Mixing, Mastering, Live Sound

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

A: Noah "Second Chance" (2015) : Producer, Mixer, and also as Steve Lilywhite Assistant (he produce 3 tracks on that album). Noah US Tour (2015) : FOH Mixing engineer.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Blessing Studio, my own mixing and mastering Studio.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I can live in both world, digital more efficient analog more memorable. I prefer record with the best analog gear and the best AD converter, but I'm good with ITB mixing.

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

A: Sounds like a record!

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Helping musicians to crafting their music/song soundwise!

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

A: Budget :D

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

A: Many new band/musician think Mixing Engineer is like a magician. We can simulate room but the real room need to be the real one!

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

A: Please prepare your tracks. Edit whatever you need to edit, be sure everything is the final version and ready to mix. Better if you already do the rough balance/mix so I can have a picture and same vision.

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

A: A Guitar, an audio interface, DAW, a microphone, a headphone

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

A: I started as guitarist, covering from CCR to Nirvana. I started playing music in small city, no sophisticated gear and It was really hard to make a multitrack demo. So, we had to do everything with whatever we had. That's when I interested in electronic and sound recording. Years later, 1997, I moved to the Biggest city in Indonesia, Jakarta. I played in various gigs and become guitarist in a home band of some wellknown singers. I start to love live sound engineering, in the same time, a friend offer me a recording gig in a studio using ADAT (Alesis Digital Audio Tape) and Session 8 (DAW) using Audiomedia III card (half duplex). So you need 2 card if you want to playback while recording. Protools was still so rare in Indonesia. Maybe not more than 5 studios using Protools. I decide to focus on audio engineering and start dreaming as Producer. So I went as Freelance Audio Engineer looking for gigs in many studios around Jakarta. I also got called by a Band to do tour. No Line Array system back then, not even a system..sound rental company that days, usually custom box, copied from Turbo sound or whatever they can copy. So pretty much, I was a freelancer until 2007 I start my own mixing studio until now! So, it's been 15+ years now. :D

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: One of my clients called me a Chameleon Engineer. He said I can adapt to any music my clients bring to me. I prefer to follow my clients than my ego but yes, I do has my own sound and method I'd like to incorporate in the mix.

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

A: Most of my clients are very talented people and really proud to work with them but I have very deep experiences with this band called NOAH, because I produce their re-make album (4 albums) and also got involved in their live production as FOH mixing engineer for about 3 years. I also do US tour with them in october 2015

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Music first!

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

A: Pop, Pop Rock, Hardcore, EDM, World Music, any music!

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I started my career as a guitarist but I really love how the drum and bass drive me when playing my guitar. I dig a lot about drums back in the earliest day of my recording career. Then I learn so much about vocals and microphone for vocals. My studio when I worked, ever get booked only for vocal recording in a year!

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Vocals, Lyrics and Genre is the most important for me when building a mix. Drums also drive me, depend on the genre and materials. I always think if I were audience and the musician that play the music. The sound I create should make the song better to hear and to enjoy.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I always ask a brief from my clients about their project, and their references and rough mix is really help for me to understand that then I set a schedule and when it's done I send preview via email (hi res mp3). Long distance clients always welcome to use Skype, Whatsapp, Facebook or else to communicate with me as well phone call.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I rely on Protools for Mixing and Editing and Wavelab for Mastering. Recently I choose plugins as my main processor except for Mastering I still believe my Great River Mastering EQ for finishing. I use Neve 8816 console as my main console, it has 16 ins and really great sound! It's not a summing box, it's a console!

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

A: Jimmy Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, Eddie Van Hallen, Steve Vai, Nirvana, Metallica, Mute Lange (Def Leppard, Shania Twain), Bob Rock, Michael Wagener (Metallica, Extreme, Skid Row), Michael Brauer, CLA, Andy Wallace, Manny Marroquin and many more!!!

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

A: Mixing, Mastering, Producing, Live Sound Mixing