James D. Davis

Producer & Mixing Engineer

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4 Reviews

Hi! My name is James D. Davis and I am a music writer, producer and mixing engineer based in Venice, Italy.

Why Venice? It may be the sound of the boats sailing and the seagulls flying outside or the windy view from my Studio on Murano Islands; I don't know what it is - what I do know is that this place gives me a lot of inspiration, which I feel gets on pretty well with what I care the most in this world: the energy, the emotions and the message your music was born from. And whether it is your first song or you've been making hit records for years, my promise is the same: I promise I will do my best to realise your original vision and just make it kick ass.

I deliver in any audio format, bitdepth and samplerate up to 96kHz (Usually .wav, 24bit, 44.1kHz)

If you request a mix, I can also provide alternate mixes and/or stems for late remixing. For example, I am often requested to provide the Album Version with vocals up, the TV Mix (which means no lead vocal, but with background vocals) and/or one Vocals-Only Mix. Just tell me what you need and you will get it!

I obviously offer discounts for whole albums or multiple songs and for small sessions: no job is too big or small and I will probably enjoy working on your project a lot, if you love it too. And I'm fairly sure you do.

Please contact me for more infos & services.
Thanks a lot for checking out my Soundbetter page, and thanks a lot for sharing your own work and most inner soul.

Keep making music,
James

Would love to hear from you. Click the contact button above to get in touch.

4 Reviews

Endorse James D. Davis
  1. Review by forrest h.
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    Despite his young age, James is an amazing producer and mixing engineer. Last winter he produced and mixed a Blues Rock album for my band with the help of his assistant Marco and we were really surprised by what he can do. Totally working again with him.

  2. Review by Theron R.
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    Ok, this is great. No one ever showed me that much interest in emotion when working on a song. I worked with James, who by the way has been an amazing assistant, engineer and co-producer. I had 4 EDM tracks to be co-produced and mixed and they did it wonderfully in two weeks. Keep it going, guys!!!

  3. Review by Kevin
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    by Kevin

    Wow! They really know how to make music. I could not even imagine that it was possible to have our track sounding like that! Crazy! I'm a rock singer and, guys, our song really rocks now. 10/10

  4. Review by Phillipp T.
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    Fantastic! I asked them to have a Jazz track mixed and mastered one year ago and now I have published it on German Radios. They did the job in four days and I am very happy with it! I will definitely work with them again!

Interview with James D. Davis

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

  2. A: I think it's that you need a lot of expensive gear to obtain good sounding music. Truth is, you can do most of it even with the most simple setup if you know what you are doing. For example, read a professional audio magazine and most of the times they will be talking about gear. No one ever talks about giving Balance, Panorama, EQing, Depth, Dynamics, Interest, which is what mixing engineers really do most of the times. We don't just set a compressor up for how it looks or for how it is reviewed on a website. And about music producers... most of the times people sadly don't even understand what our job really is. "So you work for a Label, right?" "Yeah, as bakers work for supermarkets!" Lol

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

  4. A: Well, I'd say the most common mistakes as far as my experience goes are: the song is too long, the harmonies don't work as they should (i.e. to support melody and atmosphere), the song has no focus, the chorus is too weak (not enlightened by any element), there's no bridge, the arrangment is poor (the song becomes boring), there's no Intro/Outro Hook or Riff, there are no song dynamics. But don't worry, if your song has any of these problems and you don't know how to solve it we can solve it together!

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

  6. A: First we will have a relaxed chat via Skype about your music so that I can understand your vision and direction and you can be assured that I care for your music as much as you do. Then I'll tell you if your track needs any edits before I start working on it and then we will proceed with what you contacted me for, be it production, mixing, mastering or anything else.

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

  8. A: Most common: What do I think of the song, and I give my real opinion back. Second most common: "Can you make it sound like my favorite track?" "No, I will make your track sound as your track, wich probably will be quite or very similar to your favorite tracks"

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

  10. A: When producing, anything it may need. When mixing, it usually needs Energy, Emotion, Balance, Freq balance, Panorama, Dimension, Dynamics, Interest, Clarity, Punch and Focus. Am I forgetting anything?

  11. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  12. A: I work with Pro Tools (for production, mixing and mastering sessions) and Logic or Ableton (production only). Most of the times I use a pair of Genelec Studio Monitors and a UA Apollo Audio Interface.

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

  14. A: I do have my own music project I'm working on at the moment. As a producer, I'm also currently working on 3 different albums, as well as on daily mixes for people from all over the world. And I love it.

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

  16. A: I really like the music I get the chance to make and the people I get the chance to work with.

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

  18. A: I have worked on these music genres: Blues, Pop, Rock, Singer-Sogwriter, House, Techno, EDM, Dubstep, Classical, Jazz, Funk, Soul, Gospel, R&B, Country, Electronic, Soundtrack, Indie, Hip Hop, Reggae, and Latin

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

  20. A: I will achieve anything you want to achieve, musically speaking. You see, when you work with me you are no longer just a client, you become a partner. That means that I want your music to be the best sounding possible as much as you do.

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

  22. A: My laptop, My Audio Interface, My headphones, A Shure SM57, A guitar. And I would have in my backpack some paper and a pen.

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

  24. A: There are a lot. Regarding music production, I am are really inspired by people like Milt Gabler, Leonard Chess, Sam Phillips, Mitch Miller, Chet Atkins, Owen Bradley, Creed Taylor, Jerry Wexler, Joe Meek, Phil Spector, Sir George Martin, Teo Macero, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Quincy Jones, Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, Trevor Horn, Tony Brown, Rick Rubin, Moby, Brian Eno, Dan Huff, Dr Dre, Mark Ronson, Bob Ezrin, Paul Epworth, Nile Rodgers, Daft Punk, Salaam Remi, Danger Mouse, Bob Clearmountain. Regarding Mixing and Mastering, I am are really inspired by people like Bob Katz, Bob Ludwig, Andrew Scheps, Al Schmitt, Young Guru, Chris Lord-Alge, Manny Marroquin, Greg Wells, Dave Pensado, Eddie Kramer, Steve Albini, Jacquire King, Michael Brauer, Joe Chiccarelli, Tom Elmhirst, Alan Meyerson, Jimmy Douglass, Jack Joseph Puig, Tony Maserati, Mick Guzauski. I told you there are lot, and these are just the ones that came to my mind right now. Well, if you know them you know why they are on this list.

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

  26. A: What's your vision? What did you want to express with this song? What do you want to achieve from this project?

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

  28. A: Be curious, and don't compromise. Never accept it's over until you are completely satisfied.

  29. Q: How would you describe your style?

  30. A: I wear glasses. Big brown round glasses. Not sure this is the kind of reply you wanted.

  31. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  32. A: Being able to express emotions. And listening.

Terms Of Service

Revisions are free and the session is not over until you are completely satisfied.
I try my best to guarantee turn-around times of less than a week from confirmation.

SoundBetter Deal

Single Song Production, Mixing & Mastering: 350$