Stereo & Atmos mixing Engineer

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

A: The last album by lastanzadigreta, "Creature Selvagge" did win a very important award called "Targa tenco", for the best debut album of the year in 2017. Here in Italy it's the best award that a songwriter can obtain. I produeced, engineered and mixed that album. The year before I did obtain a nomination for best album of the year with "Evidenti tracce di felicità" by Yo Yo Mundi, always at the "Targa Tenco" awards; album that I recorded and mixed.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: At the moment (May 2020) I'm working on mix. I'm at the review of an album by "lastanzadigreta", deeply in the mix process of the new album by "Yo Yo Mundi", and I've a good blues project by Dave Moretti to mix after that. They are all very good artists.

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

A: There's a Mastering Engineer called Gianni Vallino of the KARIBU Mastering Studio. He is a great engineer and a great man!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Analog with no compromises. For me the performative aspect of the work is crucial. Today I work 100% in the box in my studio, because make a great mix needs a lot of resources, thats in the analog domain request a very well equipped studio and often the budget it's not enough. I try to maintain an analog way to organize and approach my work, using controllers to perform quickly. But I'd prefer to work analog if the production could.

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

A: I love my job and I spend every day of my life trying to do it the best, improving my skills and searching for new quality goals.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Music first of all! the creativity process.

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

A: Q. How much for this mix (or recording, or whatever). R. It depends! please tell me about your project and we'll see.

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

A: I live and work in Italy...here peoples who don't play or study music calls me "Dj"! With artists the battle is to explain them that a specific microphone, placement, gear, are just for quality! and the quality, for me, it's the only way to make emerge a great music.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I like to know more about the project, music preferences and the vision behind the production. To know about the best way to approach the artist music.

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

A: I am a young music professional. I don't have a long list of awards yet. All you can do is listen to my work and don't forget to talk to me about your project.

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

A: A good musician, a good instrument, wonderful music, my ears and a chair...hey man! probably there's no electricity on a desert island!

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

A: I began as a musician, as a children and then at the Conservatory of Music in Turin. I've studied French Horn, Piano, and Electronic Music. I' ve played in Orchestra and in the meanwhile with songwriters and rock bands. I've then studied at the SAE Institute in Milan. I began working on a small recording studio in 2005...and I never stopped because I found it to be my real place in the music world.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I don't know. You should hear my work and make your personal opinion.

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

A: I love many artists ... but often I dream of working on film music, with great composers and orchestras, in great studios.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: It really depends on the project. Talking about mixing, I usually start hearing rough mixes, I speak deeply with the artist or the producer, then I hear some reference music. So I can organize the session and start mix.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have my personal mixing room. The acoustics was professionally designed. Here I work mostly 'in the box', with Pro Tools, Universal Audio DSP and Interfaces, AVID control surfaces and my beloved ATC SCM45A Pro monitors. I also love to work analog...it is my real love. I constantly trying to keep my analog heart in the digital domain.

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

A: My professional inspirations come from Paul Epworth, Nigel Godrich and many others for production. My reference mix engineers are Tom Elmhirst and Tchad Blake.

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

A: I make mixes, for all types of music, especially in my mixing room. And then I produce and record in commercial recording facilities or in any strange recording situation, by renting microphones and professional equipment from local rental companies.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Experimenting is a beautiful thing. But having the sound in your head really takes everything to another level. From instrument choice and tuning, to microphones type and placement, effects and so on.

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

A: Generally speaking I can say 'pop'...but sometimes is rock, blues, alternatives, experimental music or folk. I really love work with songwriters.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I can visualize in my mind the sound I want to reach. And this benefits me during production and recording, but also in the mix. I played in orchestra (French horn) and in rock bands (keyboards). I try to give back to the music I work on, the power that is felt being "inside" the music.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I'm a musician, for me music is all. And when I put this mindset in a technical work like engineering or mixing, this seems to give to the song something more. Of course there is a lot of technique that need to be done well, but everything needs to support the music.