Producer, Mixer, Songwriter

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: First I meet with the artist and/or producer (Zoom session or in person) to get an in-depth feel for their needs, goals and expectations and we discuss the scope and direction of the production. During this "pre-pro" meeting the type of musical arrangement will be determined and agreed upon. Then, I deliver an initial, basic arrangement and if the artist approves the arrangement, we're off and running! The song will go through all phases with a final delivery date and final payment, of no longer than 30 days from approval of the musical arrangement. (Multiple songs will be given additional time to be determined by producer) Producer and client will meet (Zoom session or in person) to discuss the scope and direction of the production. During pre-pro the type of musical arrangement will be determined and agreed upon. Producer will deliver an initial, basic arrangement and if the artist approves the arrangement, the clock will begin. The song will go through all phases with a final delivery date and final payment, of no longer than 30 days from approval of the musical arrangement. (Multiple songs will be given additional time to be determined by producer) In the end, as all of my artists can attest, I stick with the song until we are all blown away with the results. AND, I remain a loyal team member beyond the final delivery. If we work together once...we are a team and I ALWAYS back my team! First I meet with the artist and/or producer (Zoom session or in person) to get an in-depth feel for their needs, goals and expectations and we discuss the scope and direction of the production. This is where the spark happens! We dive deep into the artistic vision, needs, and goals. During the "pre-pro" meeting, we’ll nail down the musical arrangement. Once we’ve decided on the initial arrangement, I produce an initial track and send it to the artist. If they give it a thumbs-up, it’s game on! 🚀 From that moment, we’ll go through all phases of production with a final delivery date. If they have multiple songs? No worries! I tailor the timeline to fit their needs. 🤝 A Loyal Music Partner! And here’s the best part: I’m not just here for the finish line; I’m in it for the long haul! My mission is to make sure the artist is absolutely blown away by the results. Once we team up, we’re in this together. I’ve got your back every step of the way, because when we create together, we become an unstoppable team! 🎉

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My studio is setup as a hybrid mixing/ mastering control room with a sepreate live room with a grand piano, vintage and modern drum kits mic'd with vintage mics and class A pre's. My studio has a focus on being a creative writing, recording and production space. I mix in Protools 2024 Ultimate with a Pro Tools Carbon (other DAWs include Logic Pro, Ableton, FL studio). Monitors include Dynaudio and NS-10's and a the mastering grade, room correction, Trinnov DMON system with the Trinnov La Remote. The analog part of the hybrid setup is the shadow hills mastering compressor, 3 stereo Neve 1073's, 2 el8-empirical labs Distressors. I own too many plugins to list here. MICS: Neumann U87, Pearlman TLM 47, Geffel M320 (pair), JZ Blackhole (pair) Shure SM-7, Neumann 84, 184 (pair), and TLM 103. KEYS: Komplete Kontrol s61 Mk2, Yamaha CP88, Arturia Minilab. We have vintage Martin D-28's, electric guitars and basses and are setup for drum recording with a Yamaha Maple Custom Kit. AMPS: Fender Band Master Head, Badcat cabinet 2x12, 1964 Fender Vibrochamp HEADPHONE MIX: Furman HDS-6, 4 seperate station mixes SAMPLERS: UVI Falcon, Kontakt 5

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

A: Benny Blanco, Amy Winehouse, Finneas, Lauv, James Blake, Childish Gambino, J. Cole, Sara Bareilles, Max Martin, Greg Wells, Jaycen Joshua, Andrew Scheps. And as a sax player...Chris Potter, Joe Levano, and of course Wayne (rip)

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

A: Drums-Jordan Perlson. Mixing-Darrell Thorp, Yoad Nevo. Producers-Robert L. Smith. Male vocals-The Crushboys, Female vocals-Jades Goudreault and Jaki Nelson. Bass- Sean Hurley

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

A: I've been a musician for 20 years, performing in and around New York City as well as several domestic tours. I've recorded in some of the finest studios without really understanding any of the process and then one day (19 years ago), a producer friend of mine could not take on a new client and told them to call me. I worked with them for the next two years and was hooked on the studio life. Routing, signal path, phase relationships...etc, I couldn't get enough of it. They would pay me and I would pay the best New York engineers to show me the ropes. I built several Manhattan studios before finally opening Pod Noise Studios with my partner Rich Mercurio on west 30th Street in Manhattan. Post pandemic, I built my state of the art mix room in Brooklyn, NY. I continue to learn on the job. It is a life full of deadlines and pressure and I love it!

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Here are a few: 1. Try a dual mono compressor on your mix bus to allow dynamic moments to shine through the full panoramic spectrum. 2. Phase alignment is of the utmost importance whether it's a full drum kit, bass amps and DI's, or samples. It takes time but makes the difference between a huge sounding record and a thin mess. 3. Clean, tune and do detailed vocal rides before compressing you lead vocal. I like to keep a trim fader reading all the rides before anything else happens to the vocal. 6. Whether it's heard or just felt, try using shimmery or filtered shaker/ bell tracks for propulsion in pre's and choruses. 7. If it sounds good, it is good!

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

A: Really all types. I specialize in Pop, but, I have produced and mixed Heavy Rock, Hip Hop, Synth-Pop, Jazz, Broadway musicals, and everything in between. I've tracked Warren Haynes playing guitar and have mixed several gospel albums! So any genre is welcome.

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

A: To stick with you until the music shines. I will commit to making you happy!

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Are we a good "fit" musically? If so....When do we start?

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

A: 1. I tracked the great Bebe Winans on a song that I co-wrote! It was the greatest vocal tracking session I've ever been a part of (and I've worked with tons of well known singers). I was the Co-Writer/Mixer/Mastering Engineer. 2. I tracked several guitar solos for the incredible Warren Haynes of the Allman Brothers and Government Mule! He was the coolest and we spent quite a bit of time editing together. I was credited as the recording engineer and studio owner. It was for and Oz Noy album. 3.I tracked and mixed the vocals of Katherine McFee for the online/social promo release of Waitress the Musical. Her voice was amazing.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I love and use both. Most jobs today however stay mostly digital for ease of recall.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Big, natural, open, punchy, full bass. Radio-ready.

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

A: Q: In the included revisions, do you master it each time? Or is that done once after all the mixing edits are finalized? A: A considerable amount of the mastering process occurs during mixing, for example, the final Limiting is always on as it affects the mix. You can therefore, think of it as re-mastering for each revision. The final mastering process is completed after all mix revisions are complete and the final mix is approved by you. ALL masters will comply with AES streaming loudness normalization; Spotify, iTunes, Tidal etc. If you need specific masters for youtube only, or network tv only, that is a re-master and hourly rates apply.) -Q: When I first send files over, is it acceptable to include some baseline ideas I have for mixing, or do you prefer to listen to it and form your own opinions of it? A: All baseline ideas are more than welcome. It's your music! Your ideas matter to me.

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

A: That great gear and lots of plugins leads to a great mix.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The music and the people.

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

A: Communicate! Send an email with any questions or concerns you may have. Provide reference tracks and artists that relate to your songs. Music is so personal, and I want my client's music to shine so remember there are no silly questions. Prep Your Files! All files should be clearly labelled, and all edits must be final. Leave your plugins on and your routing intact. Include a rough mix of each song to be mixed.

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

A: MacBook Pro with pro tools, Komplete Kontrol s61, my Pearlman mic, my blue ridge acoustic guitar and my Selmer VI soprano sax (but in my laptop bag would be an Apollo twin and my Ultimate Ears Reference monitors!)

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My ability to relate to artists and bring out their best performance.

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

A: I love being involved with the song right from the beginning. Artists will send me the song in a raw form and I will develop it with them start to finish. It is also common that artists and producers will send me fully produced multi-tracks and I will professionally mix and master them delivering masters that are fully optimized for streaming/download/cd manufacturing. As a Producer, I also sign artists and use my contacts to shop them to managers, publishers, and booking agents.