Mix & Produce

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Perspective. take ear breaks, and listen on as many systems as possible. Making decisions on a mix by listening to it in your car, with earbuds, and one or two other sources will usually give you better feedback than simply listening to your own monitors in an untreated room. You'll likely have (at least) low end issues in that space and will make poorer judgements. A good mix should translate, and sound good on almost any reference. For rock Guitars: two sm57's. One pointed straight at the cone and the other at about 45 degree - tiled in towards the other one with there capsules about 3-4 inches apart. The one pointing straight gives you a more "tippy" (hi's and mid's) sound, while the one that is off axis as less top (and conversely more bottom). each to there own mic pre - 1073's being my fav's - and blending them to one track. There is a certain liveness that this captures that goes beyond simply one mic. Andy Johns showed me this.

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

A: Most of my work through SoundBetter is mixing, and mastering - with the occasional full production - as mastering and mixing are just easier to facilitate via distance. As for production, one method - and one I use often to maximize limited resources- (and there are many ways to skin the cat, depending upon budget, goals, etc.) - is to utilize my extremely powerful and mobile production, overdub, and mix rig. The majority of which will fit in an airline carry on. I have produced bands all over the United States and twice in Europe. Typically, I'll fly in to town and work with the band/artist in their rehearsal space. We work on the song's arrangement. Then we start cutting tracks: typically a live demo first so I can get the artists direct intention. Then we'll use midi drums - simply for easy of trying different song arrangement ideas fast. We can start adding guitar, keyboard and vocal overdubs. I carry enough mice and have an huge array of soft instruments to work with. So far no extra money has been spent on "studio" time and the tracks compare favorably with anything done in a traditional studio. Now the song is really close, has lost of overdubs and sounds close. We can now book a the best studio in the local community for (at most) a half day and deviate all the resources to drums. We save time, mice and channels by not setting up for vocals, bass, guitars, etc. Instead the drummer plays to the almost finished track. If we have added any extra parts/bars …like a 2/4 break/drop before a chorus, etc- the drummer as been listening and planning/rehearsing what they would do while we created the arrangement changes. They play to a far better headphone mix than is normal for basic tracks, and they have had time to improve their own arrangement - with my help if necessary - to totally support the band. Doing it this way we do not limit or lock the song to the typical basic drum track. We might find that a different sounding snare helps song B relative to song A, etc. Further, we save a lot of money. Only drums, as an overdub to final tracks. Not basics which require mote setup time, more time for takes (to fee confident of edits later), etc. etc. That's one way I work in that kind of situation. The same thought and experience is played out in different scenarios. The point is I have done this a long time with a lot of great people, and I have a tool set that represents that. A great bang for the buck. Remember that old adage. Take whatever time you think you are going to need in the studio… double it, then add four hours. Lol, pretty true in my experience. So saving studio time can mean money for other aspects of the production - or more songs.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What is your ultimate goal for the project at hand? What do we have to work with? What is the budget? What Genre do you believe you fit in or are shooting for? Can you provide me some exampled of commercially released songs that your art would be in the company of (for guideposts)? What do you want me to bring to the table?

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

A: I'd like to have worked with John Lennon, so that I would have worked with all four Beatles (having worked Paul, George, and Ringo). Of today's more current artist's I would love to work with RHCP, RATM (again), QOTSA, Sheryl Crow, or Pink : I love their styles. My favorite decade (decade and a half really) is 1966-1979. I love that era and those records most, and a lot of what I like of what;s come sense is emulating the best of those years.

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

A: I listed to the music my parents bout since before I can remember. By high school, I was singing in rock bands and doing recordings by playing along with something recorded on one cassette deck while I added another part live to a second cassette deck. When I was 14 I started my first rock band - well duo…it was a guitarist and I (singer). I then got a used Shure Vocal Master PA and became the mixer as well as singer. I used to sing songs by such bands as Led Zep, Aerosmith,Judas Priest, Deep Purple, Iron Maiden, Sabbath, Rush…. you get the picture. Then at age 17 (while still in high school) I went to a recording engineering school - SoundMaster. At the time there were only a few in the country. 'Got my foot in the door at an 24 track demo studio. Worked, and worked, and worked my way from there. I have professional credits going back almost thirty years now.

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

A: There are so many moments…..SMASHING PUMPKINS, the song "Ava Adore," on the album Adore. We mixed that song on my birthday, in studio 'A' at The Village Recorder. It was just a really magical day… I recorded and mixed the demo's at SoundCity for an unknown band called STAIND that Fred Durst (who produced) discovered on a north east tour. Those tracks helped them get their deal with Flip! records…. I remember the first time I worked on an album - RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's debut - wherein I new from the first few bars -ok, it wasn't hard… ;) - that this was history in the making. Other goosebump moments included mixing Alice in Chains with Andy Wallace, or recording and mixing for RONNIE JAMES DIO. ….or the time i was recording OZZY OSBOURNE with producer (and friend) Michael Wagener. It was surreal. Black Sabath's Paranoid album was the first album who's songs I could sing - and I sounded decent - when I was 14…. so it was a cool moment. Or Scott Wieland's "12 Bar Blues" Album, Or recording KELLY CLARKSON (amazing singer)…so many great moments. OH, I almost forgot RINGO STARR, and all the great people I've worked with through him, but that's a whole other post….

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Very good ears, and a long time doing this. I am always learning, and it takes a while to learn to do this well, so (again) all those thousands of hours making records allows me to nail it most of the time. I am a pretty damn good singer, and when I work with artists as a producer I really shine when it come to helping get great vocals, as I can help them with their mic technique, harmony parts, etc. I have good arrangement skills. I have a good ear for songs - having picked songs for artists that ended up being hits. Also, and although I don't get to do it enough anymore, I am a really really good recording engineer, having learned my craft in the places and with the folks who wrote the book on the subject - Bones Howe, Andy Johns, Eddy Offord, Mick Guzauski, Geoff Emerick, etc.

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

A: You're happy with the end result or you don't have to pay the back-end.

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

A: I love ROCK, Pop, Alternative, Country, Jazz but also EDM, HipHop, and Rap. Again, I love hooks. the song is the most important element and if you listen to it closely enough it will tell you what to do. I am very good at the art of recording live instruments. However these days I don't get to do that near as much as twenty years ago. Lot's of mixing now.

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

A: I love SONGS! A great hook and lyric get's me off regardless of genre. Everything from The Beatles to Pink. Some of my mentors - Andy Johns, Bones Howe, and Eddy Offord - are from the classic rock world, while some of my more recent collaborations - Rodney "Darkcild" Jerkins, or Julian Bunetta - are from today's charts. Artists I’ve worked with…. Ringo Starr, Brian Wilson, Steven Tyler, Barbra Striesand, Rage Against The Machine, Ronnie James Dio, Vinnie Appice, Hal Blaine, Van Dyke Parks, Guns & Roses, Alice In Chains, Staind, LA Guns, Van Halen, Ima Robot, Rob Halford, The Smashing Pumpkins, Primus, HURT, Juliette Lewis, Kelly Clarkson, Pia Toscano, BMRC, Frankie Avalon, Robbie Robertson, Dramarama, Tom Petty, Sheryl Crow, Patti Austin, Benmont Tench, Steve Cropper, Ozzy Osborn, Elton John, LeAnn Rimes, Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, WAR, Jeff Lorber, Fu Manchu, Taj Mahal, Snoop Dog, Docter Dre, Body Count, Timothy B. Schmitt, Pepper's Ghost, Stephen Bishop, The Jenkins, Alejandro Escovedo, John Doe, X, Trey Parker/South Park, Sixpence Non the Richer, Joe Walsh, Scott Weiland, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Alanis Morisette, Robin Zander, Infectious Grooves, Ry Cooder, Mark Hudson, Aerosmith, Dean Parks, Denny Fongheiser, John Landau, Tim Pierce, John Pierce, Scott Humphreys, T-Bone Burnette, Matt Chamberlin, Kirk Franklin, Emmylou Harris, Jim Keltner, Gillian Welch, Ben Harper, Daniel Lanois, The Dust Brothers, Carlos Vega, Jeff Porcaro, Steve Lukather, Bob Glaub, Brian Ray, KISS, Courtney Love, No Doubt, Jerry Hey, Neil Diamond, John "J.R." Robinson, Neil Stubenhouse, John Fogerty, John Mayall, Jonathan Little, Robin Zander, Johnette Napolitano, Exene Cervenka, Virgil Donati, Smokey Robinson,Vince Neil, Korn,Tiffany, Rick Springfield, Melissa Manchester, Dewey Bunnell & Gerry Buckley, Joe Zawinul, Patti Scialfa, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, Lydia Lunch, Roy Z, Tribe of Gypsies, Josh Freese, Mike Muir, Robert Trujillo, Bobby Caldwell, Vinnie Colaiuta, Vail Johnson, Novi Novog,Tony Gilkyson, Neil Young, "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow, Matt Bissonette, José Feliciano, David Campbell, Howie B, Rita Coolidge, Jani Lane, Fred Durst, Mike Finnigan, Rosemary Clooney, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry…… Producers and Engineers I’ve worked with... Andy Johns, Geoff Emerick, Andy Wallace, Rick Rubin, Mick Guzauski, Rodney Jerkins, Humberto Gatica, Michael Wagener, Al Schmitt, Bones Howe, Daniel Lanois, Albhy Galuten, T-Bone Burnette, Jack Joseph Puig, Eddy Offord, David Foster, Flood, Robbie Adams, Desmond Child, Greg Penny, Docter Dre, Chris Huston, Richard Dodd, David Bianco, Dave Sardy, Silvia Massey, Dave Jerden, Brian “Big Bass” Gardner, GGGarth Richardson, David Leonard, Max Norman, Don Gehman, Jim Wirt, Joe Chiccarelli, Bernie Grundmann, Alan Sides, Dave Way, Don Smith, Matt Wallace, Rick Will, Roger Moutenot, Peter Bunetta, Rick Chudacoff, John Porter, Doug Sax,The Dust Brothers, George Martin, Mathew Wilder, Spencer Proffer, Joe Barresi, Matt Hyde, Tony Berg, Chris Lord-Alge, Keith Olsen, John Hanlon, Denny Purcell, Beau Hill, Paul Northfield, Mark Hudson, Davitt Sigerson, and Peter Collins Some of the wonderful studio’s I have had the pleasure of making music in The Village Recorder, Ocean Way Recording, Sound City, A&M/Henson Recording Studios, Record One, The Record Plant, Sear Sound, Radio Star Studios, Conway Recording, Capitol Studios, Artisan Sound Recorders, Ground Control, One on One Recording, The Grey Room, Sunset Sound Factory, Scream Studios, NRG Recording, In the Pocket, Barking Doctor, O’ Henry, Goodnight LA, Westlake Recording Studios, The Complex, Seventeen Grande, Colorado Sound, Cornerstone Recorders, Lighthouse Recorders, Take One, SoundCastle, Santa Monica Sound, Goognight L.A., The Trackhouse, A&M and many, many others.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I am working on a variety of projects for SoundBetter clients.

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

A: Matt Laug for drums. I've worked with him for years. He's one of the best, and the nicest guy you'll ever meet.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: They both have their uses. I choose to now use digital because I can duplicate the non-linearoties of analog in at the digital domain. My work can and does sound analog. Let me show you :)

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The freedom to make music

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

A: Turn around time, cost.

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

A: …that just buying a DAW will allow one to do what I do.

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

A: Led Zeppelin and a PA. Semi-seriously though… these days: my laptop, apollo setup, native instruments setup, monitors/headpones, sm58.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I was always (and am) a rocker first! But colored by pop. Again, I love songs, and a well crafted pop song will have me plating it on repeat for an hour while I walk with my earbuds on playing air-drums in the middle of the night. Ry Cooder once told me - when asked (and I paraphrase)"when do you know the song is right?" - "Well…when it isn't right it makes me hunch my shoulders, bend my head down, and feel unfulfilled…but when it is right, I pull my shoulders and head back, and feel confident.." I like music when it gives me a chill, makes me want to cry, makes me want to shout. I try and put that into my work.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring passion, coupled decades of experience. Owning my own studio has unleaded my creative side. I am now happy to be a song writer too. I am musical at heart and very adept at the technical parts as well.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: If the project is mixing or mastering, proceed after receiving the elements for the songs. I like to get a rough mix to hear the artist and producer's vision. I then go to work. Unless there is a deadline, I usually tale a few days. This give me time to hear it fresh repeatedly. I'll then send a first draft. The client sends me changes and we repeat until they are absolutely happy with their mix or master. I have no limit on revisions. Usually, it;s only 1 or 2. But even if it takes more, that's fine. If it's full production, the process is another level. We begin a dialog where we can discover how best to proceed. There are many ways to produce a song, and finding the best one for the session at hand is very important: no cookie cutter templates here. Sometimes the artist and I do everything. Other times we bring in some other musicians. Once the there is a strategy, budget, and timeline we begin the work of creating and capturing the songs. Then I mix. I'll master too if there is no budget for an outside pro.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My studio is centered around Pro Tools HD, Universal Audio (Apollo, Octo accelerators, Plug's), Native Instruments (Komplete 10 Ultimate, Maschine, Kontrol S series Keyboard), Slate, SoundToys, and more. It's also very mobile, allowing me to fly to production gigs anywhere.