Carter Vail on SoundBetter

Hi, I'm your friendly neighborhood producer & mix engineer! I've been fortunate to produce & mix songs with millions of plays, have my own solo music be playlisted on official Spotify playlists, and work with top industry people, most recently Salaam Remi (producer of Amy Whinehouse, Nas, the Fugees, etc.). I want to work with you!

My background:
After studying Music Engineering at the Frost School of Music, I began managing the Weeks Recording Studio in Miami, Florida, where I recorded indie bands as well as my original music. I then began working for Salaam Remi (producer of Amy Whinehouse, Nas, the Fugees, etc.). In 2019, I moved to Nashville, TN and opened Happy Camper Studios, where I've been working ever since!

Here's what I do...

Vocal Tuning - Everyone needs a bit of pitch correcting sometimes, and I'd love to help you with that! I'll tune up your project, and make it sound completely natural (or like T-Pain if that's what you're looking for, I don't judge!)

Mixing - I've been a mixing engineer for a whole bunch of artists. I love getting the tones you're looking for, whether it be just pop, country, free jazz, or a book on tape.
Producing - I have access to some of the best Nashville based session musicians around! Need a full band to play on your song? Let's do it.

Send me a note through the contact button above.

Credits

1 Reviews

Endorse Carter Vail

by Ula Blue
I've worked with Carter remotely to produce my EP and he has delivered sonic gold. We're still in the process of recording the remaining tracks and I can't wait to hear what he and the Happy Camper Studios team come up with next.

Interview with Carter Vail

Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: A few records I can't discuss yet!
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Analog going into the computer, but after that, keep it in the box for ease of use.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: That we'll get your song sounding good.`
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: Getting to work with people that make music I'm not used to! I love hearing new stuff.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: What software do I use? I use a whole bunch of stuff, mostly Logic.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: A lot of people think that the songwriting is where artistry ends, but I disagree! I think there's art in every facet of creation. Get a good snare sound? Thats a real art form. Panning? One of the most important ones!
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What's your timeline? That's huge. And what style are you trying to emulate?
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Convey your goals and expectations right at the beginning!
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: U47, Avalon 737, 1176, API EQ, La2A. Coincidentally a great vocal chain!
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I've been doing this for 6 years professionally, and longer unprofessionally.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Little bit funky, crispy on both sides.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: I'd like to work with St. Vincent, because I find her writing to be some of the most creative.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Parallel compression is... everything.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Indie-rock and pop
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Mixing & vocal tuning
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Mixing chops, interesting production ideas, and hopefully some fun!
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: For remote work (if I'm producing), I begin with a demo of the artists playing guitar or piano and singing. I then discuss with the artist the goals of the project, and the whole band gets into the room and tracks the tune. After that, I refine it and get a rough mix. Then the artist cuts the real vocals, and we keep on going back and forth till the song is right!
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: My studio consists of several mixing rooms, and a medium sized tracking room with all the instruments anyone could want. I work largely in the box, but enjoy the odd tape delay, outboard compressor or funky gadget.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Some of my favorites are Tony Berg (the producer of Phoebe Bridgers), and Blake Mills (incredible artist, and producer, worked on Alabama Shakes & Perfume Genius).
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Mixing & Producing. My typical style of production is with a full band (who are all on staff at my studio).