Hybrid Mastering | Rock Mixing

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

A: Yes - Ziv Shalev for guitars and bass, and Nate Barnes for live drums. I’ve worked with both of them many times, and they’re excellent musicians, reliable, and very easy to work with.

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

A: My promise is simple: I’ll treat your music with the same care and attention I give my own. I’ll be honest, communicate clearly, and do everything I can to deliver the strongest possible result while staying true to your music.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I like the moment when a good mix suddenly feels finished - when everything comes into focus and the song starts to feel complete. Helping an artist hear their music at its best is still the most satisfying part of the job.

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

A: Most clients ask about turnaround, revisions, and how loud the final master will be. My usual answer is: 24–48 hours, two revision rounds included, and I’ll make it as loud as the music allows without sacrificing punch, dynamics or clarity.

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

A: The biggest misconception is that mastering is just about making a track louder. Good mastering is about balance, translation, depth, dynamics and making the mix feel finished without changing what already makes it special.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I ask what they want the song to feel like, what references they have in mind, and whether there are any specific issues they want me to address. For mastering, I also ask about the final format and release requirements.

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

A: Choose someone whose work genuinely connects with you and whose portfolio shows they understand your style. Good communication matters too - the best results come when both sides understand the direction and trust each other.

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

A: I started as a musician and songwriter, which naturally led me deeper into recording, mixing and eventually mastering. I’ve been working with audio for over 20 years, and later formalized my training at Friedemann Tischmeyer’s Mastering Academy and through Jordan Valeriote’s Pro Production System. Today, mastering is my main focus, with rock mixing as a second core part of my work.

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

A: Friedemann Tischmeyer has been a major influence on my approach to mastering. I’m also inspired by Andy Wallace, Brendan O’Brien and Jordan Valeriote for the way they combine power, clarity and emotion in rock production.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: At the moment, I’m working on new Boogie Snail material, along with mastering and mixing projects for independent artists. There’s always something new on the desk, which keeps the work fresh and interesting.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. Analog gives me tone, depth and character; digital gives me precision, flexibility and recall. I use whichever tool serves the music best - usually a combination of both.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My studio is built around a high-end hybrid mastering chain. I use analog gear from Elysia, DW Fearn, Knif, HUM Audio, Roger Foote, Neve and McDSP APB, with HEDD Quantum and Lynx Hilo conversion. For monitoring, I use PSI Audio A23-M speakers with Trinnov NOVA room correction. My main software environment is WaveLab Pro and Studio One Pro on a Mac Studio. The setup gives me the character of analog with the precision, recall and flexibility of digital.

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

A: One project I’m especially proud of is my work with Boogie Snail. I’m involved from the creative side through to the final sound - songwriting, performance, mixing and mastering. It gives me the freedom to shape the music from the first idea to the finished master, and that complete process is something I really enjoy.

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

A: Mac Studio, PSI Audio A23-M monitors, Trinnov NOVA, HEDD Quantum, and the Elysia Alpha Compressor. With those five, I could still make confident mastering decisions almost anywhere.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My style is musical and natural rather than over-processed. I like punch, depth and clarity, but I always try to preserve the emotion, dynamics and character of the original performance.

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

A: Deftones. I love the way they combine heaviness, atmosphere and emotion without losing dynamics. Their music has depth and space, but still hits hard - exactly the kind of balance I enjoy working with.

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

A: Mostly rock - alternative, heavy rock, pop-rock and hard rock — but I also work on indie, pop, singer-songwriter and other styles when the music connects with me.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: For mastering, I first listen to the mix as a whole and identify what the song really needs before touching anything. Then I work through a hybrid analog/digital chain, focusing on tonal balance, dynamics, punch, depth and translation. I always compare carefully with the original mix and relevant references. For mixing, I start with balance and feel, then build the drums, bass, guitars and vocals around the energy of the song. I prefer to enhance what is already there rather than over-process it.

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

A: Most of my work is stereo mastering, especially rock, alternative and heavier music. I use a hybrid analog/digital workflow to improve balance, punch, depth, clarity and translation while preserving the character of the original mix. I also mix rock and live-recorded music when clients need a complete mix from multitracks.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Don’t over-process. If the mix already feels good, small moves are often enough. Focus on balance, dynamics and low end first - those three things usually make the biggest difference.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill is hearing what a song needs - and just as importantly, what it doesn’t. I know when to add punch, depth or clarity, and when to leave the mix alone.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring perspective, balance and impact. My goal is to keep the emotion and character of the song intact while making it sound bigger, clearer, more focused and more powerful.