Online Mixing & Mastering

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Remastering the sound for a surfing movie. Mastering some soundbed tracks for a music library that generally licenses to reality tv series and soap operas. Helping a local indie band get their music mixed and mastered on a budget. Editing a performance track for a professional body builder's show routine. Mastering some acoustic music for a couple singer-songwriters. Writing some articles for publication in online music magazines and blogs.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital. Analog is fun, but it's the 21st century. I'm still waiting for trinary digital to come along and replace binary digital, which will completely revamp the audio world yet again. Don't get too comfortable with MP3s. We thought cassettes were here to stay at one time, remember?

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

A: I will listen to you. I won't let you produce crap and let it slide without telling you.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: What's not to love about working with so much amazing music. Even the newbies...I mean that's someone's creation that they pulled out of thin air and I get to be part of bringing it to the world. Such a blessing to be a part of this process.

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

A: Do you have experience in this genre? Yes. Yes, I do.

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

A: That when I master a track it's just pushed through some plug-in preset in a DAW. I don't even use a DAW in mastering. I have an entirely separate system for mastering and there is some SERIOUS TIME AND EFFORT that goes into mastering every single track that comes my way.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Tell me more about how you created your songs and what instruments are involved. How long have you been writing/recording?

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

A: Ask questions. Communication is a very key part to this business. It's more than just experience. We've all visited doctors who probably know the technical details of their job but are just not great at communicating and it never really feels like they care about helping us, right? Same thing with your audio engineer. Your songs are your children. Make sure the song doctor shows you he/she cares about them.

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

A: All acoustic stringed instruments. What else?

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

A: My father was a touring musician, and I recall going on the summer fair and festival tour with him every year. I grew up in that world. I was always the go-to guy for sound related stuff. I paid for my college by working sound for the student union events. I started as a mechanical engineering student and switched to Physics...I even took a couple classes on the Physics of sound and music. After graduate school (MS Physics) I went to work for an acoustics company and worked as an assistant acoustical engineer, doing lots of acoustics design work, measurement, noise assessments, soundproofing, including a lot of time doing designs and consulting for recording studios and home studios for a few very well-known artists. I wrote some software for the company and eventually wrote some software to help me out with my own audio production work for myself, friends, and other contacts who were referred to me. Little by little this "mastering guy who uses that smart mastering program" became my full time job. Audio engineering: editing, mixing, and mastering - has now been my full time professional gig since 2003.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I aim to make things sound full and present and loud, without going overboard on in-your-face loudness. I want your listeners to feel like they can close their eyes and picture you performing live when they're listening to your songs.

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

A: All types. I believe I have worked on every genre of music possible. I recently mastered a Latin American Death Metal album, which I believe was the last sub genre of music I hadn't yet worked on. So I think that gives me Music Genre Bingo - I win! :-)

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I'm a very easy person to communicate with. I listen to my clients' needs. And I always give clear and honest feedback at the level of your performance, whether you're a beginner or a long-time pro. I want you to know I hear what you're asking for and that I will aim first and foremost to represent your artistic goals. But, I also have your back, and I won't let something slip through that I feel could be done better. So you can always count on me to share my recommendations with you. I see myself as part of your team.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I have decades of audio engineering experience, music performing and recording experience, and thousands of songs mixed and mastered in my professional career. I bring artistry and technical experience.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I work on everything in stages, typically taking breaks at key points and returning with fresh ears to continue on with remaining steps.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I typically use Logic Pro or Pro Tools for mixing, but I can open sessions in most DAWs. I use my own software for mastering that I developed specifically for use at my mastering studio and have been constantly updating it for nearly 20 years. The rooms I use for mixing and mastering I have specifically set up with room acoustic design and monitor placement for optimal sound, as I am a registered acoustician and acoustical consultant in addition to being an audio engineer. I only use headphones if required for double-checking tiny details, otherwise everything is mixed or mastered in a professional audio monitor setting.

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

A: Our most common service is mastering for songs of typical 3-5 minute length. This makes up about 60% of our total business. The current most common genres we receive for mastering are HipHop/Rap and Contemporary Christian, but we also receive a large number of rock, country, electronic, and EDM tracks for mastering as well.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Don't overcompress your mixes when you send them in for mastering!!