Recording engineer/Mixer

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

A: I am very proud of the album I made with Bill Fay. I am a huge fan of his work from the 60s onwards, and I loved being able to capture and present his voice and fragility in the recordings.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Working on a 60's inspired folk album

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

A: Yes. Guy Massey. Dave Eringa.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I like to use a combination of analogue and digital. For years I mixed entirely up a board - with lots of tape and outboard + flying faders etc. As the plugins have got better and the computers more powerful, it makes a lot more sense to me to work in hybrid fashion. I do still like mixing up a board though!

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

A: Get in touch so we can talk about the project and get a good vibe going!

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

A: Neumann U67 Urei 1176 Coles 4038 ATC SCM25 Grampian spring reverb

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

A: I started off making recordings in my bedroom from being a teenager, then working FOH in a venue and finding artists to record at home. Some of the work I was doing with an artist got noticed by the right people, and won us an album deal on a big indie label with a modest budget and lots of people pushing in the same direction as us. Hundreds of hours of learning and crafting recordings by borrowing spaces, hiring out piano shops to track in and nabbing studio time in churches and any good sounding acoustic spaces. From here I found myself in London, sleeping on the floor of a tiny recording studio with loads of old gear from the 1960s. I worked every hour I could with everyone I could and learnt everything I could and made every mistake possible in the book! From here I was asked to build a large tracking room and run the studio - this was to become Snap. The first 3 years after being built were spent assisting everyone that came through the door. Learning from some of the finest in the industry. The rest have been spent as chief engineer and studio manager. Fast forward another 10 years and here we are... God I feel old now.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I would say that I like to bring character and emotion to a recording/mix. Vibe goes a very long way for me.

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

A: I do lots of vocal tracking for pop/r&b etc but lots of acoustic and classical recording too. I love recording drums and do lots of that in the studio.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I try to bring energy and emotion, and a story. I think it's important that a listener is taken on a journey with a track.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: If I'm tracking in the studio I work with a vintage Neve 53 series console + a few choice pieces of outboard. For mics I tend to favour vintage Neumann's and ribbons over cleaner stuff, but also like working with DPA's etc when needed. For mixing I tend to work hybrid and do lots of work in the box with UAD/Kush/FabFilter but use a few choice bits of outboard for vocals and mix bus processing. I have a collection spring reverbs which get lots of use, in addition to tube limiters and 2 track tape.

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

A: I do lots of work with vocalists and singer/songwriters. I also do lots of mixing with a keen focus on adding character and vibe to recordings.