Mixing | Recording | Mastering

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I operate a modest mixing room equipped with Pro Tools HDX, Avid HD I/O, Burl converters, an SPL MixDream, Amphion one15 and HEDD Type 20 monitors, a 10 core iMac, UAD octo card, and a plethora of plugins from all the top developers. I also process vocals and various tracks through my Tube Tech CL 1B.

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

A: I am constantly inspired by the people I work with and around. I am always tuned in to what Greg Wells and Josh Gudwin are doing. I really dig mixes by Adam Hawkins as well.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I am constantly working on projects with artists. Most recently I engineered drum tracking sessions with a Japanese punk band called Ellegarden (UMG Japan), engineered sessions for the upcoming album from De'Wayne (Hopeless) and and enjoying mixing for a number of different projects from hip hop to indie pop to punk rock.

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

A: Robbie Hiser is someone I know is on SoundBetter that I work with often. He is a wonderfully gifted producer with an astounding ear and a creative heart and brain. If you live in the pop world, hire him to produce. You will not be disappointed.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: These can not live without each other these days. I am still versed in recording musicians to 2" tape but I love the flexibility of being able to manipulate whatever I need to in Pro Tools. They must co-exist at this point.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I get to have the coolest job in the world every single day of my life.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What is your vision? What music are you listening to currently? What inspired you?

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

A: Be intentional about what you want. Have reference tracks of songs you like. Have your vision in your head and communicate it clearly and without apology.

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

A: Neve BCM10 Amphion two18s Neumann U47 Shure SM57 Empirical Labs Distressor (Does my pro tools rig count as gear?!)

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

A: The first time I walked in to a recording studio at 15 years old was to make a record with my friends as a guitar player in a punk rock band in the mid nineties live to a 2 track tape machine. Our engineer, the legendary Lou Whitney, was the coolest dude on the planet. He seemed like a god-like genius. After all, he knew what ALL those buttons, knobs, and machines did! I decided then and there I had to know what he knew. Lou became my mentor and taught me the most important part of being in the music business; be a good hang. Anyone can read books, buy gear, and record bands, but, the most important part is being an extra member of the band, feeling what the artist feels, and bringing to life the vision of the project all while having a good time and making the process enjoyable and memorable.

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

A: I would have loved to have worked with Freddie Mercury. His talent and attention to detail were second to none. Non-posthumously, I would have to say Dave Grohl. He comes across as a guy who really enjoys making music and really loves the recording process.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Make sure all your tracks come correct in the recording process. I can make miracles happen, but, the best stuff always comes from good writing, good arrangement, and a quality recording. You shouldn't just assume that anything and everything can get fixed in the mix. Miracles can be achieved but they are usually very time consuming and uninspiring.

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

A: I am most commonly working on pop, pop-rock, hip hop, and guitar driven music of all kinds, whether it be pop-punk, metal, alt-rock, or garage rock.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Within the recording world I absolutely love tracking and producing a live band. I am a musician myself and have spent a majority of my life writing, recording, and performing nationwide, so, I understand bands and musicians. There isn't much I like more than recording an amazing drummer behind a great kit, in a great room, with amazing microphones feeding an analog console with compressors, EQs, and time based effects stacked to the ceiling to 2" tape running at 15 ips. That combination has proven itself to be the closest thing to magic I have ever experienced. When I'm mixing, my favorite part is getting to hear the rough mix against what I came up with. I want to hear the raw energy of the rough mix back to back with the extra energy and feel I was able to dial in. After I've indulged myself, I love to play the comparison back for clients and see them experience the song in a whole new way; the way that they heard it in their head.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I bring energy and feel while maintaining rigid technical standards.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: It all starts with coffee. After coffee, I always sit and warm up my ears with genre appropriate program material, usually something newly released so I can stay current with what consumers are hearing and artists are expecting. Then it's time to dive in and start working with my client's sonic aesthetic vision in mind.

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

A: I am most commonly recording or mixing music for artists or producers. It is my job to communicate with and fully understand the artistic vision and direction of the song/project to capture the essence of what the artist is trying to convey.