Mixing, Mastering, Production

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: • Macbook Pro • KRK Rokit RP10-3s • Audio-Technica ATH-M50xs • Røde NT1-A • Shure SM57 • Fender Telecaster • Fender Zone Bass • AKAI MPK49 • Propellerhead Balance • Reason 8 • Logic Pro X • Plugins from McDSP, U-he, iZotope, Softube & more

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

A: I recently finished an album titled "Sketches of Youth" by Allister Quilon. I acted as cowriter, engineer, and Executive Producer for the album. We really pushed each other to exceed our previous benchmarks, and were able to create an album with a fresh, exciting sound—both familiar and alien, dark and sweet.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital. The ease of use is incredible, as is the possibility for creativity and inventive usage. And while the digital emulations may not sound exactly the same as their analog counterparts, I don't think that means they necessarily sound worse. Just different.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Creating something I'm proud of.

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

A: Know what you want and why—even if you aren't sure how to achieve it. Sometimes solutions for your problems can be counterintuitive, so be openminded about feedback regarding changes to the work you might not have considered before. Feel free to give me the same kind of treatment; I like to work collaboratively, and your satisfaction is my #1 priority. I try not to let egos get in the way of creating something great.

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

A: My mother is an opera singer and singing teacher, so I grew up with music in the house at all times. I learned classical piano and singing method from a young age, but rebelled in high school and started working on my own electronic and hard rock music. In college I sang pop in an a cappella group, where I developed and executed a plan to record the group’s first album in five years. That album, Lacking Supervision, received an Honorable Mention for Best Album of 2011 by the Recorded A Cappella Review Board (RARB). I found the process so intriguing and inspiring, that I became hooked on audio engineering. I took classes and served an internship at Bristol Studios in Boston, and have been working in the field since 2012. I began building the Moon Rock Sound team and brand starting in 2014.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Energetic. Full of purpose, driving. Often dark or aggressive, but not necessarily. I believe even slow, somber, or sweet songs deserve a strong forward motion.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Put distortion on everything. People love to hear distortion. It sounds fucking cool.

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

A: I've worked on a wide variety of songs, many of which eschew traditional genre labels. I often work on rock, hip-hop, pop, classical and electronic.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My creative interpretation skills are extremely strong. When it comes to receiving feedback on mixes, I almost prefer receiving emotional impressions—hearing that a client wants to give an instrument “more distortion” isn’t nearly as inspiring as knowing they want it to be “more aggressive.” It’s one thing to say “turn up the reverb,” and another to say “make it soar.”

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: The best relationships I have with my clients are collaborative music projects that start from a germ of an idea, and end with a fully recorded, arranged, produced, mixed, and mastered album. Often clients produce their own sessions, send them to me (Clark), and then I 'fix' them: by rearranging parts, sections, rewriting melodies, adding layers, fixing synths, and mixing the project. Depending on how much work needs to be done, I may ask that certain parts be rerecorded. The artist may also have their own changes, or feedback on the changes I've made, that we go back and forth on. Then, once all the songs are completed, they go to Oscar for mastering. Both the artist and I may have feedback regarding the masters, and we often go back and forth a few times getting them absolutely perfect. In the end, a full album is finished, and all parties (including us!) are thrilled with the sound.