Phil on SoundBetter

http://powersoundstudios.com/phils-mix/

I mix for a living.
https://www.facebook.com/Powersound-Mixing-Edmonton-30590731607/

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Interview with Phil

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

  2. A: Seek Irony - Mixer. Great band, great songs

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

  4. A: A country project

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

  6. A: Maor Appelbaum mastering

  7. Q: Analog or digital and why?

  8. A: Analog - IS faster, which keeps the artistic side of things moving for me Digital - great De Essers and more accurate fades. More flavours, just not as bold as analog.

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

  10. A: I listen to what you are asking for.

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

  12. A: Seeing my clients excited about the project they've spent a year on !

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

  14. A: The big thing for me is revisions. I'm running mostly outboard gear. I can't just do another project for a day while you wait for someone in the band to take a listen to the song. Its not fair to the other client and it takes a lot of time to reset all the eqs comps etc. I do some of my work in the box, but I find that (Mixing with computer) a slower process than outboard gear and as a result it slows down the "art" scrolling through tracks trying to find the BG vocal comp

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

  16. A: Unless you make arrangements before hand I am not here to improve the performance of your tracks by tuning every vocal and lining up every hit etc. Thats the producers job.

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

  18. A: How many tracks per song. Who's mastering. Can you be available within 4 hours for revisions.

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

  20. A: Be available for Revisions. Don't tell me you'll get back to me in 3 days about a mix

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

  22. A: AWS, Focal SM9, Retro 76, Chandler, Manley Pultec

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

  24. A: Bass player for 6 years, Radio Producer, Educator, Studio Manager, Studio Owner, Mix Engineer.

  25. Q: How would you describe your style?

  26. A: Energetic

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

  28. A: Jeff Lynne...look at his client list...

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

  30. A: Spend 5 more minutes on the guitar tone, 5 more minutes getting your drums sounds, 5 more minutes...You get the idea

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

  32. A: Actually I've done just about everything within a month. Death Metal to country.

  33. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  34. A: If a client asks for a revision, I will do it very fast. And still maintain there intention. This is the clients song, not mine.

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

  36. A: I really need to know everything about it before I start. I like to find out from the writer where things came from if at all possible.

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

  38. A: I need the lyrics. I learn the arrangement. I figure out where the energy is and go!

  39. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  40. A: I have an amazing sounding room. I'm using an AWS 900 with their new powersupplies, Lots of outboard gear. I have Logic, Protools, Cubase and Nuendo. I transfer everything to NUENDO. Its layed out like a console and it has less phase issues. I'm using Focal SM9s, NS10s and Grado headphones for monitoring

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

  42. A: I've studied/worked with Nick Blagona, Andy Wallace, CLA, Michael Brauer and JJP.

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

  44. A: I closed down a college and production studio to build a NEW mixing suite and focus on my mixing career.

Gear Highlights
  • AWS 900
  • Chandler Curve Bender
  • focusrite red 3
  • Manley stereo EQP
  • Retro MC 76
  • A Designs
  • Distressors
  • 1176s
  • LA2
  • Voxbox
  • 9098 comp 1084s Drawmer Lexicon Bricasti Yamaha Roland
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