Stefano Vita on SoundBetter

Do you want to turn your song into something unique? I love working with artists that are not afraid to experiment or to sound a bit different than the rest. If you are into Rock, Folk and Alternative sounds, let's have a chat to see how I can help you!

Have you ever listened to a song and wondered what makes it so special? That dreamy sound of the guitar, a peculiar sonic texture, a haunting melody on a weird woodwind. Creating music it's about writing good lyrics as well as crafting the right tone for them to sit on.

If you are here, I assume you have some great tunes in your heart but you have the feeling that something is missing. It's understandable. Working alone can be daunting and there's only so much your mind can focus on.

If you are here, it's probably because you are looking for help in bringing your music to life.

I'm Stefano Vita, producer, guitarist and composer based in Dublin, Ireland. I've been playing the guitar for +20 years, producing local and remote artists and worked on music for media for the past 6 years.

Wherever you are in the world, to work with me you only need an internet connection, songs you are proud of, a decent microphone and a place where you can record your voice. I will take care of the rest. I can offer access to amazing musicians to add organic instrumentation to your music and I can play and professionally record electric and acoustic guitar and a plethora of small percussions.

I specialise in Indie Rock, Folk and Alternative music. I have a knack for retro sound and I have experience in the world of music for sync (TV, Films and Video games).

Tell me about your project and how I can help, through the 'Contact' button above.

8 Reviews - 1 Repeat Client

Endorse Stefano Vita

by Malcolm B.
Verified
Stefano did a great job on my track! He's super communicative and brings a great set of musical ears to a project. I would definitely recommend him!
by Carlota
Verified
Stefano was a joy to work with! Always super responsive, and would always understand exactly what I wanted to do with my song! Stefano is super creative and is the type of person you should work with if you want to create music with great quality both sonically and artistically! Nothing but amazing things to say! Thank you so much for all your help!
by 李博洋
Verified
What another wonderful experience working with Stefano! He infused something I never thought my song could turn to which was super brilliant and creative, I really appreciate his efforts and patience during the whole project. We are starting our next song right after this one completed. I also recommend other musicians to try out if you are looking for someone creative with ultimate talent and unique understanding of different genres of music, Stefano wouldn't never let you down!
by Karl L.
Verified
Stefano is a talented producer. He delivers high-quality productions and actively listens to feedback and adjusts accordingly. Working with Stefano was a great experience and I'd highly recommend him to any artist looking for a producer.
by Ace
Verified
Stefano’s a great producer. He’s very attentive to your desires for the song and does what he can to ensure that the process goes as smoothly as possible. I was also provided with a lot of recording tips and tricks as well as links and apps to help distribute music which was super cool!
by Luca
Stefano arranged, produced, mixed and mastered my new single and I was amazed by the professionalism, competence and care that he put in this project throughout the entire process! I am so happy with the final result and definitely recommend Stefano's skills for your next project!
by Nicolas Raiman
I knew Stefano on Sync Summit Cafe years ago, since then we did a lot of recordings, collaborations, and productions. All the things he did were great, the tracking, the sound, the mixes, the styles.
He have really good instruments, amps and hardware.
He knows what to do when the song needs something and he's totally open to new ideas.
I'll keep working with him, for sure.
by Mark Corry
Stefano produced an album for me and was excellent. Great ideas, amazing musicianship and a really sound and gentle soul. A pleasure to work with. Plus, he nailed the sound I was looking for.

Interview with Stefano Vita

Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I like experimenting with the artist. In an ocean of sound-alike songs released every day on Spotify, I like to add a bit of uniqueness to the track I work on, whether it's a surprising chord progression, an odd instrument playing, or a retro-psych sound on the drums. Once trust is strong with the artist, we can have lots of fun! On top of the above, I've gained a bit of experience in producing music for sync (essentially, where the real money in music is) which can be helpful in landing good placements on TV shows and films.
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I produced an album for a local artist right in the middle of the pandemic. The work was stopped 3 times due to government-induced movements limitation, nevertheless, we manage to complete the album! One more reason I'm proud of this particular job is that the album consisted of a very broad span of genres, from bluegrass to garage, and to industrial metal. This project was incredibly fun to work on!
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: I've just completed an album of music for TV Drama. I'm now starting to produce an album for a local artist.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Nicolas Raiman is a drummer I've been working with for a few years and he's excellent!
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: I'm a fan of analog, but analog is expensive and sometimes unreliable. It really depends on what purpose it needs to serve.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I got ya.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I like to discover new artists and help them with their journey. I ain't no life coach or guru, but I find it very rewarding to help artists understand that their music doesn't have to stay hidden in a laptop or a drawer forever.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: Producers = Beat Makers It seems that music producers only show up in the credits of Hip Hop or R&B artists. Remember that even The Beatles wouldn't have gotten that far without George Martin.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Music is a business but before that is an art. Arts require emotional connections to express themselves fully. You can't work with someone whom you don't have an emotional connection with, no matter what their credits are. Make sure to have a nice conversation with the provider you are looking to hire and, most importantly, that you feel heard.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: A laptop (most likely a Mac), an Apollo Twin X, Headphones (most likely Bayer Dynamics DT990 PRO), my AKG 214, and my Takamine G Series acoustic guitar. Most of them would be useless without power but at least I could still play the guitar :D
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I've been playing the guitar for +20 years. I've been producing music for media since 2015 and alongside producing my own artist projects as well as independent artists.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Indie crunch with a retro vibe
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: My ideal artists would be singer-songwriters, bands or other producers that want to add organic sounds to their work.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Less is always more. When working on a production, once all tracks are laid down, identify the ones that are part of the core sound. Now take the remaining tracks and start muting them one by one. Let the song play and listen to what is adding something you really want to the song and what isn't. Remove everything you don't miss in the song.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: I mostly work with everything in the Rock and Folk spectrum
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Problem Solving. I always think that producers should resolve problems, not create ones, especially when working with artists that are placing their emotions in your hands.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: First, I would speak with the artist to understand the need, desires and fears. I don't sell refrigerators so I need to find a connection with the artist I'm working with. Once we set sail to travel in the same direction, I like to write down a plan. Whether we are working on a single or a full album, it's important to plan first to make sure we don't miss anything. The plan would, roughly, consist of a spreadsheet with the objective (single, album), what provides what (would the artist provide the vocal track? Vocal and piano maybe? Are there other musicians involved?), and the number of sessions to achieve the objective. Once that's agreed we follow the plan and try to stay on track.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: During the pandemic, I moved my studio into my house and I've been the most productive ever since. I don't own a multi-million bucks setup to photograph and place it on Instagram. What I have is what I'm comfortable using every day. I own a few good mics to cover all needs and 2 mic pre-amp to give the flavour I want. I own a small but incredibly tasty compressor that I use mostly on drums and quite a few instruments and guitar amps. I took care of the acoustic of the room myself by building a set of panels made of Rockwool, and a special wooden floor to take reflections at bay. I mix mostly in the box (except for some parallel compression on drums using my RNC1773), with a selected set of professional plugins (again, I find no reason to have thousands of plugins that clutter my DAW). Here's a list of gears I use: iMac 2017 Focusrite Clarett 4Pre Audio interface Yamaha H5 Nearfield Speakers --- Outboard gear --- Warm Audio WA73-EQ mic pre amp RNP 8380 dual channel mic pre amp RNC 1773 dual channel compressor -- Mics -- AKG 214 (Large diaphragm condenser) Oktawa mk012-01 stereo pair (small diaphragm condenser) Shure SM57 (dynamic) Shure SM58 (Dynamic) SE Electronics X1R (Ribbon) AKG D112 (Dynamic) -- Guitar amps -- Fender Blues Junior Vox AC30 -- Instruments -- Fender Stratocaster Highway Fender Jaguar HH Danelectro 56 Baritone Fender Squier Jazz Bass Takamine G Series Acoustic Eastman Mandolin Seagull Merlin PA Meinl Cajon Novation Mininova Synthesizer M-Audio Oxygen 49 midi controller Maschine MK3 Mikro
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: I'm inspired by old-timers producers and engineers like Rick Rubin, Vance Powell, and Alan Parsons as well as more modern producers like Steven Wilson.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I would focus on production and mixing. Artists would come to me with a demo or a musical idea written on acoustic guitar or piano and a vocal top line. Transforming this rough stone into a gem is my job and pleasure! I am a guitarist so I love to record real acoustic and electric guitars in my productions, as well as other organic instruments.