Mixing Engineer

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

A: 2 mics, a Field Recorder and two speakers. I think once you understand the physics behind recording, you can make a record with almost everthing.

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

A: I usually work on traditional music that is mostly recorded with microphones and has a kind of an old school touch to it. And i also mix electronic productions. I love these contrasts in my field of work. I don't do metal!

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: First i try to understand and clarify the unique vision of my clients, what aesthetic they're going for, who their influences are. Reference tracks can be a big help! Then i start the mixing process till the point where i think i'm pretty much done. Now the artist comes into play and I do a revision based on the clients notes.

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

A: I just finished a album with a band named 'Tour of Tours'. They are made up of five different bands that together form a supergroup. When they asked me to come on tour and produce their new album, I knew that a normal live record wouldn’t be enough to show all the genius of the group. So I recorded them everywhere music took place and created something that we call A Road Record. Listening to this album is like being on tour with the Tour of Tours.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm currently working on a jazz album based on duets only. The simplicity of it makes so special.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Mostly digital. Its fast and you can recall everthing evertime. I grew up with mixing in the box. It feels natural to me.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I like the most, that i can work with many different artist and different projects. Its so diverse!

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

A: Is there enough bass content in the mix? My answere is, that you have to trust in my and the mastering guys experience. Listening back on earbuds, laptops and shitty speakers would not tell you the truth.

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

A: That I can fix a bad performance. Of course, there are way to adjust the recorded material, but only a certaint amount of it will sound fine. Mixing can only be adjusting!

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Whats your vision, whats your influences and who is your audience?

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

A: Please keep in mind, that the mix i do can be different from your roughmix. Our ears get use to what we listen over and over again, and its hard to have objective sight on something new then.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I'm a musician, not a gearhead.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Get it right in the first place. There is a chain of production in the process of making a record. If every step is done right, that following one can develop its full potential. This is the reason why top productions sound so good. But, don't get trapped in perfection to much. There is only a certain amount time before things are getting worse instead of better.

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

A: I started as and still am a musician. After studying Jazz-Doublebass in Collogne i moved to Berlin to start working as a musician for the Blue Man Group. My interest in recording and mixing began to appear during my time as a hired session musician. As it got bigger i started to study sound engineering at the UDK Berlin and became what i am now.

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

A: The work is done, when the client loves it!

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

A: I'm mixing tracks for clients, who are searching for the next level of there artistic work. My main focus is on understanding the artists vision and enhancing whats allready there.

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

A: I'm a huge fan of Mixing Artists like Michael Brauer, Chat Blake and Daniel Lanois. But even more i got inspired by my friends and colleges like Nils Frahm, Clueso and the People from the Blue Man Group.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My studio is a custom built listening-room, that is made for the purpose of high quality mixing and mastering. I work with what we call a hybrid setup, which provides the best of analog and digital. Total recall with a big and wide analog sound.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring my expertise of being a mixing engineer and musician of over 25 years. I'm able to instinctively capture the essence of a song and sculpt it, until all the musical values we love so much appear in a exiting illusion of music coming true two speakers.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My style is a open and wide sound with a lot of contrast, movement and dynamic. I want to keep the ear busy!