Mixing and Mastering

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

A: As far as close industry friends, two-time Grammy award winning classical engineer Brian Losch. That's who I call when I need a friend to critique or offer advice, and he's the one who told me about SoundBetter. I love producer/guitarist Tyler Cain's work, as well as composer/producer Nate Kohrs. Lots of great folks on here!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital. Recall-ability and control. I like the romance and art of having analog gear and controls in front of me, but end of the day I get better results in the digital domain, and have a faster/more creative workflow because of it.

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

A: On the mastering side people tend to think a bad mix can be fixed in mastering... It can't. On the mixing side, there tend to be people who think that mixing will change the song. In an ideal world, mixing is enhancing/bringing out the heart of the song, but not changing production.

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

A: Make sure your songs/production are good. No amount of mixing can make a bad song a good one.

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

A: I have a masters in sound recording where I cut my teeth largely doing classical and jazz, and many internships including an analog studio, classical festivals, and a mic company to name a few. I assisted at world class studios like Galaxy in Belgium and worked restoration and remastering for the metropolitan opera and US Air Force. I really got my top-tier engineering start as house engineer at Downtown Music Studios, and then went independent after 5 years there.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: All-Fi. I can do hi-fi but I'm not opposed to heavy compression, distortion or other lo-fi elements when appropriate. I tend to gravitate towards big/warm/full mixes though much more than thin/bright/crunchy.

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

A: I like to find the good in anything I'm working on, and have had the pleasure of working with lots of great artists. What I love about my job is the diversity.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Here's 3: 1 - "over"-brightening followed by a high frequency limiter can really help add air to a track without making it harsh. 2 - Avoid using phase based stereo processors, while there's a time and place for everything, you'll get a wider/cleaner stereo image through discrete panning. 3 - Fight the urge to make everything brighter, give everything it's own space (both spectrally and stereoscopic) and make the supporting elements do just that.

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

A: Honestly a bit of everything. My clients tend to largely come for my pop, electronic and indie credits, but I love mixing more acoustic music, especially country and roots rock and I have a history getting my start in classical and jazz.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I like to think I bring the song to the song. I try to find the core of the music and make sure it's presented in the best light. Often it's the vocal, sometimes it's the beat, but I think my strongest asset is my ability to do what the song needs. Whether it's a bright polished pop mix, a lo-fi indie mix, or a clean acoustic song. If the song is there, production is god, then we can get a great mix every time. I of course am not a magician if the production has issues, or the song is lacking, I may be able to improve the mix, but it won't create something that's not there.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Mixing: After I receive files and funding, my assistant will prep the session and get it on my calendar, or let the client know if there's something missing or that needs to be fixed. I get a first pass to clients typically about a week later, and then if they have notes I recall and address as needed. Turnaround depends on my calendar, and the scope of project but is usually around 2 weeks start to finish. Mastering: I generally listen to the song outside of the DAW, making sure it sounds like a decent mix, and that there's no major technical issues. Once I've confirmed everything is good to go, I schedule it in and hit it usually within a few days for a single, or a week or two for an album.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have a dedicated mix/master suite custom designed and built from the foundation up with select hardware from companies like PMC, Antelope, Avid, API and GKL and extensive software and plugins, all centered around PMC IB1S-AIII monitors.

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

A: All of them!

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

A: I'm primarily a mixing and mastering engineer. I have clients spanning classical to hip hop, country to jazz but most of my "big name" credits are in pop or dance.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The Music!

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I'd like to think my ears, and attention to detail.