Mixing awesome music

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Analog emulated digital. To me digital sounds as good, if you know how to use it. And it's easy to forget all the hassle with analog stuff. So to be able to have digital emulations of analog, working, gear is awesome.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The diversity in music. I have clients all over the world in a lot of different genres. So it's never boring.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What's their goal is and what they expect from me. If they are trying make the Billboard top ten I would have a different approach than if the goal is to make the song fit in with the rest of the songs on an album.

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

A: Listen to some of the music I have worked with over the years, that would give you some idea of what to expect. All mixers and producers are different just like every band is different. So take your time to find the perfect fit for your needs.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I don't like things too clean. I think my mixes tend to have a bit of liveliness to it. Especially when working with bands who use a lot of software instruments I often like to dirt things up a bit. Making it sound more "real".

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

A: Mostly rock. But lately I've been working on pop, hip hip & americana as well.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: For most of my clients I get the song to sound expensive. Even if the band have recorded themselves in the living room, it's supposed to sound like they've been in a pro studio. So I try to make that happen. In the case I'm the producer of the song I help the band figure out the arrangement and dynamics of things as well.

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

A: I started out recording songs when I was about 13 years old and never stopped. So I have been doing this for over 25 years now and I could not imagine doing anything else.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I started out mixing on analog stuff, so I really like that workflow. However there's nothing better than mixing in the box. So I have a lot of physical faders and knobs that control everything in the box. That way I can have a "analog" workflow but with all the benefits from the computer.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Don't be to technical. It's about the music, not the gear.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Finding the right nuance in a song.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: When producing a band I try to listen to demos and make notes prior to the recording. When I record bands I try not to change all that much, just trying to get the most out of everyone. When I mix songs I will first do a basic setup with everything. Get plugins in place, get auxes in place, color code tracks. A lot of house keeping before I even turn on the track. So when I first play the track I can work fast and instinctively.

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

A: I really like the producer/mixer Andrew Scheps. He's mind set when it comes to music and production is very relaxed. A artist I admire is Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters. Hard working man, always with a smile on hes face.

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

A: Now a days it's quite easy to record music without a "real" studio. But when it comes to mixing, it's not that easy to get that pro sound. That's where people like myself come in. Most of my work is mixing music bands have recorded themselves. With some bands I am involved in the recording as well working as a producer for the song or album.