Indie Pop Producer/Engineer

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Ah, yes, a debate for the ages. The person putting in their ear buds and turning on their favorite record isn't hearing whether the mixer used the analog or digital domain...they are hearing music.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I take great joy from the act of creating itself, whether it's designing a new piece of gear or making music. There is a therapy to it, and often one that I need after a long week of working my corporate engineering day job.

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

A: The amount of hours involved in building up a production is often overlooked or underestimated.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What is the vision for your song? What is your music supposed to feel like? Are there any bands/artists that you want to pull ideas from?

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

A: The most important thing is communicating your vision and being patient with the process.

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

A: 1. Laptop (solar powered of course) 2. USB Interface -- if I'm trapped on an island I suppose I've got bigger issues than converter quality...but I do enjoy my SSL 18 interface 3. My trusty Fender Telecaster 4. SM57 (for durability, because I hate sand...it's coarse and gets everywhere...a condenser capsule would be destroyed within minutes) 5. A boat so I can go back and get a midi controller because I will have inevitably forgotten it at home

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

A: I started out as a guitarist and like every other 16 year old, I was going to make it big. I played in various groups as a guitarist and bassist for a number of years. However, parallel to my live performances, my good friend and I were forging recordings in my little home studio. We fell in love with production and the infinite sound possibilities it offered us. I went to college for electrical and computer engineering and got a "real job," but I kept making music along the way and building up my studio. In 2018, I built my first optical compressor because I couldn't afford to buy a TLA100. Once I started using my degree for good and making recording gear, I was hooked. Through building audio circuits, I developed an even deeper appreciation for sound and what really matters: the song. Your song. It's been many many years since my friend and I came out with our first EP on our Myspace page, and even after all this time, I still can't wait to finish typing this so I can get back to working on the next one...

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My style usually adapts to the project I'm working on once I get a feel for the intended vision. In general, I like to use guitars and synth pads/sequencers a lot to create emotion and texture. It's a rare day indeed if I don't double the vocals once or twice. I also love making groovy bass lines with either an actual bass guitar or a cool synth patch.

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

A: Anyone who is creative and believes in what they're doing.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Don't let perfection be the enemy of good. Keep moving and keep creating. Some of the best ideas tend to happen when we aren't trying so hard or taking things too seriously.

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

A: Indie pop/rock, but I've also worked some pop punk and more shoegaze type stuff as well. Sometimes, I'll do a more acoustic folk type thing.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I like to work really intuitively and fast. Once the session is built with tempo and gain staging, that's when I just start picking up instruments and recording takes. Typically, I tend to mix as I go, creating any FX as I'm recording so I can track with it active on the channel to stay in the vibe. Once I'm happy with the overall arrangement, edits, and FX, I'll go back and fine tune any mixing and add any cool FX that come to mind. Then I'll export and send it out for review.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: My studio is in my home in Fort Wayne, IN. I went to school for electrical and computer engineering, so I've found a lot of joy in building my own outboard equipment that is custom tailored to the way I like instruments to sound before they hit the DAW. The studio is fully treated acoustically, but I still double up with Sonar Works. Every instrument has a dedicated analog chain and channel so recording is very simple and most of the heavy lifting for getting the signal to sound right is done on the analog front end.

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

A: Artists that have inspired my work: The War On Drugs, Softer Still, Empire of the Sun, Bombay Bicycle Club, Foster The People, Kevin Krauter, Fickle Friends, Lord Huron, and many, many more...

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

A: I have served as a producer, arranger, songwriter, session player, mixing engineer, or some combination of these on various projects. However, the majority of projects have required extensive post-production, editing, and arrangement work.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Originality, a strong work ethic, and a fresh perspective.