Arranging Recording & Mixing

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

A: what I don't (want to) do is put up the mics and just record... I want to get creative!

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: For singer- songwriters that have the means to send me a final recording of their voice: - buy a condenser mic that suits your specific voice! Check some in the store and check their frequency response graphs. When you have a sharp high voice buy a mic that has a more flat freq response in the high regions like a Ribbon mic... When you have a warm deep voice your mic can have a little lift in the highs to add some air. Try to record in a room that is as acoustically dead as possible (since homes usually don't have a room with beautiful acoustics anyway), that means there is no reverb at all and when you sing a sweep from very low to as high as you can and there's no certain frequency louder than the others, you're room is pretty good.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: things I would record analog are guitars and vocals, but for an electronic pop music mix almost any other sound can sound 'credible' coming from virtual instruments or sound libraries / samples since they have been recorded before with utmost quality. Talking about outboard gear; these days plugins have proved to sound just as good! Digital remakes might sound a bit different but good in their own right.

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

A: Our collab will be most productive if you have: - a great song, - some idea of what it can sound like and some links to other artists songs, - a financial and promotional plan... (what is your long term vision with your music?)

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

A: I'm proud of the electronic debut album by Jenni Dufoort because I was able to create all music for her and also do the mix. It's been a while ago and I hear things I'd do better now, but I loved being given the freedom to fill in the songs with all ideas about parts and sounds I had.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: at the moment I'm working with an electronic pop / hip hop artists from Holland and I've created all the music for his 6 songs. Als working with a sining couple arranging a hybrid style of acoustic folk with electronic basses and atmospheric pulses

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

A: my utmost concern is you are happy with the end result

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love being creative with notes, instruments and sounds

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

A: If there was solar power or so I'd take my laptop, midi keyboard, headphones, Apollo Twin and 1 good condenser mic.

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

A: I'm recording and arranging music for others since 2000

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: electronic, poppy, funky, touch of 80's, danceable, groovy

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

A: I'd love to work with Dua Lipa because I like her voice but the songs could be better. Or with Mø because her voice is just great and she's cool.

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

A: (indie) electronic pop music

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Arranging pop music is my strongest skill

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I'll bring a fresh (indie) electronic pop arrangement and mix with a touch of 80s to your song

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: You can send me your raw recording and links to tracks to use as example. I'll arrange and record what I think is nice and mail back an mp3. You send me your comments / positive feedback and we'll go back and forth a couple of times until you are satisfied.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have a small studio with a separate recording room (big enough for a drumkit and some amps) and a control room with treated acoustics. My DAW is Logic Pro X because it makes working with midi and virtual instruments easy of which I have loads. Further 5 focus rite isa, 8 slate vrs8 preamps and 16 Apollo inputs into my macbook pro and access to good mics like a matched pair of KM184 and AKG 414, also Charter Oak, Townsend, Slate, SE ribbons and the usual dynamic mics.

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

A: I love listening to modern electronic pop music with a new interesting use of sounds

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

A: Most of my work is the creation and recording of arrangements in the modern electronic pop genre.