Penney Sounds on SoundBetter

Electronic music combined with live instrumentation is what I like. I work full-time as an recording/mixing engineer, and I make beats in my spare time. I'd like to provide beats and electronic elements to artists or whomever wants it. I am set up and highly experience to edit and do post production for all your audio needs.

I am an audio engineer specializing in electronic music with hip-hop and world-beat flavour. I've been working at a professional recording studio for over 5 years with a variety of bands and artists. My niche at the studio is the crossover area between electronic production and live instrumentation - when a band wants some electronic elements in their recordings, or when an electronic or hip-hop artist wants live instrumentation in their beats.

I came into the audio world with a background in piano and Ableton Live. Also, a love for a wide range of musical genres, from jazz to rap, from house music to prog-rock. This multi-genre interest led me into engineering and production, which allowed me to work with a variety of bands and artists. I believe in always doing what's best for the music.

Some artists I've worked closely with in the past include Dani LeRose, rap duo Mob Bounce, throat singers Piqsiq, alternative rockers OurGlassZoo, among many others. I've also recorded audio theatre, voice-overs for film and television, and guided meditation for Headspace.

I am experienced and proficient and all kinds of audio work, if you have questions, feel free to reach out to me to ask!

Send me a note through the contact button above.

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Interview with Penney Sounds

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: This Mob Bounce EP called Transformations I think is unreal, even though it didn't get a ton of attention. I engineered the thing and then mixed it. Throughout the project though, everyone was pretty involved in creative decisions so we were all working as a team. I think every track is serious, hits hard, and has an impactful message from an indigenous perspective. Furthermore the use of traditional instruments and vocals made this an experience I'll never forget.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: Releasing my debut album this year (which has taken me years..) I just finished creating a piece to be presented at Lobe 4D Spatial Sound Studio in Vancouver.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Jonny Tobin introduced me to this platform and I would recommend for any piano/keys/synth work you need, he's the funkiest.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I will put everything I got into the music work.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: Clients are there to make their music, so they are generally at their max creativity and that is a nice space to be in and around.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: Can you make me sound better? Yes!
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: The biggest question I get from people who don't know studios is... "What exactly do you do?"
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What is your goal? What is your budget? What musical resources are you drawing on?
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Know what you want and describe what you want clearly so that it gets delivered without miscommunication.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: MPC, Shure sm7B, Wurlitzer, Minimoog, Microshift
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I played music growing up (piano and trumpet). I went to university looking for truth. I got a degree in Physics, I got a degree in Philosophy, I started making beats, and my search led me to a path in music. I've been using Ableton for 10 years, I've been a profession audio engineer for 5 years.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Deep with a little smile
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Who wouldn't want to be there for the Beatles' recording sessions...
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: After you've worked on something for a while, try muting things in different combinations to see what isn't necessary. If something's not doing any good, get rid of it!
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Hiphop, electronic
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: My Ear!
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I like to make music that's fun. I think my unique background gives me an interesting perspective (I have degrees in physics and philosophy).
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: For beatmaking I usually start by sampling records just to generate ideas. Then I build sections in the mpc and play through it to fine-tune parts and arrange a bit. Then I use the MPC as an Ableton instrument and begin electronic instrumentation and recording live instrumentation. Once the song is fully developed in Ableton, I will stem it out and bring it into the big boy studio (Monarch) to re-amp, re-record things if necessary, and mix.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: Personal - MPC, Records, Ableton, MIDI Keyboard, C1 condenser Mics. Monarch Studios - Extensive setup (see the website)
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Both for their own reasons. Analog for the warmth and the feeling. Analog to avoid looking at a screen. Analog for the feel of knobs and faders. Digital for the noiselessness. Digital for the speed and possibilities and recall.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Beatles obviously. Jazz and Funk from the 70s, especially the CTI sound, Herbie Hancock, Cymande, Curtis Mayfield, Ramsey Lewis... Hip-hop like People Under the Stairs, A Tribe Called Quest, Nas, Kendrick... World electronic music like Nicolas Jaar, Nicola Cruz, Lido Pimienta... House and Disco like the Toytonics crew, Dirtybird, Bonobo... Tons of stuff inspires me to be honest.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Day to day my job is engineering (recording and mixing) at Monarch Studios. I also produce artists in terms of instrumentals and vocal production without being too involved in the songwriting. In my time away from Monarch I am making beats, building sounds, and editing recorded audio in my production suite.