Karl Steinmanis on SoundBetter

I am a producer/audio engineer from Riga, Latvia. I work mainly with pop, rock and metal artists.

I have developed precise and fast editing skills over the years of recording bands.

I use slip editing in Cubase - fully manual, no automatic decisions and unneeded cuts.

Would love to hear from you. Click the contact button above to get in touch.

Credits

1 Reviews

Endorse Karl Steinmanis

by Ritvars Šreibers
I have know Karl for years now and it is my go-to recording studio. My bands have recorded several albums and the work Karl has done always have been spot on.
Very reliable in terms of quality, deadlines, editing and also just a cool guy to hang with.

Interview with Karl Steinmanis

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: "Slaughterhouse" by the Latvian band Relicseed. It won the IMA's "Best metal/hardcore album" in 2015. I played guitar on that one, as well as co-wrote it and recorded the pre-production part of it.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: I would love to work with Nickelback. They seem to have it figured out songwriting-wise and they have a killer sound.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Joey Sturgis, Eyal Levi, Joel Wanasek, Andy Sneap, Colin Richardson, Kevin Churko, Andy Wallace, Jens Bogren, Glenn Fricker and others.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: I am working on mixing a couple of albums at this moment. It's all old-school rock music.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Digital. Fast, efficient, recallable.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I will do my best to meet your demands in the shortest time possible.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I like being my own boss.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: Can you fix my performance? Almost always I can.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: All my mixes sound the same because I work in the box and have a distinctive workflow.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What end result are they trying to achieve. It's important because I may or may not be the guy for that specific job. Always negotiate beforehand to avoid misunderstandings.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Label your tracks, have all the necessary information ready, so that we can work as quickly as possible.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: Monitors - ADAM A7X Microphone - JZ Black Hole Compressor - Empirical Labs Distressor Countryman DI box PC with Cubase on it
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I've been doing this for about 9 years. I started out by making a rehearsal space for my band. Eventually, I acquired enough gear to try some recording. It sort of blew up from there.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: I like to work fast, clean and efficient. I try to never leave projects hanging. Deadlines are there for a reason.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: The sound is in your mind, not your gear. Other than that, get it right at the source.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Pop rock Rock Metal Modern metal Post hardcore
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Slip editing in Cubase.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I try my best to make the song sound as tight and good as it can. I also love to add in little background guitars and synths to make a part pop.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I would record a band to the best of their ability, then edit the rest. Prep the mix. Never mix without prep.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: Mixing/editing - Cubase 6.0.7 on Windows 8.1, ADAM A7X monitors. I also use Logic Pro X, if necessary.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Recording full bands, editing drums, guitars and vocals. Drum replacement (Drumagog or Kontakt), converting drums to midi.