Producer | Mixer | Drummer

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

A: I recorded children singing for a P&G advertisement at the peak of the pandemic. With agency creatives on Zoom, giving direction, 8 and 9 year-olds sang OUTSIDE my studio with me engineering and bringing it all together. It was intense. The ad is still running!

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: A new Elk City record

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

A: Joe McGinty Music. Joe is excellent keyboardist.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. Analog for sound reasons. Digital for easy recall and increased creativity.

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

A: I promise to care about your project every step of the way.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I love mixing. I love getting recordings over the finish-line and out into the world.

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

A: 1. How much do you charge to produce? See list

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

A: The small things like file transfers and backups can rob you of studio time. I try to be upfront about how long the little things can take.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: 1. What is your vision for your project? 2. What is your timeline? 3. What budget do we have to work with?

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

A: Ask questions. Let's get in sync to get your project accomplished.

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

A: Mac Pro, BURL converter, Neve 1073 pre-amp, Neumann U67 and ATC monitors.

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

A: 25+ years. I started by recording my own band and other bands liked the recordings, so I started getting work from indie labels and everything grew from there.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Organic recording. Concise, minimal mixing.

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

A: I love the band from Texas, Khruangbin. They have the deepest grooves right now.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Learning the art of listening. What makes a great recording shine? Chase the sound you hear in your head. With technology, it's easier than ever to achieve your vision.

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

A: Alternative and indie bands. Acoustic pop and folk.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I love recording and mixing live drums. The ground-floor that everything else is built upon.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Being in sync with the client. Making sure we have the same goal. And working toward that goal. I have the experience of many years of songwriting, arranging, mixing.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Capture as much live as possible. Overdub, edit, tune, mix, master.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My studio, Magic Door, boasts a large control room, four isolation rooms, large live room, large lounge and kitchen. I use ProTools, BURL converters and a McDSP ABP-16 for a hybrid of analog and digital mixing.

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

A: Tchad Blake is my biggest inspiration - as a mix engineer and as a great human.

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

A: I produce bands. Usually guitar-centric music. I edit, mix and master recordings that I've captured at my studio or recordings from other locations.