Session Guitarist, Producer.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both, but usually, I prefer analog. I'm an italian guy and I love italian fresh food but I hate frozen food, this is the reason why I love the warmth of analog sound.

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

A: In 2008, when I've been involved in the album called: ”Spirito Libero” of the great italian pop star: ”Giorgia”, My role was guitar session player, I arranged all my guitar parts and I worked with a great team. This album includes a lot of incredible guests as: Herbie Hancock, Ronan Keating, Michael Baker and many many more.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Now I'm working on my brand new album with a lot of special guests as: Vinnie Colaiuta, Reggie Hamilton, Lee Sklar and many more.

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

A: Too much people.

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

A: My promise is that they will be always satisfied, whatever it takes.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Everything.

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

A: Can I listen the song before the final process ???? My answer is always yes. What kind of gear you think to use of this song ???? I answer always trying to say all tools I'll use on the song. It's possible to receive more different takes ???? My answer is always yes. These are the most frequently asked questions.

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

A: Often there aren't misconceptions, because I try to be always clear when I talk with my clients and I ask them to do the same with me.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I ask always what they need, as what a kind of sound, what kind of arrangement, what a kind of atmo, etc. and then what kind of audio format as: 96khz - 24 bit or lower.

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

A: The only advice is trying to be always clear when he asks me what he needs I do on his songs, in this way, I can work much better and I'm sure to be able to satisfy all his requests.

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

A: Surely my Carvin custom guitar built by my personal specs. Fender Custom Shop relic 1957 Marshall amp head Plexi 100w 1959 Marshall cab 2 x 12, featured with Rola Celestion G12 - 65 speakers and Truetone Dual Tap stereo delay.

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

A: My musical background includes the study of classical music and jazz. When I was 19 years old, I begin to work like arranger and session player in various recording studios in Italy. In these years I've written and played musical arrangements with a lot of musicians from different music areas. I started to play live on tour with different italian artists when I was 23 years old. During my career path I've played with a lot of great musicians as: Tony Levin, Dave Weckl, Vinnie Colaiuta, Lee Sklar, Reggie Hamilton, Keith Carlock, Stuart Hamm, Mike Terrana, Carl Verheyen, Billy Sheehan, Joel Taylor, Philippe Saisse, Bill Bergman, Tyra Juliette, Thomas Lang, Virgil Donati, the famous italian female singer Giorgia and many many more. I work from over 20 years.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I was born in 1975, so my guitar style have been influenced surely by guitarists as: Steve Lukather, Eddie Van Halen, Joe Striani, Steve Vai, Steve Stevens, Michael Landau, Pat Metheny, Scott Henderson, Allan Holdsworth. One time, my friend, a press agent from L.A. has described my playing as “a cross between Steve Lukather and Steve Vai but with his own unmistakable style”.

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

A: I would like to work with a lot of artists from different music areas as: Lady Gaga, Post Malone, The Weeknd, Rihanna, Maroon 5, Rita Ora, Michael Sembello, Richard Marx, Michael MacDonald, Kenny Loggins, Ivan Lins and many many others. Each artist I have mentioned has something in his personal musical vision that deeply touches my sensitivity and this is what they all have in common. In music, aesthetics are not important but the intention you put into defining who you really are is the most important thing.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Surely. I would like to share a great tip by Quincy Jones: "Please, when you work in the studio, let your ego out the door". Enough said.

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

A: Usually I work on pop productions, rock productions, guitar oriented productions, fusion productions and electronic music productions.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I think that my strongest skill is knowing how to fit perfectly into the mood of the song to meet my client's needs. Usually most clients ask me to arrange all guitar parts as: clean guitars, wah guitars, power guitars, guitar solos, etc. In over 20 years of music work, I can say that all my clients have been always satisfied and this is my first personal goal.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Surely, I try to put in all productions, all my passion for music amd all my skills acquired in over 20 years of experience as session player, arranger, producer and artist solo.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: My typical work process is listening the song, talking with client to know exactly what's he needs I do on his songs and then starting to work. Usually I do exactly what the client ask me to do and then I propose my personal vision about his song, in this way the client has different takes where I play what he needs and also where I play my personal creative contribution. Often most clients give me all freedom to arrange and play the songs, but often I must read the music sheets because the songs have been arranged before. I start to record one song and during the recording sessions, I send it to client, as first listening, in this way, he can tell me if my direction is correct or if I should change something, then I complete the work and then I send to client all different takes that I have played, in this way, he can choose his favorite take. If he needs some changes, after recording, I work again on the song, following his requests. Clients don't pay additional money for changes, my first target is their satisfaction.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I work in my own state-of-the art facility. A large room acoustically treated to reach for a perfect sound and features Sound Workshop analogue console 40 channels, API style preamps and great mics of different kind as: ribbon, dynamic and Cardioid Condenser. Usually, I use my my rack designed by Bob Bradshaw with some different tube amps as: Bogner, Soldano, Marshall, Fender and others tools like pedals, etc. I choose the guitars, the amps and pedals to use based on the arrangement of the different guitar parts to play. I record on Pro Tools HDX, usually in 96Khz - 24 bit format.

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

A: My musical mentor is surely Steve Lukather, I love his playing and his guitar sound, but I always taken inspiration from different great musicians as: Larry Carlton, Mike Landau, Michael Thompson, Joel Hoekstra, Pat Metheny, Allan Holdsworth, Scott Henderson and many others.

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

A: Usually, I work like session players. Most clients ask me to play all guitar parts in their musical projects. Before I arrange all my guitar parts and then I fix all ideas in my recording studio. Often, someone ask me to arrange the complete song, so I wite all parts for drums, bass, keys, guitars and strings. Sometimes I work as composer for soundtracks and broadcast and movie productions.