Mix Engineer, Vocal Engineer

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

A: Oh so many. Goldlink's album 'Diaspora' was a fun one and sonically challenging. Young T & Bugseys upcoming mixtape 'Truth Be Told' was also great to work on. The drums are crazy on that record, wait until you hear it!

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: A bit of both. Both have positives and negatives. The digital ITB stuff is just so convenient, especially if you're doing tweaks and recalls. Most engineers now have to do this are artists and labels have become so used to asking for last minute changes I still love the sound of analogue equipment though and will always make use of it, bouncing and sending things in and out.

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

A: Im not sure there are too many misconceptions about mixing tbh. Most clients I work with know the process. Maybe some people have misconceptions about the timelines, its not like mastering and this can be done in an hour or two. A good mix can take days or even weeks, there is no rushing perfection.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: Usually as above. How do you want the track to sound? What are your current favourite sounding track by other artist? How close do you want me to match your reference mix? Are you open to experimentation?

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

A: Send me a message, lets discuss your project and your vision. Im all about getting the track to sound exactly like you have it sounding in your head.

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

A: Neve 1073, SSL bus compressor, Tubetech CL1B, Yamaha NS10's and a UAD card.

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

A: I started as a runner in Metropolis studio in 2008, so thats 13 years ago now. Then went freelance. I think Ive pretty much worked in every studio in London. I then moved into my own mix room and fully concentrated on mixing.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Hard hitting mixes that sound fresh on the radio. Big drums, big low end.

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: Tough one. The music fan in me would probably say The Beatles, but maybe thats not quite possible. Of a current artist, Id maybe say Tame Impala.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Organisation is key!

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

A: As I said before I work on a variety of genres. But mostly hip hop, afro beats, pop and dance. Heavy drums and pumping low end are my specialities.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Probably my experience in turning a great track into a radio hit. Making the song hit hard but at the same time being easy on the ears with no harsh frequencies. Clean sounding mixes that hit hard are the secret behind radio success.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: A fresh pair of ears! I often find the producer and artist have listened to the track so many times, its just always helpful for them to have a fresh perspective. I try my best to get the track cleaned up, sounding super fresh and ready for the radio. I also love to experiment, so will add textures, samples, FX as I go, providing the producer and artist are happy for me to do this.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Usually starts with a conversation with the artist or producer, sometimes both on the direction they want the song to take. Ill ask for a rough mix to familiarise myself with the track and usually Id ask for some examples of music they like the sound of. Ill spend some time cleaning up the stems and organising everything as I like before doing a base mix while A/B-ing the reference mix. Then its all about the detail, making sure everything has its space, is well balanced and no hard frequencies. Ill introduce some FX and do some automation and try to bring the track to life. Once Im happy Ill send to the artist and go through any feedback, honing the song and its sound to make sure everyones happy.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I mix in Pro Tools and have a hybrid ITB/OTB setup. I have a master chain which includes SSL, Avalon EQ. I have some Neve 1073's which I often run things through as well as Tubetech EQ/Compressors. I monitor on Adam's, Dynaudio's and Yamaha NS10's. When Im INT I love to use UAD, Waves, Slate Digital, Fab Filter, Izotope, Native Instruments plus so many other plugins. Ive built up quite the collection over the years!

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

A: A big fan of any full time engineers in the game. Manny Marroquin springs to mind as do Tom Elmhirt and Czenzo Townshed who I was lucky enough to work and shadow alongside when I was at Metropolis studios in London.

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

A: Im mainly a mixer engineer. I receive upwards of 200 songs a year, mostly in the hip hop, afro beats, pop and dance genres. I also master songs, usually after Ive mixed them if requested to by the artist. Production work is a smaller part of my work, but something im delving deeper into.