Pop Singer (Remote Recording)

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Producing 2 projects: Abril and Frida Ponce.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: For Vocals: good analog chain with as little digital processing as possible.

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

A: The best sounding vocals available with a good sense of style.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: That I get to meet incredible and talented people around the world.

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

A: How long does it take you to record a vocal track? Including warmups and training + recording lead and background vocals + editing (removing silence and comping)... it all takes me about an hour per song-minute. It means that if the song is 03:45 minutes long, it should take me about 3 to 4 hours to get it all done. A bit more if the background vocals are too complex.

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

A: That it's all very easy.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What are you looking for in the vocal tracks in terms of style? What sound/color do you need in the lead vocal? Do you need background vocals?

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

A: Go for a singer that has a proven record of doing things right. A singer that won't settle for a bad take. A singer who is a perfectionist. A singer that has training and experience recording. That will save you some serious time and money when you are mixing later.

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

A: Asuming it has electricity: - Audeze LCD-XC Headphones - Antelope Zen Tour interface - Telefunken ELAM 251 mic - Apple computer - Dizengoff DA2 Preamp ... with all the cables needed of course

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

A: I've been singing professionally for more than 20 years.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Pop with a hint of soul

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

A: As a singer: Aloe Blacc... He has done incredible things that surprise me. I would love to sing with him some time. Alan Parsons (the Alan Parsons Project)... I don't know why. His songs fit me like a glove.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Always find the right Mic and Preamp for your singer... it makes everything easier afterwards.

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

A: Pop, Funk, Blue-Eyed Soul...

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Flexibility. I can sing almost any style in a tenor range.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Experience, a great sense of groove and feel, good skills and technique... and no need for you to auto-tune or edit!!!!... I won't deliver bad takes to you.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: If it's just a vocal recording: I get a reference track of what you need + the lyrics, and I test my vocals on it. I make sure to let you know if there's a change needed in order to make it more fluent and easy.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have everything to record really great vocals.... The Slate VMS allows me to have all the classic microphones and Preamps at my disposal. Plus I have a vintage U87 clone (WA87) and a JZ Microphones V11 (very warm and bright sound). I also have a Coles 4038, in case you want a very vintage sound .

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

A: Michael Jackson is my main inspiration as a singer. You can tell there's a lot of his influence in my songs. Lenny Kravitz, Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, George Michael, Frank Sinatra... there's a lot of them in my voice, the softness, the hardness, the funkiness (is that a word?).

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

A: All Vocal work... Vocal coaching for other singers, recording Lead Vocals, Background Vocals, Voice Arrangements, lyrics, adaptations, and so on. I have also made some Sound-Alike vocals (has been fun to do that)