Meticulous Mixing & Mastering

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both, deliberately. I work in the box but model my workflow on analogue signal chains: Neve, SSL, API and many more emulations shaping the tone, with digital precision for editing and automation. It gives you the warmth and character of analogue processing with the flexibility and recall of a digital setup. Best of both worlds.

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

A: That I'll treat your music with the same care and attention I'd give my own. You'll get honest feedback, a thorough process, and a mix you're genuinely proud to release.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The moment a mix clicks into place and you can feel the song doing what it was always meant to do. That never gets old. I also genuinely enjoy working with different artists and hearing new music before anyone else does.

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

A: "How much does it cost?" and the honest answer is "It depends on the project." A straightforward mix with clean, well-recorded stems is different from a 60-track session that needs editing and creative production decisions. Mixing a Vocal and acoustic guitar is not the same as mixing a 12 minute cinematic epic. My average mixing price is listed on my profile, but I always scope the project properly before quoting so there are no surprises. Send me your details and I'll give you an honest figure.

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

A: That you can mix by applying presets. A good mix is hundreds of deliberate, small decisions made in service of the song. These tiny decisions and differences all add up to create a mix that communicates. It's closer to arrangement and performance than most people realise.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What's the song about and what feeling are you going for? Do you have any reference tracks? How was it recorded, and how many tracks am I working with? Is there a release deadline? These help me understand the project quickly so I can give an accurate quote and hit the ground running when we start.

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

A: Listen to their work, not just their credits. A big name on a CV doesn't mean they're the right fit for your song. Check that their samples match the sound you're after, ask how they handle revisions, and pay attention to how they communicate. The best working relationships start with clear expectations on both sides.

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

A: I started playing guitar at 15, got deep into hard rock and metal, then discovered electronic music in my early 20's and spent years playing in bands and producing my own tracks. I did a lot of experimenting and playing festivals with hybrid Electronic acts. I studied music production at Newcastle College, but honestly learned more in the years that followed through hands-on experience. Over the last nine years I've worked as a studio engineer across home studios, commercial facilities, and two years as the main engineer at Loft Music Studios. Mixing became the thing I'm most passionate about: taking all the elements of a song and making them work together while keeping the artist's vision intact.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Detail-driven but never clinical. I want every mix to sound polished and professional while still feeling human and emotionally honest. I lean towards warmth and depth over brightness for its own sake, and I always prioritise the song over any technical trend.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Send your mix engineer a rough mix and a couple of reference tracks with notes on what you like about them. It saves time, avoids guesswork, and means the first mix draft is already close to where you want it.

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

A: A real mix of genres: rock, pop, folk, singer-songwriter, metal, EDM, world, reggae, afrobeats, funk, and RnB. I enjoy the variety because it keeps me adapting to each track rather than falling back on templates. That said, rock is probably where I'm most instinctive, having grown up on it.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Listening. Not just technically, but to what the artist is trying to say. I'm good at translating a rough reference or a vague description into something concrete in the mix. Pair that with a detailed, patient approach and you get mixes that are both sonically precise and emotionally right.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: A careful ear, honest feedback, and the perspective of someone who's also a musician. I play guitar and have spent years writing and arranging, so I understand the musical as well as the technical side when it comes to making a recording work. Clients tell me that makes communication easier and means I can offer musical suggestions alongside sonic ones. My focus is always on serving the song's message and making sure the final mix feels like yours, not mine. I always aim to bring a professional level of depth, clarity and impact in a way that complements the song.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Before starting any mix, I make sure I understand the artist's vision. We'll talk through references, goals, and what matters most about the song, so I'm working towards their destination. From there I start with thorough session prep: checking every track, gain staging, and flagging any issues early so there are no surprises later. Then I build the mix through analogue-modelled channel strips, choosing the right sonic character for the project. Often I'll be using a vintage tape emulation on every track. From there it's balance, panning, EQ, compression, spatial work with early reflections, reverb and delay, and detailed automation. I take a lot of care to ensure that every decision enhances the song itself. I take 3-4 days per song and nothing is rushed or templated. After that I send an initial mix draft and then you get three revision rounds with time-stamped feedback to keep things clear and efficient. Once the mix is right I'll move on to mastering after a short break away from the song to reset my ears. Mastering is usually a quick and painless process as I like to aim for as close to a "finished" sound as I can in the mix.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I work from a dedicated, acoustically treated room at home. Monitoring through Adam A7X's with a Sub 8 and an Avantone Mixcube for reference. The whole space is made around the speakers and listening spot. I mix "ITB" in Pro Tools through a UAD Apollo X16 with a lot of extra UAD DSP and Avid S1's and Dock for hands-on control. I'm also very at home in Logic Pro. My processing is mostly analogue-modelled: Neve, SSL, API emulations and many more, plus FabFilter, Waves, iZotope and UAD plugins. I have an enormous plugin collection and I'm always hunting for special emulations of vintage gear. I also have an Axe FX II which I use for re-amping guitars and creative effects processing. Nearly all the power during daylight hours comes from solar panels. I also value comfort and my studio must be one of the few in the world to have a wood-burning stove!

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

A: Andy Wallace and Chris Lord-Alge for how they handle rock mixes with power and clarity. Tchad Blake for doing things differently and making it work. And of course Serban Ghenea for the way he creates such amazing space and depth. Musically, I grew up on Nirvana, Foo Fighters and RHCP, and that energy still influences how I approach a mix. I'm also a big fan psychedelic dub - especially of OTT's production work: beautifully layered, creative, and completely his own thing. I love to keep things eclectic and moving across genres keeps everything fresh and interesting.

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

A: Mixing is the core of what I do. Most projects come to me as recorded stems or rough mixes, and I shape them into polished, release-ready records. I spend 3-4 days per song: thorough prep, analogue-modelled processing, and detailed automation until everything sits right. I also offer mastering and occasionally take on production and recording work where it helps serve the song.

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

A: An Axe FX II XL+ and the most expensive shur guitar money can buy. And a macbook pro. Thats it, who needs 5 pieces of gear? Oh, Id' better take a jack cable and a USB cable along.