Recording Studio, Production

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Our B&W 2.1 monitoring system has been chosen as the right compromise between a mixing and a mastering system, for detail and cleaness, and can stand high grade active monitors in our opinion. The studio is built around the UAD Apollo quad-processor interface, Antelope Discrete 4 Synergy Core interface, and our outboard preamps and compressors. For tracking on the setup is the definition of hybrid, using real time DSP features of the interfaces, and analog gear. Mixing is usually carried 90% ITB, with Acustica Audio, UAD, Black Rooster Audio, Antelope, TDR, and Fabfilter plugins. Mastering is usually ITB too. Ease of use, versatility and efficiency make our system ideal for the multitude of different projects a modern studio facility must carry on at the same time today.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both, of course. Analog is still above digital for some aspects, but the gap is narrowing. I love analog, but price and maniteance costs are very high; also recall of a session is a pain in analog. Right now the possibility of having in a pair of racks and a DAW the equivalent of a big studio is so convenient it's just silly to buy a console if you're not at the very top of the market. Our plugin choice is for the high quality, as they are what gets us to an higher standards.

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

A: That's my first solo project, Alfasun's Seed. Nothing major, but I was the composer, musician and engineer for the biggest part of it, and it was a really hard one to accomplish for a number of (non technical) reasons. Focusing on that much stuff during the developing of the release was an intense and revealing experience.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: We're working on an EP for a rock band, my band's next release, a Trance EP release, a pair of folk artists productions and looking forward to master and experimental artist's EP. Also, we're looking forward to convert an additional room for recording in our building.

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

A: I'm not aware of anyone i personally know on SoundBetter right now.

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

A: I'll give you the best I can, and then some more.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Being part of the creative process, actually concretizing ideas and giving the possibilities to artists to share their hard-earned work with the world is priceless for me.

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

A: Q: How fast can you do xxx? A: I usually answer "it depends on y factors" and I'll try explain them factors, then give a range of time within reason. Q: Can we skip pre-production? A: It's up to you, but the more time we take before recording, the better the song will come out. Q: Can't you make it more [insert non-techincal adjective here]? A: Can you please as clear as it gets while asking for some change or anything? Understand what artists mean it's crucial for delivering what they really want, so please be as descriptive as you can. Q: Can I stay there while you mix? A: I try to avoid this situation, as in the early stages I focus on the boring part. When the mix has come together however, I actually want you to give me feedback.

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

A: Everything is way more complicated than it seems, there's always a hundred things going on, and one needs to focus on the right one at the right time. Also, our time is valuable.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Are you decise about your parts and arrangement? Are you comfortable enough playing them? What's the result we're aiming for? What role do you need us to fullfill in your production? What are your inspirations? How much experience do you have in the studio? What's the budget?

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

A: Try to find someone that will listen to you, and can help you taking your songs to an higher level. In these days it feels like just releasing a lot is what you should do, but in reality if you look forward to do something in the field, you need lots of practice, patience, and willpower. It's not possible to accomplish all alone, and that's why we believe that having a full team of specialized people for each role is key to give a good product, and a good experience. Search for people who care.

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

A: El Distressor, Neve 1073, Brauner VMX, GML 8200 EQ, Studer A800.

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

A: I'm doing this since 6 years personally, but we're a team, and there are are more and less experienced music aficionados with me. I started out from assisting the recording of my early bands EPs, to assisting for other production, fully producing one EP for my band, and eventually doing it for other people. All of this while forming myself, both with courses, jobs on the field, and studying on my very own. There's a long time rock/folk producer with us, a newish psytrance producers, and lots of seesion musicians, which have attended conservatory or music schools.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Aggressive, meticulous and resolved.

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

A: I'd really love to make a record with the Deftones. I love the way they approach composition and the way they play together - it's particular, refined, modern but still real as a performance.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Focus on what you want to infuse to the listener, and write down everything that goes through your head while listening to your work, composing, mixing, whatever. A superb way to avoid wasting time in my experience.

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

A: Usually it's rock, metal or alternative; however we also work on other genres.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Perseverance. Not giving up on anything is the only way to get closer to perfection.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: First, an objective and expert ear. Sometimes it's hard to see songs from an external point of view, to cut or add what's needed to make them special - be it a single note in a chord, or a whole song section; the right sound or ambiance to translate a feeling, and so on. Artists are always kind of biased on their craft, as it's an intimate expression of themselves; however translating those emotions to the listeners, who are actual strangers at first, is not so immediate: that's where the figure of the producer shines these days. Second, experience. Some of our colalborators make records since the early 2000's, and we definitely know how to handle all the various stages of production in order to make a good sounding product, fast, and efficiently; this usually means we can focus on being faithful and careful to what the artist's intentions are for the product, and have artists perform at their best. Third, professional sound. Our instruments, microphones, preamplifiers, processors and plugins choice lets us give our clients the best possible sound without needing to go over the top with budget. Harshness, resonances and lack of body tipically found in home recordings have no place there: that's a way for us to avoid distraction and discomfort for musicians, and avoid overprocessing tracks and relative artifacts. It's always nice to bring the faders up after tracking and already hear something that sounds like a record, as you don't need to fight with sounds to fit in the mix, but you can focus on enhancing the performances and feeling.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I try to get everything right from the start, having musicians nail down their parts, and arrangement, just right; this is key for a good sounding mix. Then, we figure the best way they can record, and find sounds that fit the genre and the song in particular. When everything is clear, we can have musicians record without being worried by anything but their performance, which is the most important part. Editing will follow, if needed; at this point mixing takes place, involving several revisions. If needed, mastering is done in-house, as our extremely detailed and flat system allows us precise, clean and predictable results.

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

A: I've been personally very much inspired by Eric Valentine, Andy Wallace and Sylvia Massy in particular.

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

A: Usually, we do full productions, from the idea to the final product; arrangement, drums tracking and editing, solo guitar and bass tracking, vocal tracking mixing or stem mastering is often done with us as this seems to be the things our clients appreciate the most doing with us.