Mix, Mastering (Free Test Mix)

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

A: I've been recording local band The Tourist for the last two years, they started out as a one man project with nothing more than a few great lyrics and very simple rhythm guitar. From the beginning, I felt the songs had a lot of potential but would work better with a full band, so I introduced all the current band members to each other and encouraged them to work on this project as a band. They have since released 6 singles with great success, have been gigging a lot and will be releasing their first album in January 2020. Being part of this project since the very beginning makes me proud, and being able to help the band grow and release great songs is great!

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Don't be afraid of experimenting with your instruments/gear. If there's anything I've learned over the years is that investing your time in experimenting with new things will eventually lead you to create a more unique sound. Don't' be afraid of sounding weird, weird is often good. And besides, there are already too many people sounding the same.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: My strongest skill is my ability to understand how each song should sound and how the artist thinks it should sound. I strongly believe that more than my technical skills, this is what makes my clients happy with my work.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: A pop-rock album which is in the final stages of mixing, and a heavy-rock/stoner-rock EP which I've just finished recording and will soon start mixing.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. Because both have their advantages. Despite all the developments in the digital tools we have, using some analog gear will have a more desirable "footprint" on the sound. But digital makes everything way more simple and less expensive. So I use some analog compressors and equalizers both for recording and mixing, but I also use a lot of plugins.

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

A: It won't sound good, it will sound great!

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Ending a project and having the artists happy with my work.

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

A: Ask questions and try to understand if this person is a good fit for you and your music before you commit. Make sure you're hiring someone who will respect you and your work.

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

A: I started producing electronic music when I was 16, which eventually led me to get a degree in music production and audio engineering. While studying I started recording some friends bands and doing a lot of live sound gigs, I slowly built my own studio over the years, and here I am today doing what I love for almost 10 years now.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: "Natural" sound is probably the best answer. I almost always try to go for a "realistic" sound, I do this by avoiding using artificial reverb (which I feel will almost always sound fake) as much as possible. This means that when I'm recording I will use the room acoustics to my advantage, if it's a mixing project I'll often run drums, guitars and even vocals through a loudspeaker on my recording room and record some natural reverb to use on the mix.

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

A: Mostly Rock, Heavy-Rock, and Pop-Rock, but I also do a lot of mastering for electronic music artists.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: My technical skills and music knowledge, but most importantly I always step into each project with a lot of respect for the artists and their music.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I always take some time to thoroughly discuss each project with the artists before starting working on their music, this allows me to have a better understanding of their vision and produce a better-suited mix. Then I'll work on one of the songs a make a few revisions according to the band's feedback, once everyone is satisfied with the first song it means I have found "their sound" and I'll then proceed to mix the remaining songs based on that first song. I find that approaching mixing projects in this fashion makes the whole process faster and smoother both for me and the artists.

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

A: Steve Albini, Butch Vig, Dave Grohl, Jack Withe, Vance Powell, and many others

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

A: I mostly do mixing and mastering but I also do a fair amount of recording at my studio