Mastering Engineer

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both as I believe both are needed to get a great master, analog adds great warmth and weight, but digital is better when you need to get surgical on the eq and create the punch.

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

A: I will always be honest and if the mix is not ready I will tell you what needs to be done

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Making a great sounding master and seeing how it can bring a track to life.

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

A: Is there anything that we can do to the mix? The answer is let me have a listen. At the end of the day, it is the artists music and they have the better idea of how they want it to sound, I can just take that a step further for them and make that a reality. Can you make my mix loud? Yes of course, but not just by slamming it through a limiter. Generally there is a happy balance and having some room for the master to breath is good, but if you want a mega pushed version of a master I am happy to do that.

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

A: Just make the track louder! Yes of course a mastering engineer will increase the level of your tracks, this naturally happens when eq is applied, but unless specifically asked the level is achieved via eq rather that pushing the limiter as hard as it can go. Mastering is very much a creative process and can take a mix to the next level.

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

A: I have run a record label, worked as a mix engineer, and a studio in London as a mastering engineer and have been working for myself as a mastering engineer since 2011.

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

A: I work with all genres of music although 70% is rock, punk and post-punk.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I have a great ear and can bring a mix to life

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: I tae the mixes to the next level and will always provide feedback on a mix if it can improve the final master

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Have a good listen to the track, and if necessary suggest some mix feedback. Generally start by running the audio through the hardware eq and compressor / limiter, to get a good base to take things from once back inside the computer. I then use a variety of plug-ins to eq again and polish the master and finally will bring the level up with a limiter.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have a hybrid studio setup, using a Manley Massive Passive hardware eq and a Manley Vari-MU compressor, these add weight and warmth to the mastering process. I have a full range PMC monitor set up consisting of IB2s speakers and SB100 subwoofer, all powered by there own Bryston amp, for audio processing I use a Lynx HiLo. I use a variety of different high end plugins to tweak and polish once the masters are inside the computer.

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

A: What inspires me is people who have a real passion for what they do, whether they are a new artist or have been around for a while. It is the drive and passion that inspires me.

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

A: The most common work I do fro my clients is mastering, although I often do audio editing too and occasionally mixing