Mastering Engineer (Remote)

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

A: I worked on a dark Techno project last year with a fellow collaborator from Ukraine who was killed. I am deeply saddened by the loss and have worked to make this a fitting farewell to my friend.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I am mastering a few Techno tracks and, as an artist, completing my next 3 EPs for 2022.

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: I use digital because I work between the East and West coasts of the United States. I can move back and forth and anywhere in the world and still have the ability to work for clients and on my own projects.

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

A: I want you to be happy with your master!

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The fact that I get to work on such a variety of songs with fun artists and producers across the world.

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

A: Q: How long does it take you to master my track? A: Within 7 days (often less) depending on the schedule. Q:Why do you want to listen to my pre-master before accepting the project? A: I want to ensure that there are no issues that can be corrected in mixing and that I can bring something additional to your song. Q: What do you need from me? A: A pre-master with headroom around -6dB to -10dB, no compression or limiting on the master delivered in or 24bit 44.1kHz (please deliver in the format it was mixed in) WAV format. Also, I need a reference track as a guide for how you would like your master to sound sonically (WAV Format).

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

A: That mastering is just making a song loud.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: I would like to know your artistic influences. I want to have the track you used as a reference when creating and mixing your song. I want to know if there is anything you want to tell me about the track (the story, the feeling you want to convey or any technical things you hope to achieve).

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

A: Find a mastering engineer who will listen to your song first before accepting a job. You want someone who enjoys your song and is excited about working on it.

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

A: On a desert island there would be no electricity, so I couldn't have my favorite gear. My choice would be a boat, with extra gas, food and navigation, so I could get back to civilization and all my toys ;)

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

A: I started in music at 4, playing by ear. I studied classical music and played piano, organ and harpsichord in school, including the Eastman School Of Music College Prep Program. I have played strings in orchestra and clarinet and saxophone in a jazz band. I have produced a variety of genres for clients and have enjoyed hours of programming and playing hardware and software synths.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: My mastering style is steeped in the analog world.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Reach for saturation and distortion before compression.

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

A: I work on electronic music, typically, though I do master other genres at times. I work in underground electronic music, including my specialty, Techno and all of its sub-genres.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I have a strong sense of what works in a song. I have a good ear. When it comes to mastering, I work on combining what feels and sounds right for the song rather than reading meters constantly.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Mastering is a technical process, but one that requires creativity. To me, mastering is an art and I bring that to each project, magnifying the artist's and producer's vision.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I work mostly in the box with a few analog pieces. My approach is always with an analog underpinning using plugins modeled on many of the great EQs, compressors, limiters and saturators from the analog days. I master in Studio One 5.

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

A: I love those who pioneered what we know as "the underground sound", starting with Noise and Industrial groups like Genesis P-Orridge, Coil and on to bands influenced by them, like Depeche Mode and others of that era, including Cabaret Voltaire, Joy Division, The Cult, Sisters of Mercy, Cold Cave, Boy Harsher, Picture Plane and many more. Anything with driving rhythm and synths interests me!

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

A: I master tracks (singles and EPs) for clients across the world.