Christopher Daly on SoundBetter

Credits include Diet Cig, Vagabon, Porches, Active Bird Community, Attic Abasement, Izzy True, Fits, Ghost King and many more. I'm here at any point of the process. Whether you want to start putting together a record from scratch or you need help getting mixes over the line, I'd love to talk about about working together!

I've been working out of and building up a space called Salvation Recording Co. for 10 years. It was founded out of a desire to create a place where artists wouldn't be afraid to ask for what they want. To try things that other engineers had scoffed at and sometimes simply throw things against the wall.

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

Credits

6 Reviews

Endorse Christopher Daly

by Taylor F.
Verified
Chris was great to work with for my track — knowledgeable, put in the work to understand my vision, and supportive. Grateful for him taking into account my requests and edits and giving me a few tips along the way. Also had a good connection in mind for mastering, which was extra helpful for the process.
by Josh Govier
I’ve come to Chris with several projects, everything from tracking, to mixing, to consultation. I’ve always enjoyed working with Chris and hope to do so in the future.

Unlike other studios where you feel rushed to get in and get out, Chris has created a warm and homey environment where it is easy to create. He sincerely cares about each project he takes on.

Chris has a lot of cool gear and unique tricks up his sleeve. He’s open to unconventional approaches and taking suggestions from artists. He turns around top notch mixes quickly and efficiently.
by Scott Sugarman
I worked with Chris on a series of singles and highly recommend him as a producer, recording engineer, and mix engineer. He has a fantastic sense for arrangements across a variety of genres. His knowledge of recording techniques is vast and he encourages unconventional approaches to getting the right sounds. More than anything, I really appreciated his personal approach to the work--he's incredibly generous, patient, honest, and kind. He puts his talents in service of the song at hand without ego. Salvation Recording Co. is a vibey, cozy haven, and the gear is unusual and inspiring.
by Jamal Ruhe
I’ve worked with Chris on dozens of albums. Whether it’s for a national release or an unknown new artist his commitment and connection to the projects he takes on is something every artist wants from a partner in the recording process. He never fails to help his artists create unique and expressive works that speaks their truths.
by Nick Cortezi
I've been lucky enough to work with Chris for a few years & I can't imagine anyone else behind the console. Chris's encyclopedic knowledge of recording technologies & tactics is only matched by his uncanny, almost spooky ability to translate what's in my head to tape.
This wizadry accompanies a philosophy that treats the musician & their vision with the utmost respect. No matter the idea, he not only nails the execution but is genuienly excited to collaborate & figure it out. He's an incredibly rare combo of talent & character, one who cares not just for the record but the people behind it.
by Art
Working with Chris was a great experience and I couldn't be happier with the results. I've worked with lots of audio engineers over the years with a handful of bands and different sounds, and our sessions with Chris were more fun and organic feeling than I've had before. Chris felt like we were working with a good friend. It wasn't stressful, and he was very understanding of our needs and what we wanted to do, but at the same time had good feedback and suggestions. Definitely doing our next album with him.

Interview with Christopher Daly

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: There are so many! Off the top of my head, working on Diet Cig's debut ep Over Easy. We jumped right into recording a handful of songs they had just written. It was halloween, I had worked with Noah before and it was my first time working with Alex in the studio. We had no expectations going in, just had a blast, and ended up with one of my favorite records ever.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: Currently working on a great sophomore LP with Marinara. Because of the pandemic it feels like 100 years since we tracked it and the time they've had to add and subtract from the bones of the album have resulted in something I'm so excited for people to hear.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: I've had the chance to work with Mike Butler on both tracking and Mixing projects and he is the best.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: There is a little bit of both in the work I do and the amount of either depends on the song/record. Ideally, if I am good enough at what I do, it shouldn't matter, and we can achieve the same result both ways. Then the tool choices can be based more on inspiration or ease of workflow.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: A transparent experience. No "industry secrets" or "that's not possible" shut downs. I trust you to know what's best for your vision and I'll try everything I can to get you there.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I get to listen to great songs all day.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: Ask Me anything!
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What are you trying to achieve. What records inspire you and what are you listening to these days. Doesn't matter if it'll be a direct tonal reference or not.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Trust your gut. You have to get along and relationships are way more important than credits. Make sure you are feeling heard. Most importantly though, you have never invested too much time in something that you can't walk away and start fresh with a new team.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: My speakers and my favorite headphones, an original Danelectro Convertible, a Dbx 160vu and my crusty and rusty old LP Shaker.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I've been doing this in this style and capacity for 10+ years and have had the opportunity to work on so many amazing projects. This is my favorite thing to do and I hope to be able to keep doing it for years to come!
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: I'd like to not have a style and just to help you amplify yours. That being said, I love things to be big and natural. For the song to be the focus and not the production.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Don't get caught up in rules and gear. If it sounds good it sounds good.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: I've worked in a lot of different genres but I really enjoy working on Indie and pop records.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Listening! Whether it's to you or the song.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Hopefully as little as possible. It's my job to push the song and capture your vision, not to impose any of my own ideas on it. Of course I love to collaborate and be involved in the writing process but I don't see that as my primary goal. Hopefully my contribution is transparent so that your vision can shine through as loud as possible.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I try and adapt as much of it as possible to suit the project. It usually starts with a lot of conversation, talking about references, influences and ideas. If we are mixing, I'll ask you to pick a song that's indicative of the overall sound of the album and get started there. Once we get to a place where we are on the same page and have some revisions in the bag for that song it's time to dig right in and get moving on the rest of the album as a whole.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: My place is small and homey. It's centered around a Yamaha PM2000 32 channel console and the walls are covered in weird vintage guitars. I use custom Troels Gravesen Discovery 18 Monitors and a pair of heavily Modded Yamaha NS1000's. It's as much of a place to hang and and listen to a record as it is to get amazing guitar tones.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I like to be involved in any part of a project. Whether it's talking about concepts and listening to demos to full on tracking and mixing.