Wessel van den Broek on SoundBetter

I'm a producer / audio-engineer that works from the artists vision. I want to bring out the absolute best from whatever I get and I'm not afraid to work for it. Mixing music is my specialty because I'm a great listener and can grasp what the artist is trying to tell.

Since I was about twelve years old I've been into recording music. At that time I thought I was aspiring to become the greatest guitar player, but many years later in music college I realized that recording and mixing was where my passions are.

In 2018 I graduated as an audio-engineer / guitarist at the Rockacademie in Tilburg. Since then I've been recording and mixing music professionally for both my own projects as well as other artists.

For me the most important thing is to grasp what the artist wants to hear from their music. It's important to be flexibel, empathetic and passionate when you're working in on someone else's art. The result should be a product that goes beyond what the artist thought it could become, without losing the soul and character.

I'm most confident in mixing music with a statement. I don't like to think in genre's, but in different attitudes. To me a banging hip hop track could have the same attitude as a post-hardcore track. It's being on top of your music which makes the sound, not the genre.

Contact me through the green button above and let's get to work.

Credits

1 Reviews

Endorse Wessel van den Broek

by Jacco Wynia
Wessel is not only easy and fun to work with, but his intuition is something that I highly value for the music he is mixing&mastering for me. Wessel is one of those guys that just goes with whatever your musical vision is and gives it a full chance to work. Even if he doesn't think it is the best idea, he will give it a try, and is open to let this convince him to do something different than he has done before. And of course if he is not convinced, he will tell why and what he would do differently, but would never force you to finish your music without you yourself being happy about it.

Interview with Wessel van den Broek

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I'm very proud of my band's first LP. I had a producer roll on that album and played guitar on it. It was recorded and mixed by Amaury Sauve, but it was very satisfying to do as an artist / producer.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: At the moment I'm in the mixing-stages of a live album I recorded of a local band.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: -
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Digital, because I can work on many different projects at once.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I will promise to bring your music to the next level
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: The versatility and meeting new artists.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: -
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: -
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What do you feel when listening to your songs? Who inspired you?
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Have a good talk before committing to anything. Trust is the most important thing if someone is going to work on your art. If the provider doesn't excite you, don't do it.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: My Gibson, my record player, my laptop, an audio-interface, a Neumann u47.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: In 2018 I graduated as an audio-engineer from the Rockacademie in Tilburg. I've been recording and mixing professionally since and I aspire te become one of the best in the game.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Unapologetic
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: I would love to work with Idles, because I think recording them would be a very loud but awesome experience. Mixing them would be very fun also, as I get to push things to the limit.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Don't ''horror vacui'' your mix
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: I usually work on rawer styles, such as rock, hip hop and everything in between. I don't think in genres, so the type of music I usually work on is music with an original vision and attitude.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Listening to the clients wishes and translating that to a well balanced and moving mix.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I bring movement that touches you on a deeper level.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I'm a careful prepper, so the first thing I do is edit and organise my sessions so that the mixing part will flow very organically. When I'm mixing I start with a good balance and work from there. The elements I start with depend on the elements in the music.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I use a Midas Venice 16 to record and convert in and out of Pro Tools. I mix on ns10's, Adam a7x's and sometimes in another studio with ATC 300's.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: I'm inspired a great deal by engineers like Bob Clearmountain and Steve Albini, but I'm inspired more by artists who make music with true passion.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I mainly record and mix music for other artists.

I allow two revisions per song and a third one for finishing touches. I will usually send the first mix of a song within two days. Albums require a bit more time, usually about two weeks.