX for most of my work in the box. I also have an API lunchbox that's loaded with analog pre's, eq's and compressors and all kinds of odds and ends.

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

  42. A: At the risk of being cliche, Dr. Dre has always been a huge influence. Quincy Jones, DJ Muggs, Led Zeppelin, The Neptunes.

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

  44. A: Recording and Mixing. Within that type of work i also tune and comp vocals, edit and arrange compositions.

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Terms Of Service

-50% deposit require to start any project
-3 revisions on mixes
-3 to 4 day turnaround on any mix

GenresSounds Like
  • Talib Kweli
  • PJ Morton
  • D'Angelo
Gear Highlights
  • Neumann u87
  • UAD Quad Satellite
  • Roland Jazz Chorus JC77
  • DBX 160A
  • Vintech 573
  • API VP26
  • Harrison 32EQ(2)
  • Inward Connections Brute
More Photos
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