Mixer, Producer, Song Finisher

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Neotek console, boutique custom modded mics and gear, Neve, API, Ward Beck, Neotek mic pre's. UAD Apollo interface w Black Lion micro-clock, tons o plugins. Moog Rogue, Roland SH-2, Maxi-Korg, Chroma Polaris synths. Yamaha NS-10M / Hafler amp, Yamaha HS-50 w subwoofer and JBL 4408A monitors.

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

A: I have been doing this for over 30 years. I started as a teenager in punk, post-punk and industrial bands, mainly as a drummer. Joined the band 54/40 in the early 80's and then decided to pursue production and started working with Sarah McLachlan on her first two albums. Produced, engineered and mixed scores of albums ever since.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: I would love it if people identified my style as timeless and genre pushing. I love trying to make music that is at once, futuristic and vintage sounding. Organic, yet manipulated at the same time, but none of these are consciously noticed due to the raw emotion in the foreground.

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

A: Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood. This album marked a culmination of a many years long working relationship that found the artist really finding her strong identity in her art. I co-produced and mixed the album with her.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: A collaboration with a pop artist in Nashville via Skype. I love working remotely with artists!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Digital. I have spent many an hour working in analog and nothing beats the sound of an Ampex 102 playing back a recording through a tasty analog console through some excellent monitors. Unfortunately the world we live in doesn't hear music that way. Once tape has been transferred into 1's and 0's it has been my experience that it is hard to tell the difference between it and good emulation in the context of a mix. I bring my years of experience in analog and apply it sonically to digital. The workflow in digital is incredibly improved over the analog days and there are things we can do in digital that are simply not possible in analog.

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

A: That I will devote all my energy to helping you, the artist, finish the track(s) that will take you on your journey to wherever it is that the music gods have chosen for you to go.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: The excitement when a song or mix starts to come together. The incredible privilege to be surrounded by music every day. The excitement I get back from the artists. The joy of hearing the song on the radio.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Why are you doing this? What is your personal, artistic and business goal for this project, this year and the next 5 years. What was your favourite music growing up? What is it now?

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

A: Test out a song first before jumping into a commitment. The provider may be super qualified, but simply may not be compatible.

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

A: DAW, Maschine 2, Neve 1073 mic pre, AT 4050 mic, acoustic gtr.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Fairly early in the mixing process, I use a "pseudo"?-mastering chain to mix through. This helps give me a better understanding of the desired end result as I mix. Many times, the artist or label ends up using my "pseudo" mastered mixes as the final master. Another tip: I like to use an app called "Airfoil" to run my mixes through my laptop speakers, tablets and phones in real time allowing me to make adjustments based on the devices that the majority of people listen to music on.

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

A: Pop, Indie Rock, Americana, Experimental EDM and electronic music in general.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Mixing, interpreting a song for a desired audience.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I like to dig into what the artist originally felt when first coming up with the song idea. Finding the essence that brings out the emotional current is key. Keeping things simple and cutting out fat. I like working on maintaining user interest and focus throughout the song's journey. I love working with artists who are not afraid to break down boundaries to get to the key focus of the song.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I like to focus on getting the feel or vibe right and being able to capture it as effectively as possible. Don't do alot of processing before it hits the DAW. Prefer to have as pure and direct signal from mic / instrument to pre-amp to DAW as possible. Once in the computer, the universe of options open up. Though I love to experiment with sonics in the computer, the power of music comes from human emotion, and that always takes priority. Though I work entirely digitally now, I come from the analog era and learned on analog consoles and tape machines and bring that experience and sensibility with me.

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

A: Brian Eno, T Bone Burnett, Ric Ruben, Aphex Twin, Zedd, Martin Hannett, Holger Czukay, John Cage, Flume

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

A: Mixing, Full Production, Song Finishing