Recording, Mixing, Mastering

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

A: A very common question is: Are you certified to provide Apple Digital Masters (ADM formerly Mastered for iTunes /MfiT) and can I get the badge on Apple Music if you master my song? The answer to both questions is yes. I am listed as an Apple Digital masters certified engineer and I provide a dedicated file to be used on Apple Music furthermore - and this should be more important - my masters are being delivered in a way that will allow for seamless playback on all streaming platforms no matter the codec they use. Please be aware however that also the way / distribution channel you use to release your music on the streaming platforms including Apple Music, may have an influence on whether the ADM badge will actually be displayed or not.

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

A: One project I am very proud of is the album „The Grand Delusion“ by The Intersphere. It was one of the first releases in which I was able to work with people whose music amI had adored even before going into audio professionally. It was also the first time I had the full responsibility as a recording engineer for several days of the studio session.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: The next session will be for an underground hiphop artist in Leipzig.

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

A: Christoph Hessler - great producer and writer for heavier genres with an understanding for catchy pop features

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. Digital because of flexibility, analog for commitment. The important thing for me is that you pick the tool for the right reason and that is sound. If I think it makes it better by going the extra mile and using analog, then I will sure do it. I would be stupid however, if I was not embracing the power of digital when mixing and mastering. I will pretty much always go through my analog mix-Bus though. When recording: as analog as possible. I‘ll use anything I can to achieve „finished“ sounds before going to the daw. Sometimes we run sessions using no computer at all during the actual tracking.

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

A: I will give my very best on each song. There is no mix or master that is not as important as others. No matter whether you are a major label artist or a self-releasing underground artist: your song will get my full attention and I’ll give it the very best I can. I don’t do things by halves.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I like that I am contributing positively to something that people will enjoy and that is bigger than me.

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

A: That would be that I necessarily make everything louder. That is not the case. It is likely but not a key goal that should be pursued.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What is it you want to express with the song? Who is your song for? If you could chose any one song to be played before your song and one to be placed after it in a playlist, which songs would these be? When is your deadline and do you need any additional versions of the mix or respectively the master?

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

A: Talk to your provider. Include them in your vision. Communication is king. If a provider like me, is asking a lot of questions, that is not to drive you away but to make sure they understand clearly where you want to go with your music.

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

A: 1. MacBook with Protools and Plug-Ins (hope that counts as one) 2. one pair of good headphones 3. any two channel interface with a decent built in mic pre 4. a midi keyboard 5. sm7b

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

A: I have been doing this professionally since 2015. After graduating SAE both a Bachelor in Audio Production, I worked in broadcasting and as a tutor at SAE. In 2017 then I became an assistant to a prolific mixer and producer. I also started working as a recording engineer at Tritonus Studio Berlin, where I at least quadrupled my knowledge about recording and mixing. My affiliation with the studio and my mentor also gained me several key credits on my cv. Today I am on the one hand a freelance engineer & producer with a small private studio and good connections to and experience in various big studios in Germany. On the other I am the head of the audio department at SAE Berlin teaching recording, editing and mixing.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Mixing: Distinct, textured, rhythm and lyrics driven, positively dirty.

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

A: I would love to work with Turnstile. It sounds so natural and effortless when they glide through different genres on their „Glow On“ album, that I think recording with them / mixing for them must be a super creative experience, challenging as well though, I suppose.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: For anyone who is not the artist: serve the song and not your ego.

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

A: There is no one single genre I work on. My experience ranges from almost classical /Jazz to pop to rock to to edm and techno hiphop and rap. And that is something I really love. Any technique or learning I gained in any of the genres and projects really inspire me in all of my other projects.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Listening and memorizing. I know it sounds weird as of course listening is a key skill in mixing and mastering and while it goes without saying, that this is partially what I mean, what I am hinting at is actually bigger: I try to listen to what the artist is saying both in and outside of the song to get an understanding of what they want. Some might say it very directly, with others you have to read between the lines. In any case, it is my job to deliver a version of your song that you love and rave about and for that, I have to understand what that would be.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: This really depends on where the song is at the moment. Sometimes it is really just about matching the rough and then just make it better. In other cases, my mixes can be a complete creative interpretation of the arrangement. The same goes for mastering: I can only put the final technical touches on a song or really enhance it. It really comes down to the state of the project and primarily what the artist envisions the song to be and how much it’s current state differs from that vision.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: My typical process starts with a list of preparatory tasks which all are meant to get any technical or editing work out of the way so when I start mixing or mastering, I can focus fully on the sound and on making sure that I can work instinctively. Through the preparation, I also already familiarize my self with the song and may already take notes on things I will try or things that I already identify as on need of improvement. When I then start mixing, I let the song guide me. I generally try to send the first version of the mix as soon as possible. At the end of the first day at the latest. Not that I think that it already is perfect then - I would never suggest that it is - but I know I will do my own revisions and I think it is good to already have heard the artists thought when I start reviewing the track. This usually leads to the best results and the highest degree of artist satisfaction. In my process, both the rough mix as well as reference tracks play a huge role. It is of course never about „making an artist sound like the reference“. I really understand references as a means of communication, a way to synchronize my understanding of the song with the vision of the artist. It is quite the same with the rough mix.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My studio features a small control room in which I also mix and master. My setup in there consists of a workstation running Protools and some selected hardware some of which I only use for recording, other pieces I also use in most mixes. I currently use Dynaudio nearfields and a pair of NS10 for my monitoring. In addition I also have a consumer grade bluetooth speaker as well as several pairs of headphones. I also have a small live room in which anything from drums to vocals can be and have been tracked. For this I have a small but tasteful mic collection containing studio staples like the MD441 and SM57, as well as some vintage East German condenser mics by Gefell and hand built ribbon mics from Russia. The studio offers an upright and a crazy vintage organ.

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

A: I am inspired by the mixing engineers / producers Tchad Blake and Vance Powell.

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

A: I predominantly record as an engineer for hire, as well as do mixing and mastering.