Production, Mixing, Mastering

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I invested enormous amount of time and energy into achieving the level of sound control I currently have in my studio. Though Longplay Studio is equipped with expensive gear, starting from Solid State Logic AWS 924 Delta mixing console, to Amphione One18 monitoring system. I have a rack of compressors, reverbs, delays, preamps, and other gadgets to put the magic on recorded tracks. For recording I use high quality microphones, mostly from AKG. Besides all of that, I'd like to emphasize that the most important factor in the production is the producers' ear and how much he's done to make the analog part of the studio work.

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

A: I'd say it would be Through Infinity's The Life album. It was the band's debut album and it's been worked on, actively and passively for almost 8 years. I guess having it see the light of the day brings up smile on my face. I was co-producing it, I played the keyboards and did all the mixing and mastering.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I'm working on new material for Through Infinity. We're currently recording 24 songs, all in different genres, played on various instruments. It's pretty exciting because the more we work on that material the better it turns out... I'm also working with my songwriting team. We're preparing several good singles for pop singers locally. My digital distribution label Longplay Digital releases some of them so I put myself in that part, as well.

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

A: I haven't met so many people on Soundbetter, but I hope I'll do it soon. My friend and also a guitarist from Through Infinity, Josip Pesut, is probably around, so if you need some guitar lines played, he's the one for you!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Analog, no doubt about it. Nothing can replace the real chips, transistors, capacitors and relays doing their work. If you can't hear the difference, you aren't in the studio long enough.

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

A: My promise is that they'll be able to play their song on any radio, TV, or they'll be able to make any online promotion, so that they won't have to put their head down doing it. My goal is to make them sound good and I work until I get it done.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I like the mixing process the most. When everything is recorded, all the best takes edited out, and then it's time to make those tracks work and put the magic in them. That's the point of production where the most of the song atmosphere builds up.

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

A: Why shouldn't I book the studio per hour and hire you per project instead? Without an experienced producer, you're condemned to wonder through recording and mixing sessions for ages. There have been so many bands and musicians which thought they could do the most of the things themselves and ended up wasting hours of studio time with no outstanding results Can you make me sound better than I really do? Technically I can, but the point of a great production is to make you sound like you do in reality, especially when it comes to catching up the personality in your performance.

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

A: Most of my clients believe I have a formula for how to make the song work, but in reality it's all specific to every project.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: My clients differ a lot and they usually know what they want so it's tough to have a specific question to be asking everyone. The most common of my questions is probably "When do you need it done?"

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

A: Talk about as much details as possible with your producer, and then trust him with his expertise.

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

A: First I'd take the power supply with adequate conditioners. Second a Mac packed with Pro Tools HD. Third, it would be a pair top notch Amphion monitors. Fourth, it would be AKG C12. Five, it would be SSL AWS 924 mixing console.

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

A: I began as a performing musician. In the meantime I began bringing the first studio equipment together. That was almost 18 years ago. Longplay Studio as it is has been fully commercially functional for the last decade.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My production style is to make sure I get the right atmosphere in the mix.

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

A: I'd work with Peter Gabriel. He's a genius to me, because you can tell it's him at his one hundred percent and there are no compromises in his work.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Work with professionals from the first stage 'till the last stage of producing your song.

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

A: The most of my clients in studio are pop and rock acts.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I'd say being able to spot the most important factor in the specific song and make the mix work to put that factor out is my strongest skill. When it comes to modern pop singers, their vocals are like a brick wall in front of you and still you can enjoy every tiny bit of arrangement behind it.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: The vocals have to sing. The guitars have to scream their notes. The bass has to hold the bottom with the drums. I make it work. When I'm doing arrangements I love to add keyboards or orchestrations. The whole song has to put up the right vibe.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Basically there are two ways I dig into a project. If the song has to put singer in the first place, I make sure the arrangement is laid out perfectly. Then I add "that something" through the mixing process. And if the song has to work as a composition or a band then it's a totally different approach, where each instrument has to hold it's specific place in the mix, to form layers of meaningful, aurally fulfilling tracks.

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

A: My biggest inspirations when it comes to production are Chris and Tom Lord Alge, Trevor Horn and Al Smith.

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

A: My clients usually approach me with a desire for complete song package - song, lyrics, arrangements, production and mastering. When it comes to writing songs and making arrangements, I am home at pop, pop/rock and RnB. When it comes to production and mastering, I have produced music in almost any genres, from heavy metal to the most commercial pop music.