Mixing Engineer and Musician

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

A: PROJECT BODHI WAS AN IDEA THAT I CONCEIVED A FEW YEARS AGO. THE PLAN WAS TO RECORD 100 SONGS, RELEASE THEM VIA ITUNES AND DONATE ALL PROCEEDS FROM SALES TO CHILDREN'S CHARITIES IN AUSTRALIA. ​I PLAYED ALL THE INSTRUMENTS MYSELF. I ALSO EDITED, MIXED AND MASTERED THE PROJECT. ​THE PROJECT TOOK 5 MONTHS TO COMPLETE ... http://www.projectbodhi.com.au

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Don't be afraid to try something new!

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

A: I think that the most common one is that people think that they can give you the bad sounds or a bad vocal performance, and then expect you to just 'fix it' or 'make it sound good'. Obviously with todays' technology this can be done to a certain extent, but nothing beats a great song, performed well and sung beautifully.

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

A: Don't pay any attention to what gear the provider has. Any experienced engineer will get good results no matter what he has at his disposal. Remember that some of the greatest sounding albums were recorded outside of conventional recording studios ... long before Pro Tools. What is going to matter most, is how well you work with that person, and how well they interpret and execute your instructions. That will get you results that you are not only happy with, but results that you also felt you contributed too.

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

A: Q: Can you tune my vocals? A: Can we try another take first?

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

A: I'd love to record Damien Rice. I love the rawness and honesty of his songs, and the fact that he is just a voice and a guitar.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I think my strongest would be that i am multifaceted. I have a broad skill set, both as an engineer / producer, and as a musician. So I'm able to see what is needed, no matter what side of the glass I happen to be on.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Every job for me is new and different, so I don't really have a fixed way of doing things.

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

A: That I always do the best possible work that I can. I never take shortcuts and I respect every client and project that I have ever done work for. In other words, I take my job seriously.

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

A: The most common thing that I do is mix songs for clients. I also do a lot of post editing ... I'm meticulous and fast. I do session work for clients ...predominantly drums, but I play other instruments as well.

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

A: No yet, I'm new. But I will (and always do) recommend fellow engineers and musicians.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I'm a fan of both for varying reasons and applications. I love analog sound, but love the ease of digital for editing etc. The more time that passes, the closer that these 2 formats seem to get. Perhaps one day we will not be able to tell the difference.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I like the fact that it is a multifaceted engagement that allows for both a creative and a technical use of the brain. This type of work can be emotive, whilst being simultaneously nerdy. As someone once said, "A great sound can make you cry".

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

A: I've been recording in one form or another for almost 30 years. I started out on tape, then moved to HD recorders, and then on to computers. Working with sound has occurred simultaneously whilst working as a musician. This has enabled me to feed my desire to work on both sides of the glass for many years. This cross section of skills has helped me immensely. As a musician, it helps to understand recording techniques and vice-versa.

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

A: I like rock and roll. I like music that moves air. That said, I also enjoy simple melodies over a nice sounding acoustic guitar or piano. A good song, is a good song.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Fresh unbiased ears, objectivity and a bucket full of ideas.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I'm a natural problem solver. So if there is an issue with a mix or a session, I'll usually have several 'fixes' to suggest or implement. Whether it is sound related or performance based.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: A whole pile of gear, all centred around a Pro Tools Rig. I've got new stuff, old stuff etc. I have no rules, what ever works for the song and the sound is the right thing to use.

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

A: Regarding Engineers. Anyone that thinks outside the box (I don't mean the computer). People that try new things, different things. These are the types of people that excite me. Regarding musicians. I'm inspired by many different players, different instruments. I like originality, and different approaches to old ways of doing things.