Recording That Doesn't Suck

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: An arrangement-heavy, instrumentally thick, lyrically deep worship album.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both have their merits; I operate in the digital realm, but I always aim for an analog sound in some capacity. Analog warmth and saturation glues mixes together.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What exactly is it that you're wanting to accomplish and how can I help you achieve that?

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

A: John. Freaking. Mayer. The man is a musical genius and I would love to record a song for him.

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

A: Indie rock, heavy music, worship music, singer-songwriter.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Live arrangements, drum/guitar tone engineering, and mixing.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Depends on the artist and their sound. For a multi-track session, I typically I start recording drums, then layer guitars, keys, bass, then vocals last. After the tracking process, I then edit what was recorded. I never start the mixing process unless I have all of the final tracks in front of me.

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

A: G&L S500 Stratocaster, Fender Hot Rod Deville, Laptop, Interface, Shure SM57.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: My strength lies in making the song sound the best it possibly can with the pieces an artist brings me.

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

A: I recorded a 5-song EP for a local singer-songwriter recently. He brought me some rough demos along with some big-name recordings he enjoyed. Over the span of a month, I helped him bring his vision to life. The record was a definite success and he walked out of my studio with something he was proud to put both of our names on.

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

A: Excellent quality at a price you can afford.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Getting to share a vision with a client and make it come to life.

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

A: Do I need new strings? YESSSSSS.

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

A: It's easy.

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

A: Come prepared. If you're sending in tracks to be mixed, make sure they are the best they can possible be in terms of both performance and tonal quality.

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

A: My career in music grew naturally out of my lifelong love for it. I first began playing guitar in middle school, then I picked up bass and drums in high school. I started learning to record during my freshman year due to a lack of accessible recording studios in my small home town of Poplar Bluff, MO; playing in a punk band isn’t cheap for a suburban kid on a part-time McDonald’s salary. I officially went into business my sophomore year while taking a job working sound at a local music venue. After many phones calls to professionals, blogs, videos, and tedious trial and error, I began to be able to navigate the treacherous waters of audio production. Over the past decade, I’ve had the pleasure of working with a myriad of genres, from traditional country to emotional hardcore and hip hop. I’ve also had the pleasure of mixing front of house for numerous national artists, including Memphis May Fire, A Plea For Purging, For Today, Spoken, Life on Repeat, and Wolves at the Gate. I’ve produced and mixed for clients all over the Midwest and even worked on a tracking/mixing project from England. I’ve also served as an audio engineer and worship leader in multiple churches over the last decade; I’m currently serving at Destiny Church in Republic, MO. I also dabble in video production, photography, and post-production for video, but I wouldn’t call myself a professional by any means. Music is my life and passion and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. If you’re looking for someone who knows music, instruments, tone, and will work hard to see your vision for your art come alive, I’m your guy.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Analog in a digital realm.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Get it right at the source. Fixing it in post is a cop-out.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I own a home studio with a spacious live room and a mixing booth. I practice old-school live recording methods while still embracing technology.

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

A: I typically do full production and mixing for my clients. I occasionally produce video to accompany a live arrangement.

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

A: I'm a fan of the music of John Mayer, Anberlin, My Epic, The Reign of Kindo, and Jack Johnson. I'm a fan of the production style of Matt Goldman at Glow in the Dark Studios in Atlanta, GA.