Fede Petro

Producer, Session Player

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10 Reviews (2 Verified)
Fede Petro on SoundBetter

I’m a producer, multi-instrumentalist session musician & singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles, California. For the past 10 years I’ve produced, arranged & recorded for a wide range of up and coming and popular independent Folk, Rock, Americana, Soul, Pop, Latin, argentine Folklore artists from Argentina, Spain & the US. Free consultation!

As a Producer I can work on your Single, EP or LP. My process is very methodical and endgame oriented. We'll listen to music, work on your songs, pre-record them at my home studio to see what the end result might sound like and then eventually record them at a recording studio.

As a session musician I can provide amazing sounding acoustic guitars, dobros, electric guitars with personalized tone and overall sound. (Samples on Soundclose playlist)

I've produced a wide range of genre's from Americana, Country and Folk to pop, rock and experimental acoustic indie. My South American background is usually a plus when we're looking to ad flavors or hints of more folkloric origins with instruments like Ronroco popularized by my ex boss Gustavo Santaolalla.

Technology allows us to do all of this wherever we are in the world and be able to listen to the tracking in the studio live while it's being recorded or have meetings almost as if we were in the same room.

I've produced more than 30 records in the past 10 years and I'm proud of all of them and the artists that were kind enough to trust me with their music.
Hit me up.

I'd love to hear about your project. Click the 'Contact' button above to get in touch.

Languages

  • English
  • Spanish

10 Reviews

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  1. Review by Jake W.
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    Fede is a wonderful producer to work with. He was able to take my vision to produce 1 song and eventually grew into a 4 song EP album. Fede absolutely killed it. He's a collaborator, a great musician and his attention to detail is impeccable. His process allows everyone involved to work at their highest potential. I learned so much while working with him.

  2. Review by Nacho de la Riega
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    Its very hard to find someone as professional as Fede. He's been super friendly thru the process. Excellent quality. HIGHLY recommended !! will definitely work with him again!

  3. Review by LS Estudio
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    Fede is one of the most professional and talented musicians I have worked with, without a doubt, one of his great virtues is to make everything he does work and he puts everything of himself to make that happen, I hope to work with him again soon.

  4. Review by Ale Moffardin
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    Fede is an astounding producer, musician and composer. He has a true passion for music and is very professional. We worked together on more than 20 productions and every time it became an amazing adventure. I look forward to the next one!! Higly recommended!!!!

  5. Review by Lucila R.
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    Having the opportunity to work on my music with Fede was definitely a game-changer for me. As a musician, because of his efficacious determination, versatile resources for creation, and his amazing vision as a musician immersed in the modern world of music.
    And as a human being, because he is the most passionate guy I've ever met. Fede poured his heart out on every song, and every project he took up.
    I am forever grateful he left his distinguished blueprint on my songwriting.

  6. Review by Mauro Meloni
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    by Mauro Meloni

    Fede has produced my first and second EP. My experience working with him was excellent. In both occasions he proved to be a resourceful and inventive producer at the exploratory phase of the creative process, as well as an organized and efficient bandleader and instrumentalist at the moment of recording in the studio. As a highlight I can mention that, when working on my first EP (listen to 'No Time for Heavy Hearts' by Mauro Meloni on Spotify), he helped me define my sound and identity by creating arrangements that achieved an interesting blend of North American folk and argentine folklore.

  7. Review by Pablo Antonelli
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    by Pablo Antonelli

    It was great working with Fede. We connected right away and he took the six songs of my EP to a next level. Looking forward to working with him again!

  8. Review by Rodrigo Genni
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    I worked with Fede in more than 20 productions and all I can say is that he's an incredible talented and multifacetic artist: Top notch producer, songwriter, multi - instrumentalist and vocalist. One in a million kind. He's super passionate, professional and creative.
    I recommend you to take a chance and work with him. I'm sure you won't regret it.
    Hope to be working together again soon Fede!

  9. Review by Andi
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    by Andi

    Fede produced "Holidays" mi third EP, and I couldn't be happier about my experience with him. From the very first time I played him my new songs, his work was worth it every dollar. His ideas to finish every part of this songs, the arrangements, his guitar skills, harmonies and his great communication not only with me but also with the engineer and the band define the audio of the album. I recommend it 100%. If you want to check out this work, you can go to Spotify and search for : Andi Pomato Holidays

  10. Review by Nichi
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    by Nichi

    I met Fede Petro back in 2014 as he was just starting to create the Open Folk project, a very well-known weekly event that gathers musicians from all over the world. For me as a musician that has played at Open Folk it is amazing to see how this project has become a reference not just for singer-songwriters from the artistic scene in Buenos Aires, but also for people that love music and are looking forward to discovering new artists. I've had the opportunity to work with Fede and I always highlight his love for music and his passion and dedication for every new challenge he proposes to himself

Interview with Fede Petro

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

  2. A: That I'll create an interesting world for them based on their ideas and concepts.That I will bring additional light to their songs and that I will commit to help them in every step of the way. I'm not the kind of producer who delivers a Master and says good riddance. I want to see the record out, played and celebrated.

  3. Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

  4. A: My studio setup is very production based. I work on ProTools and use a diverse bank of VSTs mixed with live recordings to get a close and real feel to our pre-production. Real instruments include acoustic guitars, ronroco, electric guitars, basses, violin recorded with a Beyerdynamic M610, Warm Audio Wa-47, Shure sm7b.

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

  6. A: Working with every artist I´ve produced or played for has been a joy. The opportunity of making a living and being able to give it all is an honor. I´ve learnt a lot working with Estela Stier with whom I created some of the songs I produced and her deliver and honesty when a microphone is put in front of her face. Her voice is absolutely terrific and the first time she sang on top of one of the songs we produced my heart almost stopped. That´s what I aim for in every project, for everyone who is listening.

  7. Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

  8. A: What do you listen to? What do you want your record to sound like? Who is your audience or potential audience? What do you want the music to make you feel?

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

  10. A: Look for the provider that feels right. You are gonna work with this person, you will probably share some kind of intimacy if the provider is working on one of your songs. The person on the other side needs to understand what´s right for the song.

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

  12. A: A Mic, A Guitar, A Macbook Pro an Interface and a slide

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

  14. A: I´ve been producing records for 10 years. On the side I became an event organiser to help the artists I worked for. That eventually took me to become Gustavo Santaolalla´s road manager and personal assistant. Being a musician gave me a unique insight of how to sort out whatever challange I had in front of me.

  15. Q: How would you describe your style?

  16. A: Im a song oriented producer and musician. I play, write and produce for the song. My style is very broad since I was brought up in Argentina and was hit with all kinds of different music and eventually moved to San Francisco were I truly discoverd folk, country and americana music. My life has been a mix of both worlds both in music and in life.

  17. Q: Can you share one music production tip?

  18. A: Always work FOR the song. Get your ego out of the way and let the song guide the arrangements.

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

  20. A: I started working on very acoustic folk albums when I first started. I have kept that but was able to explore and dive into Americana, country, pop, indie, rock, with tints of bolero, salsa and argentine folclore.

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

  22. A: I’m a huge fan of George Martin, T Bone Burnett, Jeff Lynne, Jimmy Iovine, Tony Berg and Blake Mills style of production. All of them with a very different approach to production, but I’m a big study of techniques and styles

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

  24. A: I produce records for artists that have a song based approach to music. I also play a variety of instruments that helps me create the right setting for a song.

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

  26. A: Nacho de la Riega mixing and mastering engineer, Rodrigo Genni Gonzalez drummer.

  27. Q: What do you bring to a song?

  28. A: My ultimate mission is to make the finish song evoke an image, a memory, a landscape. I can’t think music as a listening experience only. I work hard to make sure my arrangements complement the song and help it become a sensorial experience. I bring to songs my 15 years of experience as a songwriter and my 12 years producing songs. I work for the song.

  29. Q: What's your typical work process?

  30. A: The first step of my process is to meet, talk music and listen to the songs you’ve been working on. We’ll zoom and set a north to where you want the material to go and we might work on the structure, lyrics to prepare the songs to be arranged. I will want to make a couple of playlists to sense the spirit of the arrangements wanted and the overall sound of what we want the end product to sound like. We’ll meet once or twice a week for a couple of hours. The second step of my process is producing and arranging the songs. I’ll be sending weekly updates for you to listen and be able to imagine what the final record might sound like. Once we are set we take these arrangements to my go to amazing top session musicians from Buenos Aires and we record at Estudio Bulo. The arrangements get embellished by the quality of these musicians and the amazing rig and talent of my partner the engineer Nacho de la Riega. Next step, we edit, comp, and later mix and master. I will also add a small release manual with tips to help the release come out.

  31. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  32. A: Having been born and raised in Argentina & US I have a unique approach and mixture of concepts and genre. I have worked with talented amazing musicians from all over the world in a project I founded called Open Folk where I have personally interacted with 7 thousand artists in a period of 6 years. Their music and their stories I carry inside means I consider it a very influential aspect of my production having known and worked with so many talented songwriters.

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Compilation of my productions

I was the Producer, Guitar, Dobro, Violin player and Arranger in this production

Terms Of Service

Production 50% advance & 50% when the job is done. (Includes two 2hour zoom meetings a week or meeting in person). 2 Revisions for every step. (Producing, Mixing, Mastering).

GenresSounds Like
  • Laura Marling
  • Jeff Lynne
  • Gustavo Santaolalla
Gear Highlights
  • Gibson LG-0
  • Ronroco
  • Coodercaster Waterslide Gtr
  • Gibson 345
  • Mandolin Epihpne MM-50
  • WA 47
  • Vintage Ribbon Beyerdynamic m160
  • Banjo
  • Violin.
More Photos
More Samples
  • Working with Gal MusetteOct 04, 2022

    If you don't know her, you must. This incredible artist has trusted me for session work for her upcoming material. Take a listen Gal Musette - Spotify

  • Mixing & Mastering - Songs to Your EyesSep 27, 2021

    In the last few months I've been working for the renowed music library Songs To Your Eyes (STYE) mixing and mastering some of their collections. One of the funnest ones was The Golden Hour. It's always challenge to dive in new kinds of music and sounds and work on them to make them live and breathe inside the same enviroment. Take a listen!

    Golden Hour Album